Chapter Text
Parker stood in front of his desk staring at the strange package. He had found it that morning when he took his son to school. He was supposed to go to work after that, but curiosity and anxiety got the better of him, so when he returned, the first thing he did was call work and report sick.
Now he was face to face with that somewhat dirty cardboard envelope, with some strange fluid staining some of its surfaces. And to be honest, Parker didn't want to know what it was, if the stains gave him any idea.
Against his better judgment, he opens the package. He doesn't care about anything, especially now that he can't take his eyes off the Playtime Co. logo printed in the corner of the envelope.
Inside, he finds only two things: a letter stained with the same strange fluid, which, upon closer inspection, he thinks is blood, and an unlabeled, somewhat neglected yellow cassette tape.
Without wasting any more time, he searches the whole house for that VCR tucked away somewhere. He can't help but remember how his son teases him affectionately, saying it's too old-fashioned, reminding him so much. His thoughts dissipate when he finally finds it in a closet where they keep some things. Without further ado, he rushes to the living room, almost tripping as he tries to connect it to the television.
When he finally manages to insert the cassette and the television begins to play it, his anxiety begins submit, of course, it's probably just a cruel joke played by someone, but he still harbors a glimmer of hope.
And before his thoughts can overwhelm him, the video begins with a house he knows well, Elliot Ludwing, founder of Playtime Co.
He simply ignores whatever he is saying, and the next thing that appears is an advertisement for a Poppy doll and factory tours. Something tightens in his chest. He had a small hope that there would be something, a clue, even a small one, but he is disappointed again. Before he can turn off the TV, he notices strong static in the video and then sees something that makes him freeze. Ludwing's office, exactly where that poppy is painted. It may just be an old recording, but what makes Parker dismiss those thoughts is the fact that the place looks too worn and abandoned.
Without further ado, he gets up so quickly that he even stumbles, but none of that matters when he finally reaches the table and picks up the letter.
It only contained a drawing and a text matching what they painted:
Find the Flower