On a cold winter night, a girl walks through the city streets. Head down, eyes forward, hands in pockets, hood up, steady pace, and all with only one goal in mind.

Find them.

Over a month ago, there was a tragic incident. A seemingly innocent place called "BanBan's Kindergarten" holding hundreds of children inside went quiet. The students, the teachers, everyone was gone. There were no leads, no suspects, no logical way they could have been trafficked out or hidden, no bodies, not a drop of blood, and no sign of what happened. Families were torn apart and some even took their own lives over it. Today though? It would all end.

Simone(thinking): hopefully, at least...

This, is Simone. She hadn't lost anyone during the incident, she didn't know the victim's personally, she didn't even like kids that much. Why was she here? Fame. No point in evading the truth. She always wanted to be noticed by the masses. Her parents rarely showed any affection and she had a grand total of exactly zero friends in and out of school. So, if she poked around and just so happens to find some secret corpse dungeon, it could be her shot at having... something...

*pheeeeewwww...*

The wind ran over the girls face. She shivered before turning back to her regular straight face. After what felt like forever, she had arrived. The building stood tall yet dark from the lack of lights on inside. The front door was boarded up and covered in police tape. Most of the windows on the lower levels were the same. If she wanted in, she would need to get creative. Care She walks around the building, looking for a way in. After looping around a couple times, she found the building next door, some pizza joint, had a service ladder on the side of it. She climbs on top and looks around for her to next stepping stone. The next door cartoon studio had its own ladder that was pulled up. She couldn't climb up from the ground, but she could reach it from this roof. Taking a step back, she ran and jumped off the roof, grabbing onto the ladder and pulling herself up. She reached the roof and looks over at the building.

Simone(whisper):... no... still not high enough...

She looks around. She had to jump no the next building, a factory of some kind. No ladder this time. If she wanted to make it, she'd need to grab the ledge of the factory roof and pull herself up. Taking a breath, the walks as far back as she could before running. She jumps and grabs onto the ledge. After a bit of struggling, she pulls herself up, sitting down for a second before standing up. She looks over at the building. The jump was large, but she could reach the ledge of the building if she tried. There were no taller buildings next to her, only a grave yard. Which was gonna be convenient if she failed this jump. After hyping herself up, backing up as far as she could again and ran. She jumps, holding her breath and crashing down onto the ledge of the building. She pulls herself up, looking around to see she had made it. She let out a soft sigh before hurrying to the door leading there. She opens it, stepping inside to be met with exactly what she expected. Silence. The cold, soulless husk of a Kindergarten. The place had mostly been cleared out. There were no desks or chairs in the classrooms, no books, no paper, nothing.

Simone:... there has to be something here... maybe the principles office?

She really didn't have much of a better idea, so it was her best shot. She checks every room she passes, making sure that there was nothing. Eventually, in one of the classrooms, something caught her eye. In the corner of the room was a balled up piece of paper. Picking up, she uncurled it.

*~~ * *~** ~*~* ~~~ ~~/*** ** ~~ ~~~ ~* *

Simone:... Some kind of... morse code? Shame I can't read it. Guess I'll wait until I get back to translate it...

She put it in her pocket, continuing to the stairs and walking down them. When she reaches the bottom, she was met with a long hallway. 2 windows were on her immediate left and right. Simone hadn't brought much due to not wanting to raise suspicion, but luckily, she had a flashlight. She shines it into the first room and was met by a large indoor playground. Several large structures with places to climb, slide, and run across. Walking in past the swings and monkey bars, her eyes land on some writing on the wall.

Simone(whisper):... O...pila's... Quest...? Collect 6 eggs to receive a prize... cute, I guess.

She walks past it. There was a boarded up door next to the writing on the wall.

Simone(Whisper): hmm... Maybe I should have brought a crowbar... nah, too suspicious.

She walks away from it. Heading out of the room, she decides to go for the room across from her. Inside was an employee break room. There were sofas and chairs around along with a plant in the corner of the room. Stepping inside, the very faint smell of coffee fills her nose.

Simone(Whisper); heh... guess they needed it...

Her eyes were drawn to a strange panel on the wall. She attempts interacting with it but it just beeped at her. She walks down the hall and past the 2 rooms. She found herself in the main entrance area. The receptionist desk was bairn, not a sheet of paper in sight. The doors were still boarded up, of course. The last thing she saw before leaving was an open janitors closet. Curiosity got the better of her and she stepped inside. All the cleaning supplies were gone. At the other end of the room was something red. Walking up to it, she took it off the table, examining the small rectangle.

Simone(whisper):... a key card...

She smiles, sliding it into her pocket. Remembering the weird panel from the break room, she returned to the area and held the card over the sensor. There was a beep, followed by a click. Looking around, she noticed that a cupboard across the room had a blinking red light on it. Carefully approaching it, she opened the small door and looked inside. Pointing her light inside she saw something that confused her: A hammer.

Simone(whisper):... huh...? Why is...?

She looks around before picking it up.

Simone(whisper): ... talk about handy...

She quickly walks back to the play room, going over to the boarded up door and one by one prying the nails out. When she was finished, she kicks the boards aside and walks through. What caught her eye instantly was the pit. A large pit without railings was right next to her. She tries her best to look down without falling down. The thing looked bottomless, going down and down.

Simone(whisper):... what the...?

She backed up to lessen the chances of her falling. Looking around she saw that a the wall were the words: "Ball Pit!"

Simone: ohhhhh.

Well that explains it. Kinda. The balls might have been removed for the investigation. Doesn't explain how deep it is though. She notices that there was a card reader next to her, quickly scanning her card over it. There was a mechanical whirling, drawing her attention. Several metal rods reach across the top of the pit. Shortly after, wooden boards fold onto them, forming a pathway across the pit on the far right of the wall.

Simone:... oh I don't like that...

The fear of falling had a grip on her now, tugging at her blood vessels and ripping the pounding heart out of her chest. She swallowed the saliva buildup in her throat and made her way towards it. She slowly made it across, reaching the other side and moving up against the wall.

Simone; g-god. That was terrible...

She shivers. She turns to face the area she had now found herself in. It was a small balcony, this time, with railings. She looks back and instantly noticed that someone had painted a mural on the wall.

Simone: some... characters maybe...?

The drawing was vague. Maybe some details had faded or had been erased? That doesn't really make sense. Must just be an artistic thing. Her eyes drifted to the opposite end of the balcony. There was a door way there and next to it, was a panel. She made her way over to it, finding the door to be locked. She turns her attention to the panned. A greyed out version of the wall art was on the panel, each character now a button. She decided to press one, the button changing colours to red.

Simone(whisper):... huh...?

She glances to the mural on the wall.

Simone: oh!

She pushes the buttons until the colours match the mural. As soon as she had finished it, there was a beep, followed by a click. Glancing to her left, there was a small blinking light on the door next to her.

Simone: psh. Easy peasy.

She opens it, finding a few items inside. Some kind of plush toy, some crayons, some drawings, and a few notes. The first had another code on it.

**** * *~* */*** **** */ ~*~* ~~~ ~~ * ***

The next was a note written in normal English. Or, mostly English.

"This is it. The things we did. The things we created. It's all coming back to bite us. I wish I hadn't ever joined this fucking cult. I should have walked away. But there was never a choice was there?

Please god. Forgive me.

~ ~*~~ *~~* **** ~~~ ~*/*** **** *~ *~** *~**/*** **** ~~~ *~~/~*~~ ~~~ **~/ ~* ~~~/~~ * *~* ~*~* ~*~~"

Simone: huh...

She folds it and put them into her pocket. Lastly, was a note in crayon.

"Dear Mommy.

All the balls fell and all my friends left me

There is a scary bird looking at me

The bird can't fly so I am happy

The hole won't stop screaming

I think my friends are"

And the note ends.

Simone:... huh... well, info is info!

She put it in her pocket and closed the door.

Simone: now to-

The bird stares across the deep pit. Simone, frozen in fear, stares back. The creatures head tilted to its right slightly. The large eyes move it its right, landing on the wood bridge Simone used to first get across. Its eyes look back to Simone. Her eyes wide and pupils twitching.

Simone(faint whisper):... n...n-no...

It's thin bird leg steps towards its right, followed by the other. The talons slapping against the concrete. Then, concrete changed to wood. It slowly moved across the bridge, refusing to break eye contact.

Simone:... hey...

The bird reaches the other side.

Simone: ... it's okay...

She held her hands out as the bird slowly creeps forward.

Simone: ... I-I won't hurt you...

She got oh her knees, holding her hand out with her palm up. The bud stops, tilting its head to the side again.

Simone:... hey...

Simone tried her best not to show how afraid she was. She knew when it came to animals that she had to seem as nonthreatening as possible.

Simone: ... heeey buddy...

The bird slowly stepped closer.

Simone:... he-

Quick as a flash and in a splash of red, Simone's hand recoiled. She held onto her now bleeding hand.

Bird: SKREEEEE!!!!!

Simone: no no no-

It packed at her leg, hitting her and causing a yelp to escape her lips. As red drops from her leg, Simone looks up in fear at the pink animal before using her arms to protect her face.

*peck peck peck*

More and more blood drops onto the floor.

*peck peck peck*

The bird continues its attack.

*peck peck scratch scratch peck scratch*

It began to use its talons, poking through her clothes.

*scratch peck scratch peck scratch peck*

Simone: please please please please please

Suddenly, she felt a rush of adrenaline jolt through her body. She shot to her feet and ran as fast as she could. She ran for the wood bridge, running across as fast as she could. Her thoughts were moving a mile a minute. Her eyes landed on the keypad ahead of her. Pulling the card from her pocket she pulls the key card out of her pocket, slamming it onto the scanner and spinning around. The wood bridge folds away, the bird letting out another shriek right as it fell down. Simone stood there, the adrenaline faded and the pain returned to her body. She lays against the wall, letting herself fall to her back.

Simone:... what the fuck was that...?

The situation finally set in. Birds that big didn't live around here. Also doesn't explain why it was in this abandoned building.

*brrrrrrr*

Her head shot up. The sound of a mechanical whirl echoed through the room as the metal poles move back.

Simone:... J-just the poles... it... that thing's gone...

She still had no idea what that bird thing was. It attacked her for seemingly no reason. Was she close to its nest? Maybe a territory thing?

Simone: I... I should leave-

*brrrrr*

There was another whirl. Slowly, a lift rose up from the pit. It had railings around it and 1 red light on a corner.

Simone: No, no. I'm calling the police.

She starts walking away. She reaches the door and froze. For some reason, a reason not even she knew, she froze. She felt the call of the void. She wanted, no, NEEDED to go down there. She could find something really, REALLY groundbreaking down there. That bird... it had to of been from here... she could discover something... big...

Simone(faint whisper): ... they'd all... love me...

After a second, she turns around and stepped onto the lift. She scanned the keycard and began her sinking into the darkness...

*WOOOO WOOOO WOOOO*

The red light next to her begins flashing red.

Simone: W-what...?

There was a loud thump. Simone's heart sunk. There was another thump. The alarm kept ringing. There was another thump. Simone looks up.

Giant:... He... He... He... He... He...

It rose its right arm up, the massive fist slamming down on the lift, knocking Simone off. As she falls, only one thought flooded her mind.

Simone(thinking):... I'm dead... aren't I...?