Overdue Check-Up (Poppy Playtime)

(Chapter 3) Part 21: The Final Stretch

I groan as I bring up my left hand to my forehead, "What the hell?"

I slowly sit up and rub at my head, my eyes still closed at the small headache I'm having, "What happened?" I ask, expecting response.

When I hear nothing, I open my eyes and see nothing... seeing nothing but a black void. I look around to find anything to be different than the uniform blackness around me, but I don't. I look down at myself and see that my arm is normal, unharmed, I slowly rise it up and turn my hand to see my palm, seeing not a single wound on it. I frown as I try to remember what happened to me, thinking back to the vents, putting on my mask for the Red Smoke, getting out, walking around and finding the battery, calming dad down, then...

My eyes widen at the flash of a claw lunging for me, "Catnap!"

"You sure you don't want to play?" Aunty Scotch's voice sounds behind me.

I turn around to see shadowy figures standing before me, many of them looking like several children while one of them (the one closest to me), resembled my aunt, "You'll have fun."

A younger sounding me replies hesitatingly, "W-well, I just..."

Aunty asks, "What's wrong?"

I pause, not wanting to answer, then my younger self replies, "You think I'll... be good?"

She laughs, "Of course, and you'll only get better, I know it!"

I mumble, "I don't know." Still uncertain.

Aunty then says, "Come on kids, Nearic needs your confidence, let's give it to him!"

They all then start to chant, "NEARIC, NEARIC, NEARIC, NEARIC!!!" making my resolve to deny her wavering.

Eventually, my younger self replies softly, "A-alright, I'll... try."

Everyone cheers, aunty saying, "Awesome sauce, you won't regret it!"

Commotion starts to sound as Red Smoke clouds my vision, fear hitting me in an instant like I was surprised, pain flaring up from my head as Aunty exclaims, "Nearic!"

The scene changes again to the outdoors (Playcare's equivalent to the outdoors), children laughing and screaming, all with cheer and joy, shadowy figures of children are scattered everywhere. One of the was right in front of me, a hand on my right forearm as it held tight, slightly hurting, I was close to Home Sweet Home.

"Come on Near, it'll be fun!" a young boy explains.

My younger voice replies tentatively, "I really don't think this is a good idea."

The younger boy says, "Really, you hang with Kickin all the time, this is nothing!"

I try to pry my arm away as I reply, "Guys, this is really dangerous." Some fear in my young voice.

The boy laughs, "That's what makes it fun, come on, I promise it'll be the only time we ask you to do this."

I hesitate, "O-okay..." the boys cheer.

The Red Smoke clouds my vision as I feel my back suddenly flare with pain as I cry out, dad's voice yelling, "NEARIC!!!"

The scene changes again, I was standing just before the gateway to the Whack-A-Wuggy challenge room, the place looking like how it was when I had arrived after so long. This time though, there were shadowy figures of people up in the observation room, looking like scientists. While there were several other smaller children figure behind me in a line, an adult figure to my left.

The figure speaks, sounding like Stelle Greyber, "Go on, it's your birthday, you get to set an example on the games remember?"

My younger self grumbles, a queasy feeling filling my gut, "I don't wanna..."