Chapter Text
Fog crept along the forest floor. The weather had cooled down significantly in the late evening. Little Ava Price giggled as she played in the underbrush. She was too far deep into the forest to hear her mother call her in. Ava and her trusty stuffed rabbit Jeremy played amongst the leaves. Her once white dress had been soiled whence she played in the dirt.
"Ava...." A voice whispered. The fog coming to caress the little girl's legs. "Ava...Follow me, Ava..." It called again. A crow had fluttered down from the trees to the girl. Ava giggled and stood to follow the bird.
"Birdy! Birdy wants to play!" The little girl squawked. The crow hopped along the path, stopping every once in a while to see if the girl was following. She was following. Giggling all the way. The fog twisted amongst her feet. The calls getting louder than before.
"Come Ava... Come little one... Come play with us, Ava..." Blackened tendrils had slithered out and latched at her feet. With one last gasp, little Ava was consumed by the fog.
Ava was not in the forest anymore. She whipped her little head around. A massive water tower groaned above her. She clutched her rabbit close to her.
"Mommy? Mr. Bird? H-hello?" Ava whispered. Her tiny voice echoing across the brick walls. Another loud groan from the water tower sent Ava scurrying away. With trembling toes, Ava made her way through the labyrinth of brick walls. Mechanical sounds reached her ears. Ava slowly crept her way towards it. Maybe it was a train like the one that took her and mommy to their new home. Tears were prickling at her eyes. Little Ava was brave and continued to step close to the strange noise. A flash of golden hair. A woman! Just like mommy!
"Mommy! Mommy!!" Ava cried out. She ran towards the figure hunched over by a metal machine.
Laurie looked up from the generator she was working on. Her head whipped around to the little girl running at her. The poor thing tripped over her shoelaces and landed on the ground. Laurie jumped up and made her way over to the girl.
"Oh my gosh, are you all right, sweetie? What are you doing here?!" Laurie spoke in a hushed tone. She helped poor Ava to her feet and dried her tears.
"You're not mommy..." Ava sniffled. Laurie shook her head.
"I'm afraid not little one. What are you even doing here, this is not a place for children!" Laurie asked as she took in their surroundings.
"Well, never mind all that you can tell me later. Come, we need to work on this generator..." Laurie continued as she took Ava's hand. The pair went over to the metal machine. It was chugging slowly as the lights flickered. Laurie knelt down to the machine and she ushered Ava to sit in her lap. Laurie reached her hands into the generator and removed a handful of wires.
"You see these? These get put together, do you think you can grab wires for me, little one?" Laurie asked. She could hear the roar of a generator being activated in the distance. Little Ava nodded and stuck her tiny hands in the generator. The pair worked in tandem, Ava grabbed the wires and Laurie put them together.
"I'm Laurie? What's your name?" The young woman asked.
"My name is Ava!" Answered the little girl.
"Well, then Ava! I'm glad to have met you. You've been such a good helper. Look we’re done!" Laurie attached the last two wires together. The generator sprang to life. The roar of the generator made Ava squeak and hide into Laurie's side. The blonde just laughed and patted the little one's head.
"It's all right Ava. They were made to make this sound. Come, we need to find another one." She took Ava's hand and led her away from the humming machine. Ava let Laurie lead her away. The two wandered amongst the brick walls. Laurie stopped. She turned to Ava.
"Wait here. I need to check something. Don’t wander off okay?" Laurie ordered before she took off. Ava was never good at listening, that's how she got into this mess in the first place. She stood where Laurie had left her, clutching her rabbit close to her. After a few moments passed, she heard the flutter of wings to her left.
"Mr Birdy!" She exclaimed. With a smile, she made her way towards the crow. One step, two step, three step, SNAP! The poor girl let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the arena as her tiny leg had been caught in a bear trap. Ava stood there shrieking, tears bubbled and welled down her face, her heart thumped. It started soft but grew to a crescendo as a large figure approached her. A towering mass stood above her, blocking out the light of the moon. Ava craned her little head up to look at the beast before her.
"P-Please, it hurts mister..." Came her trembling voice. There was a thump from where the man's machete fell to the ground and the massive man knelt down.
"A kid..." He whispered. The Trapper couldn't believe his eyes. His large hands reached out to open the trap that had ensnared Ava's leg. Once freed, Ava limped into the Trapper's form.
"T-thank you, Mr. Giant... It hurts... I want mommy!" Sobbed Ava as her grubby little hands grasped at his overalls, trembling against the Trapper's frame. The man scooped up Ava in one arm before he retrieved his machete.
"Let's find someone to help you little one..." His voice low and gravelly, tickling Ava's ears. She nodded and locked her arms around his strong neck. The Trapper hurried through his estate before a glimpse of golden hair caught his attention. He turned and beelined towards what he saw. As soon as she noticed him, Laurie ran away, her heart thumping in her ears.
"Wait!" The Trapper's booming voice called out. Laurie stopped in her tracks, she could feel his overwhelming presence behind her.
"This little one here is injured. She stepped into one of my traps..." Murmured the Trapper. Laurie gasped and turned around.
"Ava! Oh, you poor thing! Give her here!" She held out her arms. The Trapper transferred the crying child over to the young woman, looking down at the pair.
"Keep an eye on her..." Came his final words before he turned and stalked off into the direction of a newly finished generator. Laurie stood stunned for a moment before she set Ava down gently.
"Let me see your leg, Ava. You're very brave to have let him carry you..." Laurie bandaged Ava's outstretched leg. Miraculously, the little girl felt better.
"Mr. Giant saved me! He opened the metal teeth! And then he carried me, I was so tall!" Ava said. Laurie took her hand once more and led her away from the clearing they were in.
"You're lucky he didn't kill you, Ava. Mr. Giant is not a good man. Come, we need to find another generator. I think I hear one close!" Laurie said as she rushed over to another generator. This one was tucked into some brick walls, and an older gentleman in a suit coat was knelt down beside it.
"Ace! Oh it's so good to see you! I had thought I was alone since it took Jake!" Laurie called out. She hurried Ava and her over to the generator. Ace looked up at Laurie and then did a double-take at Ava.
"Holy shit, what's a kid doing here?! Was she the scream I heard earlier? Nearly took out my eardrums!" Ace exclaimed, pulling up his hat to wipe his brow. Ava tucked herself behind Laurie's legs.
"I don't know Ace, she stumbled into me. Is she our forth?" The young woman knelt down and worked on the generator beside Ace. Ava sat in Laurie's lap and helped as well.
"No, even though we lost Jake, Nea is still here. She should be somewhere on the other side of the map." He answered. Laurie hummed in response before a scream rippled through the arena. Ava winced and trembled into Laurie's lap.
"Nea..." She whispered and whipped her head in the scream's direction.
"It's her first hook we have time. Let's get this gen done. Then you and the kid can go get her." Ace reasoned. Laurie bit her lip and nodded. The trio worked in silence for a while. The only sound between them was the sniffles of poor little Ava and the clunk of machinery. Soon the generator sprang to life.
"Whoo-we! Only one more to go then we're out of here! It looks like lady luck is on our side!" Exclaimed Ace. Ava's heart pounded in her chest, Laurie and Ace exchanged a glance. The sound of heavy footsteps signaled that The Trapper was coming.
"You take the kid and get Nea! I'm sure she had a gen close to being finished. I'll take the heat and run him around a bit. See you, ladies, at the exit gate!" Ace called as he ran the opposite direction of them. "HEY! UGLY! I'M OVER HERE!" He shouted. The thumping of Ava's heart faded as Laurie stood and took the little girl's hand.
"Come, we have to hurry Nea doesn't have very much time!" The young woman whispered as she tugged the child along. They moved as quickly as they could, Laurie kept her eyes on the ground, the last thing they needed was to step into a trap. The sounds of someone struggling reached their ears. The pair rounded the corner and the sight caused Ava to gasp. A tough-looking young woman was hanging from a sinister-looking hook. Spider-like appendages had protruded from it and were actively trying to pierce the young lady.
"Nea!!" Shouted Laurie. She quickly let go of Ava's hand and helped the poor woman down. Nea groaned a sigh of relief when her feet touched the blood-soaked ground.
"So what's with the kid?" Came her raspy voice as Laurie quickly bandaged up her shoulder wound.
"Ava come here and help me!” Laurie called. Ava slowly made her way over to the pair.
"I just found her. Lord knows what the Entity has in store..." Laurie said, her hands pulling the last of the bandage tight against Nea's wound. The rugged teen winced in pain.
"Kinda fucked up to make a kid do this stuff..." Nea said bluntly. Laurie gasped and swatted Nea's arm.
"Language! Take my hand, Ava..." Laurie snatched the poor girl's hand. Ava stared up at Nea with big eyes, they both looked like a wreck. Nea was covered in blood but so was the little girl. Her once white dress was stained red and brown and the stockings on her legs were shredded and torn. Nea felt a little sorry for the kid, she couldn’t have been older than six. She took in a deep breath before offering Ava a smile as she ruffled the child’s blonde ringlets.
"Let's go. I had a gen almost done but I'm sure that asshol- I mean, The Trapper kicked it." Nea corrected herself, earning a smile from Laurie. She led the way to the last generator, it chugged along slowly, sparks flying from its chassis.
"Son of a bitc- WITCH!" Nea caught herself again. "Well, at least it's not at 0%..." Nea sighed. The trio knelt down at the generator once more with haste as their new motto. Sweat lingered on Nea's forehead. A deafening snap reverberated through the forest, accompanied by a scream.
"S-Shit Ace stepped in a trap! We're almost done. Laurie, there's an exit gate behind us about 2 yards away. I will go get Ace. Finish the gen then open the gate. I'll join you there!" Nea said as she sprinted from the generator.
"Is the grandpa going to be okay?" Ava whispered. Her tiny hands clutched two more wires. Laurie bit her lip.
"Yeah, Ace will be okay. Miss Nea will get him okay." She answered. With two more zaps of wires, the generator was working once more. Laurie wiped her hands on her pants as the blaring alarm signified that all generators were completed rang out. With that, Laurie hoisted Ava into her arms.
"We have no time to waste, this way. We must open the door while the others make their way back to us." Laurie rested Ava on her hip as she made her way to the exit gates. The massive doors soon came into view.
"Are we going to see Mr. Giant again?" Ava asked as she wrapped her arms around Laurie's neck.
"I hope not Ava. He's a bad man. He's the one who hurt Nea and Ace. Don't forget it was his trap that hurt your leg! Oh, Look here we are!" Laurie made their way close to the large metal doors. She gestured to the glowing red lever.
"Here I'll let you pull it down. Make sure you hold it okay!” Said Laurie. Tentatively Ava grabbed the lever and pulled it. A buzzer sounded loudly, and the buttons above the lever began to fill with a red light.
"Great job Ava! Keep going. The others should be here at any moment!" Laurie praised the little girl, Ava smiled back. Soon the exit gate let out its final shrill buzz and the metal doors groaned as they slowly opened.
"LAURIE!" Nea screamed. Ace hobbled out of the treeline, Nea not far behind. The hulking form of the Trapper barreled out of the bushes after them. Nea looked in rough shape. She limped after Ace. Laurie shoved Ava towards the exit.
"Go! I'll make sure they get out!" She dashed behind Nea. With a swing of his machete, the Trapper sliced Laurie's back. A scream of pain parted her lips. Ace brushed passed Ava into the exit. Nea did so too
"Shit come on kid!" She called as she ran into the fog. Ava kept her eyes on the Trapper as he followed after Laurie. The young woman grabbed Ava's arm and pulled her through the exit gates, Ava stared at the Trapper’s form, he stood there at the exit gates watching them run away in silence.