The school is just as bad as the orphanage. This is what Gabe thought to himself as he entered the double-sided doors of the schoolhouse. The white tile floors are completely torn up, the paint on the walls peeling away by large chips, the fluorescent lights either flickered or destroyed, and of course, there are corpses of toys everywhere. And that's not even getting started how many dried blood splatters there are.
His phone then rings, must be Ollie again. "Alright, let's be quick about this." The kid said with a bit of uneasy haste. "Just find the generator, turn it on, and get out."
"You okay Ollie?" Gabe asked concerned. "You sound a bit off. Is there something I should be worried about?"
"My radio can't reach that side of the dome." Ollie warned. "And you won't be alone…"
Great. Exactly what he needs to hear. Yet another nightmare he needs to deal with. Oh well, Ollie did say he should be quick about this, so he might as well get over with."Alright so who's in here?" He asked.
"Hard to say." Ollie replied. "Not only can my voice not really reach you in there, but neither can my vision. The cameras are just too fuzzy."
Gabe sighed. Without knowing what he is up against he is at a severe disadvantage. Though at least Ollie could tell that there is someone in here to begin with, he would hate to think what would happen if he didn't knew and ended up turning around the corner only to be met face to face with a monster.
He then once more asks. "Okay, but where's the generator?"
"Again I can't tell." The kid replied. How disappointing, there goes another advantage. "I'm afraid you're going have to find it yourself. Be careful in there! Whoever is in there is not your-…"
The phone then cuts dead before the kid could even finish his sentence. "Ollie? Ollie?! Agh!" Gabe groaned to himself, turns out Ollie wasn't joking about the interference. Which means now he really is all alone here. Well, not completely alone.
Though even still, as he passed by the critically decayed remains of disheveled school gear and ravaged classrooms, at least he is aware of the present danger. He knew he'll need to stay sharp if he wishes to get out alive. Which is easy considering how dead silent the entire facility is. One could hear a pin drop a whole corridor away.
It amazed Gabe just how large this school is, another testament to the ambitions of Playtime.co for their projects. The building looked small to him while he was looking at it from the outside, looking roughly the size of an average daycare, but the moment he stepped inside it was like walking back into high school campus. Each classroom could fit at least a couple dozen children in it. And not only that, if looked past all the ravaged and mold infested interiors, this place must have been extensively designed to display child-like wonder for the students. Down to the very last detail. Just like with the rest of Playcare.
To think that this place was once where children learned and grew.
"This is Miss Delight speaking!" The cheery voice through intercom blared beyond the glitchy static, startling Gabe in his place. "Please excuse the interruption. Students, please remain seated. And no going in the halls without a hall pass!"
How strange. Is this who Ollie was talking about? It might not be, she sounded too friendly to bear any malicious intent. Then again, so did Mommy Long Legs, and look how well that turned out. Plus the name, Miss Delight, that sounds like a school teacher's name. And from what he can see, they're long gone. This could just be a recording if the static is anything to hint by. But even then, better to stay on his toes instead of being blissfully unaware if anything happens.
Continuing on down the hallway he ends up coming across a pile of cluttered debris. No problem getting through, there is a short arch that he can easily crawl under through. But the moment he was just making his way under, something, or someone, came walking past at the very end of the hallway. This freaked Gabe out, but he thanked God he was still underneath all that clutter when whatever that was shuffled by.
But the form of that creature. While Gabe knew that it was that enemy Ollie warned him about, this one looked so distinctly human.
Moving on, he then found himself inside an office area, separate from all the other classrooms. The intercom then blares again, and this time the voice on the other side proved beyond a doubt that the person talking is alive and aware of him. "Hey, I know you! Yes, you used to work here. How are you…Alive?" That last sentence, it almost sounded like she was in awe of this fact. Gabe didn't blame her, he's in awe he survived this long too.
"Hmm? Barb? Oh. Barb says you're looking for your coworkers." Barb? Now just who the heck is Barb? "Catnap wouldn't like that you're here. You should leave. For your own safety!" Well at least whoever this Miss Delight character is at least she's considerate.
Gabe then spots an open air conditioner vent above him, and at the top there is a bar that he can latch onto. He then with his Grabpack pulled himself up into the vent. This could help him carry on through the schoolhouse unhindered and unnoticed by whatever this Miss Delight is. Silently he crawled his way through, his breaths taken at minimum to reduce any noise.
Then as he passes over a grated vent on the bottom he saw something moving under it. It was that same being he saw wandering around a moment ago. Catching a better glimpse of her appearance, he couldn't see her face but he saw her curly yellowish blond hair with a red bow on top, and she was also wearing a tattered dress shirt, torn to near ribbons after years of decay. She must obviously be Miss Delight.
He however didn't waste any time pondering and wondering how she looked. He would avoid her if he could. His mission is simple anyway, find the generator and get out. Sure he would love to have some pleasantries with her, as long as she isn't willing to gnaw his face off.
Nearing the end of the duct, he finds an open hole down to another classroom. He checks inside the room carefully before jumping down, landing with a loud thump, creating a large dust cloud. Looks like Miss Delight hasn't been keeping this place tidy.
"Hmm, not a good listener are you?" The voice of Miss Delight said carrying through the intercom. "You're a lot like the other humans that way."
Gabe then exited the classroom and made his way down the halls. Without any direction from Ollie however it felt just like Home Sweet Home all over again. Just senseless wandering. The thought alone of reliving that same experience over again tied knots in his stomach. Thankfully though, Catnap isn't near, which means no nightmares for now, so at least there is an upside to this.
There is however Miss Delight. "Although, I heard from a little birdie that you are different from the others. That you are, good. What do you think Barb?" A short pause follows. "Mhmm? Ah. Barb says that you still worked here. You still worked for those, filthy animals."
Gabe still carried on, even while Miss Delight was still speaking. "Which is strange, because Catnap said that you knew what was happening here. He said that you saw him, tied up, beaten. I wonder though, did you leave because you were scared? Or did you just don't care? You left us here. To rot. To die."
But, he never knew. Did he? Yes, he didn't know the full extent of what was going on in the factory. But was that really an answer, or just an excuse he wants to keep telling himself? He saw them hurting someone, and he did nothing. He just ran away. Did he really care about what was happening in the factory? No, he did care. But as he thought deeper, if he really did why didn't he do something about it?
"Either way, it doesn't matter. You're still human just like the rest." Miss Delight finally said, her tone shifting to a more ominous tone. "I wonder if you share their screams as well? Hmhmhm. We look forward to finding out."
The feed then cuts, leaving the wandering human both confounded and terrified. Deep down, Gabe knew she is going to be a problem soon. He just hopes he doesn't have to use the garbage chute method just like he did with Daisy earlier.
Gabe then nears one particular room, he finds the generator room, and right in the back, is an enormous generator. Definitely more than enough to power the Gas Production Zone. There doesn't seem to be any obvious way to turn the generator on, but if those brass electrical rods have anything to say, then this has Leith's work written all over it.
Thankfully though it was straight forward, just shoot the Grabpack's palm into the outlet, loop it around the towers, and shoot the other hand into the generator's receiver. The machine then sprung to life, a few lights suddenly flicker in the room. Gabe took a step back to admire his handy work, he was honestly proud that he has made it this far with no problems.
He guessed this really was easier than he thought!
But then a door off to his side opens, then something, or someone, lumbered out at a quickened pace. Freaked out by the sudden entrance Gabe hastily takes a few steps backwards, putting some distance between himself and the intruder. The creature then immediately went for the generator's control console, they held something in their hands, a weapon. It looked like a mangled morning-star mace.
They then raised their weapon high and in one fell swoop they obliterated the control console, rendering the generator inoperable beyond repair.
"Hey! What are…?!" Gabe shouted, but then his words were cut short when the figure turned to him.
Out of all the monstrosities he has seen thus far, Miss Delight was nothing short of a nightmare. Her once cheerfully colored clothes are tattered and bloody. Her blonde hair is left in a deranged mess. And all along her body are stab wounds, pencil stab wounds, and even there are still some pencils still stuck to her in various places. And her face, oh God her face, the plastic that once was her skin has been ripped away, revealing flesh and exposed jaw underneath.
"Why good morning kids!" Miss Delight said with frightening, guttural glee. "Today's lesson is anatomy! For our first assignment, we will be dissecting a very special subject, YOU!"
She then sprinted towards him with terrifying speed, her mace held high in the air. Breaking himself from his stupor, Gabe then turned tail and ran back out into the hallway. "NOPE! I'm calling tardy, I'm outta here!" He yelled as he ran down the halls, Miss Delight hot on his heels.
The chase that ensued was anything but easy. It reminded Gabe a lot like the time he was playing hide and seek with Mommy Long Legs. Only this time, there isn't anywhere to hide, this is a full on chase, nothing more and nothing less.
Exiting the room Miss Delight shouted out to him , treating this chase as if some sort of science lesson. "There are just so many facts that I must teach you! Did you know that there is a layer of mucus that prevents your stomach from digesting itself? That's what prevents ulcers!" She yelled swinging her mace around. "I know because they forgot to add that in me. It hurts so much."
Gabe weaved and turned around every corner and every obstacle he came across, even flipping a few pieces of furniture over to slow the lunatic teacher. But no matter what he did, Miss Delight always either brushed it off or just simply shoved it away. And still she kept pace with him.
That is until Gabe leapt over a particularly tall desk, forcing the mad teacher to take time climbing over. She laughed as if she didn't care that there was any hinderance in the way to her prey. But Gabe could care less, he wanted nothing more than to get out of there and leave.
He then turns by a corner out of Miss Delight's sight and spots something above, a ventilation duct with a hole leading inside it. Perfect! He can hide in there while Delight is still occupied with the table. Using his Grabpack he pulled himself up quickly into the duct and hastily crawled inside. He held his breath as he leaned his head barely over to watch as Miss Delight ran past underneath him, looking this way and that unaware of his presence directly above her.
Gabe breathed a silent sigh, relived that the worst might just be over. He then began to silently crawl through the duct, carefully, making sure that every time a hand or foot met the metal surface it won't creak under weight. But he swore he could hear movement just below him before then scurrying off. But he was still managing to evade the mad teacher, he felt proud that he did it so easily.
"Here is another anatomy lesson for you! Youpig." Delight said through the intercom system. "Did you know the smallest bone in your body is the Stapes in your ears? Still, damage it, and you'll risk losing your hearing. Let's simulate that right now!"
Just then an ear piercing screech ripped through the entire intercom system with such intensity that it was almost deafening. Gabe instantly reeled back and screamed in pain as he tried his best to cover his ears. But no matter what he did he couldn't block the noise out. It sounded like metal scraping against a chalkboard. The noise was so painful that he couldn't help but yell and flail about in the duct. Unaware that this is what she wanted.
For as soon as the noise stopped, and reliving silence ringed in his ears, a long, sharp, metal rod shot straight up into the duct. Missing his face by a mere inch. Miss Delight has found him and is trying to stab him while he's still inside.
Gabe scampered up and then crawled as fast as he could, stealth was out of the question now. Loud bangings sounded as the human loudly crawled his way through, all the while the crazed teacher kept stabbing the metal rod up towards him, over and over and over again. Some shots actually grazed Gabe's skin, causing cuts. But he shrugged them off, he has to carry himself through.
Suddenly the stabbings have stopped. It seemed that the duct he took has now lead him past a wall, out of Delight's reach. "Now now, student. You worthless trash. No running off from class you hear? Hahaha!" Delight yelled as Gabe put as much distance as possible between himself and the teacher.
He didn't care that he was making too much noise now, all that mattered was getting out as fast as possible. Reaching the end of the duct he then kicks the grating out and lets it fall flat to the floor with a loud bang. He wastes no time leaping down to the floor below, it won't be long till Delight hears it and hones in on him. But when he lands on the floor, he notices something,…off.
The floor is covered in a thick layer of dried blood, so thick in fact that it almost looked black, and the entire floor in the room is caked in it. Wondering what could have caused so much blood to be pooled up in a whole room he looks up and around him, and what he finds shocks him to his core. He is in a classroom filled with attendees, except these students are actually in fact the remains of the rest of the Miss Delights. Their plastic coverings broken and shattered, their corpses stripped of all flesh down to the very bone. The dried blood that once soaked the chairs they were sitting on trailed downward and onto the floor.
They are all each sitting in their respective desks facing towards the chalkboard, the board's surface was covered in unintelligible signs and sentences that all jumbled together in a tangled mess of white chalk markings. But out of all of the depicted chaos, there was one sentence that stood out from all the others, written in large words in blood.
"The Hour of Joy."
He was so horrified of the sight before him that he didn't notice that someone was coming up behind him. "Ah good! You made it back to class!" Gabe froze in place, not even bothering to turn around, cold sweat dripping off his brow. "Did you know that there are sixty-thousand miles of blood vessels in the human body?" Gabe could practically feel her breath just off his shoulder. "I had eaten seven hundred and twenty thousand miles of vessels and it's not enough."
Gabe instantly turned around, just in time before Delight swung a horizontal slash of her mace at him. Though unluckily for him, he dodged a little too late as the sharp tips of her morning star slashed across his chest, leaving a dozen open cuts that started to trickle blood. Gabe winced and wrapped an arm around his wound, if Miss Delight could she'll grin like a mad animal.
She then went for another strike, but Gabe didn't give her the satisfaction of another cut. He dodged to the side as the mace came crashing down and struck one of the Delight corpses in the skull, causing it to be stuck. Taking his chance, Gabe ran out of the room as fast as possible, leaving Delight to struggle getting her weapon unstuck. She eventually did by ripping the skull of her sister out of its spine and bashed it against the desk, smashing it to pieces in a plume of dust. She then wasted no time giving chase again.
Gabe continued to run as fast as his feet could carry him, Miss Delight still hot on his trail. He dared to look over his shoulder and saw her still with her weapon raised, a distorted laughter hissing through her exposed face. She's gaining on him. He knew that slowly, yet surely, she will catch up with him. And God only knows what will happen next. Frankly, Gabe isn't keen on finding out.
He soon ends up in a long hallway that ends in an open shutter door, he knew that if he can get it shut he'll escape. With every ounce of his strength he kicks his legs into overdrive, adrenaline pumping through every fiber. He even manages to put some distance between himself and the crazed teacher. But Miss Delight notices this, and she won't let her newest anatomy student leave skip school that easy.
She raises her weapon high and then threw it at Gabe. The human didn't so much as notice the weapon flying through the air until it landed, hitting him in the back shoulder, the sharp pointed pencils piercing his flesh. Gabe cried and nearly fell on a knee, but he knew this would mean death. Mustering his strength he pushed forward just enough to reach over the finish line behind the threshold, and then with a flip of a lever the whole shutter door came crashing down. A crazed expression contorted her face, and Miss Delight then practically threw herself at Gabe, only to be met face first with the iron door.
Gabe breathed a sigh of relief as the creature on the other side repeatedly bashed her fists against the door screaming like a banshee. He then looks to the morning star still latched to his back, tentatively, he pulled on the wooden ruler for a hilt and pried the mace out of his shoulder. He softly brushed a few fingers over the puncture wounds, thankfully there were only a few holes imbedded in his skin, and they didn't reach the bone. But the amount of blood bleeding out is far more concerning.
Dropping the weapon Gabe puts a hand over the wound, putting enough pressure to let it begin clotting. As he begins to walk away he then hears the sound of whimpering from behind the shutter door, turning around he also perceives that the banging has stopped. Has Miss Delight finally given up? He then carefully walked closer to the door, to which Delight seemed to have heard coming near.
"You,…you have Barb." The teacher said, her voice faltering between bitterness and insanity. "Don't,…don't take her away from me."
Barb? Who the heck is she talking about? There is nobody in here except her, himself, and…and her morning star. Is she seriously considering this weapon as an actual person? How long has she been alone down here? She must have been the one who had killed the other Delights, she really must have gone insane.
But yet still she begged. "Give her back to me, please I'll do anything to get her back! I just want her, she's my best friend. Please…"
Gabe looked towards the weapon that had just a moment ago wounded him. How many other people has she killed with this thing? Was it even a good idea to just simply hand it back to her when he knew she'll might come back for him later and try to kill him again with it? Is it even worth it? But the more he hears Delight cry the more his conscience tells him to at least leave her with something to remember him by.
He then picked up the weapon in one hand and then with the other he gripped the bottom of the shutter door. He then quickly raises the door just high enough and tosses 'Barb' out under it, and hastily shutting it behind him.
He heard the weeping creature gasp once the mace landed on the floor, he can only imagine the amount of surprise and joy she must have felt when holding 'Barb' again. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cried out past the metal door. "There there Barb. I promise I won't toss you away like that again! It'll be just us, together, forever. Just me and you, Barb."
Gabe didn't know how on Earth such a thing as this could happen. One moment he was being chased by a psychopathic living doll, then the next moment he couldn't help but feel terrible for her.
But in any case, he can't exactly help her while she's in such a state. Perhaps when the time comes both Poppy and Kissy could help in getting through to her. He actually looks forward to that prospect.
But for right now, there is nothing else left to do here, the generator to the school has been destroyed, and he isn't anywhere near the school's front door. He has to find an exit somewhere else. So he takes his leave, the faint and gentle humming of Miss Delight cradling her precious 'Barb' growing quieter and quieter as he leaves the schoolhouse behind.
<<<<<<<<<<~>>>>>>>>>>
Gabe found something interesting upon reaching the end of the hallway. Sitting inside a canister was another Grabpack hand, but this one was painted orange, and inspecting it further in his hands he finds the hand shape to be similar to that of a gun. Attaching it he then attempts to use it, but when he pressed the trigger, instead of launching it out and forwards, it actually fires a bright glowing projectile.
It is a flare gun.
Definitely something useful to use in the future.
He then continues on through the only way forward, still gripping on his wound on his shoulder, past a catwalk suspending above a deep chasm and out through an iron door. But as soon as he did a rush of cold air swept by and over his body. It was oddly refreshing, much different from the stale, dusty, or rancid air that Playcare and the rest of the factory had. And when he stepped out he found out why.
Taking his first step outside the dome, he finds himself in a massive cave, full stalactites and stalagmites and large columns of sandstone that twirled in symmetrical swirls. There is even some waterfalls that gushed down from the stony ceiling. It was an honestly welcome sight, the first time seeing something natural and God-made for too long of a time.
But that is to say that the employees presence wasn't unaccounted for. Steel railings and platforms were built all around in the cave, and as he began to make his way across the maze of catwalks and rusted iron platforms he finds that there is still some equipment left here. Even the flood lights still work, bringing down a bright white glow on the work site.
However the more Gabe thought about it, the more confused he felt. Isn't Playcare an already completed project? Why is there still construction work here? And this couldn't be anything like maintenance or repairs, there isn't any system here that qualifies that and there is no damage to speak of. Plus all the equipment left here looks to made for excavation or digging, if all the jackhammers and shovels are anything to hint by.
Were they planning on expanding Playcare? Might be, but then something else catches his eye. There are also other tools here, but these weren't the heavy duty equipment used for construction or excavation. There are chisels, rock hammers, and even some brushes. All used for more delicate digging. Now why the hell would construction workers use such tools?
Unless,…unless this isn't a construction site, but instead a dig site?
But what for?
Entering a particularly large, open platform, he finds off to the side near a grated fence a massive wooden crate. Curious, Gabe takes a closer inspection. The crate is long, stretching for about ten to twenty feet in length, and it wasn't sealed. But before he wanted to open it he finds a slip of paper laying on the surface. He takes it and begins to read it.
"Anakim Specimen, #45. Log#433201 Date, 4/17/1988"
"This is the largest specimen we found to date! Even larger than the ones used to create
"The Doctor and
"Leith was right about choosing this place instead of our usual dig sites. This cave used to be underwater, who knows how many more specimens we're going to find down here? One could only imagine what these creatures might have looked liked!"
"Though the biggest problem is just getting it all out through Playcare without any of the 'lower class' employees from seeing. Lying to children is one thing, but to the adults it's going to be another story."
After finishing reading it, Gabe wondered what it could mean. But he supposed there is only one way to find out. He then pushes on the crates lid, heavy as a wall, but with enough effort he pushes the wooden lid fully off its container. He peered inside and…
"…What…What the hell?"
Inside, laid on top of fine straw, is a skeleton of an arm. Orange and calcified over from centuries of fossilization. But not just any arm, this arm is utterly massive! Long enough to fill the length of three full grown men. But despite this skeleton's alien size, it appearance was so oddly…human. It looked like an uncanny, oversized human arm. The arm of a giant.
This can't be real,…could it?
He wanted to find out but there note had details too vague to decipher. Like what kind of creature could even use an arm of such a size? And what on Earth would Playtime.co use these things for? Though he isn't going to find out here, maybe some time later he'll come across a document or a tape of some sort to help clear away all this nonsense.
There is no way he can call Ollie while out here, if the school is out of bounds for him then this is limbo to the kid. He needs to find a way back into the dome by another way. If there is one, he has no desire to head back into the schoolhouse while that crazed teacher is still in there.
Gabe then follows a trail that leads around the dome's outer wall, hopefully he'll find a door that leads inside. And sure enough he spots it, a door with a lit sign above it. A slight reprieve fills his tired heart as he ventures across the catwalk towards it. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he spots movement. Turning to his left, he then withheld an audible gasp as he watches the lanky form of Catnap make his way up the rocky surface towards, something.
He crouches down in a pitiful attempt to conceal himself in the darkness. Even though it won't work, it offered little of some much needed comfort. Because as he watched Catnap ascend the small cliff, he then saw him kneeling down and revealing a tangled mass that is in front of the giant feline. A tangled and enormous statue made from hundreds of toy and even human corpses. All of it tied, etched, and sowed together to form a giant figure of disfigured proportions.
And kneeling in front of it, bowing his head and holding his paws together, Catnap begins to silently pray to the statue.
This unnerved Gabe to such a point that he felt that he could lose feeling in his legs at any given moment and fall. There was just something about this statue that it made it feel, ominous. It was then that he remembered something that Poppy told him hen they were turning the power back on. About how out of all the Bigger Bodies, Catnap is the only true follower to the monstrous Prototype. So much so that he worships it.
This must be what it is. Gabe couldn't believe it at first but now there it is right in front of him. Catnap has literally made a god out the Prototype, and this statue is an idol to him. A gruesome tribute in it's own image.
Why? Why would Catnap, or any other living being would want to even reverie something so detestable as the Prototype? What has this thing done for him than other than bring him suffering? And as he tip toed away, leaving Catnap to continue his prayer to his false god, there is one thing for certain that plagues the young man's mind as he ventures past the door into the Playhouse.
There is something truly evil about the Prototype.