Chapter Text
You walked by the abandoned factory all the time. It was kinda weird that it was so close to your neighborhood, but this town was pretty small, and out of the way. The perfect plot of land to build a large warehouse/facility/whatever the fuck. “The event” happened decades ago at this point, something about sixty workers just up and disappearing. Everyone had a different theory. You hadn’t thought too much about it. You wanted to say they were just fed up and quit, but that’s not what the stories suggest.
About a month ago, you got bored and waltzed in. Place was creepy as fuck... Dusty as hell too. You guessed everything would have been gone or broken, but when you opened that second door, you were taken by surprise. What looked like a large display room had a very tall, goofy looking blue, er… doll? He was surprisingly undamaged, considering the time worn on this place. You guessed he’d been here twenty years or more, based on stories and estimated timelines.
“You’ve been here all this time?” You wondered aloud, approaching the dusty platform.
In front was a display panel which read, “Huggy Wuggy (1984)...’lifelike’...’most popular.’” Huh. So loved, but seemingly forgotten. You had a soft spot for abandoned things, and you really didn’t wanna think too much about why. You looked up at his big, empty smile. It was a lonely face, all the way up there. Huggy must have been at least twice your height. You stepped onto the platform, and reached up for his hand. He was oddly warm compared to the chilly room. You supposed it was just the material, but his fur was… rather filthy.
“You’re covered in dust, poor thing,” you said, “when’s the last time someone took care of you?”
You couldn’t leave him here. And you couldn’t imagine he was actually that heavy. He was just a giant plush, right? Moving him would be tricky, but home wasn’t far. People might think you were crazy if they saw you carrying something so large and silly looking, but oh well. You tried pushing his feet first, just to make sure they weren’t bolted to the ground. Somehow, this twelve foot, narrow ass sour patch kid was balancing on his own, with no glue or anything under his feet. Well, at least moving him would be easier. You grabbed his hand and pulled him off the platform, angling yourself to catch him. You stumbled under the weight, but managed to stay upright. Huggy was much heavier than you were expecting. Oops.
You felt ridiculous dragging him back home, but you managed. A group of kids noticed what you were doing and cheered you on. Stealing ridiculously large things from creepy abandoned places was pretty interesting, you supposed. Once home you sat him in a large empty corner of your living room and collapsed, catching your breath. Heavy ass fuckin’.. Huggy Wuggy motherfucker.
He’d be too big and creepy to keep forever, but you wanted to clean him up and find someplace happier for him. It’d be a waste for him to rot in the old factory. Once you caught your breath you got to work. If you left him alone now, the dust on him would get into everything else. So you got some rags, a bucket, and a gentle cleaner, and started washing him up.
Several hours and filthy rags later, you had the first layer of grime off. It was getting dark out, you forgot to eat, and everything ached. You threw the rags in the wash and tidied up. Sandwiches for dinner cause fuck cooking right now. After dinner you watched youtube on your tv for a couple hours, checking on Huggy occasionally. You fell asleep to an old let’s play series you kept coming back to.
Upon waking, you noticed Huggy had moved slightly. Maybe? You didn’t know how, but he looked just a little misplaced from yesterday. You checked on him, happy to see his fur a little brighter and no dust kicking up every time you touched him. He still wasn’t perfect though. You grabbed some fresh rags from the dryer and started your process over. The third time would probably be just rinsing, you hoped.
By evening you had Huggy Wuggy scrubbed spotless. Even the dusty residue that settled around him had been cleaned up. He was bright blue, extra fluffy, smelled clean, and looked happier than ever. It had been a long time since you took on a big project, and this was definitely the largest thing you’d ever worked on. He barely fit in the living room, and like hell he was ever gonna stand up straight in here, but it was the largest room in the place, so here he stayed for the time being. Maybe he could go to one of those charity auctions or something. Either way, you were delighted to have him sparkling clean, and he was so huggable! You thought it strange for a display model, but you couldn’t help cuddling up to him. It’s not every day you get to snuggle a twelve foot plush monster. You wondered who made him, and why he was left behind. Was his smile really so eerie?
The rest of your day was spent tidying the rest of the house. Having accomplished a large project, you were in a great mood and finally had the energy to get up and move around. You might have even hummed a tune or two.
Unfortunately, it’s usually when we start feeling better that our nightmares creep up on us.
That night after a long, hot shower you decided to snuggle up to the large plush, with a cozy blanket and some more tv. You snoozed to a mellow playlist that you didn’t need to pay much attention to. You woke with a start, dazed and panicked from a very vivid nightmare. Disoriented in the dark, and breathing heavily, you felt something soft and warm wrap around you. But you weren’t in bed, or on the couch? You hadn’t invited anyone over… Certainly not anyone you’d be sleeping beside? You were pulled back, into...someone? Something... fluffy. Something comforting... You vaguely remembered snuggling up to Huggy before falling asleep. You must still be dreaming, if he’s holding you like this. You held onto him, afraid of falling back into a nightmare. Huggy held you close, and it almost felt like he might have been purring. Your breathing began to settle, muscles relaxed, and you dozed off.
In the morning, you woke slowly and dazely, still chasing away the nightmare. You remembered it clearly, but it was a bit more distant now. You snuggled into the large plush, and realized... Huggy was still holding you. Huh.
You wanted to sleep in, but the idea of this plush being sentient sure was strange, and a little alarming. You moved a bit to sit up, and were released. You noticed Huggy’s long arm uncoiling from you, slow and easy. He stayed close. You looked up to see his eyes focused on you. Huh.
“Uh. Hi,” you said, uncertain.
Huggy hummed in response. You smiled.
“Can you understand me?”
He nodded. Fascinating.
“...Can you talk?”
He shook his head, no. So he understood words, and could respond clearly to them. Where on earth did he come from? Suddenly you weren’t so sure of the “new home” idea. Huggy Wuggy was alive, and unlike any animal you had ever seen or heard of. What zoo would even take him?? He was left in a factory all alone, survived, and somehow wasn’t completely feral, and was also perfectly capable of understanding human speech?? You saw only two good options.
“Do you… want to go back to the factory?”
He shook his head, looking away.
“...You wanna stay?”
Turning back toward you, Huggy Wuggy wrapped you up and held you tighter than you’d ever been held before. It almost hurt. You hugged him back, and felt him nodding above you.
Yes, he would very much like to stay, and you were very happy to have him.