Factory of Madness: The Little Prince by @rollee (Rollee Bitterblossom)

One summer night, a baby boy was dropped off at Piedmont’s doorsteps. The newborn was wrapped in a towel still soaked in his mother’s blood. When Godwin was called for instructions, the caretaker hung up, not wanting to deal with the brat. If it were not for the intervention of Lauren, who was merely six years old at the time, this boy would most likely have been disposed of. Lauren named the boy Isaac and would raise him as best she could.

There is no record of Isaac anywhere. Even Piedmont’s paperwork contains nothing, their negligent staff not even noting his arrival. For all intents and purposes, Piedmont Factory was Isaac’s entire world. Long grueling hours would his be “play” and shoe flavored gruel, his favorite food. Raised under Lauren’s loving care and blissfully ignorant to how desolate his life actually was, Isaac would grow up to be a shockingly happy beacon of light in a building that essentially ran on the suffering of children. It was Isaac’s cheerful demeanor helped pull many of Piedmont’s kids out of their depression, including Sarah and Chris. Piedmont was never a happy place, but whatever joy that managed to survive there would be, in no small part, due to his unbridled optimism and kindness. Such blind innocence would even survive through his death, for Isaac would become the only ghost untouched by Piedmont’s haunted madness. Unfortunately, this would become his thorned crown to bear.

Isaac has reawakened to watch his friends reborn as monsters. His once beloved mother, Lauren, now a screaming banshee. His best friend Sarah, now cold and soulless. Furthermore, Isaac has found himself in the center of Piedmont’s game of politics. The children of Piedmont, fractured in soul, are attracted to those who retain a strong sense of self. Sarah, Billy, and Eugene were three of the strongest souls in Piedmont, and would’ve been the defacto faces of the haunted factory. But Isaac’s presence absolutely eclipses these three. No one can say no to Isaac and must obey everything he says, at least while he is awake. Even an innocuous comment, like “wait” is literally obeyed, causing even accidently hearing the command to result in freezing in place. The once adored Isaac is now despised by many or, perhaps worse, worshiped by others. To Isaac, both results are ultimately heart breaking.

The once talkative Isaac has become mostly silent, terrified of accidently oppressing his friends. He only speaks after carefully considering every word but has mostly resorted to letting Sarah speak for him, something that has resulted in even more hate both to him and her. However, there is one thing he has decided he will not tolerate. While he is awake, there will be no fighting in Piedmont. When Isaac is lucid, Piedmont is harmless.

If you liked this story and found the Factory of Madness interesting I have a group where I store the art and stories. Here