My eyes fluttered open and took a second to notice two big blue eyes blocking my vision. A loud screech sounded. I screamed. The startled Bidybab hopped off me, joining its sisters next to the couch.
"We have been watching you sleep," proudly announced one. Rubbing my ears to stop the ringing, I groaned. Forgot about you guys. I sat up and a thought hit me like a train.
"I fell asleep on the couch," I realised, "and left three robot babies that act kinda like real babies alone and unsupervised?" The babies nodded in unison. I swung my legs to the floor, running my fingers through my hair and sighing.
"You broke everything of value to me, didn't you?"
The Bidybabs cocked their heads. I noticed a VHS tape lying on the floor.
"This was the one you broke. But now it's fixed?" I observed, turning it over in my hands. One baby nodded. I eyed the rest of the house while the Bidybabs trailed me. Nothing's broken- I stepped into the kitchen and had to keep a foot suspended in the air to avoid stepping on glass.
"Aw, man! You broke one of Father's drinks!"
Shaking my head, I picked up the broom and swept up the shards.
"If you guys are going to stay here, we're gonna need to set some ground rules."
The Babs climbed on top of the counter island and sat in a neat row, waiting for me to speak.
"Okay, um..."
That's weird. They're actually listening.
"First, please don't touch anything that isn't yours."
One of the babies glanced at the counter they were sitting on. I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"You can touch the counter. And the floor. And the couch. Nothing else."
The babies wouldn't take their eyes off my wagging finger.
"Second, no biting!"
They chattered their teeth in response. I tapped my lips, thinking of anything else.
"That's uh, pretty much it."
The Bidybabs hopped off the counter.
"We have found something for you," one said, then motioned for me to follow. The Bidybabs led me to my room. I chuckled.
"Oh, that's cute, but I know this is my- my-" I choked on my words when I saw the tiny bear plushie sitting on my pillow. My eyes couldn't look away from the plush's beady ones. I approached it as if going quickly would make it pounce. My heart racing, I picked up the bear.
"Why do I feel so..." I couldn't find the right words. A word scrambled about my swimming brain: Fredbear.
An exploding pain shot through my head- like millions of tiny needles stabbing deep into my skull. I screamed and fell to the floor, clutching my head. I squeezed the fur of the plushie so hard my knuckles were turning white. Colourful spots clouded my vision- I shut my eyes but they remained. My teeth gritted, I squinted through the spots and forced myself to get off the floor. My chest sprawled onto my bed as I waited for the head-throbbing to fade.
He bit me- he-
"Remember," I heard a Bidybab say, and opened my eyes to see it sitting next to me. It slapped its metal hand on my face and an image of four animal masks flashed before my eyes. The masks all watched me suffer, smiling at my pain. Their eyes were black and their teeth were dripping with blood. They gripped me, refusing to let go despite my struggling-
I sat up slowly and wiped my nose.
"What just- I don't- how- what- the hell-" I faltered, staring at the blood on my hand. I looked around the room for the bear, but it was gone.
"We took it away," the Bidybab knew what was bothering me.
"What if I find it and I- that happens again and- that hurt so bad- please, get rid of it!" I babbled hysterically, gripping chunks of my hair. You're acting crazy! I took a moment to focus on my breathing. Inhale, exhale. I opened the nightstand drawer and took a handful of bubble gum to shove into my mouth.
"Why did that happen?" I asked, turning to the Bidybabs, who accompanied me on the blankets. They didn't answer me.
"That bear, I know- remember- it's mine. Or used to be."
The more I thought about it, the more my head throbbed. I pushed the memory away. It doesn't matter- it's over now.
I stepped into the hallway and felt a tug on my leg.
"What?" I looked down at the Bab and said. She pointed to the other side of the house, beyond my room. My eyes narrowed as I stood in the other hallway. I forgot about this side of the house.
"I don't go down there," I said quickly and walked away to get the strange feeling out of my stomach.
"Why?" asked the Bidybabs.
"Because..."
Down there was my big brother's room. We hadn't spoken since he moved. I'd always assumed he was busy chasing that college life. There was another room, but Father refused to let anyone, even himself, inside. Until now, never did I wonder why. Was that room my sister's? My head ached at the thought of finding something with my past embedded in it.
"Because I have no reason to go down there."
I went to the living room and plopped onto the couch. The Bidybabs joined me.
"What do you do all day?" one asked with a curious squint.
I shrugged.
"Watch TV; play the Nintendo. Cry over dead relationships. That's it, really."
I thought about what I would be doing if I wasn't single. My eyes lowered to the floor. "I'm very lonely."
Lonely, my brain repeated. I caught myself drifting into another sad episode and straightened my spine.
"You know what?" I started as an excuse to leave the house popped in my head. I stood from the couch. "How about I go shopping?" I yanked on some jeans and sneakers and grabbed my wallet.
"Be good," I called to the Bidybabs before walking out the door.
01100010 01100001 01100100 00100000 01101001 01100100 01100101 01100001
Since Father had the car, as usual, I had no choice but to walk. The fresh air took my mind off my troubles. I stepped inside a nearly vacant supermarket, reading over the list in my head: Bread, milk, cereal, pizza pockets.
The shopping cart I chose screeched like a cat in an exhaust pipe every time I pushed it. I didn't bother switching- all the carts had some unlikeable defect. Having grabbed every item except one, I rolled to the freezer aisle for the pizza pockets. On my way there, my peripheral vision caught a two-foot robot child standing on top of a shelf in the girl's clothing section. I whirled, thinking it was just my mind playing tricks. It wasn't. A Bidybab spun around in a frilly pink dress. I hurried over there, first glimpsing over my shoulder for any bystanders.
"What are you doing here?" I whispered sharply. I couldn't tell if the Bidybab smiled or bared its teeth.
"We followed you here," it said, then pointed to its outfit. "I look like a human- like you do." I opened my mouth to scold the robot when I realised there was only one.
"Where are your siblings?" I didn't notice how much I sounded like a worried parent then.
"It's not my job to look after the others," it snapped. I inspected the area for the other two, feeling my heart race more and more. What if someone found them? What if they got damaged? I gripped my hair.
"Help me find them," I said to the one Bab, sounding desperate. It closed its eyes for a moment, perhaps thinking, then nodded. We scoured the area for two robobabies. It didn't take long to find them; one was in the freezer aisle chewing open a bag of peas, and the other was in the baby clothes section trying on boots. I swiped them up and put them in my shopping cart.
"Okay, listen," I grabbed their attention to stop them from trying to climb out, "you cannot just roam about here- this isn't Circus Baby's. You have to stay close to me. Got it?" The Bidybabs glanced at each other before nodding.
"Good," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I don't want to have to pay for you if you end up damaged. I don't have that kind of dough-"
"Hello, stupid!"
All hairs on my arm stood up. You really had to show up now?
"Hi, Mabel," I greeted, trying my best to mask the annoyance in my voice. I stood in front of my shopping cart, blocking the Bidybabs from her view. Mabel eyed me up and down.
"Why are you buying baby clothes, Mikey, is there something I should know? Because I'm your best friend and I should know everything," she jabbered with energetic hand motions. "Is there?"
"No," I said. Mabel squinted, obviously not believing me.
"Really?"
She peered around me, noticing the Babs sitting in my cart, and grinned. I bit my fingernail, knowing what she was thinking.
"Are those baby dolls in-" she began to giggle but I covered her mouth. I felt her cheeks grow warm underneath and I tore my hand away.
"They are-"
She wouldn't believe me if I said dogs. I trust her with the truth, I suppose.
"They are robot baby dolls. I got them from work."
Mabel let out an enthusiastic gasp. "Wow! They're so cute!" Her smile shrank for a second. "Did your dad make them?"
"I dunno, probably," I said after a pause. Mabel reached into the cart to boop a Bab's nose but jerked back when it snapped its jaws.
"Little meanie," she murmured, flickering her tongue, then said to me, "Do they have names?" My mouth hung ajar.
"Uh... sure- sure they do!"
The Bidybab's eyes flicked up to me. I tapped the boots-wearing one's plastic head. "This is... Biddy."
How creative, my brain commented bitterly. I touched the next one's nose, moving my finger before it could bite me.
"This is Bitey. And this-" I couldn't help but smile at how cute the last one looked in its little dress. "This is Chelsea." Mabel beamed and I found myself doing the same.
"Do you get to keep them?" she asked. I rocked on my heels, sucking my teeth.
"Well, technically, they, uh, they came to me and since I haven't returned them, I technically stole them and-"
I realised just how dangerous the situation was and swallowed. "-I might just lose my job if I don't return them." I snapped my attention back to Mabel. "So, no, I don't get to keep them."
"Aw, that's too bad," she hummed, looking at the bots, "you three are super cute in a weird kinda way- like E.T.!" She opened her mouth to add something else but I saw hesitation contort her face.
"Um, what are you doing here, Mabel?" I changed the subject. I couldn't see a cart around her.
"I came to purchase some art supplies since they're on sale," she replied, pulling the strings on her hoodie, "but then I saw you over here and I just had to say hi!" She cleared her throat. "What about you?"
"Just getting some food for the house. Father doesn't go shopping, you know."
Mabel laughed. "Yeah." She paused, creating an awkward silence as usual. "You're still going with me to the Summer Festival tomorrow, right?" Her bottom lip jutted out.
"What time?" I asked.
"Oh, I don't know. 8ish?"
I don't have to be at work until ten, I noted. "That'll work."
"Great!" she shrilled. My body tensed up when she threw her arms around me. She smells good today- stop that! After an eternity, she let go of me.
"Anyway, see you later, stupid!" she said, giving me a punch on the shoulder. Ow.
"See you later. Stupid," I returned the greeting, then watched her dart away.
"Why are you staring at her butt?"
I scowled at the Bidybabs, not knowing which one made the statement. "I wasn't- I mean, well, yeah, I-" My ears felt warm under my fidgeting hands.
"It doesn't matter- she's just a friend!" I declared, to myself and the Babs. Their eyes narrowed like they didn't believe me. I shoved the cart out of the clothing section, muttering, "Whatever. She looks good, alright?"
01110010 01100101 01101101 01100101 01101101 01100010 01100101 01110010
I didn't have enough money to pay for both the clothes and the food items. I keep forgetting to pay that card back. I tried to take the clothes off the Bidybabs, but they hissed and bit my hand. So I sacrificed the pepperoni pizza pockets for them. A horrible tragedy, really.
Back in the elevator for the third time, I chewed my gum and waited for Hand-Unit to speak. This time, I was accompanied by my three Bidybabs. Chelsea gripped my shirt as she hung on my back, while the others stood at my feet. I planned to take them back, but a small part of me liked not being alone. They are kinda cute.
"Welcome back to another pivotal night of your thriving new career," said Hand-Unit, "where you get to really ask yourself: what am I doing with my life? What would my friends say, and most importantly, will I ever see my family again? We understand the stresses of a new job, and we're here for you."
"Thank you," I said, though raising an eyebrow.
"You're welcome. To help you reach a more stable and relaxing frame of mind, we offer several musical selections to help make this elevator ride as relaxing and therapeutic as possible. We offer contemporary jazz, classical rainforest ambience as well as a wide selection of other choices."
My eyes lit up. "Music?" Several thousand dance-pop and romance song titles flashed in my head.
"Using the keypad below, please type the first few letters of the musical selection you would prefer."
The still broken tablet popped out of the wall.
"Aw, man," I whined, "can't a guy listen to his jams?" I pressed random buttons. Please be something good.
"It seems you had some trouble with-"
"Yeah, yeah, just do whatever."
"I see what you were trying to type, and I will auto-correct it for you."
Please be something good. A pop song, at least.
"Thank you for selecting: Casual Bongos."
"Huh-"
The music was indeed as the title suggested- a calm repetitive beat created by bongos. I frowned as the tablet went away.
"Someone really needs to fix that," I muttered. As I rode the elevator, the music actually grew to be catchy. I caught myself tapping my feet twice.
"Now that your elevator experience has been customized to your needs, and you're thoroughly relaxed, it's worth mentioning that due to your lacklustre performance yesterday, your pay has been decreased by a substantial amount."
"Wait, what?" I exclaimed, raising my arms. "For what?"
"Failure to comply with company rules set to ensure the safety and satisfaction of our employees, i.e., talking to active animatronics, not following clear instructions, and stealing company property." I groaned, looking down at Biddy and Bitey standing next to me. I did do all of that, didn't I?
"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know about all the-" I stopped as a thought crossed my mind. I did all that because of the robots. My eyes narrowed. Are they trying to sabotage me? Chelsea grasped my hair, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Please enjoy the rest of your descent," my robotic guide told me. I let my back fall against the wall, sighing, "Okay."
Just focus on the tasks.
The elevator halted and so did the catchy bongo music. I opened the door.
"Alright, let's-" I began but stopped when I noticed my Bidybabs crawling out of the elevator and disappearing into the darkness.
"Hey! Where are you guys going?" I called. Biddy's head turned without her body.
"We're going back."
I swallowed, pushing away the lonely feeling that crept up in my gut. I can't stop them, can I?
"Okay," I mumbled, crouching into the vent. I already miss the little guys. My knees were adjusted to the pain at this point.
"Due to unforeseen malfunctions from today's shows, your nightly duties will require you to perform maintenance that you may or may not be skilled enough to perform."
My heart jolted at that.
"I finally get to fix a robot?" I guessed. If he'd said that two days ago, I would have been excited. I just felt cold.
"Yes," Hand-Unit replied, sounding annoyed, then explained, "It became necessary for technicians to attempt to disconnect Funtime Freddy's power module. However, they were unsuccessful. Allowing them to try again would be an inefficient path forward, as we would need to allow six to eight weeks for recovery and physical therapy. You will need to reach the Parts and Service room on the other side of Funtime Auditorium to perform the procedure yourself."
"What kind of procedure?" I asked, hunching my shoulders. Hand-Unit didn't respond until I was in the Primary Control Module.
"Let's check on Ballora first, and make sure she's on her stage."
I pressed the button for the light, hoping it would work this time. The light flickered on and revealed Ballora on her stage. Wait, she's not there! Her mini ballerinas held up her outer shell, trying to create the illusion that Ballora was there. I felt my breath quicken. Where is she then?
"Great! It looks like everything is as it should be in Ballora Gallery," Hand-Unit said.
"N-no, it's not-" I shot only for him to continue, "Let's check on Funtime Foxy. It's important to make sure she's on her stage before entering." I stared at the button, hesitating to press it. She's not going to be there, is he? I turned on the light.
"Woah!" I exclaimed, jumping back and tripping on my own feet. The mechanical fox flailed in front of the window, fighting off a horde of Bidybabs. I hopped up and watched the robots tussle. My three Babs pulled Funtime Foxy by the legs, trying to move him away from the window, I presume. I turned off the light just as I noticed a pattern of cracks in the glass- like some had tried to break through.
The Bidybabs are trying to protect me?
"Great! It looks like everything is as it should be in Funtime Auditorium."
"Dude, there's a fight going on!" I said though knowing how useless my words were to the guide.
"There is no need to check on Baby tonight; please refrain from entering unauthorized areas. Proceed directly to Funtime Auditorium."
Both Baby's and Foxy's vents opened. I considered going the wrong way but remembered how many rules I'd already broken.
"I can't break any more rules," I thought aloud, then went into Funtime Auditorium. Not unlike Ballora Gallery, the room was pitch-black.
"Unlike Ballora, Funtime Foxy is motion-activated," explained Hand-Unit. "For this reason, it's important to keep the room dark, as to not accidentally activate her. You have been provided with a flash beacon. Use it if you need to get your bearings and to ensure you don't bump into anything. However, use it as sparingly as possible. Proceed forward to reach the Parts and Service room."
I stood there, my legs stiff. My finger hovered over the flash beacon button on my glove. What if he's right in front of me? Despite my fear, I activated the flash beacon. I only had a few milliseconds to scan my surroundings. Foxy stood on the stage, appearing to be deactivated. Okay. He's not active. I stepped forward, using all my willpower to keep my breathing quiet. After about ten seconds, I flashed the light again. Instead of Foxy, a pile of damaged Bidybabs sat on stage. My stomach wrenched. Not my new friends! I continued through the darkness, moving faster. I heard shuffling and stopped. Flash. I caught pink-and-white a few feet away. Foxy was turned to the wall, shaking his head back and forth.
He's looking for me.
I took a few more steps. Flash. I heard a growl and froze in place. Where is he? Shuffling sounded right in front of me. My legs continued without my brain telling them to. Flash. He was right in front of me, his head spasming and his eyes locked onto mine. I screamed and zoomed past him, only to trip on a tiny body and hit my head on the floor.
"Ow!" I cried, then hit the flash button to see Foxy pounce onto me. I coughed as his metal chest knocked the wind out of my lungs. I turned on the flashlight, attempting to blind him, but he growled and opened his faceplates to reveal his shiny endoskeleton underneath. My scream came out as a wheeze. Foxy's eyes rolled to the back of his head.
"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME BACK HERE, AFTON!" screeched the fox, his voice sounding as if he were speaking through a megaphone. I stared at the glimmering rows of sharp teeth in my face and felt like I was going to throw up. Closing my eyes, I waited for him to bite my face. I heard a crash before the pressure on my chest lifted. I opened my eyes. I'm alive? The broken Bidybabs had Funtime Foxy pinned down next to me. Bitey munched on his ear while Biddy tugged his jaw.
"Run, Michael!" shouted Chelsea right before Foxy threw her across the room. I scrambled to my feet and ran for the exit, ignoring the sounds of metal crunching behind me.
"I WILL BE READY FOR YOU WHEN YOU RETURN!"
I slammed shut the door. My entire body heaved with adrenaline. Seconds later, a tear rolled off my cheek.
"I don't want to be here anymore," I whimpered, hugging my aching body. "They're trying to kill me-"
"Great job reaching Parts and Service!" Hand-Unit said. I scowled at the device. You are no help! In front of me sat Funtime Freddy on a conveyor belt. Both he and his hand puppet remained motionless. I burned lasers into his blank eyes.
If you attack me, I'm quitting this damn job. Assuming I survive.
"It seems that Funtime Freddy is out of power, which should make your job much easier. The release switch for the chest cavity is located on the underside of the endoskeleton jaw. To reach it, we will first need to open the faceplates."
"Faceplates," I mouthed, then swallowed, my stomach still twisted. "Okay."
"You will need to press the face-plate release triggers in a specific order, and it's important to be as precise and as careful as possible."
I nodded. Just get it over with.
"Locate the small button on Freddy's face, just under his right cheek, and press it."
I pressed the button.
"For clarification, please note that I am referring to Freddy's right, not your right," Hand-Unit said.
"Oh," I mumbled, pressing the right button.
"Great! Now locate the button under his left cheek, and press it." I followed his instructions, pressing very button carefully. Freddy's faceplates snapped open.
"Shit!" I shrieked, a shrill sound, and fell on my butt for the umpteenth time.
"Good job!" cheered Handy. "The face-plates should now be open. Locate and press the small button on the underside of Freddy's endoskeleton jaw." I stood up, wiping my jeans, then pressed the button. With a hiss, Freddy's chest plate slid to the side. A tiny disc sat inside.
"Excellent. The chest cavity should now be open. Remove the power module from the chest cavity."
I picked up the disc. "You mean this?" Its smooth texture and off-centred blinking light struck me as familiar. What does this even do?
"Great work. You will now be required to remove the secondary power module from the Bonnie hand-puppet. Press the large black button beneath Bonnie's bow-tie to release the power module."
"Okay," I said, then my blood ran cold. The hand-puppet was not there. Where?! I heard scurrying behind me and whirled around, catching a flash of blue. I flinched. Something touched me! I turned around again. Bon-Bon sat on the conveyor belt with a pack of my chewing gum in his mouth.
"No!" I cried and lunged forward to grab it. Bon-Bon hopped off the belt and between my legs. I tried to grab him, grasping air again. "
Come back here!"
I watched him bounce around the room, seething with anger.
I just have to wait for the right moment, I realised. I stood still; listened to the little robot hopping around. It climbed on top of Freddy's top hat, still holding my gum, and watched me doing nothing. Then it leapt toward my face with a high-pitched scream. I caught it mid-air and pressed the black button beneath his bowtie. The rascal powered off. I snatched my gum back and popped a strip in my mouth.
"Ha ha," I said once I regained my confidence with some deep breathing and gum-chewing.
"Great job!" Hand-Unit said. "You've acquired both power modules. This completes your tasks for the night. Please exit the building through Funtime Auditorium, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow." I turned to the exit, feeling dizzy.
"There isn't another way?" I asked. Hand-Unit repeated his words, "Please exit the building through Funtime Auditorium." My fingers wrapped around the doorknob but didn't turn it. I felt like I was about to open a portal into Hell.
"I don't have a choice," I croaked. I opened the door and stepped inside. Flash. The devil stood on his stage, deactivated. I made a run for it. Go, go, go! Flash. I heard double footsteps. He's coming! Don't stop! Again, my feet collided with a tiny body. I caught myself on my hand but accidentally set off the flash beacon about five times. I'd tripped over a dead Bidybab.
"THERE YOU ARE!" shouted Funtime Foxy. "RIGHT ON TIME!" I felt hot tears on my face again. Get up! Trembling, I got to my feet and turned on my flashlight. The fox roared in my face. I pivoted, then smacked right into the wall. Cold hands gripped my arms and turned my body around. Hyperventilating, I stared into Foxy's golden eyes.
Please don't kill me for this.
I spat my gum into his left eye. Foxy howled, glaring at me like I was the evilest creature on Earth, then swung his fists into my face. The plan was to duck away, but I couldn't move my body; I couldn't even breathe. He struck me over and over. The burning pain swelled up my face before dulling into a faraway tingle. Blood and spit dripped onto my shirt each time he hit me.
"AND NOW, THE FINAL BLOW!" announced Funtime Foxy, raising a fist.
Please don't-
A crack echoed through the room as he slammed his fist into my jaw.
"K.O.!" was the last thing I heard before blacking out.