Twins, Samantha and Claire’s mother has died less than a year ago. When she died, their father moved into Eight Chimneys, a residence known for its massive chimneys. He moves to Eight Chimney’s to write about his favorite poet, Charles Rash who lived here until his sudden disappearance. Charles Rash’s daughter also disappeared when he did. His wife had died a year earlier. The girls are sleeping in the room that Charles slept in as a kid and so did his daughter. The girls are told this by Mr. Coeslak, the caretaker of the mansion. He tells them to stay away from the attic. He tells them another story about a man who mixed snake blood in his wife’s drink and 6 months later snakes took over her body. He tells them this is why the woods around the house aren’t safe. The girls go into the woods anyway. One of them sees a snake and the other sees a woman. They return home terrified. Meanwhile, their father writes in the library everyday until the afternoon when he takes a walk through the woods with his flask. He reads the girls Rash’s poetry and tells them about a poem he wrote called “The Specialist’s Hat”. He says that he has proof that Rash never wrote it & he stole it from someone and put his own ending on the poem. One day, he says he’s met a woman in the woods and he’s going out with her. He asks Mr. Coeslak to find the girls a babysitter. Their father leaves and a babysitter comes in with no introduction, no instructions, or anything else. She knows exactly where the girls are and how to find them. When she tries to make the girls go to bed, they tell her about their “dead” game. The girls pretend they are dead and live without fear. They’ve made up extensive rules to this game and they fill the babysitter in on them all. She eventually reveals that she is the daughter of Charles Rash and she used to live in this house. She proves it to them by bringing them to the attic. Since the girls are “dead” they aren’t allowed to be afraid of the attic anymore. In the attic they see something that the daughter says is the Specialist’s Hat. It can make any sound they can imagine. The hat comes alive when Claire puts it on her head and it chases them and bites the babysitter’s hand. It then rolls away and disappears. The babysitter tells the girls it’s time for bed. Mr. Coeslak comes looking for the girls but the babysitter tells them not to say anything. Then a voice that sounds like the girls’ father calls them, saying he’s worried about them, asking if they’re ok, saying he thinks he got bitten by a snake in the woods. The babysitter tells them this is the Specialist. The specialist can take any form and pretend to be anyone. The babysitter guides them to the attic to hide. They all begin climbing up the chimney and the story ends.