Friday, November 13, 1987
Jeremy Fitzgerald pulled up at the new Freddy Fazbear's Pizza in his blue '83 Suzuki FX, knowing he barely got here early enough. He grabbed his flashlight, then patted his pocket to ensure he had extra batteries after how close things got two nights ago. His date with Thomas a few hours earlier lasted longer than he planned, and by the time he got home to get ready for work, he barely had enough time to get ready and get out the door. Any spare time to check for intruders was gone. Right now, he knew to just get in and get to the office. Anyone dumb enough to be in here after midnight...well, Jeremy didn't want to say he was heartless enough to consider them on their own, but he couldn't exactly rescue them after midnight rolled around, either.
He quickly unlocked the front doors and got inside, keeping an eye on his old black wristwatch.
11:57pm.
Jeremy flicked his flashlight to the right, over on the stage show where the Toy versions of Bonnie, Freddy, and Chica stood tall, their plastic casings shining bright and new in the light.
Just stay back, he thought, remembering the advice he got on the phone a few days ago.
Even though it wasn't midnight yet, he wanted to ensure their frozen stance for one more minute. Satisfied, Jeremy picked up the pace, dashing past the video game cabinets and the mini-carousel, flicking his flashlight on Balloon Boy as he passed him.
Go down the hallway to the bathrooms, and from there, ignore the Parts and Services door at the end of it. Just turn left, pass the party rooms, and get to the security office.
Jeremy held up his flashlight as he exited that long hallway, knowing he had only two minutes to prepare himself. He turned to look at the stack of old monitors sitting in the far left corner of the room. He wished he thought of this earlier in the week, but better late than never.
With that thought in mind, he quickly grabbed one of the heavy monitors, then carried it over to the vent next to the stack to block it. A quick shove to make sure it became an obstacle, a quick breath, and then he returned to the stack to hoist up another one. Walking quickly, but carefully to the right vent, Jeremy set it down and like before, shoved it in place.
He doubted the monitors would keep the animatronics out for very long, but it could buy him time to grab the mask or wind the music box.
Jeremy collapsed in his seat afterward. He barely turned on the desk monitor when the phone rang. Wearily, he hit the speaker button and waited for the cameras to boot up.
"Hello? Hello?" his unnamed coworker greeted him.
"Hey," Jeremy said, in a faint Irish brogue.
He barely caught his breath from that run.
"Uh...what on earth are you doing there?" his coworker asked, sounding concerned.
Jeremy sat at attention then.
"I'm...working?" he asked, confused."Uh, didn't you get the memo?""Memo?" Jeremy suddenly got a sinking feeling in his stomach. "What memo?"
His coworker tried not to sound too frantic.
"Uh, the place is closed down, uh, at least for a while.""What?"
This was news to him.
"Why?"
"Someone used one of the suits," his coworker answered. By his tone...something happened. Something bad, and the man struggled to keep composure about it. "We had a spare in the back, a yellow one. Someone used it...now none of them are acting right."
Like they were ever acting right before…
But Jeremy pushed that thought back, staring at the empty hallway before him. His last-minute plan to block the vents might have just come in handy.
"Listen, j-just finish your shift," his coworker continued. "It's safer than trying to leave in the middle of the night."
"O-okay," Jeremy replied, looking at the mask.
And trying not to panic at the thought of wearing it again. He perked as his coworker spoke up.
"Uh, we have one more event scheduled for tomorrow, a birthday."
"Okay…?"
"You'll be on day shift, wear your uniform. Stay close to the animatronics; make sure they don't hurt anyone, okay?"
"I wish someone gave me a heads-up, but sure."
"Uh, for now just make it through the night. Uh, when the place eventually opens again, I'll probably take the night shift myself."
"Thanks…"
"Okay, goodnight and good luck."
"...Goodnight," Jeremy said, warily.
He hung up the phone, his stomach lurching with anticipated sickness.
Something was off tonight, and it wasn't just the animatronics. Two nights ago, his coworker mentioned something about an investigation going on, and just yesterday, he was informed that being switched to the day shift might become a possibility. Now it just did.
Briefly, Jeremy wondered if the day shift guard had anything to do with this. That he used the suit to-
He quickly stopped thinking about it, pushing back the only reason he could think of for someone using a suit and getting arrested for it. That a child could have been hurt, and in ways that made him sick just for putting those pieces together.
Jeremy looked to the vents, currently blocked off with some of the monitors. It probably wouldn't stop them, but he had a bit more time to disguise himself if one of the animatronics tried to get in. Still, thinking on their behavior in the last few nights, his coworker's warnings to their escalating aggression, how they all seemed to have gone berserk…
He briefly recalled something his coworker told him before. That they were still fine with kids. That it was
adults they had a problem with.
...They know something, Jeremy thought. They have to.
Why else would they be doing this? Even if the investigation was concluded...was it possible that the police had the wrong person? That the real culprit was still among them?
He wished there was a way to talk to the bots. To find out what they knew. But as he listened to the sounds of the building, flicked the flashlight down the hall, and held down the spacebar to trigger the remote on Cam 11, Jeremy knew the only way he would get any answers was to last through tonight and the birthday party tomorrow.
Maybe then, he could talk to management, see if there was a way to retrieve data from their memory files.
Not even half an hour passed, with the bots cycling in and out with alarming frequency. Jeremy held his breath as he heard something in the right vent pushing against the monitor blockade. And when he saw a brilliant blue hand at the edge of the monitor, he grabbed the hollow Freddy head and pulled it on.
Two long blue ears with white, blue-tinged insets poked out after the hand. The monitor scraped against the once-new tile floor as the robot pushed it into the room. Jeremy sat completely still, the mask held in place with both hands to keep the heavy Freddy head properly balanced, his legs trembling under the desk where they couldn't be seen.
For the second time tonight, Toy Bonnie crawled inside the room. He pulled himself up, his ears straightening as high as they could go, the bright office lights shining off his plastic blue body. Jeremy watched the robot's bright green eyes shrink, his plastic mouth open in a wide, creepy smile, and closed his eyes as the flickering flash of the scan sequence took him in.
He panicked, just wanting to throw off the mask and run. Only his fear of potential destruction overrode his phobia enough to force every muscle to still save for his legs. Jeremy hated that Toy Bonnie in particular liked to come up this close to him, entrap him, as if the animatronic knew about his issue with tight, small spaces.
And intentionally made him panic to try to force him to reveal himself as a human.
But the Freddy head seemed to fool him as well as most of the others, and the large blue bunny never seemed to notice his panicked breaths or the sweat and tears rolling down his face just behind the mask's eyes. All he cared about was whether or not Jeremy passed for one of them.
The scan sequence complete and the animatronic satisfied, Toy Bonnie turned to leave the room. Jeremy listened for the large, heavy footsteps, dared to open his eyes. He caught the blue shine off the rabbit's back and waited until he no longer saw that bright blue color in the dark hallway. Once safe, he practically threw off the mask, taking deep, gasping breaths as he reached up to wipe the sweat from his face, the tears from his eyes.
God, if he made it through tonight, it'd be a miracle.
With short, sharp breaths, Jeremy flicked the flashlight down the hallway, shuddering with relief to find it empty save for the residual movement of Toy Bonnie's retreating form. He had a minute.
Sweat pouring from under his hat, Jeremy hit the spacebar to trigger the remote on the music box.
In and out.
Just breathe.
Enjoy the maskless air for as long as you can and wind the music box.
Think of going home after the birthday party tomorrow, of a well-deserved rest, the warmth of his family, and the arms of his boyfriend.
Despite his happier thoughts, Jeremy trembled as he picked up the flashlight again to double check, then got up to ensure the vents were clear, and to push the monitor back from where Toy Bonnie had pushed it out of the way. He ignored the scuff marks from the in-and-out war he had with the animatronics since the night began. Management might be pissed, but living through this took higher priority.
Just as he got it back into place, a familiar, "Hello?" echoed in the room. Jeremy froze as he heard the familiar banging in the walls when one of them entered the vents, and whoever occupied it now pushing against the other monitor. Jeremy winced and rushed back to his seat, grabbing the mask and holding it at the ready.
It always took Balloon Boy longer than the others to move the monitor out of the way, especially with his sphere-shaped hands and lack of strength and agility the others had. Only when he saw the top of the little robot's twirly hat did he pull on the mask.
Go away, go away, go away…
Balloon Boy stopped trying to push the monitor away after a moment. He peered through the gap he made, and as soon as he saw the night guard with the Freddy head in place, he ducked back, more easily satisfied than the others. Jeremy listened for the metallic clanks in the wall until they faded, then breathed as he pulled off the mask, trembling with anxiety. He hated how closed-in and vulnerable he felt, and doing this for almost a week hadn't helped his panic attacks in the least.
He grabbed the flashlight again to check the hall-just in time; the old decrepit Foxy stopped in his tracks and froze as the light forced a reset-then looked at the monitor on his desk, quickly flipped through the cameras to see where everyone was.
Toy Freddy and Toy Bonnie passed each other by the bathrooms. Mangle's static assaulted his ears by the Prize Corner, and the chimes of the music box meant he was safe for a minute from the creepy puppet. Foxy lingered by the Parts and Service room, and inside it, the old Freddy hadn't moved.
But someone else did.
Not that he had too much time to determine which one it could be when so many of them were active.
After a quick glance to the party rooms, where he found three of the four occupied with the Chicas and the older faceless Bonnie, he did a mental check of each animatronic, keeping an eye on the hallway and flipping back to Cam 11 to wind the music box as he did.
Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie, and Toy Chica: check. Mangle and Puppet: accounted for. Balloon Boy: just left, and the little ninja never appeared on-camera anyway. Old Freddy: hadn't moved yet tonight. Old Bonnie and Chica: active, and he'd probably see one of them soon. Old Foxy: had not come back just yet.
Jeremy got up to reset the monitor that Balloon Boy moved, flicking the flashlight down the hall as he did. As he pushed it back into place, an awful thought struck him. The old Freddy had yet to activate tonight, but there was movement in that back room. The other old animatronics were all elsewhere, and the Toy models never went near it.
Forgetting the monitor for a moment, Jeremy ran for the desk and quickly changed the view from Cam 11 to Cam 8.
Freddy still lay there, like an overgrown teddy bear some child tossed aside. Something else moved in the room, shifting and moving just out of sight. Jeremy squinted, trying to pick it out in the dark. Something about this figure seemed off, its stature smaller than most of the animatronics, the movements less jerky, more precise, almost like a…
Jeremy's eyes widened in horror on the realization.
...Human.
The sound of footsteps caught his attention again, and he looked up, flicking the flashlight down the hallway once more. No Foxy this time, but Bonnie, with his missing face and red LED lights marking where he once had eyes. Jeremy bit his lip, his hands near the mask. The bright lights usually forced a reset and made them go away, but Bonnie…
The ancient animatronic liked to linger there, staring with its red pinprick eyes. Long wires hung from his missing left arm, like snakes lying in wait. Jeremy flicked the light off and on a few times, trying to urge him to leave. Yet Bonnie stood there, the fingers on his uncovered right hand twitching, the metal endoskeleton longing to grip. After a few more flicks of the flashlight, he finally turned to go. Jeremy forced himself to breathe, then got up to ensure the vents were covered. He checked the hallway to ensure its emptiness as he made his way back to his desk.
He had minutes if that old robot was being generous. He barely had time to go back to Cam 11 to wind the music box before he went back to the Parts and Service view.
He saw it again, that silhouette in the dark with the old Freddy lying beside him.
What was that man doing?! God, he was going to get himself killed!
Jeremy perked for a moment, listening for the noise in the vents. Nothing yet, and a quick check of the hallway showed it was clear. He took a few seconds to make sure he had his extra batteries, then looked at the mask.
Dare he risk it?
He winced, knowing in his rush to get into the office before midnight, he hadn't checked the building. That someone was there who shouldn't be.
...Shouldn't be…
Jeremy perked at that, the investigations coming to mind. Why
else would the man be here? Was he hiding something? Destroying evidence? He tried to get a better look at him from the feed, but the darkness of the back room made details nearly impossible to pick out.
A metallic thump echoed from behind the walls, interrupting his thoughts. It followed with a metallic screech and the sound of something large being dragged. Jeremy imagined Bonnie with his one hand, the endoskeleton fingers gripping the vent, pulling in his massive body into it as the animatronic's feet pushed it forward.
You have a moment. He has to maneuver and turn, and only has one hand. Ignore it until he pushes against the monitor.
Jeremy looked back to the screen. He couldn't tell what the man was doing, but he didn't look like he was stealing anything. As he let his eyes adjust to the monitor, he discovered the man wore some sort of uniform; maybe it was a police officer?
The metallic banging came closer, followed a second later by the scraping sound. Jeremy changed screens to Cam 11, holding down the spacebar as he grabbed the flashlight.
Wind the box.
Pay attention to Bonnie trying to get in.
Keep the hallway clear.
The scraping grew louder and more forceful. Jeremy set the flashlight down and turned to the left vent, saw the metal fingers gripped around the edge of the monitor and stared in sheer
awe at the power and force Bonnie exerted to move it. Even Toy Bonnie didn't move it that fast with both of his hands.
He pulled the mask on a second later, and like before, he held his breath and tried not to tremble. Unlike his newer counterpart, Bonnie was never as easily satisfied to just leave. The animatronic stared down at him, scrutinizing what felt like once, twice, ten times as he scanned the night guard. Jeremy stared at the LED pinpricks, the empty, soulless face and the hanging jaw. The rabbit's ears twitched, one lifting slightly in curiosity, the other bent forward, pointing.
Accusing.
The animatronic bent forward, lifting his uncovered hand. Jeremy let out a soft noise, then bit his lip. The metal fingers glinted in the light, then stopped as the scan completed. Every muscle tensed, and his breath hitched, not daring to show any signs of life. Jeremy didn't even dare to blink, even with his eyes starting to water.
Bonnie stared for a moment, then turned to go. The tall robot disappeared into the shadows, and it was all Jeremy could do to keep from collapsing. He yanked off the mask, taking in rich, deep breaths.
He listened to the footsteps leave, Bonnie's one uncovered foot echoing loudly while his still-padded foot hardly made a sound. He trembled as he checked the back room quickly, then changed views to wind the music box again.
Jeremy listened for the vents, actually appreciating the quiet. A check of the hallway showed it empty.
As he wound the box, his mind went to the human in the parts and service room, unaware of the danger he was currently in. All he knew was that sooner or later, Freddy would stop playing possum and take him out. Maybe the bear was justified in his inevitable vengeance. Or maybe this man was an officer who was doing an after-hours investigation without knowing what he was truly in for.
Either way, there was no way Jeremy could help him. The music box only stayed wound for about three minutes at most; even if by some miracle he avoided everyone else, just getting down the hall and into the room would take up about half that time.
More noises in the vents. More movement in the hall. No time to check any other camera views, only to keep pacifying the Puppet in between warding off the others. By the time the opportunity came to check the Parts and Service room again, he found it empty. Even Freddy had finally activated.
Jeremy pulled the mask on as Toy Chica got in through one of the vents, no longer focused on the man in the back room. He heard the other monitor being shifted, and familiar static. Carefully, he held the mask up in one hand, bracing the other side of it with his shoulder as he reached for the spacebar. Even with Mangle and Toy Chica approaching from both sides, he could at least buy himself time, and grab the flashlight once they both left.
Just keep them all out.
Survive until morning.
Talk to management and see if anything can be done.
The juggling act increased as each minute passed, leaving Jeremy with almost no time to check the cameras. Keep the box wound. Flick the flashlight down the hall. Try to keep track of who came by and who to potentially watch out for. Block the vents again if time allows.
Jeremy finally got a moment's peace, not that he expected it to last. No metallic banging came from inside the vents, the hallway stood empty, and the music box cheerfully played at full capacity. Now was as good a time as any to do a roll call.
He found all the Toys almost immediately, either in the party rooms or by the prize counter. The old Chica and Foxy hung in the back by the bathrooms, old Bonnie in Party Room 1 where he threatened to get closer to the vent, with only Freddy unaccounted for. On a hunch, he checked the back room, and needed only to see the ears and shape of his top hat to flip views. If something happened to the man, he didn't want to know.
Jeremy picked up the flashlight again, knowing well how fast they could move.
There stood Freddy, tall, brown, his black top hat hidden by the height of the doorframe, his blue eyes looking at him almost wearily. Jeremy's heart stopped for a second. Hadn't Freddy just been in the Parts and Service room…?
He ducked down behind the monitor, taking only a second to go back to Cam 8. There, he saw the shape of the head, the hat, a microphone clasped in his right hand. Only now he was in a lit portion of the room, where he clearly saw this Freddy…
...Was gold.
We had a spare in the back, his coworker told him, a yellow one. Someone used it...now none of them are acting right.
...That man! Jeremy thought.
But the sudden sound of footsteps entering the room forced him to grab the mask and pull it on. And none too soon, for now Freddy leaned down, his old, paling blue eyes staring right into his, his smile looking...weary. Almost concerned. But like with all the others, Jeremy held as still as possible, though his rapid, panicked breathing and the tremors running through his body should have given him away by now. Freddy turned to go after a time. And even with hearing the noises from the vents, Jeremy yanked the mask off to take a few deep breaths, to let his red face cool a little.
All he focused on was breathing. To try to still his quivering body, to wipe the buckets of sweat from his dark brown hair, to try to remember his task. To get out of this alive and home tomorrow.
Only when he calmed down enough to breathe relatively normally again did he remember the golden Freddy.
That the person behind it was up to something.
Was responsible for whatever went on this week.
The metallic banging from the vents forced his attention back to his job. Jeremy grabbed the mask. He didn't even look at who was trying to get in. He simply waited for the banging to fade away from the office before he once more yanked off the mask.
Flick the flashlight.
Wind the box.
Use this moment to find the golden bear.
Jeremy checked the Parts and Service room again. He let out a terrified noise at what came up in the camera view. This time, the golden Freddy looked directly up at him, the mascot's eyes empty and soulless. Only the barest shine of human eyes flickered behind them, too dark to pick out a color, but with just enough life to set him on edge. The open, hanging costume jaw created an almost mocking grin.
I know you're there, he seemed to say.
He was coming.
And of all the animatronics, Jeremy feared this one the most.
This person in gold.
This person who hurt children.
This person who for reasons unknown came back tonight, when only one living soul was supposed to be here.
Jeremy's blood ran cold at the thought. Alone with this person, and forced to engage with every animatronic that got too close.
No way out.
No way to defend himself.
Jeremy tightened his grip around the flashlight until his knuckles turned white. He checked the hallway, for once almost glad to see Foxy right there.
It meant the man in gold couldn't pass him and get into the office just yet.
He simultaneously held down the spacebar with the monitor set to Cam 11, his eyes going to the phone on his desk. Normally, he wouldn't dare: who would believe him, and worse, what would happen if the animatronics attacked any officer coming in to help?
But now there was a predator on the loose, one who came back tonight. There would never again be a chance like this.
A quick check to the vent cameras to make sure they were clear before he picked up the phone and dialed 911. Jeremy used his shoulder to keep it to his ear, flicked the flashlight to make sure Foxy still stood as a barrier, then turned back to Cam 11 and hit the spacebar.
"You've reached the 911 Emergency Hotline," came a recorded female voice.
Jeremy's heart froze.
"All circuits are busy right now. Please hold for the next available operator and be prepared to give the nature of your emergency and your phone number."
No, no, no, no, no...not now! Why now?
Still, he had to keep vigilant. He flicked the flashlight quickly - good, Foxy, stay there! - and listened for the vents. One of them was making noise; how was he going to use the mask?!
Jeremy tuned out the hold music for a second as he checked the hallway. Still blocked with a large red pirate fox. Never before did he ever think he'd find that comforting, but holy hell did it ease him right now.
"All circuits are busy right now," the calm voice said. "Please hold for the next available operator-"
"Pick up already!" Jeremy whispered, his voice fierce with terror and frustration.
He heard one of the monitors moving and let go of the spacebar and the flashlight. Jeremy kept the phone against his shoulder as he reached for the mask, closing his eyes and holding his breath as he pulled it on.
It kept the panic away for as long as he didn't see it or smell the distinct funk that came with wearing it. When forced to take a breath, his panicked breathing nearly blocked out the automated voice and hold music.
And his eyes opened to a pair of purple ones staring down into his soul, the plastic sunk deep into their yellow sockets. He actually jumped, and by some miracle, didn't drop the phone.
"-Prepared to give your emergency-"
"...Please go," Jeremy whispered, the plea pathetic on his own lips, let alone what Chica thought.
She tilted her head almost curiously, giving him a view of her pointed beak, some of the wires protruding from her broken head. Jeremy closed his eyes tightly. He tried to just focus on the hold music, that someone would pick up...and tried not to imagine what Chica would do if she caught him. If his head would fit inside her mechanical jaws...
The hold music suddenly cut out, and the panicked jolt from his body sent the phone clattering to the floor. Jeremy opened his eyes to complete darkness. No lights from above, no glow from the monitor. Was Chica still there? Could she see him? God, he wanted to throw off the mask and just collapse into a ball under the desk. Even with his own heavy breaths loudly echoing in his ears, Jeremy swore he heard another sound from the hallway. Like...metal hitting metal.
A moment later, something crashed in the hallway. Almost immediately, he heard something large and old move in the dark, turning around to investigate. Her metal joints creaked and groaned, and he imagined the top of her broken head bobbing up and down, the wires shifting against each other, the tip of one broken endoskeleton arm scratching against the doorframe as she entered the hallway.
He threw off the mask then, and buried his face in his hands to sob with terror.
Alone in the dark with no way out, no way to call for help...no way to see him coming.
And the man was coming for him, he knew. The only thing big enough to make a metallic crash like that was one of the animatronics. Did he take one of them out? If so, which one? And how?
Jeremy's quivering hand felt for the flashlight on the desk, and after a few seconds of fiddling with it, found the switch. The beacon shone brightly in the hallway. Chica must have ducked into one of the party rooms, as he didn't see her, but he caught...something...at the end.
He stood up from the desk, having to grip the edge of it to keep himself steady as he tried to determine what he saw. The beam flickered a little, the batteries already on their last legs, but he saw enough.
Metal feet glimmering in the light. Flecks of red behind them, a long snout and sharp teeth looking up to the ceiling.
His heart simultaneously sank and pounded, his pulse throbbing in his ears. Jeremy's legs gave out and he fell back into his chair. Of all the animatronics, Foxy would have seen through the man's costume. The others, he could safely fool.
Out of habit, Jeremy hit the spacebar, only to notice the sudden silence in the room, the one crucial element he needed the power for.
For most of them, he could listen for the vents, even use the flashlight if the noises got too close. But now he had no way of winding the music box. And with the man in gold on the loose and now the Puppet, it was only a matter of time before one of them got to him.
Jeremy listened for the familiar noises. If anything, he better heard the vents, the footsteps, the little noises giving them away. He reached up to loosen his tie, the heat from his body now a lot more noticeable without the fan running. So far, he was safe, but every second of relative silence was another second lost before one of them came for him.
Ducking under the desk, Jeremy pulled out his wallet and set it down, then fished for the spare batteries in his pocket. He set them beside him where he could easily get to them. He then quickly unscrewed the flashlight, hurriedly shook out the old batteries, and grabbed the new ones. Even without Foxy to worry about, the flashlight and the mask were his only weapons. And even if by some miracle he survived, he would use every opportunity he had to spare himself for another moment.
The noises from the vents started as he got the flashlight back together. Jeremy stayed down under the desk, held his breath to listen.
The left. It was coming from the left.
Reaching above him, he felt for the end of the desk and pulled himself back up. He now stood in front of the desk instead of behind it.
If anything, he could try to duck to either side of the doorway, buy himself a few seconds to make the Puppet search for him.
Taking a deep breath, he flicked the flashlight over to the left vent. Even with the monitor blocking it, he saw movement, a shadow from inside. Faintly, gentle chimes echoed in his ears, still far away, but gradually getting louder.
All around the cobbler's bench…
Jeremy turned the flashlight to the hallway. Would the bright beam work on the Puppet?
More banging, now coming from the right. He shone the beam over and saw something blue quickly duck back. Back to the left, the bright beam trembling with his hand. The monitor looked closer to him now.
Stay back! Jeremy thought. I know you're there!
He reached behind him for the mask, knowing to have it ready no matter who got in. He turned around just long enough to shine the beam into the right vent, where he clearly saw Toy Bonnie's shrunken green pupils staring at him.
As the beam crossed the hallway, something white and pink slipped just out of sight, but Jeremy couldn't focus on that, only to keep the bright beams on Toy Bonnie to try to force a reset.
All around the cobbler's bench…
He pulled the mask on, urging the rabbit to go away. Behind him, the sound of something heavy scraping against linoleum caught his attention. With much difficulty, Jeremy turned around, adjusting the mask in time to see the left monitor being pushed in his direction. Footsteps in the hallway alerted him to a different danger, forcing him to look away.
His only comfort came from them being too heavy to be the Puppet. The relief left his lips when Toy Freddy's bulky form stood in the doorway.
Jeremy held still, awkwardly holding the Freddy head up with one hand. Toy Freddy looked down at him, and the sudden flickering from his eyes as he scanned the mask made Jeremy dizzyingly ill as his body trembled, his breathing stilted, and his legs tightened as every fiber in his being fought back the panic attack. To the right, he heard Toy Bonnie crawling out of the vent.
Trapped, he thought.
Trapped in the mask. Trapped between the two animatronics, and who or whatever was in the vent behind him. Trapped as the Puppet gunned for him.
All around the cobbler's bench…
Toy Freddy's satisfaction carried over to Toy Bonnie, and as the bear turned to go, the rabbit followed with no further issues. Jeremy yanked off the mask and threw it far away from him. He fell to his knees, one hand gripping the flashlight, the other covering his mouth as terrified sobs forced their way out of his throat.
He heard the chimes grow louder, heralding the Puppet's arrival, his own doom. It would need to pass Toy Freddy and Toy Bonnie, but he still likely had seconds at most.
Another sound caught his attention.
Movement. The rustle of cloth.
Lifting the flashlight, Jeremy scanned the room, the vents, the desk...
...Where he saw a flash of gold suddenly duck down behind it.
He's here!
Jeremy turned off the flashlight, knowing he just marked his position.
The sudden darkness hurt his eyes, and he briefly hoped the man's own vision suffered. Jeremy held his breath, carefully pushed himself back up onto his feet. Cautiously, he stepped toward the left vent. No noise meant he had a chance of leaving the room alive...but for how long? He couldn't find the mask in the dark, and without it, he was a dead man. Silently cursing his panicked impulses, he took a step.
Better this than nothing.
All around the cobbler's bench…
He stopped as he heard movement again.
The man? One of the animatronics? The Puppet?
Jeremy slowly let out his stifled breath, sucked in another as quietly as he could. Cold sweat covered his arms, his back, his legs, and every limb quivered despite his efforts to still them. Just keep moving. He can't see you, and the more obvious tactic would be to try the hallway.
He jolted as the metallic banging from the walls echoed in the dark room, a panicked noise escaping his throat. Jeremy froze, unable to tell which side the noises originated from. Even worse, the banging masked every sound except the approaching musical chimes. He hoped it also masked his tiny startled cry.
Clutching the flashlight like a sword, he quickly looked behind him. Nothing in the dark so far, no glowing animatronic eyes, no sounds he could make out in the hallway save for the chimes of death. Nothing to see but shapeless darkness. He turned back, carefully stepping to the side.
Just get to the vent.
Get out.
He took a step forward. And a second later, he choked and struggled as something grabbed the back of his shirt collar and yanked him back.
The flashlight crashed to the floor, the switch flickering on just enough to provide a dim light. Jeremy grabbed for his collar, tried to loosen the thing's grip. The tips of his fingers touched plush fabric, and his heart sank as he turned, trying to get a look at the thing's face.
He caught brief glints of gold at the edge of his vision, empty sockets with eyes he couldn't see. He picked out the outline of round ears, a top hat, a jolly smile turned sinister.
Jeremy tried to pull away, pulling his captor forward. Another hand - gold in the faint light - reached out and grabbed his arm, with the creature's other hand loosening his collar only to wrap his fingers around Jeremy's throat.
"It's coming for you," came a calm, quiet whisper.
Jeremy tried to elbow him with his free arm. He met only a hard costume shell, creating a hollow
thud that echoed around the room. The tightened grip on his throat and arm stole the rest of the fight from him. While he struggled to breathe, Jeremy felt his body turned around, then thrown straight into something flat and hard. Pain shot through his head, his back, and ribs. Before he could regain his bearings, those strong fingers grabbed him again, and this time slammed him face-first into the desk, knocking away the fan and some of the crumpled papers.
Dizzy, in pain, and terrified, Jeremy tried to stand. The man once more tightened his grip around his neck, then turned him to face the hallway, the night guard hanging like a rag doll in his grip. Two pinpricks now shone brightly in the darkness, incoming like a train.
All…
The grip on his throat tightened, cutting off further attempts to breathe or cry out.
Around the…
The lights vaguely showed the outline of the eyes, the tops of the bright red cheeks, a glimpse of its purple tears.
Cobbler's…
He began to see stars in his vision. But the residual light allowed him to see the twisted smiling face, the striped, outstretched arms, the white buttons flying over his head.
Jeremy didn't remember anything else, not when his vision faded back to darkness and the sounds no longer registered in his mind.
His head throbbed as he regained consciousness. Jeremy tried to breathe, his back tightening with pain along his spine, his chest still dully aching. Briefly, he remembered how the man grabbed him and slammed him into the desk.
The man...
Slowly, he began to comprehend.
The man, he remembered. The man in gold. The man who attacked him. The man who hurt children.
He couldn't think about that now. Just try to look up, move-
Jeremy's breath hitched as he noticed the eye holes he now stared out of. The musky, heavy smell of the mask filled his nostrils. Something about it seemed different, but that took a back seat as he forced himself to remain calm, stifled back a panicked cry.
Don't panic, he told himself. You were wearing the mask before. Just reach up, and-
He felt something tight against his arms and fingers. Something like...metal? Jeremy held up his hands, then saw the soft golden material over them. It only took a second to piece it together. It took less than that for a panic attack to start.
Fear didn't just grip him. It held him in a chokehold as he struggled to pull off the mask, breathing heavily as he tried to slip the thick gloved fingers under the collar to no avail. Had to get out, had to get help. Had to find the man, and then…then what?
No time to think. Just survive.
Jeremy held his breath for a moment. He tried to ignore the tears trickling down his face, the sweat trickling over his arms, neck, and chest. Tried to remind himself it was just a costume, that he could still stand and move, that he wasn't completely trapped. But his struggling panic forced him to register the metal encasing his body. Certain pieces poked and scratched against his bare skin - the man had taken his shirt - with every movement threatening to pierce flesh. His fingers were all trapped in individual slots, his toes with some sort of metal separators forced between them, even tearing through his socks.
It all enforced the idea he was trapped in a full-body metal cage. Panic overcame reason, and the attacks started again.
Trapped, his mind told him. Trapped inside some sort of strange animal costume, with no way out.
Jeremy reached up for the mask again. If he could at least get that off…
His blood pounded in his ears. His breath came out in sharp, short bursts. His whole body trembled, and the heat from his own breath covered his face, a constant reminder of the tiny space that ensnared his head.
He dug his fingers into the top of the mask's sockets in an attempt to yank it off. Only then did he notice the silver disks in front of him, narrowing his window to the outside world even more.
The bottom of the mask caught on something. Like it was attached and refused to budge.
"I wouldn't move if I were you."
Jeremy stopped, looking over toward the voice as he choked back another terrified sob.
"They're sensitive, those spring locks. It's best to not even breathe."
As instructed, Jeremy stopped struggling, though residual tremors still coursed over his body. He felt the tight metal scratching at key points on his skin, and wondered if those were the "spring locks" the man mentioned. It didn't take much imagination to deduce that jostling them too much would lead to drastic consequences.
Through his limited vision, he couldn't make out many details of his surroundings, though the pieces of scattered animatronic parts gave him an idea of his location. He picked out a figure, one with no distinct color or shape.
"...W...why?" he managed, the word so faint, he wasn't sure he heard it himself.
The figure approached him, only slightly stepping into the light. Jeremy picked out the familiar purple color of a uniform, the shape of human hands. He watched him kneel closer, getting an eyeful of his chest, a familiar yellow badge with Freddy's smiling face engraved in it.
"We had a spare suit," the man said simply. "A yellow one."
Jeremy's blood ran cold. This person sounded nothing like his coworker on the phone. Were they working together?
Or had he beenlistening?
The man reached over and grabbed one of Jeremy's wrists. The movement forced contact with the metal cage-like pieces, making Jeremy wince and struggle a little as the man lifted the golden arm in front of the mask's eye sockets
"Someone used it."
Jeremy tried to look up at his captor, but all he saw through his tear-blurred vision was the man's twisted smile, a bit of peach-colored flesh outlined in the light, flecks of pale stubble. He shook his head, realizing the man's intentions. And despite his attempts to keep it back, he felt another panic attack beginning.
Don't move, he reminded himself.
The metal pieces warming against his skin served as a poignant reminder why. Despite it, he yanked his hand free, wanting at least for the man to not be touching him. Jeremy closed his eyes then, held his breath, tried push back his fear. Every instinct screamed at him to yank off the mask, try to pull it away. To fight back, to run, to do everything except hold still and pray the man didn't do something to force the spring locks to release. More tears rolled down his cheeks as he slowly let out a breath.
The man spoke again, and Jeremy heard the smirk in his voice.
"Such a shame you never got that memo."
Jeremy carefully tilted the head away, not wanting to look at him. Despite his best efforts, every muscle tensed and quivered. He pressed his palms against the floor, mostly to give his hands something to do. To ground them and keep them from grabbing for the mask, which would only ensure the panic attack he struggled to keep back overcame rational thought.
If the man said anything else, Jeremy didn't hear it over his short, stilted breaths, the blood still pounding in his ears. The metal pieces rubbed against his skin, and his entire body felt hot, drenched, and choked in this costume-shaped tomb. With every metal piece that scratched him, tore at his pants and bare chest, with every breath warming his face, every quivering muscle giving off more heat, Jeremy winced and jolted, inspiring another wave of terror in a self-feeding cycle.
A small sound caught his ears, something metallic, a tiny little creak. It took several seconds and a forced held breath for him to try to pinpoint it. The sound came just below his chin, at the base of his neck. A metal piece tightly scraped against his flesh, warm and moistened from the humid air inside the mask.
His eyes widened as he felt the metal subtly vibrate, froze in terror at the sensation.
Carefully, he let out the breath he held.
Desperately, he sucked in another.
Even the act of breathing could loosen them, the man said.
Couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think…
Another choked sob escaped.
And the spring lock finally gave.
A long metal rod shot up through his neck, sliced through his larynx, and any screams quickly cut off save for a moist, gargled cry. Jeremy gagged on a choked and strangled breath, and out of reflex, he gasped for air and grabbed for the mask, every attempt to refresh his lungs its own agony.
Blood pooled at the back of his throat. He tried to remove the rod, his costumed fingers too thick to do much good. The soft cloth barely grazed against what little skin showed between the mask and costume, unable to grip the thin animatronic part. The blood from his neck spread over his chest as he struggled.
Jeremy's lungs burned from the lack of air. Every beat of his heart thumped louder, harder, feeding off the adrenaline that spawned from the knowledge of his fate. Several series of stabbing pain followed in quick succession a moment later. His lungs burst with each metal rod that broke through his chest, the animatronic ribs replacing his own. A strangled cry barely passed his lips, and he fell back into the wall, convulsing in painful spasms as more of his blood pooled underneath him.
The throbbing heartbeat pounded all over his body. Another breath failed to pass the metal rod that cut through his larynx, adding to the growing pool of blood in his mouth.
His gag reflex kicked in then.
A shower of red sprayed through his lips, shooting up in a macabre geyser through the open eyes and mouth of the mask. Long trails of blood dripped like tears over the mask's cheeks, while more of the gruesome liquid dribbled down in streams over its chin and pattered onto the animatronic's chest. The mascot's plastic teeth now stained with blood, it held the appearance of enjoyment after a fresh kill.
Feebly, Jeremy clutched at his chest, a vain attempt at self-preservation. The springs locks at his lap came next, forever crushing his pelvis. The sudden snap of his bones violently forced his entire body to jerk in reflex again. The movement forced the remaining locks at his arms and legs to release, one after the other. Shoulders and thighs. Elbows and knees. Wrists and ankles. Every metal piece stabbed like giant pins through his body, a macabre cross of an iron maiden and a voodoo doll.
His head swimming, Jeremy fell silent and still, unable to move his ruined and mangled body anymore. His heartbeat grew weaker now, as if even
it realized the futility of its attempts to keep him alive. That was its own hell, that his heart somehow survived the spring locks intact.
And made him listen to every beat as they steadily counted down to his demise.
Tears rolled down his face as he lay there, spasming in pain, counting the last of his heartbeats. Only two final thoughts crossed his oxygen-deprived mind: the deathly chill he felt slowly coming over his body as his blood pooled beneath him...and the thought of who he was leaving behind.
The final spring locks loosened. They shot up through his jaw and into his skull, forever preserving his open mouth in a silent scream.
Jeremy's wide eyes stared up into the ceiling, the room fading from view.
Clear.
Blue.
Forever open.
He heard footsteps walking away, leaving him alone.
Darkness faded in and out. Something moved in the shadows. His vision cleared only enough to see a dark silhouette hanging over him, the white light pouring in from the hallway forming an aura around its ovular head. The shadows of the room cloaked its face, revealing only its white pinprick eyes
A new voice entered his mind.
One that was quiet.
Wise.
Unidentifiable.
Focus on me.
The room faded in the edges of his vision. Jeremy tried to obey, to stare up at the two tiny glimmers of light.
I am sorry, the voice said. He trapped me. I could not escape in time.
More tears flowed down his cheeks as he stared up at the eyes, too afraid to look away, to even blink. He felt three long, thin metal fingers slip into the mask's mouth, so it could gently stroke his cheek.
I know you are innocent. I know you are afraid. And I am going to help you, however I can.
Jeremy hardly registered the thing's touch anymore, felt tears and haziness blur his vision again.
It is all right. You are not alone in this.
But I promise, I will find a way.
I will find a way to make this right.