Poppy Playtime ~ An Angel's Bleeding Heart

Chapter 21 : Familiar Faces

"Now where are they hiding?" Poppy said to herself as she continued her trek through the ventilation ducts with a red video tape in her hands. "They couldn't have stayed in the Ward, that place is too cold to stay in for long, especially for Gabriel's sake. Plus I did tell them to find a tape player along with a TV, which the Ward doesn't have. So the Gas Production Zone is the best bet, since it is kept out of the way from the rest of Playcare."

And so as she continued on, her tiny footsteps tapping against the metallic paneling, her thoughts then drifted back to the human in question. Ever since he came here Gabriel has done nothing to harm any of the toys here, either if they're for him or against him. In his own words he said he'll bring them all out of here, and it seemed that he is doing his best to fulfill that promise. A noble effort, but one she finds incredibly dangerous, let alone naive.

And yet for some miraculous reason, he has survived this long only by his attackers good graces. First he saved Huggy, who while she knew he had only served the Prototype out of survival, Huggy's sheer animosity towards other humans couldn't have been quelled so easily. But he was nothing compared to Mommy Long Legs, her hatred for Gabriel was unbound and amplified by her broken mind, but yet somehow both survived each other's encounter. And that isn't even counting all the other toys Gabriel has survived in between them.

Poppy couldn't understand it, how is this even possible for him to do? It is almost stupid for Gabriel to think that he could manage to get them all out of here. Where could they even go? Sure he said he'll take them all in, but he couldn't possibly fathom how many of them there are here. Even after all this time, the big fight, the starvation, the cannibalizing, there are still hundreds of living toys sleeping and waiting within the factory's walls. There is no possible way for him to accept all of them into his home.

This factory, this place they call hell, this is their only home.

Which is why if they wish to find any future here, they must kill the Prototype.

And now she must help give Gabriel a reason why they must, and what she has in her hands will be more than enough to convince him. And that will be the first phase of her plan. The next will be to assist Gabriel in killing Catnap, once that is done many toys will most certainly see, and many will be convinced to join their side and defeat the Prototype.

But first things first, she needs to find her friends. She has already wasted enough time as it is, if she knew if she didn't get to them soon then Catnap would for sure have done something by then. The mere thought of Catnap finding them made her heart quicken and her blood roil, and being the sadistic and unpredictable fanatic that he is there are a myriad of horrific ways to which that purple monster could have hurt them. Could have tortured them. Could have killed them!

So consumed by fear she was that Poppy hardly noticed her breath quickening to a ragged pace. It was only until did she finally stop did she notice this, but while she knew it wasn't good for her to feel this anxious, she is pressed for time. Poppy knew she couldn't hesitate for even a moment, not while her friends are waiting on her.

However, as she nears the Gas Production Zone, she smells something. A small yet noticeable whiff of air carrying a distinct, pungent scent. And by happen chance, she even sees some residue stuck to the metal paneling. A red, almost blood-like substance stuck on the metallic surface in a thin sheen, appearing as like bodily ichor.

It smelled like burnt poppies.

"No." She gasped aloud as she at once ran as fast as her tiny legs would let her, following the trail of smell and residue till it almost became unbearable to smell. If she were to stay exposed for too long, she'll risk herself in passing out and succumbing to the Red Smoke's effects. But with her heart pounding and blood racing, she couldn't care less if her friends are in danger.