I never could stand being forced to do something I didn't want to do at a time I didn't want to do it. Whenever I was able to do something I liked to do, though, when I wanted to do it, and the way I wanted to do it, I'd give it everything I had.

- Haruki Murakami

Purring.

Despite the darkness, despite the pain, she could hear purring all around her. And she could smell a heavy scent of lavender.

She was also floating.

Somewhat.

She could feel the lower half of her body and her hands dragging across the cold floor.

Something was carrying her by the Grab-Pack she was wearing.

Opening her eyes just a crack, she saw large purple, clawed feline paws.

Keeping herself calm like she was still asleep, she saw they were approaching a hatch of some sort, and her new kidnapper opened the hatch, revealing a shoot.

No doubt it was a garbage shoot.

Knowing what was about to happen, she stayed limp to keep from giving herself away that she was awake. The large feline dropped her down the shoot. She slid down her back and caught a glimpse of the face of a familiar toy who was a larger version of a toy who was recalled during her time working at the factory: CatNap.

Koa landed hard on her upper back, before rolling to her side. With a painful groan, she pushed herself up, but she was startled when an alarm sounded loudly. The side wall suddenly started to slide in.

She immediately knew where she was.

'THIS IS A TRASH COMPACTOR!'

Pumped with adrenaline, Koa stood up fast on her feet and got to work looking for a way out. Seeing what looked like a large hatch opening up, she climbed up the slopped wooden planks and crawled in between the machinery. Making it to the other wall, she looked up and saw a handle bar on the ceiling, and she pulled herself up.

On the other side of the walls, there was even more complex machinery. Jumping down, she looked around for a way out. Seeing an opening out of reach, she used the moving machinery pumps to get close enough to it. Once she was in, she saw she was in a small room, and she collapsed.

The adrenaline had worn off.

She was in pain. She was bleeding.

Placing a hand to her head, she flinched and hissed in pain. Looking at her fingers there was blood. And the pain was no doubt not just from a cut, but a nasty bruise as well. Her stomach still ached from the blow she took on the train's control panel. She removed her body brace and lifted her shirt. There was a pretty decent sized bruise just under her chest. As gently and tenderly as she could, she touched the bruise and the skin around it. Luckily, there were no broken bones. Her body brace protected her from taking too hard of a blow.

Sighing in huge relief, she removed the Grab-Pack and slowly laid down. She needed to rest for just a moment.

She couldn't believe what had happened. Poppy had betrayed her. She promised to help her leave, and she stabbed her in the back. Koa was so close to freedom, then Poppy redirected the train to take her deeper into the factory.

Leaving forever wasn't even her intention. She had military connections. She would've asked her father for help to put a team together to help her investigate what was going on.

She should've done that in the first place. But this wasn't even what she was expecting. Things were not going well at all.

She was nearly killed more times than she can count by now. He was bleeding from multiple wounds to her face. She was covered in bruises. She ached everywhere. She was exhausted. She didn't even know how long she was unconscious.

She didn't know what she was doing anymore. She came for closure, and she got more than she bargained for. And after Poppy redirected the train, she said she expected Koa to do what she needed her to do. Poppy actually said she couldn't let her leave.

How could a doll do that? A doll, keeping a grown woman from leaving a factory.

But then she remembered when Poppy tried to explain her motives and reasons, she was suddenly cut off. Koa remembered hearing an alarm clock going off over the intercom. She also remembered how the last log video said the Prototype made a laser pointer with his alarm clock. The Prototype had to have gotten a hold of Poppy.

But Koa hoped that maybe Poppy was able to elude him.

Still, Poppy's actions stranded her in the factory. With the train derailed, she had no idea where she was or where the nearest exit was. Well, one thing was for sure, if she finds Poppy, that doll will have a lot of explaining to do. And whatever Poppy wanted her to do, Koa would not be doing it for Poppy.

She owed that doll nothing!

Poppy was the one who owed her!

But, she would need to keep Poppy on her good side. She still needed that doll. Poppy knew more than she was letting on.

And Koa intended to find out what it was.

After a little while, Koa felt a bit better. Deciding just laying here wasn't going to her out of the factory, she stood up, put her body brace back on and put her Grab-Pack on, and moved on.

Traveling these maintenance tunnels was no easy feat. She had to traverse across more machinery to get across a large chasm, which was flooded with what looked like a red mist.

No, not mist. More like smoke.

After making it across the machinery, Koa caught a glimpse of CatNap climbing the walls after rounding a corner. She stood there waiting a few minutes to be sure he was gone.

Seeing a small platform across another chasm, seeing a handle on the platform, she fired her Grab-Pack to grab it and pull it close, though before she boarded it, she released it and it launched back to it's original spot.

Getting excited that getting across the chasm would be easier, and she pulled it back with her Grab-Pack, and jumped onto it as it launched back across the chasm.

Once she was safe on the other side, she climbed into the vents and continued looking for a way out. After making it out, she found herself in some kind of lounge. Looking around, she saw she needed two batteries to open the door. Looking around, she found a TV in the corner of the room, and a VSH tape on the floor.

Placing the tape in the player, there screen showed a red and yellow gas mask, making Koa flinch.

"Alright, Ms. Harper, please explain the situation. Spare no detail," a woman's voice spoke up.

"Well, like any night, all the children are getting to sleep. It was peaceful, quiet." A woman with a Southern Accent spoke up. "CatNap had the red smoke in the room."

"Wait, what?" Koa asked out loud.

"Then, suddenly, there's this scream. Nightmares happen, I know, but this… I mean, dilated pupils and quivering lips? The way her eyes darted around the room? And I swear, her hand in mine, it felt like her blood was boiling beneath her skin… She saw something too, something horrible! She - I'm sorry, I don't mean to…" Mrs. Harper tried her best to explain, but she was getting really emotional and hysterical.Koa actually started to tear up at Mrs. Harper explain what the little girl was going through."Ms. Harper, we'll provide the very best care we can offer, you have my word. But this is important. Did Marie happen to describe what she saw?" The other woman asked, more interested in the girl's dreams instead of her health."Yes, a monster she said, said it was…colorless… Gosh, I could feel her poor little heart pounding. For her, it was right there! A-And her movements, they were wild! Arms flailing, legs kicking…" she explained as if she were the one experiencing the nightmare."Hmmm…" she hummed with no real concern."I…I wanted to talk to her. See how she's doing. I just… I really need to hear her voice right now," Mrs. Harper begged."That would not be advised, Ms. Harper. There are many concerns we must address at this time." The other woman said in a tone that stated that she wanted the conversation to be over. "But vitals show normal, and we'll continue to monitor. She'll be okay," she tried to insist.

"NOOOOO!"

Koa's hands flew to her mouth in shock at that scream.

"Well, pardon me if I'm not comforted by that!" Mrs. Harper wailed and sobbed. "Just bring my little girl back to me…" she begged.

The screen then went black.

Koa felt hot tears stream down her face and mix with the blood on her face. She sat down on one of the couches, and cried. She couldn't believe this exchange. No doubt the woman talking with Mrs. Harper was a scientist. And these 'scientists' had absolutely no care or worry about the wellbeing and safety of the children.

'Why were they so heartless?! Poor little Marie – wait, Marie? Is that the same Marie, as in Marie Payne, from the Transfer Request for Mommy Long-Legs?'

She reached into her pocket, only to find it empty. She checked her other pockets, and they were all empty. She remembered that she took them out in the train…

And dropped them in the locomotive when Poppy redirected the train.

"Shit!" She cursed.

She stood up and got to work in finding the batteries to get out of the lounge. Finding them, she plugged them in, charged the door and opened it.

Only to find more subterranean hallways.

"Yeah... I'm definitely lost," she said to herself in resignation.

While traveling down a hall, she found a cardboard cutout of Bubba Bubbaphant, one of the toys from the factory's toy line alongside CatNap: The Smiling Critters. After a few innocent lines from the character, he suddenly screamed in a hysterical fit of fear, leaving Koa scared out of her own wits. Suddenly, a new sound caused Koa to nearly jump out of her skin. Listening carefully, it sounded again. It was ringing. More precisely, a telephone ringing.

'That's odd. Why would a phone be ringing all the way down here? Especially in an abandoned factory?' Koa thought to herself.

Deciding to investigate, she followed the ringing. It lead her to a hidden back room, where another battery receptacle was spotted on the opposite wall. Right next to the door in the room that required said battery, was a factory phone. Koa knew it was the right one as it was ringing loudly. Cautiously, she picked up the phone and answered it.

"Hey… hey. Can you hear me?"

Nobody's going to force me to do something against my will. What do I owe anybody that I should submit my will to them?

- Lauryn Hi

End Credits Song: Small Things by Ben Howard.Thank you all so much again for this journey! I'll be taking a little break until December and get around to my other planned Prequel to The Sun and The Warrior, which has a name now: The Dawn Before the Fall.Until then!God Bless!