Tyler's Possession

Lore & Background

Once free from the wellhouse, Dodge possesses Bode after tricking him into bringing the Anywhere Key to the wellhouse and using it to escape. Now able to explore Keyhouse as Bode, Dodge finally locates the Omega Key. The lore establishes that demons enter the real world by possessing humans through touch after mesmerizing them; if they attempt to enter without possession, they transform into "whispering" iron. This mechanic is central to the history of 1775 and the events of the 1990s where Lucas Caravaggio was first possessed. The text also notes that the magic of the keys naturally causes anyone who uses them to forget about the keys after turning 18, which complicates the family's defense against such threats.

In Their Own Story

In 2011, Sam Lesser murders Rendell Locke but is captured by police. Sam later escapes with Dodge's help and follows the Locke family to Massachusetts. At Keyhouse, Dodge tricks Bode into retrieving the Anywhere Key in case Sam fails. When Sam attacks again, Dodge uses this opportunity to escape the wellhouse with Bode's assistance. Dodge then kills Sam and returns to Lovecraft in his original body from thirty years prior. He intimidates his way into living with Ellie Whedon, posing as her cousin and a new student at the high school where Tyler and Kinsey are enrolled. Over the next year, Dodge secretly collects keys while hindering Tyler and Kinsey. Eventually discovered, Dodge switches bodies and possesses Bode. Now free to explore as Bode, he finds the Omega Key and plans his takeover during an after-prom party in the sea cave. Demons possess several students, killing many others before Tyler forges the Alpha Key with Duncan's help to exorcise the demon.

Reader's Guide

The narrative arc involving possession hinges on the "whispering" iron mechanics established in 1775 and the specific vulnerabilities of the Locke children. The text states that Dodge reaches out to Sam Lesser in 2011 to force Rendell to hand over keys, but it is Bode who ultimately facilitates Dodge's escape from the wellhouse via the Anywhere Key. To resolve the possession, Tyler must rediscover a piece of "whispering" iron left by his father and forge an "Alpha Key." This key removes demons from possessed souls when inserted into their chests; however, if the demon is still inside the host, the effect is fatal to the physical body. The guide notes that after Dodge in Bode's body is forced back into the well, killing the spirit again, Bode's empty body is cremated before his soul can return. In the epilogue, Tyler uses the Alpha Key to exorcise Dodge from Lucas' soul and the Animal Key to restore Bode's spirit to his physical form.

Did You Know?

• In 1775, demons attempting to enter the real world without possessing a human transform into "whispering" iron.
• The magic of the keys naturally causes anyone who uses them to forget about the keys and magic once they pass their 18th birthday.
• The Alpha Key expels the demon and turns it into whispering iron, but the host body (Lucas) survives the expulsion.
• The demon's essence was trapped in the wellhouse after Lucas was killed in the 1990s, and later the demon's spirit was contained in a jar by Dodge as a contingency plan.
• Bode's body was cremated before his soul could return to it after Dodge was exorcised.