Sprawled in the metal cell, the two synchronised a single breath before latching hands to pray. A twinge of blue in the eyes of the first girl gripped the lockers vent as three steady beams of dull light cast back at her. The unoiled gears whirled and echoed down the hallway. The second breathless body stood idly, rigid and focused on the padded footsteps and the bright patchwork design of the other's shirt. It was so soft as the monstrosity made its way through the halls. Her lack of breath constricting her lung holding her from sound. The dimly lit hall with its never-ending checked flooring added to the new state of ominous – one she had never noticed before. She sat still; wasting away just thinking about how long it was taking. The paws of the suit settled into the floor and steadily, like each bar of an accelerando, the steps seemed faster and faster. The second girl gripped tighter around the hands of the first in hopes to ease the nerves however as their knees shook, possibly from the stress of their weight or of the adrenaline, her hands only accentuated the vibrating in the locker. Only as the threat the booming sounds like one when crawling out of bed barefoot to go to the toilet just after midnight began to echo down the hall. With each step just a little closer. Closer to them. Closer.

Party poppers, neon hats and banners flooded the senses whilst the cheers of 'happy birthday' echo across the diner. The black and white checked floor was dusted in confetti and other bright celebration accompaniments. Children's cheers all accumulated around a centre stage where 4 prolific children's entertainers performed with their set instrument. A roar of joy echoed around the pizzeria as children's feet danced across the retro, geometrical attempt at art deco carpet with squares and circles drawn across the dancefloor. The only way I can think to describe it is a 90's neon skating rink carpet with its black background and fantastical design on top. On stage 4 performers all dressed in an animatronic attire played their instrument and swayed to the pre-recorded music. The smell of pizza had become unbearable, but it was covered mostly by the over embellished smell of sweat and cologne with a plastic undertone. To the summer-working teens, this job had come around for easy money and a break from the stacking shelves and awful repetitive nature of the long shifts. However, they had all come to the same realisation; it wasn't as glamorous as advertised.

The crowds die down around 10 o'clock and only a few stragglers are left as the restaurant closes, the performers head off stage via the right exit and the head of to two different "changing rooms" or rather reused store cupboards. The first two, a guitar playing chicken and a drum expert fox head to a grey door with a gold star on the front and immediately their energy drops, they sit against the wall and begin to unravel the comically large animatronic heads and sigh in relief. Smooth yet damp faces emerge, and they wipe off the droplets from their forehead. They sat in relative silence until one stands up to remove the body of the costume.

"Unzip me please" the first states.

The second immediately gets up to follow orders and the first pulls themselves out of the metallic frame and overbearing fur coat. She has rather short brown hair done up into a ballet bun and barely a vest and shorts. Her legs have a shining layer of moisture, and she has freckles all down her arms. She makes her way to behind the second girl and unzip the red fur coating on the second costume aiding the second girl to remove herself from the metal skeleton which encaged her.

The second girl, with much darker skin and a rounded face had her long frizzy hair up in two neat buns where abouts the ears of a fox would sit. She was just as thin as the first girl, and gleaming from the lunch to closing time sweat as she readjusted her bra top and fila jogging bottoms, she made her way to the back of the room to the curtained showers.

Standing in the cold water, she felt an ounce of relief from the strenuous day, and she took down the buns and washed down the back of her neck. She got in as quickly as she got out already noticing the two metal bodies outside moved by the brunette. She dried out quickly replacing her sweat filled clothes with a tracksuit top and a mismatched cycle shorts. She re-braided her hair and waited for the second to come back in.

The exoskeletons could detect their way back to their display case however the manager liked it when someone kept with them, just to ensure no mishaps occur on their journey. They used to bang into doors and occasionally walls on their way backstage but with some supervision, they seemed fine getting to and fro. Mary – the brunette - watched as the two skeletons wandered across the cast quarters to their backstage position and as they got there, she noticed two others standing still already beside some ladders and other props in the backstage area, the two she had been following followed suit and turned to face the same direction as the first two and aligned themselves. Mary didn't think much of the procedure and made her way back to the girl's cupboard and made herself at home. She smiled over to the other girl and went to the shower taking her hair down and having her new wear all ready and waiting.

Coming out of the shower she had her hair down just over her shoulders and a patchwork shirt on with fishnet gloves and tight black leggings, all glossy and fashionable whilst insuring you could see her physique.

"You're looking fancy"

"Why thank you lovey"

"You going out tonight or something?"

"No, but I can't let a lack of occasion stop me from looking my best!"

The two smiled at one another, a tolerable level of respect had become of the two, though originally out of necessity, the two had become closer out of will. The second set down next to the only mirror in the room, which was all fogged up and blurry, so she wiped across the image with her towel.

"Are you doing anything on Saturday?" Mary replied as she began reapplying her foundation to gain an absolute matte skin and some blue highlight on her eyes and cheekbone.

"Saturday? No, I don't think so, why?"

"Well, Becky, I was thinking me and you could go on a girls night, you know, go to the arcade and have a little fun" she said smirking over at the other through the mirror.

"I don't know if my mum would- "

"Just tell her you're coming for a sleepover, technically you wouldn't be lying" Mary now turned to Becky almost pleading for her agreement "look, I'll pick you up and everything"

"Alright, oright, I'll ask, ok? But that's all I'll do, but ill get the bus so you don't have to worry." Having just passed her driving test, Mary was using any excuse to take her Vauxhall out for a spin, but Becky wasn't convinced of her ability as a driver quite yet.

"Great! So, meet you at 7?" The recipient smiled timidly as the browned hair girl went back to her contouring.

Over in the next-door changing room the two teen boys sat in silence, not wanting to bother the other as they did up their skirt buttons, but not to the top and pushed up their sleeves. The two hadn't got on since the beginning and even the girls had noticed a level of hostility between the two however management didn't care since they usually kept it off stage. Though retreats and inductions were a hassle, it was obvious they knew each other prior than the job. With the month almost over, and the pay check coming soon, I doubt either of them will stick around for any after party. But its this daunting silence that allows for them to hear the vent creak and the metal-on-metal movement of the skeleton's movement. Even with the fur suits on the awful sound of the unoiled gears churning and hitting one another echoed down the hallway, surprising both boys to communication.

"The hell's up with that?"

"Maybe it's just the girls, Mary never oils Chika down, its always creating a racket"

"Nah, I heard them earlier, they've already been down"

"Why don't you just go and check then?"

"Whatever"

A soft rounded face turns to the door and holding it ajar let his sideways swooping bangs hand over his face to see a large metallic body heaving itself down the hallways.

"Weird"

"What?"

"I'm not sure, I think its Chika's skeleton, but it just seems to be walking, nobody's with it"

"Uh oh, it's gone rogue the robots are taking over ahhh" The second boy said in a monotone voice "I'm sure it's just going for inspection or something"

"whatever"

"attaboy" It was said with such deceit, as the boy flicked his long heavy blonde hair away from his face and put his feet against the walls. The first boy still uneasy fiddled with the contacts in his eyes in front of the mirror and tossed them into the bin beside the door. He had got a new pack of contacts recently since disposable ones were new and – though expensive – were much easier in the suit. Then unfolding his glasses from case, he put on the circular glasses which emphasised his large green eyes. Then folded up all his used clothes and stuffed them into his backpack waiting for the 10:30 mark so he could go home. Again, the two heard the screeching of the metal cogs, this time softer and more fluid but still recognisable and so together they make their way to the door and opening the door they watch as a second animatronic wanders by, undeterred by the sound of the opening door.

"That is kind of creepy, huh"

"Hmm, where do you think its headed to?"

"Hell should I know? You wanna follow it?"