HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
Dinosaur: The reason why Michael was giving Sammy a weird look after Sammy mentioned the nightmares was because Sammy was the one who caused Michael to have nightmares (aka, the entirety of the FNaF 4 gameplay) which was mentioned by Michael in an earlier chapter. Also, considering how FF Net hates links, you could just put the full name of the website where your drawing is and I could just google it. :3
Yeah, I was debating whether to post this during my regular schedule or on Easter, but I figured that I'll make it an Easter update instead, since Easter is also my favorite holiday. Besides, it also fits with the whole death and resurrection theme Easter is about, albeit much more twisted.
Speaking of which, Illumix gave us another update: Chocolate Bonnie, and he looks like an actual chocolate bunny. There also seems to be something else hiding in that teaser.
Also, for those who have read Lonely Freddy or know about the ending, as I told you, I had something different in mind for Alec and Hazel. It's not pretty.
Also, if there are any Digimon fans among you, or at least those who are interested in it, I also have another ongoing story called Digimon Tamers: Cyber Battles, which you can read. It's more of a side-project, but I'll make steady updates and I'd love to have some feedback on it to know how to improve the story.
I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!
Night 14
Dead But Not Buried
''Restless and the show must go on, it's always a fun time in the shadows. In the silence I can hear your pulse, its beat will stop when I make it hollow. Dead but not buried, you're screaming: ''It's alive!'', when my claws got a grip and you see me in the night. I'm dead but not buried, remnant of his mistakes, ignited by revenge till this metal body breaks.''
– Dead But Not Buried by TryHardNinja
xXxXxXx
Sam played with the Fredbear plushie as she was sitting on her bed, leaned against the pillow. Springtrap was sitting across her with a tired look on his expression, simply staring ahead. Sam had actually offered him to stay at her room, simply to keep him company, with Springtrap accepting her offer. After what happened, he really needed someone to just stay with him. In fact, after Michael, Sammy and Elizabeth had left, he had turned to Sam, half-expecting her to leave. He felt quite relieved when he realized that she wasn't going to abandon him, but he still couldn't forget the initial feeling of loneliness and fear he experience when his children had left. It really bothered him.
''Will, are you okay?'' Sam asked him. Springtrap sighed.
''Honestly, I don't know,'' he said. ''I could say that I felt way worse, but this…''
''I know,'' Sam replied in a comforting tone, with Springtrap looking somewhat relieved, albeit still exhausted.
''I thought that I would never see them again,'' he said in a quiet tone. ''Now, I have no idea what to do about this situation.''
''I'm sure that you'll figure something out,'' Sam said. ''Besides, I don't think they're done talking to you either and that they are going to return. Sure, they may not want a family reunion, but it's still better than nothing, right?''
''Yeah,'' Springtrap muttered, turning to Sam, his eyes glowing in a faint purple colour. ''You know, when you told me that Michael wanted to talk to me, I did wonder what I was supposed to tell him, but, in the end, I had figured that planning ahead a speech wasn't really something that I should do. I had figured that, if I would talk to him, I would just try to be honest. After all, that's something you always insist on, to be honest regardless of how difficult it is to talk about a certain topic.''
''Maybe I sound a bit too optimistic, but I do believe that things will turn out okay, eventually,'' Sam told him as she moved over to sit next to him. ''However, I sincerely doubt that it will be easy.''
''I know,'' Springtrap muttered. He then stood up and was about to leave the room, only to see Sam holding out the Fredbear plushie, smiling in an assuring manner.
''I figured that you wouldn't want to be alone, at least for tonight,'' she told him, with Springtrap taking the plushie, giving her an amused look.
''Thanks,'' he said before leaving the room.
Once he was back in his room, Springtrap placed the Fredbear plushie on the top of the couch, then reached for the book Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, hoping for a quiet night. However, considering how things turned out, he knew that he wouldn't have one.
''Hey, Will, can you hear me?''
Springtrap's ears stood up in surprise as he heard Sam's voice and he looked up at the Fredbear plushie.
''I forgot to wish you a good night. Also, if you have any hallucinations, you're welcome to wake me up, even though it'll probably be difficult as I might fall asleep again,'' Sam spoke through the Fredbear plushie, giggling.
''How did you-'' Springtrap trailed off.
''I picked up the walkie-talkie when you weren't looking,'' Sam replied. ''I mean, if you decided to watch over me, then I could do the same thing for you.''
''No offense, Sam, but you really should go to sleep,'' Springtrap told her.
''Yeah, I know, but I still wanted to talk to you for a bit,'' Sam replied. ''As I already told you, if you want to talk to me, I'll always be there for you and I know that you would do the same for me.''
''I know,'' Springtrap said. ''Honestly, I really appreciate all the care you show for me.''
''It's okay,'' Sam replied, with Springtrap imagining her smiling. ''Not to mention, tomorrow is another day. Hopefully, you'll manage to get some rest tonight because you'll have to put all of your energy into your next move.''
''You're right,'' Springtrap replied. ''Good night, Sam.''
''Good night.''
The Fredbear plushie went silent. Springtrap sighed, but couldn't help smiling after this conversation. He knew that Sam was the only person who wanted to support him, being incredibly sincere about her intentions. He knew that he didn't deserve any of this support, but he appreciated it. He was well aware that Sam was the only reason he managed to come this far and he knew that he would do anything for her.
He thought back at the conversation with Sam, about calling her his daughter. While he knew that it probably wasn't appropriate, considering the situation, as well as Emma and Henry's warnings, Sam never really showed any discomfort when confronted with that idea. However, she did make it clear that she was different than Elizabeth, and to some extension, Michael and Sammy, and that he would couldn't treat their relationship the same way he treated his relationship with his own children.
I am allowed to look back as much as I want, Springtrap frowned as he turned back to the book he was reading, but that doesn't mean that I should allow myself to get trapped by my past again.
xXx
''Freddy, please remind me again why we're dealing with those two idiots,'' Drawkill Chica said, pointing at Drawkill Foxy and Drawkill Bonnie. Drawkill Freddy just shook his head, his arms crossed.
''I have no idea,'' Drawkill Freddy replied in a rather annoyed tone, staring at the two Drawkills, who were seemingly wasting their time.
It was dead in the night and the Drawkills were once again tasked with a fetch quest by Connor, having been told to search for Springtrap and Sam. It didn't matter if they had to comb every inch of Hurricane, he wanted the Drawkills to find the two and bring them to him. The Drawkills begrudgingly accepted their task, but not without any complaints, which were quickly shut down by another sensory overload and system to disruption. They felt that they were created for something greater than a fetch quest, but it was obvious that Connor didn't care about their opinion. At least he didn't force them to keep the communication link open like last time, so they were on their own now.
''Someone is going be flung off that thing,'' Drawkill Chica added, her voice now louder so Drawkill Foxy and Drawkill Bonnie heard her. They didn't care, with Drawkill Chica sighing.
During their search, they came across an empty playground, with Drawkill Foxy and Drawkill Bonnie having the bright idea of messing around with the merry-go-round. Both of them held onto it while spinning it as fast as possible to see who will last longer. They even asked Drawkill Chica and Drawkill Freddy to join them, but the two refused, feeling embarrassed by their companions' childish behavior. Their companions, on the other hand, didn't care.
''Someone is going to see us,'' Drawkill Chica hissed at the two, with them still ignoring her. She then turned to Drawkill Freddy. ''We should leave.''
''Yeah, we should,'' Drawkill Freddy replied, but didn't move. He actually wanted to see those two idiots get injured. To his disappointment, Drawkill Foxy and Drawkill Bonnie got off the merry-go-round without any accident. They didn't seem to be dizzy from all the spinning, but it took them a bit to recover before they had approached Drawkill Freddy and Drawkill Chica. ''You really couldn't resist playing like a child.''
''Well, we were bored mate,'' Drawkill Foxy replied.
''Yeah, only because Connor sends us on those fetch quests it doesn't mean that we cannot have some fun on our own,'' Drawkill Bonnie said, sitting down on the rather sturdy metal swing that seemed to be meant for two people and was obviously the only one that could support his weight, and started swinging.
Drawkill Freddy looked at the three with a rather odd look on his expression, then asked, ''Connor cannot hear us, right?''
''No, we all have blocked him,'' Drawkill Chica replied. ''What's wrong?''
''Don't you think that Connor is getting rather delusional?'' Drawkill Freddy replied. ''I mean, before we left, I have heard him talking to Raven and he sounded like a madman.''
''When doesn't he sound like a madmad?'' Drawkill Bonnie asked sarcastically. ''Let's be honest here, our creator is insane and we are stuck with him. Even if we wanted to leave, we can't, since he'll subject us to torture. Hell, he does that every time we come back without Afton or that girl.'' He shuddered. ''Imagine us becoming just as crazy as Connor! That's so horrifying!''
''Don't be so dramatic,'' Drawkill Chica told him, even though she had to agree with Drawkill Bonnie. They all hated their current situation.
''In any case, you saw how he treated Raven,'' Drawkill Freddy said. ''Who says that we aren't disposable as well?''
''So, you want to say that the Boss would try to dismantle us once he doesn't need us?'' Drawkill Foxy asked him, his eyes flaring up. He growled, ''I'd like to see him try.''
''Connor had created us, so he would also know how to get rid off us,'' Drawkill Freddy told him. ''Not that we would allow him to do that.''
''Then, what should we do?'' Drawkill Chica asked him.
''For now, we will have to wait and follow his orders,'' Drawkill Freddy replied. ''As Bonnie said, we are unable to leave, so we'll have to go along with Connor's plans. Nevertheless, while he may be our creator, we won't let him treat us like scrap metal. Obviously, he has no idea what our true potential is, since he's just fixated on his fear of death.''
The rest of the Drawkills nodded. One thing was sure, they weren't going to let Connor cause them any more torture and suffering.
xXx
Alec was drinking his soda, watching Hazel and her friends playing at the arcades. Pretending to be the Golden Child once again, she thanked her friends and her parents for the gifts she had gotten, acting modest about it. Then, in an act of selflessness, she let her friends have a turn on the arcades before she did. While their parents were just glad that the chaos was now under control, at least as long as they had arcade tokens, Alec felt annoyed, having figured that an accident would bring out Hazel's spoiled side. Despite his own wishes, the birthday party went rather well, without any trouble.
Nevertheless, he has a plan that would expose his sister as the spoiled child she was. He had managed to find the buckets inside of which were stored coupons for the Wind Tunnel and dug through them, taking out the coveted Best Buddy Ricky Coupon. He was sure that, once Hazel realized that she didn't manage to get the coupon, she would throw a huge temper tantrum and show her true colours.
I just need to wait a little while. Alec glanced at his parents, who were talking to his aunt, looking rather tired. Considering how they were trying to keep an eye on Hazel and at least a bunch of other children, it wasn't surprising that they felt exhausted. Not to mention, he also knew that his parents were still suspicious of him, believing that he might try to ruin the party in some way. However, he made sure not to be in anyone's way and remained quiet. Hazel is the one who is going to ruin this birthday party, not me.
He needed to be patient for a little while longer for his plan to work. He had overheard his parents talk and found out that they would let Hazel go to the Wind Tunnel once they were she and her friends were done with the arcades. Afterwards, they would go eat the cake, with Dahlia performing for Hazel. That is, if Hazel manages to recover from her temper tantrum.
Mum and Dad will soon see that I'm not the only black sheep in our family and that Hazel isn't the Golden Child they wanted her to be. They were just blinded and deceived by her supposed perfection…
Alec suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, rising his head as he noticed Ricky Wolfrun staring at him. The animatronic gave him a curious look, almost as if asking him why he wasn't participating at the birthday party and standing here all by himself.
''Don't give me that look,'' Alec muttered, only to wish that he could backtrack. Don't be stupid, it's just an animatronic. It's not as if he can understand how I'm feeling or what I'm saying.
He shook his head, noticing that the animatronic was still staring at him. He frowned.
''Go away!'' he snapped, leaving the animatronic.
Ricky just turned towards him, tilting his head and then continued roaming. After all, there was another birthday party he had to attend. Alec briefly turned back to the animatronic, realizing that Ricky had finally left him alone.
These things are just weird, he thought. Anyways, I should focus now on my masterplan. Hazel and the others should soon gather at the Wind Tunnel. He grinned. I can't wait for it.
It took him about another half an hour of waiting, but he eventually saw Hazel and two of her friends walking over to their parents, holding a bunch of tickets they had won and they could redeem at the prize corner for a toy. He saw Hazel asking their mother something, with their mother giving her a confused look, while Hazel still had that look of innocence on her expression, as if she feared that she may have asked for something she shouldn't have.
Alec frowned as he saw his mother nodding. Of course Golden Hazel would get her way. She always does! Nothing she says or does is too demanding! On the other hand, when I ask for something simple, they just tell me that I wouldn't get it and that life is not always fair, meaning I have to deal with it. They never even ask me for my opinion, but instead read some stupid book on childcare! You can bet that the guy who wrote those books probably never had a children of his own or just observed them like some kind of guinea pigs used in some kind of psychological experiment. He clenched his fist. Well, they can't fool me! I know what's going on here better than anyone else!
Finally, everyone had gathered, with Alec begrudgingly joining them. However, he also felt a little excited, as he knew that he could finally prove that he was right all along about Hazel's real self and that she was just putting up a show the entire time. It was the perfect revenge for everything that he had to endure.
''Okay, now that everyone is here, we will be going to the Wind Tunnel,'' his mother said. ''Aunt Gigi went to get an employee, so we can finally get started.''
The kids cheered, mostly looking towards Hazel in hopes that she would get some awesome prizes when inside the Wind Tunnel. Hazel just smiled back shyly, glancing at Alec. Alec forced a grin, acting as if he was happy for her, but he knew that he'd soon be grinning for a different reason. Finally, Gigi had returned with the employee, who then guided them towards the Wind Tunnel. Another employee was already putting the buckets with the coupons and tickets inside it and activated it.
''So, are you ready?'' the female employee asked Hazel, who then shook his head.
''I won't be the one who'll enter it,'' Hazel said, much to everyone's shock. She looked quite excited. ''I want Alec to be the one who'll win Best Buddy Ricky.''
Alec's jaw dropped. He had not expected such a turn of events, realizing a moment later that this was what Hazel asked their mother a few minutes earlier – whether Alec could be the one who'll enter the Wind Tunnel.
''Well, that is a little unexpected, but this is the birthday girl's day, so we'll do as she says,'' the employee said, glancing at Alec. ''So, do you want to have a go at it?''
''What? No!'' Alec replied, glaring at Hazel. ''This is your day! You always get what you want and you should be the one inside the Wind Tunnel!''
''But, I want you to try and win Best Buddy Ricky!'' Hazel protested. ''You always said that you wanted to win that toy and I wanted to give you a chance to win it! I'm sure you'll do a better job at it then I would.''
''Shut up!'' Alec yelled back, as something inside him snapped.
''Alec! What is wrong with you?!'' his mother yelled at him. ''Why are you acting like this? Hazel only wanted…''
''I know what Hazel wanted!'' Alec yelled back, then turned towards his sister. ''I know that you are just pretending to be nice to me because you want everyone else think that you're still the Golden Child, acting all selfless and innocent. You only don't want to enter the Wind Tunnel because you're afraid that you won't win that stupid coupon and that you would show who you really are – a spoiled brat!''
''Alec!'' Alec's mother yelled at him, horrified to see him acting like this, but Alec ignored her.
''Com'n, why don't you admit it to everyone?!'' Alec continued, only to notice Hazel's eyes filling with tears. I got her now! Go on, show how you really feel about it!
''I-I-'' Hazel teared up, sobbing. ''I just wanted to do something nice for you… It wasn't supposed to be just my day… I wanted you to participate as well, to be happy…''
Alec stared at her as if she had grown a second head. What? Why would she do that?
''Oh, Hazel, that is so sweet of you,'' her mother said as Hazel wiped her tears. ''Don't worry, everything will be alright.''
''No, nothing will be alright,'' Hazel protested, looking at Alec. ''I don't want us to fight anymore. I just wanted you to like me, that's everything. I wanted you to be my big brother and have fun with me. I'll-I'll do anything for that! Please, Alec!''
''No,'' Alec replied in a cold tone. ''Stop being such a phony! Can't people see that? You're the worst kind of spoiled, bratty fake! How can no one see that?''
''Alec!'' his mother shrieked at him. ''Why do you have to be like this? Why can't you be a good sport?''
''Oh, I see, because it's so predictable that Alec would ruin the party. It's so inevitable that Alec would spoil perfect little Hazel's good time,'' he said, snarling at his family, who could only look back at him in horror.
All of them, that is, except for Hazel. Hazel simply stood there, arms limp at her sides as she stared at him, tears filling her eyes. She suddenly broke down crying.
Of course she would save those until she had the perfect audience, Alec thought bitterly as he glared at her. ''I can't take this anymore!''
In that moment, Alec fled the scene in rage, but he wasn't the only one. Hazel too ran away and he noticed that she went towards the private party room. Even if for a brief moment she had made him believe that she honestly wanted him to be happy, he was now sure that she was just making a scene to make everyone else feel bad for her. He didn't need to hear anymore about how much of a selfless child Hazel was. He just ran, eventually locking himself in one of the bathroom stalls, wishing that she had never entered his life.
If she were gone, I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore, he thought. It's not my fault that she's a complete brat… Or, is it?
He shook his head, feeling his heart pounding against his chest. He could still see Hazel's watery eyes, pleading him to stop fighting with her.
''I just wanted you to like me, that's everything.''
No, why would she tell me something like that?! Alec stared at the bathroom stall, shaking. Unless… Unless, she really meant it.
''I wanted you to be my big brother and have fun with me. I'll-I'll do anything for that! Please, Alec!''
He suddenly recalled his earlier thoughts, his wish about Hazel being gone from his life. I-I didn't really mean that. Sure, she can be annoying, but… Well, she is my little sister…
He recalled the happy look Hazel gave all of them as she announced that she would let Alec have the spotlight for once. As he thought about it, he remembered how, whenever their parents would engage in a conversation with Hazel, she would always try to let Alec speak up his opinion, oftentimes agreeing with him. She tried to include him, the black sheep, into family events even more than his own parents did. However, he only believed that she did it to get attention instead of seeing her for the caring little sister she actually was.
What have I done?!
xXx
Hazel hid inside an unused party room, not wanting to stay in the one her parents had rented, as she knew they would try to go and find her. At this point, she just wanted to be left alone, unbothered, and cry her heart out. She honestly wanted to make Alec happy, as she knew that he was a good brother, only a bit misguided. She knew that it was hard for him since their parents always showered only her with love, causing her brother to become jealous of her. She wanted to show him that she didn't care about what their parents said about him and that she really cared about him.
But, now he hates me because he thinks I was faking it. She sobbed, trying to wipe away her tears as she heard someone approaching her. She wished that this person was Alec, so she could talk to him in peace, but she was aware that it were probably her parents looking for her.
However, as she rose her head, she realized that this person was Dahlia, the swan animatronic who was supposed to entertain her today.
''What is the matter?'' Dahlia asked her in a comforting tone. ''Why are you crying? I don't like seeing tears on children's faces.''
''I-I got in an argument with my brother and now he hates me,'' Hazel replied. She was a bit surprised that Dahlia responded to her, but she had figured that talking an animatronic was better than talking to her parents.
''Oh, no, that's a sad thing to happen,'' Dahlia told her. ''Maybe I can cheer you up?''
''Could you please talk to my brother or at least tell him that I'll forgive him for all the mean things he said to me?'' Hazel asked the swan animatronic.
''I know something better,'' Dahlia replied. ''Do you want to take me to a private room and then go get your brother you two can talk about it without any interruptions? I will also be there as your mediator.''
''That would be nice,'' Hazel replied. Dahlia nodded, beckoning to her.
''Follow me,'' she said, with Hazel getting up and following Dahlia. It seemed as if the animatronic knew who was part of Hazel's party, as Hazel hadn't seen anyone from her family or friends, with Dahlia skillfully avoiding the children running around her, as well as the employees, with Hazel wondering if her parents asked them to search for her as well.
Yeah, they're only searching for me, but no one is searching for Alec, except for me and Dahlia, Hazel thought bitterly.
Finally, she and Dahlia had arrived at a door next to the stage, but partially hidden by a curtain. As they entered it, Hazel realized that Dahlia was right about this being the perfect spot to talk in privacy, as it was rather quiet inside and the door wasn't that visible, at least as long as you weren't trying to find it. The room was also filled with animatronic parts, with Hazel figuring that, unless an animatronic needed to be repaired, nobody would enter this room.
To her surprise, Dahlia then went towards the mirror and did something which caused the wall to pop up and then opened it, entering another, smaller room. Hazel was stunned as she followed Dahlia, noticing an animatronic costume in the corner of the room, almost, if not even bigger than she was. It seemed that this suit was some kind of replacement suit for Dahlia, as it looked exactly like the suit Dahlia currently had on.
Hazel then turned to Dahlia, smiling.
''Thank you for helping me,'' she told the swan animatronic, hugging her.
''It's fine,'' Dahlia told her in a comforting tone, hugging her back. ''I don't like to see children being sad or crying.'' She put one hand under Hazel's chin and stroke her hair with the other. ''You don't have to worry anymore, Hazel. From now on, you'll be free from your burden.''
Hazel continued to smile, with Dahlia placing her hands on her head. A moment later, her eyes widened in shock as she realized that something was wrong, with Dahlia's eyes suddenly flaring up. For one second, Hazel suddenly knew what was going to happen to her and why Dahlia brought her here.
There was a sickening crack, with Hazel's lifeless body falling over. Her head was twisted unnaturally and her neck was broken. She couldn't even scream for help before Dahlia broke her neck, killing her instantly. The animatronic bowed over her, noticing Hazel's glassy eyes staring back at her. She then quickly reached for a metallic rod and rammed it into Hazel's chest, piercing through her pale skin and watching as it got soaked in blood. She then removed the blood-covered metallic rod, placing it gingerly into a plastic bag for safe-keeping, hiding it within her own endoskeleton, and then put the dead girl inside the spare costume.
''Now, now, I told you would be free from your burden…'' Dahlia said, smiling. ''Nevertheless, you gave me a chance to continue living. Your death won't be in vain, I promise.''
Her eyes then stopped glowing as she exited the room as if nothing had happened. The animatronic stood in front of the stage for a moment, looking around as her programming suddenly told her to go to the private party room as she was supposed to entertain a little girl for her birthday.
''Today is your special day…'' Dahlia hummed, having already forgotten that the girl she was supposed to perform for was back inside that hidden room, her dead body getting cold and stiff.
All she knew that she was supposed to be there to entertain the birthday girl.
xXx
''You're really slow, Spring,'' Sam commented as she briefly glanced at Springtrap, who looked rather frustrated with the controls, twisting and turning his Wii remote like a steering wheel. Luckily, it was strapped around his wrist, else he probably would've thrown the remote against the TV set.
''Don't worry, I'm back on the track,'' Springtrap replied, trying to make sure that his character won't fall off the track or get hit by something again. Sam couldn't help but laugh at his struggle and then looked back at her own character, who was still in 1st place and in her ending lap. One more turn and she'd win the race again. Then, she heard the dreaded noise of one of the NPCs activating the cursed power-up item known as the Blue Shell.
''No! No! No! Slow down!'' she yelled, but she was too far away from the other drivers. The Blue Shell hit her, incapacitating her and letting the NPC before her win the race. She managed to come in second place, but she wasn't happy about it. ''Goddamnit, who got the Blue Shell?''
''Not me,'' Springtrap said in an amused tone, barely holding himself from laughing at Sam's misery. Sure, he was once again in last place due to accidentally driving into another wall, but Sam's reaction after getting nuked by the Blue Shell was quite funny.
''Do you want another round?'' Sam then asked, smiling.
''Sure.'' Springtrap nodded.
Even though they were competing against each other, it was still a game they both enjoyed, with the game in question being an old game known as Mario Kart Wii. Spingtrap's character was Bowser, while Sam took Yoshi. While Springtrap needed a bit of explanation on how to play the game and had trouble controlling his vehicle, he was still a good sport about it, mostly because he knew well that he would lose the game as he wasn't familiar with it. Nevertheless, he was improving, having even managed to drive past several NPCs, at least until he hit some kind of roadblock.
It was late afternoon and the two still had time until Sam had to go to work, so she suggested that they play Mario Kart Wii to pass the time, with both enjoying themselves. Springtrap was actually surprised that, for once, nothing bad had happened nor were there any surprise visits and he could relax a little and even bond with Sam over a game.
''Finally!'' he exclaimed as he managed to reach 6th place during his second lap.
''Watch out for the Fake Item Box, I left one on the turn,'' Sam warned him, with Springtrap gasping in relief as he managed to avoid it. He then heard an explosion behind him, chuckling to himself and driving into an Item Box that gave him Triple Mushrooms to boost his speed.
''I just hope I won't hit anything this time,'' he muttered as he activated the boosts while still on a stretch of a straight road, turning the Wii remote frantically to avoid the roadblocks. ''Imagine having to drive like this in real life.''
''Well, I guess that chucking a Red Shell at a driver might help solving the problem with road rage,'' Sam replied, with her and Springtrap both bursting out laughing. In the end, Sam managed to once again land in 1st place, while Springtrap rejoiced as he got the 5th place. Rest assured, he really was getting better at the game.
''Say, how is Emma doing at this game?'' he asked Sam as they returned to the screen with the list of courses.
''She's doing better than you and she even managed to win a few times against me, but I'm still the best player in this household,'' Sam explained.
''Considering how there's no way that I can beat you in this game, I guess I'll just have to work on beating Emma. That is, in case she wants to play,'' Springtrap said.
''I'm pretty sure that she would want to play, as she can also get quite competitive, especially if you're the one racing against her,'' Sam told him.
''I'm not surprised that she would act like that, considering how she loves to tease me,'' Springtrap replied. ''Nevertheless, the point of the game is to have fun, right?''
''Yeah,'' Sam said, getting up. ''I'll go get myself a drink. You can choose the next course, but, please, don't go for the Rainbow Road. We'll both fall off that thing more times than you had hit roadblocks and walls in all of the races combined.''
''Okay,'' Springtrap replied, smiling. He simply couldn't put in words the satisfaction and happiness he felt after that gaming session with Sam. He felt quite relaxed and even excited, looking forward to the next round. However, the happiness he felt was replaced by a sting of guilt, grief and regret, as he knew that he should've done the same for Michael, Sammy and Elizabeth. He should have been there for them, interact and play with them like an actual father would. Springtrap sighed. At least I can give Sam the kind of happiness she deserves.
He then noticed Sam returning with a glass of orange juice, giving him a curious look. ''Will, are you okay?''
''I guess that, for once, I am,'' Springtrap told her. ''I'm just glad to see you this happy and not being forced to worry about anything.''
''Me too,'' Sam said. Suddenly, both heard a strange sound coming from Sam's smartphone, followed by a high-pitched female voice.
''Follow me through the night, we are sisters of the light… Follow me through the night, we are sisters of the light! We are daughters of sin, we are laughter in the wind! Follow me through the night, we are sisters of the light! We are wild, we are free, through the darkness follow me!''
The music was the Nightcore version Sisters Of The Light by Xandria, which was also Sam's current ringtone. Sam picked her smartphone up, noticing that it was her mother who was calling her.
''Hello?'' she said, putting the call on the loudspeaker.
''Hey, Sam, where are you?'' Emma asked.
''Um, at home,'' Sam replied. ''Springtrap and I are playing Mario Kart.''
''I see,'' Emma muttered. ''You two should check the local news.''
''Why?'' Springtrap asked.
''I was on my way home and I just passed that other restaurant, Ricky's Wonder Shack, and there were a bunch of police cars in front of it,'' Emma replied.
''Seriously?!'' Sam and Springtrap exchanged stunned looks.
''Yeah, I'm telling you, I have parked nearby and there is an officer in front of the restaurant talking to someone. I have no idea what had happened, but it can't be good,'' Emma replied.
''No, it can't,'' Springtrap said in a dark tone.
''I'll be back home soon,'' Emma added. ''I hope that this will get sorted out, but I have my doubts. Bye!''
''Bye, Mum,'' Sam replied, cancelling the call.
''It was Connor,'' Springtrap said as Sam checked the local news website, as well as the Ricky's Wonder Shack website. ''It had to be him who caused this mess.''
''I believe you, but I do have to wonder how he managed to do this,'' Sam replied. ''After all, you had murdered him, and if he's undead, he'd be a rotting corpse stuck inside the Ricky suit. There's no way he'd be able to walk around Ricky's Wonder Shack looking like that.''
She managed to find the news related to the incident at Ricky's Wonder Shack, with her and Springtrap reading the article.
''Another child went missing,'' Springtrap muttered. The girl's name was Hazel and she was supposedly last seen entering one of the private party rooms.
''Do you think that this is Connor sending us a message again?'' Sam asked in a concerned tone.
''I doubt it,'' Springtrap said. ''It wouldn't surprise me if that girl turns up dead, especially considering how mentally unstable Connor was the last time we saw him. He may be dead now, but he's still roaming somewhere out there, having probably fully lost his mind and decided to go on a murder spree. Not to mention, considering how he's familiar with Ricky's, he would figure out how to do that unnoticed.''
''We have to do something about this,'' Sam said. ''However, I doubt that we can go to Ricky's. This was the second missing child case they had in the past week and I'm sure that the police is going to keep a close eye on the place.''
''The only thing that is left for us is to figure out where Connor might be and take him down,'' Springtrap said, frowning. ''However, that is easier said than done.''
A feeling of dread was spreading through his chest. He knew that, thanks to Connor, Hurricane was now at the mercy of another murderer.
