He could not believe he was here.

Evan Flier, a 22-year-old young man, stood in front of the old, abandoned factory of Playtime Co. Arriving at the place at dusk as the sun sets below the horizon, the view couldn't have been creepier—especially with the ominous chimneys looming against the dimming sky.

It wasn't as scary to him now as it used to be. When he was a kid, he had known about Playtime Co. and all the toys it produced. Like countless other children who loved their products, he had been no different.

He had acknowledged of the factory tours that the company provided for visitors that wanted to experience Playtime Co. with their families and loved ones, especially for their children to have a fun time. 

For Evan, that wasn't the case. He had known about Playtime Co and the factory from his early childhood, because he was once an orphan that was taken in along with others to the factory, setting him and the others in its on-site orphanage. 

It was an odd experience, but it was better for him than living in the streets.

Despite the oddity of his new life at Playtime's orphanage, Evan had enjoyed himself. He made friends, played the games and activities the company provided, and even got to meet some of the playtime mascots up close.

But the best thing to come out of it all was finding his adoptive mother.

His mother had been one of the staff members at Playtime Co. She was one of the few who truly cared for the children, always trying to give them what they needed to enjoy their time in the orphanage. But to Evan, she was special.

She took care of him, accompanied him during activities, read him bedtime stories on occasion, and cheered him up when he was at his lowest—especially after the loss of a friend. It didn't take long for her to decide to adopt him, taking him in as her son and leaving the orphanage for a better home. But not without saying goodbye first.

Since then, Evan had been happy—happier than he had ever thought possible. That is until a tragedy occured at 1995, when his adoptive mother vanished during a shift at Playtime Co. 

No one could explain of what happened. The entire staff of Playtime Co. had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind no signs of life within the factory's walls, which included his mother. After the incident, the factory and the company has closed down for good.

Evan had been deeply depressed ever since his mother's disappearance. Her relatives, who took him in after she vanished, tried their best to comfort him, but it just wasn't the same.. But after a while, Evan hadd moved on, but a lingering thought in his mind kept him wondering about her.

He also wanted to know what had caused her disappearance—and that of everyone else at Playtime Co. , including his fellow orphans. The thought of the factory sent an eerie chill down his spine, as if the place were haunted by its dark history after the closure.

And now, ten years later, in 2005, Evan had returned to the factory where he had grown up. As he stood there, he found himself wondering what had brought him back to this place after all these years.

"Hey, Evan!"

The shout snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see four figures standing by the entrance of the factory, one of them waving and calling out to him.

"Quit standing there like a statue and let's go!"

Oh, right. That's why.

"Sorry." Evan apologized as he made his way toward the group, noticing they were dressed in darker clothing.

The four figures were his friends from high school: Drew, Mike, Nina, and Jack—the one who had called out to him. Though Evan wasn't exactly the most social person in the group, he enjoyed their company, and they'd stayed in contact ever since.

So why were they here at the abandoned Playtime Co. factory?

Simple. They were here to steal some stuff.

Now being adults, the five of them had finished high school, but none of them had decided to go to college - not even Mike who was the smartest of the group. However, finding a stable job was tough, and even the ones they managed to get didn't pay enough to meet their needs. Evan himself worked as a delivery man, just scraping by.

Drew, the head of the group, gathered Evan and the others for a meeting to discuss their shared financial problems.

It was during this meeting that Jack suggested they head to the abandoned Playtime Co. factory, where they could salvage toys and other valuables left behind. The idea was met with some doubts, particularly from Evan, who knew the place all too well—but he didn't tell them he had been raised there.

In the end, Drew agreed to the plan, reasoning that Playtime Co. had been so popular in its time that their toys could still fetch a few hundred bucks. Evan was against it, but he reluctantly followed along. On the bright side, he thought, it would give him a chance to visit the place one last time—for old time's sake.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Drew asked, holding a crowbar in his gloved hands.

"Always." Jack nodded, giving a thumbs up as he adjusted his bandana and beanie and readied his flashlight.

"I can't believe we're actually breaking in to steal." Mike said, his voice tinged with disbelief and a hint of worry.

"Cool it, Mikey. It's an abandoned building that hasn't been used in over 10 years," Nina assured him. "Though, why do we have to wear this get-up?" She adjusted the hood of her dark gray jacket.

"It may be abandoned, but I'm pretty sure they might've left some security cameras around." Drew said. "After all, this place used to be part of a popular toy company."

"Used to be." Nina pointed out. "Why would anyone even bother monitoring an abandoned building?"

"It's better safe than sorry." Mike argued.

"And it makes us look cool." Jack added, admiring his black shirt and olive vest with a grin.

Drew glanced at Evan, noticing his uneasy expression. "Hey, Evan. Something on your mind?"

Evan looked at him and hesitated before replying, "Nothing... I'm just unsure about this. Why are we even breaking into the Playtime Co. factory of all places?"

"Like I said before," Drew began. "Playtime's toys were hugely popular back in the day. Kids everywhere loved them. If we can grab a decent haul, we can sell them for easy money. They're probably worth something now."

"It's like they're antiques." Nina added.

"They're not antiques." Mike corrected with a roll of his eyes.

Evan rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I get what you mean... but do you guys remember what happened to this place 10 years ago? Especially with the... employees that went missing?" His voice faltered as he held back the thought of his adoptive mother, who had vanished along with them.

"You do have a point..." Mike said, shifting uneasily.

"Ah, whatever." Jack dismissed with a shrug. "That's old news. It's not like the place is haunted or anything."

"Look, it doesn't matter if it's haunted or not," Drew interjected firmly. "All we have to do is get in, find a box of toys or any valuable items we can carry, and get out in an hour or two. Am I clear?"

Evan exhaled deeply and gave him a reluctant nod. "Okay."

"Good. Now put on your mask so we can get started."

With a sigh, Evan pulled a ski mask out of the pocket of his hoodie and slipped it on, covering his face and hair.

The group of five made their way toward the factory's main door.  Drew pulled out his crowbar and began prying the center one open with steady force, and after a few moments, the door finally gave way. 

With the path now clear, they stepped inside, except for Evan. For a brief moment, Evan hesitated, wondering if this was still a good idea. The ominous silence of the factory sent a chill down his spine, but seeing the others already moving forward, he didn't want to be left alone outside.

Letting out a deep breath, Evan followed the group and stepped into the dark, silent, and abandoned Playtime Co. factory.

________________

Here are the appearance for the characters:

- Evan Flier:
Medium-beige skin, light brown eyes, short black messy hair, 169cm in height, wears a black hoodie and blue jeans. (Also thought of him being chinese descent)

- Drew Henford:
Fair skin, green emerald eyes, short straight light golden hair, 172cm in height, wears a bandana on his head, black mask, dark grey shirt, and black pants. 

- Jack Delano:
Slightly olived skin, black eyes, short wavy brown hair, 171cm in height, wears a black T-shirt with an olive green vest, and black cargo pants. 

- Michael "Mike" Ritters:
Fair skin, brown eyes, short straight black hair, 168cm in height, wears a black jacket, bandana, and dark grey sweatpants.

- Nina Castilla:
Light skin, blue eyes, blonde hair on a ponytail, 166cm in height, wears a dark grey jacket and grey sweatpants. 

____

And that's about the first chapter of my Poppy Playtime story. 

I'm becoming a little obssessed with the game's story, especially what happened in chapter 3 where it became a true horror experience. I made this fic to quell my anticipation for chapter 4 to be released.

I thought of what if instead of the MC being a former employee, he would be a former orphan that was adopted by one of the staff and left the factory (Or should i say 'escape'). 

Anyways, hoped you enjoyed the introduction of this fic. Future chapters will come soon.