The Playground Wars

Chapter Eighteen

The taste of coffee still lingers in my mouth as I walk through the soft grass of the green room. Flowers and all sorts of plants are around every corner, feeding on the light from ceiling. The walls are painted to look like a mural of a field of grass and dandelions. Weird, I think for such a room to be in a such a gloomy and dull building. I can only believe that it was the work of Flippy. I can see why though, it's distracting. Even if I'd rather be in a real field of grass, it's nice to just look at the mural and imagine. Better than being stuck in that room with only a foggy and polluted view of the city.

I'm going to be honest, it's nice for Flippy to let me have some privileges. Maybe.... maybe becoming a Toonbot isn't that bad.

What am I saying? That'll become the end of me. I won't ever be the same Oswald if I let Flippy destroy whatever I have left.

What I have left. I shudder at my thoughts, reminding me of the nightmare I had last night. That voice, I know it, I know it for sure. If I were to hear that laugh in real life, and be able to see his face, I'd shoot him on sight. When a door opens behind me, I'm startled but it's just the Yesman from yesterday.

"You have, approximately, 8 hours to make up your mind," he speaks, the first time I really take in his static like voice, as if he needs to be fixed in a Cog Factory of some sort for his voice to be heard clearly.

"Did 24 hours really fly that fast?"

He nods, that same grin still as big as ever.

"Thank you," are the only words I can think of. After another nod, he leaves. I take a look at the mural one last time, noticing the detail in the painting like the strokes of shades of yellow that make up the sun.

It's early morning, I assume as I walk down the hallway with the fog of the outside and clouds and smog covering the city below. The occasion Cog Airship will fly by and break through the mix of clouds and smoke from the factories below. I'm walking with my eyes on the navy blue carpet when an airship with the Bossbot logo flies across the window view. I don't mind it much at all but it turns back around, slowly as if it's following me. I look up from the ground to see the pilot of the airship, but the windows are tinted, blocking my view. The airship faces the view of the window. Something tells me that this isn't from Flippy's command. The airship hovers and I stand and watch, the only divider being the tall, framed glass window.

And then a single bullet shoots through the glass. I dodge it in time but the bullet doesn't do much damage to the window other than a single hole, with cracks outlining a perfect circle. No one seems to notice anything. Now that I look around, there isn't anyone down the hall on this floor, whatever floor this may be. The airship backs up as if it's about to get ready to crash and kill me, but instead it flies away in the other direction. I know it's not good and it'll make me look guilty to be standing in front of bits of shattered glass. The shiny, gold bullet grabs the attention of my eyes from the floor.

Grabbing the bullet from the ground, I hardly notice the small piece of paper that slips out of the inside of the bullet until it lands on my shoes. I put the bullet in my pocket and I proceed to read the paper:

Oswald,

Don't fret. I'm sorry that we've been taking long. Thanks to the tracker Flippy injected in your neck, we too in Acorn Acres are able to hack into a section of the Cog HQ Network and see your location.

I stop my reading to think about the tracker. I thought it was taken out of my neck by Cuddles before I was captured? Then my mind pictures the time the airship I was in was attacked and how I confronted Flippy but something he injected in my neck that made me fall asleep and wake up in this place. I guess I didn't notice.

Keep the tracking device in your neck. We can find you that way, like how we were able to track you and send this note.

Don't listen to anything Flippy says. We are going to get you out soon. Don't let anyone see this note.

Just as I read that sentence, I hear footsteps from down the hall. I quickly retreat into the green room with the mural to safely read the note.

Tomorrow, I will come in disguised as a cog. Two others will be waiting for us in a Cog Airship. One of us will be distracting the cogs. If this plan works out, we will all make it to the airship and head our course towards Acorn Acres.

Follow along with "the cog" you will encounter tomorrow. He is a Telemarketer who will ask you to follow him on Flippy's orders. Do as he says and be very careful as to not attract attention to yourself.

For now, just be awaiting the moment tomorrow when you encounter this Telemarketer.

I'm sorry in advanced for anything you are going through. We hope to see you soon.

Your friend.

There's nothing written after "Your friend" leaving my mind to wander on the possibilities of who, but that's not as important as the fact that I will soon be out of this place tomorrow.

Tomorrow seems so far away. I've seem to have forgotten but I still have to make my choice clear to Flippy. I think I already know what I'm going to do.

From the window, I can see that it's night, the dark and black clouds blurring the city together. In the dining room, Flippy is sitting at the end of the table. He's playing with a similar napkin, this one folded with more creases like he's been distracting himself with it while waiting for him.

"Good evening, Oswald."

"Good evening." I take the same seat at the opposite end like yesterday.

"Have you - let me rephrase myself, you have made up your mind correct? It has been 24 hours."

"Yes," I reply softly. I clear my throat.

"Well?"

I take a bite of the already prepared Jellybean in front of me. Swallowing my fears, I respond, "I'm going to join you. And to be honest, I'm scared." I try to sound as real as I can, "I'm scared but I know it's the best choice. I have no other use and it's like- it's like this is my destiny." I can see Flippy smile from the other end of the table. "I'm sure it's my destiny because I keep escaping but every time I end up back here, so it's gotta mean something."

"Indeed, it does mean something," Flippy agrees and stands up. He comes to my side of the table and grabs my hand, "Welcome to The Board."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I lay in my bed, trying to stay awake to dodge the nightmares. I made a huge decision today, and it won't mean anything if I do escape tomorrow. A voice in the back of my head keeps telling that the escape is just going to be like every other time where I end up back in Cog HQ being punished by Flippy. My eye lids start to close at the thought that there's a slight chance of me making it to paradise: Acorn Acres.

Oh no.

I'm tied up to some table, like if someone was about to perform a surgery on me. Someone enters the room. They're not a cog, so it must be a toon. I can hear their footsteps stop before they enter the light, so I still can't see who they are. 

"Stuck. As usual," the voice says.

"Who are you and what do you want?!" I cry out to the figure in the dark.

"Woah, woah easy there. Too many questions. It'll all be answered soon though," the figure says, and they proceed to pour a bucket of dip onto me.

I wake up in sweat and the morning shines through my glass walls. Today's the day, I tell myself. I refuse to go back here.

I wear my cog crusher suit under the black suit given to me by Flippy.  When the time comes, my true self will come to light for Flippy to see. If he thinks he has my mind, he's definitely wrong, and I'll prove that to him without a doubt.