First of all, I didn’t know two things: Markus Kliewer is Canadian (which I should have guessed; things are weird up there) and “Kliewer” is pronounced Cleaver. Told you. Weird up there.
Anyway, our main character is broke. Medicine is a luxury and food is not guaranteed and housing is tenuous broke. Broke broke. So she’s browsing Craigslist for a job, because that’s evidently still something one can do in this world, and finds an add. She’ll make a total of $9,000 for 48hrs of work. She literally can’t pass up the possibility that this might be real.
She hops a bus hoping this doesn’t end with her in a stew pot or something and heads that way. And of course, it’s the furthest, creepiest, fearless house as far from the bus stop as possible and it’s dark. There’s barely even a streetlight.
First red flag, the lady mentions there are “rules” or “rites” that need to be fulfilled bc she promised her husband who — “oops, maybe I should have mentioned; he’s dead…” — and she seems packed pretty heavily for a weekend trip. But no worries! A third of the money is already in your account (and immediately disappears to bills) and the rest will be there are soon as the weekend is over. There are envelopes (don’t open them!) and a phone (better not ring!) and a VCR (maybe important!).
Whatever you do, follow the rites, follow the rites, follow the rites….
Quiara writes 