The Doomed Child is a character that is first mentioned in a note in Chapter II Prologue but makes their debut in Chapter II. They're first seen outside of Snake Meadow Hill Church where they walk towards the Cornfield nearby.
Biography[]
This child looks exactly what you would think of any child; small and short. They share the same purple color of Nate and Jason Martin. In a note in Chapter II, they're described from an unnamed staff member that they have a bloody, gaping hole as a face.
Early 1950s[]
Sometime around this time era, six orphans used to live at Snake Meadow Hill Church. An unnamed staff member used to take care of them. One day, the staff member and the other orphans would hear strange noises emitting from the cornfield nearby the church. A dog kept at the church named Greta broke off from her leash and ran towards the cornfield, where its body was found near the entrance of the church two days later. The staff member warned the orphans to not go anywhere near the cornfield, but they could not resist, and they ran into the fields as well. On some other day, their scattered remains were found near the front entrance as well, either eaten or destroyed by the thing in the fields. The staff member had to bury them in six coffins and the orphanage was shut down for the time being so that this incident doesn't cause too much controversy.
Early to Mid 1950s[]
An unspecified number of years passed, and the church got reopened after the incident faded into urban legend. When the church got reopened, a new nun named Sister Bell was introduced. Six new orphans, including John and Lisa, came in as well. When Bell and four of the six orphans disappeared, the same staff member that knew about the prior incident disappeared, likely that they did not want to be involved with another incident.
Mid to Late 1950s[]
Five years have passed since the staff member has left. While they were gone, the church was closed down for the final time. This happened because all the brothers and sisters running the church have left, the orphans and Sister Bell was missing, and Father Clarke disappeared (most likely killed). The staff member returns to the cornfield because of not getting closure in figuring out what truly happened to the six children that they buried. They weren't completely sure what they were looking for but, failing their search, tries to return back. Then, they felt the presence of the scarecrow that stands in the middle of the field and, what they call, the "doomed child". Freezing up in fear, they gather courage and tried to turn around to look at whatever was behind them. The staff member and whatever was behind them fled in opposite directions, saying that whatever they saw had a bloody, gaping hole as a face. Their fate is unknown but likely escaped with their life.
September 21st to September 27th, 1987[]
Sometime between these two dates, John experiences a nightmare where Chapter II Prologue takes place. He reads the notes left behind that details the two incidents mentioned prior. He wakes up after finding Miriam standing among Wretches in the Unseen World.
September 28th, 1987[]
Around 2:00 a.m., John experiences his most vivid nightmare yet, where the majority of Chapter II takes place. He explores Gallup Cemetery and, after opening a gate, walk towards Snake Meadow Hill Church. The doomed child from all those years ago is seen briefly walking towards the cornfield nearby. If he decides to exorcise the Scarecrow standing in the middle of the field, he reads a note from the staff member that talks about their search. Inside the church, he enters a confessional booth where he confesses his sins of leaving Amy to die in The Forest. The unseen figure hearing all of this tells John that if he wants to have peace then he must, "BRING THE CHILD TO ME.". Not knowing any better or experiencing the effects from the nightmare, John doesn't question this request and thanks the unseen figure and leaves. This conversation provides a hint as to what you must do with the doomed child you've seen before, but it's the last (canonical) time the doomed child was mentioned.
(Due to the Initiation Ending of Chapter II not being canon, the rest of this is included on what you can do with this child.)
After banishing the Spindly Lady, John returns to the cornfield. The doomed child walks towards him and asks, "Will you help ME?". To perform the 2nd condition to get the Initiation Ending, lead the child back to the confessional booth inside the church. Do not look directly at the child at all, it will run away and call John a bad man. It will respawn back in the cornfield though.
If you successfully bring the child to the confessional booth, a gray disembodied hand grabs the child and drags it into the booth. It grabs John as well. Inside, an area with skeletons and red hands are everywhere. The gray hand originates from the Mirror Demon, showing that it was the one who was talking to John earlier. Once banishing the demon, a psychiatric note from Dr. Spinel is dropped, detailing that John plays the role of a hero from God to escape the consequences of his actions. After reading it, you spawn back in the church. The 2nd condition is complete, the last thing to do is kill the traveling couple as a Wretch. This is the last time the child is seen.
Quotes[]
Plays when the child appears[]
- "Will you help ME?"
Plays while the child is with you[]
- "Why do you sin?"
- ”Where are you taking me?”
- ”They are all around us.”
- "I'm scared."
Plays when looking at the child[]
- "You're a bad man!"
Trivia[]
- A lone child can be seen running when using the flashlight in the Candy Tunnels and Malphas' House. It's unknown if it's supposed to be the doomed child or it's either Nate or Jason.
- It's more than likely it's one of the Martin Twins because John was not an orphan at Snake Meadow Hill Church in the early 50s, only around the mid 50s when he was either 3 or 4 years old. The doomed child does not have a personal connection with John, only with the unnamed staff member.
Gallery[]
