Some Thoughts from the Author: You know, it has taken me a while to get here. For over two years now... Two long years, I've been writing this story. In those two, seemingly short years, a lot of good and bad things have happened to me. I lost a grandfather in that time... I made new friends in college... I failed my own expectations... I've been given the chance to do some good in my life. Truly, a lot has happened in that time, but in that time I've always had the fortunate of writing for you all.
Whether you have been followed this story from the beginning or joined just recently, whether you have given up hope for seeing this story come to an end or still have maintained hope, whether you read exclusively FNAF fanfiction or come from other fandoms, I am writing this to you. Not just this small message, but this whole story; I am writing this for you. Thank you.
As you can tell, I have taken down all of the outdated chapters, for I no longer feel they hold up to my standards. I had made an update post a few months ago, announcing my plan that I would be rewriting this story, and now I believe it is time I make do on that plan. Hopefully, you all will enjoy the little change. I will say though, story-wise, the first couple chapters won't be far off from their original pieces, but in later chapters, you will see a difference.
This fanfic is based on udk115's now-canceled story "I Just Want a Family to Die With"; thank you for both inspiring me and allowing me to create my spin on your story. Also, I have to give Devil-Vox all credit for making this fantastic splash-art! I highly recommend anyone who likes it to check Devil-Vox's DA account! Finally, as always Scott Cawthon owns Five Nights at Freddy's and its characters.
Chapter 2
~What Am I?~
The whole room fell deathly quiet. Bonbon, Bonnie, Freddy, and Fredbear all stared in absolute shock; Jeremy, trapped inside the torn-up animatronic body, stared right back at them in sheer horror.
Bonbon was the first to shake her head in disbelief, and she subconsciously stretched out a trembling hand towards the former man.
"J-J-Jeremy," The bunny's voice muttered in a jarring tone, pausing in utter disbelief. "J-Jeremy?"
The moldy green animatronic stared straight towards the bunny's outstretched hand; his one good ear poised upright like a frightened animal while the other twitched uncontrollably. With his two blue eyes starting from Bon's paw, he slowly followed up her arm with his gaze before eventually reaching up towards the bunny's tearful face.
Both animatronics held their breath as there was a silent, unnerving moment of fear shared between the two. One was haunted by the fresh memory of Death's cold embrace while the other was disturbed by the grim realization of what they've done.
Bonbon tried to speak up, but all she did was cause herself to let out a soft sob. Then, with her lips trembling and tears falling, Bon spoke. "Oh god... J-Jeremy, i-is that... you?"
The moldy-green rabbit stared at Bonbon with two frightened eyes, scanning between all four animatronics that were in the room before coming right back to her. He began to back away from the bunny, shaking his head in denial as he did so.
"G-G-Get away from me," Jeremy stuttered as he backed through the puddle of blood. He could feel its warmth soak into his fur, but he ignored it as he continued to back away. The cold, He was already too preoccupied with staring at the animatronics to care about the blood. "P-Please, stay back..."
Bonnie watched in shock as the green animatronic backed up into the wall, and he couldn't help himself when he stepped closer to him. "Jeremy," the purple rabbit muttered in disbelief, "dear god, Jeremy, I... I... Let me help you up!"
Without a second thought, Bonnie stretched out a helping hand towards Jeremy, but the former man instantly flinched in terror as the clear image of Bonnie's maniacal smile flashed through his mind.
Jeremy, panicking to himself when he saw the approaching paw, screamed out, "N-NO! S-STAY BACK!"
In an instant, Bonnie pulled his paw away and took a step back. The purple rabbit appeared shaken for a moment, for he had not expected Jeremy to lash out like that.
Bonnie tried to reason with Jeremy again. This time though, he knelt down to get on the same eye level with him. "I-It's alright, Jeremy. I'm not going to hurt you. Just let me-."
Jeremy's eyes widened further than before as he watched Bonnie stretch his arm out. The purple animatronic's hand reached just over Jeremy's right leg, and the former man screamed even louder as the violent memory of the rabbit twisting his leg flashed through his eyes.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Jeremy wailed as he backed his body further into the wall, trying to get as much distance between him and the animatronic as possible.
Bonnie pulled his hand back again, while Bonbon watched teary-eyed. She wanted, so desperately, to try and say something to Jeremy, but she couldn't find the voice to speak.
Then, the sound of multiple footsteps came through the room's doorway, and all five animatronics shot their glances towards it as Foxy, Mangle, CC, and Chica came rushing in.
Foxy was holding onto the distraught-looking vixen when he turned to Fredbear and asked, "What was that yelling 'bout?"
Fredbear didn't say anything, but he shot eyes over towards the corner of the room.
The pirate and the three other animatronics followed to where the bear was looking at, and all four of them stared back at the bloody, scarred-up rabbit body that was Jeremy.
Audibly, Jeremy started to pant when he saw all eight of his killers' gazes face him. He continually shook his head, first slowly then quickly as he saw their faces flash between shocked expressions to menacing grins.
Notably, the image of Foxy's face was crystal clear in his head. The beady look inside Foxy's eyes, the devilish smile he wore, the poised hook raised up to his head; it was all there, inside Jeremy's head.
Jeremy's breathing accelerated as his heart pounded against his chest, and the images of his death continued to haunt his head. "N-N-No. N-No. N-No. No. N-N-No. N-No. N-No. No. N-N-No."
Foxy was speechless. The arm that the pirate had wrapped around Mangle soon fell from her body as it instead fell next to his waist. For a moment, Foxy had forgotten what he and the gang had done. His ears fell back when he heard Jeremy's panicking voice, but he tried stepping closer nonetheless.
"J-Jeremy?" Foxy's voice quavered under his breath. He couldn't comprehend the sight he was seeing, and he felt his caring self take-over his body. The pirate quickly forgot that he even had a hook, and he instinctively raised it towards Jeremy, mistaking it for an actual hand."Lad, is that you?"
Suddenly, Jeremy shook his entire body, as if it was being electrocuted, as he gave another blood-curdling scream. The unholy sight of Foxy's hook sent the former man into an anxiety attack.
"STAY AWAY! PLEASE, DEAR GOD, STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
Jeremy's vision became blurry, for there were too many tears forming in his eyes. His screaming soon transformed into sobbing as the fox pulled his hook back against his chest, clasping over it with his other paw.
Foxy was flabbergasted at what he was witnessing, and he only had to take a glimpse down at his hook to finally remember why Jeremy had screamed. The entirety of it was still covered in the man's blood, which had now congealed onto it like glue. The blood hadn't been there until he had plunged it into Jeremy's...
"Oh god," Foxy finally muttered to himself upon coming out of his momentary shock. He gazed back up at Jeremy with now a begging look, with his eyes widened and ears pulled back.
Mangle, CC, and Chica all shared the same responses when the saw the quivering animatronic that was Jeremy, and none of them, like Bon, could find the strength to speak. Chica had gone ahead and clasped a feathery hand over her beak, while CC and Mangle watched with gaping mouths.
Finally, Freddy took a step forward from the shadows of the room, wearing nothing more than a sorrowful frown. His footsteps thumped lightly against the floor before splashing into the bloody pool.
Jeremy's body twitched with each step the dark, brown bear had made, but then his muscles stiffened when Freddy passed by Foxy; he could no longer find his voice to scream. With eyes wide open, he followed the bear's approach, feeling his heartbeat freeze once Freddy stood only a mere foot away from him.
Then, there was a long pause. Both animatronics stared at one another; one with fear while the other in guilt.
The look on Freddy's face transfixed Jeremy. From the bear's guilt-filled eyes to his somber frown, the former man could tell what Freddy was feeling. Unbeknownst to Jeremy, the longer he stared up at bear, the harder it became for Freddy to hold back his tears.
When Freddy couldn't take it anymore, he blinked his eyes closed before opening them up, revealing two drops of tears falling from his eyes.
"Dear god... I'm sorry," Freddy whispered in complete and utter shame at himself.
There was something different about Freddy's expression when compared to the rest of the gang. Jeremy couldn't tell what it was that was different about his look, but he knew that, whatever it was, something was troubling Freddy more so than the rest of the gang, arguably as much as Bon.
Despite tearing up though, Freddy reached out a tender hand, causing everyone in the room to draw their breath.
Both Bonnie and Foxy intensified their gaze, for Jeremy had just denied their approaches. Fredbear and CC froze up. Chica shot a nervous glance towards Mangle, who still kept her teary eyes on Jeremy.
Bonbon watched in absolute silence. She could neither feel her heartbeat or breath when Freddy stretched his hand. Bon's gaze focused in on Jeremy's eyes, where she saw, for the fleetest of moments, a sign of hope.
The fear in Jeremy's eyes briefly subsided as they stared at the offered hand. Instead, it was replaced with a look of recognition, as if, despite everything he had gone through, Jeremy could still remember the old Freddy he once knew.
Memories of the old guard spending time with Freddy came back to mind, and the former man relaxed his eyes a tad. There were so many fond memories he had with Freddy and the gang. He could remember them as if it was yesterday.
There was a time where he could call Freddy more than just a friend. There was a time where both figures could trust each other, without ever having to worry about being hurt by other. There was a time, so long ago, where he could view the bear as the caring father he never had. It was the only time where Jeremy could call Freddy and the gang more than just machines; they were his family.
The thought lingered on for an additional moment inside Jeremy, making Bon clench her paws tighter. She could see the small, inkling of hope inside Jeremy's eyes.
Without even thinking about it, Jeremy had already begun to reach his hand out towards Freddy's.
This was why he came back... He came back to see his family again... His family... The only family he had ever come to know and love...
They were the very same ones that murdered him.
Jeremy's hand stopped just mere inches from Freddy's paw, and his eyes finally twitched in realization.
"Get away from me," Jeremy spat in venom as he reared his hand back, away from the animatronic.
Freddy visibly flinched from the sudden bitterness, but he still tried to reach his hand out closer to the former man. With a shaken tone, the brown animatronic muttered, "Jeremy, please... L-Let me explain-."
The torn-up rabbit wouldn't hear of it though, for his eyes were already trained on the bear's moving hand. Both of Jeremy's eyes widened as they quickly shifted between Freddy's face to his hand until finally, he snapped.
"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!"
A sudden flurry of moldy green fur shot up from the floor, knocking back Freddy in surprise. Freddy was caught by surprise and fell backward onto the floor, splashing down on top of the pool of blood while Jeremy made a mad dash for the exit doorway.
CC, Chica, and Foxy all stood frozen near the entrance, surprised just as much as Freddy. Foxy felt himself get shoved violently aside by Jeremy, who didn't even bat an eye when he did so. CC was quick enough to wake herself up from her confused state and quickly pulled Chica out of the doorway.
Jeremy made a hard turn with his new-pawed feet as he ran through the open entranceway. However, Jeremy felt disoriented from his body and the blood that stained his feet didn't provide a good enough traction, causing the 'man' to smack hard against the floor.
Bon and the gang could hear the thunderous sound of something slamming hard against the floor, and they all didn't hesitate to rush to the door.
Chica and CC were the first ones back to the doorway, and they simultaneously gasped when they saw Jeremy, who had fallen entirely atop of the floor, breaking down into tears. They both rushed forward to try and help up the tearful 'man.'
Jeremy was laid out on the floor, biting back the tears in his eyes. The fall must have rattled something deep inside him, because, for a split second, he felt the very same excruciating pain that he felt when his arms and legs were broken. He gasped for breath and was able to suck in enough air before feeling two pairs of hands touch him.
In an instant, Jeremy's eyes shot open at the memory of the gang grabbing his arms and legs, and he immediately launched himself forward.
Chica's and CC's intentions were not malevolent like before, so they had merely placed their hands on him rather than actually having a grip on him. As a result, they felt the torn-up animatronic pull himself out of their hands.
"Wait, J-Jeremy, please!" CC shouted out in desperation as she futilely reached her palm out at the running rabbit.
Jeremy ignored the animatronic's plea and continued to sprint, making a hard turn right as soon as he stumbled into the main dining hall. His body's newfound weight was disorienting, and he could feel himself trying desperately to maintain his balance as he ran. It didn't help that he could hear the gang's rapidly approaching footsteps from behind.
The sickly-green rabbit could vaguely hear their voices call out to him from behind, but Jeremy ignored them as he continued to run for the door. With the murderous gang hot on his trail, the former guard came barreling towards the front entrance, halting just a few feet away from it, so he didn't slam straight into the door. The animatronic rabbit shot both of his arms out at the handle, and he gave one firm yank.
The entire door frame shook from Jeremy's sheer force, but that was not enough for it to break from the door's lock. Again, the animatronic tried to pry open the door, but, again, it remained shut.
Jeremy's panting grew sporadic. He flashed his eyes back towards the gang, and he watched in terror as they came rapidly at him. The rabbit shot his eyes back at the entrance in desperation, and he violently pulled on the handle.
"Help! Please, somebody, help!" Jeremy called out from inside, pulling futilely at the door. When he took one more glance behind to see how close the animatronics were to him, Jeremy's eyes went wide in fright.
The whole gang was running towards him, and they showed no signs of stopping.
Jeremy banged on the glass door once more, crying. "Oh god, somebody! Anybody! Help!" With each bang against the glass, Jeremy's voice cracked down into tears as he hopelessly bashed against it, praying that maybe, just maybe, he could break through. "Please, please! Somebody, h-h-help me!"
The animatronic's voice broke down into a pitiful sob, his bashing growing progressively weaker with each strike against the sturdy glass. The sound of running footsteps echoed inside Jeremy's elongated ears, and he paused for the slightest of moments as his mind replayed the terrifying sound of Foxy's sprinting.
Pat-pat-pat-pat-pat-pat.
Jeremy's heart doubled in its beating, and his breath became short and erratic. In an instant, the rabbit's blue eyes dilated to nearly twice their size, and he made a half-glance back at the gang in the midst of his panic attack. The sight of all eight animatronics running closer made his mind go blank.
The animatronics were twenty meters from him... fifteen meters... ten meters... five meters.
Finally, the terrified animatronic woke himself up from his dazed state, and he immediately pushed himself from the door and used the extra momentum to run for the second hallway. Once again, Jeremy could hear their voices call out behind him, and again, he did not listen. The only thing that was on his mind was to get as far away from them as possible.
The moldy green rabbit shot through the hallway's entrance, trying desperately to distant himself from the following gang. Jeremy did not dare look back as he ran, for he was afraid of seeing how close they were to him. The end of the hall soon came upon the former guard, and he was left with only two options. Take a left into the animatronic's own hall, or take a right into the restaurant's restrooms. Without even thinking, the rabbit instinctively turned right and ran to the closest bathroom.
As soon as he ran into the room, Jeremy threw his body around and stared back at the bathroom's entrance, backing slowly from it in fearful anticipation. The sound of his heartbeat flooded the animatronic's ears as he stepped away, just waiting for the rest of the gang to pop in any second.
A moment of tensed breathing passed, then another, until eventually, it turned into a whole minute. No animatronic came into the room. Jeremy, still acting like a frightened prey, kept his eyes on the entrance, his mind unwilling to forget the imminent threat. However, another whole minute passed, and there was still nothing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Jeremy, he was able to control his breathing, and he allowed himself to relax just a tad.
He would have sworn he heard them chasing after him, so why haven't they come in yet? Why did they suddenly stop?
With a shake of his head, Jeremy threw away those questions, for he knew it was inevitable for them to come in, and why wouldn't they? He was trapped in this restroom with no means of escape; he was no better than a cornered rabbit in front of a pack of hungry wolves. Yet, as the minutes passed, the animatronic gang still didn't come in, not a single one.
After what felt like an eternity, Jeremy allowed himself to exhale out one long, drawn-out breath finally. His eyes fell away, and they instead turned their attention towards his... his... paws.
Jeremy was speechless at first as he gazed upon his 'hands'. He furled his fingers tenderly, watching as each of his digits curled inward, then, he unfurled them, watching as they relaxed. The former man shook his head in disbelief, and he nearly choked on his voice as he peered around the room, catching sight of one of the bathroom mirrors. Jeremy held his breath as he slowly approached them, only to stop once his whole body came into view.
The reflection of a scarred animatronic rabbit stood in his place. Instead of skin, Jeremy saw nothing but fur, which looked and smelled like it had deteriorated from years of misuse. There was nothing but scars across his body. In conjunction with that, he had two rabbit-like ears similar to Bonnie and Bonbon, but his right ear looked as if someone had utterly torn half of it off. When the animatronic glanced down at his own feet, he saw only more gashes and tears running up their lengths, all while he stood on two animal-like feet. The former man turned back into the mirror, a single tear managing to escape from his eye as he stared into it. His eyes appeared to be the same as before, but, after a few moments of careful examination, even Jeremy could see they were merely a cruel mockery of his real ones. If the unholy sight of seeing himself inside this foreign body weren't enough to cause him to break down, then the gruesome image of his body covered in congealed blood would finally break him.
At first, a single, choked-out sob escaped through Jeremy's mouth as he stared in disbelief, unsure if what he was seeing was real. His eyes fell on one particular scar, which cut through his left eye vertically. The former man raised his 'hand' up to touch the cut. His hand shook uncontrollably as it neared the wound, and he paused when he could feel the edge of the scar.
"No..."
The animatronic slid his paw down the scar, following its edge all the way over his eye and stopping at his cheek. He pulled away, watching his hand as it shook profusely.
"No... No..."
Jeremy threw his paws up to his ears, and he shook his head in denial as he could feel one of them missing a part of the ear entirely.
"No, no, no..."
Jeremy's heart rate rose, and his breathing became uncontrollable. He pulled his arms away from his ears and shot his eyes down towards his chest. The former man could see nothing but scars and fur, with only his blood serving as a reminder of what he once was.
"No, no, this... can't be," he patted his chest, feeling the wet touch of blood. Immediately, he yanked his paws away from the dark crimson liquid, but he could still feel bits of it cling onto his paws' fur. Jeremy glanced back up at the mirror in distress, and he could see the moldy-green animatronic doing the same.
"T-T-This can't be real. This can't be happening. I-I'm not an... I'm not an..."
He had trouble formulating the words inside his mouth; he couldn't bring himself into saying what he was. The mere thought of it made his heart pound faster and harder inside his chest.
"I'm not... I can't be... I-I'm not one of them," Jeremy muttered in anxiety as he threw his paws up to his head, forcefully pushing on it as if it could be taken off. "I'm not one of them. I know I'm not one of them!" the animatronic cried out in denial as he forcefully pushed harder onto his head, whimpering in pain as he did. He tugged and pulled, doing everything he possibly could to yank off the ghastly sight of his head, but all it did was cause his tormented body more pain. "Please! God! Get it off! Get it off!"
The tearful animatronic cried out in both pain and desperation as he did everything he possibly could to pry the mask off, but, to his utter horror, it would not budge from his head. Jeremy screamed out in pain one final time as his desperate pleas seeped into his sobbing voice. "GET IT OFF! G-G-GET IT OFF OF ME!" Finally, in a fit of frustration, he threw his hands to the side before clambering over the porcelain sink in front of him, forcing himself to stare even closer to the reflection with his wide-open, tearful eyes. His voice had quieted down to only a soft whimpering as the face of the animatronic stared back at him, his breath fogging up the glass.
While he gazed upon the reflection of himself, Jeremy's quivering breath crackled with each passing moment. After each intake of breath, the former man was treated with the terrifying image of one of the animatronic's blood-curdling, maniacal grins, which only caused him to tear up even more as the flashes of memories increased inside his head. Jeremy started to shake his head, and the animatronic in the mirror did the same. He was at a loss for words, and the endless torment of his thoughts withered the poor soul into a sobbing mess. Jeremy forced himself to close his eyes from the fogged up mirror, and with nothing else able to calm him, the animatronic broke down into a fit of tears, clinging to the white sink as he stood with his head drooped over.
"I-I'm a monster..."