Aiden awoke with a startled gasp, sweat covering his forehead. He quickly sat up, pushing the blanket off, pulling on his shirt to air it out. He had yet another sleepless night. So far, it has been a week since he somehow escaped the Playtime Co. factory, but many times, it felt like he was back in the factory. Every night since that day, Aiden's been plagued by nightmares of what happened at the factory. They usually caused him to wake up in the middle of the night, images of that bloody day still fresh in his mind.
Aiden's heart settled down, and the human took a deep breath before looking towards the window. Judging by the light shining through the orange curtains, the sun was beginning to rise, meaning it was morning again. "Rise and shine, Aiden..." He said to himself, pulling his legs from beneath the blankets. His right leg still had the bandages around his thigh. Aiden's wound had gotten better since he left the hospital, though he still needed his crutches for the most part. Hopefully, today would be different. Moving to get off the bed, Aiden places his left foot on the carpet first, then the right. Taking a breath, Aiden stood up, wincing from the pain of his leg wound but able to stand. "Finally." Aiden was getting tired of needing his crutches to get around.
After practicing and ensuring he could walk around without crutches, Aiden put on his pants, left his shoes by the bedside, and walked towards the door. Aiden still used the pants he got from the hospital, and the oversized leggings reminded Aiden he should try getting new clothes at some point. All he had were the pants, one pair of underwear and socks, and his grey Playtime Co maintenance shirt with the right sleeve torn off. The problem with that is that during his first week in WoodsBurrow, the town's name, he learned that the people used a different currency than American dollars, meaning the cash he had in his wallet was worthless, not to mention his Bank of America card was now just plastic. Another thing that bothered him was that his facial hair was beginning to grow into a beard, which Aiden never wanted but lacked a razor to correct.
Aiden was eternally grateful to Sunshine for letting him stay in their home and to Dogday for doing what he could to make him feel at home. By now, Aiden had gotten used to Sunshine and Dogday; his experience working at Playtime Co. had been a big help. At the same time, he couldn't look at either of them without being reminded of the Smiling Critters. Dogday was a lot like his cartoon counterpart, being friendly and considerate. He also reminded him of toy Dogday, though that one behaved more like an adult since he and the other Critters were responsible for looking after the orphans.
Opening the door to his room, Aiden stepped out into the hallway, slowly walking towards the stairs. Dogday's room was still closed, so the pup was probably still asleep, and Aiden remained quiet to avoid waking him. Carefully heading down the stairs, Aiden heard noises in the kitchen. Reaching the bottom, he spotted Sunshine making breakfast. Sunshine proved Dogday's statement of making the best food, and Aiden found himself looking forward to every meal she made. "Good morning, Sunshine," Aiden greeted.
Sunshine turned around, smiling at Aiden, "Good morning, Aiden." Sunshine always maintained a warm deminer whenever she interacted with Aiden, just as she did with Dogday. She was precisely what Aiden expected a mother to be like back when he was a kid, even though he never knew motherly love. "I see you don't need your crutches now."
"Yeah, my leg still hurts a bit, but I can finally stand on my own, thank God." Aiden sat at the kitchen table where a glass of orange juice sat.
Sunshine turned back to the stove, using one furry hand to shake the pan she was making eggs in and the other to stir them with a wooden spoon. "Did you have a good sleep this time?" Sunshine was aware that Aiden had trouble sleeping, though Aiden had yet to tell her what his sleeping troubles were about.
"I wish," Aiden answered, sipping his orange juice before resting his head on his hand, tired just from thinking about his nightmares. The first nightmare he had was about the Smiling Critters, all of them back at the factory. It started off innocent enough, with Aiden carrying out his usual maintenance duties while interacting with the Critters as they watched over the Playcare Orphans. Then things took a dark turn with the other Playtime toys going insane, killing and murdering everyone they came across. It ended when Aiden was cornered by Catnap, about to be vivisected with his claws, and the human woke up in a panic. Every night after was more or less the same, Aiden's dreams taking him back to the factory to relieve those horrors, some focusing on specific parts like being chased by Boxy Boo or pinned by Miss Delight.
Sunshine turned off the stove. When the eggs were finished, she took three plates from the cabinet and poured eggs onto each of them. "Would you like to talk about it?" Sunshine put the pan back on the stove, putting slices of buttered toast she made onto the plates.
Aiden was reluctant to talk about his nightmares because he would have to explain what happened at the factory, which would lead to a whole bunch of other questions that he didn't feel up to answering. It sounded unbelievable, so he did not know how Sunshine or Dogday would react. "Not really," Aiden felt bad for not talking to Sunshine about it. He knew she only wanted to help, but he wasn't sure how she would handle it.
Sunshine picked up two plates, walked over, and placed one in front of Aiden and the other where Dogday would be sitting. "You know it can help to speak about your troubles to someone." She returned and picked up her plate, sitting at the table across from Aiden.
"I just don't think I'm ready." Aiden picked up his fork and began eating breakfast, and Sunshine did the same.
They ate together in relative quiet; Sunshine was about half done with her plate before she asked Aiden, "Aiden, would you like to go out to see more of WoodsBurrow today? I know you must feel cooped up after staying in the house all week."
Aiden stopped eating and thought about her offer. He couldn't deny he was getting bored, staying in the house constantly because of his injury. Sunshine and Dogday did their best to accommodate him, but it was no substitute for being able to get around outside. Another issue Aiden had was that the nine-foot dog sitting across from him was a blatant reminder he wasn't on Earth anymore. He wasn't sure how the locals might react to him. Last time, Sunshine had been carrying him to the hospital, and when they left, it was dark out, so nobody else was wandering the streets. Then again, Aiden would have to deal with it eventually, so he might as well get it over with. "Okay. I think I'm good enough to take a walk, so why not?"
Sunshine smiled, "Alright. I was planning to go to the store later, so we can go then." The two continued eating, Dogday still not coming down with his breakfast getting cold. Sunshine looked at the wall clock, seeing that it was 8:00 o'clock. "That boy. Aiden, could you go upstairs and wake Dogday? He must be oversleeping."
His breakfast finished, Aiden obliged, standing up and heading back upstairs. He reached Dogday's door and knocked, "Dogday, it's time to wake up." He waited a few seconds, not getting a response, before knocking again. "Dogday, breakfast is ready." Still not getting a response, Aiden opened the door and saw Dogday asleep on his bed. The blanket had fallen off and lay on the floor, leaving the pup uncovered. Aiden quietly approached, finding Dogday adorable as he slept in a fetal position on his side. Aiden saw that Dogday was still wearing his collar and pendent, surprised that he didn't take it off during sleep. He remembered that Dogday's pendant was a gift from his dad. 'It really is important to him.' Aiden thought before putting a hand on his shoulder and giving Dogday a shake. "Dogday, time to wake up."
Dogday still didn't wake up, only stretching and letting out a yawn that turned into a low whine. "I thought Catnap was supposed to be the sleeper." Aiden chuckled, reaching toward Dogday's head and giving him a scratch behind the ear, something he wanted to do for a while now. What Dogday did caught Aiden by surprise. He started kicking his leg! Aiden stopped scratching, Dogday's leg stopped too, and resumed when Aiden began scratching again. Aiden held in a laugh, 'He's like a real dog!'
After settling down, Aiden put his hand on Dogday's arm, shaking him more forcefully. "Dogday, your mom says it's time to wake up. Dogday? Dogday. Dogday!" Aiden's last attempt did the trick, and Dogday's eyes popped open with a startled gasp. He nearly fell off the bed, but Aiden caught him in the nick of time. "I got you!" he said, helping the kid back onto the bed.
Dogday sat on the edge of the bed, shaking his head and seeing Aiden standing before him, "Aiden? What happened?"
"You were oversleeping. Your mom asked me to wake you up for breakfast."
"Oh." Dogday got off the bed, saw the blanket on the floor, and put it back. "What did my mom make?"
"Eggs and toast." Aiden answered, "You better hurry because they're getting cold."
"Right!" Dogday hurried out the door, Aiden following, closing the door behind him. He got his shoes from his room for the trip to the store later, then went downstairs. Dogday was sitting at the kitchen table, his mother briefly scolding him for oversleeping before letting him eat. Aiden sat in the living room, found the remote, and turned on the TV to watch the news. Aiden listened to the weather report by a brown rooster in a blue suit and black tie as Dogday finished eating and entered the living room. "Hi, Aiden!" Dogday sat down next to Aiden on the couch. "Is your leg feeling better?" He asked, noting Aiden's lack of crutches.
"Yeah, I can finally stand without crutches. Still hurts to walk, though. Your mom says we could take a walk around town later."
"Really!?" Dogday's tail started wagging, clearly eager to go around town again. Since Aiden had been confined to the house because of his injury, Dogday also refrained from leaving to keep Aiden company. He typically introduced Aiden to board games and TV shows he watched while they waited for his leg to get better.
"Really," Aiden confirmed, smiling with Dogday. The two continued watching TV together, Aiden at some point letting Dogday change the channel to a cartoon that reminded Aiden of Coyote and Roadrunner, except it was a wolf chasing a rabbit in a grassland.
Around noon, Sunshine walked in wearing a large belt with pouches for carrying money and other things. Aiden learned that in this world, the inhabitants didn't use paper money but coin-based currency instead. "Aiden, are you ready to go?"
"Sure." Aiden put on his shoes and stood up from the couch, wincing from the pain in his thigh, but otherwise, he was fine.
"Can I come too!?" Dogday jumped from the couch, rushing to his mother with eagerness all over his face.
"Of course, sweetheart," Sunshine answered, reaching down and rubbing Dogday's head. Dogday was the first out the door, with Aiden following behind and Sunshine last, closing and locking the door behind her. Sunshine led the way, intending to show Aiden various spots around town and stop by the store. The sun was shiny, and the sky was partially cloudy, with a cool breeze helping keep the heat at bay. Just as Aiden expected, other people were out, what humans consider large anthropomorphic animals, going about their day. He stuck close to Sunshine, remaining calm as they passed by them. None of them seemed to have much of an overt reaction to the human, merely gazing at him curiously before returning to whatever they were doing.
It surprised Aiden how accepting the town's residents were of his presence. He figured walking around in public would cause concern, but that didn't seem to be the case. Aiden believed it must have been because they were all used to living alongside different species daily, so seeing a new one probably wasn't a big deal for them. However, another factor may have been that Aiden was significantly smaller than many of them. So far, the shortest adult Aiden has seen was 7 feet or so, and they had to be much stronger than he was. Sunshine herself had no problems carrying Aiden over to the hospital on the other side of town, so she'd probably have no problem sending him flying through a window if she wanted, not that Aiden thought she would.
"This is the park, the center of WoodsBurrow," Sunshine informed Aiden as they arrived. They passed the same park when Sunshine took Aiden to the hospital. Aiden recognized the playground at the center of the park where children played, surrounded by grass and trees with dirt walkways providing clear pedestrian paths. Like Sunshine said, the park was located in the center of the town, making it a hotspot for foot traffic as different residents passed through. As they passed by, Aiden observed children of various species playing happily together, reminding him of the orphans at the factory who played together. The pleasant memory turned grim, which put a damper on his mood, which Dogday noticed.
"You don't like the park, Aiden?" Dogday asked, walking next to the human in question.
Aiden was snapped out of his thoughts, looking down at Dogday beside him. "No, it's a nice place. I was just thinking about something else. Do you like coming here, Dogday?"
"Yeah, the playground is fun. I like going outside."
Aiden smiled, remembering how Dogday found him in the woods thanks to his outgoing nature. Sunshine led them out of the park, taking them towards the shopping district, where various stores lined the street. There was a hardware store, pharmacy, ice cream/candy shop, etc. Passing by, Aiden noticed some help-wanted signs in some of the stores, which gave Aiden hope he could find employment. As generous as Sunshine was for letting him stay in her home, Aiden didn't want to be a freeloader.
As they walked, Sunshine eventually led them to the grocery store. She took a shopping cart from outside and headed inside, Aiden and Dogday following behind. Inside, the store looked like an average store, containing aisles of food, drinks, etc. "Aiden," Sunshine started, "If there's anything you would like to get, you can pick it out yourself."
"Okay," Aiden responded, looking at the selves for anything that caught his interest.
"Can I get some candy," Dogday asked.
Sunshine looked at Dogday with a slight frown. "No, Dogday. You already had a cavity removed. You're not getting another."
Dogday's ears fell with disappointment. Seeing Dogday sad, Aiden picked a bag of chips off the shelf, nudging Dogday's shoulder. "Hey," Dogday turned to Aiden, who held up the chips, "We can share later." Dogday's tail wagged, the pup smiling once more. The trio spent about an hour going through the store, the shopping cart gradually getting fuller. Aiden got a few more things for himself, making sure not to overdo it as he didn't want to take advantage of Sunshine's generosity.
By the time they headed to the cash register, they had collected enough food to last a few weeks. The goat cashier rang them up, and Sunshine fished out the money she needed to pay for it. As Aiden watched the exchange, he was reminded of the need for employment. Sunshine and Dogday had been so kind to him; he wanted to do something to repay them, but with his bum leg, that would have to be put on hold for a while. When they finally left the store, Sunshine was carrying four large bags, Aiden carrying two, and Dogday one.
The three of them returned home with their groceries in hand. They put the bags in the kitchen, and Aiden helped Sunshine put the groceries away. Dogday went upstairs to his room. As Sunshine was putting things away in one of the top cabinets, she asked Aiden, "Aiden, did you enjoy our trip through WoodsBurrow?"
Aiden put things away in one of the lower cabinets, answering, "Yeah, it was good to get out of the house. WoodsBurrow is a nice place to live."
"I hope your leg wasn't too much of a bother."
"It's manageable," Aiden assured, closing the cabinet and turning to get more things from the bags. "Besides, I need to do something to repay you for helping me.
"Please, don't trouble yourself so much." Sunshine insisted, turning towards Aiden. "You should simply be concerned with getting better."
Aiden scratched the back of his head, "Can't help it. Few people have shown me generosity like this, so I feel inclined to repay it somehow."
Sunshine felt somber hearing Aiden's explanation. Has he really not experienced much kindness from others? He's such a good man; it wasn't right that he received so little from others. "Aiden," Sunshine started, "I understand your desire to repay us for helping you, but I assure you it's unnecessary. When I invited you into our home, I wasn't concerned you'd be a burden. My and Dogday's only concern was your well-being because no one deserves to be left to fend for themselves when they have nothing. You are welcome here as long as you need, so don't worry about repaying us."
Aiden was left speechless hearing Sunshine's words. Not even the orphanage he stayed in years ago showed him such warmth. Joy welled up inside him, something he had not often felt. Clearing his throat, Aiden replied, "Thank you." The two of them went back to putting the groceries away. When they were nearly done, Aiden had a question bugging him for a while. "Sunshine," Aiden got her attention, "I was wondering, what happened to Dogday's dad?"
Hearing this, Sunshine's expression became more downcast, making Aiden mentally curse himself for asking that. He was about to tell her to forget about it, but she spoke first, "My husband, Patrick, died two years ago in an accident. He took Dogday out to get ice cream one day, and on the way back home, a car's tire popped, making it serve out of control." Sunshine paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "The car swerved towards Dogday, but Patrick got him out of the way and was hit instead. There was nothing the paramedics could do, and when I got there, Dogday couldn't stop crying, not even after we got back home."
Aiden felt immense sadness hearing that story. Having no family, he couldn't imagine what it's like to lose a father, much less lose one in such a traumatic way. Aiden couldn't fathom the pain Dogday must have felt that day. It's no wonder bringing it up bothers the pup so much.
Sunshine shook her head, taking another breath, "Why do you ask?"
"I-It just that back at the hospital, I asked Dogday about his pendent, and he told me his dad gave it to him. And Dogday was wearing it this morning when I woke him up, so I knew it was really important to him."
"Yes, Dogday always keeps it with him wherever he goes. It's all he has left of his father."
"You don't have any pictures of Patrick?"
"No, we don't have a camera, so that pendant is all there is."
The kitchen became quiet for a minute due to the mood shift; Aiden broke the silence, saying, "I'm sorry for bringing that up. It wasn't my place to ask about that."
"No, it's fine, Aiden. You go rest; I can take care of the rest of the groceries."
Aiden nodded, stepping out of the kitchen and into the living room. Shortly after, Dogday came downstairs holding a board game box. "Hey, Aiden, you wanna play a game?"
Dogday held up the box so Aiden could read the title, Tycoon. The first thing Aiden thought of upon seeing the game was Monopoly, as Tycoon was clearly about money from the cover alone. "Sure." They sat down together and set the game on the table, picking out their playing pieces. They played for an hour, and the two shared the bag of chips Aiden got at the store. Dogday took his turn, rolling the dice and moving his piece, "3, 4, 5, 6." Dogday landed on a space that had a farm for sale. "I'll buy the farm." Dogday paid with the game's fake money, and as Aiden looked over the board, he was impressed that Dogday managed to purchase more than half the properties and avoid any spots that required paying a fine or other negative effects. On the other hand, Aiden barely had any money left and only owned a few properties.
"You're doing better than I thought you would, Dogday." Aiden complimented.
"Thanks. I don't usually do this well with my mom. Maybe you're my good luck charm."
Aiden chuckled and forfeited the game, leaving Dogday the winner. As they put the board and pieces back in the box, Aiden recalled what Sunshine said to him: "Dogday, do you like having me around?"
"Huh? Yeah." Dogday answered, "You're great even if you look weird. I haven't had any friends who wanted to spend time with me before."
Aiden chuckled, appreciating Dogday's compliment, but that last sentence bothered him. "You really haven't had friends before Dogday?"
Dogday became saddened, his ears falling ever so much. "No. I've tried making friends with other kids in town, but they don't like me. They say mean things about me, like that I'm a dumb mutt."
Aiden struggled to keep his face from falling. He heard about this before from Dogday at the hospital. It was all too familiar with his own childhood and teenage years, being alone with no friends to speak of. It wasn't right for a sweet kid like Dogday not to have any friends. Back at the factory, Aiden couldn't recall any of the orphans being ostracised by their peers, and the Smiling Critters always did their best to make all of them feel welcome and included, even if the company didn't care one way or another.
Wanting to cheer up the pup, putting a hand on his furry shoulder. "Hey, don't let a bunch of jerks make you feel bad. I know one day you'll have a lot of friends who will be there for you because anyone who doesn't see what a good friend you'll be is dumb beyond belief." Aiden smiled as Dogday brightened up, his smile returning as it should.
A while later, Sunshine, Dogday, and Aiden sat down at the kitchen table, eating dinner consisting of mashed potatoes with gravy, veggies, and slices of roasted beef courtesy of Sunshine. Another thing Aiden learned here was that there are nonsentient animals that the intelligent ones kill for food, like cattle. Chewing on a juicy piece of beef, Aiden looked over at Dogday, who was digging into his plate, enjoying the vegetables as much as the potatoes and meat. Aiden was glad Dogday wasn't one of those kids who hated eating veggies. "Are you enjoying the food, Aiden?" Sunshine asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Aiden swallowed the beef he was chewing before nodding, "Yeah, it's great."
"I am!" Dogday also answered, having bits of mashed potatoes around his mouth.
"Dogday, napkin," Sunshine said, pointing to the napkin beside his plate.
Realizing he had food on his face, Dogday grabbed a napkin and cleaned himself. "Sorry," he apologized, turning towards Aiden. "Have you ever had food this good before, Aiden?"
"No, but someone I knew came close," Aiden replied, thinking about PickyPiggy at the factory.
"Were they one of your family?" Dogday question.
"No, I never had a family." Aiden reminded him, "I was an orphan most of my life."
Dogday's ears dropped, remembering what Aiden told him at the hospital, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your fault. I guess I just wasn't good enough for anyone to take in. It happens." Aiden finished, about to return to eating, when Dogday slammed his hand on the table, looking at Aiden incredulously.
"How could you say that!?" Dogday all but shouted, startling both Aiden and Sunshine as neither of them had seen him get like this before. "You're the nicest guy I know! Anyone should be able to see that from meeting you! You told me that anyone who couldn't see that I would be a good friend is dumb, so anyone who can't see that you'd be a great family member is dumb, too!" Dogday finished.
Both Aiden and Sunshine stared, stunned by Dogday's sudden outburst. Sunshine had never seen her son be so outspoken on someone's behalf and was proud that he'd do so. After getting over his initial stupor, Aiden felt another wellspring of emotion. He had only been living here for a week, yet Dogday was already willing to jump in when he said he wasn't good enough for anyone to take in. Aiden never felt so cared about before. Both Sunshine and Dogday had shown him nothing but selfless kindness; it was hard for Aiden to keep from getting emotional.
After finishing his small speech, Dogday realized what he had just done wasn't proper mealtime etiquette. He turned towards his mother, apologetically bowing, "I'm sorry."
Sunshine simply rubbed her son on the head, "It's alright. You were speaking from the heart to defend someone close to you. There's no shame in that." She then turned to Aiden, "And I agree with Dogday. You shouldn't belittle yourself like that, Aiden. You have as much value as anyone else. Don't let the circumstances you grew up in convince you otherwise."
Aiden had to swallow a lump in his throat. Taking a deep breath through his nose, speaking with as steady a voice as he could, "T-T-Thank you."
After everyone had finished eating, Sunshine began collecting the dishes to clean. Aiden offered to help, but she assured him it was unnecessary. So, instead, he watched TV with Dogday in the living room. They watched an action movie about a tiger trying to rescue his family from a group of gangsters. During the film, Aiden sat back on the couch next to Dogday, who watched with eager anticipation, practically bouncing on the sofa with his ears flopping when the action scenes took place. Sunshine walked in after finishing the dishes, sat on the living room chair, and joined her son and Aiden in watching the movie.
As the movie continued, Aiden's gaze shifted to Dogday and Sunshine before returning to the movie. A small smile formed on his face in response to a feeling of warm contentment inside him that he had never felt before.