Songs Included
[1] Que Sera - Justice Crew
[2] Hurts 2B Human - P!nk feat. Khalid
Chapter 27 - Final Bow
We watched as the former manager of Freddy's flew towards William's room. He knocked on the door and waited for a minute.
No response.
Instead, he flew through the door.
Followed by a loud crash and a shriek.
"HOW MANY TIMES I TOLD YOU ALREADY?!" yelled William's voice. "I SAID STAY AWAY!"
Henry quickly hushed him. "Shh! I just came here to talk. That's all."
Without warning, Sara ran towards the bedroom and placed her ear against the wall. I was thinking of scolding her, but I also wanted to know what was going on in the other room. Like what she was doing, I placed my ear on the wall. Squidgy did the same, but he planted his entire cheek.
Nate and Elizabeth giggled behind us.
"So…do you think that Daddy will finally know his mistakes?" asked Elizabeth.
I sighed. "I don't know."
"He should," said Ballora's voice. "He has done so many wrong things in his life that his children were forced to be his victims."
"He did know about it," said Funtime Foxy's voice. "I guess…he got lost with all of this?"
"Not a fun party for all of them, right?" asked Funtime Freddy's voice.
"Not really," said Sara.
Charlie was quiet as he came close. I expected her to show hatred towards the Aftons, but she mostly keep quiet. She looked more concerned about her father talking to her killer. Her psychotic, brain-dead, jackass, bloodthirsty, fear-hungry killer.
We stayed silent when William talked again.
"I…I don't think you should be talking to me," he said.
Henry huffed. "Well, I'm here. It's only me, so…"
"I know. It's just that…I thought over about the last 37 years and what I had been doing and…"
"…is there anything else still out there? Anything you made?"
"I already told the police about them. I told them that I want them to look for more businesses that are involved with the making of the animatronics and to find any past workers who used to work at our company. The main line-up of Freddy's might be gone, but we don't know who else is making them. And besides, my wife has already passed away, so…they have to check if she left anything behind. We need to clean the franchise's world inside out."
William trailed off for a few seconds.
"When I started…all of this, I thought that my sadness would be gone, but…Satan lied."
When Henry didn't say anything, William groaned.
"You…you don't understand. Yeah, Satan looks like a shady dickface, but when I was a child, I saw him. I swear I saw him. He gave me good advice on what to do and the reason why I managed to finish that s***ty assignment. And I felt like it was only me who believed in him. Nobody else does. You, Vanessa, Scott."
He gasped suddenly.
"Damn it! Scott! Why didn't I listen to him? He was trying to help me, but I…plunged it into his skull. If he is a ghost, he would definitely try to kill me."
"Are you OK, William?" asked Henry softly.
William tutted. "Yeah. I'm fine. It's just so hard to believe that everything you know in life would turn upside down. It's like I'm the one suffering and when I found an 'easier way' to get by it, look what happened."
"You don't think I wouldn't understand?" said Henry firmly. "When I saw Nate being chomped on – your boy – I felt responsible for it. Have you ever wondered why I kept trying to call you for 10 years? It was because I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for what happened. The promise might be broken, but I tried to fix it. It's just that…you locked me out of your life. I was afraid that you don't want to talk to me anymore."
William sighed. "I hated you a little. But…I just can't keep my mind off Nate. I wanted him back more than anything else in the world. And I had visions about Satan, so I tried doing some of the things he requested me to do. They didn't work…"
"You know that…feeling sad and grieving a lost one are normal in life, right?"
"It still hurts a lot for me…"
"Look, you NEED to talk with me, your wife or your friend. You could have even try to talk with your children instead of ignoring them. I know it's tough, but just trying to make things different – creating something you think that would magically cure everything – won't solve the problem. It's not right."
"Then what is right if I am supposed to stay strong and not weak?"
Henry was silent for a while. "You could talk to me. I know you, William. I know what you have been going through. Being strong is important, but a man who keeps to himself cannot handle things on their own. You looked towards something that you believed that would help you, but you got to face the truth. And the truth is; it would hurt and never go away, but what are the things you are missing out of?"
William thought for a while. "Michael and Nate. Vanessa. Scott. You?"
"Exactly. It's OK to feel upset sometimes. And talking to us, it's not considered a weakness. You are actually trying to look for help and that's what makes a man strong. Nobody can survive on their own without a hand to show them the roots."
I swore that I heard sniffling.
"Henry…" said William. "After everything I did, why are you here?"
"It's because I feel that if I reached out to you in the first place properly, then you wouldn't have to hurt so many people. Even though I am late, I believe that we can try to make things right. You don't have to think that Satan is the only way. There are still many others. And now, you should try to turn to us."
"You know that you wouldn't want me to be around everyone."
"I know most people won't, but I will. I can try to help you. We might be dead, but I'll try to help you before you do anything drastic. I'm your friend from the start. It'll be complicated, but I'm sure we could figure something out. Just please give it a shot."
There was a long minute of silence as we waited of what William would have to say. I looked behind to see Charlie flying closer to me. I felt something warm steaming off from her and a gentle smile appeared on her face.
William chuckled a little. "You know that once we go away from this world, we might be in different places. Who knows if we see each other again in the next life."
"That's why I'm here now," said Henry. "For you."
The door suddenly popped opened. I thought it was Charlie or Michael playing with their magic, but nobody know. After a few minutes of waiting, I took a peek through the door gap to see William staring at the opened window. It let the sunlight poured in and presented a good view for him to see the busy town outside. There were chattering and laughing from the people walking by, but it was anything but sad.
"I…I did a lot to this town," said William. "And they are in the same boat as I was during 1984…"
"It's going to be tough for everyone to get through this," said Henry. "But since the tragedies are over, everyone has a chance to breath already."
The light shining on his face made me see that William was hoping to be a better person.
Squidgy leaned down and tapped on Charlie's shoulder.
"Is…is this alright for you, Charlie?" he whispered.
Charlie nodded. "It's fine…not sure about the others though."
"What makes you think differently to them?"
Hearing this, William turned around.
"I don't know," said Charlie. "I just…thought he did the right thing now. I might not forgive him, but I'm relieved that he and my father finally made amends."
William smiled awkwardly, looking away.
"Just forgive me if all of us get to be in Heaven," he said softly.
Charlie nodded.
"Thinking about it," said Henry. "Do you think…the consciousness of the Funtime animatronics would ever get to Heaven as well?"
"What do you mean?" asked Bon Bon's voice. "Why do you think of that?"
"Well…you were robots," explained William. "Artificial intelligences. Since you were created out of machines and coding, I'm not sure if you will be able to go to the afterlife. The only exception is Circus Baby because her consciousness is already merged with Elizabeth's."
Elizabeth's hope seemed to disappear as she bowed her head down. That would mean that she might not hear the people she hung around as Circus Baby with ever again. This would be harder for her to move on.
"It's OK, Elizabeth," said Ballora. "We know that we might not be able to be with you all the time, but you know that we would be in your heart the whole time."
"Your memories of us will still keep us alive!" agreed Funtime Freddy. "We will get through this together."
"Let's share this moment together before we can rest in peace," said Funtime Foxy gently. "We love you no matter where we are."
"I have no idea what Mr. Afton meant when we can't get through Heaven," said Bon Bon's voice. "But I agree with everything they said! Ditto on loving you no matter what!"
Elizabeth smiled, nearly looking like she wanted to cry. "Thank you, guys…"
Katelyn's POV, 16/10/20
It had been two weeks ever since we freed the ghosts. I kept seeing a lot of them talking with their families and friends. They were almost everywhere. Some people were descending to a higher plane on top of apartment balconies, through the roofs of their houses or after resting in the grass for a while.
I got to say, after what I went through, I felt proud of myself for able to save a lot of people. Look around me. Everybody was happy that me and my friends were able to prevent William's plans. Even though the past few days had been hard with fights, mysteries and tensions, we were able to make it out in the end.
At first, I was worried that my friends wouldn't want to be around me anymore. However, I had been hanging out more recently with my friends in the afternoon. We didn't see each other much due to checking on the victims and their close ones. We still managed to keep things together and there wasn't that much arguments anymore.
I guessed that Savion was right; I am an important part of the team. I was the one who encouraged them to take on this impossible journey and look at where we are already. Nobody was cranky towards me, but we were all…just happy. Happy that we are still alive and the long-running investigation of Freddy's could come to an end.
There were some problems. The ghosts of the missing children, the Schmidts and the Aftons were still around. I heard that some of my friends and the members of Techcore were going to them to check if they were doing alright. I was aware that the dead were having trouble with their lives ever since they got out of the animatronics.
The one thing for me was my parents.
I…hadn't seen them ever since I freed them.
It was no surprise why they were like this, but I never saw them so hopeless. They barely see me and locked themselves in a room all by themselves. To me, I thought that they would try to come out looking brave and supportive at all times. However, they weren't how I thought they would be in my eyes.
Barbara kept telling me that they just need time along. But two weeks were too long for me to wait. Despite this, I had a lot of time talking with my aunt. It was nice to see her again after so long. She tried picking up things in her apartment, but being a ghost, they only went through her body. I told her that I was going to stay there during my time in America, so she made me promise not to lose this room for her.
Also, I managed to help her get over her paranoia. Every time she would get into a freak-out or had a nightmare, I would immediately go to her and comfort her. I did all I could to help her. In the end, her mental health was at a good adequate level, so I felt happy that I was able to help her this time. Sure she was already dead, but she was still struggling as a ghost.
Soon, the day of the charity concert we were running finally arrived. I was wondering if it would help everybody know that they are not alone. Most of the ghosts had already moved on, but there were still a small handful of them still around. To my surprise, they actually came and decided to hide backstage to avoid creating mass confusion.
"You know," said Barbara as we waited backstage for my turn to go on stage. "The thing that makes this concert beautiful…all the people together. And with the cycle of Freddy's, I think we can all relate to the sad and scary times."
"You know that the Freddy Fazbear company wants us to run it to pay them back for the damage we did," I said.
"Yeah…but since we are all here, I think I can finally watch a good show."
I smiled. The Rock Empire didn't go well since Barbara died that time, but since she was able to see me one last time, she could get a good look of my band performing.
"Katelyn?"
I turned around to see Athello, waiting for me.
"I spotted your parents," he said. "They apparently came here to see you. They…want to talk to you."
I was shocked to hear this. Honestly, I was a little afraid to face them again. I wondered how they would think of me. Even though they were free of William's influence, they might be upset with me taking risky choices with my friends and nearly getting myself killed. Part of me wondered if they were proud of me for saving everyone.
In fact, I was nearly frozen. I couldn't move. All my senses came back to me when Barbara placed her hand onto mine.
"Just go," she said. "They need you."
I nodded, finding myself walking on my will. Athello took me to the changing rooms. Both my parents were sitting down on chairs, staring at the makeup mirrors.
I took a chair nearby and sat down, close to my ghost parents.
"So…eh..." I started awkwardly. "Hi there. Been a while since we saw each other."
They didn't say anything. They looked…nearly dead. Dad tried to look at me, but he appeared too ashamed to show his face to me. I could sense it.
"S-Sweetheart," he said. "Please listen to me."
"It's only me here," I said. "No need to worry."
I turned around to see if anybody else was in the room, but Athello already left.
"We…we are sorry for saying those awful things."
I turned my head at my parents. "I-It's fine. I know. You were corrupted-"
"No," said Dad. "We were under his spell, but…he used some of our anger of being abandoned by our family. I…I'm sorry that we said that you should be dead. You're not a failure, Katelyn. We just…"
He trailed, burying his face into his hands. Mum gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Listen," I said. "The words you told me…they were hurtful, yes. But…even though you said that, I can't just let you go that easily. You're my parents."
"Then…why did you came to us?" asked Mum.
I took a deep breath. "Before I came here, I was worried about you. I was wondering when you were going to come home. I had been trying to deal with the other kids at school, but I always fall on my feet. It was like without you, I would be nothing. But…when I came here, I know that I am better than this."
I let myself smile. "I made friends here and even though we had arguments, I managed to get along with them. The Party Hearts had changed my life completely. It was like I found my home. However, I was looking for my home with you."
I could see that both of my parents' eyes were glowing.
"I never got the chance to say goodbye properly. I never got to see you when you disappeared. That's why I came here when I am capable of looking after myself. You can't be replaced. I miss you two and I would trade the world for you. Even if it came to the cost of my life."
I stood up, coming close to them.
"I always thought that I was nothing. Without you, I would be weak. But…I found my own strength. It's more than trying to get things my way already. It's not about trying to change myself immediately. But I still have my friends. And one of them…from his experience…told me if I just continue what I believe in with the things I have around me, then I can still chase the dream of fighting what is right for this world."
Mum thought for a while as she stood up and kneeled down, touching my cheek.
"Do you…still try to be loved and appreciated?" she said, nearly tearing up. "Alone? Were you suffering a lot when we were away?"
I nodded. "I was, but not anymore. I have the things I still have…to remind me that I'm not a nobody in this world. I'm still something."
There was sad pause. Both my parents went close to me and wrapped their arms around me. I returned the embrace, putting my chin on one of their shoulders. I nearly felt the urge to cry, but I also heard sniffing from both of my parents. It was at that moment that I remembered that I hadn't have a hug from them for 4 years and here they were.
Since they would eventually move on, I cherished this moment and tried to feel every touch from their ghost bodies. I know it's selfish, but I wished that they could stay. I still didn't understand why it was them who had to die, but I couldn't change it. So, this was my moment to see them one more time before I could say them goodbye again.
"We're proud of you for stopping William for killing more people," said Mum, placing her hands onto my shoulders. "You're one of the greatest in the world. You should be a police cop someday. We'll let you choose what you believe is right for everyone, but please promise us this."
I smiled. "I'm all ears."
"Never go out alone."
I chuckled a little. "Even if I go alone by mistake?"
"Listen, Katelyn. What happened two weeks ago happened were because of the mistakes that were made. Sure you got lucky getting out alive of the pizzeria and the workshop, but a girl who goes alone has a snowball's chance in Hell in not being stuffed into a spring locked suit."
I tried my best not to grin. I felt cheeky in trying to do dangerous missions on my own, but she had a point. I might have survived, but I wouldn't be strong enough to face any new threats on my own. And my band would go into another freak-out if I ran away without letting them know. Despite my temptation, I knew it was for my own good.
"Yes, Mum," I said.
"Don't 'yes, mum' me," said Mum, gripping my shoulders harder. "Just promise on your honor no matter how dangerous a new threat is, NEVER GO ON YOUR OWN FOR ANY REASON!"
I nodded obediently. "OK, Mum. I promise."
She ruffled my hair. "Thank you, Katelyn."
"You're really lucky to have a family, Katelyn."
That was Thomas. He was just right behind me with his arms folded and his beanie nearly covering his eyes. He actually heard our conversation the whole time.
"Hi, Thomas," I said.
"Is that your boyfriend?" asked Dad.
"What?! No!"
"No to being 'boyfriend'," said Thomas, flustered. "Definitely no."
"Just no."
"Anyway…you're lucky to have a family, Katelyn. Like I said."
"Yeah…" I said. "Don't you have a family of your own?"
"I have my friends. They are all I got. Still…never thought of getting parents…"
I sighed. "You know that you can talk to me, Thomas. I think I can understand."
"I don't know," said Thomas. "We just-"
"We didn't have that much time to see each other, but since we are finally back together, maybe we can try to sort things out together."
Thomas stared at me for a while. "There are still so many questions here and there, but…I'm happy that we can settle down for now."
"Let's just keep things cool between us, alright?" I said.
"Will do so, buddy," said Thomas, a smile on his face. "By the way, I'm glad I wrote that 'Raging Wind' song. It comes in handy."
My parents chuckled. I cringed a little.
"You know, maybe we can do it next time when we are fighting demons, taking down Satanic pentagrams and deactivating animatronics-!"
"Slow down, Thomas," I said hastily. "Please. What happened back there STAYS back there. We are NOT doing THAT again."
Thomas blinked, confused. "But that verse was helpful."
I rolled my eyes. "We don't know what bad things it can come out. Sara is right. It nearly sounds like a Satanic ritual. And William didn't told us what religion that verse is related to. Either way, we can't risk it."
A few minutes later, it was Thomas' and his band's turn to perform on stage. While that was happening, I watched as the ghosts watched by. Some of them made themselves comfortable by sitting on anything they could find. Some of them actually decided to be sitting on the stage while making themselves invincible and only letting the performers see them.
"C'mon, Daddy!" said Elizabeth. "Are you going to watch?"
"I'm not sure about it," said William. "Nobody would be happy to see me near the stage."
I looked behind to see William being dragged by his children to come near the stage, stopping by behind the curtains. I took a few steps away, pretending to be concentrating on something else.
"We don't need to show ourselves," said Michael calmly, glancing at me. "We can make ourselves invisible and just watch without interfering it. It's just going to be us right here. Enjoying ourselves."
"It is very tempting, but I…"
He trailed off when he heard the crowd cheering during an announcement.
"I never been in places with large crowds."
Nate smiled softly. "Try something new. It might not be easy, but remember, we are close by. We don't have to be in the crowd. Let's just stay here."
William looked at his three children who were waiting patiently for his response. He looked at me. For a murderer like him, I was pretty sure that he was just scared of revealing himself and ruining the party, but I didn't want to bother him too much. I was still a little nervous around him. I just smiled and nodded, telling him that he could finally enjoy himself for this moment.
He let out a breath. "Damn, how much I missed…sure then…"
"Yes!" said Elizabeth, pumping her fists in the air.
"And yet, I thought this party pooper would try to scare the people here," muttered Funtime Foxy's voice.
Ballora quickly shushed him before William heard that.
As I watched Techcore going to their places, there were footsteps behind me. It came from Mark who already dressed in a more casual outfit, though he didn't give up the purple shirt. Henry and Charlie floated behind him.
"Hi there, Katelyn," said Mark.
"What are you doing here, Mark?" I said. "How were YOU able to get through security?"
"Got a free pass from a friend I know," he said coolly, winking. "I can think of a few other things of how to get a special V.I.P ticket."
I raised my eyebrow. "Right…"
"Are you comfortable watching us?" asked Charlie.
"Charlie…" said Henry in a gentle tone. "You don't need to ask."
"I just want to make sure. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable."
I could tell how concerned she sound. I smiled and shrugged.
"It's alright, Charlie," I said. "Nothing wrong with you guys watching us. Children as special guests watching on the stage is a treat. With the number of people, no one is going to stop us!"
That was when Gabriel, Jeremy, Fritz and Susie flew through me. I nearly fell down as they zipped over the stage, quickly saying sorry to me. They turned invisible, but it was only me, Mark and the members of Techcore who could see them. We watched in silence as the four giddy children floated above them, much to Elvis' and Alex's annoyance.
"Hey!" said Elvis. "No unauthorized people on the stage!"
"This is not your performance!" shouted Alex as he tried to shoo them away. "This is ours!"
"Can't we just watch please?" said Jeremy with a cheesy smile.
"You didn't even practice singing and dancing!"
"Just let them hang around," said Thomas. "They aren't a problem to us."
"But they can distract us," complained Elvis.
I turned back to Mark.
"Very convincing," he said, deadpanned.
"Well…what can possibly go wrong?" I said.
Charlie was about to open her mouth, but the lights dimmed and the curtains opened to reveal the Techcore band. The entire crowd cheered loudly. The four ghost children flinched when they realized that they were out in the open, but they calmed down when they told themselves that they were invisible. [1]
Thomas chuckled a little as he began singing the first chorus of 'Que Sera'. A piano played in the background as the boys moved around, looking up at the children. When he sang that 'you're not alone', Gabriel smiled. I could feel their warmth and happiness to feel cared for.
The dance-pop song kicked off with guitars, synthesizers and drums playing. The crowd cheered and jumped to the beat of the song as the boys moved around. The highlight of the song was displayed when they started singing, exploring through themes of friendship, harmony, reflection and an appreciation of life.
As they walked around the ghosts, the five boys would sometimes reached out to them and brushed their hands through their invisible bodies. The children would giggle when that happened and sometimes would smile in pleasure.
The whole message of the song could define what we all went through. It felt like we felt as if we didn't win the whole game, but there were friends nearby who would always be there with a smile. They would remind us that we are not alone. The past was already done and the future is a mystery for all of us to figure out together. Keep things together and be strong together.
Hearing this after so much heartache two weeks ago nearly made me feel like to cry again. My parents watched by on the other side, holding onto each other's hands and swaying around. Charlie was hugging Henry tightly with him smiling and shedding tears of joy.
When the final chorus came in, the entire Techcore group began dancing, moving around in a bouncy and energetic way. The ghosts children tried to follow them, but eventually decided to fly around them. Thomas would sometimes stopped and grab one of the ghosts' hands, spinning them around. Even though the crowd couldn't see, we could tell that Thomas was having the time of his life by spending it by those who needed a lift up in their lives.
The five boys made the final move by spinning around – changing spots – and crossed their arms, leaning back slightly. [1s]
The crowd went wild, cheering loudly.
The ghosts even cheered, posing like they were superstars.
"Thank you, everyone!" said Thomas. "Thank you all for being here with us. This special day…it means a lot for me as well. We are here to be together and to cure those who have been suffering through those dark times. We are all safe now. Nothing can stop us. You're not alone in this anymore."
As he passed the mic to his friends, Patrick appeared with Cassidy sitting on his shoulders.
"I wonder why all their songs need rapping in it," he grumbled. "Just WHY?! It shouldn't be included in a song like this!"
Cassidy chuckled a little. "Yeah…yeah…I get it. Don't feel so mad, bro."
"So, you're ready?" I asked.
Patrick sighed. "I'm not sure, but this is something I want to show Cassidy."
"Do I…stay here or can I be nearby you?" asked Cassidy.
"You can come with us," I said. "You don't need to show yourself to the crowd, but you can stay around us. You can turn invisible, right?"
Cassidy nodded. "Yeah. I always want to see my brother perform."
Patrick smiled. "Then you're in for a treat."
As me, Patrick and the rest of our friends set up the equipment needed for our performance, Thomas was close to finishing his speech.
"Remember what I said last time," he said. "At the Rock Empire? We all know Freddy's and the tragedies."
Everyone went silent as they listened to him.
"It still haven't been the same ever since. It…still doesn't feel safe for me, but it's not as worse now. The agony, the tears, the blood-shedding…it's all over. And I like to send my prayers to Chicago. A lot of lives were lost that day and I felt like it was my fault for causing it. I don't know why, but I like to say sorry to everyone. I'm so sorry for everything that happened so far. All of you deserve more…"
There was a minute of silence as everybody took a moment to grieve those who were killed by the animatronics, whether from Freddy's or William.
"Like I said last time, life is important. And a life lost…is a life that has been loved. And they are watching down on us. Watching us move on with our lives. They can finally rest in peace now and they know that despite the troubles, we will all be OK. Even the gods know about it. Know that a single star in the night sky is the solution to a thousand problems. It's not easy, but we solved it together. We WILL solve it together."
The crowd cheered, but while it wasn't loud, it was polite and heartfelt. There were a lot of people who understood, some of them crying as well. A few people whistled or whooped, loving Thomas' speech.
"And now," he said. "We have one more song for all of us. It's…for all of us who have been affected." [2]
As he finished, Sara began playing her acoustic guitar. This song is 'Hurts 2B Human'; we recorded this song with Thomas' help who also sang a part of the song. With all of us on stage, Techcore could join in. However, Alex, Elvis, Yellow and Squidgy decided to sit nearby at Athello's platform.
I sang the song first, feeling a little choked up as I remembered the words. I sang how I would get tied up in my thoughts, wanting things to stop for once. As I sang, I saw the Schmidts, the Aftons and my parents making their way onto the stage. They made sure to become invisible to the audience so that nobody would stress out. Mark just watched from backstage.
When the chorus started, Patrick sang along with me. He walked around me, smiling. It made me feel that he wasn't angry at me anymore. Through the song, he was saying the same things of what I went through and how much it hurt to live. An EDM beat, plucky guitar chords and synths played behind us.
The ghost children watched us. They didn't dance, but they listen.
Thomas came in next at the second verse. As he sang, he rubbed my shoulder. He looked at me in the eye with a gentle smile. Almost as if he had the same thoughts as I did, he explained how we went through this road of madness and difficulty. When he sang that I could on me, he let go, standing next to me.
When the chorus came in again, I was too overwhelmed by emotion to even sing. Just seeing the dead souls around me caught me off guard and reminded me again of how many people I didn't get to save. I was nearly breaking down, wiping away my tears to not embarrass myself.
Apparently, Thomas and Patrick stopped singing when they saw me tearing up. Sara, Savion and Finn hushed down on their vocals. Alex, Elvis, Yellow and Squidgy sang quietly, trying to save the song. We didn't need to do anything because the crowd sang the chorus for us. There were a lot of thoughts going through my head that I failed to keep myself calm.
Eventually, I nearly broke the waterworks. Immediately, Thomas wrapped his arm around me in a cool-down hug. My parents came close, rubbing me on the back. The ghost children bundled together as they murmured these words.
"Please don't cry. We're here, Katelyn."
When I lifted up my face, I was already drenched in tears. The crowd still sang along, waving their hands around slowly. I continued singing, but my voice was nearly cracked up.
At the bridge, Patrick decided to sing the entire verse. He let me take a breath with Thomas gently patting me on the back. He walked near the edge of the stage, bending down. The crowd still sang along as he looked around. When Cassidy got near, he held onto her hand, gently swinging her along to the soft rhythm of the song.
The chorus finally came back again. I wasn't able to sing, but at least there were a few people singing. This song was all that we needed to hear; acknowledging our struggles that we faced every day, even when the murders began. We were celebrating the power of bringing everyone together. I could see that me and my friends were singing or watching peacefully.
Elizabeth was singing along while Nate and Michael were holding onto William who tearfully watched us.
Henry was singing the song to Charlie whom was in his arms, smiling through her tears.
The ghost children were waddling around us, trying to sing the words right.
My parents still stayed close to me, humming to the tune of the song.
"Oh God, it hurts…to be human…" [2s]
As the song finished, the crowd cheered. They were clapping and cheering loudly as ever. This one felt kind of different. This one felt…more supportive than back at Rock Empire. It was genuine. It was loving. It was…good.
"Thank you," I whispered through the microphone. "Thank you, everyone."
As the crowd cheered on, I saw Cassidy starting to disappear. We were all surprised as she started to fade away, her whole body blurring out slowly.
"What…?" whispered Thomas.
Patrick smiled as he came towards his sister.
"You'll be fine on your own, won't you?" asked Cassidy, tears forming in her eyes.
Patrick nodded, holding onto her hand. "I'll be OK. As long as I know that you're safe now."
Cassidy grinned, chuckling a little. "Thank you, brother. Thank you all for saving us."
Soon, she was gone. Patrick looked around as if wondering where the ghost went, but he nodded to himself, knowing that Cassidy already moved on. He cracked a grin, even though a tear was already dripping down from his eye.
The ghost children looked at themselves, seeing their bodies slowly disappearing.
"Wait!" said Savion. "Will we ever see you again?"
"Hopefully someday," said Susie, smiling.
"We will," said Gabriel. "But not after a long time. Remember that."
They all looked at us with grateful smiles before disappearing.
I looked to the side to see the Aftons fading away. Elizabeth smiled, turning to the four boys of Techcore.
"See you later, everyone," she said, waving her hand.
Alex waved back, nearly tearing up. Squidgy and Yellow grinned, nodding. Elvis saluted as if sending his respect to a soldier.
Elizabeth saluted back before she disappeared.
"W-What does this mean?" said William.
"We are at peace now," said Henry. "Hopefully…we can see each other after this."
"I hope that you can rest in peace now," said Sara. "You deserve it all. Even for you, Mr. Afton."
William looked a little shocked hearing this. He looked down to see Michael and Nate patting him on the back. I could feel…happiness and relief from those three. Relieved that the nightmare was over. And I was happy that William found peace, not needing to suffer for his crimes. He knew that he was already done, but he didn't have to go alone.
He wrapped his arms around his two sons, closing his teary eyes. They were silent as every particle of them began to fade away.
"See you later, William," said Henry.
William opened his eyes and smiled. That was the last thing I saw before the Aftons completely faded away from the world.
"I'm sorry for everything, guys," said Charlie as she began to fade away. "And…thank you for helping us."
"It's all we can do," said Thomas humbly.
"Yeah," I agreed. "We'll keep an eye out on who needs help. Just like what you did."
Charlie nodded before she and Henry hovered away. I saw that they were heading towards Mark who was trembling in emotion.
"You…you can all rest in peace now," he said, his voice cracking. "I…I…I don't know what to say about this."
"It's alright, Mark," said Henry. "You'll be OK. I know you will. You know as well."
The three Schmidts embraced in a warming group hug. Mark was beginning to sob, tears rolling down his cheeks. However, there was a bright smile on his face.
"Thank you for coming back, Mark," whispered Charlie with a sob. "Thank you for helping us."
Mark smiled. "I'll never forget you."
And then, Henry and Charlie were gone.
Mark noticed this and wrapped his arms around himself. He continued to cry, but he looked like he accepted that his family can move on. I was about to open my mouth, but he waved his hand. He smiled, telling me that he is going to be fine from now on.
I spotted Aunt Barbara watching by. She waved her hand, tears going down her face. I waved back, smiling.
And then, she was gone.
I noticed that the remaining ghosts watching nearby were beginning to fade away. Their souls were free, finally finding peace. The audience might not see them, but we did. We could feel them flying to the sky. Their bodies disappearing and turning into light. I turned around to see my parents immediately grabbing me for one last hug.
I nearly broke into tears and sobs again, knowing that I wouldn't be able to see them again until the end of time. I still missed them, but I know that they would still watch me from above. Be always in a place in my heart. I am sad that they wouldn't be able to hang around with me, but I know that they would still be by my side.
It was a tender moment I couldn't waste. I let out a laugh as I shed tears of joy. When they looked at me, I gave a small sigh of relief. Letting them know that I already managed to get through this. The best thing I needed after this crazy journey.
My parents smiled before they disappeared.
The crowd and the music played on as I felt all the ghosts fading away, finding peace in themselves. The nightmare of Freddy's could finally come to an end and the horrors that occurred would close down its doors for no one to enter them again.
Patrick and Thomas stood by me. With me in the middle, they wrapped their arms around me. Judging by their smiles, they found peace and happy that we survived all of this.
We are going to be OK.
We will be OK.
Through the gentle air, there was a slight whisper. Through the roar of the crowd and the blinding lights, there was still something flying through the air. It muttered out these words that reminded us that we are not alone. The words that let us know that everyone will still be happy. It could be a lot more happier, but this is what we need the most. Something to finally close this book.
"We will live on," echoed Henry's voice. "In the hearts on kids, we will live on…"
Bittersweet, but filling.
Chicago, Circus Baby's World
"This is really sad you know," said one construction worker as his team arrived at the deserted underground restaurant. "Two technicians died in there. I don't know how we are going to break the news to their loved ones."
"It's going to be a huge mess now," said another construction worker, placing her hands on her hips. "With the Freddy Fazbear company shutting down their restaurant plans, this place needs to be stripped down for good."
"Do you think it would be best if we knock the whole thing down? No one is going to buy a place that is known for three deaths."
"I know, but we would be wasting a lot. Besides, it might be useful one day."
"Hey guys! Hey guys! Look what I found!"
The two construction workers turned their heads to see one derpy worker coming to them…holding a bucket of yellow sticks.
"Is that…cheese?" said the male construction worker.
"Oh, heavens no," said the derpy man, picking one stick up. "I found them in the elevator. They must be the Exotic Butters. They used to sell them back in the 1980s!"
He took a HUGE bite of it, yellow cream covering his lips.
"Mmm! It taste better than any butter. Must be 2 weeks old!"
Both sane construction workers exchanged looks of disgust.
"Throw it in the bin," said the female construction worker.
AN: Yeah...forgot about the Exotic Butters ever since Chapter 14...so I needed to put it back before the story ends.
The scene where Henry talks with William is mostly inspired by a scene from Meta Runner Seasons 2, Episode 5 (where Belle goes to see Tari to make amends with her). Surprised that William is becoming nicer? I decided to give him some more humanity before he disappears forever. I believe that I should close this book by giving everyone a peaceful and happy ending.
And with that, the curtains are finally closed and the children can rest now.
Alright! With everything said and done, wrapping up my story for 2021, I can say that 'Raging Wind' is finally complete! I feel like this is one of my best stories, better than my Bendy story. The cast, the arcs, the twists and turns, the intense; this is basically one of the hardest stories I've made along with 'A Test You Must Partake'. I really exploring this horror/thriller story as it allows me to explore the lore of FNAF and explore the darkest parts of my ideas and characters. It really means a lot to me and has a lot of things people need to learn by.
I want to thank all of you amazing readers for reading this story. So far 'Raging Wind' has reached about 2,583 views, 13 followers and 41 reviews! I didn't even expect to see a huge increase of views recently on some days.
Special thanks to Bruh (Guest), Bill Draconic Cipher, CapitalClassShip, Cogitationibus, Creeper aw man swinging, CGWicks, Dragon7597, Joshua Hatfield1, KkYaoiLover, LaundryViking, LittleGhostCat, MasterClass60, Miniguard26, NavryyNoqua, spideyfreakradio, sonicfan1991, Sgt. Sanman, Tashasaurous, ThatOneThunderous, The Imaginationeers, carlaclareu2015, mcchefew and WishfulB-DayGirl for following this story and taking a look of the hidden depths of Five Nights at Freddy's. That includes the various guests who reviewed the story. Your support inspired me to keep on going and making for stories for all of you.
Thanks once again to Tashasaurous, Sgt. Sanman, sonicfan1991, TheLostEternity, Asiotus, Obliterwrite and TheArabianKnightt for making the characters of the Party Hearts. Thanks to NowerStudios, cs3301237, cs295965 and SquidgyChurch from Scratch for making the characters of Techcore. And thanks again to Sgt. Sanman and I.M. Rally for helping out with the songs for the story!
But you think this is over now?
However, it's not over yet. Get ready for more for 'Security Breach, Shades Up' based on the upcoming game 'Security Breach'. Get ready to see a new side of FNAF soon with a new cast.
Along side that, I'm working on a secret project that will follow up as a sequel to Raging Wind.
Also, I plan to make a standalone sequel that will be focusing on Mark Schmidt. I don't know what else to write after covering almost all the games, but I want to do something for our favorite Schmidt security guard.
As always, thanks for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story, so you can get updates about this story. Make sure to review this chapter on what you think about this chapter. I'm OK of hearing improvements from you (please no flames).
Until next time, stay safe, be nice, trust in your friends, may God be with you all and keep on rocking!
This is Cheah signing out!
...and oh, watch out for Freddy. If you are sleeping in your room now, check your closet. There is a high chance that there is something waiting under your clothes. ;)