The Heretics from Up Above [🄿🄾🄿🄿🅈 🄿🄻🄰🅈🅃🄸🄼🄴]

Chapter 22: Coming Together

"Sissy!! Sissy, get up!!"

Squeak. ... Squeak squeak!

I began to open my eyes, taking in my surroundings. We were on the other side of a gap in the floor. My small Catnap plush companion sat on my stomach while Charlotte sat on my right. She was holding a Dogday plush that must have befriended her. "What happened...?" I grumbled, holding my head.

"Catnap came by. I'm surprised he didn't try and attack me. But he crawled to us with you wrapped in his tail. But... Did you find his legs?" Charlotte responded.

I nodded, but when I looked around, I saw nothing. The legs were gone... And so was Dogday... That's when voices played in our earpieces. "JESUS CHRIST!!! ARE YOU TWO OKAY???" PJ exclaimed.

"WE THOUGHT YOU'D GET SHREDDED TO RIBBONS, VIRGINIA!!" the green Huggy yelled.

"Hey. We're fine, guys," Charlotte replied.

"And thank God I didn't get killed by– ... him," I said, shuddering when I said "him."

Now we had to get the hell out of here. We exited the Playhouse as Ollie spoke on the phone. He asked if we had no ouchies or lost body parts. That's when I could hear heavy footsteps behind us. "Hey, angels. Look what I found."

Dogday was walking to us. WALKING. My eyes wanted to well up with tears again. Charlotte's smile broadened as Dogday knelt, opening his arms. "My old legs," the cocker spaniel said.

Our plushies bounced happily as Charlotte and I cheered and ran to him, giving Dogday a big hug plus some crying. "Oh, you two... You're both so emotional... But that's okay. Bobby was like that," he said, returning the hug.

"Yo, I sent you two a box of apple-stuffed beignets. They should be coming down the chute right now," Bunzo said.

Charlotte pulled from our hug and eagerly ran under the Hoppy Hopscotch statue and into that room, coming back out with a box. It had a note on it, followed by some more writing;

"Good to know you're both doing good down there. Here, have some snacks. -your favorite lunatic"

"Bunzo, stop playing favorites."

"Aren't you OUR favorite lunatic too??"

"LET ME SEND THE PACKAGE, DAMMIT!!!"

I read the note and giggled, wiping my tears of joy. But that's when I remembered something. I had to share our discoveries from Home Sweet Home and the school. Charlotte must've seen the realization because she led Dogday and me to a bench where we sat. "Are you guys listening from the Game Station?" I asked.

"Loud and clear, bambini," Bunzo said.

Poor Dogday couldn't hear, but that's when the red Huggy told us that a package came down the chute. I went to get it, seeing that it was a tablet. Turning it on, we could see the six of them. "Oh my... Bunzo, what happened to–"

"Don't ask why I look like this. ANYWAYS, hey guys!!" he said, happily waving.

PJ waved with one of his feet as the Huggies also waved. "Boy, do we have stuff to tell you guys!" Charlotte said, taking out the papers we collected in the school.

"Cool! But first, what did you guys wanna tell us while you two were at Home Sweet Home?" the green Huggy asked.

It hit me as a look of worry spread to my face. "So we hallucinated and heard that there was a child's body found in Elliot Ludwig's house. Some of its vital organs and bones were missing," I explained.

Some of the toys shivered as Dogday drummed his fingers lightly on his legs. "Ah... That child must have been turned into a toy, then. The scientists take vital organs and bones and put them into experiments. The child's DNA is transferred into the toy. Take Bron for example. He used to be a guy named Thomas Clarke. He was a 59-year-old Playtime Co. full-time employee and was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. After receiving the diagnosis, he willingly volunteered to become a Bigger Bodies experiment. The scientists placed his organs, eyes, and brain into a Bron toy and he became known as Experiment 1199. However, he was severely disoriented, not knowing where he was or what happened to him. When 1199 was introduced to the other experiments, they immediately knew he wasn't an orphan forced to be an experiment," he explained.

"Wait– then what?" PJ asked.

"After he turned the opposite way, Boxy Boo's music box faintly played before he grabbed 1199. He devoured his voice box and thyroid before the research team intervened to stop them from killing him. It took 12 hours of surgery to stabilize 1199; afterward, they placed him in solitary confinement to keep him safe from the other experiments," Dogday continued.

"And how do you know this??" I questioned.

The cocker spaniel shrugged. Charlotte then shoved the papers into my hands. I thumbed through the six pages, taking the first one to read it. "Just a few weeks ago now was The Hour of Joy. Today, there is only silence in this school. I don't think any of us here know what to do with it. The hallways without the children carry even the smallest sounds as if they were shouts. The other teachers and I startle each other constantly. We'll have to get used to it. Something locked the front door this morning. We haven't been able to open it," I read.

The Hour of Joy was still a mysterious thing for us all. But I feel that our Game Station friends are letting us in on not all the good things. Even PJ was heard shuddering when I read the name aloud. I took the next paper. "I heard a knock at the door today. I heard it breathing. Whatever it was, it wouldn't speak when called out to. I spent hours after it went silent wondering if this was what locked us in here. I've made a weapon of sorts. Pencils and rulers and tape and twine. I've taken to calling it "Barb". It's crude. But if that door opens, I need to be ready," I continued, reading the second note.

"I knew that little thing she held was Barb!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Hm... Interesting. Do continue," Dogday said.

I hummed and went to the third note. "No food for days. The others argued with me over what was left. They started glaring. Judging. They blocked the kitchen doorway with their bodies. I think they've singled me out to die first," I said.

Was this an excuse to use my acting skills? Yes. Fourth page. "The pit in me howls for FOOD. I CAN'T THINK about anything other than how HUNGRY I AM. HARDLY HAVE THE STRENGTH NOW TO PICK MYSELF OFF THE FLOOR. Barb speaks to me though. SHE GIVES ME STRENGTH. I've found that if I stand still, COMPLETELY STILL, everyone thinks I'm DEAD. BARB says I need to EAT, AND THAT THE OTHER TEACHERS would never see me coming. ANYTHING TO STOP THE HOWLING," I read.

"Theater kid, anyone?" Bunzo asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

The group chuckled as I rolled my eyes. Now for the fifth page. "I'M SO SORRY. I HAD TO EAT. I HAD TO SURVIVE. I ATE THEM. I HAD TO I HAD TO I HAD TO I HAD TO."

"Wait... SHE ATE THEM???" the red Huggy exclaimed.

Dogday covered his gaping mouth, mimicking being on the verge of throwing up. I would've thrown up, too. But I internally gagged. Now, for the last page. "The door opened today, and I heard something enter my hall. Together, Barb and I found Catnap waiting. ALL THIS TIME, ALL THIS AGONY. It was He WHO LOCKED THE DOOR, I know it. I wanted to KILL HIM, but knew better than to believe I could. He seemed oddly glad to see I was all that remained. We made a deal. We take care of each other now. Report what we see to the other, and to HIM," I concluded, folding the pages up and putting them in my pocket again.

All of us were left disturbed. But hey, my drama teacher should give me 100/100 for that acting. I assumed Miss Delight was also a servant to the Prototype. That's another cult member down, and one more to go. Catnap.