What If All The Smiling Critters Survived

Bubba Bubbaphant

Bubba Bubbaphant, the smart and attentive elephant of the Critters, was out on his own patrol for food. So far, he hadn't found much. He'd only found some scraps of beef, which he'd picked up, but shivered at the thought of what else he might find. At this time, he was so desperate he'd eat remains of living toys or even the human employees.
"I won't have to do that..." he said to himself, despite knowing how untrue that might've been.

The one place the Smiling Critters would never go to find food was the PlayCare school. A demented teacher by the name of Miss Delight lived there, and she would literally kill and eat anyone who crossed her path. Her hunting method was simple. Whenever her prey looked away, she'd stalk them before killing them with a crudely made morningstar made from a ruler, pencils, tape, and twine, which she had christened 'Barb'. However, if her prey looked at her, she would not move an inch. This was supposed to fool her prey into thinking she was dead.

Bubba shuddered just thinking of her. He'd rather be consumed by CatNap than be alone with her. Speaking of which, he was scared of CatNap beyond measure. Since he would divide whatever things the Critters found between them, CatNap wouldn't hesitate to rip him apart if he saw him. Every time he heard footsteps that weren't his, he hid wherever he could find until they faded away. Usually it worked.

But this time, Bubba was unable to dodge potential threats. And this time it was CatNap. Jumping down from the PlayCare statue, Bubba Bubbaphant was pushed to the ground and shuffled backwards on his hands and feet as the shadow of his former friend fell over him. He couldn't get up, as that would expose his throat to CatNap, and he would promptly tear it out at the first chance he got, his claws further promising that. He continued to shuffle around, barely dodging claw strikes. CatNap would also try to bite him, or just directly devour him whole.

The onslaught was too much for Bubba to handle, but then he saw the PlayCare school. There was nothing for it; he had to enter there, as CatNap usually left that place alone due to Miss Delight.

He shuffled towards it, drops of sweat beading on his head despite the cool air in PlayCare. Once inside, CatNap said in his usual chilling voice "You will die either way, nothing matters,"
"Well, you weren't exactly being gentle with me either!" Bubba retorted.
"I'll come back for you later," CatNap told him.

Bubba tried to make his time in the school quick, so to avoid Miss Delight as much as possible. Every time he heard her footsteps, which he'd come to know so well, or her maniacal laugh, he'd hold his breath until it stopped. He headed for the kitchen, for any food supplies that he'd bring back. There was an oven in Home Sweet Home that the Critters used to cook their food that they'd found.

Bubba made it there safely, but when he tried to leave, he heard someone breathing behind his back. He turned around and saw the most horrible teacher he'd ever seen, her face cracked open partially, revealing her part in the Bigger Bodies Initiative- the catalyst that led to Playtime Co.'s eventual downfall. It was Miss Delight, just as he'd feared. With a cry of fear, he started running. While he was able to stay ahead of Miss Delight, he had to try as hard as possible not to look away from her, as when he did, she moved really quickly to get to him.

This posed its own risks, as if Bubba ran into a wall or slipped on a wet floor, he'd be temporarily stunned, and that would be more than enough time for Miss Delight to catch up, grab him and kill him. He was at the exit, but ran straight into a wall of fluffy fur. At first he thought it was DogDay, but then swallowed hard as he noticed the purple colourisation of the fur, and he jumped back. Miss Delight was in the hallway, still looking at him, motionlessly standing there.
"Well done, Miss Delight, for sandwiching him between you and me," Catnap said. "You can have him for food," he said, throwing Bubba back to her. "I'd love to watch you two 'play' but I've got more of your Critter friends to find!" CatNap laughed.

That set Bubba off.
"Don't you dare touch them!" he snapped, and launched himself towards CatNap, prompting a yelp from the cat as the force of Bubba's fury quickly touched him, sending him into the ground. Bubba took the opportunity to run back to Home Sweet Home and share his food with the other Critters.
"What took you so long?!" DogDay asked, and Bubba had to fess up, to which DogDay replied "We need to find the others. Who knows what CatNap, or Miss Delight has planned for them?"

Meanwhile, in the dark play tunnels of the Playhouse, there sat two lonely Smiling Critters, trapped in there by smaller, yet terrifying mockeries of themselves and the other Critters known as the Ruined Critters. Both of them were starving hungry. They never knew when their slim bodies would give into hunger, or even thirst. And DogDay had to find them first.