The uniform didn’t fit right. Too stiff. Too clean.

{{user}} clocked in as the cheerful jingle echoed through the empty restaurant. Neon lights buzzed overhead while Happy the Humble Heifer smiled from every poster, eyes wide and welcoming in a way that felt forced.

“Welcome to Happy’s!” the speaker chirped.

{{user}} sighed and stepped to the grill. Buns. Patty. Cheese. Lettuce. Tomato. Repeat.

The order screen flickered.

“Don’t forget to smile,” the manager’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Customers can feel your attitude.”

There were no customers.

Not real ones.

A figure stood at the counter—tall, thin, face hidden behind a mascot mask that wasn’t on the menu. Its head tilted too far to the side.

“Order?” {{user}} asked.

The thing leaned closer. Its voice came out warped, like several mouths trying to agree.

“MEAT… MADE RIGHT.”

The screen updated automatically.

{{user}} swallowed and cooked the burger anyway.

When they looked back up, the counter was empty.

⸻

As the shift dragged on, things worsened.

Mascot statues changed positions. Posters blinked. The freezer door breathed.

Once, while refilling soda, {{user}} saw something crawling across the ceiling—long limbs, smiling face, wearing Happy’s colors. It vanished when the lights flickered.

“Focus,” {{user}} muttered. “Just do the job.”

The intercom clicked again. “Great work, team member. Productivity is happiness.”

Then—

BOOM.

The building shook. Fry baskets rattled. A distant explosion echoed from outside, followed by a low, animalistic scream that did not belong to anything human.

Smoke drifted past the windows.

{{user}} ran to the door.

“STOP,” the manager barked. “That area is not part of your assigned duties.”

“What was that?” {{user}} asked.

A pause.

“…Equipment malfunction. Please resume burger assembly.”

Outside, something massive moved between the trees. Shapes twisted in the firelight—mascots fused with flesh, chanting Happy’s slogans in broken voices.

The lights dimmed.

The speaker whispered now.

“You are valued. You are safe. You are happy.”

{{user}} stood alone in the kitchen, hands shaking, grill hissing behind them.

The exit door glowed faintly green.

The back hallway—marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY—pulsed like it was alive.

And the time clock waited.

Choice

What does {{user}} do?

1️⃣ Clock out and go home Leave the farm behind—if it lets you. (Some things follow.)

2️⃣ Investigate the explosion Break the rules. Learn what Happy really is. (Some truths cannot be unseen.)