The car pulled up to the front of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, where Mike and Emily were anxiously staring at me, awaiting me.
I then reminded myself that I was still just a few streets away from home. That would be useful if the risk of death actually got out of hand. Or would it?
I got out, holding an old backpack of mine. It would have been perfect for the daily school commute, even though I had bought it before the start of middle school… but my dog, Ellie, had chewed a huge hole in the back of it, so the back pocket was completely useless. Still, the main compartment held a few random things.
There was an empty notebook and a mechanical pencil, so that I could document this experience. There was no doubt that Mike would be in charge of the cameras, so I'd have time to write. There was NO way I was going to let this night go forgotten whatsoever.
There were also spare clothes, some Poptarts… and a butcher's knife. I figured a last-ditch effort to snap some of the wires within a threatening animatronic could make a world of a difference.
"Hello!" I said, walking up to Mike and Emily,
"Hi," said Emily. "I am both scared and excited at the same time."
"Me too," said Mike, equipping himself with a hat that labeled him as the security guard. "…But mostly excited, even though I realize that both of your lives are in my hands."
"We'll probably help out," said Emily.
"You can have each of us go to one of the doors," I suggested. "Just tell us when to close them."
"…Alright," said Mike, turning to face the building as the last customer walked out. "Just three more hours, and death could literally walk through the door. You guys ready?"
"Sure!" Emily and I said together.
Until midnight, the animatronics were still in a sane state. We explored the pizzeria and found… exactly what we had expected. It looked to be your standard entertainment center/restaurant.
It was 11:30 when we found the show stage. When we opened the door, Mike and I gasped, and Emily just went "Woah."
The things that were going to come to kill us in just 30 more minutes were here… just standing there, not making a single movement. Their mouths were stuck open, and their eyes appeared to simply be holes in the darkness.
Oh, the life that'd come to them really soon.
By the time we finally found Mike's new office, it was 11:59. We just couldn't figure out where it was until then. At first, we shrugged and were like "Oh, we have time." At around 11:50, we were officially panicking, literally running for our lives from forces that were chasing us… yet not even there yet.
By the time midnight struck on Mike's watch, Emily was positioned by the west door, I was positioned by the east door, and Mike was perched upon a wooden stool with a touchscreen camera in his hands. The fear was evident in their eyes, especially Mike's. Our lives really were in his hands, weren't they? His watch beeped quietly, but it felt like an ominous siren in the night. Breaking the silence. Summoning the time… of demise.
At that, the phone on the desk rang, giving me and Mike jolts of shock. It was just the phone.
"The phone's already set to speakerphone," said Mike. "You guys ready?"
All Emily and I could do was nod.
Then, a voice spoke from the phone.
"Hello? Hello? Uh… I wanted to record a message for you… to help you get settled down 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 that there's nothing to worry about. You'll be fine, so let's just focus on getting you through your first night, okay? Uh, let's see… First, there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. I-It's kinda a legal thing, you know. Uh, 'Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, and where fantasy and fun come to life!"
"Yeah," said Mike. "…Totally."
"'Fazbear Entertainment," the voice from the phone continued. "is not responsible for damage to property or person.'"
We all spoke over the next few sentences or so that the voice said.
"Oh, that's reassuring," said Mike. "…Guys… I never saw that part in the ad."
"Oh," Emily worried.
"Uh…" I said. "…Well, now you know! Great… Now we can't sue this place and get rich."
Then we listened to the phone guy again.
"Blah blah blah," he said. "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 20 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 you need to show them a little respect. Alright? Okay. So just be aware. The characters do tend to wander a little bit. Uh, they have some kind of free-roaming mode…"
"How does that even work?!" asked Mike.
"...They used to be able to walk around during the day, too!" the phone voice continued. "But then there was the Bite of '87. Yeah… It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe. Now, concerning your safety… The only real risk to you, if any, is the fact that these characters… Uh, if they happen to see you after hours, they probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll probably most likely see you as an 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 that having your head forcefully stuffed inside one of those could cause a bit of… discomfort."
"Didn't I tell you?" said Mike. "It's all real!"
"Exactly as you told us!" said Emily. I could tell that even as someone who put herself through the dread of horror video games, fear was definitely brewing within her.
"They don't tell you these things when you sign up," said the phone guy. "…But hey, first night should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh… check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Alright, goodnight!"
The phone clicked. We were left once more with the deceiving silence.
Author's note: Don't necessarily quote me on the phone guy's dialogue. I tried to catch every word of what he said through Markiplier's first video of Five Nights at Freddy's, and I had the other characters speak whenever I couldn't understand what he was saying, and I edited a few minor details… but it's the basic idea, and most of the words are accurate. Review pwease? I'd really appreciate it!