Chapter 9
The Monster
The Stranger sat up straight on his bed, still panting heavily and his body sweating constantly as he continued to recall the nightmare of last night. What he witnessed was a sight so terrible and horrifying that it shook his body to the core. If his dream happened to be a vision of what is to come, if the bear he saw was indeed the foretelling of his next challenge, could he even be able to take on such a creature? Does he really have a chance to defeat a monster that fierce?
"It was just a dream, right? It was nothing but a terrible nightmare. There isn't a monster that exist like that in this world… right? I-it just isn't possible; nothing like that could ever appear… Oh dear Lord, please just let that only be a dream. I… I…"
The Stranger stopped speaking and took a few deep breaths. He relaxed his body and calmed his mind to a sane state. To clear his mind of bad thoughts, he got out of his bed carefully and walked towards the window, pushing away the blinds and opening it to let in a cool autumn breeze. The Stranger took a deep sniff of the air, and opened his eyes to see the beauty of the outside.
He placed his hands by his side and made a determined expression. "No. Dream or not, if this bastard exists, I can find some way to stop him. I survived the collapse of a tower, I have risked my life to save multiple lives in a single day, and I can do anything without fail. You release that monster, you son of a bitch. Show him to me and I will send its ass straight back to Hell." He slammed the window shut and made a determined nod.
He walked over to his wardrobe and opened it once more to reveal his wide variety of coats, a mirror showing his reflection… and a drawer, holding his new pair of pants that he acquired from Flaky. Eager to try them on, he went for the drawer and instantly pulled them out, and laid it against his body to envy the fine craftsmanship of his pants, just the right size for his kind.
The Stranger took his pants and placed his feet and legs in one sleeve at a time. There was a spot behind him that allowed his large tail to fit comfortably through, allowing him to wear his pants without pain. He took the belt that came with the pants and slid it through the empty sections of the waistline, and made sure it was tight enough to keep it up straight.
Having it nice and tight against his body, he observed himself in the mirror, seeing his new pair of pants attached neatly to his body. He smiled widely as he looked at himself in the mirror. "Well, it may not change my true form back to its original state, but this is as close as feeling human I am ever going to get in this world… Thanks, Flaky."
Continuing his routine, he combed his fur to a clean look like always, and grabbed his signature brown leather coat, now useful than ever thanks to the cool breeze of fall. After equipping his apparel, he closed the wardrobe and moved to his desk where he laid his gear.
To take account his gear was all in check, he opened his backpack to observe its contents both inside and out, which contained: A small med-kit containing a variety of medical supplies, a map of Happy Tree Town, a small pair of binoculars, a notepad with a pen attached to it, a pocket knife with a few additional tools, his digital watch, a lighter, a small canteen filled with water, a cheap flip-phone, a circular compass, and Flaky's quill he kept the day he pulled it out of his arm.
"Damn, it looks like I am preparing for the fucking Apocalypse." He placed his watch on his right wrist, his phone in his left pocket, and the pocket knife in his right pocket. Making sure they were in place, he closed his backpack and picked it up by the handle. "Well, if shit starts raining from the sky and everyone is losing their minds because, say, some red guy and his gang is kidnapping everyone, I'll be ready."
Seeing he was completely prepared, he exited out of his room and walked downstairs to the kitchen to meet up with Flaky, wide awake making the morning's breakfast. The Stranger smiled at her ability to wake up at such an early hour yet so eager to get moving. "Good morning, Flaky. Slept well, I hope."
Flaky turned around to see the Stranger, wearing the new pair of pants she has given him, which made her feel happy to see him already enjoying his gift. She gave a warm smile and a quick nod, and gestured him to sit by the table.
The Stranger kept his smile and sat at his usual end of the table, dropping his backpack by the leg of the table and sat comfortably on the chair. He leaned in and placed his arms on the table in a crisscross position. "I'll just take one slice of toast today. I have an itchy feeling to get to work early today."
Flaky sighed and shook her head with a smile, still silently concerned of his work habit but still happy to see that he cared for their lives. As instructed, Flaky prepared him a small slice of toast and a glass of milk, which he enjoyed with his breakfast every morning. He smiled at her with a joyful look, and began taking a sip of his glass of milk.
Flaky sat down on the opposite end of the table and laid out her own plate of breakfast, which consisted her usual set of eggs. The two silently ate by the table, which made the Stranger uncomfortable, seeing how she has went to work already to make breakfast. He tried to think of some kind of conversation to start, and swallowed a bite of his toast.
"You know, Flaky, today will be the official day that every unique Tree Friend here in this town will have survived a minimum of 30 days. A one-month average period of survival for everyone in this world. Flaky, I swear with every day of saving these people, we are getting ever so closer to our real homes, and it just gets easier and easier by the day." The Stranger smiled as he raised his glass of milk, which Flaky returned doing the same to toast to a minor victory.
The Stranger than lowered his glass and went into a deep thought. "Come to think of it, it has been getting too easy. Many of the mad man's moves have proven to be less dangerous and easily preventable, and some days he barely sets off any situations. One day, the only observable observation was Disco Bear, and the best way to stop that is to punch a dick in the dick. Seriously there is nothing left of the guy." The two both chuckled at the statement, the Stranger more so since it was the truth.
The two were then interrupted by the sound of the doorbell of Flaky's house, and the Stranger made an attempt to stand up before being instructed by Flaky to sit, which he happily obliged. He sat and watched her walk carefully to the door to open and see a generic Tree Friend acting as a newspaper boy, and handed Flaky today's headlines. She waved goodbye to the friendly Tree Friend, and gently closed the door.
The Stranger was suddenly surprised as Flaky began to jump up and down in excitement, and started running over to him while tapping the paper. The Stranger placed a confused look on his face, wondering what the excitement was all about. "Flaky, what is it? Something good happen recently? Is it bad? What is the big news?"
Flaky dropped the newspaper in front of the Stranger and pointed to the headline on the side of the paper. "Carnival."
The Stranger listened to Flaky's word and examined the section of the paper she was pointing at. He looked closely and read the small headline for the news.
Fall Carnival at Happy Tree Park! Gate opens at 10:00 AM. Open all week!
The Stranger nodded his head and took one more sip of his milk before placing it before him. "Well, I guess we know where are next course of attack is now, don't we?" Flaky nodded her head with a smile, and the Stranger return with a smile and nod of his own.
Feeling completely rejuvenated and prepared for work, he stood up from the table, placed the chair back into position, equipped his backpack over his shoulders, and gave Flaky a short hug. "Thanks for the wonderful breakfast, Flaky. I'll be back soon." He let go of her and made his way towards the front door.
He then stopped and look behind him to see Flaky grab her own coat for the cool weather and her sunhat, about to place it on her head. The Stranger shook his head. "Flaky, what are you doing?" Flaky stopped her movements and gestured to the Stranger with her hands, stating she was going with him to the carnival.
The Stranger stood and began to run a set of scenarios in his mind. His dream came back to haunt him, seeing Flaky die right in front of his eyes and was not able to save her in time. He felt terrible seeing the sight. And it all started at the park itself.
He mumbled to himself softly. "It was just a dream, it was just a dream, it was…" Despite trying to talk himself out of his next move, he just could not shake the nightmare out of his head. Feeling depressed by what he was about to say, he tried to place a determine look to cover his scared expression and spoke to Flaky, looking down at the ground while doing so. "Flaky… I… I think it might be… best that you stay here… today."
The Stranger looked up with his eyes without moving his head to notice the disappointment in Flaky's eyes, sad to be told once again she cannot come with him. The Stranger felt sick seeing her like this, and was disappointed in himself. He was treating Flaky like a child, being overprotective and controlling her own life choices.
He walked up to her and gave her a warm and tight hug. "I know you're upset now, Flaky, but I am just doing this as a pre-caution. Besides, it is open all week. If today goes smoothly, I will take you to the carnival tomorrow, and we can do anything you want that day, okay?" He moved his head back to look at Flaky, and made a small smile as she nodded slowly, still a little upset to be forced to stay in her home again. The Stranger nodded and let go of her. "Don't worry, Flaky, we will go out and have fun together again another time. Just keep the doors lock, windows closed with the blinds covered, call me if you need help, and stay safe. I will be back around five, okay?" She nodded, and he return with a nod as well.
The Stranger made it for the door once more and exited outside, closing the door slowly behind him. He stood on the front steps of the house, and took a few deep breaths to capture the cool air. He then looked down sadly, and shed a single tear.
"I just need her safe… just for a little while longer…"
After a couple of minutes taking a small stroll on the sidewalk, the Stranger came across a small hill that gave him a perfect view of Happy Tree Park. One day, it was empty, filled only with a few citizens walking about and conversing with each other. Now, standing in the center of the park, was a huge carnival filled with rides, game stands, and a large circus tent, all bustling with activity. Nearly all of Happy Tree Town was there, having a carefree morning.
It was also a good opportunity for the mad man to strike and create a simple mishap that could cause chaos throughout the carnival, killing hundreds of innocent Tree Friends. It was the perfect trap.
The Stranger took a deep breath as he watched the carnival from a distance. "Alright, asshole, you want to play this card? Fine, I'll play one of my own." Clearing his mind and stretching his body to get his muscles working, he took the short trek towards the front gates of the carnival, and took a stand in front of a toll booth.
What stood between him and the carnival itself was a small gate that opened for those who paid a small admission price. He looked at the center to notice the toll booth, which was currently being run by the Mole himself, looking downward at today's newspaper… while holding it upside down.
The Stranger walked towards the booth with a grin and waved his hand. "Good morning, Mole. It's sure a lovely day to spend time at a carnival, don't you think?" The Stranger could not tell if he was smiling or not due to his purple turtleneck coat, but he did tip his uniform hat to the Stranger acknowledging his statement.
Seeing that the Mole recognized him, he reached for his pockets, but came up short after he realized he left his wallet back at home, with all of his change inside. The Stranger started thinking about what he could do to get through, and then shook his head at a terrible plan he had now created, but decided to go forward with it.
He walked around carefully by the booth and made it towards the gate entrance and, at an incredibly slow pace, slid through the slinging gate without making a sound. Making it towards the other side, he faced around and gave a tiny salute to the Mole. "Have a great day, Mole!" The Mole tipped his hat again, and went back to reading the newspaper.
The Stranger looked down and shook his head in disgust. "I'm not a bad person for abusing his disability, am I?" He snorted and looked back up to see the carnival. "Well, I only did it for a noble cause, so that could justify it."
Now inside the boundaries of the carnival, he made his journey to reach the center of the area. His plan was simple: patrol the carnival around the clock while observing any kind of dangerous activity or signs that could foretell future troubles. Anything from a simple loose bolt on a ride could cause major destruction, and he had to be there to identify it before it was too late.
Reaching the center, he took a count of all the unique Tree Friends that occupied the carnival, checking each of their positions to see if it could cause any trouble for other Tree Friends. He dropped his backpack gently and opened it to retrieve his notepad and pen, and began to observed his environment.
"Alright, Fall Carnival, around 10:30 AM. Plenty of activity today, possibly every known Tree Friend is in this location. Occupations, what do we got? Well, Splendid appears to be off in another part of the world 'saving' the day, so he is excusable. Mole is currently handling the toll booth, so he isn't a threat. Lumpy is just a carnie handling a game, so he is no threat. Handy is working with construction and maintenance, so I don't see trouble there. I see Cuddles over at the circus tent handling a cannon, possibly being a daredevil; may watch him but I trust his risky attitude. Russell is handling some kind of pirate show, so he's okay. Pop and Cub are walking together, no problem there. Lifty and Shifty are stealing prizes at game booths… don't know why, they are cheap in quality in the first place, so they prove no danger. Sniffles is not handling any machinery, so I don't have to worry about him. And all the other Tree Friends are just enjoying their day."
The Stranger stopped writing and looked down sadly. "Well… almost everyone." He placed his notepad into his backpack once more in agitation. "Damn it, man, why are you being so over protective of her? Flaky is her own person and can control her own life. I'm doing exactly what I am trying to stop, and that is controlling over the way another person should live." He brought his backpack over his shoulders and sighed. "I'll make it up to her. I just want her safe for now before letting her enter this place."
Clearing the disappointing thought out of his head, the Stranger progressed through the carnival and continued his patrol. While still observing the Tree Friends closely, he aimed more for the buildings and structures for signs of danger than the actual Tree Friends themselves, which they tend to be the cause of their own mistakes and deaths. However, with close observation of every structure, he could not identify a single problem, not even a loose bolt on a ride. In short, the carnival seemed to be the safest place in Happy Tree Town.
Which made it more suspicious than ever. If people were placed into positions that have a less likely chance to kill them on their part, and no structures in the area appeared to be in dangerous condition, then what exactly could cause trouble? The Stranger had a gut feeling there was indeed something that would bound to happen today at the carnival, so he continued his patrol despite the current safety conditions.
For hours walking through the carnival, the Stranger observed his environment multiple times, always keeping a watchful eye on every Tree Friend and every structure currently standing. With every passing minute, it became clearer that the carnival was completely safe, and no one had yet to be injured in some form. Cuddles was able to perform his cannon routine multiple times without injury, Splendid never came, Lumpy did not had a position all day that could cause pain for others, and Sniffles was practically doing nothing. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
The Stranger made it to a park bench that was set up in the middle of the carnival and took a seat, resting his legs after a long day of patrolling. He brought his right wrist up to observe his digital watch, which read 3:41 PM. He still had a couple minutes of work to perform, but decided to continue it from his current position. If trouble was not shown before this point, it could be concluded that trouble occurring now would be minimal.
He looked around his spot to see what his current position could show. There was a game booth that involved using darts to pop water balloons at the other end of the stand, which Toothy seemed to have caught an interest in. Pop and Cub were at an ice cream stand being managed by Cro-Marmot. And in the center of his view was Mime being… well, a mime.
"God, I hate mimes. They are like French clowns. They scare the shit out of me and they don't even have to make a sound to do it. I'm keeping my eye on you, you son of a bitch."
Staring at Mime for a short time, the Stranger began to feel drowsy, and started to bring his eyes to a close. His wish to get some additional time to sleep would not be granted as a large ringing of a bell went off, shaking his body and sending him to a quick alert. He looked around, trying to pinpoint where the sound could have emitted from.
Looking next to the dart booth, he noticed a bell tower that tested a person's strength with a large hammer to ring the bell. He hadn't seen one in such a long time, and looked at his arms to check his own current state of strength. A little curious to try out the game, and his mind in a state of complete boredom, he brought himself to his feet and began to walk over to the game.
But, as the crowd of Tree Friends began to be cleared from his view, he saw a unique figure near the bell. Looking closely, the Stranger saw something that sent his mind into complete confusion, as the sight alone did not make any clear sense to him.
Standing right next to the bell tower stood a light-green bear, about the size of Pop, wearing a military BDU jacket and a beret, standing strong and proud by the bell. To the Tree Friends, it appeared he was just another person. To the Stranger, however, he was a completely unique Tree Friend he had yet to observe.
"What the hell? How long has this guy been here? Did I just miss this guy for over six months and just noticed him now? This guy definitely is no generic; that uniform and look of his, he must be another person."
Now more interested in the green bear than the bell tower, the Stranger made his way towards the 'new' Tree Friend. Looking at him, his occupation appeared to be a carnie as he handed over a foam finger to Handy… who apparently was the one that rang the bell. Seeing that he had no hands, he walked off with anger on his face, leaving the bear to be standing confused by the game.
Ignoring that situation, he walked straight up to the green bear, who had yet to notice the Stranger's presence. The Stranger observed his movements, and could not make out anything wrong with him. He was a grown adult, his uniform clearly showed he was military, and actually seemed to be kind and happy like the others. In fact, he acted as if he could not even pull the wings off a butterfly.
And yet, despite his unique appearance, why did it take this very moment to notice his very existence? His character looked like he would stand out most from all the other Tree Friends, so how did the Stranger miss him?
Thinking ahead of himself, the Stranger shook his head and waved his right hand. "Good afternoon, sir, how are you?"
The green bear was caught by surprise by the sudden speech of another person, and looked up to finally notice the Stranger. He quickly placed a smile on his face and waved his right hand saying 'Hello.'
The Stranger noticed he was already showing a state of kindness, acting like a clean gentlemen. He also noticed he was wearing a nametag by his jacket, which read 'Flippy.'
He talked to himself silently. "Flippy, huh? Why would he be given a name like that?" The Stranger ignored his question and continued his conversation. "So, Flippy, I have yet to see your appearance in this town before. Are you a new resident?" To the Stranger's surprise, Flippy shook his head. Flippy was not a new arrival. So what was he?
"Really, you don't say? Well, I guess we must always miss each other at the last moment then, huh?" Flippy was a little confused, wondering what the Stranger was trying to point out… and actually who this person even was. The Stranger realized he was going too far into the conversation, and made a small chuckle. "Oh, excuse me, I must have forgotten to give you a proper introduction of myself." The Stranger cleared his throat and reached out his right hand. "Hello, Flippy, my name is-"
POW!
The loud sound of balloon popping scared the Stranger slightly, almost thinking it was the sound of a gun being fired off. He turned around to face the nearby dart game, noticing Toothy enjoying his time throwing darts at the balloons. The Stranger calmed down his body and made a small laugh.
"Ah, darts. You know, I would very much enjoy playing those types of games, but I was never really… good… at… darts?"
The Stranger could not help but stand confused and speak slowly as he watched Flippy's movements. For some reason, Flippy was starting to tremble and twitch, and his breathing picking up in pace.
The Stranger was getting worried slightly. "Hey, Flippy, what's wrong?" His words were not being registered as Flippy's breaths began to deepen in volume, his body twitching even more violently, and his eyes changing into an emerald color.
The Stranger took a step back while raising his hands slowly. "Flippy, seriously, what is going on?!" The Stranger's eyes began to widen and started taking faster breaths as fear built up in his body. Looking at Flippy, his body was continuing to transform, his breaths making the sound of evil, his eyes completely changed into an emerald green, his body arching downward into a pouncing position, and his teeth changing into razor sharp blades.
And he was staring straight into the eyes of the Stranger.
"Flippy, seriously, simmer the fuck down! You look like you're about to flip…"
Let's just say that this monster can be a little 'flippy.'
The taunting and threatening words from the mad man last night rang in his head. The Stranger looked directly at the face of Flippy, and took note of his sharp teeth and emerald eyes, remembering that the evil monster from last night had the same appearance. The Stranger then took one more final glance at his nametag, which read 'Flippy.'
The Stranger stood terrified at what he was seeing, hearing the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears as time felt like it had frozen. He did not think it was true, and always thought it was just a bluff, but it was indeed real. There was no denying it, the proof was evident.
Flippy, a green bear who first had an outer appearance of a peaceful Tree Friend, who looked kind and gentle and only wanted to be a good person with everyone.
Was the monster.
"OH MOTHER OF FUCK!"
The Stranger braced his body with his hands straight out in front of him as Flippy lunged towards him, pushing him onto the ground hard. As the Stranger laid on his back on the dirt ground, Flippy stared straight into his eyes with pure evil, sending fear throughout the Stranger's body as he watched. Flippy began his attack onto the Stranger, using both his fists to punch the Stranger's sides of his face.
The Stranger kept feeling the constant heavy blows, his face getting bruised and scarred as he was being beaten senselessly. Building up adrenaline and strength, the Stranger used his legs to kick Flippy off his body, throwing him off to his left side. The Stranger rolled right and got on his hands and knees, feeling his face as blood slowly dripped down from his nose.
As the Stranger started to breath heavily from the major beating to his face, he slowly looked over as his head trembled to notice Flippy was already standing tall over him. He looked at him with his evil grin, showing off the sharp teeth that could chew the flesh off any person.
He then pulled a large Bowie knife from his jacket, and let it reflect light from the afternoon sun. It was possibly the biggest and sharpest blade the Stranger had laid his eyes on, and it shook the Stranger with horror.
Trying to make a futile attempt to stand back up, the Stranger was kicked in the head by Flippy's right knee, sending the Stranger back to the ground to lay on his back side. Flippy than dropped onto the Stranger as he slung his knife to his neck. With quick reflexes, the Stranger grabbed hold of Flippy's right hand that was holding the sharp knife, and struggled to push it away from him.
Flippy laughed as the Stranger tried to save himself, even though it was not a worthy attempt. The Stranger tried laying his head back as far as he can, having terrible thoughts of how his life may very well end right now. He closed his eyes as he continued to struggle in the fight, and the knife began to touch his neck.
Flippy than relaxed his body as he looked up into the sky, as if a sound was heard in his head.
Don't bother killing him. Go after his friends.
Flippy smiled widely at the mad man's demand, and looked back down at the Stranger. The Stranger looked at Flippy with confusion, wondering why he had stopped bringing the knife to his neck. Flippy then grabbed the Stranger's neck and gave a massive head-butt to his face, almost sending him into an unconscienced state.
The Stranger slowly opened his eye as it was bruised severely, and saw Flippy swing the knife one more time towards the Stranger. He closed his eyes and accepted defeat, crying sadly in his mind as he failed his mission.
Flippy, instead of aiming for the Stranger's neck, went and landed the knife between the small sections of clothing of the Stranger's coat underneath his left arm, sending it deep into the ground. The Stranger looked over to see the knife stuck through his coat, and tried getting up as the knife kept his position locked into place.
The Stranger looked at Flippy, staring at the Stranger, and turned around towards the direction of Toothy. The Stranger watched Flippy walk with a heavy march, staring at Toothy who had no idea of his incoming doom.
The Stranger began to pull the knife out from the ground as it was stuck deep into his coat and made him stuck to the ground, and looked at Toothy with a scared and worried expression. He knew what was bound to happen, and he was unable to get to him.
He yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping to attract Toothy's attention. "Toothy, RUN!"
The purple beaver turned around confused to notice the Stranger laying on the ground all beaten up in the facial area and a knife pinning him down. He also noticed Flippy walking up right up to his face, and stared down at him with his evil emerald eyes. Toothy was too scared to make out the situation, unable to make a decision of what to do.
Flippy decided to help Toothy's decision by slamming his right fist into his gut, dropping Toothy to the ground gasping for air. He dropped a couple of darts in his hand, and noticed his small slingshot in his back fur pocket. Smiling as he devised a devilish plan, he grabbed the slingshot and a couple of darts to use as ammunition.
He brought Toothy back to his feet, who was holding his stomach as he gasped for air. Flippy ran back a few feet, and placed the dart on the slingshot. He raised it up and pulled back on the sling as a dart laid perfectly straight, aiming for Toothy's head.
Toothy looked up slowly and noticed Flippy aiming the dart at him. His eyes opened widely with fear and screamed in horror, pleasing Flippy in his rampage. He fired the slingshot, sending the dart straight into Toothy's right eye. It hit dead center into the blackness of his eye, gushing and spurting out blood. He screamed in pain and placed both his hands over the dart, attempting to pull in out.
Flippy, enjoying the sight of his prey dying slowly, fired another dart into Toothy's exposed left eye, doing the same amount of pain and damage. Blood began spurting from both of his eyes, and he screamed at the top of his lungs with his mouth wide open to let out a huge volume of agonizing pain.
Smiling at his last target, Flippy fired the last dart not for Toothy's forehead for a clean headshot, but inside his opened mouth. It went straight through, going straight to the other end of his throat. Toothy's gag reflex kicked in, and he vomited large amounts of blood over the ground with small chucks of acid and guts. He dropped face first into the large pile of vomit, his eyes still gushing blood, and bled out onto the ground.
Flippy laugh menacingly at his successful kill. The Stranger, however, stared in horror at the sight of the murder. It was the most disturbing sight he had ever saw, and proved instantly that Flippy was nothing more than a monster in disguise.
"Holy shit, the guy is a fucking maniac! He's nothing but a fucking psychopath!" The Stranger was finally able to pull the knife out from him, and went straight onto his feet as he held the knife with the blade facing downward. "I'm sorry Flippy, but I can't let a murderer like you live. You're a monster and I have to put you down!"
The Stranger ran forward as Flippy looked down at his kill with envy. The Stranger then slung the knife, aiming for the head of Flippy. To the Stranger's surprise, however, Flippy was prepared for his attack, and brought his right hand around to grab onto the Stranger's arm. He turned around to face the Stranger, and twisted the Stranger's arm to drop the knife and feel pain across his body.
Flippy held him with his arm twisted, and the Stranger cringed in pain as he stared at Flippy. Flippy then brought the Stranger's head over to the game booth, and slammed his head onto the table, causing a small cut on his head and massive head trauma. The Stranger felled back onto the ground, holding his head as he watched Flippy pick up his knife and a few more darts as extra ammunition.
The Stranger brought himself up slowly, cringing as he felt pain over his head and feeling blood run down his face. He noticed Flippy beginning to run off to continue his murder spree, and slowly brought himself back onto his feet. Flippy was becoming a challenge that he was not prepared for. He was worse than the monster he saw in his dream. And the Stranger ran thoughts of doubt of any possible success.
"No… I have to keep fighting!"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his small pocket knife, puny into comparison to Flippy's Bowie knife. But it was his only weapon, and had to make it work. He looked through his blurred vision as he started to come back into clarity, and noticed Flippy was busy shoving down a large lit torch down into Mime's throat, choking him and setting his internal organs on fire.
The Stranger made his move and started running forward to Flippy. Aware of his incoming presence, Flippy picked up another lit torch and brought up a bottle of flammable fluid. The Stranger stopped in his tracks as he watched Flippy placed the fluid inside the cheeks of his mouth and spit it out through the flames of the torch in his direction, sending out a blaze of fire. The Stranger slipped back and fell to the ground as he raised his left arm up, nearly being hit by the full blast of fire, though his arm received minor damage from the large flame.
He laid on the ground and looked at his left forearm to see his fur had been slightly burnt, and some skin being charred. He felt it as the burnt skin created a short sting of pain. "Damn it, that stings like hell! " He looked up as he cringed to notice Flippy had moved his position to Cub and Pop, and was sent into shock as he watch him pick up Cub and snapped his neck without remorse.
Pop watched his own son be brutally murdered in front of him, and raised his arms up to plea for his own life. Flippy was still in his blood-fueled rampage, and has yet to be satisfied, thus, Pop's pleas were useless. To prove it, Flippy grabbed one of the popsicle sticks from the ice cream stand and shoved it straight into Pop's chest, piercing his body and taking his heart out to the other side, pumping the remaining blood slowly before stopping.
The Stranger, now just seeing two more innocent Tree Friends get murdered, got back on his feet and charged towards Flippy with his pocket knife at his side. Flippy looked over with a grin and watched the Stranger move in. He waited for the right moment and, as the Stranger slung his knife forward, he dodged to the side and grabbed his arm. The Stranger looked directly at him as Flippy kicked him in the back of his left leg, knocking him down once more and laying between the dead bodies of Pop and Cub.
Seeing his adversary incapacitated once more, Flippy turned around to see the large circus tent, with a large crowd currently enjoying a peaceful show. Seeing how everyone was there, Flippy believed it be only right to give a show of his own. With a deep evil laugh, and his sharp teeth showing his devilish smile, he made a dash for the circus.
The Stranger grabbed onto the stand and brought himself back on his feet, and looked down to see the dead bodies of Pop and Cub. He was breathing heavily, feeling sharp pain everywhere with every beating, and frantically thinking of how to stop Flippy. The Stranger looked over to see Flippy running for the circus, and already knew what his next move was.
"Damn it, Flippy, I don't have time for this shit! What the fuck is wrong with him!"
Shaking his head, he knew he had to keep trying to find a way to stop Flippy's murder spree. Getting the strength back in his legs, he followed Flippy's trail towards the circus, leading him to the front entrance, which was cluttered with Tree Friends trying to get inside.
The Stranger shoved his way through the crowd, much to the many generic Tree Friends' dismay. "Excuse me, coming through, trying to save your asses people!"
The Stranger entered the circus and could see the current event taking place. It was Cuddles, entering the giant cannon to be shot out into the air for everyone's amusement. To the Tree Friends, Cuddles was going to perform yet another risky move that pleased the crowd. The Stranger, however, knew this shot was not going to go as planned.
Handling the cannon was Flippy, who was still in his mad frenzy state that others could not identified, and was filling up the cannon with gunpowder. But instead of a tiny amount, he filled it up with a full barrel of gunpowder, beyond the safety limits of the cannon. The Stranger's eyes widen, already knowing that Cuddle's was heading towards his death without knowing.
The Stranger ran through the circus tent and made it to the center where everyone could see him. He reached out his left hand and pointed his index finger to Flippy. "Flippy, don't you fire that cannon you bastard! Stop what you are doing right now and just surrender peace-"
Flippy rolled his eyes at the Stranger's attempt for a peaceful arrest, and lit the fuse of the cannon. Flippy held his ears tightly, and the Stranger watched the fuse burn its way to the cannon.
He covered his head and ducked downward. "EVERYONE, COVER-"
A loud bang was heard that shook the entire circus tent, and the Stranger looked up to see the cannon completely destroyed due to a massive explosion, and Cuddle's have his body ripped in half while being flung straight out of the tent, screaming in pain as he felled to his death.
The Stranger got up again and notice Flippy laugh at yet another murder, and lit another match as he stared at the Stranger with a grin. The Stranger stood still and looked behind Flippy's position to notice a large pile of gunpowder barrels neatly stacked. The Stranger stared in horror as Flippy nodded his head.
Flippy threw the match behind him and the Stranger watch as time slowed down, following the tiny smoke trail of the match. The match landed on a trail of gunpowder near the barrels, and lit up in flames as it moved to the pile of barrels. He looked back as he closed his eyes and raised both his arms up, and felt a giant explosion go off within the tent. The Stranger fell to the ground from the shockwave of the blast, and his ears rang with white noise as the volume almost destroyed his hearing.
The Stranger looked up after the shockwave died down and opened his eyes slowly to see a huge fire now spreading, with Flippy absent as well. He noticed a large piece of the tent destroyed, and the pillars that held it up had been severely damaged, and were unable to hold up the significant weight of the tent.
As the flames moved up the tent, Tree Friends began to scream in fear, too scared to think up a way to save their own lives. The Stranger got back to his feet and looked for Flippy from his spot, but could not make out his position. Getting tense from losing sight of him, the Stranger made a side objective to get any Tree Friends out of the tent.
He raised his arms in the air and beckoned the Tree Friends. "Everyone, over here! Come to the exit now, let's go!" The Tree Friends gathered up to the Stranger near the center, and looked at him for support. The Stranger then made a dash for the entrance he came in, but was suddenly stopped by a falling piece of a flaming pillar, obstructing their exit.
"Shit!" He looked around and saw a back entrance on the back side of the tent, noticing at the same time the entire tent was picking up in flames. Smoke was filling up the tent, and building materials that held the circus tent up were starting to fall. Time was running thin. "Everyone, run!"
The Stranger ran through the crowd and across the circus ground, and looked up to see a falling wooden pillar. He jumped forward, almost being crushed by it personally, but looking behind him to see multiple Tree Friends be killed. A piece of metal pole landed next to him, and he looked up to see more parts falling on to him. The Stranger got up again and moved, still almost being hit by fallen building material.
He covered his nose, trying not to breath in the heavy and thick smoke from the fire that now reached the top. The Stranger heard a creaking sound, and looked behind him to see the tent beginning to collapse. His eyes opened in fear, and ran as fast as he legs could reach and jumped through the thin covers of the tent, landing face first onto the ground outside.
He rolled on his back to look behind him to see the tent collapse in a burning ball of fire, and heard Tree Friends scream in agony as the tent crushed their bodies and the tent burning them alive. No one made it out except him.
"Son of a bitch, not again!" The Stranger heard Flippy's evil laugh, and looked over to see him standing in front of a Hall of Mirrors, staring at him with that same evil grin. Flippy then entered the maze, and left the Stranger filled with agitation and anger. "You get back here you fucker!"
The Stranger jumped to his feet and picked his knife back up once more. Taking a deep breath, he once again followed Flippy's trail in just a miniscule hope to stop him. He stood outside the Hall of Mirrors, and looked inside to see a maze completely built with many different mirrors, aligned perfectly to confuse the person where the path was.
The Stranger gulped as he slowly entered the maze, getting an unsettling feeling that Flippy was watching him somewhere. He looked around his environment, seeing his bloody face and sore body as he watched the mirrors for Flippy's appearance. He grasped his knife tightly, and took deep breaths with every slow step.
"Come on, Flippy, let's cut this shit now and talk this over. Stop the killing now and we can sit and have a nice chat, find something to agree to and stop this violence."
The Stranger knew his words will be of no help, and kept his grip on his knife tighter. He bumped a few times into a couple of mirrors, confused on where the path was. He did not want to look down, as it would give Flippy enough time for a surprise jump.
The Stranger then stopped his movements. Something felt weird. He could sense the presence of someone. He looked over to his left to see a mirror that showed his reflection.
Along with a reflection of Flippy.
The Stranger's eyes widen as he gasped, and swung his knife around to hit Flippy, only to have his arm caught by him again. Flippy pulled the knife out of his hand and threw it on the ground, far away from the Stranger's reach. Angered by the constant fight, the Stranger slung his fist from his free arm to hit Flippy, only to have his fist be caught as well.
The two struggled as they were at a hold between each other, Flippy staring at the Stranger with the evil emerald eyes of his, and the Stranger looking at him with his bloody and bruised face. Flippy will soon get the better of the Stranger, and twist him around until he had his arm wrapped around his neck. The Stranger tried prying Flippy's arm off from his neck, but failed miserably.
Flippy then slammed his body against a mirror, the glass shattering as some of it cut open the Stranger's coat and causing small lacerations across his skin, making small trails of blood fall out. Flippy then threw his body to another mirror and to another, with each piece of broken glass and strong force bruising and cutting the Stranger, causing head trauma and intense pain across his entire body.
Bored of playing with his body, Flippy dropped the Stranger on the ground in the middle of tiny pieces of broken glass, getting slightly cut open. The Stranger cringed in pain as he breathed heavily, his body bruised, his face bloodied, and his clothes getting slit open, completely ruined from the pieces of glass.
Flippy, seeing the Stranger once again fallen onto the ground, ran out the exit of the maze, leaving the Stranger to lay down in immense agony and pain. He opened his eyes that had small amounts of blood on it, and looked up slowly as his body trembled. He noticed a small whoosh of a curtain, knowing Flippy must have exited outside.
"How… How the fuck… am I going to stop something… I can't even keep up with?!" The Stranger was breathing heavily, and gritted his teeth in pain as he got onto his hands in knees. He looked over and picked up his tiny pocket knife, and got back up on his feet, making cracking noises with his bones as he placed his body back into position.
He walked slowly to the exit curtain, and found himself back outside in the carnival grounds. But the sight he saw made him want to return back to hide in the tent.
In such a short time waiting, the Stranger noticed destruction and death everywhere. Dead bodies of Tree Friends laid across the ground. Booths and rides completely destroyed and lit up in flames. The screams and cries of Tree Friends were heard as they died slowly.
All of this destruction that occurred, all of the death and mayhem that was caused under fifteen minutes, was all done by one little green bear.
Flippy was truly the monster he was described to be.
"Oh fuck… Oh Lord almighty, what the fuck has happen?!" The Stranger looked over to notice Flippy, struggling to kill Russell. The Stranger gasped as he watch Flippy grab the hook on Russell's hand to slit open his throat, making him gurgle with blood. To make matters worse, Flippy shoved Russell's own hook on top of his head, and pulled it back to rip out his brain, instantly dropping him to the ground and dying in agony.
Flippy laughed at his massive kill streak and major destruction, proud at his evil achievement. The Stranger, however, was far from pleased. "Flippy, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Why are you doing this shit?! What the fuck has gotten into you?! What..?"
The Stranger stopped speaking as Flippy looked up to see the Stranger standing still just a couple of feet away from him. He smiled with his evil grin and sharp teeth, and his emerald eyes staring into the Stranger's worried eyes. Flippy had one more move plan for his only 'adversary.'
He reached for his coat to pull out, not his Bowie knife, but Toothy's slingshot, along with three darts. He placed two of the darts between his teeth, and placed one on the sling of the small weapon. The Stranger watched him pull it tightly, and brought the slingshot up to aim straight at the Stranger, and gave an evil grin as he nodded his head.
The Stranger dropped his knife and raised both his hands up in surrender. "Okay, Flippy, calm down, we don't need to do this. We can end this situation in a peaceful matter. Just lower your weapon and we-"
Flippy fired the slingshot at the Stranger, launching the dart at a fast speed. The Stranger raised his left hand to protect his face, and the dart pierced his hand, the metal needle going straight through his flesh.
The Stranger cringed and yelled in pain, bringing his right hand over as his hand trembled in pain. "FUCK! Oh God damn it, fuck!" He looked at his hand, seeing the needle was showing on the backside of his hand, and small blood trails were pouring out in both ends. Not knowing what to do, he used his right hand to grab the handle of the dart on the palm of his hand and, with enough strength, pulled it straight out, dropping it instantly as the sharp pain ran through his body.
The Stranger grasped his hand as a small hole was left behind, bleeding faster with an open wound. The Stranger slowly looked up to notice Flippy had already loaded a new dart and, without second thought, fired another dart at the Stranger, which pierced through his right knee.
The Stranger cried in pain again as he fell on his left knee, and looked at his right to see the dart go through his pants and pierce the flesh and bone of his knee. Cringing in pain that almost sent him into an unconscious state, he grabbed the dart with his right hand and pulled it completely out, hearing a tiny 'pop' sound that almost knocked out the Stranger. He dropped the dart and watch a small blood stain build up within his pants on his right knee.
He took a few deep breaths and stood up slowly one more time, feeling woozy from the amount of pain he is currently suffering through. The Stranger moved his head with a tremble to face Flippy one more time, who had the final dart ready to fire.
The Stranger raised his right hand and spoke softly. "Please… don't…"
Flippy fired off the last dart, and landed straight into the gut of the Stranger. The Stranger had the air pushed out of him as the dart landed at his stomach, gasping for air as he stumbled back a short distance. The only sound he could hear was his heartbeat as he looked down at his body. The dart went straight through his thick coat and got stuck through his flesh. The Stranger felled to his knees, coughing a little as he could see a small blood stain build up around his stomach. The Stranger was in shock, unable to think of a plan to save his own life.
He would not have to think of any plan anyway as Flippy walked straight up to the Stranger sitting on his knees and grabbed his throat with his right hand. Flippy made a tight grip around the Stranger's throat, making a crushing sound as the Stranger began to choke. The Stranger was flinging his arms around, trying to pry open Flippy's hand from his neck while also reaching to hit him. Flippy smiled as the Stranger began to choke to his death.
Flippy slowly carried the Stranger around by the throat, watching the Stranger struggle with his legs and arms to get free. The Stranger began to lose energy as the lack of oxygen slowly started to kill him off, but still making a final stand to fight. Flippy placed his body against a wooden post high above the ground, watching his feet kicking around to touch the ground.
The Stranger started gasping for air as he could hear his heartbeat picking up in pace and his neck cracking at the sheer strength of Flippy's grip. Flippy then brought out his Bowie knife, and laid it against the Stranger's neck. The Stranger's eyes widen in fear, and began looking around quickly despite no reason to do it. He was in a state of panic, and was not prepared to be killed off now. But it seems that the end was nigh.
Flippy brought the knife behind him and made a tight grip. He then raised the knife high in the air and swung it forward onto the Stranger. The Stranger closed his eyes, too scared to face his death. But then he heard a large thud, and started to feel air enter his lungs again. He slowly opened his eyes to see Flippy let his grip go from the Stranger's neck, and looked up to see how he shoved the knife through the back end of his coat, letting him hang slightly above the ground.
The Stranger was breathing fast and heavily as he looked down to see Flippy drop his smile but retain his evil stare, and turned around to walk off into the destruction of the carnival. The Stranger looked down and sighed in relief, somewhat joyed that he was allowed to live by the mercy of Flippy.
But the Stranger would remove that thought as he looked up to see Flippy turn around and walk up to the hanging Stranger, and stared at him with no expression. The Stranger was confused and scared, wondering what Flippy was about to do.
Flippy then made a fist on his right hand, and hit the dart that was attached to the Stranger's stomach, sending it deeper into the body of the Stranger. The Stranger cringed in intense pain, feeling the needle inside his body go deeper and taking away more of his oxygen due to the massive blow. The Stranger could hear his heartbeat going at a fast pace, and his vision getting blurry with the constant pain and blood loss. He looked down to see the blood stain on his coat getting darker and thicker, with no signs of stopping.
Flippy chuckled and walked off, letting the Stranger hang on the pole to bleed to death. The Stranger watched Flippy walk off with his eyes half close. He then slowly looked around his environment, slowly speaking to himself in his head.
"He did it… He destroyed everything… He hid amongst the crowd and jumped at the least expected moment… He was a relentless killing machine that no one can beat, not even me… He is truly a monster… and he killed everyone."
Not everyone, Stranger.
The mad man came back to haunt the Stranger's last hour. Who exactly has he yet to kill? Splendid was one character he had yet to kill, but he is off somewhere else and is invincible to physical damage, pushing him out of the equation. And everyone else was A.I. or generic Tree Friends who were not tied to his goal.
So that would only leave…
"FLAKY!"
The Stranger received a burst of energy after the realization of the currently remaining survivor in Happy Tree Town… and she was left home alone with no one to protect her. If the mad man was not bluffing, then there was only one conclusion: Flippy was going to kill Flaky. The Stranger had only a short time to get to Flaky, and hopefully find some way to stop him.
Thinking of something quickly, he looked up to see the knife, and slowly lifted up his right hand to grab the handle, wiggling back and forth to take it out of the post. After a short time messing with the knife, it popped out of the post, dropping the Stranger to the ground and fall on his left side.
With the knife on the ground next to him, he felt the sharp pain emitting from his gut as the dart was still jammed in his stomach. He looked down to see the dart, noticing the large blood stain on his coat soaking all the way through and now dripping out the other side.
The Stranger took a few deep breaths as he stared at the dart, and gritted his teeth with intense force as he grabbed the handle of the dart with his right hand. He pulled as hard as he could, feeling the needle slowly wiggle its way out of his stomach. The Stranger was cringing in agony, shedding tears of pain as the dart was being pulled out deep inside his stomach. After multiple seconds of pain that almost killed him, with one final pull, the Stranger was able to pull out the dart.
With the sudden release of the dart, the Stranger laid over again and went into shock, the intense pain almost too much for him. His eyes laid open and his body went into a limp state, with his mind still active. He could not move as the intense pain made him freeze, and could see a slow trail of blood roll across the ground from under him.
His vision began to blur and his heartbeat started to slow down, yet his mind stayed completely active, repeating the same phrase over and over again.
"Don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out…"
His hand began to twitch, and was suddenly able to form into a fist. He blinked his eyes slowly, and looked up to face the destruction again. He cringed as the pain moved through his body with every tiny movement he made. The Stranger forced himself to get to his hands and knees, and coughed heavily as his blood was draining out of him, evident by the small drips of blood coming from an open wound on his stomach.
He slowly brought himself to his feet, and wobbled back and forth until he was standing completely up straight. He laid his left hand with the tiny wound over his stomach, holding back as much blood as he could. The Stranger looked around through the destruction, death and flames of the carnival, and could see the exit.
The Stranger limped forward as fast as he could, and decided to make an additional move as he ran for Flaky's house. Remembering he had brought the cheap phone with him, he pull it out of his pocket and held it with his right hand. He flipped it open and enter the contact list, instantly dialing the house phone for Flaky.
The phone rang for some time, not getting any answer of any kind. The Stranger, feeling pain that would normally kill the average person, was getting scared and agitated.
"PICK UP THE FUCKING PHONE, GOD DAMN IT!"
The Stranger heard the sound of the phone being picked up, and heard Flaky's voice on the other end of the line.
"Hello?"
"FLAKY! Flaky, it's me. Are you alright?!"
Flaky was confused, slightly scared by the Stranger's tone of voice and his question, but replied with a 'Yes.'
"Okay, good. Listen, Flaky, I need you to do something right now. I need you to barricade the doors, cover the windows, and hide inside your bedroom with the door lock."
The Stranger could hear Flaky breathing frantically, getting scared at why the Stranger was telling her to do such things.
"Flaky, calm down, I just want you to do that to protect yourself. Everything will be fine, just block the doors and hide in your room, okay?!"
Flaky replied with a shaky 'Yes' and was breathing heavily as she still held on the phone in fear.
"Good. Just do that and I will be home soon. Hide in your room, Flaky, just hide and I'll be there soon!"
He hanged up his phone and placed it back into his pocket. He limped at a faster pace, scared that he may not make it to her in time.
"Oh dear God, help me please. Please let me get to her in time."
Ah, Stranger, I see you are making a futile attempt to save another Tree Friend.
The mad man returned to taunt the Stranger once more. "FUCK YOU! You stay away from her!"
You know, Stranger, you have no one but yourself to blame. If you had just listen to my warning, none of this would be happening. I told you a monster would come, yet you just pushed it aside. I thought after months being here you would have grown up by now, but I guess I was wrong about that too.
"Get away from me you asshole! I don't want to deal with you!"
Oh, but I want to make a deal with you, though. You seem quite attached to this young porcupine. So how about we make a deal that could be a win-win for both of us, hmm? If you stop this futile attempt to escape this world, quit trying to be a hero, return to the life of a loner, and follow my rules once more, I will not have my favorite toy kill off your friend… permanently.
The last word scared the Stranger. Did he really mean to kill Flaky off… forever? Could he really go off and do that?
"No! You stay away from her! Don't you dare fucking touch her or you will regret it!"
That does not seem to answer my question, Stranger. Will you quit being the hero to save Flaky's life or do I let her die?
"Stay away from her, just stay away you son of a bitch!"
Answer the question correctly, Stranger. What's it going to be?!
The Stranger had an expression of anger as he stayed silent, running as fast he was capable of doing.
Your lack of an answer disturbs me greatly, Stranger. But I guess that is just the type of person you are. I hope you enjoy your decision, Stranger.
The mad man left the Stranger, and the Stranger himself went into a worried frenzy.
"Just hold on for a little while longer, Flaky. I'm almost home!"
After a couple minutes of running, he could see Flaky's house from a distance. But he was not the first to arrive, as he could see Flippy banging on the door hard with his right foot, each hit breaking it more and more.
The Stranger continued his sprint right up to Flaky's front yard, and noticed Flippy was only a kick away to enter the home.
"FLIPPY! You stop this shit right-"
Flippy turned around quickly to punch the Stranger in the face, knocking him down onto the ground. He turned back swiftly to kick down the door one final time, giving him entrance to Flaky's house. The Stranger looked up to see Flippy run in, and head straight for the second floor.
The Stranger got back on his feet quickly and ran inside the house. He could hear the sound of a door busting down, and he looked up in fear.
"FLAKY!"
He could hear the loud fearful scream of Flaky.
And then there was silence.