While Ryan and Eric now were helpless in John´s care, Mike and Sei had no idea of it. They had explored various rooms on their way, but had found nothing overly interesting. Just as they entered a new room, both felt something calling them, not that they interpreted it as such. “Let´s head back, I think here will be nothing interesting as well. Maybe the others found something.” Mike said, unbeknownst being compelled so by the calling.
“Yeah, let´s go.” Sei answered him, and they headed back down the corridor. Ignoring all doors they passed, it took them only around five minutes to reach the entrance again. Shortly after, they heard someone screaming on the first floor they just walked past. It sounded like a baby or a really young child. With one look at each other they quickly moved towards the sound, not believing there would be a small child in here.
When they reached the room and moved in, they found a weird sight in front of them. On the big bed sat a screaming bundle, only the size of a baby. Next to the bed, in an old looking chair, sat a young man around their age, looking at them with a grin. “Hello there” the man said. Suddenly the screaming stopped and whatever was inside the bundle tried to get out of it. Then they both heard a quiet, but high voice calling: “Mike, Sei, run.”
Confused as to where this voice came from, Sei moved closer to the bed and gasped at what he could finally see standing in front of the moving bundle. “Eric? What the hell happened to you?” he asked in shock. Mike moved towards Sei to see what he was looking at and also gasped.
In the same quiet, but high voice Eric answered them: “Don´t worry, but run, before Johnny does something similar to you then he did to me and Ryan.” The squirming in the bundle stopped when a small, blond head popped out of it. Both Mike and Sei looked down at the baby sitting there in what they now recognized as Eric´s sweatshirt. But they starred in shock at what Eric had said.
“I told you before, tiny, I´m John, so stop calling me like I´m a child. Now, be silent, toy Eric, and let me see what to do with those two instead.” John said in an angry, loud voice. Both Mike and Sei looked at him in horror, their courage leaving them in waves. Just as they decided to run, the door slammed shut behind them.
Another quiet scream was heard from the bed, but quickly got quieter until it was silent. As Sei run to the door trying to get it open again, Mike looked back at Eric on the bed, who had screamed. He watched in horror as another change happened to little Eric.
Just as before John´s sentence had triggered his new power, and it started to work on Eric again. Calling him a toy and telling him to be silent both worked their way into him. Eric had started screaming as he felt his body heating up, only for the scream to grow quieter as his mouth was forced shut. With wide eyes Eric watched as his body gained a slight sheen. As the heat receded in its place remained a stiffness, barely allowing him to move.
As both Mike and baby Ryan watch horrified and John with interest, Eric´s body looked more and more like plastic. While his body didn´t reshape in any way, you could notice his movements slowing down, as he stood there with wide, horrified eyes. Soon even they looked more painted than real eyes. Eric´s hair looked like a solid mass, both his hands and feet looked rather useless as fingers and toes were glued together. A lone tear escaped Eric´s left eye before it was fully painted, leaving him unable to even blink with it. He was still able to move rather slowly and inflexible in it, but it showed he was still somewhat alive inside.
Mike was in complete shock, seeing his friend, first that small and then made into a toy, while another was a crying baby, to which Ryan had resulted seeing Eric´s now mostly lifeless body. That was why John decided to change Sei first, who still tried to open the door, which seemed to be stuck closed.