Isabella's POV:
I woke up this morning not really knowing what to expect. My mind has been running in all sorts of different places this week, especially with the new horror game 'Five Nights at Freddy's' being the talk of the town. Normally, my mind is focused on one thing and one thing only, Phineas Flynn. But I can't even focus on him for a few minutes without that game taking over my train of thought. I really want to play it but my soul can't take scary things, especially not games. But I just want to see what all the buzz is about. Ok, I'll go over to Phineas' and see what he's doing, then see if he wants to play it with me. Because if I am going to play it, then I'm going to need some friendly assistance, maybe a little more than just 'friendly assistance'.
Phineas' POV:
I was woken by this morning by the sound of Ferb tapping away on his computer. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, then looked over at him. Man did he look in the zone.
"Ferb?" I said in a groggy tone.
He looked over at me and blinked.
"What are you doing?" I asked, getting out of bed and walking over to him.
He pointed at his screen, not saying a word. I read the words at the top of the browser out loud:
"Five Night at Freddy's…" my heart sank and my eyes widened.
Ferb must've noticed my expression change because he snickered, covering his mouth, trying not to laugh.
"No. No, no, no, no, no." I shook my head. "We're not playing that," I said with certainty.
I've heard all the rumours about this game and most of them aren't good. People have said that it's the scariest game of all creation, which does put me off a little, but I suppose I am kind of curious to see what it's like. Ferb just turned back to his computer and clicked 'download'
"Dude!" I threw my arms up into the air, then brought them back down to my side.
"Oh, whoops. Sorry," he said sarcastically and shrugged.
We both laughed and I playfully punched his arm.
"Fine, we'll play, just let me get ready first. We'll see if Isabella wants to play." I said, heading for the bedroom door.
"She probably won't, you know how much she hates horror games," Ferb reminded me.
"Yeah…" I agreed, my heart sinking for the second time today.
"But hey," Ferb said, swivelling round on his chair to face me. "You never know. She might decide that if you're playing it, it might be worth the journey." He smiled at me.
"Yeah, I wish," I replied, staring wistfully into space. "Man, what I would do for her to hold me in terror."
Ferb burst out laughing, causing me to snap out of my thoughts and back to reality. I laughed a little with him, then walked out to head for the bathroom.
Isabella's POV:
Phineas' mum let me in after I knocked and told me to boys were upstairs. I thanked her and made my way upstairs and along the corridor until I reached their bedroom. I stopped behind the open door and quickly fixed my bow and dress then walked in.
"Hey, Phineas. Whatcha doin'?" I asked in my usual quirky tone.
Phineas and Ferb were both huddled around Ferb's computer so all I could see were their backs. I couldn't even see what they were looking at. Phineas turned around in his chair, resting his arm on the back of it.
"Oh hey, Isabella," he said smiling. "Ferb and I were just about to play 'Five Nights at Freddy's"
The last four words struck my heart like a cannonball.
"Five Nights at Freddy's?" I repeated, my voice shaking a little.
"Yeah," Phineas answered. "Wanna play with us?"
"Of course," I said, sounding a bit too excited. I have to admit, I was a little terrified but as long as Phineas was there, I felt safe.
"Awesome, pull up a chair," Phineas directed, pointing to a chair in the corner of the room, then turning back to the computer.
I did as he instructed, rushing over to the chair he pointed at, picking it up, and heading over to the computer. Phineas moved to the left to let me squeeze in-between him and Ferb. The mouse was hovering over 'new game' before Phineas and Ferb nodded at each other.
"Boo!" someone shouted from behind me, causing me to scream. I turned around to see Buford standing there, laughing, with Baljeet behind him, in the doorframe.
"I had nothing to do with this," Baljeet protested, putting his arms up in the air in the surrender position.
"Oh, hey guys," Phineas greeted them, swivelling in his chair back to that cute position. "We were just about to play Five Nights at Freddy's. Wanna join us?"
I looked over at Baljeet who was still standing in the doorway, a terrified look on his face. Buford, on the other hand, was already pulling up a chair and sitting behind me and Ferb.
"Baljeet?" Phineas asked.
"Oh… ok…" he hesitated, grabbing a chair and sitting behind me and Phineas.
It suddenly hit me how relaxed Phineas was. He was so relaxed, I could feel it inside myself. It calmed me down a little bit and replaced my fear with excitement.
"Come on, Ferb, hit play!" I urged.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Isabella." Phineas agreed. "You heard the girl, Ferb, hit play!"
Ferb nodded and pressed play. Suddenly, the screen turned black, followed by the lights in the bedroom. Everything was pitch black.
"Uh, Phineas…" I said, a little fear creeping up into my voice.
But before he could answer, a bright white light flashed before my eyes. I turned my head and shielded my eyes with my arms. I opened my eyes to see Phineas and Baljeet doing the same. So at least I wasn't alone.
Once the bright light dimmed, all five of us turned back round to the words infront of us.
"Night 1. 12am," Phineas read out, his voice holding a little terror.
"Does this seem a little too life-like for you guys?" I asked, turning my head in both directions to see the other four boys nodding.
"I think I just peed my pants a little," Buford whispered, keeping his eyes glued to the light in front of us.
Suddenly, the words disappeared and we found ourselves in an office. We were all sitting behind a table, with a workpad in front of us. There were posters on the walls in front of us of three animatronics, looking all happy and jolly. There were drawings from children plastered around the room, covering the peeling wallpaper which was covered in mildew and mould. The lights around us were dim and barely functioning properly, as they kept flickering on and off.
"Oh no," I said, the fear in my chest rising dramatically.
Phineas' POV
Isabella had just said exactly what I was thinking. 'Oh no'. We were trapped inside the game. And we couldn't get out. Suddenly Baljeet screamed at the top of his lungs, the noise echoing throughout the room.
"Baljeet!" Buford said, trying to shut him up. "Calm down, we're gonna get out of this!"
"We are trapped inside the scariest horror game known to man! This is not okay!" He screamed.
"Baljeet, we're gonna beat the game and then we're gonna get home, you just have to relax." Buford said, with his hands on Baljeet's forearms.
Whilst Buford was trying to calm Baljeet down, I turned to look at Isabella, who was standing frozen next to me. Her skin was pale and she was shaking. I could see her eyes start to well up with tears and some started to fall. I acted on instinct, as I have seen her cry before. I moved in front of her and placed my own hands on her forearms, causing her to look up at me. Her eyes glistened in the dim light of the office, the deep blue sparkling. Not in a mean way or anything, but she does look rather cute when she's crying.
"Isabella, it's ok. We're gonna do this." I said with a soothing tone, smiling at her reassuringly.
She didn't say anything at first, just stared at me, tears moistening her eyes and falling down her cheeks.
"Phineas, I'm scared," she whispered, trying to control her breathing.
I suddenly felt a pang of sadness strike my heart. I didn't want her to be scared. I've never wanted her to be scared. And now we're all stuck inside a horror game which we can't get out of unless we beat it, which will probably be impossible because we know nothing about it! But I remained calm, for Isabella's sake. I kept the feeling of hope and clarity alive because I know that if I didn't, we wouldn't stand a chance at survival. I hugged Isabella, engulfing her into my arms, letting her know she was safe and everything was going to be alright with just one friendly gesture.
"I know," I replied. "So am I. But I promise that we're gonna get through this and we're gonna do it together," I let go of her. "I promise."
She smiled at me and wiped the tears from her eyes away. Then she took a deep breath and nodded. She was on board. I walked over to Baljeet and Buford to see Baljeet was finally calm and that they were both willing to try and get out.
"Guys, come see this," Ferb waved at us to go over to where he was. He was standing at the end of the table with a phone pressed to his ear.
"What is it, Ferb?" I asked, standing next to him.
"It's ringing," he replied, a bit a surprise in his voice.
Suddenly a voice seeped out from the phone, causing Ferb to flinch, but he immediately recovered and pressed the loudspeaker button.
"Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay? Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know.
Um, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced." Blah, blah, blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath, I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay. So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know? Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh. Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."
Ferb slowly put the phone down back onto its holder. He looked up at all of us with a look of worry on his face.
"Well, there goes the vote of confidence, now we can start freaking out again," Buford said sarcastically.
"Now hang on," I interrupted before anybody could reply to his comment. "You heard what the guy on the phone said. All we have to do is check the cameras and close the doors if absolutely necessary."
It sounded easy but I knew it was more complicated than that.
"And what does 'absolutely necessary' mean?" Buford asked, obviously trying to counter-point against my theory.
"Well…" I started, trying to think of a point to prove Buford wrong. "Well, we have cameras, right? And the animatronics do wander around at night. So… if they get close, just shut the doors." I finished, shrugging.
"And the guy on the phone said the first day should be a breeze, so… yeah," Isabella added.
"Exactly. If we work together, we can beat night 1 easy." I said, feeling more confident and determined to win this game.
The group shared looks of discomfort and hesitation, but they officially came round with a bunch of nods to do so.
"Awesome," I said, smiling. "Now first thing's first, we all need to have different jobs."
Before I even got to finish my sentence, Buford interrupted, followed by everyone else.
"I'll guard the left door," he said
"I'll flash the left door light," Baljeet said.
"I'll guard the right door," Ferb said.
"I'll flash the right door light," Isabella said.
All their immediate answers left me star-struck, until I realised what job I'd have to take up.
"Wow," was all I could say. "Ok. I guess I'm watching the camera," I said, my voice drifting off as I turned my head to look at the workpad revealing the surveillance tapes live from right at this moment.
"Well, let's get to work!" Isabella chirped, sounding completely different from the girl who was crying just moments earlier.
Isabella's POV:
I tried to look relaxed on the outside, but on the inside I am freaking out. The bad thing about guarding one of the doors is that you can see straight down the halls, which is kind of terrifying depending on the fact that I have no idea what these animatronics look like. But Ferb is a smart, logical and calm guy, so I can rely on him to close the doors in time.
I looked back at Phineas several times, just to see if he was ok and, like always, he was. He looked really focused, a stern frown on his face completed with the eyes of an angel. It brought on a complete look of concentration, which made me wander into Phineasland, until I snapped back to reality by Phineas saying, keeping the same stern look on his face:
"Isabella, flash your light for a second."
I turned back to the door and pressed the button labelled 'light'. What was illuminated by the dim, yet slightly bright white light made my heart skip a beat. Standing just inches away from me and Ferb was a chicken. But more terrifying. It was yellow and had a round head with big, bulging blue eyes. It was wearing a bib labelled 'let's eat!' and its mouth was wide open, revealing a horrifying set of teeth, ready to clamp shut any second. I screamed and turned the light off.
"Ferb, shut the door! Shut the door!" I yelled, holding my hands over my eyes until I heard the sound of the door closing shut.
I slowly removed my hands from my eyes and collapsed against the wall. I breathed out a sigh of relief then looked over at Phineas.
"What was that thing?" Ferb asked, walking over to stand with Phineas by the workpad.
"I don't know, bro. But whatever it was is just the beginning." Phineas answered.
Then, as if on cue, the setting in front of us turned pitch black, engulfing us in darkness. I held my breath as I knew something could happen, but I kept my eyes open. Suddenly, the sound of an old, town clock chimed, with the word '6am' flashing on the screen.
I couldn't believe it! We made it through night 1! I looked back over at Phineas, who was just about visible due to the workpad's dim glow. He got up, made his way over to me and hugged me. The sudden motion took me by surprise, but I returned the hug. I was so happy that he was here, to comfort me and help us all get back. Now I'm certain we'll make it back to our world, and we'll do it in no time.
Suddenly, the workpad cut off and we were all trapped in complete darkness again. I was alright, though. I had Phineas hugging me, what's better that that? Nobody spoke or even moved as we awaited what was going to happen next. The words 'Night 2. 12am' flashed in the darkness ahead of us before quickly disappearing, and we were all back in the same room as before. Phineas let go of me slowly, gave me a concerned look, then headed back over for the workpad. He flicked through a few of the cameras until he stopped, with his eyes wide in horror.
"One of them is already gone!" he exclaimed in surprise.
On that note, we all headed back to our stations and patiently waited for Phineas' next instruction.
"Which one is it?" Baljeet asked, his voice trembling.
"The bunny," Phineas answered, not taking his eyes off the workpad.
I looked up at the poster with the three animatronics and immediately spotted the bunny. It was dark lavender, with pink eyes and an ugly face.
"Do you know where it is?" Baljeet asked.
"It's backstage, nowhere near us," Phineas answered, but before he could finish his sentence, some sort of golden bear appeared in the office, lifeless and limp, with dead eyes.
"Everyone close your eyes!" Ferb yelled.
We all did what Ferb told us to do and soon the golden bear was gone.
"Ok, now what was that?" I gasped.
"I…" Phineas started. "I don't know," he finished, looking up to meet my gaze.
Suddenly, the phone rang causing us to jump. Phineas picked it up and pressed the loudspeaker button.
"Uhh, Hello? Hello? Uh, well, if you're hearing this and you made it to day two, uh, congrats! I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Freddy and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses. Uhh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place. You know...
Uh... Interestingly enough, Freddy himself doesn't come off stage very often. I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right? I-I also want to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors. So if-if you can't find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights. Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react... Uh, not that you would be in any danger, of course. I'm not implying that. Also, check on the curtain in Pirate Cove from time to time. The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time. I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control! Uh, talk to you soon."
Phineas put the phone down and looked up at us.
"Pirate Cove, huh?" he said in a neutral tone, whilst checking the cameras. "Ok, guys, new plan. You're all in charge of your own stations, I need to check Pirate Cove a lot, but I'll still try and tell you where everyone is."
We all nodded.
"Ok," Phineas let out a huge sigh.
I knew he was starting to lose hope.
Phineas' POV:
I kept flicking through the cameras, one by one, making sure everyone was in their correct position. The bunny was still backstage, but the chicken had moved to the restrooms, which were still far away. I checked back on Pirate Cove to see some weird fox thing staring at me with its mouth wide open and its yellow eyes bulging out at me. I flinched and shut the camera off, then remembered what the guy on the phone said, 'The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time.'
So I flicked the camera back on to see him still standing there.
"Guys, Pirate Cove man is on the move," I warned everyone before continuing to flick through the cameras.
*Time skip*
It was 5am and Pirate Cove man was literally about to leave his station and get us. I kept Baljeet and Buford up to date on his whereabouts and tried to keep Ferb and Isabella posted, but my mind wasn't functioning properly. I let my guard down for one second and it was the biggest mistake of my life:
I looked over at Isabella to see if she was ok. She was shaking a little, but nothing too serious. I didn't realise how long I was staring at her for until I heard a scream come over from the left door. I snapped my head round to see the guy from Pirate Cove, standing there, with his mouth wide open, and I realised Baljeet was gone.
The office turned black and the words 'Night 3. 12am' flashed on the screen.
When we were back in the dim light of the office, I looked around trying to find Baljeet.
"Guys, where's Baljeet?" I asked, trying to remain calm.
"The Pirate Cove man took him," Buford answered, shaking and trembling.
"Then how are we still alive?" Isabella asked, looking at all of us.
"Maybe because we're real people trapped in a fictional game, once the predator strikes, they only take one person per night," Ferb answered.
"That sounds about right," I agreed.
Everyone stood there in silence, probably wondering the same thing I was, 'who will be next?'
"Well, look, there's nothing we can do for Baljeet now," I said, trying to focus on the game ahead of us. "Maybe if we complete the game, we can get him back."
Ferb nodded and headed back for the right door, Isabella following.
Buford eventually agreed to continue, heading back to the left door.
"Buford, you'll have to guard both the light and the door, since we only have four people," I said.
Buford nodded without looking at me and readied his hands, one of the light button, and one on the door button. The phone rang.
''Hello, hello? Hey you're doing great! Most people don't last this long. I mean, you know, they usually move on to other things by now. I'm not implying that they died. Th-th-that's not what I meant. Uh, anyway I better not take up too much of your time. Things start getting real tonight. Uh... Hey, listen, I had an idea: if you happen to get caught and want to avoid getting stuffed into a Freddy suit, uhh, try playing dead! You know, go limp. Then there's a chance that, uh, maybe they'll think that you're an empty costume instead. Then again if they think you're an empty costume, they might try to... stuff a metal skeleton into you. I wonder how that would work. Yeah, never mind, scratch that. It's best just not to get caught. Um... Ok, I'll leave you to it. See you on the flip side."
*Time skip*
It was 5am. We had 1% power left. The bunny and the chicken were outside both the left and the right doors, which were sealed shut. All four of us were huddled together in the corner, awaiting the much so dreaded moment when we run out of power. Ferb was rather calm for the current situation, probably because he knows more about this game than anybody else. Isabella had a scared look on her face but she managed to not cry. Buford was just sitting there, doing nothing. Probably thinking about Baljeet. And there I was, sitting still, staring into space. I was thinking about so many things: Baljeet, the power, the animatronics, my friends… my brother. I looked over at Ferb who looked over at me. I could just about see his face in the dim light and he was smiling a little at me. Unless we got through the night without one of the animatronics coming for us or the power running out, one of us would be taken each night, and I was terrified for the night Ferb got taken.
Suddenly, the light turned off, spilling eerie darkness over us. The fan stopped turning, stiffening the cool air and both doors opened. I tensed up a little, holding my breath. Nothing happened for a moment, until Buford got up.
"Buford!" I whispered in a sharp tone "What are you doing?"
I couldn't tell if Buford was looking at me but I decided to think that he was.
"They took Baljeet, and I need to go find him," he replied.
"But you don't even like Baljeet," Isabella added.
"Yeah, but, he was my nerd, and a bully always needs a nerd."
And with that, Buford was gone, running out of the office and down the West Hall.
We heard the sound of his booming footsteps, followed by a gasp, then a scream. I closed my eyes and let Isabella hold me. She was shaking a little and her body was cold. I held her back and let her cry into my shoulder. Then, the old chiming sound rang through the air, indicating it was now 6am.
Isabella's POV:
The fear was slowly starting to take over the hope. Both Baljeet and Buford were gone, and either me, Phineas or Ferb were next. I let go of Phineas and wiped the tears away. We were back in the office, but this time with more jobs to do. Ferb headed over to the left door, implying he would now take over from Buford, leaving me to man that right door on my own. I walked over to it and flashed the light quickly. Nothing. Suddenly, the phone rang but everyone was used to it ringing, so nobody jumped.
"Hello, hello? Hey! Hey, wow, day 4. I knew you could do it. Uh, hey, listen, I may not be around to send you a message tomorrow. *banging sound* It's-It's been a bad night here for me. Um, I-I'm kinda glad that I recorded my messages for you *clears throat* uh, when I did. Uh, hey, do me a favour. *bang bang* Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the back room? *bang bang* I'm gonna try to hold out until someone checks. Maybe it won't be so bad. *bang bang* Uh, I-I-I-I always wondered what was in all those empty heads back there. *chime plays*. You know...*moan* oh, no - *noises followed by an animatronic screech and static*"
We all looked at each other in utter silence. Nobody said a word. We all knew that the guy on the phone was dead. But we had bigger things to worry about. And Phineas knew it too. He cleared his throat
"Hey, Ferb." He said, "What do you know about these animatronics?"
"Well, I know their names," Ferb suggested.
"Perfect." Phineas replied.
"Well, the Bunny is called Bonnie, the Chicken is called Chica, the Fox which attacked Baljeet is called Foxy…"
"Go figure," Phineas interrupted.
"And the main character is called Freddy who, as we all know, is a Bear." Ferb finished.
"Hey, what about that golden bear that appeared on night 2?" I asked.
"That, my friend, was Golden Freddy," Ferb answered.
"What's so special about him?" I asked, a little bit of disgust in my voice.
"Well, that's the thing, see. I don't know," he answered. "All I know is that he can travel through closed doors, appear and disappear randomly, and sometimes, the poster in the west hall corner changes to his face."
"What does that mean?" Phineas asked, flicking through the cameras.
"It means that if you see that poster, don't take the camera down straight away. Flick to something else, then do it." Ferb answered, peeking out of the left door after flashing his light.
"Why?" I asked, doing the same.
"Because that's what causes him to appear in the office," he answered, pulling his head back inside.
Phineas took a deep breath and continued to flick through the cameras, noticing all of the animatronics were gone, including Foxy.
"Ferb close your door!" he yelled, fearing his brother would be the next to get taken.
As soon as he had finished, Ferb mashed the door button, sealing it shut. We heard a banging on the door, which decreased the power. First 1%, then 6%, then 11%. Then he was gone, disappearing back to Pirate Cove.
"Guys we have to be super focused today, otherwise we're done for." Phineas stated, giving up on the whole 'positive' vibe.
I nodded and turned back to my door, keeping my hands against the buttons, ready for the night ahead.
*Time skip*
Phineas' POV:
I have to admit, this game is really starting to mess with my brain now. I can't concentrate on anything but the cameras. The only thing I can think about is getting out from this game. Wait, let me rephrase that. The only thing I can think about is getting out from this NIGHTMARE. Now, we're down to 3% and we're at the peak of 5am. Both doors were closed and Isabella and Ferb were huddled in the corner, painfully waiting the moment when we ran out of power. However, I kept flicking through the cameras, one last time before we were officially screwed. From no fault of my own, the lights switched off and the doors opened. I closed the camera and ran over to the corner where Isabella and Ferb were. I sat down next to Isabella and looked into her eyes. All I saw was raw terror and worry. Ferb, however, was completely calm. He never was really scared of anything. But for all I know, he could be hiding it, for our sake. I'm trying to hide it but I can't. I just can't…
The lights turned off. I closed my eyes and held Isabella's hand. The doors opened and the sound of booming footsteps filled the air. The floorboards beneath us creaked as the attacker kept making its way towards us. Suddenly, a flash of light danced around outside my closed eyes, so bright I could see it clearly, even with them closed. A high pitched scream, unlike no other, pierced the air and shook the world around me. I heard Isabella scream, but she kept the grip on my hand firm and strong. I kept my eyes closed and waited patiently for 6am. Once the sound of the chiming clock replaced the screams and eerie moans, I opened my eyes. I was back in the office, alive as it seemed. I let out a huge sigh of relief which I cut off once I realised someone was taken. I whipped my head round to see Isabella sitting next to me, looking as startled as I was. We stared into each other's eyes for a long hard moment until she let out a sigh of relief and crashed against the wall. I just continued staring, in shock about what had just happened.
"Ferb…" I whispered, my voice shaking
Isabella looked at me with an expression of sorrow masking her face. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes and before I could wipe them away, they started to fall. Isabella reacted almost instantly, scooping me up into a long lasting hug. That was when I really started to cry. I've never cried so hard in my whole life. Tear after tear after tear fell, moistening Isabella's dress. She didn't seem to mind though. I wrapped my own arms around her back and hugged her tightly. Ferb was gone and I couldn't do anything about it.
"This is all my fault!" I cried, although my voice was muffled, due to my head being buried in Isabella's shoulder.
"Phineas, this is not your fault. You didn't know this would happen, none of us did!" Isabella exclaimed. "Look, the only thing we can do now is get through this last night. Then we'll have everyone back, even Ferb." Her voice was calming, yet with a bit of edge in it.
It made me realise everything was going to be ok. And anyway, I was hoping to be alone with Isabella during the game, I just never thought it would be like this. I slowly let go of her and rubbed my eyes. She smiled at me in such a way, my heart skipped a beat. I took a deep breath and got up, helping Isabella up after me. I was ready to start the night and get it over with, keeping Ferb in mind the whole time.
The phone rang as usual but there was something strange about its presence. I looked up at Isabella who was standing by the right door. She looked at me with the same perplexed look I had.
"Didn't he die on the previous night?" she asked me, obviously talking about whoever was on the other end on the phone.
Before I could answer, the ringing stopped and the message played.
We couldn't make out any words at all, just deep, garbled, demonic-sounding voices followed by animatronic screams. Once it ended, Isabella cleared her throat.
"Well that was nice," she said sarcastically.
*Time skip*
It was 3am, we had 56% power and we were doing pretty well. Freddy appeared in the East Hall Corner, which made us have to close the right door and Foxy wasn't moving, probably due to me checking Pirate Cove a lot. The other two were just wandering around, Chica was by the restrooms and Bonnie was backstage. I flicked through the cameras and stopped when I saw Chica had moved. I checked the other rooms until I found her in the East Hall. But something else caught my eye.
"Hey Isabella, come look at this," I said, keeping my eyes trained on the camera.
"What is it?" she asked, joining me infront of the workpad.
"Look at these posters," I said, pointing to the posters on the right side of the wall in the East Hall.
"What about them?" she asked, leaning inwards to get a better look.
I scooted to the side of the chair I was sitting in, so Isabella had more space. She perched herself on the other side of it and looked at the camera. We were so close our hips were touching and it sent a nervous chill up my spine. But I snapped my attention back to the posters.
"They've changed," I answered, sounding certain.
"What do you mean?" she asked, leaning in closer.
"They've changed," I repeated. "To a crying child. I've never seen them before. It has to mean something."
She looked at me and pursed her lips. She looked a little worried.
"Isabella," I said. "What is it?"
"I've heard about that child," she answered, the fear visible in her eyes. "Apparently it's the spirit of a child that was lured to the back of this restaurant and killed. After it died, it was stuffed into the animatronic of a puppet."
"Then why hasn't the puppet come at us yet?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.
"I don't know," she answered, shaking her head.
"Well let's just focus on getting through the night," I changed the subject. "It's 4am, only two hours left until we're done for good."
She nodded and headed back for the right door. I watched her flash her light then move onto the left door. I felt sorry for her. She had to focus on guarding two doors at once. She was part of a huge responsibility and I didn't want her to feel like it would be her fault if we lost. She seemed pretty calm though. I turned my attention back to the cameras, checking the posters one last time before moving on.
Isabella's POV:
"5am," Phineas said plainly.
"Ok," I replied with the same blank tone.
I'll be honest, I was hoping there would be a little romance in this experience, but so far it's been all work. I guess I am a little grateful for making it up to Night 5 with Phineas, but something's missing, apart from all our friends. Something I was hoping would happen, but I guess not. I focused on checking the doors. Check one, move on. Check one, move on. It was boring but it had to be done. I went back over to check the right door when I heard a scream from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Phineas lying in the corner of the room. I closed both doors and ran over to him. I kneeled down next to him and looked at him. He looked pale and weak.
"Phineas?" I asked, panic rising up in my voice. "What happened?"
"He came out of nowhere," he replied weakly.
"Who?" I asked, propping his head up on my knee.
"Freddy," he answered.
His arm fell from around his stomach, revealing a horrifying gash, red with blood. My mouth fell open as I realised what had happened. He'd been attacked. I quickly looked around the room for anything to stop the bleeding but nothing was good enough.
"Isabella," he said dryly, putting his hand on my arm. It was cold and shaking.
I turned back around to face him, tears starting to fall from my eyes.
"It's ok," he said, trying to smile, then wincing at the pain.
"If I had checked the doors in more detail you wouldn't be like this," I sobbed, more tears falling and staining his t-shirt.
"It's not your fault," he said weakly, the colour slowly draining from his face.
I carefully laid him on the ground, kneeling in closer so our faces were nearly touching.
"Isabella," he said. I could feel his breath touching my nose. It was cold and filled with weakness.
"Mhm?" I replied, unable to speak.
"Sing me to sleep," he requested slowly.
I shook my head.
"No. no, no, no, no, no." I started to cry.
"Isabella, it's ok you can get through this," he said, trying to calm me down.
"I am not singing because you are not going to sleep," I sobbed. "You are going to make it out until 6am and you are going to be fine," I emphasized even though I knew it wasn't true.
Phineas didn't say anything. He just stayed still staring at me with big pleading eyes.
"Please," he begged so quietly I nearly didn't hear him.
More tears fell as I took a deep breath. I didn't want to do this, I couldn't. But I had to.
"Well I don't know what to do, but I think I'm getting through. Cus when I say I love you," I stopped, taking in the current surroundings and becoming aware of everything around me. The hard, metallic floor, icy cold. The cool breeze of the fan, slowly blowing my hair to the side. The dim, eerie light, casting my shadow above Phineas' body, so I could only just see his face. He was still staring at me with a pleading look. But I couldn't go on. I took a deep breath as more tears fell, more than before. I closed my eyes and sobbed, wishing the pain away.
"She says 'I gitchee gitchee goo you too'" I heard Phineas sing weakly. I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me, ignoring the pain it caused. I stared at him with my mouth open a little. I didn't know what I was feeling, but I knew it was something. A single tear rolled down my cheek. Phineas slowly raised his arm to wipe it away. His hand was even colder than before and it sent a chill down my spine. I gripped onto his hand, the one on my face, and lowered it back down to his side. I kept my hand wrapped around his as I leaned inwards. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against his. I felt him grip onto my hand tighter in the moment, but he slowly loosened the grip. My heart was racing as I begged for him to stay with me, kissing him harder. But it was too late. His grip on my hand loosened completely, falling to the ground with a light thud.
I pulled back and saw him paler than ever, with his eyes closed. And I knew he was gone. I covered my mouth with my hand, to supress a scream mixed with a cry. I just wanted this nightmare to end, once and for all. I wanted to get Phineas back. I wanted to be back home, in the comfort of my room. I wanted it to go back to being a normal day of summer where we would build crazy things and just have a laugh. I wish it would roll over to 6am.
As if on cue, the sound of a chiming clock filled the room. I closed my eyes and cried hard, out of relief and endless sorrow. I knew it wasn't real but I felt like it was. I continued to cry until my throat burned. After that, I just sat on my knees with my head in my hands, sobbing. I was shaking and I could feel my body temperature dropping. My chest hurt from trying to control my breathing over and over again, but it was the only thing I could think to do. After a few painful minutes of sobbing, I calmed to a rapid fit of sucking in huge breaths. But something around me had changed. The feel of the cold, metal floor beneath me had changed to a feel of soft carpet. The atmosphere around me had switched to one full of peace and warmth, not one of mysteriousness. The sounds around me were no longer screams and deep breaths and eerie music. All I could hear was the faint sound of birds chirping and cars driving along. But something else entered my hearing once I had got used to my blind surroundings. Someone calling my name. I slowly removed my hands from my face and opened my eyes, only to be greeted by a bright peach-coloured light, accompanied by a smudge of other colours. I blinked away my tears and everything became clear. Phineas was sitting in front of me, with his hands on my forearms, a concerned look plastered across his face. A sudden rush of relief and happiness rushed over me and I started to smile.
"Are you ok?" he asked, relaxing his voice in relief.
I didn't answer. I was too mesmerized by the fact Phineas was alive, and sitting in front of me.
"Isabell…" he started but I cut him off by pouncing on him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
I reacted before I even knew what I was doing and pressed my lips against his. I felt a spark light inside of me and it was soon turning into a firework of happiness. A feel of merriment and joy ate at my insides and filled my body with warmth and even more relief than before. I was more relieved now that Phineas was here, safe and sound. He soon got used to the fact I was kissing him and wrapped his own arms around my back. I didn't want this moment to end. But, like all good things, it had to. And it ended in a rather embarrassing way. I heard the door squeak and by the time I pulled away, it was too late. Phineas' mum was standing in the doorframe staring at me. I sat up and brushed my hair behind my ear. I could hear Ferb, Buford and Baljeet snickering in the background as my cheeks started to turn bright red.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, her gaze switching from Phineas to me, then back again.
"Nope, nothing to interrupt here, Mum," Phineas said, sounding a little too cheerful.
"Alright then," she said, loosening her intimidating glare. "There's snacks on the kitchen table when you're ready," and with that she was gone.
I looked back at Phineas and tried to stifle a laugh. He just smiled at me and propped himself up on his elbows. I got up and helped him onto his feet, not saying anything.
"What was that for?" he laughed.
Before I could answer, the others started to head towards the door, Buford leading and Ferb covering the rear. Before they left, Ferb turned back and winked at us, causing me to blush again. Once they were gone, I turned back to Phineas.
"I thought I lost you," I said quietly, but not too quiet that he couldn't hear.
I could feel tears prick my eyes as I looked at the floor. There was no way to stop then from falling, so I let them run down my cheeks. Phineas noticed immediately and engulfed me into a warm hug. Surprisingly, I didn't start crying properly. In fact I stopped. Once he let go of me, I smiled, wiping the tears from my eyes.
"Do you remember what happened?" I asked, sniffling.
"Of course," he replied. "I'm just glad you were there to share this traumatic experience with me," I could sense the sarcasm in his voice, but it was mixed with a little humour.
I laughed and sniffled, starting to feel better.
"Snacks?" Phineas asked, holding out his arm out to me.
I smiled and took hold of his hand, letting all the bad feelings drift off in the wind.
"That sounds good," I stated, already starting to get back to my normal self.
Phineas smiled at me and we walked out of the room, which I now realised as his bedroom, and headed down the stairs. I let out a huge sigh of relief. I was safe for now. At least until Five Nights at Freddy's 2 comes out. Remind me never to play that.
