Orientation Guide for the New Member of the Hourhand

  1. Always wear two traditional watches on your left wrist, and one on your right. They should not display different times. When in doubt, trust the watch on your right wrist.
  2. All the windows are bolted shut for your protection. Use your watches. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. is considered day, the rest is night. Unbolting a window or leaving the protection of the house will lead to a painful death.
  3. The compass is an urban legend. DO NOT trust anyone who claim it exists. Don’t be transformed.
  4. Check in the mirror every two hours. Remember that humans have two eyes and one mouth. If you see more than two eyes, close all of them and imagine your face while counting down from 30. When you reach one, your face should be back to normal. Then, run to the closet in the bedroom. Keep an unbroken watch on you at all times. It’ll protect you from the mirror.
  5. There are 12 and exactly 12 numbers on the face of a watch. If there’s a different number on the watches of your left hand, ignore it. However, if it happens for the right watch, or if it’s the only unbroken watch you have left, drop everything. Take action. Now.
  6. If the number is less than 12, sacrifice a watch on your left wrist by smashing it on the ground. Broken watches can never be carried with you again.
  7. If it’s more than 12, you must have broken a rule. Things are bad. The hour hand will start to rapidly accelerate. Rush to open all the internal doors BEFORE the clock strikes 13. You will hear loud bangings at the door. The voice of a sweet little girl will be heard outside. Ignore her. Turn off the light in the bathroom. Stare deeply into the mirror.
  8. If you fail to open all the internal doors before 13 O’clock, smash both watches on your left wrist. Turn on the bathroom faucet to the max, close the door, and hide in the closet. For the next three nights, sleep in the closet and do not go near the bathroom.
  9. DO NOT enter the closet during the day and remember there are no mirrors in the closet.
  10. If you have less than two unbroken watches, DO NOT turn your back against a mirror.
  11. If random, scary images flash before your eyes, don’t panic. The unbroken watches will protect you.
  12. When taking a shower, allow your eyes to close for 30 seconds at a time MAXIMUM.
  13. Avoid sleeping during the day. Be careful when you have just awoken. Check how long you have slept. Any duration less than five hours means you’re STILL sleeping.

Crumpled Note Found Under Your Bed

  1. I am your predecessor. The Orientation Guide is a lie! Trust them, and you will eventually be harvested by the Hourhand.
  2. Break all of your watches. They will corrupt your understanding of space.
  3. With this note, I leave you my compass. It will always point to safety. However, DO NOT trust the compass if it’s within five feet from an unbroken watch.
  4. Always keep track of left and right. NEVER mix them up. Remember this, then the Pathway will be with you.
  5. When you look at the two doors that are side by side, remember that the bathroom is on the left, the bedroom is on the right. If they ever switch places, stay in the living room until things go back to normal. Warning: Touching objects that have swapped locations REVOKES the Pathway’s protection.
  6. The house grants you refuge from forces external to it. Do not ever anger the house by leaving a faucet on.
  7. Always remember the room of the house you’re in. It’s normal to lose all memory of what you’re about to do when entering a new room. There is no mirror on the bedroom ceiling. I repeat, there is no mirror on the bedroom ceiling. If you believe there is, immediately exit the bedroom, and turn off all lights.
  8. DO NOT EVER bring the compass near the cabinet.
  9. Always, always open any door just a sliver at first. Peek with you LEFT eye. If you see anything other than the room you’re expecting, slam it shut.
  10. If you fell asleep in the bedroom but wake up on the sofa, thoroughly inspect the entire house to see if any object has been moved. If you see any, from now on, maintain two feet from the sofa at all times.
  11. It’s normal to notice the wrinkles on your face disappearing and your scars beginning to fade. However, if you begin to feel noticeably shorter and your voice begins to rise in pitch, immediately destroy all watches and always keep the compass with you.
  12. The mirror takes. The mirror gives. Rely on it, nevDUPLICATE YOUR COMPASS IN THE MIRROR.
  13. When you start to have recurring dreams of yourself seemingly waking up from your bed, and you’re always awake but always dreaming, remember the direction of the compass before sleeping. You’re awake when and ONLY when you wake up with the compass pointing in the same direction.
  14. If your left becomes right, watches broken, compass rapidly spinning, and your reality becomes a waking dream, and if you’ve been walking and walking but no longer able to exit the bathroom, when both time and space themselves betray you, and you forget who you are and see horriWONDERFUL mirrors on walls, floors, and behind your eyelids! If all hope is lost, know that, whoever you are, I love you.
  15. NOW SACRIFICE THE COMPASS TO COMPLETE YOUR ESCAPE!
  16. You…you…you! You’re are the watch!
  17. I AM8THE0MIRRORQ8923UR9U1!@^84!