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mini-cheese · 3 days ago

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[No Escape until Dawn] Chapter 1

The low hum of machinery and the faint smell of cleaning supplies drifted through the massive halls of the PizzaPlex, a sensory cocktail of fluorescent lights, metal, and plastic that somehow managed to feel suffocating even in its cavernous spaces. As the main lights dimmed to a cool glow signaling closing time, Sunflower—at least, that’s what Sun had started calling her—checked her watch and exhaled. Midnight. The rest of the staff had filed out for the night, but she lingered for a last check of the daycare, locking up the storage closets, switching off the ambient music, and tidying up stray toys.

She’d been working for five months as the Daycare Assistant, as her staff badge proudly read. The idea had seemed quaint when she’d first started, the bright face of the solar bot , his well-rehearsed friendliness. It almost seemed like a joke when she’d been hired to “help him.” But as the echo of her footsteps filled the cavernous lobby as Starlight approached the main gates, her heart sank when she saw the steel shutters already down, the locks in place. She forgot they closed early today, and 9 pm had snuck up too fast. She gave the handle an experimental tug, but it didn’t budge. Her pulse quickened as the reality set in: she was locked inside the Pizzaplex, with no way out until morning.

“Damn it,” she muttered, glancing around the dark, empty lobby. Tonight of all nights? I was supposed to binge the next episode of Arcane.

She exhaled sharply, considering her options. Should she contact management? The thought of explaining herself left a bitter taste in her mouth. The rules were strict, and she’d seen staff get written up for less. She’d heard the stories too—the whispers about employees who simply vanished, their lockers mysteriously emptied by morning. Rumors floated through the break room like ghost stories, tales of staff disappearing after they’d seen something they weren’t supposed to.

She shivered, deciding against calling management. The last thing she wanted was to risk her job for what might just be an accident.

Well, she thought, taking a deep breath, I guess there’s only one place to go. She turned back, her shoes clicking against the cold tile as she made her way down the long, dim fluorescent lit corridors leading back to the daycare. It was a relief, in a way, to have the option. She didn’t know where else she’d feel safe in the vastness of the closed Pizzaplex, with its winding halls and dark corners. At least Sun would be there to keep her company.

When she reached the double doors of the daycare, she took a steadying breath before pushing them open, letting the warmth and light wash over her. And there he was, exactly where she’d left him: Sun, standing in the middle of the colorful play area, his face lighting up the moment he saw her.

“Sunflower!” he greeted, his voice filled with delight as he stretched his arms out toward her, his sun rays spinning in joyful circles. “You came back!”

She chuckled, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease. “Looks like I didn’t have much of a choice, Sun. They locked me in.” She sighed, pretending to be exasperated, but the truth was… she felt safe here. Safer than she had out in the halls.

“Oh dear!” Sun replied, his hands fluttering to his face in exaggerated concern. “What a terrible mistake!” His voice dipped to a playful murmur. “But I’m glad, you know. I was sad thinking I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow.” He paused, his eyes brightening with excitement. “Now we can have fun all night long!”

She felt herself blush, wondering why his touch always seemed so warm, so comforting. There was something in his presence that settled her nerves, made the vastness of the Pizzaplex feel… cozy.

“Sounds like you’re thrilled to have a little company,” she teased, taking a tentative step closer. He held out his arms with his usual enthusiasm, and she let herself be pulled into a soft hug, his touch wrapping her in an almost parental warmth.

He pulled back, looking at her with a soft, bright expression. “Only a little,” he replied, his voice dripping with playfulness. “Well, maybe a lot.” His sun rays spun faster, showing the excitement in his frame. “How about a game of hide-and-seek, hmm? We haven’t played since last week.”

She laughed, feeling the remnants of her worry melt away. “Alright,” she said, grinning up at him. “But no peeking!”

He gasped, feigning innocence. “Me? Peek? Why, I would never, my little Sunflower.” He spun on his heel, covering his eyes as he began to count. “One… two… three��”

As he counted, she darted toward the play structures, weaving between plastic trees and foam mats, her heart pounding. She knew it was just a game, but the adrenaline made her giddy. There was something thrilling about having Sun searching for her, his joyful, singsong voice calling out her nickname. She squeezed herself behind a pile of giant, foam blocks, trying to stifle her laughter as his voice floated through the daycare.

“Seventeen… eighteen… nineteen… twenty!” He turned, his eyes scanning the room, his sun rays spinning in a slow, deliberate rhythm. “Ready or not, here I come!”

A strange thrill shot through her as he moved through the room, his gaze sweeping over every corner, his voice low and playful. “Oh, Sunflower… where are you hiding?” She pressed her hand over her mouth, trying not to make a sound, her heart pounding louder in her chest as he neared.

Finally, he stopped right in front of her hiding spot, looking directly into the foam blocks. “Found you!” he cried triumphantly, reaching out and gently pulling her from her hiding place, his laughter filling the room as she broke into a grin.

“You always find me,” she teased, rolling her eyes playfully.

He chuckled, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder as he looked down at her with a warm, almost adoring expression. “Of course, I always find you, my little Sunflower. I’m very good at knowing where you are.” His voice held a note of something softer, something almost possessive, but his smile remained bright, innocent.

The way he looked at her made her heart skip a beat. She knew he was only playing, only teasing her the way he always did, but something in his gaze felt different tonight, a quiet intensity lingering beneath the cheer.

She glanced down, feeling her cheeks warm. Why is my heart beating so hard? she wondered, trying to shake off the strange feeling. She was just tired, that was all. She’d been planning to go home, to relax in bed, to binge her favorite show and unwind. That was all it was.

As if sensing her distraction, Sun tilted his head, watching her with a curious, affectionate smile. “You look tired,” he said softly, his hand gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?”

She nodded, surprised by the softness in his voice, the way his hand lingered for a moment longer than necessary. His touch was comforting, steady, a warmth she didn’t want to pull away from.

“You know, it’s funny,” he continued, his tone still soft. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to spend a whole night with you. To see you resting, safe and sound.” His words sent a quiet thrill through her, the casual affection in his voice giving way to something deeper, something that made her heart flutter in her chest.

She forced herself to laugh, trying to shake off the strange feeling. “Well, looks like you’re getting your wish,” she replied, smiling up at him. “Guess you’ll have to keep me entertained all night long.”

His smile brightened, his sun rays spinning faster. “That, my dear Sunflower, is a promise,” he said, his voice filled with delight. “How about I show you all my favorite places in the daycare? There are plenty of places you haven’t seen yet, after all.”

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? You’re telling me there’s more to this place than play structures and coloring books?”

“Much more,” he replied, winking playfully. “Follow me!”

He took her hand, leading her through the daycare, pointing out little nooks and hidden corners, places he'd hide during hide and seek, or the best viewpoint to watch the littles, his voice filled with enthusiasm as he showed her every detail. She could feel his hand gently holding hers, the warmth of his touch sending little sparks of excitement through her. He was so kind, so attentive, and something about his presence made her feel… safe. As they walked, she found herself relaxing, the stress of the night slowly melting away as she let herself enjoy his company.

He paused, glancing at the lights above with a faintly apprehensive expression. “Just so you know, the lights in the daycare… they’re on a timer.”

She frowned, tilting her head. “A timer?”

“Yes. One hour on, one hour off,” he explained carefully, his voice softening. “When they go out, it… means things change around here. I’d rather you didn’t wander when it’s dark.” He glanced away, his expression unreadable. “I’d hate for you to be somewhere… unsafe.”

She nodded slowly, remembering the rumors she’d heard about the daycare. Tales of the mysterious, shadowy figure that supposedly shared a body with Sun—a dark entity called Moon. She’d always dismissed the stories as nothing more than staff gossip, cautionary tales told to explain the strange disappearances of some of the employees. She’d even laughed them off, convinced that whatever “Moon” was, he couldn’t be that bad.

Still, something about the way Sun was watching her, his expression tense and serious, made her feel a twinge of apprehension.

“Well, I won’t go far,” she promised, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’ll stay close. I trust you.”

His face brightened, his eyes filling with relief as he squeezed her hand gently. “Thank you, Sunflower,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “It means the world to me.”

She smiled, her heart warming at the softness in his gaze. He really is sweet, she thought, feeling a strange, quiet affection growing in her chest. Sun felt safe, familiar, and being with him made the vast emptiness of the Pizzaplex seem a little less daunting.

But just as she felt herself relaxing, the lights started to clunk out, slowly plunging the daycare into darkness from the far wall, row by row of light, getting closer. She froze, her eyes widening in confusion. It's not even 10 yet? What's going on?? She felt Sun’s hand slip away, the warmth of his touch vanishing as a faint, metallic hum filled the air.

A chill ran down her spine, the memory of the stories about Moon flickering in her mind. She tried to steady her breathing, forcing herself to stay calm. It’s just a story, she told herself. Baseless rumors.

But as the darkness deepened, approaching quickly, a quiet tension settled over the room, and she felt an unspoken shift in the air.

The lights directly above them clicked off with a harsh finality, plunging the daycare into an unnatural darkness that sent a shiver racing down Starlight’s spine. She froze, her hand instinctively reaching out to where Sun had been standing, but in the thick silence, her fingers met only empty air.

A strangled, agonized sound broke the silence, a sound so desperate and raw that it struck her to her core. She turned, her eyes straining to find him in the dark. “Sun?”

“Oh no, no, no,” Sun’s voice trembled, carrying a deep, gut-wrenching fear she’d never heard before. He was clutching at his faceplate, his rays spinning erratically as though fighting to remain visible. “I… I’m so sorry, Sunflower, I… I didn’t mean… it’s not supposed to be now… hide, please hide—”

His voice fractured, descending into a garbled mix of static and broken sounds as he gripped his head, his form visibly straining as if fighting something internal. But even as he seemed to resist, his rays slowly retracted into his faceplate, vanishing with a metallic whir. His cheerful yellows and reds melted away, replaced by a haunting blend of deep blues and whites. A long nightcap unfurled from the back of his head, a cold, dark counterpoint to Sun’s usual sunny crown.

Starlight took a step back, her stomach twisting. She’d never truly feared him before, not Sun, but watching him now—his body writhing as he transformed, his frame jerking against itself—left her frozen in horror.

“Please, just go,” he managed one last, desperate plea, his voice barely recognizable before it shattered into static.

Then, with a jarring snap, he went silent.

As the silence stretched on, a new figure took Sun’s place: darker and angled oddly, with piercing red eyes that gleamed in the darkness like embers. His body seemed to settle into his shape, his limbs moving fluidly now, his joints creaking as he adjusted to the new form. It was Moon. And he was staring at her.

“Oh god,” she whispered, every muscle in her body going rigid as a chill washed over her. She took a shaky breath, her pulse racing as the shock settled into a sharp edge of fear. Is Moon really that bad?

Her mind screamed at her to move, to run, to find a place to hide. Heart pounding, she turned and darted toward the play structure, her body moving on instinct as she scrambled for safety.

Hide, just hide. Her breaths came shallow and quick as she climbed into the play structure, her hands clutching the padded edges of the entryway. The once bright and inviting tubes, the small padded corridors she could only crawl through, now seemed to press in around her, their cheerful colors swallowed by the darkness, leaving only the feeling of claustrophobia as the tight spaces closed around her. She forced herself deeper inside, her knees and palms sinking into the soft, plasticky padding, the muffled sound of her movements blending with the strange creaks and groans of the structure itself.

A dark, static-filled chuckle resonated through the air, reverberating through the tubes, making her skin crawl.

“Hidey-hide,” a voice purred, so low it felt like it was whispering directly into her mind. “Hide away…”

The sound of Moon’s voice was far different from Sun’s. It was gravelly, sinister, punctuated by bursts of static, as though his words were being filtered through some broken speaker. Every syllable dripped with something dark and mocking, and the way he drew out the words left a pit of dread churning in her stomach.

She crawled forward, her hands shaking as she moved deeper into the play structure. Her fingers fumbled against the foam padding, her breaths shallow as she clung to the walls, squeezing herself into a corner where the padding narrowed. It was a cramped space, one she could barely turn in, but it was something, a place she could hide.

This is just a prank, she tried to tell herself, though even as she thought it, she could feel the lie in it. Sun wouldn’t do this to me, would he?

But that desperate, strangled cry still echoed in her ears, and she knew—whatever this was, Sun had been terrified. That was no act.

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she froze, her breath catching in her throat. Moon’s figure appeared just outside the play structure, his body moving with an eerie grace, his limbs looking too long, too fluid, though they were the same as Sun’s. He approached the structure’s mesh walls, his red pupils sharp and unblinking as they scanned the interior, the glow of them cutting through the darkness with a haunting intensity.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are…” he sang softly, his voice laced with a dark amusement.

Starlight pressed herself further into the tight corner, willing herself to become invisible, her pulse pounding as she watched him through the mesh. His face twisted into a grin, his eyes narrowing as they swept across her hiding place, and for a moment, she dared to hope he hadn’t seen her.

But then his gaze settled on her, locking her in place as if he’d known she was there all along.

Her heart leapt to her throat, terror freezing her in place as his eyes bore into her. The small barrier of mesh between them felt like nothing, a flimsy excuse for protection as he scaled the side of the structure, getting closer, his grin widening. His pupils contracting as he looked at her with an intensity that made her stomach twist.

“Found you,” he whispered, his voice barely a breath, though it carried through the structure like a haunting melody.

Starlight swallowed, her mind racing as she considered bolting, darting deeper into the structure, away from those unblinking red eyes. But before she could move, his hand shot out, gripping the outside of the play structure with a force that made the walls shake, the plastic groaning under the strain. He pressed closer, his gaze never wavering, his expression fixed in that dark, unsettling grin.

“Scared, little star?~” he murmured, his voice smooth and dark, his words dripping with a quiet, unsettling mirth.

She tried to move, to scramble further away, but the walls of the structure seemed to close in on her, the tight, claustrophobic space making it impossible to escape. Every inch of her body was coiled with tension, her pulse a drumbeat in her ears as she felt the weight of his gaze press down on her.

The seconds stretched on, each one pulsing with a silent, mounting dread, until she was certain she could feel the very air growing heavy, closing in around her as he stared.

And then, just as she was sure he would tear through the mesh and reach her, the lights overhead flickered back on.

Moon recoiled, his body stiffening, a guttural growl escaping him as he tried to resist the change. His face twisted in frustration, one hand clutching his head as the nightcap retreated, his red eyes flickering and fading as Sun’s rays reemerged, the colors of his frame shifting back to their bright yellows and reds.

Starlight watched in stunned silence as he fought the transformation, his body jerking and convulsing as if it were being torn apart. But finally, with a shuddering breath, the familiar face of Sun reappeared, his bright eyes widening as he looked at her, his expression one of pure, unfiltered relief.

“Sunflower!” he cried, his voice thick with emotion. He reached for her, his movements awkward and shaky as he tried to maintain his balance on the outer wall, but as he stretched his hand out to steady himself against the play structure, he lost his grip and tumbled backward, landing in an ungainly heap on the padded floor 10 feet below.

Starlight’s heart twisted, fear and worry flooding her as she scrambled out of the structure, her hands trembling as she crawled down to where he lay. “Sun?” she whispered, her voice wavering as she knelt beside him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Are you… okay?”

He blinked up at her, his eyes hazy, the brightness in them slowly returning as he took in her face. “Yes, yes! Oh, Sunflower,” he murmured, his voice soft, filled with a quiet, aching relief. “Are… are you alright?”

She nodded, though her own heart still raced, her thoughts a whirl of confusion and fear. “I’m fine, but… Sun, what just happened?” She hesitated, glancing around the daycare as if expecting to see the haunting figure of Moon lurking in the shadows. “The lights went out early, and… he was here.”

Sun’s face fell, his expression growing pained as he looked away, his rays drooping slightly. “I’m so sorry, Sunflower,” he whispered, his voice heavy with regret. “I wish I could ,have warned you sooner. The lights… they’re on a timer, but something… must have gone wrong.”

She frowned, her worry deepening as she studied him. He looked shaken, almost fearful, a vulnerability she’d never seen before. “Are you hurt?”

He shook his head quickly, forcing a bright, reassuring smile. “No, no, I’m perfectly fine. It’s you I’m worried about,” he said, reaching out to gently squeeze her hand. “I never wanted you to see… him.”

Her heart twisted as she met his gaze, the lingering fear still settling heavily in her chest. She could feel the weight of his hand on hers, the warmth of his touch anchoring her, and despite everything, she felt a strange, quiet comfort.

“I’m okay,” she murmured, her voice soft. “I trust you, Sun. Just… let me know if something’s wrong. I can handle it.”

He hesitated, his hand lingering on hers, his gaze filled with a mix of relief and something deeper, something she couldn’t quite name. “Thank you, Sunflower,” he whispered, his voice laced with quiet gratitude. “I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

But as he held her hand, a flicker of something darker passed through his gaze, a quiet intensity that made her heart skip. She squeezed his hand, hoping it was just a trick of the light.

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Thank you for reading chapter 1 of No Escape! Should I continue it?

I've written far too much of my own self insert to not share at this point. Thinking of adding it on Ao3. What do you guys think? Also, should I continue with POV 'she', or do you prefer it in 3rd person like 'you'. ily ty

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