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Chapter 98 - Dance

When the group was inside the Memory Room, Michelle approached the slot with a few PJ Pug-A-Pillar chairs next to it before inserting the disk inside it.

Soon after, the Neural Mapper made a jingle. "Time to get the second part of the code," Michelle said before looking at the others. "I'll try to be quick."

Kevin approached Michelle and carefully placed his hands against her cheeks. "Be careful," he said.

Michelle smiled and nodded before giving Kevin a chaste kiss on the mouth. After Kevin pulled away, Michelle approached the Neural Machine before entering it.

When Michelle looked forward, she pulled the lever, which lowered the machine above her until it covered the upper part of her.

Soon after, Michelle's vision brightened before light engulfed her. When the light was gone, Michelle saw a gray roof with lights in a blurry vision. This area looks different, she thought.

As Michelle sat up, she looked at her hands and saw Huggy Wuggy's hands. Looks like it's another one of Huggy's memories; bring it on, she thought before clenching her fists.

Michelle spotted the screen boot up, which made her look at it, before Ms. Gracie appeared, smiling. "Well, look, all the friends are here! Isn't it amazing?" she asked.

Michelle turned her head to the right and saw a mini DogDay, mini Bobby BearHug, mini KickinChicken, and a mini Hoppy Hopscotch falling from a hole in the roof, which made a pained noise.

Michelle was shocked before standing up. "Doesn't that make you wanna just... dance?" Ms. Gracie asked.

Michelle looked at Ms. Gracie, baffled. Who the hell wants to dance in this place? she thought.

Ms. Gracie smiled. "Yeeah! OK, so when you hear the music, you move your little feet!" she shouted. "And when the music stops, you make sure you're in the light, OK?"

Michelle saw light shining behind Ms. Gracie before it disappeared. "Always. Stay. In the light," she continued with a smile.

When the screen went dark, and music started playing, most of the smaller toys started dancing. Michelle huffed a bit. This is stupid, she thought before she started dancing a bit.

Michelle glanced at the ground. If I remember correctly, there was a light with Huggy's face on it, she thought. I'm guessing that I need to stand under that.

Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen, dancing a bit, which made Michelle glance at it. "Aw, look at you all go! Looking good out there!" she shouted.

Ms. Gracie smiled while dancing. "You all look soooooo happy! It really brings a smile to my face!" she shouted as a cartoon version of Pianosaurus appeared and played the key pieces on his mouth.

After the screen went dark and the music stopped playing, Michelle spotted the light with Huggy Wuggy's face on it in the left corner before approaching it and standing under it.

When Michelle looked forward, she noticed the mini Hoppy Hopscotch lying on the ground as the other smaller toys got under the light, which made her worry. C'mon, little one; you have to move before they notice, she thought.

Soon after, music started playing, which made Michelle and some of the smaller toys dance. Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen, smiling. "Hey, little guy! You can't just sleep on the floor all day like a lazy bones..." she said.

The mini Hoppy Hopscotch covered their face. "I don't want to be here. I don't want to be me. I don't want to be this," he said.

Ms. Gracie was surprised. "Oh! Sounds like someone's being a Grumpy Gregory, huh?" she asked as a cartoon version of Doey appeared, angry, before disappearing.

As Michelle was dancing, she looked at the screen and noticed Ms. Gracie turning her head away from the screen. "What do you want me to do? He's not getting up..." she whispered.

Soon after, Michelle saw Ms. Gracie look at the screen with an awkward smile. "Oh, you all are... doing so so good. Wait till the friends uh..." she said before thinking of something. "Come and play! Playing with friends is so much better!"

Michelle saw a cartoon version of Mommy Long Legs and a cartoon version of Chum Chompkins dancing beside Ms. Gracie. "Keep going! Nice work, everyone! Isn't this SO fun? Isn't this?" she asked.

Michelle growled a bit as the screen went dark. I have a bad feeling about this... she thought.

Soon after, the music stopped, and the light with Huggy Wuggy's face appeared near the mini Hoppy Hopscotch, which made Michelle approach it and stand under it.

Michelle looked at the screen as Ms. Gracie appeared with a frown. "I guess somebody's out," she said as a cartoon version of Yarnaby appeared, frowning, before it disappeared. "Huggy, why don't you give them a time-out. Put them in the bad toy box."

Michelle tilted her head. The bad toy box? she thought before looking at the mini Hoppy Hopscotch.

Michelle took a deep breath and exhaled. It's just a memory; you can do this... she thought before holding her hand out.

Michelle grabbed the mini Hoppy Hopscotch before lifting him, which made him panic and hit her hand. "No NO no. NO PLEASE. PLEASE JUST TELL ME WHO I AM," he said.

Michelle looked at the yellow toy box with a smiley face on it before approaching it. "PLEASE DON'T; DON'T PUT ME IN THE BOX. DON'T PUT ME IN THE BOX," the mini Hoppy Hopscotch continued. "I'LL BE GOOD. I'LL PLAY. DON'T PUT ME IN THE BOX."

Michelle stared at the mini Hoppy Hopscotch before looking at the toy box. Just what is inside this thing? she thought.

Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen. "Huggy, please place the toy in the bad toy box," she said before it went dark.

Michelle stared at the toy box before looking down and holding the mini Hoppy Hopscotch over it. Please, forgive me, she said as she let go of him.

When the mini Hoppy Hopscotch was inside the toy box, Michelle heard grinding and pained noises, which made her eyes widen, before music started playing. That's what they do to smaller toys when they don't listen, she thought before looking at the screen. How horrible...

The smaller toys started dancing in a depressed state while Michelle moved her feet around. Soon after, the music stopped, and the light of Huggy Wuggy's face appeared behind her, which made Michelle approach it and stand under it.

Soon after, music started playing, which made the smaller toys dance in a sluggish way while Michelle moved her feet. Soon after, Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen as piano keys played behind her. "Here we go!" she shouted as she started dancing.

Michelle glared at the screen with a growl. "Look at you. Look at ALL of you. Spreading love. Spreading joy," Ms. Gracie said. "Think about how the world is such a better place..."

Ms. Gracie pointed at the screen. "Because of you. Because of your joy," she continued.

Michelle snarled at the screen. I wish I could shove your head in the toy box for all the shit you've put them through! she thought.

When the screen went dark, and the music started playing, the light with Huggy Wuggy's face appeared in the top right corner, which made Michelle approach it and stand under it.

Soon after, the music started playing, which made Michelle move her feet around, while the smaller toys barely danced. Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen, dancing. "Aw, look at you all go! Looking good out there!" she shouted. "You all look soooooo happy! It really brings a smile to my face!"

When the screen went dark, and the music started playing, the light with Huggy Wuggy's face appeared in the corner, which made Michelle approach it and stand under it.

When Michelle looked at the smaller toys, she noticed they were not moving, which made her freeze up. Oh no... she thought.

Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen with a frown. "Seems like our toys here aren't ready to be the joy anyone needs," she said as a cartoon version of Yarnaby appeared, frowning, before it disappeared. "I guess they're bad toys."

Michelle heard laughing in the screen's background. "Huggy, you know where the bad toys go. Go and put them in the box," Ms. Gracie continued before the screen went dark.

Michelle trembled and wrapped her arms around herself. Not this... anything but this... she thought.

Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen. "Huggy, please place the toy in the bad toy box," she said before the screen went dark.

Michelle stopped trembling and unwrapped her arms before looking at the smaller toys. Please forgive me, she thought as she grabbed the mini DogDay, which made them hit her hand.

Michelle grabbed the mini Bobby BearHug with her other hand, which made them hit it, before walking toward the toy box.

After Michelle dropped the duo into the toy box, she grabbed the mini KickinChicken before dropping it in the toy box, which made grinding noises and pained wails.

Michelle stared at the toy box as Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen. "Awh, more friends! More fun!" she shouted as a few mini Smiling Critters started falling out of the holes in the roof and landed on the ground in fetal positions.

Michelle stared at the toy box. "Don't stop, Huggy. We're gonna keep playing today, and tomorrow..." Ms. Gracie said as cartoon versions of Mommy Long Legs, Chum Chompkins, Yarnaby, and Doey appeared, dancing. "And the day after tomorrow! The joy will NEVER stop!"

When the screen turned off, Michelle opened her mouth and started laughing a bit. Soon after, Michelle's laughter turned into a maniacal one, and her vision turned red before grabbing the mini CraftyCorn and the mini Hoppy Hopscotch. Michelle dropped the smaller toys into the toy box. Forgive me! she thought.

As more small toys kept falling, Michelle grabbed a mini Bobby BearHug and a mini KickinChicken before dropping them into the toy box.

As the smaller toys kept falling out of the holes, Michelle kept dropping them into the toy box while manically laughing. Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me?! she thought.

When the room was empty, Michelle tried catching her breath with a maniacal smile and looked down. Ms. Gracie appeared on the screen with a frown, which made Michelle look at it. "You're not being a good toy, Huggy," she said. "The friends won't like that."

Michelle roared at the screen. You can go to Hell, you bitch?! she thought.

Red Smoke started filling the room as Ms. Gracie smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry, Huggy. You're not gonna fit in there..." she said. "But don't worry. We have a special toy box JUST for you..."

Michelle screeched as she raised her arms and slammed them against the screen, which caused it to crack a bit. I hope you die, Ms. Gracie?! she thought before she continued hitting the screen. Die, die, die, die, die?!

Soon after, Michelle's vision started turning gray and static-like before it became white. Soon after, the machine covering Michelle started lifting up before she fell forward. Kevin caught Michelle before she hit the ground; he looked at her. "You OK?" he asked.

The group gathered around Michelle as she tried to calm down. "It was worse than the last one..." she said as she placed her hands against her head. "We would have to dance and stand under the light when the music stopped... and those that refused to dance had to go in... the bad toy box..."

Most of the group shuddered. "The worst thing for a toy to go through..." Mommy Long Legs said, lowly.

Michelle wrapped her arms around herself. "I already knew that it was a memory, but... the cries they made as they were being ground up..." she said before trembling. "It was awful..."

Kevin frowned a bit before wrapping his arms around Michelle and petting her head. "You did good, Misha... you did good..." he said.

Michelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling. "Alright... I'm fine now..." she said.

Kevin nodded as he let go of Michelle; she looked at the Neural Mapper before approaching it.

When Michelle was close to the Neural Mapper, she saw the numbers '6611' on it. "Only one memory disk remains, and that should finish the code and give us the code to that door in the Lullaby Room," she said before looking at the group. "Let's find it."

The group nodded before they approached the door. If the last two were terrible, the last one might be as terrible or worse than them, Michelle thought before they left the room.

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