Chapter Text
The night was young, and Sylvester entered a building in search of something important. Somewhere in the abandoned Banban’s kindergarten building was their child, Abel. A small arachnid that they hoped was still alive and somewhere inside.
Upon entering the place, they were met with debris and built-up dust. A colourful arrangement of characters lined the wall, causing an eerie atmosphere. Sitting on a nearby table was a drone, a black controller with a red antenna and button next to it. Turning it on, the drone sprang to life and lifted into the air.
Inspecting the room, they sighed. “What have I signed myself up for? Shouldn’t a search team be the ones doing this…?”
Despite their complaints, they noticed that to continue was to solve a puzzle. Though it was just using the drone to press a couple of buttons. Doing just that, Sylvester stood in front of the door, watching each side slide open.
Down the hallway, peering around the corner, something stared back. Just as they noticed, it disappeared.
“What… What was that?” They whispered under their breath, clutching the controller in their hand. Cautiously, they took a few steps forward, looking down the hallway of doors and glass walls.
Approaching a room, they looked inside. It contained a few colourful tables, surrounded by equally colourful chairs. Shifting their gaze to the far wall, one of the mascots was painted on, a speech bubble next to it. It read: “Sharing is caring! Your pancreas is mine!”
…
They took a second before looking away, the violent words taking them off guard for a moment. Shaking it off, they noticed something in the corner across from the door they entered from.
On the wall, it read “! NAUGHTY CORNER !”
Makes enough sense for that to be in a place for children. A pillar parallel to the wall formed a corner, blocked by a yellow-tinted glass, and behind it a button.
Using the drone to shatter the glass, they pressed the button behind it, looking around for what effect came from this cause.
Stepping out from what they assumed to be a learning room, they looked at the walls further down the corridor. One wall had a light purple character, saying “Ooga booga! Booga ooga!” …peculiar. The one across it irked Sylvester.
It looked like the red one from the previous room, but coloured white and had a ribbon instead of dual party hats. The spider didn’t like it. It said, “Kindness is free, so sprinkle it everywhere!” How stupid.
Glaring at the white mascot before turning, they noticed the second room’s lights had turned on. Walking inside, it appeared to be an indoor playground. Plastic, leafless trees were scattered across the green floor, swingsets and seesaws also present for play. Near one corner was a tree-like playhouse with slides, the other a board with text, standing near the same mascot who was staring down the hallway at the arachnid.
Swallowing hard, they took towards the bird, looking at it before reading the text. "Opila bird is hungry!" The larger text read. Glancing over, they noticed its mouth was open. Turning back, they continued to read. "Opila bird is unbelievably hungry! Feed it 6 eggs to win your prize!" The letter six was bolded in red, making Sylvester take note of the number.
Thinking, they predicted the eggs would be throughout the playplace, taking immediate action. Making haste towards the playhouse, they found two eggs, leaving 4 more. Another could be seen on one of the benches, and another on the swingset. The last 2 were just as easy to find.
Arms full of eggs, they trudged over to the bird, carefully slipping each egg in it's mouth, one by one. Once each was in, the door next to it — that Sylvester hadn't noticed — slid open. Behind it was a large room. Walking inside, another character art was displayed on the wall. This time, Sylvester actually knew which one it was. The pink bird said, "Laughter is the best medicine, so make sure to SMILE!"
That one was cute, but there was no time for admiring the mascot art. Looking the other way, they noticed a large gap between the two sides of the room, a lift—similar to a snow lift—being the only thing connecting the two sides. Sitting on the chair, they pushed the button on the wall and waited until it came to a halt, slipping off.
That side had each of the characters lined up together, buttons beneath them. Text read, "What is my colour?"
Digging deep into their brain, they clicked the buttons till each colour aligned with the mascots. Once they had gotten all of them correct, a cupboard opened. Pocketing the keycard inside, they stepped away. Turning to return, they paused. Opila bird was on the lift, staring them dead in the eyes as it crossed the gap.
Quickly, they looked around for an escape, just then noticing a button. Calling the drone over, they watched the bird hop off the lift. It cautiously inched forward, eyes always locked on the arachnid. Just when they saw the drone get inches away from the button, Sylvester bolted forward.
The wooden structure appeared, the parent being chased across it as they attempted to escape the mascot. Jumping from the bridge, they hit the button next to it, turning quickly and watching as it collapsed from under Opila bird, sending it straight into the ball pit.
They caught their breath, recollecting themself after the sudden pursuit from the bird. They were now well aware of the dangers of this kindergarten, deciding to approach the future with more caution. Walking away from the ball pit room and indoor playground, they continued forward.
Looking down the hallway, another door could be seen. Using the keycard they had gotten, the door opened. Inside was a desk with a monitor, and in front of it two colourful chairs. Another thing of notice was a button, and Sylvester quickly used the drone to push it. Before it made contact, they noticed a plane ticket on the desk.
"What's this? Uthman Adam…" They read the name, seeming familiar, but they couldn't put their finger on who it belonged to. For now, they stuffed it in their pocket to remember for later.
A noise could be heard as Sylvester turned around, the drone pushing in the red button. Lifting from the ground below it was a worker lift. Reluctant for a second, they stepped aboard, grabbing the drone and holding it in their hand as they pressed the nearby button, the lift descending.
The way down made the parent anxious, not knowing what to expect.
And who would?
A large weight suddenly pulled at one side of the lift, tilting it with each passing millisecond. Sylvester gasped, taking hold of the railing on the opposite side to steady themself. Looking down, a large, green hand pulled itself up.
It spoke in a groggy voice, "I'm Jumbo Josh, brah!"
An ear-ringing creaking sound pierced their ears as the lift began to give out, the green mascot barely being able to show past its large, creepy face before the worker lift gave out, collapsing under its weight.
Sylvester held on, bracing for impact as the lift plummeted to wherever the ground may be.
