Grandfather's Clock
"This is a bad idea, Jeremy," said Susie through Jeremy's phone.
"Save it, Susie. I've already had this from Goldie. I've made up my mind and this is what I'm doing," he replied, striding with purpose to the Fun Palace.
"I know, but I'm telling you again because it is. We've got the key to Parts and Services. We know the synths are in there. We know where the security tape is. There's no need for you to go into the restaurant tonight, we have everything we need to act. We just need to put a plan together," she said.
"Okay, here's the plan: I go in, unlock that door, wake up the originals, they can use their crazy strength to yank open the safe, grab the tape and get out," he rattled off.
"What about the new ones? You really think this Puppet is just going to let you waltz in there, after what happened to Vevina when she tried the same thing?" she asked.
"He hasn't been doing a good job of trying to stop me so far. Billy told me all that stuff last night, he managed to steal that key for you and I didn't see the Puppet try and stop him," he argued. "Besides, they've all been helping me along in their own ways. They want things to change and I know I can do that for them. I owe it to them to get them out sooner rather than later."
"And you don't think it's odd that the Puppet hasn't actually done anything yet?" she returned. "Face it, Jeremy, you've been having your own impact as well as me. He might be onto you already and just waiting for the right moment."
"You're right, I have been making an impact. I've been making a difference in the lives of some people who've had one of the worst deals you can imagine. If Vevina can resist the guy's influence, maybe they can too. Once they know they've got a chance to actually get out, that might be the kick they need."
"You don't know that for sure. You don't know how strong his control over them is."
"Neither do you," he retorted. "Susie, I've made up my mind. We're nearly out of time and every minute that passes is one more that the new synths are under his control and from what you said from your talk with Lidiya, it sounds like the originals might be joining them soon, along with the secret getting out. Not only that, but I'm not letting my brother's killer be free when that evidence is right there for the taking."
"Jeremy-"
"I said I'm doing it," he said firmly. "We have a chance to end this tonight and I'm not passing it up."
She was quiet for a while. "Okay. I still think this is a really bad idea and so does Goldie. Even so, we're not going to leave you twisting in the wind. I'm going to be here on standby with Goldie and Brad. If anything happens, message me and I'll make sure it gets to them. But if it looks like things are going badly, get out of there."
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna stick around if the going gets tough," he said.
"Goldie says she has a piece of advice for you, too. If things get hairy, use your taser. Apparently, a strong enough electrical surge can help to disrupt the Puppet's control, especially if its an animatronic," she said.
"Is that a fact?"
"She says it comes from personal experience," she answered. "It's better than nothing at all."
"It is actually, yeah," agreed Jeremy. "I'll talk to you later, Susie."
"You'd better. Be careful, Jeremy," she said.
He'd just arrived at the door of the Fun Palace when the call ended. He looked up at the building. If fear started to creep in, he thought of the synths, trapped in there and waiting to be freed. He thought of Mike, rotting away in prison. He thought of his brother, a blameless victim in some twisted plan. With this resolve, he unlocked the door and locked it behind him. No going back now.
He approached the front desk and looked behind it. He pulled open the top drawer and there it was. The key to Parts and Services. With a grin, he swiped it up and pocketed it. Almost there.
Jeremy peered through into the Games Room. The performers were gone from the stage and Billy was nowhere to be seen. The box in Prize Corner was still playing its eerie tune. He would find them later, once he had done what he came here for. He walked straight in the direction of Parts and Services, ready to put the key in the lock. It turned and he hurried through the door.
He jumped when he saw what he thought was a massive, gaping maw. But when he took a step back, he realised what it was. It was an animatronic, only the face had been removed completely, along with the right arm. It looked like a rabbit and the false fur was purple…
"Bonnie?" he murmured.
Looking around, he saw the others. Chica, Foxy, Freddy. All lying in various states of disrepair. But they were just animatronics, they weren't the real deal. So where were they? It wasn't a large room and they were the only things in here.
"No," he said, shaking his head and walking around the border. "There's gotta be more here, there's gotta be."
Then, he saw something glowing behind Foxy's frame. He moved the arm to find a numerical panel and display, asking for a code. There didn't seem to be a door attached to it but it was against the wall. Whatever it gave access to, Jeremy was sure he wanted in. But he didn't know the code.
"No… no!" He slammed a fist against the wall. "So close, I was so close!"
It took a moment for him to try and calm down. As much as he hated it, he couldn't do much more now. He had to get out before he was seen. He left the room and locked the door again.
That was when he glanced to his left, towards the security office and saw the others. They were standing in the corridor, in a perfectly straight line. Their bodies were obscured in shadow, he couldn't even see their faces. Right away, Jeremy knew something wasn't right.
"Uh, hey guys," he greeted. None of them replied. "Is everything okay? You all wanted to gather up here and see me, huh?"
"Yes, we did, Jeremy." That was Theodore, but his voice held none of its usual bluster. It was monotone, emotionless. "We have been waiting for you."
"Well, I already knew that, Theodore," said Jeremy, as casually as he could manage. "Look, I'll be with you in a moment. Why don't you all go and wait for me in the Games Room and-"
"We know what you're trying to do." Hearing Hermana talk in that same way was even creepier. "You want to get into Parts and Services. You're not allowed in there."
Jeremy scoffed. "What? Come on, Hermy, don't be silly. I know I'm not allowed in there, I don't even have a key. I couldn't get in there if I wanted to."
"But you can now," said Billy, in that exact same tone. "I stole the key for you. You have it in your pocket."
Jeremy's stomach jolted at his words. "Billy, I'm not really sure I know what you're talking about."
"You do know," said Clyde. "You have played your game very well, Jeremy. It has been fun to watch you. But your game is over now. You've gone too far. Now, further steps must be taken."
In one movement, they stepped into the light. Their bodies were rigid and tensed, almost like robots. Their faces were blank, devoid of any kind of expression. But it was their eyes that were the most striking. All of them were black, with only a small dot of white light at their centre. Just like Theodore's had been a couple of nights ago. Except now their eyes weren't blinking and they weren't changing back. They were all the same and they were all looking right at Jeremy.
"Guys," Jeremy began slowly, "I don't know what's going on here, but whatever it is, this isn't you. You're being controlled."
"Yes, we are," said Clyde. "That is the way of things."
"But it doesn't have to be," he said. "I know that you're in there, somewhere. You don't want this, none of you do."
"What we want doesn't matter," said Theodore. "It never has and never will. The only thing that matters is what he decides."
"Theodore, please. All of you, come on. You've got to fight it. If Vevina could do it, you all can. We can make a difference, we can change things!" he urged.
"Vevina was a rogue element," dismissed Theodore. "A fault in the system. We have no such faults. There is nothing to be done."
"But I'm your friend," Jeremy begged. "I wanna help you, you know that I do. You don't have to do this. I know you don't want to do this."
Clyde shook his head. "You are as we are now. You are a toy for amusement, for curiosity, for control. Friendship doesn't matter. Toys don't have friends."
That sinking feeling in Jeremy's chest was growing deeper. He started to back away slowly. Susie and Goldie were right, this had been a mistake. He really thought he'd be able to make them come around, but he couldn't. The only thing he could do now was to get out.
He turned to leave and what he saw made his stomach contract. The metal shutters outside were closing. By the time he ran to do the door, they were fully shut. He flung open the door and tried to pull it up. It wouldn't budge. He tried the key for the shutter control next to the door. They didn't even twitch.
"No, no!" He started to slam his hand on the door. "Help! Help, I'm trapped in here! There's-!"
A hand yanked him away from the shutter, closing a hand across his mouth and muffling his cries. Billy went to the door and closed it.
"Don't do that again," he warned. "If you do, he will have us break you now. He doesn't want that yet. It's too soon. You have to play his game first."
Jeremy's heart was beating faster now. The hand was removed from his mouth but it didn't let go of him.
"I'm not doing it," he said at once. "I'm not playing whatever game you've got in mind, you hear me?"
It was Clyde's voice behind him. "You will or you will be broken and discarded. There is no point in having a toy that cannot be played with. What we want doesn't matter. Only what he wants."
"And who is this 'he' you keep talking about?" he demanded.
"You know that answer already. He wants to see you properly, before we begin. We will take you to him," said Clyde.
He roughly shoved Jeremy back into the Games Room. He would try and struggle, but he remembered how ineffective it was last time. Plus, he was on thin ice here. He had to be careful about what he did next.
They arrived at Prize Corner, stopped in front of the large box next to the counter. Clyde let go and Jeremy looked behind him. All of the synths, the Toys, had gathered in a semi-circle around him. He wouldn't be able to get out, only face forward. So he did.
The box's lid slowly opened. For the first few seconds, everything was still. Silent. Jeremy was overcome with the urge to peer inside. But he didn't have to wait long.
Long, black, spindly fingers emerged like the legs of an overly large spider. They gripped the top of the box's edge. Gradually, the body they were attached to started to emerge. It kept coming. There was so much of it. His eyes followed it as it rose up and up until it suddenly stopped.
It was thin, remarkably, impossibly thin and tall. He felt as if he had to crane his neck just to look at its face. But what a face! No, not a face. A mask. White like bone, set with painted red streaks like tears coming from its eyes. At first, he thought it had no eyes until he saw the two white pinpricks of light, set against the black. A dark, fixed smile, wide with perverse glee. It was staring out at him from underneath a hood, part of a cloak that draped over its body. Jeremy was reminded vividly of a skeleton wearing the clothes it died in, hanging off its fleshless frame.
He also remembered something else. The image that Golden had shown him, of what she had seen in her head when she was being controlled. It was the same image. This was definitely the guy.
For the first time since this started, he felt afraid. With the other synths, it was easy to forget they weren't human. With this thing, there was no such mistake to be made.
He waited for it to say something, but it didn't. It just stared at him. It tilted its head, like it wasn't completely sure what to make of him. If only to break the silence, Jeremy spoke first.
"Uh, hi there," he said.
"Uh, hi there."
Jeremy did a double take. "What the…?"
His first thought was that there was some kind of weird echo, but that had come from the Puppet. Had it just played his own voice back at him?
"Okay, that's uh, that's creepy," he said.
"Creepy," the Puppet echoed. Then it laughed, but with a recording of Hermana's.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You're a puppet, you've got no voice. Are you gonna play something from Pinocchio next?" he asked.
In a moment of absurdity that almost made him laugh, it did. The first few chords of 'I've Got No Strings'.
"Forget I said anything," remarked Jeremy. "Look, what is this about? Why are you doing this?"
"Fun," it said in Hermana's voice.
"Fun? You're doing this for fun?!" Jeremy thrust a finger at it. "These are people! You take away their minds, force your way inside their heads and you think that's fun?!"
"Toys," it said with Clyde's voice. It played a recording of Billy laughing.
"They're not your toys and neither am I!" he shouted.
"You are, now," said Hermana. She sounded almost sad. "We all are. We can't escape."
"But then why let me go about and do everything I've been doing?" asked Jeremy. He looked at the Puppet. "If you're always supposed to be watching, how come you let me get as far as I did? Why even hire a security guard in the first place?"
"New- game. Wanted- to- see," it answered, using a few different recordings that time. "See- what you- would do."
"And let me guess, I got a little further than you would have liked?" he asked.
It nodded. "My- game. I- control."
"You can't control everything, pal," he said, walking right up to it. "One day, you're gonna learn that."
"I-control- control –CONTROL!" It kept playing the word at different pitches and volumes. "Now –my-turn."
"Okay then," said Jeremy. "Your move then, spindly. What's next? It's obvious you wanna kill me, why not get it over with?"
"Fun," it repeated again.
"Define fun," he said.
"How about a good old game of Hide and Seek?" the Puppet asked with Jeremy's voice.
"Hide and Seek?" Jeremy repeated, not liking the sound of that.
Theodore pointed at him. "You will return to the security office. We will then attempt to enter the security office from now, until the end of your shift. If you win, you will be allowed to leave. If you lose, you will not."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! What kind of game is this supposed to be?!" Jeremy demanded.
"You will see. But first," said Theodore, "take out your phone. Use it to call for help."
"Why would you let me do that?" asked Jeremy.
"It adds to the game" said Hermana. "You'll get to see if your friends will rescue you in time before we catch you."
"If there's no hope of escape, you'll just give up. I would," said Clyde.
"And if I don't?" he asked.
They didn't reply verbally. They only smiled, as one and the Puppet replayed Hermana's cackle again. Jeremy had no choice. He dialled Susie's number and held the phone to his ear, his eyes never leaving the Puppet.
She picked up on the first ring. "Hello? Jeremy, are you okay?"
"No. No, I'm not," he said. "They caught me. They knew what I was doing. The shutters are closed, I can't get out. I need help."
"Oh, god," she gasped. "Jeremy, don't worry. We'll get you-"
The Puppet raised a finger. The phone line suddenly cut. Jeremy didn't have to be a genius to work out why.
"Now, we can have fun," said Billy. "We're going to count to one-hundred. You're going to go back to the security office and then we'll play."
"You can use this." Hermana shoved something into his hands. "Now, you can really be Jer-bear!"
It was an empty mascot head, an old Freddy Fazbear one. It was big enough to put his own head inside.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" he demanded.
"Another rule of the game for you," said Clyde. "You can't shut the door on us, so if we get inside your office, you put that on and pretend like you're part of the show. If we like it, then we'll leave you alone."
Jeremy could hardly believe what he was hearing. "And how am I supposed to do that?"
"You're a clever young man, Jeremy. I'm sure you can work it out," said Theodore. "Now go on, you had best get going and remember the rules or otherwise…"
"We'll get you." The Puppet's recording was the last line of Susie's call. "We'll get you, we'll get you, we'll get you."
Jeremy didn't need telling any more than that. He hurried away, as the Puppet played a mingling of not only Hermana's cackle, but Balloon Boy's too. It echoed all the way down the hall and he slammed himself into the chair of the security office.
He tried his best to control his breathing and his heart rate while he considered his very limited options. He couldn't get out of the building, thanks to the shutters. Even if he could, he would have to make it past them. No chance of that. They were all stronger and faster. Susie, Brad and Goldie knew that he was in danger. Hopefully they were working on a way to get him out. But the Puppet had cut him off so he had no way to know when the cavalry was coming.
It seemed like, for now, the only thing for it was to play the Puppet's twisted game. Maybe he would think of something later. He brought up the monitor, switching it to the Prize Counter camera.
Most of them were stood stock still by the counter, like the robots they had replaced. Clyde was missing. Jeremy quickly cycled through the cameras and found him. He was still in the main Games Room. He was walking slowly, then stopped. He turned, looking at the camera. Static flickered. When it lifted, he was gone.
Jeremy swore and quickly looked at the counter. The others were still there. It looked like only Clyde was coming after him at the moment. Okay, keep an eye on the one. He could do that. After a quick cycle through, he saw him in the party room furthest from him. Moving among the tables, still looking up at the camera.
It was when he was looking through them he saw the one for Kid's Cove was nothing but static. He clicked off and clicked back to it twice, but it didn't change. Clearly, the Puppet didn't want him to see him what was going on in there.
The thought was put out of his mind when he saw Clyde was about to enter the vent in one of the other party rooms. The one on his right. Moments later, he could hear the sounds of something crawling inside. Seeing Clyde's dark eyed face filling the screen didn't do him any favours. He wouldn't be long out of there.
Jeremy picked up the bear mask and looked it over. There didn't seem to be anything attached to this, no spikes on the inside or bombs under the hat or anything crazy like in those Saw movies. What was the point of him wearing it? Probably something messed-up only that freaky thing would understand.
The metal banging was closer now. He was almost here. As Clyde stood up in the office, Jeremy slammed the bear mask on his head. His vision was restricted and it smelled weird but it was his only chance. Clyde stared at him with those tiny little white eyes. Part of the show, he'd said, part of the show.
Jeremy stood up and recalled one of his old shows he'd done. Putting as much of a spring as he could in his step, he sang:
Make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh,
Don't you know ev'ry one wants to laugh?
He didn't have to sing the whole thing. It was enough that Clyde plodded out of the office. When he left, Jeremy whipped off the mask and sat down. He checked the monitor. Hermana was gone now. She was already in the Parts and Services corridor. Static again. She was gone. He heard her skates coming down the hall. He flashed his light, glimpsed something go into another party room. The one on his left.
The metal clanking of the air vent. She was coming. He gave a quick scan of the camera again. Clyde was far off and none of the others were moving. Just as the banging stopped, the mask was back on his head and he was back on his feet. This time, it was 'Another Openin'' from Kiss Me Kate. Hermana stayed a little longer this time before she left. She was just staring at him…
Finally, after about ten seconds, she left. He whipped up the monitor again. He would have worn the mask while checking but it restricted his vision too much.
"Oh, come on!" he yelled when Theodore had gone too. Clyde was also starting to circle back.
On and on this went. They would get in, he would dance or sing or act for them. He would check the cameras, another one would be on their way or on the move elsewhere. Billy was especially slippery, he couldn't find him anywhere at first. The kid was good at hiding. He only just got the mask on in time when he came crawling through the vents.
Jeremy was doing his best, but they were fast and there were more of them than him. Every time they got in, he was just a second closer to being too late. Not only that, but he was getting tired. The alertness, the moving around, the performing. It was too much. It was a waiting game and the Puppet knew it.
It was when he removed the mask again, sweating and panting, that there was something new.
There was another sound. It was a metal clanking. Not the sound like the vent. This was different. He couldn't see anything on the cameras. Everybody was scattered around but none of them could be making that sound.
Then he saw something staring into the camera in the Games Room. A white fox head, atop a mess of metal and parts. But it was dangling from the ceiling, practically nose to nose with the camera.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" he cried.
How the hell was he supposed to watch something that could crawl on the ceiling?! On top of everything else! Both of the vents were already making noise again. He had no idea if they were going to arrive at the same time, if it was one after the other or if they were just screwing with him. And Theodore was coming down the corridor too!
Clyde's ears were poking out of the vent. On went the mask and up went Jeremy. He slowed it down this time, a less catchy tune that meant he wouldn't have to be moving around as much. He sang until Clyde moved away. He went to take off the mask, then Hermana was there too so he kept it going. She left and then Theodore showed up, made him hit the wrong note.
Jeremy was really feeling it now. He'd been standing here singing for over a minute now. Who knows what could have happened in that time. The moment he left the office, Jeremy was skipping through the cameras, watching all the angles he could. Where the hell was the Mangle? There was no sign of her at all.
Something fell on his shoulder. He put his finger on it. Plaster, powdered. Like it came from the… Jeremy's breathing hitched. Slowly, he looked up.
For a moment, Jeremy thought of the scene from the movie Aliens. When they realised the Aliens could only be inside the room. Like them, all he had was a split second of seeing rows of sharp teeth and claws. Jeremy didn't move. The Mangle didn't move. Jeremy's hand slowly went for his belt. Was the taser on his left or his right? No, the flashlight was on his left. It had to be the right.
The Mangle twitched. Jeremy paused. Then, at the same time, they moved. Just as the Mangle lowered its head, Jeremy thrust out the arm holding his taser and struck right on a part of the exposed metal. The metal amalgamation let out a strangled cry as its body twisted and shook, its grip loosened enough that it let go of the ceiling and fell to the ground.
Jeremy felt a surge of triumph which soon left him when he saw his only weapon sparking and fizzling uselessly. He tried to give it another charge but nothing happened. It must have shorted out. At least one of them was down. But he had to get ready before-
Something swiped up the Freddy head. It was Clyde. He must have gotten in when Jeremy had been distracted by the Mangle. He tossed it over his shoulder.
"You should have been paying more attention," he said blankly.
"Hey, now," said Jeremy, backing away. "That was only round one. Come on, let's start over."
"There are no other rounds. This was your only round," he replied.
"But won't it be more fun for you if you draw it out?" asked Jeremy. "Make it last, don't end it too soon?"
Clyde shook his head. "That is unnecessary. You have an unacceptable element of unpredictability. You can only be regulated so much. He has learned all that is necessary from you. It is time for you to be discarded."
Hermana was crawling out of the other vent. Theodore was coming in the main door. Billy crawled out from under the desk. Jeremy tried to see if there was some way to get through but they had closed ranks. No way to slip by.
There was a whirring of machinery, a loud groaning noise coming from the mass of metal on the ground. The Mangle was getting back up. The others were surrounding him and closing in. There was nowhere for him to go, no way out. But there had to be something, there had to be.
"The game is over, Jeremy," they said as one. "Now, your time is up."
Jeremy was going to cry out in defiance, scream that this wasn't over yet. But somebody else beat him to it. Someone with a strong Irish brogue.
"Oh aye? Is that right, is it?" The Mangle had recovered itself, but the two misshapen heads were directed away from Jeremy and looking right at the synths. "Well, you know what I say to that? Go. To. HELL!"
And with an ear rending shriek, the Mangle dived at Clyde and Theodore, taking them both out at once. Theodore started forward, but one of the other limbs snaked out and struck him in the face. Balloon Boy hopped up behind it and managed to get two hits before one of the arms grabbed his head and threw him off.
Jeremy looked down at the shorted remains of the taser. No kidding that disrupted his control.
"GO!" she yelled. "Go, boy! RUN!"
He didn't need telling twice. Skirting around the desk to avoid the tangle of limbs and battered synthetics, Jeremy made a break out of the office. He could hear the sounds of battle behind him and he stopped to look back. The others had overcome their initial surprise at the Mangle turning on them but it looked like they were coordinating again and trying to subdue her.
Jeremy knew she wouldn't stand a chance. He wanted to go back and help, but that would make her actions pointless. He didn't have a prayer against them. Though he hated to do it, he ran. Emerging into the Games Room, he saw the shutters were still closed. He was still trapped. Looking around, he saw what could be a back door nearby. He ran to it. Locked. He fumbled for the keys.
Over in Prize Corner, the box was opening again. Pop Goes the Weasel was playing. The Puppet's spindly fingers were already gripping the sides. He was hauling himself out. The way he moved was horrifying. It was like his bones were constantly rearranging and shifting around his body. What was he supposed to do?
He hurriedly pulled out the keys and dropped them on the floor. Cursing, he grabbed at them. He tried one after the other. The Puppet was getting closer. He finally found the one that fit and put it in the lock. He felt a pressure on his shoulder and he was flung bodily from the door. He was still holding the key, so they came with him.
He winced from the impact when hit the ground but ignored the pain, scrabbling to his feet. The Puppet was between him and the back door. It was jittering its way towards Jeremy, contorting and folding its limbs.
At that moment, Jeremy's phone rang. He answered it immediately.
"Front door, go!" It was Goldie's voice.
Jeremy didn't waste any time. He sprinted out of the Games Room, where the metal shutters were opening. He didn't have time for them to open all the way. He unlocked the door, rolled underneath and took off into the night.
