"…I have to be seeing things," I muttered under my breath, simply staring at the television. The story had made me more alert than anyone should ever be when the sun is only rising.
The headline read "New Pizzeria Opening in Niles." The video that was playing showed the enthusiastic-looking construction that had begun just a couple of fortnights before. It was where a police station used to be… a place that had been abandoned since I was born. They had torn it down, and now… they were building this.
A Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria.
"This fun restaurant is foreseen to be a popular destination among your little ones," the reporter announced. "It's expected to open today!"
I had awoken to the news on the 1st of December.
I, myself… actually had mixed feelings. I simply nipped at my breakfast, trying to disguise the brewery of shock, happiness, and worry within me.
Oh, what everyone had yet to know.
You see… As kids in junior high, my friend Emily and I were beckoned into a dark corner after school one day by a classmate named Mike. He first openly admitted that he saw the both of us as the only girls who were worthy of a great boyfriend.
Then, he told us the lore of the very first Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. He told us of the animatronics that came out and tried to stuff any night wanderers into a Freddy Fazbear suit. He showed us pictures of each and every one of them… even the seldom-encountered Golden Freddy. He had our curiosity alight.
But then, he told us that we couldn't tell ANYONE what he had told us… unless he knew and trusted them as well. That never happened. Somehow, he saw me and Emily as the only brains worthy of holding this dear treasure of a tale. Sometimes, I'd sit back and wonder if he had actually fed us lies that were part of a cruel prank.
But then had come the news story out of that small city that was somewhere way south of where we lived… about the insane parents that claimed that their daughter was killed from the bite of an animatronic fox. It was never confirmed whether it was true or not, but those without imaginations, which turned out to be the vast majority of the population, blamed it on the parents' medical insanity.
Here I was on this morning… a sophomore in high school… suffering from medically extreme curiosity.
During lunch on that day, I beckoned Emily out to the hallway, away from our oblivious acquaintances.
Fortunately, I could see the unusual enthusiasm that danced in her eyes.
"…Please don't tell me you don't know about it," I said desperately.
"The pizzeria," Emily nodded. "Trust me. I'm just as excited as you are."
I was 8 days from the age of 16, yet people said I looked about 21. I was just a bit taller than most people, although I didn't see it. I had long, brown hair and black eyeglasses.
Emily was the youngest in our group of friends, and on this day, she was 5 months and 13 days from the age of 16. She had blonde hair that went down to her shoulders. She was just as much of a nerd as I was, and I had great gratefulness that she had chosen me as a friend.
But I know what you're probably wondering. Why were we both so excited that this place that was fabled to be deadly was so close to us now? Why did we want to go there?
It was deadly in a thrilling way. In… a fun and exciting way. According to what Mike had told us, there was a low chance of actually dying if we played our cards right and used our wits.
As I walked out of the office-like doors from the school that day, my arm was grabbed, and I was pulled to the brick wall by said door. These buses were useless to me, so I was in no rush.
Especially when I looked over and saw that it was Mike who was now staring me in the eyes with his crystal blue ones. He was just a bit taller than me and had pure red hair. We didn't talk that often, but we had a couple of classes together. One of those was P.E., where we were put in a team together that same day. We enjoyed each other's company, but didn't really have any chemistry. Or so I thought…
"Hey," he whispered. "You going to the pizzeria tonight? Don't tell me you aren't!"
Well… I hadn't planned on it… but my heart definitely had.
How would I pull it off, though? Would I have to sneak out and go against my guidelines as an innocent child?
I had to try something.
"I mean…" I replied. "I can try. What time?"
"They close their doors at around 10 o' clock each night," Mike replied. "But to be seen as customers, you and Emily should probably get there around 9."
"Seen as customers?" I asked.
"Yeah," Mike nodded. "…Oh, see, I got hired as the nightly security guard!"
"You WHAT?!" I laughed.
"Yep," Mike smiled. "Couldn't pass it up. I already spoke with Emily during World Studies. She's down with it. So… tonight. Do you think you can make it?"
"I can try," I shrugged worriedly. "I'll have to say that you invited me and Emily to a sleepover and that's where we're meeting up."
"That sounds perfect," said Mike, getting out a slice of paper and scribbling his address on it. "After we get out of there alive, I was thinking we could actually… hang out at my house until around 8:30."
"Cool!" I waved, walking toward the red car that my mother and I were currently using. I mean, it was technically ours, but it WAS my sister-in-law's. We could never have a car to ourselves without it overheating within the first year.
"Hey, Mom?" I asked as I got in. "A classmate of mine's invited me to a sleepover."
"Oh, cool!" said Mom. "When is it?"
"…Tonight," I said worriedly. "He wants Emily and I to meet him by the new pizzeria at 9… well, because he invited her as well."
Against my initial thoughts, she replied "Sure! That's not too far! When do you want me to pick you up?"
"His house," I nodded, handing her the slip of paper which Mike had written his address on. "Around 8:30am."
And so, I sat in my room about half an hour before I had to leave, trying to think of what I could pack for a night filled with uncertainty. A night filled with panicked button-punching, hiding, and the avoidance of around-the-corner death. This would most certainly be the closest I had ever stared death in the face.
When was I ever one to do something like this?, I began to ask myself. Everything I did was so harmless, and BOOM! Sudden death staring into my soul, or so I envisioned.
…Now, I guess. Now, I was someone to do something like this.
Author's note: Well… that's that. This will be updated every Sunday. If you know me, you know I update every fanfiction on a strict weekly basis. Only once have I gone against this since it went into place, and that case was the one of the fanfiction that's still on an indefinite hiatus. But that's that sector of my career! What do you think of this fanfic so far? Reviews would be HIGHLY appreciated! Please and thank you! :)