Hey there. Here is the fifth chapter. I know that this story isn't getting much attention, and not many people are following it, but I still know that some people are reading this, and that's why I'm continuing to write this. Also, I just love writing and I want this story to go on. I have so many ideas I want to explore and experiment with, so let's just get right to it.
The group was back in the lobby of the park. They had come back to put the merchandise they bought or won back in the car, and when they returned, they watched a performance from the animatronics. Now, the performance was over, and the animatronics have left. They were now at the right side of the lobby, next to one of the towers that had a spiral pattern. There was a stand next to the tower, where an animatronic, one that looked shockingly familiar to the Balloon Boy animatronic from two years ago. He seemed to be handing out balloons.
"I wonder what's in that tower," John said. He looked up. The tower seemed to be thirty meters high. It had a spiral pattern on the outer wall, and on the top floor, there was a large glass window.
"It's probably for security. I mean, it overlooks the whole town," Jessica said. "Come on, let's check out the rest of the park," she said, not even thinking of the tower anymore. She walked towards the open gate that stood in the middle of the border wall, one that had text above the gate that read: CHICA'S PARTY WORLD.
"Chica?" Charlie asked. "Hmm, I wonder what's over there." Though she couldn't see much from where she stood, she could instantly see a merry-go-round in the distance, one that was spinning, lights blinking and flashing around. "It doesn't matter. I'm excited, so let's check it out."
John nodded. They then entered the section of the park called Chica's Party World. It was a large open space, and they immediately found themselves next to a queue that led to a building that was shaped like a restaurant, though it wasn't labeled so he had no idea what it was supposed to be. She looked down: she stood on a concrete tile, but beyond the tile path, there lay a black-and-white checker tile. There were lampposts that were placed around the area, enough of them to keep the place well-lit at night time.
"This place is... interesting," John said. He walked forward. The outer wallwall, which was a circle to indicate the edge of the park, was painted like a backdrop so that it had a blue sky and green hills. There were actual trees placed at the edge. And looming over those trees was a giant rainbow that had eyes and teeth, smiling brightly. Ahead of them was the large merry-go-round.
"It really is interesting," Charlie added. She walked up to the merry-go-round, inspecting it. She had no intention of riding it. It just seemed like a regular merry-go-round, the same kind one would find in any regular theme park. She turned to the left, and there stood several more buildings that seemed to be shaped like stores, shops, or restaurants, though she had no interest in them either.
"What are you thinking?" John asked as she walked up to her.
"This place has a lot of stores. It feels like my head's gonna explode," Charlie said.
"Well come on," John said. "There's gotta be something." He kept walking, and Charlie followed him, walking past the merry-go-round, which had just stopped rotating. He turned to the left: he stood next to another building, one which was clearly a restaurant that was made of brick. It was much smaller than the first building he passed by. He could smell fried food coming from the restaurant, but next to the entrance stood a kind of wooden patio or deck which had four tables on it, with some people eating at them. The restaurant's walls were made of bricks.
Charlie turned and looked at what John was looking at. "Yeah, I can smell the food from here. Though, I'm not really in the mood for anything fried. Are you?" she asked.
John shook his head. "I just ate like twenty minutes ago. I'm good," he said. He looked forward: there were two more buildings ahead of him. One of them had a queue that led to the entrance. He then tilted his head, turning to Charlie. "Hey, what's with all these maze-like things that go to the entrance? I mean, for rides I understand, but for restaurants?"
Charlie shrugged. "I just think they want there to be plenty of room."
"Alright. Well, I'm gonna check out that building. Wanna come?" he asked.
"Sure," Charlie said. She walked into the queue before going inside, and she immediately felt it become cooler. The floor was made of black and white tiles, and a red carpet ran from the entrance to a counter in the back of the building. There were several people behind the desks. This seemed like a proper arcade. There were six arcade machines on either side of the building. They were all different colors.
"This place is cool, but not that cool," John said. Charlie just nodded, and she left the building without saying another word. She was back outside. Jessica and Carlton finally caught up to them.
"What's in that place?" Jessica asked.
"It's an arcade," John said. "Knock yourself out." They nodded, going into the queue for the building with the arcades. John smiled before turning back to Charlie. He sighed heavily. "Charlie, we need to talk."
"Sure," Charlie said. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, it's just that I feel that something's wrong with this park, but I can't put my finger on it," he said. Then, his head perked up, almost as if a lightbulb had turned on in his head. "You know, I felt the same exact thing the first time I went into Circus Baby's."
Charlie took a deep breath before exhaling again. She eyed John. "Look, Elizabeth is gone. She was locked away in the police station, and as far as we know, her soul is free."
"I know..." John said. He looked over to the side; there was a large building tucked in the corner. There were several tables and chairs that stood outside the building, not on the concrete path but on the black-and-white checker tile. He motioned to Charlie to sit down at one of the vacant tables. "I think it would be better if we sat down and talked about it."
"Alright," Charlie said. She walked over to one of the tables and grabbed a seat, sitting down. John sat across from her. "So, what were you saying?" she asked.
"It's just that I don't understand all of this," he said. He remembered back to two years ago. Charlie and Jessica had returned from St. Louis University, bearing the worst news: people were dying in Hurricane, having very similar marks to the ones that William Afton bore. Much worse, it was clear that those twisted animatronics were hunting down Charlie, wanting to capture her. For what reason he was never sure of.
"Charlie," he began. "You remember two years ago, right?" John asked.
"I do," she said. "Why? What's wrong?"
"It's just that I want to understand something. Do you remember when you drew all of those boxes, the ones that were shaped like that closet we found in that underground pizzeria? The one where that thing came out of, the thing that murdered that child Elizabeth?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Charlie asked.
"It's just that you have an almost supernatural connection to it that neither of us can explain," he said. "Though, there is something else. You see, when we first found that letter in your aunt's house, the one that talked about you supposedly being dead, there was an order that your father gave to her—to burn down the house and put a bullet in anything that tried to escape, no matter how alive it seemed."
"Oh..." Charlie said. She of course knew exactly what he was talking about. "Well, in the letter, it said that my father originally built the animatronic, but that William Afton somehow tampered with it?"
"I think so," John said. He then sighed heavily. "I just can't make heads or tails of it. It's like it was written so that only certain people understood what it meant."
Charlie smiled. "I think it's interesting. It's like a mystery," she said.
"You're weird," John said. He then got up, glancing at the building that was tucked in the corner. It had an entrance that had a large rainbow looming over it, just like the one she saw earlier.
"Now this is interesting and unique," John said. This caught the attention of Charlie, who walked up to him. He walked up to the building, and though it wasn't labeled, there was art of Chica painted on the walls. The door was made of glass and it was sliding. "Let's check it out." He stepped forward and the door slid open. She was now inside the building, and the atmosphere changed. The floor was made of blue and white tiles, and the walls were white as well. Charlie stepped inside too.
He was in an empty waiting area. They turned to each other, nodding. John opened the second door, and the noise exploded. He blinked from the fluorescent lights on the ceiling, bewildered. Children were everywhere, screaming, laughing, and running around. There were play structures, something like a jungle gym to his left, and a large ballpit to his right. There were tables set up in the center of the room, where he noticed five or six adults talking to each other. He walked toward the stage, twice stopping just in time to avoid tripping due to kids playing a game of tag.
"This is interesting," he said. Charlie just nodded.
"It reminds me of the first time I went into Freddy's," she said.
"Yeah, but now we're adults, and the year is 1998. A lot of things have changed since then," John said. Carlton and Jessica finally stepped inside, taking a breath of the cool air. The sound of the blowing air conditioner was certainly a relief to them.
"I'm glad this place is cooler than outside," Jessica said. "It was kind of hot out there."
Charlie chuckled. "I completely agree with you. This isn't Saint Louis, this is Utah, where it is hotter and has a higher elevation. I think that just makes it hotter," she said.
Carlton nodded. "So... this is Chica's restaurant, right? So where would she be?"
John swung around, staring him down. "Where do you think?"
"The... uh," Carlton began, but was unable to find words for a few seconds. "The stage?"
"Yeah," John said. He then walked through the large and open pizzeria. To the left was a room with a bunch of arcades, and to the right, there were the restrooms. And straight forward, there was the stage, and on that stage was Chica, however, she wasn't dancing like she was on the stageplay from before, she was just sitting on the ledge of the stage, looking over the pizzeria like a hawk, occasionally talking to people, mainly kids.
"Well, there she is," Carlton said. He just stared at her features for a moment. She was made of plastic, but there were other points of interest as well.
"I really have no idea why they cut her bib so short. I mean, they—"
"I know," John said. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, there are some things in this park that do not make sense to me. For example, the only bathroom we have found is in this pizzeria. Just, don't question it."
"Okay," Carlton said. He took a seat at one of the tables, and the others sat down with him. Almost immediately, Chica got up and walked over to them.
"Hey there. I'm Chica the Chicken," she said brightly, her eyes glowing up a vibrant shade of green. She had a smile that somehow formed through her beak. "So, what would you like?"
"Hey, we just got here, could you give us a moment?" John asked. He grabbed the menu and looked through it. There were a lot of different types of pizzas, as well as general Italian foods. Charlie grabbed the menu and looked at the drinks, and she opened her mouth to speak, but John pulled her arm to him. "Hey, hold off on the soda, will you?"
Charlie nodded. She looked through the food items, and she finally picked something. She glanced up at Chica. "I'll have the Pasta Con Pomodoro E Basilico," she said, in a completely butchered-up Italian accent that sounded more Spanish than anything. "I'll also have a glass of water."
"And you?" Chica asked, turning to John.
"I'll just have a pepperoni pizza," he said. Chica nodded, smiling. "I'll just have one slice."
"Alright then. Your food will be ready soon," she said. "And what about you two?" she asked Carlton and Jessica.
"I'm not hungry," Jessica said. Carlton just shrugged. Chica nodded her head.
"Alright. I'll be back in about half an hour," she said before walking off to the back where the kitchen was.
The police car was parked in the lot just outside of the Fun Park. Clay Burke was going through his glove compartment until he found something: a file folder that was labeled 'SECRET DETECTIVE STUFF.' I was terrible with names, he thought to himself. That folder had been in his car for years and years, accumulating dust. He took the folder and opened it. Inside the folder was a fake resume, a bunch of fake I.D cards from years past, and more. He didn't have time to update any of these things, though if what he suspected about Fredbear's Fun Park was correct, it wouldn't matter.
Clay Burke was planning on working in the park as a security guard. He knew how to use a gun and how to defend himself. He has been through situations with animatronics before, so he wouldn't exactly be unprepared. And the most important—he would have key access to the entire park as a security guard. He grabbed his resume and his fake I.D cards and stuffed them into his pocket; he was wearing a regular suit and tie now, standard business attire, not his police uniform. He didn't want to arouse suspicion.
He stepped out of the car, his black leather shoes landing on the pavement. He then walked over to the entrance to the park. There was a man at the gate, with a name tag that read 'JOSEPH.' He smiled, leaning his arm on the counter. "Hey, I'm Jacob Hudson. I'm looking to apply for the position of a night-time security guard."
Joseph's head perked up, surprised by this. "Of course. However, you'll still have to pay the park admission, you understand?"
Clay sighed. "I understand." He reached into his wallet, where his identity cards have been replaced by the fraudulent cards. He took out thirty-five dollars and handed them to Joseph. "Here you go."
"Thank you," Joseph said. He handed Clay a ticket and then turned around, pointing his finger at what appeared to be a small box-shaped building next to the stage in the park. "You will go to that place and go down the stairs to the first room on the left."
"Alright, thanks," Clay said. He then entered the park, looking around a little. The scale of the park was certainly impressive, however, he had no interest in exploring the park; he knew that security guards would be given a tour of the place by the manager. He walked over to the building to the right of the stage and slipped inside. The room was mostly empty, with only what looked like a generator in it. However, in the corner, there was a staircase that led down. He walked down the stairs, and he found himself in a long hallway. He went over to the first room on the left side and opened the door, going inside.
He stood inside an office. The office had the same wall design as the rest of the park did. There was a single desk, and a woman sat behind the desk, with the name tag 'ANNELIESE,' typing away at a computer. He sat down in a chair. She continued typing and after a while, a paper came out of the printer next to it. She grabbed the paper and put it on the desk, but she was surprised when she noticed the man sitting down, waiting. "Hello there," she said. "How can I help you?"
"Oh, good afternoon," Clay said. "I'm Joseph Hudson, and I'm looking to apply as a nighttime security guard," he said.
Anneliese nodded. "That's nice. Most people don't want to work the night shift, but you? You want to get right into it. I like you," she said. "Please, sit down," she said, motioning to the stationary chair that stood right in front of the desk. Clay took a seat. She smiled. "Okay, so I would like to see your resume and your driver's license."
Clay placed both of the items on the desk. She looked through them, but was surprised. "These are outdated. Are you sure you've got the right ones?"
"Oh," Clay said, faking a look of shock. "Um, I guess I found the wrong one. But you see, I spent over an hour driving here, so it's not like I could just easily go back and grab the right ones."
Anneliese smiled. "That's okay. It's not like there will be any problem, right?" she asked. "Anyway, your resume looks good, so I don't think there will be an interview."
Clay's eyes widened in surprise. "But don't most jobs have interviews?"
"Yeah, they do," Anneliese said. "But we have been looking for someone to work the night shift, and we haven't gotten anyone, so we are sort of scraping the barrel here. We are usually supposed to have two security guards, since that's why we have two towers." She gave a nervous smile, leaning on the desk a little. "Well, you know how it is. How could one man expect to watch over an entire park this size?"
Clay sighed heavily. "I think I can manage it. I was once a cop, you know."
Anneliese nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, would you like to come with me on a tour?"
"I would be glad to," Clay said. The two walked out of the room and up the stairs, and then, they went outside. Clay certainly had his suspicions, and they only intensified when he found out that there was no job interview. For some reason, it felt to him like this wasn't even a job, but something else—he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Okay, follow me," Anneliese said. She walked up to the west security tower and inserted her security card into the slot reader, and the door slid open, revealing an elevator compartment. The elevator had a grate floor. "This elevator will take you to the security room. It is at the top of the tower, and it overlooks the whole park. You will also have access to the cameras."
"Nice," Clay said. He and Anneliese stepped inside, and the door slid closed. She pressed the button on the right that indicated the top floor, and the elevator compartment moved upwards until it stopped. The door then slid open. He stepped outside the elevator, finding himself in some sort of office. The floor was made of a black-and-white checker tile. There was a gray desk with two chairs lined up against the wall, and a staircase to the left which went upward. "Is this my office?"
"No," Anneliese said. "Well, kind of. I guess it is. However, you won't be working a lot here. Follow me," she said. She then walked up the stairs with Clay. Instantly, the environment changed. The room was much cooler, and there was a large vent to his right. There was a desk in the middle with a monitor and a toy plastic cupcake off to the side. Against the wall stood several televisions; they all showed locations by a camera. "This is where you will be working mostly. As you can see, you have a computer monitor where you can view the cameras individually." She then gestured to the set of box-shaped televisions lined against the wall. "You can also get a rough overview of the cameras with those televisions."
"That's pretty neat," Clay said. He sat down in the chair by the monitor. "It's comfy." He then turned to the vent to the right. It was a long vent, and at the end of it, he could see a light. "So, there are two of these, correct?"
"Yes," Anneliese said. "There are supposed to be two security guards on duty. Don't worry, we aren't missing a guard. The one that is supposed to be here is in the other tower," she said. "Anyway, you and the other guard are supposed to coordinate efforts. You will be given a radio where the two of you will be in contact with each other at all times. You will also be given a heavy-duty flashlight, one that is weatherproof and resistant to falling or hits. You will also be given a baton," she said.
Clay nodded. "Well, this place seems pretty high-security. I guess that's why nobody has stolen anything," he said.
"That is correct," Anneliese said. "Anyway, back to the cameras. Some of them have the option to close the gate that divides sections of the park."
"That's a good idea as well," Clay said. "Jeez, you really thought of everything, didn't you?"
"We sure did," Anneliese said.
Chica returned to the table with two plates in her hand. She placed the plate of pasta in front of Charlie, and she placed the plate of pizza in front of John. However, the plate actually had two pizzas. "I decided that you should get two instead of one."
John smiled. "Thanks?" he asked. "Well, I mean, that's nice, but I only wanted one. I guess I'll have to eat both of them now." He chuckled, turning to Charlie. She had a bite of the pasta and smiled.
"This is good. I'm surprised," she said.
"I mean, the pizza at Freddy's wasn't that good. I guess they really changed," John said. He took a bite of his pizza, and he swallowed the piece. "Oh, they definitely did. THis tastes just as good as those local pizzerias make them."
"To say that they changed is a total understatement," Charlie said. "I wouldn't say Freddy's pizza was bad. It was alright, mediocre. But this food is just delicious."
"I'm glad you like it," Chica said. "Actually, I don't even think I got your names."
John perked his head up, staring at her. "Well, I'm John. This is Charlie," he said, motioning to her.
"I'm Jessica," she said. Carlton was the last to introduce himself. Chica nodded.
"Well, it's nice to meet you. I hope you have a great day," she said.
"Yeah, you too," John blurted out. He then realized his mistake: he just talked to an animatronic like he would a person, as if he subconsciously knew that the one he just talked with was a human being. "I mean..."
Chica smiled. "I'll see you soon. I'm gonna set up for my next song," she said. She swung around, walking over to the backstage and leaving them.
"Well that was interesting," Carlton said. "I guess it's nice that the animatronics are much more... interactive," he said.
"Carlton, that doesn't even begin to describe the animatronics," Jessica said. "I mean, it's like they are actual people. Whoever programmed and built these things deserves to be recognized," she said.
"Uh-huh," John said. He took another bite from his pizza, savoring the taste, before meeting her gaze. "Still, if it wasn't for these animatronics looking like animatronics, I would just assume that they were real people. Doesn't that concern you?"
"A little," Jessica said. "You think they're possessed?"
"I think so too," Charlie said. "They're acting too strange, and too human. Believe me, I've taken robotics classes and I know how robots interact. It would cost a lot of money just for these animatronics to sound the way they do," she said. "And that doesn't even begin to mention their personality, or how interactive or quick to interact they are. To achieve this, Fazbear Entertainment would have to spend a fortune to make these things, and that's just for one animatronic. I have seen at least four of them."
"So? Maybe they just spent a lot of money," Carlton said.
"No, I doubt it. For all the money they spent on everything, this would be a net loss for the company, even if we account for the sales of items. Either this company is profiting from this park in a way I can't imagine, or..."
"Or what?" Jessica asked.
"Or they cut corners. Remember those illusion discs those twisted animatronics used? Well, I think those illusion discs are everywhere in the park. I believe that a lot of the detail in this park is just those illusion discs filling our minds with noise to impress us."
"Huh," Carlton said. "Well, that's just a blind guess. You don't have any actual proof for it, do you?"
Charlie opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped herself just before she muttered a word. I can't tell them. If I tell them that my eyes had trouble focusing, then they might figure out that there is something not quite right about me. I can't risk it. She sighed heavily. "No, it's just a gut feeling."
"Charlie," John said, gazing into her eyes. I know that look. It's more than a gut feeling, isn't it? What's the proof of it?"
Charlie shrugged. "The faint humming I heard in the shop? Remember, only I heard that humming when we first went to inspect that twisted animatronic in my father's workshop two years ago. Remember?"
"Yeah," John said, recalling when he went into the merchandise shop. "I remember that. You also complained that that action figure was blurry for a second."
Charlie felt an icy chill travel down her spine. No, she thought. He's onto me. I might as well play along. She then met John's gaze. "Maybe it took a while for the disc to affect me?"
"Probably," John said. "But why?"
"I don't know," she said. Charlie sighed, continuing to eat her pasta. John took another bite from his pizza. Jessica and Carlton just stared at each other.
"I suddenly don't feel safe here anymore," Carlton said.
"Me neither," Jessica said. She turned to John, who was still eating his pizza. Half of it was gone. He swallowed hard before turning to her.
"Well, do you have any ideas?" John asked.
"What do you mean?" Jessica asked.
"Well, think of it this way. There has to be an ulterior motive here right? The motive obviously isn't money, because Fazbear Entertainment is pouring millions of dollars into this park. Now, how much money do you think the park is making?"
"Uh, a lot?" Carlton asked.
"No. I mean, it might be a lot to you and me, but remember that it is nothing compared to the expenses of this business. If this were any ordinary establishment, this park would have closed before it even opened. The money from sales is tiny. The park is making a net loss, meaning there has to be some other reason this park is running."
"Huh, well what could it be?" Jessica asked.
"Honestly, I don't even know," Charlie said. "To answer that, we would need more information. We have almost nothing except a few animatronics that we think are possessed."
"Hey," John said, putting down his pizza. "If illusion discs are the norm here, then I think it is more than likely that William Afton is here."
Charlie's fork fell on the table, causing a ringing sound. She turned to face him, her eyes showing fear. "William Afton... here?" she asked.
"It's more than likely," John said. "If this whole park is his idea, then what the hell does he want?"
"I don't know, and I don't think we are gonna know unless we do a deep search. As in, interrogating the animatronics, snooping around after hours, you know, the good stuff?"
"That's easier said than done," John said. He finished what was left of his pizza, and then he took a sip of water. "There are cameras all over the place. There are also two security towers. That means that we don't just have to deal with one security guard, but two."
Charlie took another bite of her pasta before actually acknowledging him. "We will just have to be extra careful."
"Sure," John said. He then started digging into the other slice of pizza on his plate. "I just think we should find out what the hell is actually going on here."
Clay Burke walked out of the gates of the fun park. He was now in his security uniform that was provided. It was a little tight, but it was better to be tight than loose. He walked over to his police car, but he found someone standing next to the car: a dark-colored man in a business suit. He glanced at Clay, and he chuckled.
"You? A security guard?"
"Yeah, it's the only thing I could think of," Clay said. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his fake IDs. "I used these to get in. If I used my real name, I probably wouldn't have gotten the job."
"Clay, you know that's illegal, right?" Mark asked.
"Not for a police detective. When I was a detective ten years ago, I was able to get the department to craft these fake IDs for me. They were really convincing."
Mark chuckled. "They must have been convincing if you were able to fool Fazbear Entertainment, right?"
"Yeah," Clay said. "Hey, the park requires two security guards."
"So?"
"Maybe I could vouch for you to be my partner? We could both do our investigating in there together, what do you say?"
Mark smiled. "Now, that's an idea that I like. When do I apply?"
"Just come with me," Clay said. He walked towards the entrance of the park. "I'm sure you'll get the job."
I'm sorry that this chapter took so long. Anyway, here it is. I hope you liked it, and if you did, please rate and review.