Disclaimer- See previous chapter.
A/N- I already had the second chapter of this story written down. I just finished this yesterday.
Chapter 2- Into the Belly of the Beast
God, what was I doing at a pizza place at fifteen minutes till midnight? Oh, I forgot. I work there now. I straightened my uniform shirt, steeled my courage and strolled through the front door. My footsteps were the only sounds in the still hallway. I looked around the empty corridors. Now where did Mr. Thompson say the security office was again? I must've forgotten where it was over the weekend. I had to traverse nearly the entire restaurant to get to the office.
I swallowed hard and stepped inside. A desk laden with electronic monitoring devices, a fan, a drink, and a speaker lay against a wall nearly covered in posters and childish drawings. I sat in the fake leather office chair and glanced at the drawings. Typical kiddie fare.
I picked a tablet off the desk. This is what I was going to use to monitor these creepy things. Quickly, I flipped through the cameras. At the exact moment the clock struck midnight, the phone rang. I shook in surprise. Now who would be calling me at this ungodly hour? I sighed and decided to let the answering machine pick up. To my surprise, a man's voice started speaking.
"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?"
His eerily calm voice stunned me. I fully believed I had every reason to worry. It was unnerving having to look into those soulless robotic eyes every time I turned on the stage camera.
"Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. I-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 the damage or death have occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced."
Phone Guy (from now on, that's what I'm calling him) has officially begun to scare me. Death? Damage? In this place? He has got to be pulling my leg.
"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 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 we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay."
I focused on the stage area camera and glared at Freddy, the purple rabbit (Bonnie), and the giant chicken (Chica). Melanie and I grew up with these creepy bastards and here I was in charge of caring for them, making sure they don't get damaged or stolen. However, Phone Guy's next statements really made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
"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. They used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was the bite of '87. Yeah... It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"
"Now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters... 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."
I clutched the tablet in my trembling hands. Oh, god no. These things wander about the place at night. And it's best that they not get me. I'm freaking twenty-five. I want to die an old man, not be crammed into a cartoon character iron maiden. Also, the fact that one of these things actually took a chunk out of some poor sap's brain really didn't make the situation any better.
"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, remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."
Phone Guy's message ended there. My teeth chattered. The fact that it was deathly cold in the office didn't help things. I paused to recap just what I was told. One: The robots here can roam the place to their cold steel hearts' content. Two: If they get in, that means they'll shove me into a wire-filled suit to die. Three: The cheap bastards running this place only gave me a limited supply of power.
I paused before checking my watch. 2 am. I had four more hours of sitting in this cramped office. My gaze flickered to the cameras. Bonnie was gone. I gasped. Where could a giant purple bunny have gone off to? I then turned to the dining room camera. He stood there, in the midst of a bunch of tables.
"It's such a nice night, Mr. Security Guard," the overly cheerful cartoon voice said. "It's a shame you're cooped up in that little office of yours." The same voice was the one I heard a few days ago. "Come on out. We won't tell the manager you left your post."
Hold on. Was this Bonnie speaking to me? I lowered the tablet and then switched to a different camera. Bonnie had moved to the west hall. I could see his shadow near the back. "Hey, Mr. Security Guard!" he insisted. "Come out and play. The gang and I get bored too easily." I heard heavy footsteps approaching the left door. I hit the light button, just in time to see him stare at me from outside the office. His eyes were an eerie red. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" He reached one hand towards me. I shut the door in his face.
"Not tonight, bunny," I sneered.
"I know you, you've been here before," Bonnie spat out. "Your name's... uh... Mike?" I could still hear his voice, although muffled. I turned to the cameras again. The only one left onstage was Freddy. "Mike! Mike! I missed you!" I gazed angrily at the left door. Bonnie was still there. I paused to figure out where Chica could be. Sure enough, she was in the dining hall, staring into the camera. She was a hefty creature with large purple eyes. A white bib with the words "Let's Eat" was her sole article of clothing. Her beak opened wide, revealing a second set of teeth in the back of her mouth.
"Look, Freddy," she cheered. "We've got a new guard! Isn't it wonderful? How do I look? How do I look, Mr. Security Guard?"
I shivered. Chica was a bit too happy about getting someone new to watch over the place.
Bonnie moved away from the left door. I sighed in relief. I opened the door and turned the cameras back on. Chica had moved to the west hall corner. She stared at me with an unnerving grin of her face.
"Tsk, tsk, Mr. Security Guard," she hissed. "You didn't tell me how I look? Am I pretty? Tell me I'm pretty or I'll make sure to cram you in the suit extra slowly. And I will, even if I have to rip you apart."
I don't think anyone would believe me when I said that an animatronic chicken threatened me with dismemberment. What things should I say to placate her? I turned on the right door light. Chica stood there, beak wide open, clearly enraged. I hit the door button and mouthed the words. "You're pretty, you're pretty." Her eyes focused on my face. Her expression turned from rage to surprise. She backed away and disappeared down the hall.
"No... No...," She gasped out. "No..."
The sound of pots and pans clanking in the kitchen greeted me. Was Chica in the kitchen for a midnight snack or something? Then I realized that robots don't eat.
My gaze flickered to my power meter. I cursed under my breath. One percent and it's only five AM? I'm doomed.
To be continued...