The building known as Home Sweet Home loomed across the distance from up the plastic hills which it perched. As Gabe approached he took note of its outward appearance, it has definitely seen better days, its apparent state of decay was proof enough of its long abandonment. Intriguingly however is its theme, while most places he has been through so far always had that whimsical, childish circus feel to it, the orphans main lodgings are much more softer on the eyes.
A massive two-story house, with wooden walls and a greenish shingled roof, it looked like an old house an elderly couple would have owned. Definitely lives up to its purpose as an orphanage. But yet, looking at it from below, Gabe couldn't help but feel his skin crawl as the building loomed in the backdrop like a malevolent shadow. The few lights left on due to its backup generator cast an eerie orange glow from behind the broken windows. Barred windows. He swore he could have seen something move behind one of those curtains.
He enters the front door, the rusted hinges creaking dangerously loud, he cursed himself mentally for not thinking that through. If there is anything in there, which is most likely, then they definitely hear him coming. The wooden floor boards creaked even more loudly than the hinges, despite taking inventive steps inside. He guessed that subtly and stealth are out of the question right now.
Making his way inside Gabe took in his surroundings. The state of interior is even more foreboding than the exterior. From just the view down the hallway alone sent chills up his spine. The faded wallpaper is either peeled or torn, its pale patterns depicted on the greenish background showed twisted vines with images of poppies and then daisies with smiling faces. The antique glass lamps are all either lit off, or shattered and strewn across the wooden planked floor. Massive claw marks are near everywhere with holes and broken pieces in the wall, ceiling, and floorboards. It almost looked like a twister blew through here.
However as he passed further along down the hall and into the enormous living room area, it became clear that this was no natural disaster, but a terrible catastrophe none the less. There are toy bodies nearly everywhere, but most of these corpses are different from the typical Huggy or Mommy or any of the other mascots, many of them are plushies of the Smiling Critters. The whole cast of them, with their body parts shredded from their lifeless husks. Their rancid scents of decay still prevalent in the stale air.
Gabe decided not to stick around for much longer, at least in one place. He came here for only one purpose after all. Ollie mentioned something about a backup generator somewhere deep within this building, but it would seem that it is offline in the moment. He doesn't know whether or not he has to turn on the generator manually or remotely. He really should have asked Ollie about that. He's basically going in blind. And anything could happen.
Venturing upstairs he finds himself in Home Sweet Home's nursery area. Rooms filled broken or tossed over cribs. A sobering reminder that this place was once used for children, orphaned children. From infants to adolescents. But as he looked around he noticed something else about this place. The windows, held bars. Not like the more elegant bars that some windows have to at least give some appeal to the eyes, but crude, cast iron jail bars. In a nursery.
Why the hell would a nursery of all places need bars? Sure maybe to keep some of the more naughty children from sneaking out and running lost in a factory, but why a nursery? Did they really expect a baby to somehow find their way out of their crib and then make a grand escape through a window? Unless,..unless it's to make sure that no child ever manages to escape.
As Gabe pondered these thoughts, just then there came a sound of something scurrying fast behind him. Gabe instantly turns around, pointing his flashlight in any direction he can find. But there was nothing there. Gabe assumed it might have been Catnap to make such a sound. But that sounded too light, Catnap was much bigger and heavier than that. Whatever it was that made that noise was small, and nimble too.
He feels that he has overstayed his welcome long enough, but there is still a generator that needs activating. He continues investigating the upstairs area, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for any indication of movement. So far there hasn't been any sign of a backup generator, or anything that has to do with electricity in general. Just more of the same ruins as usual. Maybe there would be more luck downstairs.
But once he made it just to the lip of the first step down, there down below covering every inch of the living room's floor, is the billowing, malevolent mist of the Red Smoke. Just simply looking at the fog is making him feel drowsy, he covered his mouth and prevented himself from breathing, as if the very smell of burnt poppies is enough to cast him into a deep sleep.
There is no way he is going anywhere through that, but that's the least of his worries. For since the Red Smoke is in here then it can only mean one thing. Catnap is here, and he is already stalking him.
There has to be another way down without going through the smoke. He then spots something around the corner at the other side of the walkway overlooking the living room. In the wall is the grated cap to a ventilation duct, and if there is anything that he learned from Huggy Wuggy, is that vents make excellent shortcuts. Maybe if he is luck, he can bypass the smoke and reach another vantage point to reach the lower halls.
And so he did just that. Opening the vent he crawled inside, taking precaution to not cause yet more noise. Sure Catnap or whatever else in here may know he's in Home Sweet Home the least he can do is quickly not draw their attention. As he scuttled along he takes note how despite the lack of Red Smoke the faint traces of its signature poppy smell still yet lingers. But it seems that unless he is inhaling the smoke itself the risk of falling asleep is low.
It is dark within these vents, which made sense but Gabe still silently grumbled about keeping the flashlight up ahead of him, it made crawling though all the more difficult. What's even worse is that the light is beginning to flicker. He knew he should have changed the batteries in this thing before he even moved further. Though he is in what is essentially the Playcare's living quarters at least for the orphans. There should be a change of batteries somewhere in here. All he has to do is find some before the flashlight goes out.
But then, the flashlight went out.
"Frick." Gabe said under his breath. Being trapped in complete darkness is not something he enjoys, especially when in a monster infested house. Gabe switches the light switch on and off while then profusely shaking it. The bulb flickers for just a second before fizzing out again. "Come on!" Gabe whispered. "Just a little while longer." He tries all he can to get the flashlight working, fidgeting it, shaking it, and smacking it against his palm. Until finally it works! With a relived sigh he switches the light back on.
Only to be met face to face with a giant smiling flower.
"Gah!" Gabe gasps loudly as the stick figure-like flower toy suddenly retreats backwards into the darkness ahead of him. "What was…What the f**k!?" Gabe shouted in a panicked hushed whisper.
While still reeling back from the sudden shock Gabe wondered just what the hell was just staring at him just inches from his face. It was most certainly a toy, but which toy exactly he couldn't figure out. It all happened so fast the memory has now become a blur to him. The way those piercing, human-like blue eyes stared into his soul, plastered on it eerie smiling face writhed in daisy petals.
Wait, daisies. As in, the toy Daisy?
Did they really make a bigger version of Daisy now? She was such an obscure character in Playtime.co's roster that he hardly remembers her, and he manufactured some of her toys at one point. She was just that forgettable. It was no wonder then that her toy line was discontinued. But now, it seems that whatever these quacks are that made these monsters didn't forget her. He hoped to God that she is more curious than hungry.
After that was over with, Gabe soon manages to find a way down. He pries the grate off from it latches and with upmost care he takes it in his hands and then lands on the floor below. Thankfully no traces of Red Smoke are seen, but still, he minded his steps to make sure he doesn't find himself accidentally caught in the midst of it off guard. Good thing he can sniff out the smell before he would get too close to it.
He then tentatively leaves the grate of the floor and proceeds down the hallways. It would seem that the layout of Home Sweet Home is that the while the infants and toddlers lived on the second floor, the more older kids, ranging from six and up, lived in these halls. He inspects one of the bedrooms and finds twin bunk beds within with its own dresser table and chair. Littered with Playtime.co merchandise, minus the bloodied living toy remains.
These toy remains, Gabe noticed, are different from the ones he usually found in the higher levels. Not that there's now Smiling Critter corpses, but rather, how they are left to rot. The way some toys are hanged from the ceiling like criminals on the noose. How some of them are skewered through their body and out the mouth by either pointed wooden spears or sharpened rebar. It was clear that these toys aren't just simply killed and then eaten. Even Gabe couldn't believe he hasn't seen this earlier. It is barbaric, satanic, like that of some death cult ritualistic sacrifice.
Whatever has been going on down here, it is worse than compared to the higher levels.
With this in mind Gabe continues on down the dilapidated halls of the orphanage. Though he is not going to lie, he feels more like he is wandering at this point. There is still no clear way on how he is going to turn on the backup generator. But then just by happen chance he finds a well lit room off to the side. Entering inside it isn't a bedroom but rather an office of some kind. This must be where the caretakers work from when they're not tending directly to the kids.
In it he takes note that there is a trash chute that leads directly to the trash compactor, possibly the same one Catnap threw him in. Next he finds a small control panel with a television monitor above it. And displayed on it is an image of the sun but with a hollow inner circle. There is a percentage indicator below it, reading "zero percent power". And trailing along from the panel is a twin set of wires connected to two glowing green power inlets designed for those ridiculously large batteries.
It then clicks, this is where the caregivers would turn on the power to start the day for the kids. If he can get Home Sweet Home's day cycle started it might just be what he needs to kickstart the generator.
Gabe actually finds one of the batteries just lying on the floor. What good luck. He wastes no time sticking the battery in its respective socket. This brought some power to the already starting daytime protocols, but it's still missing the second battery, the monitor displaying that only fifty percent is powered. It needs two in order to bring full operation capacity. He doesn't find anymore batteries in here, while he genuinely has no desire to explore the orphanage any further, he knows he has no choice.
He takes his leave from the office and begins making his way back down the halls. Leaving behind the comforting umber glow of the well lit office and into the hauntingly eerie hallways. There was much debris he had to crawl around through. Broken bed frames leaning against the walls, piles of cardboard boxes filled with random items, all of them hindering his way through. It grew agitating over time.
Then just as he was just about to turn around one corner, he hears something skittering from just the other side. His heart sinks like a rock, immediately he crouches down and with careful footsteps he slowly tiptoes around the corner. Once fully around the corner he points his flashlight dead ahead down the hallway. And there, standing with her back (or what could be considered her back) turned towards him, was the forgotten toy flower Daisy.
"Daisy?" He whispered out loud.
Suddenly with a quick snap, Daisy's head turns a complete one-eighty around, causing Gabe to jerk a step back. Her blue eyes piercing into his very soul. She didn't say anything, she kept staring at him with a frozen smiling face. But then she lurched forwards, and then crawling on her leaf hands and feet on all fours, she then hastily climbs up the walls and into a hole in the ceiling above, disappearing from view.
After a few seconds of staring at the hole whence she left, comprehending what just happened he then simply said out loud. "Well, ain't she a shy one." He joked.
But once he looks back ahead again, he then sees that it turns out, Daisy was standing in the threshold of a bedroom. And past the doorway, he can see that there is a green battery just sitting on the room's desk. Thank God! Now with it he can activate the generator and continue his quest.
He enters the bedroom. But then, once he then reaches for the last battery, something stirs off the corner of his eye to his left. Gabe quickly turns, readying himself for a chase in case it was Catnap waiting for him. But instead, he was met by a surprising, yet welcoming sight. For there, sitting on one of the beds was someone he didn't think he would see again. Kissy Missy.
A smile creeped on his face as well as a sense of relief. Ever since she helped him through that rail tunnel back up in the Game Station he had been waiting for a chance to see her again. To tell her how grateful he is for the assist, despite leaving so suddenly. And frankly he was just glad that there is at least one monster down here that isn't out for his blood, as if maybe she can be a friend of his.
He wanted to speak these things out to her, but he then notices something and held his peace. For despite being in the same room with her, with his light shining directly at her, Kissy doesn't turn to look at him at all. It was as if he isn't there at all. She was instead looking down at something that she is holding within her paws. It is a picture. Of what Gabe can't tell because of the angle. But the way she is looking down at it, she wasn't just staring at it, she is reminiscing, recollecting something from her past. But what?
Gabe wanted to ask her, but given the fact that she isn't even acknowledging him might suggest she wishes to not speak with anyone. He decided it is best that he leaves her alone for right now, at least he knows where to find her in case they can speak later. He picks up the battery from the desk, takes one last look at Kissy, and leaves her to her lonesome.
Retracing his steps back to the office he couldn't shake that somber feeling off his chest. Just what was it that Kissy, a monstrous creation, was doing in a kids room anyway? Maybe that picture had something to do with it. Turns out the theme of the bedroom she was in is decorated for girls, perhaps she knew the little girl that once lived there? But in any case, she wanted to be left alone.
Now back in the caregivers office he installs the final battery in its place. The sun emblem displayed in the monitor showed in full, and the percentage reading showed power levels at one hundred percent. Perfect! He presses the button and the daytime protocols take effect. An audio recording of a rooster crowing sounded and some lights in the hallways started flickering, the lightbulbs are so old it was honestly a miracle that they even barely work. And beyond the deathly quietness Gabe hears something sputtering to life beyond the orphanage's walls, like a motor revving its engine. That must be the backup generator working.
A barred door to his side then opens, leading to a staircase that travels upwards. Though not to sure where it heads off to, but Gabe thinks it might lead back up to the first floor. Just as he was about take his first step upwards he spots some claw marks on the wall, no doubt left by Catnap, but when he was about to simply pass it off and continue upstairs he sees that some of the claw marks are actually an inscription. And once he read it, he knew this message was directly for him.
"You left us"
Gabe lost track of time as he stared at those written words. How can this be true about him? He never once knew of their existence. If he had he would have done something about it. Could he though? Playtime.co over the years of its existence has had confronted many lawsuits, involving horrific work related injuries and even some missing persons cases, but the company had surpassed them all. How would anyone believe him, a lowly assembly worker, that this beloved toy company is creating monsters right under their noses? And it wouldn't be too hard to silence him. If they have enough money for these experiments, the orphanage, and the factory as a whole, then it would take pocket change just to shut his mouth, or worse.
Maybe it is best that he finds the answer to this later. For now, he has to get out of here. Walking up the spiraling staircase he eventually finds himself in a lounge area for the caregivers, and on the other side of the room is a door that leads back outside. Great! Then once outside he can contact Ollie and let him know the generator is working. And what a relief that would be, just everything about this place feels so wrong. So, haunting.
But once his fingers touched the door handle he spots something to his side. It was a doorway to another office, the door open slightly ajar, and because it is closed off from the rest of the orphanage it must be a private office. A strange feeling began rising in his chest, one mixed of frightful foreboding but with hints of curiosity, it was like there was something within his gut telling him that there is something awaiting him in there. Not a monster, nor one of the living toys, but an answer. A truth that he has been ignoring for all this time.
And that truth is, what really are these toys?
Not in a sense of what they are, he knows very well much that they are alive and breathing, but instead how they are. How are they made? Gabe knows they are experiments, so what are they experimenting for? How did these things came to be?
Without knowing it, Gabe's feet began to move on their own as he slowly approached the office. Each step laden with dreaded curiosity. His palm presses against the wooden surface, cold to the touch. And just as the hinges creaked while turned, another noise is heard, coming from behind him. That familiar skittering noise. Gabe held his breath, he didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. But when he did, he saw that there was no one there. He sighed relived, but he was sure that he heard someone there. But then when he turned a tiny creak was heard directly above him.
And when he instinctively looked up to the ceiling, he saw Daisy, staring down on him.
Immediately she leapt down onto Gabe, wrapping her hard plastic arms around his neck. Gabe, though struggling and panicking, still kept his stance and composure as the stick toy then started slashing him, swiping her leaf hands across his face in a frenzy. Covering his face seemed pointless, so he grabbed the doll by its 'torso' and threw her off to the other side of the room. Daisy's weight being so light that it took no effort to slam her hard against the wall. Her body then falling behind a sofa.
Gabe then felt something trickle down his cheeks. Taking his hand he wiped the warm liquid onto his finger. Blood. Turns out, Daisy's leaf parts are razor sharp. Which of course they are. But despite this, her being basically a living stick figure means that she is significantly weaker compared to the other bigger toys, forcing her to rely on her leaf blades.
Regaining his composure, he kept his eyes peeled for the flower. He knows that that toy has scurried off somewhere, and that she won't be giving up so easily.
Darting his gaze this way and that, he spots her crawling on top of a sofa on all fours. Then like a leaping insect, she lunges at Gabe with her arms outstretched. Gabe tried to grab her in midair, but Daisy managed to grab onto his hand and then, with swift methodical movement, swung her legs around and then planted her legs on his shoulders. And then, grabbing onto both sides of his head, she opens her smiling mouth wide and then vomits out a rancid substance on his face. The vomit was so putridly acidic that it stung his eyes, even worse when it touched the cuts on his face. Even when shutting them tight the vomit seemed to seep through his eyelids.
Again Daisy started slashing his face, delivering many small yet irritating cuts. Daisy, despite having sharp blades for hands, aren't exactly effective given how weak she is. It was like a toddler trying to stab someone with a butter knife. But make no mistake, it still hurts. Hurting Gabe enough to try and grab back onto her. But no matter how much he tries to get a grip on her she always avoids his flailing arms. Always crawling all over him, and cutting him in various places.
Gabe wanted to reason with her, he really did, but how can he when she's not giving even a second to say anything. It angered him, why, why can't any of these toys ever listen to him?! He grew so angry in fact, that he finally decided enough was enough. Opening his eyes wide, the vomit harshly stinging them, he finds Daisy and grabs ahold of her tightly, his grip threatening to break her thin waist. Then with all his might he then threw her against the wall, her head smashing face first on the worn wallpaper leaving a trickle of blood behind as her body fell into a trash chute.
Daisy was gone, her now unconscious form now traveling through the trash duct into the trash compactor. Once Gabe realized what he did he felt some shame about it, he could only hope that it lead to the same compactor that he managed to escape from.
But now there is a more pressing matter to deal with, namely all the cut Daisy gave him. Maybe there could be something in that office he was about to enter. Then without further delay he then entered the office, its interior just as dilapidated as the rest of the orphanage, but the desk in here should have something to help his injuries, at least a wet wipe to get all that vomit off his face.
He began searching through the drawers, but there was hardly anything in it to help get himself clean. Just some old, useless documents and papers. It was only till a few minutes later that he eventually found something useful, an old bottle of liquid disinfectant, and dingy rag to go with it. The contents of the disinfectant are long expired but it didn't matter, if applied to the rag it could get the grime off him. And so he did just that, pouring the liquid onto the rag and began wiping his face, being careful to dab on the open cuts to avoid irritation. He then allowed the cuts to bleed a little, and then airing it out so the cuts scab over.
With that out of the way, he then noticed something in one of the drawers he'd just opened, there lying amidst some papers is a VHS tape. And it turns out that the desk has a TV screen and a tape player attached to it. He knows that the noise might draw in some more attention, but hey, what's the point anymore?
He then takes the tape and plays it, there wasn't anything displayed on the screen, instead it was just a simple audio recording who seemed to be one of the caretakers.
"Subject is stable, designation #1322." The man on the other side said, his voice strangely clinical for a caregiver. "Clear neural abnormalities were detected in his most recent check up."
'Neural abnormalities'? Why would caregivers study children's brain activity?
"Though highly irregular, we've pulled him from the Home Sweet Home before the lights went out to perform-"
Just then another voice is heard, though this time it wasn't a grown adult but a little child. "What are you doing with my friend?"
The caregiver slash doctor sounded surprised. "What are you doing out of bed? How did you get in here?"
But the child was too distressed to answer. "I-Is Kevin sick? Why did you take him away?"
The doctor stuttered for a second, seemingly formulating something to say. "I-I…Yes, Kevin is really sick. Very, very sick. And we want to make him better. But he can only get better if we take him to where we can give proper care, and proper rest."
"Will…D-Do you think he'll be okay?" The child stuttered.
"I should think so. We are good at what we do, son. We paid attention in school, learned, and got our proper rest when we need it. Just like you need now, I should think. Come on now, we should get you on back to bed."
Gabe can hear the little child sniffle, as if wiping a tear. "O-Okay."
The doctor then continued talking, his voice fading as he took the young orphan away. "It's been a pleasure meting you, Joesph. And I promise you, your friend will be alright. And when you see him again, he'll have never been better."
The audio feed ends, leaving Gabe frightfully perplexed. Did that doctor, or whatever kind of caregiver he is, just call a child by a number? And that term, 'subject', does that mean… No, it can't be. A deep, sickening feeling wrenched his guts tight. A profound weight of dread settling on his shoulders and treading down his back like cold water. Gabe knows there's experiments going on, but that, that is overthinking it. There's just no way, right? What kind of human being would experiment on…on…
Gabe then spots some folders on the desk, the pages poking out from under the folds. The contents printed on them are indistinguishable, but he can see a small photo of a child printed on it. He picks the folder up, and he just knew that the answer he's looking for is just within the folds of the pages within. That the darkest secret of Playtime.co is being carried in his own two hands.
He opens it, taking the papers and placing them on the desk. He doesn't bother to sit in the wooden desk chair, he just simply leans over gazing at the pages above as he flips over a few. On these pages are pictures of orphan children, each with a name and registration number. He then reads the description on the first page detailing a little girl's physical and psychological attributes.
"Subject designation #1222. Marie Payne. Age; 12." Gabe read aloud. He thinks he's heard this name before.
The description left nothing out, explaining in such detail that he honestly couldn't help but skim over. Describing Marie's biological systems, from the digestive, olfactory, and even the nervous system. Finishing this description is a percentage rating, something about compatibility for some sort of project.
"The Bigger Bodies Initiative?"
"Subject compatibility; 89%. Clear to perform Experiment #1222, Mo-…"
Gabe instantly froze, he swore that his very blood turned to ice, fragile enough to break his bones. As he read the next few words, he could feel his legs lose control, threatening him to collapse then and there. He couldn't believe it, but there it is, written in black and white.
"Mommy Long Legs."
"No…" Gabe muttered, his breath stifling in his throat. "No no."
He then flipped the page over. Another document, another child.
"Alexander Dumnim. Age; 10. Clear to perform Experiment #1170, Huggy Wuggy."
With his batted breath, and his head spinning with gut wrenching nausea, he flips another page.
"Theodore Grambell. Age; 13. Experiment #1188, Catnap."
Then another page.
"Alice Hall. Age; 11. Experiment #1276, Catbee."
Then another.
"Sheldon Ackerman. Age; 14. Experiment #1854, Bron."
Then another.
"Rebecca Faust. Age; 9. Experiment #1667, Candycat."
His hands grew cold.
"Terrance Weller. Age; 10. Experiment #1499, Boggie Bot."
His ears ringed.
"Kelly Joplin. Age; 8. Experiment #1568, Daisy."
His vision blurred.
"Obadiah Clapton. Age; 11. Experiment #1737, Bunzo."
His mind swirled.
"Franklin Tally. Age; 7. Experiment #1433, PJ Pug-A-Piller."
And his heart ached till it shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Experiment #1563. Experiment #1766. Experiment #1876. Experiment #1645. Experiment #1388. Experiment #1706. Experiment #1356. Experiment #1901. Experiment #1520. Experiment #1027. Experiment #1490. Experiment #1511. Experiment #1822. Experiment #1098. Experiment #1118. Experiment #1422. Experiment #1995. Experiment #1403. Experiment #1382."
"....It…it, can't be." Gabe finally breathed out. Letting the papers fall out of his quaking hands. "No,..no God no!" He then fell on his knees, gripping his hair till he nearly ripped them out in bunches. The pace of his breathing quickened, and his vision faltered into a mind numbing haze. Tears cascading his cheeks as he balled his hands into fists, unbridled rage consuming every fiber of his being.
"No! No! NO! NO!"
Gabe did not realize soon enough however, that as his bout of madness takes hold, that he fails to notice a certain red mist began to slowly crawl across the floor. Making its way to him like a predator stalking their prey. It was only until the smoke began whisking around his legs did Gabe see it, turning the hardwood floor into a carpet of blood red.
He knew that it was already too late, he has already inhaled the smoke, his mind and body growing ever more drowsy by the second. There was no Red Smoke in here before, and there is only one creature capable of bringing this malevolent fog in here.
With as much of his waning strength he can muster, he pushes himself back onto his feet. He then gazes out into the doorway from whence he came, and through it, peering at him from the darkness, Catnap's eyes piercing gaze met his own. And then, without so much as an ounce left of strength left in him, Gabe fell backwards to the floor. Conscience slipping further and further into the darkest recesses of his soul.
Into the furthest depths of his nightmares…