The Journey Home 9- The Town Seeks
The fog was so thick it muffled the atmosphere, smothering sound, making the entire parking lot as silent as an old tomb.
Mike sighed then leaned over the seat to retrieve the metal bat from the back seat. He had thought about bringing his hand gun but thought against it. These things didn't feel pain and a small caliber weapon wasn't going to do much harm to them. A bat however, could smash limbs and joints and do some real damage. Sure Cowery might yell at him for it but there was no way in hell he was entering the restaurant unarmed.
It had been surprising that the fat man had believed their story about someone breaking in and wearing some sort of costume. The fuzzy static filled camera footage backed him up and Cowery hadn't fired him or screamed at as expected. Instead he fumed for a few moments then made a few angry calls and passed the whole thing off as an ex employee using a key or pass card they had kept in order to enter the building and do some damage in revenge for being let go.
Mike looked out the windshield at the fog cloaked building, the curdled yellow color visible through the swirling gray mist. Gripping the bat he stepped out of the car with Fetch tucked under one arm. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and his gut twisted around itself.
Why the hell had he even agreed to come back for another night? The fox was waiting somewhere there. The toy-like machines wouldn't bother him much but the old ones….the old ones might stir and shake off the rust and dust and come after him.
But he knew why he had to go in. They were waiting for him and he wouldn't disappoint them.
The air in the restaurant was thick and heavy, still as a graveyard and thick with the smell of disinfectants. Yellow caution tape lay like party streamers around the main party room, encircling the area near the tiny kid's merry-go-round and play area. All the hair on the back of his neck stood up while warnings trickled down his spine.
He looked towards the stage, the curtains were drawn and still.
Mike made his way to the security room, ears straining to catch the faintest sounds of metal feet or servos in the thick darkness. Once he was sure the machines were still dormant he sat the bat on the scared desk and pushed the glowing red button on the phone.
Hello? Hello...uh...what on earth are you doing there, uh didn't you get the memo? Of course you didn't. The place is closed down, uh, at least for a while. The mascots...uh, attacked some of the staff. None of them are acting right. Listen j-just finish your shift it's safer than trying to leave in the middle of the night. You should be safe since they should still see you as the night guard. If any wonder in, just use a flash light and shine it in their eyes, it should work.
For now just make it through the night, uh when the place eventually opens again I'll probably take the night shift myself. Okay, good night and good luck.
His blood turned to ice and stomach twisted harder, like a giant hand was crushing it while his heart smashed against his ribs. Grabbing the monitor he flipped through the cameras. The bear was on the stage still, huddled in the middle, arms against its chest, looking utterly terrified. Its head swivled back and forth, looking to the empty sides of the stage.
He grabbed the bat and held it in a dead man's grip while searching for the flash light among the piles of yellowed paper and other trash. Fingers brushed against the cold metal cylinder, its weight comforting. He set it on the desk and grabbed the spare batteries and his cell phone, stuffing them all into a pocket.
It made a scary amount of sense now. The chicken-duck and blue rabbit had attacked someone or several some one's which explained the yellow police tape. It made him glad that Jeremy had refused to go to work after they sat up all night talking, stating he was too tired to and didn't feel comfortable going.
The silence, other than his own noise, was suffocating. Mike's anxiety shot through the roof. He took a few rattling breaths to try and calm himself down and regain his focus. It worked. For a whole two minutes.
The cameras suddenly went offline, showing nothing but static. Frantically he cycled through each one only to see more static and a red Off Line at the bottom of the screen. Without the cameras he had no idea of where the animatronics were. But they knew where he was.
It would be too dangerous to stay in the security room now with the only exit and entrance being a narrow hall and the small office left little maneuvering room. Flicking the flashlight on he apprehensively walked into the main room, sending the bright beam into the shadowy corners where something could be hiding, ready to lunge at him.
He was about to turn towards one of the small private party rooms when his brain caught up to what he saw out of the corner of his eye and Mike quickly spun around. A dark horrible thing lunged at him from the shadows with the grinding of gears and click of servos. He swung the bat as hard as he could, the shock wave of the impact rattled his arm and nearly made him drop the bat. Something cracked loudly, like plastic and the thing staggered back.
His heart leapt into his throat when he brought the flash light up, the beam illuminating the now ruined face of the blue rabbit. Parts of the metal endoskeleton were visible through the gaps where half its face had been crushed, one eye was missing leaving a dark socket but this hardly seems to bother it. Its mouth opened and an inhuman glitchy wail of rage spilled forth.
Mike jerked back with a yell and swung again, catching the rabbit in the midsection. Plastic cracked and gave way, exposing some of its internal structures. It staggered back a few steps then lunged at him again. He shone the light directly into its eyes but much to his horror it had no effect on the monster. In an instant he made the choice to drop the flash light so he could grasp the bat with both hands and whale on the machine. His arms ached by the time it stopped moving, reduced to a mess of plastic, bent metal and broken circuits.
He stepped back, sucking in shallow breaths, sweat soaking his uniform. Once he managed to get his breathing back under control he retrieved the flash light and shone it about. And realized Fetch was missing.
"Shit." The dog had been right beside him a moment ago. It wasn't like a real dog that would wander off on its own and get lost, it stuck close to him most of the time. And it sure as hell didn't get scared. "Fetch!" he yelled at the darkness. No answer though he wasn't sure that it could answer, he couldn't recall it ever making a sound other than a deep growl.
A few seconds later a familiar dark shape came charging out of the darkness at breakneck speeds, small feet pounding on the ground. It skidded to a halt besides him then spun to face the darkness, hackles raised, a low throaty growl spilling from its throat.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he reached down to pat the small dog, more for his comfort than anything then realized the collar and one ear were missing. Anger flashed across his face. It was one thing to come after him, it was another to attack his dog.
"Alright you son of a bitch! Come out!" He gripped the bat, hot anger boiling through his veins, chasing away the fear and panic. He should be scared but he wasn't, he was too mad.
Something staggered out of the dark to the right, its bright yellow shell damaged in spots and alarmingly enough its beak was missing leaving a black gagging hole full of sharp teeth. Its fingers were twitching, as if it was eager to get her hands on him. He noticed perversely enough the bib that normally covered her chest was missing, exposing two faint swells of plastic.
"Don't. You. Ever. Fucking. Touch my dog again!" Each word was punctuated with the dull crack of plastic and thud of metal as he swung the weapon again and again, demolishing the stripper chicken. Once it had been reduced to a mess of twitching parts that Fetch further mangled, he leaned against a wall, taking in shallow breaths.
It was easy. Far too easy. The modern shiny and new animatronics had been easy to take apart. The old ones wouldn't be so easy. Provided they decided to pick themselves up and stir from their long sleep.
Almost as if on cue the air thickened with the sense of danger and the dreadful sound of metal feet on tile came from the direction of the Parts and Service room. And it was moving fast meaning it was the fox. The phone jumped to life, spitting loud jarring static in warning making him jerk away from the wall and whirl to face the on coming threat.
He held the bat up in front of him like a shield. Fingers of fear trickled down his spine and still he held his ground.
The fox appeared out of the gloom, baleful eyes glaring with all the anger it could summon. Its oversized head tilted to the side, hook lifted, ready to do its bloody work.
"And to think, you used to be my favorite." Mike swallowed hard, hands tightening on the bat while Fetch's growls rose in pitch and fever.
The fox paused, head tilting the other way, eyes regarding him for a moment then stepping forward. No sound spilled from its gaping mouth other than the faint hiss of hydraulics and clicking of rusted gears.
Mike refused to move, refused to give into the growing fear that strangled his guts and tightened his throat. It's a machine, just a machine he told himself over and over again. One that was being driven by an unknown force brought to the restaurant by the fog.
The fox lunged and he swung, the shock wave of metal on metal traveled up his arm and numbed his muscles but he held onto the bat. The fox was sent backwards but it regained its balance then came at him again, hook flashing.
Mike jerked back just as the hook came down, barely missing him. He stopped back and brought the bat down on the fox's arm with all the force he could muster. The joint cracked then popped loudly. The arm went limp but the fox hardly seemed to notice. Instead it pressed its attack with its large jaws and sharp teeth.
Mike tried to push it back with the bat but it was far too strong, easily slamming him against the wall with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs. Fetch leapt onto its back, ripping at wires and tubes, spraying all three with inky fluid that stank of old oil but the fox hardly seemed to notice.
Red hot pain seared through his shoulder when the jaws clamped down driving the sharp teeth into flesh. Mike bit back a scream and hammered the fox's head with his free hand, deforming the side of its head and knocking one eye out. The fox bite down all the harder.
A large shadow loomed over them sending a fresh shock wave of fear sourcing through him. It grabbed the fox and wretched it away from him, trapping it in a headlock. He staggered to the side, clutching at the wounded shoulder while watching the pair fight.
The fox flailed about, legs kicking about uselessly while the larger form simply held the fox as if it weighed nothing. A loud snap and crack emitted from the fox then it fell still. The shadow dropped the fox then approached him.
To his shock and surprise Freddy stepped from the darkness, thick plastic coated fingers twitching, a look of worry and fear on its large face. Mike simply starred, open mouthed. He had not only tormented the other two, he had destroyed them yet the bear had helped him anyway. He barely noticed when the phone's wailings slowed to a low steady gurgle of static.
It made him feel bad for teasing it for so long. Guilt twinged at the back of his mind but it was short lived when the static returned in full force.
The bear looked from him then to the direction of the Parts and Service room then back at him. Before he could react the bear grabbed him with its large hands and tucked him under one arm. He was too shocked to respond and went limp against the cold plastic.
The bear's large feet thudded against the tiled floor while a very confused Fetch trailed behind. It made its way to the security exit then promptly tossed Mike out into the humid warm mist then slammed the door shut.
He hit the ground with a thump and yelp of pain and surprise. Sitting up he looked at the closed door, brain unable to contemplate what had just happened. He sat there, pants soaking up the moisture from the ground while a dark stain spread through his shirt. A few moments later a loud thump followed by several smaller ones mixed in with the screech of metal being rendered came from behind the door.
Guilt rode i hot and fast. It was a feeling he never thought he'd have for a machine. He felt nothing when he had destroyed the newer band, the high tech replacements though he couldn't recall why, the memory was thick with fog. But the bear, it had just saved his life and prevented him from being torn limb from limb by the decrepit machines.
For the longest time he simply sat there, staring at the door, warring with the unfamiliar feelings while Fetch circled him. Then he slowly got up, picking up both the bat and the dog before turning back to his car feeling exhausted and hollow.
