Playtime's Over

Playtime’s Over

After several months of decontamination and condemnation, Ed E. Junior’s Pizza Playhouse has finally reopened. Even before the ceremonial ribbon had been cut, children and adults alike were excited to know that the town’s resident arcade/pizzeria is back in business.

In the weeks leading to its reopening, there have been many job openings advertised online. Over twenty seven people, the majority of them teenagers, have applied via the Ed E. Junior’s Website. The most notable of which is a girl named April Capri, who is the focus of our story.

April had been to Ed. E Junior’s for her third birthday and now primarily goes for cousin’s birthday parties. When she saw the ad for the job while surfing the internet, she thought (and hoped) she was dreaming. Sure, she’d only have to work there every other day and every other weekend if she was accepted, but April was overjoyed to finally go back to her favorite place in the world.

When the call for the job interview had come a week later, April knew that she had to dress appropriately. On the day of the interview, she took out her nose piercing, wore a blouse that would cover the tattoo on her left shoulder, and put her now-blond hair in a bun. Only after the interview (and the call that followed a day later, saying that she got the job) would she dye her hair back to pink.

Mrs. Hinkley, April’s superior, had told April that she would be supervising children’s birthday parties in addition to being the night watchman.

“What happened to the last one?” April asked, curious and confused at the same time.

“The same thing that happens to many of the others, I’m afraid,” Mrs. Hinkley replied in a rather grave tone. “They passed away from mysterious causes.”

“What do ya mean?”

“We don’t know. None of the former employees here do. It’s one of the reasons why this place closed down. Have you noticed the pesticide trucks during those last few months?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“We thought it was something to do with insect attacks or an unknown foul smell. When they found nothing, I couldn’t open this establishment back up right away, especially since I noticed the asbestos in the ceiling, which was why the health department was there for the last two months.”

“I remember that,” said April. “So you think I’ll be safe with the asbestos outta the way?”

“We can only hope, April,” Mrs. Hinkley replied.

During the course of the afternoon, April had a lot of fun interacting with the families who came to celebrate their children’s birthdays. When she wasn’t active, she could be seen sitting on the edge of the stage where Ed E., an animatronic resembling a clown in hillbilly getup with three strands of hair on his chin, performed. Along with him are his barnyard friends; Spot, a cow playing the guitar; Lexi, a southern belle with blond hair and brown eyes in a blue dress and a jean jacket playing the piano; Pecker, a large rooster playing the drums; and Squeal, a potbelly pig in overalls with a harmonica between his hoofs.

Since they were animatronics, their only movement was in their heads, arms, mouths, and eyelids. The dialogue between the band members was barely audible, but the children gave no indication that they noticed.

About an hour later, April got a text from Mrs. Hinkley that read, “Ryan’s all dressed up. I informed in on his cue to come out. Go tell the kids.”

After April put her phone back in her pocket, she got up from the stage edge and walked to the center of the room. “Okay kids,” April said with genuine enthusiasm, “Ed E. Junior just called me and said he’s ready to see all you wonderful children here today, especially the birthday kids.”

The children applauded loudly.

“I know you want him to come out, but he doesn’t, so I think you need to cheer louder, okay?” April said before the kids yelled louder. “C’mon, I know you can do better than that. Here, I’m gonna do it with you. On the count of three, we’re all gonna say ‘Come out, Ed E.’ Ready? One, two three!”

“Come out, Ed E!” everyone shouted in unison. No one had emerged.

“I don’t think he heard us. Let’s do it louder. One, two, three!”

“COME OUT, ED E!” everyone implored a tad louder. Still no response.

“Okay, let’s do it one more time, and I guarantee he’ll come out for sure. One, two, three!”

“COME OUT, ED E!!!” everyone screamed at the top of their lungs. This time, a man in an abnormally large cartoon clown mask, a red plaid shirt, and blue overalls came out and ran towards the children. He stood next to April while waving at the kids and dancing around like a buffoon. The children lapped it up.

Throughout the course of the afternoon, there were many activities involving Ed E., such as an interactive dance party, the singing of “Happy Birthday” to the children who had scheduled parties, and even a raffle in which five children won one thousand tickets.

April enjoyed herself as much as the families who came.

After the place closed, April donned the security outfit Mrs. Hinkley provided her with. With that, April sat in the surveillance room, scanning the computer screens to make sure nothing was out of place. While doing so, she was listening to her MP3 player via earphones.

However, about five minutes later, a chicken head popped up out of nowhere, causing April to reel back in fear. As she was adjusting her earphones, she soon believed it to be part of her imagination. After all, she had never been inside Ed E. Junior’s for such an extended period of time on the same day.

Following this realization came a light tapping on the window. April spun around in the chair until she was staring at said window. She took out her flashlight, shined it at the window, and upon seeing an anthropomorphic cow, cowered in fear once again, covering her hands with her face. When she was brave enough, she peeked through the her fingers and saw that the figure disappeared. April sighed in relief.

Maybe I’m just dreaming, April thought to herself, sleeping on the job. If I pinch myself, I’ll be awake and it’ll be daytime even. But when she pinched herself, rather than snapping awake, she found herself in the same exact room at the same exact time of night.

Soon after, she heard a faint music box melody. She paused her own music, looked at the screen, and saw a wind-up music box at the back end of the stage. After staring at that box for quite some time, a pig’s face appeared, scaring April once more. This made her realize that whatever dream she had or was having, it felt very real.

What would follow this last jump scare would frighten April even further.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaapriiiiiiiilll…” a mechanical voice sounded down the hallway. “Aaaaaaaaaaaapriiiiiiiiiiiiilll…” Feeling curious as to where the voice was coming from, April got up from her chair, walked down the hallway to a door where the voice was loudest, and went in a room that weirdly resembled the one she had just left. The chair’s back was to her, only showing strands of stringy black hair.

As she stood, frozen in fear, April wished that this figure would not be who she thought it was.

Her fears came true when a robotic hillbilly with clown makeup, a red plaid shirt, blue overalls, and three chin hairs turned around in the chair to reveal itself.

“Hello, April,” Ed E. Junior said in a mechanical, yet menacing voice. “Did ya miss us?”

“Uhhhh…” April said, shuddering in fear. “Well, I was kinda hoping you wouldn’t say it like that.”

Ed E. got up from the chair and walked, or more accurately, hobbled towards April. “Don’t be like that, April. After all, you liked us when you were only a little girl, and we liked you veeeeery much. Is that not true?”

“Well, yeah, but you don’t have to be all creepy about it.”

“You think I’m creeeeeeeeeeepyyyy?” After Ed E. says this, he does a wolf whistle, which makes a young, blonde southern belle in a blue bra and blue panties walk seductively toward him before holding his shoulders. “It seems Lexi here thinks otherwise. Do you agree, Lexi?”

“Why yes, Ed E.,” Lexi said in a mechanized southern accent. “You are just the handsomest, most charming man I’ve ever met.” Lexi’s small, metallic hands rubbed on Ed E.’s cheek.

April was mortified by this scene.

“Are you still taken aback by seeing your bestest buddies once again, April?” Ed E. teased.

“You are not the Ed E. Junior I remember,” April replied. “You’re just doing this to get under my skin.”

“Let’s see what my friends think.” Upon saying this, Ed E. snaps his fingers, causing all the lights in the room to go on at once. As April looked around, she was frightened to see Spot, Pecker, and Squeal standing around in different areas in the room.

The tears from April’s eyes flowed faster down her cheeks.

Spot, Pecker, and Squeal soon walked up and surrounded April, all while Ed E.’s mechanized maniacal laughter filled the room as he and Lexi walked towards everyone else.

“Please don’t do this,” April pleaded. “You’re supposed to be all friendly and giddy. RIght now, you’re acting like something from Child’s Play.”

“Has Mrs. Hinkley ever told you about what happened to the other night watchmen who worked here before you?” Ed E. queried.

“She… told me they died from mysterious causes.”

“Well, now the mysterious causes are right in front o’ your face!”

As soon as April figured out what he meant by that statement, she was shocked. “Y-y-you mean you-?”

“Right ya are. And I’m afraid we don’t have much time to play some more, so it’s time to say goodbye.” When Ed E. says this, the other animatronics inch towards April. “Sad, yes, but at least you’ll be in a much better place after all this.”

With all common sense lost, April ran to the door, which magically shuts and locks itself as soon as she reached it. Panicky, she looked behind her, staring at the backs of the animatronics, who are slowly turning around. However, her fear left her when she saw a switch on Squeal’s back with three options: on, off, and evil. This helped hatch an idea in her brain, and as such, she dashed towards Squeal and began to set his switch to 'off'. Almost immediately, Squeal began to shut down and drop to the floor, surprisingly intact.

The others, witnessing what had happened, suddenly began to grow worried.

April, however, felt a surge of confidence and courage flowing through her. “Now we’re talkin’,” she quipped before running behind Spot and (before Spot could react) switching him off. She then looked intently at Pecker, who, scared out of his wits, clucked cowardly before switching himself off.

Ed E. and Lexi looked at the whole scene in disbelief before looking at themselves for a few moments. “So…” Ed E. said before bolting out of the room, ramming through the closed door.

“Wait?” Lexi called. “Take me with yoooooooouuuu…” Her voice began to get lower as April switched her off. After Lexi fell to the floor, April ran out of the room and ran after Ed E. When she ran back to the room where she was originally at, she searched the perimeter for this mechanical menace. Unfortunately, two metal hands reached from behind and held her face, one of the hands covering her mouth.

“Your powers of perception aren’t gonna help ya now,” Ed E. taunted, ready to snap April’s neck. “And I believe it’s past your bedtime, little girl.” Before he could hear the sound of bones breaking, he had mysteriously become deactivated. As Ed E. fell to the floor, April looked behind her to see her middle aged boss standing there.

“You okay, April?” Mrs. Hinkley asked with a concerned look on her face.

“I don’t even know, to be honest,” April replied sluggishly. “What’re you doing here anyway?”

“Well, if you must know, I had forgotten my jacket in my office. I happened to walk by the room those animatronics ambushed you in. That’s how I learned the truth about the past fatalities.

“The guy who usually switches off Ed E. and the gang at closing time does have a habit of pushing the switches down all the way. If you like, I’ll be sure to have him fired and have you fill in for him so this doesn’t happen again.”

“I… uh… well… thanks for saving me, I guess,” April said before hugging her boss.

“Not a problem, April,” replied Mrs. Hinkley.

The following day, the person who handled the animatronics was indeed fired and (as Mrs. Hinkley promised) April replaced him.

For the rest of the time she had worked at Ed E. Junior’s over the course of the summer, April had enjoyed entertaining the children who had come to celebrate their birthdays. During her night watchman position, she was relieved to know that she would always be safe, since she never once switched Ed E. and his friends to ‘evil’.

When she got back to school, she told students and teachers alike about her time at Ed E. Junior’s. Many were impressed, while some didn’t seem to care. One things for certain, though; she didn’t have to worry about Ed E. Junior or his barnyard friends coming for her.