Begin Prompt in 3, 2, 1…

The Three Survivors

Prompt: Lefty and Helpy tried calling the others, but nobody came.

"That's it!" The tiny voice was the only guiding light through the smoke and flames. "Come on, come on!" The larger bear drug itself through the final opening, only for its belly to get stuck in the exit. "Oh, come on! Almost there!" Tiny hands grabbed onto its and tugged, but it was through its own strength that it finally dragged itself out and onto the concrete.

"Hurray! You made it!" the small, white and purple animatronic cheered, jumping up and down. Helpy watched with relieved excitement as Lefty stood up, now safe from the fire of the building. He then hurried back to the vent opening and called in. "Hey! Come on! This is the way out!"

Lefty wasn't sure why Helpy would even be so excited about the others. They weren't exactly friendly, but he supposed that it was better than nothing. Better than only two survivors… Or three.

It was now that Lefty remembered the creature inside of him and rested a hand on his chest. If the fire had taught him anything, it was that he was created for something terrible. He didn't know how he knew it, but he did, if this whole fiasco was an indication. With a sighing sound, Lefty went against the desire build into his body and started to open his chest.

It wasn't even halfway open before a slender, black and white figure started to fling itself out of its chest, clawing and trying to free itself. Lefty fought the urge to push the Puppet back inside and instead opened it further. The Puppet freed itself and dropped heavily on the cement ground.

Concerned, Lefty leaned down to grab for the animatronic. The Puppet spotted him before he could and quickly skittered away. It crawled a few feet before pushing off the ground and switching to a labored hover before disappearing behind a dumpster. Lefty tried to call after it, but all that came out was crackling. Either the smoke or heat corrupted his speaker.

But even though the Puppet fled, Lefty knew he had done the right thing, and turned his attention back to his remaining companion. Helpy was still calling into the vent desperately. "Hurry up! The fire's getting hotter!"

Lefty came over and crouched down beside Helpy. He let out a loud hissing or hushing noise that was supposed to be a call. Helpy looked up to him in confusion. "Do you think they got lost?" Thankfully, Lefty couldn't speak, so he didn't have to feel like he owed the smaller the truth.

It was then that a loud groan came from the building followed by a gust of hot air. It was the only warning they had that it was about to all cave in. In an instant, Lefty grabbed Helpy and yanked him away, turning and shielding him with his body as most of the building caved into itself. A plume of smoke and heated air gushed out of the vent before it was blocked by debris.

Both bears looked back to see the way blocked as the vent caved in on itself. Nothing else would be coming through this way. Looking up, Lefty could see more flames breaking way through the walls and roof, and knew it was becoming too dangerous to stand there any longer. He grabbed Helpy's arm- or pinched it between his finger and thumb- and gave a gentle tug to coax him.

Helpy looked up at the larger bear. His normally confident look started to fall as realization set in. "…They're not coming out, are they?" Lefty shook his head and the smaller bear slumped forward in despair, trying to cover his face with nubby, rounded paws.

Lefty scooped him up in one hand and stood to send one last look at the former pizzeria. He then turned and started down the alley behind the pizzeria. As he walked past the dumpster, he looked over to see the Puppet curled beside it. Its arms were around its body and its head resting on its knees. It slowly looked up at him, wary of his presence, and Lefty locked eyes with it for a few seconds. Then he continued down the alley and to unknown freedom.

It was when he stepped out of the parking lot and into the thin line of trees and bushes that Helpy spoke again. "Is it just us now?" the tiny bear asked. "It's going to be lonely out here…"

Maybe it would be. It would be a lonely and dangerous journey. They didn't know where they were going and others would surely come after them, but if the two of them- or three, as Lefty noticed when he caught a glimpse of stripes behind him- stayed together then maybe they would make it.

The emergency workers never noticed the three slipping away from the fire.