Chapter 3 is finally here! I am so sorry about the delay! Writer's block has hit me hard since we started writing a short story for Creative Writing because all of my attention has been on that. I hope that you enjoy the chapter!

Are You Crazy!?

I enter Freddy's, still finding it weird that a children's restaurant could be so creepy at night. One thing is certain: this night will be much different than the others.

While I conduct my pre-shift inspection, I place sunglasses on the Toys in order to blind them later. I enter Kid's Cove to find Trixie coiled up in the corner. Thanks to her convenient positioning, it would make carrying her much easier. I pick her up and place her on my shoulders.

I briefly explain my actions to Trixie as I walk to the office. "I want to start every night with you by my side. It would be very helpful if you could point out the out-of-date information."

Trixie starts to move as midnight strikes. "I completely agree with your decision. Those tapes are decades old." The phone rings and the third recording starts.

"Hello hello! See? I told you you wouldn't have any problems!"

Trixie and I both laugh at this. We literally had nothing to worry about the previous night.

"Did… uh… Did Foxy ever appear in the hallway? Probably not. I was just curious. Like I said, he was always my favorite."

Trixie looks down at the floor as if she was remembering something dark. "The originals have not left Parts and Services for over a decade now. They are too afraid to even be seen by the cameras at this point."

I can't even imagine what the animatronics went through to be that scared of humans.

"They tried to remake Foxy, ya know? Uh, they thought the first one was too scary, so they redesigned him to be more kid-friendly and put him in Kid's Cove. To keep the toddlers entertained, you know…"

Glancing over to Trixie, I can tell that she does not want to say anything about the matter. Probably because the tape would say it for her.

"But kids these days just can't keep their hands to themselves. The staff literally has to put Foxy back together after every shift. So eventually they stopped trying and left him as some "take apart and put back together" attraction."

I slam my fist onto the desk. "Assholes!"

My sudden outburst startled Trixie as well as the Toys that were on camera.

"Now he's just a mess of parts. I think the employees refer to him as just 'The Mangle'."

"I can't believe those bastards treated you that way. They're the worst. If I ever come across them, I will give them a piece of my mind and quite possibly beat some sense into them."

I was so blinded by rage that I didn't pay attention to the remainder of the tape. Trixie nuzzled up against me in an attempt to calm me down. "Thank you, Trixie. I still will never forgive them for their actions."

I turn the tables on her and pet her head. "It must have been so frustrating for you to go through that. I could never know what it's like, but I know it was painful. You deserve so much better than what you have received."

Noticing the cameras, I see that the Toys were still on the stage. The sunglasses made their surroundings dark enough to make them think that their optic systems were malfunctioning. They were smart enough to not move around if their vision was compromised.

"I guess we can just stay here if the other animatronics aren't moving."

The feeling that someone was watching us suddenly washes over me. This feeling is confirmed as a golden bear animatronic suit appeared out of nowhere in front of the desk.

Trixie takes a defensive position as if her hair was standing on end. "What do you want, Golden Freddy? You better not be here to harm Jeremy."

Golden Freddy responds in a deep voice. "I have no intention to injure Mr. Fitzgerald. I simply just wish to talk to him about a few things regarding the restaurant. He has the right to know what has transpired here in the past."

The golden bear pulls up a chair to the front of the desk. He sat down in the chair with his arms crossed and one leg over the other. "Where should I begin?"

"Where else would you begin except for the beginning?" Golden Freddy's eyes might be empty holes, but I could tell that he was giving me a look that said "Really?".

The bear sighs and begins telling me the history of the restaurant. "Way back when Freddy's was just a small establishment with only me and another animatronic, a child was murdered just outside of the restaurant. The murderer turned out to be one of the guards. The child wanted to exact revenge on his killer and his spirit did not pass on. His spirit possessed the Marionette."

"Why was the Marionette at the first location?"

"He was still under development at the time. He always followed the mechanics and learned how to fix the animatronics by watching them."

"In other words, the Marionette has had the hardest time out of all the animatronics." Golden Freddy simply nods at my statement.

"As time went on, Freddy's became more popular and opened a larger location with four new animatronics. However, my partner was scrapped before the move. For some reason only my suit was brought to the new location. The Marionette was locked under the stage, but he had the ability to teleport much like I do."

"Not long after, the same guard murdered five children inside of the restaurant. Their souls possessed the originals as well as myself. Actually, to be more specific, the Marionette placed our souls in the animatronics. He wanted us to seek vengeance as well."

The feeling of anger once again courses through my veins. I could sense that Golden Freddy and Trixie both felt the same as me. "How hard was it to adjust to your new lives as animatronics?"

"We all took it differently, but the others lasted several years before they finally broke down emotionally. They can't even handle a guard glancing in their general direction now."

I clench my fist, the urge to beat the murderer to a pulp rising from within me. "I want to change their opinions of the night guards. I will take the duty upon myself to help them overcome their trauma." Trixie again nuzzles against me in an expression of thanks.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, I speak up again. "Is it right to assume that something similar to what happened at the last restaurant happened here as well?"

Golden Freddy simply nods.

Seeing the opportunity, Trixie gives her input. "Helping the old animatronics alone won't fix them. You will also need to change the Marionette's view of the guards."

After mulling over my thoughts, a lightbulb suddenly lights up in my head. "I think I have an idea." I stand up from the desk and head to the Prize Corner. Golden Freddy and Trixie panic and chase after me.

The two animatronics arrive just seconds after I do.

"Jeremy, what are you planning to do?"

"I'm going for a Hail Mary, Trixie." I stop the machine winding the music box and wait for the Marionette.

"Are you crazy, Jeremy!?"

"Quite possibly, Golden Freddy."

The music ceases after a few minutes, making the restaurant eerily quiet. The Marionette's box opens to reveal the animatronic puppet. It just stares at me for the longest time.

The Marionette's face was clearly showing its rage. "Night Guard." The animatronic said these words and launches itself at me.

Trixie lets out a high-pitched scream as the Marionette reaches me.

Cliffhanger! This chapter took way too long to be finished. I will try my best to post a new chapter once a week. Anyway, I hope to see you in the next chapter!