𝙻𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙽𝚘 𝙼𝚘𝚛𝚎 || 𝙷𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚢 𝚆𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚢 × 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟷: ❝𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛.❞

"Hey, where are you? You haven't picked up in a while," I sigh helplessly as I talk to my friend on the phone. Today's been a bit awkward. My friend acted all confused, curious, and excited all at the same time. Then they left without saying a word. Today was supposed to be a day where we would relax and spend some time together. What got them so worked up that they just got up and left?

"Can't talk much. On the road," my friend replies with a firm tone that almost made me shiver. "I have to go back to that place we used to work at. Remember that place, (Name)? Ah, those good ol' days. Part of me misses them."

I freeze in place as I remember the bright colorful building, where children would run around and play with their toys. The vision was like a distant memory, but remembering it made me feel unpleasant.

"You're talking about Playtime Co., right?" I ask, my hand trembling, making it harder to hold the phone correctly.

"Of course. What other place would I be talking about?" my friend chuckles. "Anyway, gotta go now. Gotta find the flower."

"Flower? What flower?" I question. But before I had the chance to do so, they already hung up, leaving me with a voiceless phone. Vaguely annoyed, I put my phone down on the table, deep in thought.

Why are they going to Playtime Co.? Isn't that place abandoned? What flower are they talking about? I thought. The more I kept thinking about it, the more I felt uneasy. We both used to work at that company ten years ago. It was a place where kids could experience all types of fun. I suppose the "fun" was gone when the workers disappeared.

Grunting to myself, I trek my way up the stairs, leading myself to my friend's bedroom; I was in their house, after all. Maybe there's a clue to figure out what made them go back to that old factory.

I observe my surroundings, carefully inspecting each item. A partially neat bed, a tidied up closet, fully closed drawers... everything seemed normal. I finally turn to face the wooden desk, surprised by what I saw.

On the desk was a yellow VHS tape with the words "VINTAGE POPPY COMMERCIAL" scribbled on it with what looked to be blue crayon or colored pencil. Next to the tape was a yellow envelope and a letter from Playtime Co.

The letter said:

"EVERYONE THINKS THE STAFF DISSAPEARED 10 YEARS AGO

WER'E STILL HERE.

FIND THE FLOWER".

The text was followed by a picture of a poppy flower.

I was shocked. Does this mean that the company is still alive? I ask myself in my thoughts. As I took a closer look at the letter, I started having doubts. Whoever wrote this seems to not know how to spell "disappeared" and they put the apostrophe in the wrong place in "WER'E." Could this be a scam or trick of some sort? I think deeply. That's it. I'm going to look for them.

I scramble my way downstairs, frantically grabbing my backpack from the grey couch, quickly stuffing my phone and car keys in the smaller pouch.

What else do I need? I look around the room. The factory was huge, and deserted, you could easily get lost within a vicinity like that building. I rush up to the fridge, grabbing two bottles of cool water. I open an upper cabinet and grab two bags of small chips and one pack of salted crackers.

"This'll do," I mumble to myself, shoving the items into the pack. I turn around and grab the phone charger from the table. Who knows? Maybe that place has electricity still.

Once I put the charger in as well, I put my backpack on and rush out the door, locking it behind me.

***

"It's raining. Are you serious?" I grumble as I stare ahead at the slippery road. This highway was the closest route to Playtime Co. I just hoped my friend hasn't gotten into trouble. I drive to the right, taking the exit. This exit was the only way to reach the factory. I remember the days when lots of cars pass through it. Now, it was just me.

As the road went straight, dead trees loomed over me as the rain poured even harder. The radio started to static, leaving me no choice but to turn it off.

Almost an hour passed before I arrived. The building stood there, like a quiet person waiting to attack. Sighing and reassuring myself, I shut off the car engine, grabbed my backpack, and took a step into the rain. Using the key, I lock the car, and started sprinting to the entrance. My colleague was definitely here. The entrance was unlocked.

I slam the entrance door shut once the wind started to pick up. I shake off some of the water on myself as I look up. A gasp escaped my lips.

This place wasn't as it used to be.