Smiling Critters 2: The Story Continues.

We've got a problem...

(💡)

Hours had passed, and I hadn't found Picky. She was neither in the hallway from before, nor in the laboratory.
Most likely she was disoriented and had gone astray. I have been at Picky's side for many years, and I know that she has an almost completely zero sense of direction.
I hope to find her, I'll be satisfied if she is still alive.
I just want her to know that her friend, Bubba Bubbaphant, is with her.

I still remember how we met. It was weird, but in the long run, it's the best memory I have.

Picky was one of the last Smiling Critters to be introduced, and she seemed to have hit it off with the other Smiling Critters, and especially with the children.
But she didn't have the same relationship with me. And it's not that we got along badly, far from it; I was at school almost the entire day, preparing classes and managing other tasks, while Picky used to spend time in the kitchen at Home Sweet Home.
We only visited at mealtimes in the Home Sweet Home dining room, or by chance, if we were out.
Our friendship began on any given day. I left school at lunchtime and since I was in a hurry I didn't go to lunch with the others. I just went to talk to some caretakers and then returned to the school building.
Later, when school was over and I was tidying up some shelves, Picky came into the building without even permission and started scolding me.
I even remember the actual words, but long story short, she told me that I was being irresponsible for skipping lunch, that what she had to do now with the soup, that it turned out delicious and I missed it, that now I had no muffin for dessert, blah, blah, blah.
I acted offended, but deep down I wanted to laugh. Imagine a little pig threatening you that she wasn't going to give you any more muffins!

The next day, I was the first to enter the dining room. When she saw me, she raised her eyebrows, and I asked her jokingly: "I have a muffin now, yes or no?"
She burst out laughing.
And that's where it all started.
Since then, whenever I could I went to help her adapt the first days, and when she adapted, we spent free time together after the classes. She, in return, sometimes came as an assistant teacher to some biology classes, and even acted as a substitute if I had a problem that took me away from being a teacher.

We always had each other to cover our backs.
Until now.
This was the first time we had a fight so serious. I may have been angry with her for her conversion, but it was out of her control. This is not.
She could have put on the brake, I could have put on the brake too. But her stubbornness and my pride betrayed us.

Look at us now.
We are such an embarrassment. We have fought as if we were little children.
But hopefully, I can make amends for my mistakes.

That's why I'm looking for her in these hallways, in these dilapidated and lonely rooms.
I just want to make peace with my friend. Let her know that I'm sorry if I offended her.

I wasn't lucky at the beginning - or at the end, let's be honest. I couldn't find her anywhere.
But I did find something that was connected to her.

The walkie-talkie.
The device was on the floor of a hallway, near a trail of blood.
Suspicions made my fears increasingly greater and more materialized.
That Picky has been hurt.
Kidnapped.
Tortured.
Mutilated...
...or thrown into the void.

A few meters away I saw a huge hole.
The trail of blood seemed to end there.

I got a little closer. It was dark, very dark. It did not aspire to great optimism.
I thought I heard something in the background, like strange knocks. Possibly they were steps at the bottom of the hole.
I didn't want to risk getting close. So I grabbed a small piece of debris, threw it into the hole, pricked up my hearing, and started counting the seconds.
At the tenth second, I heard a small crash against metal. And then, absolute silence.
This indicated to me that the hole was somewhat deep. But I can't say for sure if a fall like that causes death.