Slowly edging out into the hall, the two followed the metal skeleton. One walked, nonchalant, in the centre of the hallway whilst the second more cautiously slid round the walls, following the blondes command. Gradually making their way down the backstage maze they find the two slumped over exoskeletons sitting across from one another ready to go onstage. As the pair creep towards the right entrance the two skeletons go limp falling back onto the ground. The blond boy immediately retreats, and quietly ushers the other to follow him, however the seconds interest had but peaked. Finding his footing in the shadows, he leaned closer to the backstage door, hand outstretched, latching onto the door frame. The twisted his neck to see the feminine animatronic which sat beside the door whilst keeping a close eye on his own suit, a rabbit resembling metal horror, only to be seen with its facade by children.

It sat rather coldly, its shoulders hunched, and stomach all twisted around, its arms thrown over its legs and its head drooped towards the ground, but its black eyes had been tilted upward, looking straight towards the door with its red pupils subtly shaking and shuddering methodically.

"Look, I don't know what's going on but its almost time to go" the statement almost made the first jump, but his reputation kept him from reacting in any way

"Shut it, Emerson" he rolled his eyes and looked back to the second boy before hearing the mechanical cogs on the Chika suit crank again one another. He snapped his head back to the stage, light flooding over the faces turned to him. He took a step back before slamming the door and side stepping to adjacent to the second boy. He then spoke in an out of character, low voice "we should go" before he watched, frozen to the spot, as the stage door creaked open.

"No, no absolutely, vision of love is good, I can't disagree but I'm not sure I can see Carey getting much further, you know?"

"You haven't even listened to her songs though! She is going to be big! Trust me, you got to listen to her, her voice is literally stunning, I mean she literally preformed at MTV unplugged and people were raving about it!"

"Whatever, I'll have a listen, ok? Happy?" Mary jested; it came over with all integrity, however.

"Thank you" The two girls looked at each other as they sat on the ground with their feet touching the opposite wall, they giggled and laughed together. "Ah well almost time to goooo~" both started getting up in a clumsy fashion. "What the hell do you listen to instead though?"

"Gunna be really honest here and put myself out there, working here has kind of taken all the love for music away"

"you're missing out, I swear" Becky said going over to the large joint locker in the inner most corner of the room pulling out a duffle bag full of her old sweaty clothes and food wrappers.

"I bet I am, well till tomorrow then, I can't wait!"

"We will see, 'kay?" Mary winked in response as they made their way out into the hall, Becky carrying her duffle bag over one shoulder and Mary with her water bottle and dirty shirt tucked into a small handbag which she held in front of her thighs. They made their way into the hall and the flickering lights sensed their entrance and spluttered on, and eery sense of hostility groaning through the halls, unnoticed by the pair. They make their way down towards the bar and restaurant, still gossiping about celebrity's or chatting over personal matters. Its only as they walk through the kitchen's double doors they notice the red lighting emitting from the stage, the two stagger backwards unsure what to make of it before the darker skinned walks father into the main hub.

"It's the bonnie exoskeletons"

"No shit! We'll go get the boys to bring them back, it'll only take a second, can they ever do something right?"

"Why are they even out here, surely they get out of them backstage?"

"I don't know Becky, maybe they just started wandering away?" Mary then imitated some sort of ghost impression with her hands beside her head about to grasp Rebecca and making sounds like a series of o's.

"Real funny"

"Whatever, ill grab the lazy bones" Mary backed away back into the kitchen then took the first side entrance back into the back halls, Becky followed her close behind. "What are you doing, I said I'd go, you don't need da come"

"Nah, it's alright, I'll come anyway"

"Aww, was someone scared of an intsy wittle exoskeweton?"

"Seriously?"

"I'm just joking don't worry, it is kinda creepy"

"Agreed" They made their way back to the changing cupboard and walked a little father up to get to the second door. Their journey had been slightly faster than the first, due to their accelerated walking speed and the pair having taken a couple of shortcuts down darker routes. Mary knocked on the boy's door twice before speaking.

"WHAT THE HELL" the black-haired boy shouted as he sprinted down the hallways passing the prop cupboard and the stairs to the stage lighting, lightly followed by his accomplice. The two slipped into one of the maintenance rooms before together pushing on the heavy metal door, shutting them into the room with the sounds of the mechanical lock. The light hair boy slumped onto the ground, back still against the door and breathed heavily whilst the dark-haired boy held his hands on the door and looked down onto him hanging his head in disbelief. "What the hell just happened ben?"

"Hell should I know?" Ben stammered back.

"But it was the Chika suit that was attacking us, right? I didn't even know they could move without a human inside"

"Well obviously they can, they used to when the restaurant started"

"Then why do we…"

"'Cause it was deemed 'unsafe' or s'mthing, I don't know, Marc!"

"Ta' hell with this" he retorted, he pushed himself off from the wall and glided his hand across the brick wall, trying to find a light switch. "You think its still out there?"

"Yeah, probably, but I can't hear anything, only good thing that came from Mary's laziness, I think its leaving" Marc smirked and then sighed, his fingers having reached a colder plastic casing and a switch.

"Right, lights on." He stroked over the light switch and immediately the overhead lights turned on. It reminded him of hospital lights with the one single line over head with its slightly yellow hue and extreme brightness. Ben had his head tucked in his arms to shield him from the shock. Slowly he tilted his head up to look around.

"I don't think I have ever been in here before, its kinds freaky…"

"Ya don't say" Marc gave Ben a hand up. "Let's see if it's still out there, maybe we could sneak around it or something?"

"That might be a little harder than you anticipate, I think the door locks from the other side"

"What? You mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. We are stuck in here until someone comes to open the door" Ben said, to which Marc combusted, hammering on the door, shouting for help and attempting to force the door. "What are you doing? No ones in the restaurant anymore. We are going to have to find our own way out."

"The vents! We can you know squeeze through them or something, I don't care, ill go and open the door for you on the outside!"

"Calm down! Seriously man, I mean the vent'll probably be too small for either of us but you never know, we can have a look in the room, there's probably some kind of safety feature so people don't get stuck in here. 'kay?"

"Yeah, ok, ok"

"Right, ok lets just look around for s'mthing, I don't really know what, ok scaredy cat?"

"Look, Emmerson, a literal metal skeleton just tried to kill me, and I'm stuck in a room, with…" he laughed sarcastically for a second "you."

"You really think, you were the partner I was really hoping for? Huh?" The two just began to walk further into the room in silence after their equally demotivating quarrel. That was until ben spotted the wardrobe of strung up half-finished exoskeletons.

"Whatever, I'm just gunna come in" Mary steamed into the room holding tightly onto her handbag "one of you Idi- "she sighed to Becky. "The two scumbags left, hah! Up and vanished without putting away their shit." Becky tuned to leave the room, but the same ominous red light had appeared from down the hallway, two corners away. She pushed Mary into the boys changing room leaving the door open for Mary to see the light. "What ar- "

"Shush!" she silenced Mary.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, I think its another exoskeleton or something"

"Why would an exo- oh my god…" The renowned clashing of gears the framework of her own suit came echoing down the hall. The pair skirted backwards neatly missing the mirror and Linda Evangelista poster as their hands grazed past the walls. The Locker door had been left swung open so Mary hinted towards the empty tin can and Becky rushed inside, keeping her head low to avoid the ceiling. Mary then shimmied beside her and grabbed the door which left a metallic scraping sound to fly around the walls.

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 locker was facing the open door which gradually erupted in the champagne red, an ominous and quite linear alert. The two huddled together lucked their hands around one another, the hairs on their neck rising as each paw print made its mark. Becky shut her eyes, she concentrated on the speed, the volume of the sound, hoping to hear it start to get quieter. A hand twisted and bolted onto her mouth she could barely more her lips. She could barely keep her thoughts straight never mind her knees which had left her only grasping more firmly to Mary's patchwork shirt. Mary's heart was pounding but she kept her gaze fixated on the incoming lighthouse, she cringed at each impact with the carpet and her nose was all screwed up, all ready for her to jump out and fight. Her arm was holding onto Becky's back as she collapsed onto her, and she steadied the vibrating walls. Each time she assumed the light would be as close as it would get, another echo would tell her otherwise.

The skeletons used to work by themselves, now replaced with a friendlier human brain, it had no use for this AI, why would they still have this control system and why did it still work. Mary's brain scattered for ideas. And why were the eyes red? Especially if it was indeed her own suit, normally it would have shone a fluorescent purple to match the flashing lights and neon spaghetti dresses or plaid flannels, not this deep red Mary assumed to only find on table dressings, autumn colour palettes and silky attire. With each step just a little closer. Closer to them. Closer.

A/N: Please feel free to leave behind any criticism you have on my style, i would love to hear what you think as this is the first time i have really posted any of my own writing, thank you! If anyone would be interested in beta reading, please send me a pm!