September 20th
Home Sweet Home's storage closet
23:57
Theo sneakily made his way along the many corridors of Home Sweet Home. Prot was supposed to be waiting for him in their usual spot. It was today that he was to explain that plan to him. And he was more than ready for it.
Once inside the closet, Theo looked around for any signs of his friend, but couldn't see anything in the darkness.
Thankfully, he didn't have to.
"Theodore…"
Theo almost flinched from the voice piercing the silence of the room. He turned to look at the obscured vent.
"There's no time to waste. What's your plan to escape?" The boy immediately spoke.
"Eager … I SEE." Prot said. "Good…"
From that hidden shaft, two pieces of paper were thrown, falling on the floor.
Theo went to see what they were. They turned out to be a pair of maps, one of the ventilation system, and another one of the Counselor's Office, both with a few lines and circles crudely drawn.
The boy frowned, not understanding. "What is this?"
"There is… AN EXIT… Leading to the… Outside…" Prot explained. "However… It requieres… A GrabPack to open."
A GrabPack? The thing he uses to play Whack-A-Wuggy? How is that supposed to do anything?
It seemed Prot could see the confusion on his face, and so, he explained further. "Not… Like the… Ones they give you… An upgraded one… With two… GREEN HANDS."
Theo was even more confused now. An upgrade? With two 'green hands'? What did that mean?
"I don't understand what you mean…" The boy frowned.
"...No matter." Prot replied after a pause. "You will see… In time…"
Theo wasn't very convinced but he shrugged. He had trust in his friend. Anything to free everyone from their eventual 'adoption'.
"Okay… But what are these maps for? Is that GrabPack in the Counselor's Office?" He asked Prot.
"No…"
"Huh? Then where is it?"
"...That I do not know." He replied. "That's why… You must… Enter the office… Of one of the workers… And learn the location of… The GrabPack…"
Theo widened his eyes. "What?! How am I going to break into the Counselor's Office? There's a lot of adults inside! They'd find me immediately!"
"Under normal circumstances… Yes… But… In a week… Most employees… Won't be here…" Prot said. "Take advantage of it…"
Theo took another look at the maps. He supposed the lines were the path he had to take, and the circle, his goal.
"Joel… Sinclair's office? That's where I have to sneak into?" He asked.
"Yes… In exactly a week." Prot spoke. "If you do not… Go then… There won't be any more… Chances… UNTIL A LONG WHILE…"
Theo didn't even want to imagine the amount of trouble he would get into if he was caught doing something such as this.
But he had to. For Damian. For everyone.
"Okay. One week." Theo sighed. "The entrance to the vents is here?"
"Indeed… You can go… Anywhere through… The ventilation ducts…"
"Wait, you're not coming with me?"
"I… Am not suited for it…" The voice flatly replied. "However… I WILL… Create a distraction… For you…"
Theo folded the maps again, nodding with determination. "Okay. So we have a plan then."
"Hide… Those maps… Well…" Prot warned.
"Yeah, I know." Theo sighed. "I guess we'll see each other again in a week?"
"YES…" A loud affirmation. "Now… Rest… And study those maps…"
Theo nodded yet again. "I will."
This plan was far more complicated than he had thought at first, but if he wanted to free everyone, then he would have to try.
And plus, what would be the worst thing that could happen if they caught him?
…
Right…
Was it weird he wondered how it felt to be turned into a living toy? Hopefully, he would never find out.
September 22nd
Game Station
13:13
"Ya say ya beat Musical Memory once? Da whole game ?"
"Uh huh."
"Yah, sure pal! After yar performance today? Ya suck at lying!"
"Hey, shut up already! I can't hear the music over your discussion!"
Three children talked among themselves while taking a rest after the games inside the Game Station. They were sitting below one of the many slides as they commented on their performance.
Avery, as always, was wearing their headphones, listening to whatever they always listened to. Meanwhile, it was Theo and his newly made friend Adrian the ones doing most of the talking.
The former had told the latter how he had once managed to complete the whole Musical Memory course accidentally, something he didn't believe.
"Meh, it's not like it matters dat much, does it? Ya're still here anyway."
Theo didn't have the guts to say that he had purposefully missed a lot of times so his score would go down.
Adrian sighed, finishing his peanut butter and ketchup sandwich. The combination was enough to make Theo shiver. "How can you eat that?" He asked.
"It's not dat bad once ya try it!" He replied.
"You're a psycho." Avery muttered.
Theo had met Adrian that very same day at the Game Station, right after finishing his run at Wack-a-Wuggy. He was a pleasant person to be around, though it was hard to understand him sometimes. And of course, he was the kind of person to eat the weirdest and most unappetizing combinations of food almost every day.
Theo had stuck around with him, happy to have made another friend. It wasn't the same as Damian, but it at least let his mind relax after he had barely managed to rest the last few nights, studying those maps and making sure he understood them.
As a side note, Avery hadn't actually come to hang with them. Theo and Adrian had kind of come across them when they arrived at the slide, and they decided to tag along with them, making sure to remark that 'there was nothing better to do'.
Theo was starting to think they enjoyed their time together.
"So, whatcha think of da new kid? Ma… Ma-something!" Adrian asked.
"Matthew, Adrian. His name is Matthew." Avery huffed.
"Yah, Matthew, whatever. Whatcha think?"
"He reminds me of a friend…" Theo muttered.
"That makes two." Avery added. "If one Damian wasn't enough, now there's two of them…"
"Now dat ya mention it, it's true. They share a lotta stuff. Can't think of someone dat doesn't know at least one of their names!"
Theo mentally winced at the thought of Damian. Knowing the fate that had befalled him, what would happen to Matthew? Damian was known by all children in Playcare, yes, but most of the adults didn't care too much about him, with a few exceptions. But with Matthew… there was probably not a single person in the whole Playcare, or even the rest of the whole factory that didn't know about him and his actions of pure kindness.
"Theo, what's wrong with ya?"
Adrian's voice snapped him back to reality. "Nothing. I was just… thinking."
"You've been 'thinking' like that for a few days now, and even I think that's not normal." Avery raised a brow.
"Yah, dude. Are ya okay?"
Theo shook his head dismissively. "I'm fine, really."
Avery shrugged, their attention going back to their music player. "Whatever you say."
Adrian looked confused, but he too shrugged. "If ya say so…"
He then took out another one of his weird sandwiches, his mouth almost watering.
"You have more?!" Theo exclaimed.
"I always come prepared!" He proudly declared.
"Once again, you're a psycho." Avery scrunched his face in disgust.
Before long, Miss Greyber announced that it was time to board the train back to Playcare, and so, the trio sat together inside one of the wagons as the vehicle began to make its way back
After a few minutes of train, and taking the cable car, Theo, Avery and Adrian arrived at Playcare, where they were greeted by the Smiling Critters (something that still made Theo shiver) and then made their way towards Home Sweet Home, ready to take a good rest.
"-wait, so are ya a boy or a girl?" Adrian asked.
"Neither." Avery huffed.
"How does dat work?! Ya can't be neither!"
"It's complicated and I'm not in the mood, Adrian. Leave it be."
"Aw… But-"
"No."
Theo chuckled. Avery and Adrian met only a few hours ago and they were already discussing things like if they were childhood friends.
He realized that he would still be sitting alone with his plush if it hadn't been for Damian. Thanks to him, he had met his friends (who were hopefully doing okay) and gained the courage to be standing along with Avery and Adrian.
True, if Damian had never appeared, that Matthew kid would most likely have intervened, but it wouldn't have been the same at all.
Still, he was starting to feel like he didn't need to be as dependent on a mini Catnap plushie to feel okay and acknowledged (even if he would never admit that he was itching to fetch it back from on top of his bed).
His thoughts were interrupted when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around Avery, causing them to jump in their place as their headphones almost fell down.
"Avyyyy!" A loud voice screamed. "I didn't see you anywhere in the Game Station! Where were you, you little rascal?"
Theo turned to see who the voice belonged to, and his heart almost skipped a beat.
A girl with long blonde hair, a bright pink jacket and black jeans.
The girl that was with that guy…
And she was… hugging Avery with a smile?
What was going on?
"I've told you not to call me that!" Avery shouted, cheeks red, as they tried to get the girl off them.
"Ohhh, what's this? You have friends?" The girl… was her name Ashley? Yeah, it was. Ashley asked, looking at Adrian and then at Theo.
Her eyes widened when she saw him.
Theo and Ashley stood a long while looking at each other, not knowing what to say. "Uhhh…" Theo tried to say.
"Don't." She stopped him. "None of us would be happy."
"You know each other?" Adrian asked.
"You could say so…" Ashley grunted, turning to Theo again. He jumped back slightly, making the girl huff. "So… you've been the one keeping my Avy company, huh…"
Theo frowned again. "So what? Is it wrong to do that too?"
Ashley groaned too, sighing. "Look, I know you don't like me. And you don't have to." She said. "I know that what Connor did was too far, and I don't expect you to forgive me, or anything."
She then looked at Avery. "Just… thanks for being with Avery. And hope we can… I don't know, start over? You're not as bad as I first thought."
Theo looked dead serious at the girl. Was he hearing right? She wanted to start over? After she had given him that much of a hard time?!
…
He sighed. Even if he wanted to say a lot of things, he didn't feel like it. It had been a while since that fight, and as long as Ashley didn't annoy him, he didn't mind. It wasn't like he wanted to remember it either.
"Fine, whatever." He huffed.
"Whatcha talking about 'starting over'?" Adrian asked, not understanding.
"Is it about that fight?" Avery added, trying (and failing) to push Ashley away.
"What fight?!"
"Nothing." Both her and Theo replied in unison.
The other two shared a glance with a raised brow, but ultimately shrugged.
"Aaaanyway!" Ashley cut in. "You're not going to believe what I heard about Lilith!"
Avery rolled their eyes and sighed. "Ugh… Can you stop with that? I don't care what she does with her life."
"Oh, but it's such a juicy secret!"
Avery groaned again.
Adrian smirked as he looked at the two. "Hey, emo bud. You didn't tell us you had a girlfriend!" He joked.
Ashley stopped immediately as she looked at Avery, with them doing the same. "Why does everyone keep saying that!" They groaned.
"What's the problem?" Theo asked.
"The problem is that I'm not their girlfriend." Ashley smirked. "Avery and I are actually siblings!"
Both Theo and Adrian deadpanned.
"You…" The former began.
"...are…" The latter continued, turning to look at Theo, him doing the same.
"...siblings?" The two finished.
"Is it that hard to believe?" The girl chuckled.
"I don't even believe it myself sometimes, imagine the others…" Avery sighed.
"No way ya two are related." Adrian plainly stated. "Show me proof!"
Ashley frowned, looking away. "...There's-"
"It's burned away. Along with our parents." Avery said.
"Avy!"
"Ah-" Adrian exclaimed, while Theo only gasped.
Avery, meanwhile, only shrugged, as their gaze wandered in the distance, seemingly unfazed. For such a traumatic experience, they just let it out like it was… something mundane. Like saying what one had had for lunch.
"Ya're… not even a bit sad about it?" Adrian asked.
Another shrug. "Will that change anything?" They replied.
Ashley looked sadly at her sibling before she sighed.
"Avery… didn't take it well when our parents died." She whispered to Adrian and Theo. "They've… not been the same ever since then."
Explains why they're… like that.
"Sorry… for bringing it up, I guess." Adrian apologized, rubbing the back of his head.
"It's okay. You didn't know."
After a small silent pause, Avery finally turned around and looked at them. "Let's go to Home Sweet Home already."
Shaking a glance, the other three kids didn't argue, making their way towards Home Sweet Home.
However, the moment they took a step, there was another kid that zipped past them. And then another. And another.
And then Hoppy.
"What's going on?" Theo asked.
"Probably Kickin threw a ball at a counselor again." Ashley replied. "Did you know-"
"Not now, Ash." Avery interrupted. "Let's see what's going on."
The four ran towards where the commotion was happening, which turned out to be the Playhouse.
There was a small scene at the entrance of the circus tent, but with the crowd of onlookers, it was very hard to make out what was going on.
The only thing they could see was one of the adults trying to push the children away hastily.
"None of your business! Get away from here!" The counselor kept saying.
"Dat guy looks really worried!" Adrian exclaimed.
"Too many people…" Avery whined under their breath.
"What happened?" Theo asked.
"No idea." Ashley replied. She was shaking by the mere fact she didn't know what was the matter.
"Hey, you!" She called one of the kids in front of them. The girl turned around, taking the lollipop she was eating out of her mouth to speak.
"Wha?" She said.
"You know what's going on in there?"
She shook her head. "No idea, mate! But it's gotta be somethin' big if there's a counselor pushin' us away with this much intent!"
That answer wasn't enough for her, but the girl didn't know anything else, so she just turned back forward, leaving Ashley angrier than before.
"I said go away! You'll all be sent to detention if you don't do what I say!" The adult yelled, causing some of the crowd to disperse, though others just stayed there.
Everyone kept trying to get inside the Playhouse, but to no avail. After at least ten minutes, everyone had been shooed off from there, not before they were informed the Playhouse had been closed for the day.
"What in the world happened?! I need to know!" Ashley groaned.
"Ash, please, calm down. Your complaining is not going to do anything." Avery sighed.
"Aw man, I wanted to go to da Playhouse after napping!" Adrian whined.
"Not anymore it seems..." Theo shook his head.
After a conversation that didn't lead anywhere, Ashley decided to separate from the group to 'investigate this juicy secret' and ran off (not without hugging Avery again, which they hated with all their might).
The other three children decided to head back to Home Sweet Home to rest after their Game Station session, but when they turned around, Theo could swear he heard someone speak.
He looked in that direction, only to catch a brief glimpse of a giant red bear walking towards one of the far away corners of Playcare.
Theo thought that was the perfect chance to practice his sneakiness.
"You two go. I'll be there in a minute." He said.
"What?" Avery exclaimed.
"Where ya going?" Adrian added.
"Don't worry. I just remembered I… think I dropped something! Just go without me!" And then Theo ran away.
Adrian and Avery shared a glance before the two shrugged. "Sometimes he worries me…" Avery shook his head.
"I've only known him for less than a day and he worries me too…" Adrian finished.
Meanwhile, Theo made sure no one saw him follow the two Smiling Critters as he hid in a spot behind the concrete platform near the cable car.
He could make out the conversation Bobby was having, seemingly with Dogday.
"...-give that kid a living one? Did they really forget how aggressive he can get?" The dog sighed. "They shouldn't have gotten it even close to him. Or to any kid, for that matter."
"Screw the toy, Dogday!" Bobby shouted, as low as she could. "We are talking about the fact that two children have seen a toy bleed after it was broken in front of their eyes! Do you know how that will affect them?"
Theo widened his eyes in shock. Was that what had happened? They really gave a child one of the experiments? And they had accidentally broken it only to find out that it bled?
What in the world were they thinking?
"I'm more scared of what they will do rather than any possible psychological effects on the kids, Bobby." Dogday flatly replied.
Bobby flinched at the mention of whoever 'they' were, but she just sighed. "Whatever the case, it's not like we can do anything, hm?" She sighed. "It's up to Hoppy to get that toy…" The bear shuddered. "...corpse out of the Playhouse and for the counselors to think of an excuse."
Dogday scoffed. "And yet, they'll find a way to pin the blame on us."
The two visibly saddened. "...Do you know where the kids are?" Bobby wondered.
"I think Marie is with Miss Harper and Kevin is with Miss Taylor, but I'm not sure." Dogday replied.
"I'll go check on them, just to make sure." Bobby told Dogday. "Please, be careful with the scientists."
And just like that, Bobby ran off from there, leaving Dogday alone. He sighed before looking up, staying like that for a while.
Theo was about to walk away when he was interrupted.
"You can come out already. I know you're there."
The boy's blood froze as he stopped dead in his tracks when Dogday spoke. How?! It was impossible that he had been seen.
"Don't make me get you out myself." The giant toy repeated.
With a mental sigh, Theo got out of his hiding spot and looked at Dogday, who was still looking upwards, leaning against the wall.
His head fell down to look at him, before his expression relaxed ever so slightly. "Oh, it's just you, Theo." A small chuckle. "I thought for sure I was in for a good round of 'conditioning' later."
"W-What? Why? What's conditioning?"
"Because I made another child find out about what happened and complicated their work, which technically has already happened." Dogday simply replied. "As for your other question, you don't want to know."
Theo winced. He could hardly contain himself from running towards his best friend and giving him a big hug, but he couldn't do that. If anyone saw it, it could be dangerous. He would have to wait until Prot's plan succeeded, and then, those 'scientists' Bobby was so afraid of wouldn't be able to hurt them anymore!
"How did you know I was here?"
"I have a very good sense of hearing." Dogday pointed at his big ears. "How much did you hear?"
"...A bit."
Dogday groaned, massaging his temples, mumbling something before he finally walked away from the wall and towards Theo.
"Let's just get you back to Home Sweet Home, okay? And I don't think I need to say that you absolutely can't tell this to anyone." Dogday told him.
Theo nodded.
"Okay, come on now, little angel."
Dogday offered his hand, and when Theo went to take it, he couldn't resist anymore and simply hugged Dogday.
The toy visibly flinched from the sudden move, but didn't take too long to return the gesture.
"If you keep doing this, people will grow suspicious and it's going to end up bad for you." He sighed.
Theo felt a tear form in his eyes. "I don't want to leave you…"
Dogday felt his own heart shatter, but he couldn't let it show. "Me neither…" He muttered, before doing just that and crouching next to Theo.
He wiped the tears from his eyes with a small and forced smile. "Be strong for me, okay?"
"O… Okay…" He weakly said.
Dogday frowned even more. "Damnit." He groaned. "Theo, please. Calm down. You need to go, and you can't be seen like this."
"I- don't-."
"Ugh, stop making it more difficult!" Dogday suddenly snapped.
Theo immediately shut up, looking at him with a scared expression, while Dogday only sighed.
"Please, just… go. I have to make sure the mess in the Playhouse is cleaned." He groaned seriously.
Theo was frozen, but words finally reached his mouth. "O… Okay…"
And he ran. Ran away as fast as he could, once again, water in his eyes.
Dogday sighed yet again. He hated what he had just done, but there was no other way to make Theo understand the harsh reality.
That boy had to understand that, as much as it pained both of them, Damian was dead.
And now, to help Hoppy clean a toy's bloody mess…
Great.
Better not to let Bobby find out what kinds of thoughts about that Kevin swirled inside his head.
He hoped Theo would be okay. He was starting to grow scared of the fact he knew about what really went on inside of the place.
He hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid.
September 27th
Playcare's ventilation system
00:43
Oh boy, was he doing something stupid.
The day had finally arrived, and Theo was crawling inside the ventilation ducts of Playcare, which were thankfully big enough to fit him and leave him some space to maneuver.
He had been at least twenty minutes inside the monotone metal tunnels, and he still wasn't near his objective, according to the map. He was getting sore, and very tired. Too late for him to be roaming and out of his bed.
But still, he persevered. He couldn't let this chance slip away if they ever wanted to go on with the plan.
So, after who knows how long, Theo finally saw some light coming from somewhere in front of him, which meant he was getting close. A quick look at the maps confirmed it, and he didn't waste time peeking through the vent.
It was an office, very mundane, and there were two men inside of it, discussing something.
"I'm telling you, Eddie. Kids older than twelve don't want anything to do with the Smiling Critters toy line!" The man behind the desk said. "We need something for the older part of the children!"
"...Yes, Joel. Researchers have come to that conclusion and we're thinking about doing something similar to the Smiling Critters, but with a different thematic. You could say they are their… opposites, somehow." The other man told him.
I shouldn't be listening to this… Theo thought, saddened that the surprise was ruined for him.
He waited there, making sure it was the right office, hoping Prot wouldn't take too long with his distraction.
The moment he thought that, someone else barged into the room, panting and looking worried.
"Mr. Ritterman! Mr. Sinclair! We've got a problem down below! You need to come quick!" The adult yelled, agitated.
The two men inside shared a glance before they both sprinted away from there, closing the door and leaving the office in silence.
After making sure that the coast was clear, Theo jumped out of the vent and sighed, readying himself. He wasn't sure what Prot's distraction had been, but it sure had worked, so he didn't complain.
If he understood correctly, Theo needed to find something that contained the location of that special GrabPack they needed. And so, he began his search.
He had to make sure not to break or touch anything unless absolutely necessary, or he risked the owner of the office finding out someone had been there.
Minutes passed as Theo looked and looked, flipped through pages and documents, but nothing. No matter how much he tried, there were only documents about all the children in Playcare, among others.
The boy groaned, quickening his pace. If he was caught inside there, it would be over for him.
And so, he started looking inside closets, drawers, everything, trying to find something, to no avail.
And just when he was about to give up, something caught his eye. On top of a shelf, where Theo hadn't looked before because he wasn't tall enough, there was a small paper peeking.
Hope returning to him, Theo looked for a way to reach that paper, coming to the conclusion that moving the wheeled chair behind the desk was the easiest thing to do.
Once that was done, Theo managed to reach the paper, taking a good look at it.
Just as he needed. The location of The GrabPack 2.0.
He quickly ran to the desk, grabbing one of the many blank papers and copying what was in the other one, so he didn't have to take it out of the office.
With that done, Theo once again climbed onto the chair and put the paper back in its place, followed by moving the chair again.
With a smirk, Theo climbed back into the vent, closing it again behind him, just as the door unlocked and the two men from before entered again.
"Ugh, they really made us run all the way there for nothing…" One groaned.
"No matter. The situation down there is sorted. Now, where were we?"
They hadn't noticed anything. Perfect.
And with that, Theo began his crawling again, ready to get back to Home Sweet Home. It was already really late, and so, he exited the vents and headed right back to bed. He and Prot had decided not to meet each other until the next night, so he made sure to hide the piece of paper somewhere where it wouldn't be found and went to bed again, hugging his plush tightly.
For now, things were going smoothly.
Next day, at midnight, Theo went back to the same closet from the previous day, finding that Prot was waiting for him.
"So…?" He asked.
"I found it!" Theo happily exclaimed. "It's somewhere called 'Gas Production Zone'!"
The boy was met with an uneasy silence. "Prot?"
"Gas… Production… Zone… You say?" Prot finally asked. "That's… A very… Hard area… To access…"
"But what's a 'Gas Production Zone'? What gas do they produce?"
"..." Prot didn't reply.
"Is it something related to the… you know…"
"Yes." The hidden voice told him. "And it is… Heavily guarded… At all times…"
"So… how are we going to get the GrabPack?"
"I am… Not sure…" Prot sighed. "I must… Think about… A PLAN…"
"Oh, okay."
"Come tomorrow… To plan… Our next step…" Prot spoke. "For now… REST… And do not… Raise suspicion…"
Theo nodded. "Do I give you the maps back?"
"Yes."
After doing that, he bid farewell to Theo and the boy went back to his bed once again. After hearing Prot speak like that about the 'Gas Production Zone', he wondered what in the world it could be and what 'gas' it could produce.
However, if it was related to the experiments, it couldn't be good at all.
October 1st
Playhouse's sports area
12:37
"...so I told her 'You can't be serious!' and she went 'I'm being serious!' so I said 'It's impossible!', and she-"
"Can ya… shut up… already?"
"Come on, move it, move it!"
It was a special P.E. class that day. Instead of the usual activities they did in the small gym the school had, that day had been taken to the Playhouse, and were currently running around the football field to warm up before the football match they'd have after.
Miss Delight had also been replaced by Hoppy (and unwillingly, Kickin) as the teacher, and her warming up methods were far too energetic for Theo's liking.
It didn't help at all that he had to deal with Adrian's panting, Avery's complaints and Ashley's endless chattering. And of course, the nights of not sleeping properly because he had been planning along with Prot.
"How… can you… run… and speak… this much… at the same… time?!" Avery huffed between breaths.
"Practice, Avy~!" The girl replied. "Now, as I was saying, she kept saying that the toy bled! And I was like 'You can't be serious!' and she was-"
"Ya're… repeating yarself…" Adrian groaned.
"Oh, am I? Right, well, let me tell you about the rumors about a new toy line-"
"Alright, that's enough!" Hoppy yelled, making everyone stop, and some of them drop on the ground (including Avery).
"Dang it!" Ashley muttered.
"Thank da heavens for silencing her!" Adrian chuckled.
Theo raised both of his hands to his head, clutching it. It hurt.
"Ugh…" He groaned.
"Ya okay?" Adrian asked.
"Just… a headache."
"It looks bad, pal. Ya're a bit pale…"
"Everything alright over here?" Kickin asked, walking close.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!" Theo replied. "Just haven't slept well lately."
"Hey, if you need, I can tell Hoppy to let you sit down for the rest of the class." The chicken insisted, worried when he saw that Theo was indeed a bit pale. "Are you sure it's just a sleeping problem?"
Theo nodded again.
"Well, if you say so… Just make sure to tell us if it becomes worse, 'kay?"
And with that, everyone started walking towards the football field. The class was being sorted into two teams, made by Hoppy.
"Are you sure you want to play?" Avery asked. "You're paler than I am, and that's saying something."
"I'm fine, damnit!" The boy insisted.
"Hey, if ya want, I have some crackers and mayo to help!" Adrian offered.
Ashley looked horrified. "Crackers and what?"
"It's not dat bad once ya try it!" The boy rolled his eyes with a smile.
"You're psycho!" She added.
"It runs in da family, I see…"
Once all teams were set, Hoppy signaled the start of the match with a whistle, and the game began.
It was a close match, with each team giving their best. Theo was having trouble focusing with his headache, but he was still well enough to assist one of his teammates in scoring a goal, even despite his ache.
The same girl that Ashley had asked about the incident in the Playhouse was in his team, along with Avery, and in the opposing team, Adrian and Ashley. Of course there were more children, but Theo didn't recognize any of them.
The match started very badly for them. After the first goal from Theo's team, the other one had scored another three, which made Theo's team a bit sad, but it was just the motivation they needed to keep pushing on.
After a few close goals, it was none other than Avery that managed to score three consecutive goals, putting them on the lead. The first one had been a pass from the girl, which ended up going straight to the upper corner. The second one was a stolen pass from Ashley, and the last one, was a solo goal.
"Geez, I didn't know ya were dis good, Avery!" Adrian exclaimed.
"I don't know how I did any of this. I haven't touched a football in my life." They answered, clearly confused too.
"Well, whatever it is, keep it up!" Theo cheered, as the game resumed.
The final score was 5-4, with Theo's team as the winner.
"Haha, yeah!" That girl cheered.
"No fair! These teams were so unbalanced!" Another kid from the other team exclaimed.
"Stop bein' such a sore loser, Derek! We won fair an' square!"
'Derek' groaned. The girl turned to Avery with a smile. "Hey, mate. Whatever you did, it was amazin'!"
"Thank you?" They replied.
"Alright, alright!" Hoppy's voice called. "It's time for everyone to go to the changing rooms! I can't have Miss Delight giving me a lecture because you went back to class all sweaty!"
With that, the two critters led the whole group of children out of the Playhouse. Theo, however, kept clutching his head, because the pain had only worsened with all the physical activity. So much so that he was seeing a bit blurry.
So when he accidentally tripped and fell to the ground, groaning as he weakly went back up on his feet, it was the last straw for Adrian.
"Alright, Theo, dat's enough. Dat headache of yars can't be just because ya haven't slept well." He frowned, dead serious.
"Mate, you look worse than when I'd to get rushed to the infirmary 'cause I ate all my class' desserts in a go!" The girl told him.
"Who even are you?" Ashley asked.
"Oh, right! I'm Maggy, nice to meetcha!"
"How does this group keep growing…?" Avery grimly muttered.
"Come on, Avy! Socializing is good for you!" Ashley smirked at her sibling.
"Shut up, Ash. Don't make me talk."
Theo wished he could be part of that conversation, but the headache from 'sleeping badly' was far too distracting. He was starting to feel it wasn't because of him staying awake to plan with Prot.
"Guys, I don't mean to break it to ya, but Theo here is still about to faint." Adrian interrupted, pointing at Theo.
"I'm…" He started, but couldn't finish, feeling really sick because of the pain. "...not fine."
"Crap! Someone go for Hoppy or Kickin! We gotta take dis guy to da doctor!"
"On it!" Maggy exclaimed, running away.
"Why did you even play if you're feeling sick?" Avery asked Theo.
He didn't reply, mostly because he didn't know the answer himself.
Shortly after, Hoppy arrived, and gasped when seeing Theo's pale face. "Holy s- Why didn't you say anything?!" She exclaimed.
Without even giving him a chance to reply, the giant rabbit lifted him in her arms, turning to Kickin. "I'm taking him to the doctor. Mind getting the rest of the kids to the changing room?"
"Sure, Hops." The chicken replied. "Okay, guys. Let's get going. Don't worry, your friend will be fine."
After a nod, Hoppy sprinted away from them, taking Theo to get a check up. What was wrong with him? Who knew, but he was regretting not having gone to find out sooner.
As Theo laid down in one of the beds inside Home Sweet Home's infirmary, with a wet cloth on his forehead after the thermometer stated '38.9C', he groaned in pure despair.
Great. He was sick. And now how would he go with Prot to plan? He couldn't go out in this state, that was for sure, so unless he was the one that came to him, it would be impossible.
Hopefully he would understand.
"Alright, Theo. Are you feeling better?" Miss Taylor asked him, after giving Theo some medicine.
He simply nodded, groaning again.
"That doesn't sound okay to me." Miss Taylor laughed. "It's okay, though. You'll be back to running around in two days max!"
Well, it wouldn't be for too long, at least. But still, that was two days later than what he liked.
At least he could be lazy in his bed for the whole duration of his illness.
After Miss Taylor had left him alone, Theo fell asleep after not finding anything else to do. Once he woke up, he felt even worse.
Great start.
After a long while of rolling around in bed, Adrian and Maggy appeared and walked to Theo's bed. Apparently, they had come to visit him.
"Hey, Theo! Ya feeling better?" The former asked.
"We broughtcha some good food to get your strength back!" The latter added.
By 'food', they meant a bowl of crackers with mayo, and a couple of (shamelessly stolen from the cafeteria) cupcakes. Theo flinched back when he saw those crackers, so he shook his head.
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry."
"More for me!" They exclaimed in unison, proceeding to eat the food.
After that, the three spent some more time talking about their day before Maggy and Adrian had to leave, as the former had to meet that friend of hers and the latter was supposed to be helping Picky with cooking some food.
Just like that, Theo was alone again, with only his plush to keep him company.
Before he could try another nap again, he was surprised by Avery coming to visit him too.
"Hey." They simply said.
"A-Avery?"
"Why do you sound surprised?"
Theo didn't know how to reply. "Uhhh…"
Avery sighed, walking closer. "Look, I know you don't like being alone, and even if I have an immune system as strong as a piece of wet paper, I'm here to keep you company." They explained. "I suppose Adrian and Maggy already came?"
"Yeah. They offered me food and we talked for a bit." Theo sighed, before he raised a brow. "Wait, you wanted to keep me company?"
Avery looked away, with a frown. "Don't make me change my mind."
Theo smiled. "Thanks."
Avery huffed and shook their head, not replying.
The next while was spent by the two children speaking to one another. It turned out, as Avery told Theo, that Bubba was supposed to go to the School to perform some sort of experiment in the near future. Theo wondered what that experiment could be, but Avery said that Miss Delight wasn't too descriptive with the specifics.
After such a talk, Theo was left really tired, so he said goodbye to Avery as they went away to do their things.
Not too long after, Theo yawned as he felt his eyes grow heavy again. Before long, he felt himself fall asleep, which was thankfully easier with the medicine Miss Taylor had given him before.
Theo woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and feeling miserable. His head pounded more than it did in the morning, and he felt like air didn't reach his lungs.
Looking around, he found it was late at night, judging by the almost eerie silence and the darkness that filled the infirmary.
Theo wanted to go and look for Prot, but the moment he tried to stand up, he felt every part of his body ache.
It seemed he wasn't going anywhere.
With a huff, he laid back down on the bed, ready to try and sleep again.
Suddenly, voices pierced the silence.
"...should b-be sneaking around?"
Theo knew that voice. It was Crafty. But she sounded… scared. Far more scared than usual.
"Relax, Crafty. They left us one night of freedom to check on the kids, and you think they'll say anything if we do just that?" That sounded like Picky. "Scratch that, they will."
"Look, let's just… take a break. In this very room." A sigh. That sounded like Bobby.
By 'this room' it seemed she meant the infirmary. The one Theo was in.
As fast as he could, he turned away from the door, and closed his eyes, trying to look asleep.
A few seconds later, steps were heard entering as the three critters went inside the infirmary, seemingly without realizing Theo was there.
"You look w-worried, Bobby." Crafty spoke.
"More than usual, if I may add." Picky said. "What's on your mind?"
Bobby didn't reply at first, but she ended up sighing. "I can't stop thinking about what Dogday told us."
Picky sighed too. "Me neither. But it sounds so far-fetched, doesn't it? I mean, that vague sensation of feeling like I'm not… me is actually true?"
Bobby squirmed uncomfortably. "The first thing I remember is waking up on the floor without being able to move at all, or even speak. I couldn't see, and I couldn't hear. I knew something was very wrong, but…"
A pause. "...that we were kids before, too?"
Theo widened his eyes. Did Dogday tell the Smiling Critters about the experiments they performed on them?
"It sounds so impossible and yet…" Bobby continued, her words becoming weaker by the second. "...so right."
"I don't want to believe it, but… Dogday wouldn't lie to us like that." Picky added. "Poor Kickin… I think it's the first time I've ever seen him so scared. And did you see Bubba?! He just accepted it!
"I bet t-that he already knew, s-somehow." Crafty muttered.
Silence filled the room as the two critters took in everything they were talking about. "If it's true, then…" Bobby half cried. "What did we do to deserve this…?"
"Bobby…"
"Every day, they torture us. Beat us. Poke and take things out of us only to put them back inside later." The bear cried. "If we really were children, it really doesn't look like it. They treat us like…" A small sob. "Like things. For goodnes' sake, they kept us all in a prison!"
Picky patted Bobby's shoulder as she cried. "I know, girl. But there's nothing we can do."
Theo's blood boiled. So that's what they do to them? Kee pthem in a prison and make them feel like they are things?!
Disgusting.
For a while, only Bobby's crying could be heard. She always acted so happy and had so much love to give to everyone, but it seemed she couldn't keep it up all the time.
"And if that wasn't bad, there's that kid too!" Bobby suddenly spoke, making Theo wince. He told them about me too, didn't he?
"I don't even know how he managed to find out anything about us, but if they realized he knows they- They-!"
Picky and Crafty couldn't do anything other than try and comfort her friend. They were worried too, but not to such a degree. It came with being Bobby Bearhug, Theo guessed. "Doesn't his name sound familiar to you?" The pig asked her.
"It… does. I thought I was the only one." Bobby replied.
"You think w-we knew him from before… y-you know?"
"I don't know. And it's better that way."
"Agreed…"
Theo gasped. They… knew him? The other critters knew him?
…
There could only be a group of people that could fit that description. That had been adopted and knew about him to the point of his name being familiar.
And the pieces clicked.
Those three could only be Rose, Anne and Stacy.
Theo wanted to do so much at that moment. To scream, to cry, to do anything. But he couldn't. He had to stay perfectly still. He couldn't be seen awake. He had to be strong. He had to-
"Hey, wait a minute. Is that a kid in that bed?"
Theo tensed at Picky's words.
"Hey, you're right!" Bobby exclaimed. "No one told me anything about one of the kids being sick!"
"Didn't Hoppy or Kickin t-tell you?"
"I haven't seen them today."
"Oh, figures t-then."
Theo heard steps coming his way, before his head was gently caressed by what he guessed was Bobby's hand.
He resisted the urge to flinch.
"Speaking of the devil…" The bear sighed.
"That's him?" Picky asked, walking closer as well. "I'm surprised he hasn't woken up yet."
"How would he?" Bobby grimaced. "After they used the gas, like they always do, there's no way he would be awake."
The gas? What gas were they talking about? Was that why Theo had woken up feeling worse? Was that what the 'Gas Production Zone' was for?
But if they were so certain he shouldn't be awake, why was he? And they said that 'they' always used the gas?
Maybe…
Maybe that's the reason why he had never woken up anyone when sneaking at night. Because they were asleep because of some 'gas'.
But why wasn't he?
"Right… Hopefully the f-fever won't give him nightmares…" The unicorn spoke.
Picky shook her head. "Well, whatever. Let's get out of here before we accidentally wake him up."
Theo felt Bobby's hand separate from his head, as she, Picky and Crafty gave him one last sad look before leaving the room, not without wishing him a good night.
Once Theo was sure they weren't within earshot, he let the tears flow as he realized that the worst had happened.
Dogday wasn't the only one of his friends that had been turned into a toy. That's why Prot didn't want to tell Theo.
And with that realization and the faint question about the gas, Theo cried himself to sleep, hoping to finally carry out Prot's plan.
As soon as possible.
October 5th
Playcare's storage closet
23:45
After four days of being confined inside the infirmary, Theo was finally allowed to go back to his own bed, which meant that the very night after that, he went to try his luck to see if Prot was there.
He was lucky, it seemed.
"Theodore…" He spoke. "It's been… FOUR DAYS…"
"I know…" He muttered. "I've been sick and I couldn't move out of my bed, and then they put some of the Smiling Critters there to make sure I was okay. Sorry…"
"It doesn't… Matter…" Prot simply told him. "I have… Created… A PLAN… In your abscense…"
"Huh? Really?"
Theo was actually happy that he could go on with the plan. "What do I have to do?"
"Look…"
Another map fell from the vent, and Theo went to check it. It had more ventilation ducts, and a small path out of them marked, with a room circled.
"The GrabPack… Must be… There…" Prot said. "Follow… The pathing… And it should… Go smoothly…"
"Won't there be employees?"
"There will… That's why… This plan… Must be carried out… During the 31st..."
Theo widened his eyes in realization. Halloween… The employees will be distracted with the party and they won't be there.
"Wait, but it's the fifth! That's almost a whole month of wait!"
"There are… No more options…"
Theo frowned, but nodded. Waiting was just a small price to pay to be free. He could take it.
"Alright. So I'll come here on the 30th to review the plan with you?"
"Yes… And make sure… Not to be seen… When you leave… THE PARTY…"
He nodded. But before he turned around to leave and go back to bed, he remembered a question he had wanted to ask. "Prot, one question. What is the gas they make in the Gas Production Zone?"
Prot stood silent for a while. "Why… Do you want… TO KNOW?"
"I overheard Bobby, Picky and Crafty talking about it and that 'they' supposedly administered it to us at night. Does it cause people to fall asleep?"
Prot didn't reply for a while, almost as if he was thinking about what to say. "It does… It is powerful… Only a small… Quantity and… You'll fall asleep… For a long while…"
Before Theo could talk, Prot kept talking. "But… It sometimes causes… HALLUCINATIONS…"
"Hallucinations?" Theo exclaimed. "But then why use it on us?!"
"They… Want to know… Who has… The least of them…" Prot replied. "The less… HALLUCINATIONS… The better… Mind a child has… And the easier… It is…"
"To turn them into toys…" Theo finished.
"Exactly…"
Theo looked at the ground, pondering. So that's what they used it for. Disguised as a way to make children sleep better, it was a simple way to check which kid was a better lab rat.
"But… If the gas makes everyone that breathes sleep and have hallucinations… Why am I awake? And why have I never had one of those hallucinations? Or even nightmares?"
Prot once again waited to reply. "Theodore… You are… Special… But they don't… Know that yet..." He could feel Prot smiling. "The gas… Doesn't seem to have… A severe impact… On you…"
"But why?"
"I DO NOT KNOW…" Prot flatly replied. "But don't let… Anyone find out… Or you know… WHAT THEY WILL DO…"
Theo frowned. So he was 'special'? In a sense that the gas didn't affect him the same way it did to other people? He felt proud and scared at the same time. If anyone found out the gas didn't affect him, they might make him the next name in their giant toy list.
And he couldn't have that before Halloween arrived.
"I know…" He sighed. "I'll keep the maps safe and make sure no one suspects anything. I'll prepare to get that GrabPack on Halloween."
"Good…"
Feeling more determined than ever, Theo went back to his bed, putting the map under a floorboard and falling asleep almost immediately.
He just had to wait. Wait, and hope he didn't get 'adopted' in the meanwhile.
October 31st
Playcare
19:48
Halloween had arrived!
The whole Playcare was decorated with all sorts of different ornaments and fake skeletons and spider webs. All of that was added to many of the children running around dressed in all kinds of different costumes. That also included some of the Smiling Critters, who wore masks and tunics, as they played with some of the kids.
It was such a lively atmosphere.
It wasn't a surprise when Avery told Theo they wouldn't be coming, no matter how much he tried to convince them. At least, Adrian and Maggy were there, the former having created and eating the worst combination of food known to humankind, and the latter having almost emptied a whole plate of brownies.
Adrian was dressed as a zombie, with his face painted a sickly green and fake blood, bite marks and fake injuries all over his body, along with ragged clothes, while Maggy had opted to dress as a sea monster, with 'algae' 'growing' from her (which made her look more like a walking mop rather than anything scary).
"I love these kinda parties!" The girl cheered. "And the food…"
"Heck, yah! Yar just like me!" Adrian replied.
Theo chuckled at the duo's antics. He was happy to be enjoying the party with his friends, though he really wished Avery was with them.
He himself was wearing a simple costume. A black cape that covered his whole body and a mask of a white face with an unnaturally wide smile.
The three walked closer to the stage that had been assembled for the occasion, as the loud music from Hoppy playing the guitar, Dogday playing the drums, and Bobby's singing had half of Playcare dancing in front of it.
"Hey, Theo. Wanna dance for a bit?" Adrian shouted over the music.
"It's not really my thing!" He yelled back.
"Oh, come on, mate! Don't say that without tryin' it first!" Maggy smirked, grabbing his hand and quite literally dragging him to the dance floor.
They found a relatively empty spot they took, as the three realized they needed another person to be able to group up in pairs.
Theo really didn't feel like dancing, but Maggy and Adrian kept pushing him to find someone to dance with. Before long, he bumped into another girl, who apparently was being pushed by her own friends as well.
She was wearing a nurse outfit covered in fake blood, while her face was painted white. She also had a fake smile drawn that stretched from cheek to cheek, and she carried a fake knife in her hand.
She rubbed her forehead from the bump, looking up at Theo with an expression that clearly showed that she wasn't very happy to be there.
Theo looked back to see where Adrian and Maggy were, but they had disappeared into the crowd. With a groan, he looked at the girl again, finding she was looking at her own friends too.
The same kid that was with Maggy last time, Derek, if Theo remembered correctly, was coated in a weird purple liquid that simulated that his skin melted, but otherwise dressed normally.
The other kid sat in one of the few chairs in the area, lazily leaning back. He was wearing fake contact lenses that made his eyes look bloodshot, a wig with pale and ruffled hair, and a coat full of different scientific tools, akin to a mad scientist that hadn't slept in weeks.
The two of them were giving the girl a thumbs up as she glared at them, trying to kill them with her look.
"Did they force you to dance too?" Theo chuckled.
The girl sighed, turning to him. "Yeah…"
"That makes two."
"Well, now that we're here, no use in complaining…" She shook her head. "Want to dance?"
"Sure!" Theo smiled.
"I'm Maya."
"I'm Theo."
And with that, the two began performing their different, albeit synchronized dance moves. Theo realized that maybe dancing wasn't that bad. He now saw why Damian liked it that much.
After at least half an hour of dancing along with Maya, the music stopped, as Bobby tapped the mic to catch everyone's attention.
"Alright, everyone! Hoppy, Dogday and I are tired and not going to perform anymore, but don't worry! There's still going to be music to dance to!" The bear told the crowd, earning a bunch of whines and complaints from them. "Hopefully you enjoyed the performance, and make sure to have a great time in what's left of the party! We'll be around if you need us!"
The complaining was quickly replaced with cheers as the three critters left the stage and the music resumed from the speakers.
Theo and Maya shared a smile. "You dance really well, Theo." She said.
"Me? You were amazing!"
Maya shook her head, still smiling. "Well, it was nice. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad we got to dance together. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go have a 'talk' with my friends."
Theo laughed. "Okay. It was nice dancing with you too."
She and Theo waved goodbye to each other before parting ways. The boy went back to meet with his friends, who were waiting for him with a wide smirk.
"'Not yar thing', huh?" Adrian said.
"Shut up." Theo replied, frowning.
"Awright, mate. No need to worry about us findin' out about your secret talent!" Maggy laughed.
Theo felt his cheeks redden from embarrassment. "Let's go somewhere else." He simply told them.
The rest of the time Theo spent in the party flew so fast that he didn't even realize that the clock marked 21:45. It was so late, and he was still having the best time of his life with a game of throwing whipped cream to the face of someone that didn't reply to a question in time.
The game had been proposed by none other than Ashley, who had decided to join them after unsuccessfully trying to convince her sibling to come to the party. She was also the one that had begged Picky for the whipped cream, and had promised she wouldn't tell anyone about it before the giant pig gave it to her.
The girl was dressed as a vampire, with fake fangs with blood on them, along with a cape and a fancy dress beneath it.
"What happens if you mix water an' oil in a glass?" Maggy asked Adrian.
"Uhhh… I dunno, da oil dissolves in da water?" He replied.
"Trick question! They can't mix!"
"Dang it-!"
Before Adrian could say anything, Theo threw some of the whipped cream to his face, hitting him.
"No fair!" He complained. "At least the whipped cream is good."
Theo laughed. He was having so much fun… But he couldn't stay with them anymore. He had to go meet with Prot to get that GrabPack. He considered the idea of just not going, but then he remembered what Prot said about the Gas Production Zone. If he didn't go when the employees were distracted with the party, there would be no more chances.
So with great difficulty, he told his friends (and Ashley) he didn't feel very good and that he wanted to go rest.
"What?! You can't go now! It's your turn!" Maggy exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, but I'm tired. I… had a hard time sleeping tonight."
"Aw man…" Adrian muttered. "We were having so much fun…"
"If he's feeling bad, don't make him stay." Ashley said. "We don't want to suddenly find out he is very sick, do we?"
Theo widened his eyes. "How did you-?"
"Nothing in here escapes my knowledge~" She smirked. "Also, Avery told me."
"Well, if you have to go, at least I hope you sleep well, mate!" Maggy told him. "It was a blast bein' with you!"
"Yeah!" Adrian added.
"Mhm…" Ashley hummed quietly.
And with that, Theo walked away from the group towards Home Sweet Home. On the way there, however, he came across Bubba, wearing a bloody mask (adjusted for his head's shape), with an obviously intoxicated Kickin leaning on him, who was barely putting one foot in front of the other
"Oh, hello, little angel." He called.
Theo stood still, unable to take his eyes off Kickin. "Uhhh… Is he okay?" He asked the elephant.
He only sighed, shaking his head. "Him and Hoppy had a competition to see who could drink more soda, and he accidentally drank a bottle of wine that was there for the adults because he wasn't looking." He explained.
"An entire bottle?!" The boy exclaimed.
"Heeeey, but at leeeast I wooooon!" The chicken slurred. "Take that, Hoooooops~"
Bubba sighed again. "As you can see, he doesn't do well with alcohol. Especially when it's the first time he's ever tried it. When he wakes up tomorrow he'll have to deal with the aftermath AND the lecture he's going to get given."
Theo winced. "Oh…"
"Hey, but what are you doing here?" Bubba interrupted. "Shouldn't you be with your friends at the party?"
Theo tensed. "Oh, I'm feeling a bit bad, so I'm going to bed early, as much as it hurts to leave the party."
Bubba narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Oh no. Is he into me? Does he know? He can't know, can he?!
Thankfully, the drunk Kickin interrupted him. "Heeeey, Bubs, don't act like a neeeerd now!" A hick coming from him. "Heeeey, how abooout you leave the kid alooooone and me and you go taaaaake a drink together, huh, handsome?"
Bubba sighed for the third time. "Kickin, you've had enough drinks for today. And stop calling me that, for Pete's sake."
"Such a tooough cookie, aren't yooou?"
Theo felt it was better if he left.
"I'll… just go. See you, Bubba!"
"Mmm, goodbye, little angel. Don't get into trouble." He told him.
"Byeeeee, kiddo!" Kickin added, a hic escaping him again.
Thankfully, Theo wasn't close enough to see what happened after the chicken gagged.
Once he was inside Home Sweet Home, he quickly ran towards his bed, taking off his costume and leaving it somewhere on his bed.
He then once again lifted the floorboard and took out the maps Prot had given him. Theo and him had already talked about what exactly he had to do, and by the sound of it, it wasn't going to be something easy.
He put the floorboard back in place as he turned to leave towards the easiest place to enter the ventilation ducts: the storage closet.
"Where are you going?"
"Ack-!"
Theo whipped his head and saw Avery standing behind him. They wore a very big black robe and a scythe, and were looking at Theo with a raised brow.
"Theo? Aren't you supposed to be at the party?" They asked.
"Aren't you supposed not to be going to the party?" He answered.
Avery widened their eyes for a moment before they frowned again. "Don't avoid the question. What are you doing here? And what are you carrying?"
Dang it! What do I do?!
"Nothing. A drawing I found that I'm taking to Crafty." He replied.
"...who is at the party? The one you're walking away from?"
Theo raised a hand to his face. "Look, it's nothing, okay?"
Avery didn't buy it. "Theo, you're sneaking around with what looks like a map on your hands. I don't know what you plan to do, but I know that you'll get in trouble if you get caught."
The boy didn't reply, simply looking at Avery. "I'm not sneaking around!" He shot back.
Avery let out a deep sigh. "Okay… Please, Theo. Whatever you're going to do, be careful."
He could only nod.
With another sigh, Avery simply walked away, headed for the Halloween party, and Theo was left standing there.
Why was he suddenly feeling bad for lying to his friends? What he was doing would benefit them all, so why?
He simply shook his head and kept walking.
He had a GrabPack to get.
Theo exited the ventilation ducts and dropped onto the floor, finding himself inside what seemed like a control room of sorts.
He walked towards the nearest door, half opening it and peeking inside. No sign of anyone.
He had to move quickly. If he was seen anywhere inside the Gas Production Zone, it was over. There would be no excuse to save him.
With that motivation in mind, his search started. The GrabPack was supposed to be in the Gas Production Zone, but where? It didn't help that almost everything was built for adults and not for children like him.
Nothing in that room, he had to go to the next one.
That one looked actually promising. It looked like a small workshop full of different kinds of machines and tools, but still, there didn't seem to be anything that looked like a GrabPack.
While searching, a small note fell from one of the tables, and Theo went to see what it said.
'The GrabPack 2.0's first ever prototype has been completed! It's been moved to the storage room for now before testing can begin. The code for the door is 1871.'
Huh. That was convenient.
Theo opened his map again to look at where he was. The 'storage room' was two rooms to his right, and so, he made sure to put the note back in its place before running to the next room.
And he gasped.
There was someone inside.
Thankfully, they were on the phone and they didn't hear Theo opening and closing the door, but they would see him if he didn't hide, so he quickly jumped under one of the tables.
"...Yes, Doctor Sawyer. The Gas Production Zone is running at its 100%."
That sounded like…
Theo peeked his head and gasped. The one speaking was Miss Greyber. She was talking to a 'doctor Sawyer', and Theo guessed that he wasn't the kind of doctor he had gone to to get his fever checked.
"Yes, there will be enough gas for the Laboratories, the Prison and Playcare."
A pause and a sigh coming from the woman. "Yes, I know. I'll send you the reports of each child's sleep tomorrow."
She hung up the phone, huffing. "Only caring about his Bigger Bodies Initiative…" Miss Greyber mumbled before she walked through the door Theo had come from and left the room.
The boy sighed with relief.
Whatever Miss Greyber was talking about, or who that 'doctor Sawyer' was, he couldn't care less.
He ran towards the locked door on the other side of the room and put in the code in the panel. With a click, the door opened and Theo entered.
He couldn't see a thing, but he found the light switch pretty quickly. The lights turned on, allowing Theo to see shelves upon shelves of different objects.
There were thanks containing some sort of red gas, many files and folders, some pieces of big machines, and more.
And at the end of it all, there it was.
The GrabPack 2.0.
Just like the one he was handed at the Game Station, it had a blue hand, but the other one was purple and looked more mechanical.
He wondered what it would do, but he didn't have the time for that. He quickly went to grab (pun not intended) the GrabPack and take it off its place.
There was still a problem, though. No green hands were attached to it, and there were none in the room either. Theo supposed he'd have to talk with Prot about that.
So, before he was caught, Theo quickly turned tail and ran away to the ventilation system.
Mission complete.
"Wonderful!"
It was very late at night, but Theo was back in Home Sweet Home, GrabPack on his back, fighting the urge to fall asleep right there.
Prot was happy to see him back and with the GrabPack, and the fact that there were no green hands on it didn't surprise him.
"Amazing… Job, Theodore…"
"Thanks. This thing's heavy, though…"
"Then… We only require… The green hands…" Prot spoke. "I… Will find them…"
"Okay. So I suppose I have to play the waiting game again?"
"It won't… Take long… After all… THE PLAN IS… Almost complete… We can't… Waste time…"
"Yeah. Almost a whole month of waiting was a lot to put up with." The boy sighed.
"Do not… Worry about this… Theodore…" Prot sighed. "Come back… In a week… I should have… Found the hands… By then…"
A week. A week and they would all be free.
"Okay." And then realization hit him. "Wait, what do I do with the GrabPack?!"
"Hide it…"
"WHAT?! Where do I hide this?!"
"Where… You hide… THE MAPS…"
Under the floorboards. But would such a thing even fit? Theo guessed there was no other way. If he didn't hide it properly, they would find it, and that wouldn't end well.
"Alright. So we'll see each other in a week?"
"Yes…" Prot replied. "Stand ready… For the day's arrival… We will… Set ourselves free…"
A determined nod and a farewell later, Theo walked back to his bedroom. He tried to put the GrabPack under the floorboards, and surprisingly, it fit.
With a relieved sigh, Theo went to sleep.
Just a week. They would be free in a week.
I swear I'll do it. For you, Damian. For you, guys.
November 7th
Playcare
23:26
The door to the outside.
That was his goal.
He just had to reach it first.
Theo made his way out of Home Sweet Home, making sure to check every corner he turned, and listening to every sound around him.
Ever since the GrabPack disappeared from its place, all the adults were visibly more strict with each other, asking questions to everyone. Thankfully, it seemed no one suspected a child had done it, but it still meant that there were security measures to avoid another theft.
And by security measures, that meant Kickin and Bubba walking around the entire Playcare's main area, along with Bobby and Picky (who both had been very hard to dodge) inside Home Sweet Home, and it wasn't far-fetched to assume the other Smiling Critters were patrolling other areas.
That only made everything harder for him. Theo had spoken to Prot a few days ago, and he had told him where his goal was before giving him the two green hands. He had to navigate towards the Gas Production Zone through a door that was next to the cable car the children used to move between Playcare and the Game Station.
But of course, that meant that he had to dodge Kickin and Bubba.
"Dude, why the hell do we have to be looking out for people roaming around?" Theo heard Kickin groan, before he yawned. "I'm so tired and I've gotta be walking in circles over and over again with a flashlight instead of sleeping!"
"At least you'll be sleeping tomorrow instead of undergoing 'conditioning'." Bubba replied.
Kickin scoffed. "You wish."
Theo took the chance to run towards the statue in the middle of Playcare. He hid as the two toys passed next to him, following behind them as silently as possible.
They didn't talk much, probably because they were trying to keep themselves awake and focused. At least before Kickin said something.
"Hey, Bubs. I know it's been like a week, but… Sorry if I said anything weird while I was drunk. And for… throwing up on you."
Bubba simply shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Kickin. You weren't thinking straight." Then, Theo saw the elephant do something he had never seen him do before.
Give a teasing smirk. At least, as much as he could. "Plus, you were funny when you tried to get me to carry you."
"Stop saying 'I was funny'!" The chicken reddened in embarrassment. "I didn't find it 'funny' when I woke up feeling as if my head was going to explode and had to listen to that goddamn scientist nag me about 'drinking beverages not apt for me'! Give me a break! Why was there a bottle of wine at a kids' party?!"
They are still at it? Theo mentally sighed. What kind of world is this where Kickin actually has a point?
Leaving that thought aside, Theo took the chance to pass behind them unseen.
They didn't do a very good job at patrolling, he had to admit.
And now, he had arrived at the Gas Production Zone… again.
What he saw made his mouth open. It was a huge room with an ever bigger machine in the middle. Three glass tubes were connected to it, with the right one being filled with a red cloud of gas.
What in the world…?
But Theo didn't have the time to stay admiring the machine. He had to get to that exit.
He turned to the left, finding another huge room with a hatch covering something. He didn't know where that led to, but it wasn't the exit. At least the one he was looking for.
He opened a small yellow grated door and went onwards, the hallway darkening more and more as he walked.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, blinding Theo momentarily. He was met with a metal door, two green receivers connected to it, and next to a vent, two outlets, but they were unpowered.
Theo was about to start looking around, but he was interrupted.
"Theodore…"
It was Prot.
"Prot! Is this the exit?" He quickly asked.
"YES… You have to… Power both… Receivers… TO OPEN THE GATE…"
"But they are off!"
"This is… Why two people… Are requiered…" Prot explained. "I will… Power the outlets… And you… Will use your GrabPack…"
Theo widened his eyes in realization. "Oh, of course! Okay, then let's do it!"
So close. He was so close. Everyone would be free. Everyone was going to be able to live free with no risk of being turned into a toy! And the Smiling Critters wouldn't have to be scared of the adults anymore!
So, the moment the two outlets powered on, Theo didn't waste a second shooting both hands at the same outlet, thinking it would charge the hands even faster.
That was a fatal mistake.
The electricity coming from the outlet came and left through the same spot, and it seemed the GrabPack 2.0's prototype wasn't enough to handle all the stress.
Theo felt his hair bristle as he looked up…
…before an indescribable pain enveloped his whole body.
The electricity had passed from the cable to Theo, and he was feeling every single volt inside his body.
He let out the loudest screech of pain he could muster before his twitching finger managed to retract the green hands, cutting the flow of electricity.
But Theo fell to the floor, unmoving, feeling his eyes close. The last thing he saw before everything went black was a metallic hand approaching him.
November… 20, maybe?
I think… the Playhouse? I'm not sure
Very late at night
Dogday was lying on the floor of his cell, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. He was exhausted from everything he had to endure through the day, but still, there was something bothering him, and that was enough to keep him awake.
"Day, are you still awake?" He heard Kickin groan. "Dude, sleep already."
"I-Is it about that kid?" Crafty asked.
Dogday didn't reply for a while, before sighing. "I haven't seen him in a long while. I don't like this at all."
"Come on, Dogday, I'm sure it's nothing." Bobby reassured. "Come on, try to sleep."
The giant dog sighed again. "You're right. I shouldn't be worrying about him. He'll be fine."
The sudden sound of a door opening startled the seven critters, waking them up immediately. There were two sets of footsteps approaching.
"Alright, freaks." It was one of the scientists. She was carrying a clipboard, and had a very tired and angry face. "I'm so happy to announce you're getting a new member. Came straight outta the Prison."
"Huh?!" Everyone except Dogday exclaimed.
He was very horrified.
Please, let it not be him. Let it not be him.
"HEY! OVERSIZED PLUSH! COME HERE!" She yelled.
The other pair of footsteps began sounding behind the woman, as a figure appeared from behind her.
A tall and lanky purple feline, with the same perpetual wide smile as them and a moon pendant hanging from his neck.
"This is experiment #1188. For you, 'Catnap'."
No one said anything, as they took in the sight of the very scary looking 'new member'.
And all the while, 'Catnap' was looking at Dogday with what seemed like an apologetic look. At least that's what he thought it was.
Dogday only widened his eyes even more.
…T-
Theo?