Here's the story of Dale's possession for those of you who might not know it...I will share the story of Dale’s tragic past so you can understand. When he was new to the world of puppetry, he was acquired by a man with a sinister background. This man lost his legs in an accident when a car he was working on fell from the jacks and crushed him. In his bitterness, he locked himself into his apartment and darkened the windows and began to practice dark magic to get back at the car shop owner (who died a few weeks later of a heart attack).
This man acquired Dale through his sweet nephew who kept the doll on a shelf and never used him. The boy felt sorry for his lonely uncle and gave Dale to him. Then, the man set Dale down on a chair in his living room and studied him. He began to talk to him as if he were a roommate. He would wheel his chair past Dale and get angry the doll would not respond. He would toss him around until his jaw was broken. He yelled at Dale about all the people who did him wrong and how bad the world was and how he wanted revenge.
When Halloween was coming that year, the evil man began to collect items for his magic ceremony he planned to perform on Samhain. He wanted to make Dale take on the spirit of a dead magical master the man emulated and got all of his spells from. If he could bring back to life this brilliant evil master, he would have the ideal companion. So, he prepared Dale for the transference on Samhain when the veil between the dead and living was the thinnest. Each day, he anointed Dale with special oils and lit candles, said prayers, waved around incense wands and begged and prepared Dale to be the ideal vessel for his teacher.
Something came to life inside of Dale. He stirred and awakened, taking on more and more of the teacher's characteristics. The teacher was a man who liked to intimidate and manipulate others. He enjoyed frightening people and seeing the fear in their eyes. This spirit began to enter Dale as Halloween came closer.
Halloween came and the ceremony was long and arduous and Dale began to channel the teacher, his chin moving, words forming, animation entering his body. But, the overzealous practitioner knocked over his row of candles, catching his shirt on fire. Helpless in his wheelchair, he went up in flame. The tenants rushed in to help the man, but it was too late he died days later.
The fire was put out, the room fairly well intact and Dale was only soaking wet. Although the final part of the spell was not performed to permanently insert the teacher's spirit inside of Dale, he still has an open pathway every autumn to slowly take over Dale until Samhain when, once again, he cannot remain.
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