The Deadbox
This is a defense-mechanism held by Tank. It is locked at all times, and only the Guardian or Protector had the key to its contents. (See "Polyclef".)
It contains:
1. Seven black, shiny stones. Tristan claimed these symbolized the Seven Truths.
2. Torn, bloody handkerchief.
3. Dismembered cloth doll.
4. Striped scarf. Molly suggests it is the same scarf worn by the French character Madeline. This seems to suggest a feeling of abandonment, as Madeline was an orphan.
5. Leather pouch. This pouch contains inside it a firearm.
6. Small skeleton. This is a memory, and proof, of Rhiannon's ordeal.
7. Skeleton leaves, and a scattering of fine glittery powder. This was immediately pointed out to me that this symbolized the Host's desperate hold to childhood, in the form of her obsession with Peter Pan.
For several years, Domenic was imprisoned inside the Deadbox, as a safety precaution. He was a threat to himself, to others, and to the Collective as a whole. It would not be tolerated, and due to circumstances he created, it was decided he was eligible for permenant solitary confinement. He left only as he was dismissed.
The Deadbox, in appearance, is much like a stainless steel steamer trunk. It is extraordinarily heavy, and bears an immense padlock. Aside from the tangible items listed above, the Deadbox is safe place to deposit unsavory memories and experiences. As strong as we tried to be, we could not hold everything, therefore we held was what necessary, and the rest went into the Deadbox. Think of it as a type of sophisticated filing system: If it is necessary to recall, we retrieve it. When it is safe to put away, or when the need to recall has passed, we file it back inside. It makes things easier to deal with and leaves us available to deal with other issues as they arise. More than likely, this is the reason that the Host's memories conflict at times, or why she recalls an event one day, and not the next. Personal information is always accessible, and other necessary information, such as family, school, work, and learned skills are also deemed important enough to be immediately accessible. It is that information which we hold. Severe abuse that was not verified by family, and details of the life that we decided were not as important were all stored in the Deadbox. It is likely that this is the reason the Host is not adept at thinking chronologically; we do not operate by those rules, and we did not think it was as necessary as we now know it is. Most of the life prior to the age of fourteen is basically jumbled and hazy, as far as memories go. The memories are there, of course, but not as easily accessed. Furthermore, there is nothing much within that time that any of us would particularly care to revisit.
Polyclef
This is a Latin-based term for "skeleton key". It is what we all call the key Logan is in charge of Inside. So far as we know, it opens every lock we have ever known: It is the key for Solitary, for the Deadbox, for the Mushroom House. Only the Guardian or Protector can have this key, because anyone else might abuse it. Logan keeps it on his person at all times, though no one is quite sure where. He isn't likely to say, either. In fact, he used to deny Polyclef's existance in order to maintain it's secrecy.
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