Chapter Text
Your head feels heavy when you wake up.
The world feels oddly out of order.
It felt like something was different, but you couldn’t put your finger on it.
You realize that you’re on your side. There’s a soft mattress under you and the mattress’s cover was furry against your skin.
You sit up and blink. You shake your head to get rid of the ringing in your ears. Your neck feels sore. You must have slept in a weird position.
‘’Wha… What happened?’’ you ask slowly and look around.
You were inside of a house. It was decorated in pastel colors of blue and pink. The bed you were sitting on was far too big for you, even though you were an adult now.
You stand up and look for a door. The second your eyes land on it, it dawns on you how quiet it was.
Why was it so quiet?
And more so, the house you were in…
You’ve never been in here, and yet you could almost tell that it was supposed to be cozy, like a home.
There was only one big room, and the bed took up most of the space. On the other side of the room was a stove and a fridge, both of them themed after some toys of the Playtime factory’s finest. You test the stove, but you can immediately tell that it was made of plastic and whatever knobs you were turning weren’t actually doing anything. The fridge was empty too and it didn’t feel cold to the touch.
It seemed like you were in a giant playhouse made for dolls.
But… when had you gotten here? How did you get here?
You… can’t remember.
You had been with the Prototype, he had taken you to the big door, you had opened it…
And after that, it’s just blank.
What happened between then and now?
You get to the door and open it slowly. You look outside carefully before you fully open the door and step out.
You were immediately out on the streets. Or… You think it’s a street. You’ve never actually seen a street other than in few picture books that Play Care had.
You’re pretty sure the streets in those pictures were normal and what one might see outside of the Playtime factory.
But this street…
You could tell something was wrong just by looking around.
You can’t tell right away, but it becomes obvious quickly.
The lights were on, the sky was gray, there was a wall of stone that went all around and…
You look up and take few steps back to look at the house you had been sleeping in.
It actually looks like a huge doll house. Not in a way of having one wall open for people to reach inside and putting things however they wanted, but the colors were soft and the wood on the outside looked like wallpaper. The windows didn’t have glass either.
You turn to the other houses that you can see, and you notice that they were similar. The bushes around the fences looked fake and the grass was fake too.
You step off the walking path to the grass, and the grass tickles your bare feet. It’s soft. You step back onto the walking path, and the stone feels hard against your feet. It’s solid.
You hear a sound and turn to see something moving across the sky. It was fast and colorful. And as it slowed down, you see the details.
‘’Prototype?’’ you call out, and he looks over.
‘’Child! You’re awake!’’ the Prototype walks few steps before he drops onto the ground.
You see him holding something, but he hides behind his back and set it away from your view.
‘’Where is this? What are we doing here?’’ you ask as you look up at the Prototype.
He looks…
You gasp.
‘’What happened to you?!’’
The Prototype stares at you in an almost surprise matter.
The Prototype had been clean the last time you saw him, but now it looks like he was covered in ash and he smells burnt. The purple fur on his back is burnt to a yellow mess, and the two furry arms were limp as if they were dead.
‘’Prototype…’’ you feel worry rush through you.
‘’I got… into a fight. With… fire.’’ the Prototype says in a slow voice as if he was trying to keep you calm. He leans over and moves your hair out of your eyes. ‘’Don’t worry. I’m okay.’’
You shiver. ‘’A… Are you sure? That looks… Are you sure nothing hurt?’’
‘’I just need some new parts. It’s fine. I’m fine.’’ the Prototype’s needlelike fingers get under your jaw, and he takes a better look at you.
You feel like he’s looking for something.
You look at his face and gasp at all the cracks you can spot. If that was normal skin, it would surely be painful. You have no idea why the Prototype isn’t in pain.
But then it dawns on you that the face you’re seeing wasn’t an actual face.
You haven’t really thought about it until now, but you’re pretty sure that the Prototype was wearing a mask.
So, whatever had happened to him, his face might be…
But the rest of him…
‘’Child, how about a game?’’ the Prototype asks in a playful tone.
‘’Huh?’’
‘’Listen, I’ve hidden a mask somewhere here. If you can find it, you win a prize.’’
‘’But… Prototype…’’
‘’The rules are very simple. You are to find the mask, put it on and…’’
You grab one of the furry arms the Prototype has and shake it.
‘’Child…’’
‘’Why isn’t it moving?’’ you sob.
‘’Child…’’
You’re almost in tears now. ‘’Who hurt you?’’
The Prototype’s whole body jerks in surprise.
‘’What happened to you? Who did this? Ho-how did they do this?’’ you keep asking and hold the other furry arm in shock.
These hands… They hugged you just a few hours ago. Why weren’t they moving?
‘’Child, the game…’’
‘’I don’t care about the game! You’re in pain!’’
‘’Child…’’
’’You said you wanted to hug everyone! You said…! Who did this?! Prototype, who hurt you like this?!’’
‘’LISTEN TO ME!’’
You gasp in surprise and back away. You hate getting yelled at.
The Prototype holds his gaze, shifts a little and then lets out soft sigh.
‘’I’m sorry.’’
You shiver.
‘’I just didn’t want you to worry. I know it looks bad, but I promise that it looks far worse than it is.’’
‘’But…’’ you look at the two furry arms.
‘’It’s okay. I can fix them. While you’re looking for the mask, I’ll see to my injuries. Do not worry.’’
You look down.
The Prototype grabs your shoulders tightly.
‘’It’s okay. I promise.’’
You hesitate and nod a little.
You don’t trust him, but you choose to believe him. For now…
‘’Good. You are a very good child.’’ the Prototype says slowly and his needlelike fingers hold your head up so your eyes can meet. ‘’I am so happy to know how worried you are of me. Thank you.’’
You blink in surprise as you hear the Prototype use a voice he had never used before. It sounded sweet and innocent. Like a helpful child that was hiding behind the terrifying mask.
Even the Prototype seems to be surprised by his own tone.
‘’In any case…’’ the Prototype pulls away and looks away as if he was embarrassed.
You decide not to ask any questions.
‘’The rules!’’ the Prototype sounds cheerful again and looks at you again. ‘’There is a mask you must locate. Once you find it, wear it and find your way to the very top of that tower.’’
You look at the way the Prototype is pointing.
There was tall tower attached to a building. It looks like a mini version of the Playtime factory, but the lights were turned off.
‘’On that tower, there is a box full of fireworks. You are to light one, so I’ll know you’ve completed our little game.’’
You turn back to the Prototype. ‘’And… Where do I start looking? Do I… Do I need to worry about anything while I look?’’
‘’No, because… this is the Better Place. Nothing bad happens here.’’ the Prototype leans towards you and you get the sense that he’s smiling. ‘’No one to bully you, no one to hurt you, and… no way for you to get hurt.’’
‘’This… This is the Better Place? The one where… all the other children will come?’’ you look around. ‘’We… We will live here?’’
‘’Yes! And once I find a way to fix the toys, they will come here too. This will be the happiest place in the factory.’’
You smile.
The place looks empty and scary now, but you’re sure that once it’s all finished and the other orphans come here, it will be really be the happiest place in the world.
‘’And that’s why it’s important to have you look around. I want you to learn everything about this place. So you can help me guide everyone around.’’
You turn to the Prototype. ‘’Is that why you’re telling me to look for a mask? So, I’ll get to know this place?’’
‘’Exactly! I know you love exploring. The few times you have gone exploring haven’t… been great. But with how safe this place is, you don’t have to worry about anything. I know I can leave you here and not worry.’’
You glanced down.
‘’And you are the first residence of this place… in a very long time. I think you deserve to see this place as it is now. I trust you to tell me if there’s anything wrong.’’
You nod and look up at the Prototype.
‘’I’ll give you three hints about the mask’s location.’’ the Prototype slowly moves his hands way from you and shifts a little. ‘’Number one, the mask looks like my face. Number two, it’s laying at your eye level. And three… There are cutouts of your friends who will lead you to it.’’
You nod and list the hints out just to be sure you got them right. ‘’It looks like your face, it’s at my eye level and I can find it by following cutouts.’’
‘’Correct! This place is big, but I have no doubts that you’ll find it. Oh!’’ the Prototype takes something from his jacket and hands it to you.
It’s a silly-looking phone. You’re pretty sure it’s just a toy for little kids, since it had two huge eyes and the receiver was a bunch of holes that were shaped like a happy smile. The numbers were big and there was a huge button at the bottom that simply said ‘END’.
‘’This is for emergencies.’’ the Prototype tells you as you take the phone. ‘’If I’m nowhere to be seen, and you… get in trouble, you can call me by using this. Here. I’ll show you.’’
You see the Prototype take a similar phone from his jacket and shows you that he pressed the number ‘1’ and then he holds.
The phone in your hands starts ringing and you jerk in surprise.
‘’Press the ‘END’.’’ the Prototype tells you, and you do what he says.
The phone stops ringing, and the Prototype lifts it near his face.
‘’Hello, friend.’’
‘’Wow… That’s so cool!’’ you say as you hear his voice echo in the phone.
‘’Isn’t it?’’ the Prototype pressed the ‘END’ button on his phone. ‘’And you can do it too. Press the ‘2’ and hold.’’
You look at the phone in your hand. You’ve seen people use these things and you knew they spoke to each other by using them, but as a child in Play Care, you weren’t allowed to touch the phones. This was the first time you have ever gotten close to a real working one, and you were so excited to see if it actually worked.
The Prototype watches you press the number ‘2’ and looks at the phone in his hand. It let’s out a ring and the Prototype answers it.
‘’Hey, hey! Can you hear me?’’ you ask.
‘’I do.’’
You let out a giggle. ‘’I’ve always wanted to do that.’’
The Prototype laughs and leans closer to you.
‘’You can call me anytime. But for now, as I’ll try to fix myself, I want you to use the phone only if you need me. Do you understand?’’
You nod and put the phone in your pocket.
The Prototype pets you head. ‘’Have fun exploring.’’
You smile and look at Prototype. You can’t help yourself, as you walk closer to him and hug one of his legs. ‘’And… get well soon.’’
You don’t know if it was the right thing to say, and the Prototype seems to hesitate too. But the moment was over quickly.
The Prototype hugs you back. ‘’I will be fine.’’
You watch the Prototype leave and then you look around again.
You decide to start by looking at the houses that were near you.
Even though no one lived in those houses, it felt wrong to just waltz in them, so you looked inside through the glassless windows.
Every house seemed to be the same as the one you had woken up from; just a single room with a huge bed and something to make food with.
It felt a little uncanny, but then again, this place was unfinished.
You were sure that once everyone comes to live here, these houses will have more personality.
This so-called ‘Better Place’ seemed like a real town. The streets were even and the roads were silent. The grass felt like a soft mattress under your bare feet. There was no wind, but the air smelled fresh.
In many way, it reminded you of Play Care.
Better Place and Play Care looked nothing alike, but they both had the sense of being safe and fun. Like anyone who walk around was free to be anything and do anything.
You see a park with swings, a slide and a merry-go-round. You can’t help but to test them.
The merry-go-round felt stiff and it let out a loud squeal as you pushed it. Even so, you did a few round and laughed while at it.
The swings held out weight, and you managed to get some good air on them. You let go at the highest arc and flew across the ground and landed softly.
The slide felt steady and you were able to go down it and even climb up it. You had forgotten how fun it was to have your body move from side to side with the slide.
You spot a vending machine by a building that looked like a shop. The machine held food inside and for a moment you wished you had at least one Playcoin. You see a water cooler by the venting machine that seemed to be completely empty.
You explore the different buildings that you have never known in real life.
The tall ones that seemed to be tiny apartments went high up, and you were able to see all of Better Place in there.
It was during your look out from one of the top windows that you realized just how huge this place was.
You realize that you had barely even scratched the surface, as you see that the Better Place goes behind the rock walls. There was more area to explore there, but as far as you can see, the houses there weren’t built yet.
This place easily fit more than a thousand people and toys.
It was a quiet place.
A calm place.
You like it in here.
Sure, it was no Play Care. And that place will always be a home to you, but this place felt… real.
You couldn’t put your finger on it, but this whole town felt like a safe place to be.
Maybe it was the idea that this place was a labor of love by the Prototype.
And while you were in the apartments, you spot a cutout of DogDay in one of the rooms.
His happy smile and arms holding out in a gesture of wonder and playfulness make you feel nostalgic.
You go over and press the red button.
‘’DogDay says… You’re going in the right way!’’
You smile. You remember that voice.
‘’Hi, DogDay.’’
You press the button again.
‘’I’m so glad you found me, angel. I missed you so much!’’
‘’I missed you too. I… I still do.’’
You press the button a third time.
‘’I’m sorry I can’t be here. It’s for the best.’’
‘’I know…’’
You press just one more time.
‘’If you still haven’t found CatNap’s cutout, he’s in the factory! Go say hi!’’
You blink and turn away. You’re about to head for the factory, but you pause and look down. You turn back to DogDay’s cutout and went to press the button again.
Just one more time, you want to hear his voice.
‘’I’m sorry, angel. I’ll be there soon.’’
You blink, but the tears come out by force. You hug the cutout and wipe your face.
This hardly gave you any comfort, but this was the closest thing you had.
‘’I can’t wait to see you again.’’
You leave after that and go to factory building. The doors are open and you just waltz into what looked like a toy store.
There were displays full of old magazines and toys that weren’t moving. You look at a popcorn machine and tap the moldy goo in it.
This place could really use a new look, and you make a note of it.
It takes you a moment, but you find CatNap’s cutout behind the counter. Once you get to it, you press the red button eagerly.
‘’Hello, miracle! I had a dream about you.’’ CatNap’s harsh voice was quiet and calming.
‘’I dreamed about you too. And DogDay…’’
You press the button again.
‘’Don’t worry about what happened in the past. You were right. DogDay is my friend. We are good now.’’
‘’That’s good to hear.’’
You press the button a third time.
‘’I will be there as soon as the Prototype finds a way to fix us. I cannot wait to see how much you have grown.’’
‘’I can’t wait for that either. You used to be so big. I… I wonder if I can finally reach to pet your head without asking you to lean forward.’’
You hesitate before you press the button again.
‘’The Prototype told me about the game. The place you should go to is the factory’s dining area. Your favorite pig will be there.’’
You pet the cutout’s head and nod.
The dining area was to the right of you, and you find PickyPiggy’s cutout. Her cute smile as she was eating an apple fills you with what you can only describe as homesickness.
You press the button.
‘’Hi, little one! I’m so happy you’re here!’’
‘’I… I’m glad to be here.’’
You press the button again.
‘’I would tell you to sit down and eat with me, but I can’t be there.’’
‘’I guess you’re still broken like the rest of them too, then.’’
You press the button again.
‘’The Prototype told me you were looking for a mask. Well, sugar, how about you go find KickinChicken? He should be in the play area with Hoppy Hopscotch. They’ll be running, they will!’’
You smile and caress the cutout’s cheek before you continue.
You find the play area where there were cutouts of KickinChicken and Hoppy Hopscotch. You remember that these were the critters who were the ones for active games. They were usually the team captains in football games or running around with other kids.
You liked them, but you weren’t that attached to them.
You walk over to KickinChicken’s cutout and press the button.
‘’If it isn’t our good friend! Ready to toss some balls?’’
You smile and shake your head.
You press the button again.
‘’Me and Hoppy were just having a game of ‘Who Can Hide the Mask Better’! The Prototype hid it last, and we still haven’t found it!’’
‘’Is that right?’’ you laugh.
You press the button again.
‘’I heard Hoppy knows something, but she won’t tell me. I bet she’ll tell you! Go ask her and tell her that she needs to be a better sport! She needs to be.’’
You shake your head again and let out a laugh.
You walk over to Hoppy’s cutout and press the button.
‘’Hey! Whatcha doing here? I thought you were in the library with Bubba.’’
‘’I… I was…’’ you hesitate. ‘’A long time ago…’’
You press the button again.
‘’You wanna know a secret? Don’t tell Kicken, okay? He’s gonna run to the prize before you if he knew.’’
You smile. ‘’You always were a bit sneaky.’’
You press the button again.
‘’The mask the Prototype hid is with Bobby. I just don’t know where she is. Bubba saw her last, I think!’’
You smiled. ‘’Bobby always did try to get Bubba outside.’’
You press the button again.
‘’He’s upstairs, right on the landing! If you read the map, you’ll find the stairs. Get there in less than a minute, and I’ll be sure Miss Delight will give you an A!’’
You back out of the play area, since there was no other way to go from there. You walk to the main area and find a map right beside the entrance. You look it through to find the stairs and then go up to the second floor that seemed to be like a theater of some kind.
The clean floors and walls make Bubba’s cutout look like it doesn’t belong there.
You stop and stare.
Bubba Bubbaphant, your favorite critter. The one with your favorite color of blue. It feels so weird to see him now.
You walk over and wipe some of the dust from his face before you reach for the red button.
‘’Hey! I remember you! My reading buddy from all those years back!’’
‘’Hi, Bubba. It’s… nice to see you again.’’
You press the button again.
‘’I heard you were playing a game. You need to find a mask. You’re asking from the right person!’’
‘’You always seemed to know everything.’’
You press the button again.
‘’Bobby’s the one you need to find. I saw her in one of the theaters with Craftycorn. Please, go there quietly so as to not disturb the others who are enjoying the show. I’m sure it will be great!’’
You smile and look around.
There were grant doors all around that must have led to theaters. You try the doors, but most of them are locked. You walk around before you see Craftycorn’s cutout standing outside of one of the open doors.
You blink and walk over to press the red button.
‘’Hi! I’m glad you’re here. I got a little nervous to watch the show, so I came to have a little breather.’’
You smile. ‘’I remember that you were always easily overwhelmed. You hated loud noises.’’
You press the button again.
‘’Ho-how about you go there instead of me? You can take my seat. It’s right beside Bobby.’’
‘’Is the show really that overwhelming for you?’’
You press the button.
‘’Go on. The show is about to start. I won’t tell you what it’s about. I’ll be a surprise!’’
You look at the open door.
It was dark in there, and you weren’t so sure about going there.
But you remind yourself that the Prototype has made this place safe. He felt safe enough to leave you on your own.
And if something does happen, you have a phone to reach him.
You take the phone into your hands and look at it. You inhale deeply, press the phone against your chest and walk into the darkness.
Your eyes adjust to the dim lights quickly and you’re able to see the theater in its full glory.
You’ve never seen anything like it.
Rows of seats, mini tables to hold drinks and snacks, a light at the end of the room that shines onto the great white sheet.
The room was dim and huge.
You look around before your eyes land on the seats. You see that all of the seats were full of toys. None of them were moving.
You wonder if it would be okay to just push one of them over and take their seat, but then you remember that it was considered bad behavior.
And even though you were an adult and alone in this town, you still didn’t want to be a bad person.
You walk down until you see Bobby Bearhug’s cutout. It was standing on one of the seat, clearly blocking the view of every person behind it. It was in the middle of the first row, closest to the stage.
You get over there and hesitate before you press the red button.
‘’You’re here! You’re finally here! Oh, I am so glad you made it!’’
You blink in surprise.
‘’You… were expecting me?’’
You press the button again.
‘’Shh, shh! The show is about to start. Sit down. Oh, this will be so much fun, friend!’’
You suddenly hear something in the audience.
‘’Sit down.’’
You blink and look around.
‘’Get comfy.’’
‘’Sit.’’
You can’t see if any of the toys were moving, but you see no reason not to obey, so you take the free seat right next to Bobby’s cutout and look forwards at the stage.
As soon as you sit, you feel the chair you’re on click. It almost seemed like there was a button at the back of the chair.
The pictures in the screen flick for a second before they settle on a grey shade.
‘’You are about see… the most incredible child to have ever grace Play Care.’’
That was a voice you had never heard. It was a man’s voice, slow, steady and warm.
The screen flicks onto pictures of children in Play Care. You know the locations and most of the children in those pictures.
‘’They came from nothing but have the most unbelievable story behind them. And an even brighter future ahead of them.’’
You see your own face on the screen.
You remember when that picture was taken. It was during your routine checkup, maybe a week before the Hour of Joy.
‘’They have survived so much and are still capable to move forward and learn. Loved and cherished by all who know them, they are now given the honor of being the Better Place’s first resident.’’
You narrow your eyes and shiver a little.
You’re finally realizing that this was all about you. The Prototype must have put this together at some point.
A beam of light suddenly aims at you, and you hear a recording of people cheering.
This makes you feel special, and you’re not sure how to react.
Did people usually take a bow in this situation? Or just wave their hand? Should you do that? In this theater that had no living soul other than you?
‘’Come behind the screen for your prize, child.’’
You look around and stand up. You hesitate again before you see a little staircase that led to the stage.
Your legs feel like they’re made of rubber as you walk over to the stairs and get up on them. You look around, only to see empty toy eyes staring back at you.
Once behind the screen, you see it.
Laying in a tall but small table, a mask that looks like the Prototype’s face. The round white face that had a smile on it and a hat with three ends that all ended with yellow balls.
You grab the mask and hold it in your hands for a moment.
The face of your savior. Of your friend.
The mask feels cool and hard in your hands. The hat’s fabric was old but clean. You can tell that there was a rubber band inside the hat that would make it so the mask couldn’t slip out of your face.
You turn the mask around, lift the hat up and slide it on.
You feel the hat tightened the mask against your face and your nose and forehead pressing against something soft and cool. It smells weird, like plastic mixed with chlorine.
When you open your eyes, your vision is normal.
The mask is round and goes around your face to hide it perfectly.
You walk out to the cheering and walk out of the theater.
As you walk, you notice that you’re able to hear your own breathing, but everything feels normal.
You don’t know why, but somehow wearing this mask feels normal. It gives you a sense of protection, since it is the face of the Prototype.
It feels… amazing. Like a gift you didn’t know you wanted.
You look for a way to the very top of the factory’s tallest tower and climb up to it.
You see your shadow dance on the wall as you walk. The hat’s three ends bounce around and move flawlessly.
You suppose it was supposed to look silly, but you don’t feel silly.
You get to the very top and see the box that the Prototype was talking about. You’ve never shot fireworks before, but you knew how they looked like.
You take one in your hand and look for instructions.
It seems that this firework was done by the Playtime factory. It said it was safe for all ages and it could be held by hand.
All you needed to do was rip the top, pull on the little thread and aim away from yourself.
You stand at the top of the tower, rip the top of the firework and find the thread. You hesitate a moment before you pull and aim the firework up.
There was a little hiss and then you felt the firework kick back at your hand. You see a light fly away from you and it went over the Better Place before it exploded into colors of red, yellow, blue and white.
For a few glorious seconds, the Better Place was blessed with colorful lights.
You’re filled with excitement and you want to shoot another firework, but before you can, the phone you have rings.
You take it out and answer it.
‘’Hey, Prototype! Did you see?’’
‘’Child…’’
‘’I did it! I found the mask and…’’
‘’I need you to listen to me. Get out of that tower.’’
You blink.
‘’What?’’
‘’This is important! Get away from that tower! Hide, now!’’