Rich came back to the group of adults, jumping cameras down that he had smashed up as best as he could.
"Found what I could."
Stella nods.
Rich sat down on the stairs of Home Sweet Home, catching his breath and his head hung low.
Stella turned to the adults, their concerns and fear for the children clear.
"I understand you have many questions, from what happened to this place, where everyone went and. . . About the Mascots."
Blake nods,"And uh. . . One of those mascots, wouldn't be a blonde haired doll with a mace?", Stella turned to him,"You ran into Miss Delight.", Mr Peterson frowned, Blake rolled his sleeve up a bit to show bandages,"She wasn't very. . . Delightful.", Rich nods,"Yeah. . . After what happened and being locked in that school, she was the last of the teacher robots, this place does something to someone even to the toys.", Molly nods, looking at Jay,"What. . . Happened here? How did everyone vanish or. . .", Rich looked up, his eyes tired and he looked at Stella, she looked at him unsure but he nods and she knew.
. . .
She took a deep breath.
"What I'm about to explain. . . Is awful and, out of this world but. . . You need to know, you not knowing will put you all in more danger than you already are.", Stella gulped, nodding for them all to have a seat.
"For. . . For starters, the Orphanage Programme. . . It was a lie. . ."
Molly's heart dropped, Mr Peterson frowned,"What?", Stella shook her head,"Well. . . It didn't start like that. Elliot, the creator of this all, he wanted nothing more than children to have a childhood, a chance at life and make the world better, he poured his heart and soul into this company, didn't matter if he lost money on anything: He did for the kids but. . . Not everyone say eye to eye with Elliot, took advantage of his kindness.", Rich picked up, sitting up more from the staircase,"Leith, Elliot's partner, he was. . . It a monster. He never cared about the kids, he cared about the company and the profits but. . . He and others took drastic measures.", Stella gulped, she could already feel herself crying.
"Uhm. . . So. . . Leith, hired people. . . Scientists, to create these life like toys, like Kissy Missy.", Blake frowned, his knuckles becoming white and Mr Murtaugh leaned forward,"And. . . How did he accomplish it.", they were silent.
. . .
"The children. . ."
It was silent, but they could hear the kids playing from the far back.
Stella cleared her throat,"When a kid. . . Fell sick, was choosen by a doctor or. . . There was an accident, Leith would take them to the doctors and. . . Turn them into the toys. . .", Molly covered her mouth, Blake clutched his fists, Mr Peterson felt the room grow colder, Miguel suddenly felt unsteady on his feet and sat by Jay who was silent.
"Leith hired this man, Dr Sawyer or. . . The Doctor, he would. . . Transfer. . . Transfer their nerve system, Brain. . . To the body, like swapping their consciousness. . . And it worked. . . But. . .", Stella blinked away away tears,"He did it employees as well. . . Thomas. . . When he was diagnosed with cancer, he signed a contract to have himself turned into a toy or. . . employees that stepped out of line, saw something they shouldn't have; Either killed them, made their deaths look accidental. . . Or worse. . . Fed them to the toys. . .", Blake closed his eyes, feeling sick at the idea of what Stella was painting.
. . .
"These mascots. . . Were once children or people we knew. . ."
Mr Murtaugh glanced behind him, seeing the kids running around Kissy as she just sat there, watching them.
"It was awful. . . This company, Elliot didn't do anything but everyone took advantage of his kindness. . . He had passed away long before this all went to hell. . ."
Rich nods,"Many employees didn't know, if they found out; They were killed. . . There was an incident that lead to Sawyer's death, he caused an incident and Leith lost it, murdering him and turned into. . . One of them.", Stella nods, she was crying now,"And then. . . The Hour of Joy. . . The toys, experiments, all broke out; Killing anyone in their way, guilty or innocent: It didn't matter anymore. . . Once it was done, they dragged the bodies down below. . . Feeding off them to survive. . .", Miguel hid his fave in his hands, Blake looking close to being sick, Molly shuddered as she muttered prayers, Mr Peterson now unable to stand still, Mr Murtaugh and Valeria had grown pale.
Jay. . .
"Did Jimmy know. . . What happened to him. . ."
. . .
Rich lowered his head.
"He found out by accident. . . He overheard Leith talking to a Doctor, Eddie caught him before he could run. . . They thought to kill him, but they needed him alive. . . They threatened to go after his family, you and Nicky, if he tired to go against them, quite or whistle blow.", Jay glanced back to Nicky, seeing Kissy simply patting his head, Aaron's head, Mya's head. . .
"And. . . When the mascara happened. . . Leith took him; When we were forced to terminate all the toys, destroy everything. . . Leith said Jimmy was missing, we haven't stopped looking."
Silence.
Jay lowered his head into his hands, hid body beginning to shudder as Miguel rubbed his back trying to comfort him, but. . . How do you?