"Hello, hello? Hey you're doing great! Most people don't last this long. I mean, you know, they usually move on to other things by now. I'm not implying that they died. Th-th-that's not what I meant. Here at Fazbear Entertainment, we value our employees' safety. Or something. Yeah. Nobody has died here. Uh, anyway, I better not take up too much of your time. You got a job to do, heheh. Um, I'll leave you to it."
I was alert this night. Antsy. I kept shifting, moving. I jotted down meaningless jabber in the journal. I drew that boy Joseph, then Susie. Meanwhile, I watched the cameras with great intensity. It was weird how a feverish enthusiasm possessed my body- how excited I was to destroy another animatronic. My hands shook. The axe violence yesterday had felt like a well-earned release of pent-up rage, and being able to see and converse with the victims was such an enticing reward.
I thought that, by conducting more ghostly interviews, I could find out more clues about Father. Knowing about this "secret place" was a great lead already.
Just don't mess it up, I told myself. Things are going right for once. I'm in control. My stomach tightened with doubt. They had to have noticed two robots missing from the stage. I knew it wasn't long before they discovered their remains and fired me. I needed to move fast.
Throughout the night, I noticed on the cameras a worrying sign that Foxy was active: the gap of his Cove's purple curtain extended just a teeny bit every few minutes. I didn't trust myself at first. Was that always like that? No. Maybe? I refrained from switching camera views for several minutes. Nothing moved. Either he's camera-shy, or he's not active. Hopefully the latter.
Looking back at the stage cameras, I watched Freddy stand alone. A lump formed in my throat.
Does he feel lonely? I couldn't help but wonder, then swallowed that thought. Focus. He'll be fine soon enough. He'll join his friends.
The lights and my computer screen flickered all of a sudden. I sat up straight and checked at the cameras. A pair of bright yellow eyes shined through a white blur by the generator. POWER: 0%. Everything shut off at once, plunging me into darkness. The desk, the fan, the posters- every object disappeared.
"Motherhecking shit!" I hissed and leapt out of my chair. Those glowing irises imprinted themselves under my eyelids. I know those eyes! Whipping out my flashlight, I began creeping my way over to the generator. I almost tripped over what I assumed were the pieces of an endoskeleton. My breath paused. Where is… there! Two yellow eyes caught my gaze beside the generator. I aimed the flashlight at a small, stout figure. "It was-s you!"
"Surprise!" Electro waggled his hands and announced awkwardly. "It was me." A frustrated scowl warped my face. Why would he do that?! I grasped the taser from my belt and raised it between the Bidybab's eyes, just above his button nose. Instantly, his stupid little smile fell. And thus, the staredown began. My hands grew clammy, my skin cold. I still couldn't pull the trigger, no matter how much I wanted to at the time. Not a word passed my gritted teeth. I wasn't going to show my hesitation.
Please, just get out of here! I pleaded, and I almost said it aloud.
Seconds later, Electro grumbled, "Okay, I'm going." He scurried away. Sighing in relief, I set the taser back on my belt. My hand grazed the generator handle, and I recoiled at its warm temperature. Gross. The machine gave off a soft, rolling hum and a weak red glow.
It's still on, I observed. So why are the lights still off?
Numerous twinkles of a music box lullaby approached from behind. My body curled over; I resisted the urge to face the noise. What is that?! The boom of footsteps overtook the song in volume. I shrunk my stiff frame into the corner between the wall and the dormant generator. My knees sunk into my chest. Oh! I switched off the flashlight and bit the inside of my mouth. When I squinted, looking- maybe even hoping- for stripes, the darkness vanished around the dazzling, searching eyes of Freddy Fazbear.
Oh, dammit! I cursed in my head and watched the big brown bear quietly tread around the room. He's looking for me! My hands, teeth, and buttcheeks clenched, I remained completely still. The sounds of my working body- breathing, ticking, shifting- were amplified by the eerie silence. A chunk of hair itched my neck, and for a second, my ill brain imagined a rough hand there instead.
"This is what happens to bad little boys."
I flinched at nothing. Stop thinking about that! I tried to swallow with my tensed-up throat, and it felt like I was trying to ingest drying glue. That thought sickened my stomach.
Where's the axe? I need to get rid of him! I tried to recall. Aw, I left it in th-
A rapid thumping whisked down the hallway, and a golden eye entered the room, glaring and watching. I choked on a breath, now regretting my decision to ignore Foxy's Cove on the cameras. No!
"Where is he?" growled Foxy. Every few seconds, he revealed his other eye- dim and more of a bronze tint- only for the eyepatch to fall back down. His head whirled about sporadically. Meanwhile, Freddy kept up his quiet, methodical search. I clamped a hand over my mouth when his eyes neared my dusty corner, and pressed my body as far into the corner as I could. The wall's rough brick jutted into my spine.
They cannot find me here. They'll tear me apart. I don't want to be torn apart. I don't like it. Who's going to save me?
Foxy repeated with urgency, "Where is he, ye dimwitted bear-brain?!" The creepy lullaby song cut abruptly.
"I'm looking," Freddy replied, sounding exasperated. "Let's calm down, Foxy. You interrupted my lullaby." Foxy snarled a series of cartoony-pirate ramblings, saying something about going back to sleep, then stomped off. After lingering for a still moment, Freddy followed.
Wind hissed through the walls of the now quiet room. Releasing my breath, I inched out of the corner. Every footfall of mine I kept light, slow, and uncoordinated; even with this effort, my shoes thunk-tapped the ground like an irregular heartbeat. I snuck down the hallway, watching for eyes and sliding a hand along the wall. My fingers brushed past the old dusty curtain that led into the arcade. Yes! As soon as I slipped through, I heard Freddy's feet booming after me. I dropped to the floor, scrambling and feeling around for somewhere to hide, and knocked my forehead on the console of an old arcade machine.
"I'm the best at hide-and-seek," declared Freddy as he treaded into the room. I slipped behind the arcade machine, watching Freddy wander around in the dark again. His steps halted at once. "Chica? Bonnie? M-my friends?" There was no answer from either of them. The glow of Freddy's eyes glinted across a dull surface.
The axe, I knew.
"Why are you hurting my friends?!" Freddy cried out.
"I'm s-saving them!" I protested, then shimmied out of my hiding spot to snatch up my weapon. Freddy detected my plan. He stepped on the axe, growling, "No!" before diving right for me. Yelping, I rolled aside. Freddy's huge belly quaked the room. His black nose made a squeak when it hit the floor. I groped my belt for the taser and ignored every impulse to freeze. Controlled shock! The trigger clicked. A few inches from my head, Freddy's mouth split open to release a pained wail. His fur lit up, flashing like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Now's my chance!
I flung myself forward and finally grabbed that sweet axe. My legs, pelvis, and arms worked together in a fraction of a second, using momentum to bring the axe up and around. The blunt end connected with Freddy's open hand. That's when I realised- as cool as I'd probably looked swinging it- that I was holding the axe wrong.
"This is dangerous!" Freddy scolded me and immediately tore the weapon out of my hands. He tossed it down. I felt the confidence draining. No no! Momentarily blinding myself with the flashlight beam, I ducked back onto the floor to search. As punishment, Freddy served me a hearty kick in the ribcage. My torso spasmed. I winced, moreso at the damage than the pain. How am I gonna fix that?!
I scrambled behind another arcade cabinet. Dust caressed my cheek. I squeezed my flashlight, watching its beam cast gnarly, dancing shadows up the wall. Meanwhile, Freddy rose to his feet.
I gotta do something, I panicked. I gotta knock him down. Grunting, I planted my back against the wall and thrust my legs straight. The arcade machine swooped down onto the big brown bear. BAM! I laughed- a dry, shaky sound. Gotcha! But it was too early for celebration. Freddy caught the bulky machine, his paws clanking against it. Then he drove it back into the wall.
"AAA-A-AAA-AAGHHH!"
My scream extended the further thick plastic and wires stabbed through my body. Pain and fear scrunched my face. As it ground across the floor, the arcade machine's base shrilled. I couldn't get a breath into my lungs nor lob up my legs, for the crackling wall and the arcade cabinet compressed my impossibly-contorted body. A familiar ringing shredded through both mine and Freddy's ears. I hardly heard our hollering.
How is he this strong?!
"F-F- h- pl- h- s- ple-" my voice came out in glitching chunks. No, no! Not again! Tears finally struck my face when I realised how stuck I was. I tried to plead again but to no avail. No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen! My brain played out a familiar situation in my fuzzy vision: The old springlock suit squeezing me tighter. And suddenly everything got worse, shrinking me. I was a discarded soda can under a moving tire. I saw nothing but static.
I can't breathe! I'm trapped, I'm trapped! I'm broken! My thoughts looped themselves over and over. The lull of sleep returned to tug me far from this nightmare, but for some reason, I couldn't fall unconscious. I wanted to die.
It seemed like hours had passed when Freddy relieved the gnawing pressure; he pulled the cabinet away from the wall. I crumpled to the floor, twitching and gasping. I opened one eye and met Freddy's. He scrutinised me. Once I made no effort to move, he closed his hand around my ankle. He began dragging my limp body down the dark hallway. The silver stars on the ceiling tripled in number. My back ran over what I assumed was the flashlight.
What is he gonna do to me? I pushed several thousand questions through my head. What more does he want? Does he want me dead? Can he do that? Can he actually kill me? That thought sunk fear into my gut. Did I actually want to die?
Think, think, think. This isn't over. What does Freddy like? Bonnie liked guitars, Chica liked pizza, Freddy… he likes beating asses, that's for sure! No, no, he likes… I cycled over every memory that I could grasp of Freddy Fazbear. Games! Idiot, he likes games! Of course!
"Wait- h-hey, Freddy! Wha-what if- what if- how- l-let's p-lay a- another ga-me?" I wheezed through unsteady breath. The bear in question stopped and turned slightly to look down at me.
"Another game?"
"Uh-huh. Y-you like hide-and-see-k, don't y-yo-u?"
"Why, that's my favourite game!" Freddy replied. His cheery tone contrasted his glaring eyes and hulking arms.
"O-okay, okay, good. That's cool," I spat out an answer, trying to stall. Where was I going with this? I don't want to get beat again! "Um…" Although my brain was spent, supplying mostly static, I managed to get an idea. It was a simple one, unlike the previous ideas I'd concocted before.
"How about another game of h-hide-and-seek, but I'm the s-seeker instead?"
Freddy looked away, considering it. "So, I will be the hider this time?"
"Right," I nodded. Freddy stood there for a moment. Watching him silently stare at the wall, I wondered if he saw through this game. C'mon, Freddy. Fall for it!
"Okay," he fell for it. "Count down from ten." He dropped me without warning, ignoring my small cry of alarm. Then he stared down expectantly.
"Uh… ten," I started. Freddy darted down the hallway to disappear into the darkness. I shuddered. Woah, he's fast. A wince crossing my face, I forced myself to stand. My legs quivered underneath me. Seconds later, I wobbled and fell sideways. Dammit! I lugged my weak body across the floor with my arms, making my way back towards the video arcade room. Is this how it feels to be a slug? Meanwhile, in the back of my mind, I counted, seven, six, five…
With the axe and flashlight back firmly in my clutches, I stumbled forward with flared nostrils and bared teeth.
Three, then two… then one.
"Ready or n-not, here I come," I rasped. My low, threatening voice and my rocky footsteps echoed down the hallway. Dust particles swam before my flashlight beam. I searched, my eyes narrowing.
Where are you, Freddy Fazbear?
I noticed the camera's red light in the upper corner. No backing down now. Whatever happens, happens. I continued, my jaw locked. I knew that if he found me first, he'd win. Swallowing back anxiety, I checked the bathrooms, then the janitor's closet. Nothing. My hands began to shake in suspense.
If Foxy runs out right now, I'll be doomed.
The chequered wall stripe stopped at the end of the hallway. I padded through the open office doorway; I kept the axe poised ahead of me. My flashlight illuminated a hefty mass of brown fur in the corner. Freddy! His small tail wiggled every so often. He hadn't noticed me yet, and I used this to my advantage. A cocky smile found its way onto my face.
"I found you."
Freddy couldn't turn around fast enough. His head I chunked clean off. I watched his arms flail in the open space above his shoulders. Using the back of the axe, I nudged Freddy's legs, encouraging him to collapse. Then I finished the job.
Before I was whisked out of my body for the umpteenth time, I caught a glimpse of two girls instead of one. The first: the pale, cold-eyed eighteen-year-old I could never forget. The second girl, with dark hair cascading past her shoulders, looked about nine or ten years old. I'd never seen her before.
"You don't know what you're doing."
Out of Freddy's body emerged the soul of a slim boy. His features were sharp and mature for his apparent age. His eyebrows lowered as soon as his black eyes landed on me.
"Woah!" I exclaimed, caught the boy mid-jump, and watched him thrash and yell in my hands. Wriggling, he forced his entire body into his punches. His leg penetrated my see-through chest. I flinched at first, but after the fifth time, I was unfazed. There was nothing he could do to hurt me. Once the boy became aware of this, he shouted, "Put me down!"
"Okay, okay. My bad," I said. I set him down gently. The boy, looking me up and down, sneered at my very existence. Then he took off running.
"Hey!" I called after him. His body slipped through the wall without a problem. "What th-" Oh, ghosts can do stuff like that. I started after him, trying to copy his trick. My nose scrunched against the wall.
"Ugh! Am I not a ghost either?" I groaned while inspecting my very ghost-like fingers. I slammed my head into the wall again, yelling, "Hey! Are you Gabriel?!" He didn't answer, or he didn't hear me. I made a frustrated exclamation, then tried the open doorway. The swimming darkness warped into a thousand colours at once. There went the crowds again- singing and laughing and playing. The dust evaporated from every surface, giving the hallway a glossy, vibrant look. Everything was there, but everything wasn't.
"Hello?" my cry reverberated into the walls, creating the illusion of mimicry. Hello? Hello? Hello? Silence replied. Behind me, the computer blasted with white static. I turned back to the hallway. The boy had left behind a trail of teardrops like stars. Just when I began my dash to follow them, an invisible force catapulted me back.
"N-no!" I spat, flying upright. The warm sunlight from the hallway faded into the empty office. I kicked a furry leg piece aside and struggled to my feet. 6 AM, the clock read. The computer terminal flickered back to life as if nothing happened. POWER: 100%. My confused gaze fell to Freddy's decapitated head by my feet. I picked it up, carefully as if he'd randomly spring back to life, and stared into his blank eyes.
Well, that's three down. Three kids who are no longer trapped in furry robot suits attacking me.
I set the Freddy head back down. Stretching and balling my fists, I took a huge, segmented breath and began to think of tomorrow night's plan. Foxy CANNOT put up a fight, too. I need a plan beforehand if I want to keep my skin intact. I looked down at my body. A few broken bits in my chest stuck through my clothes.
Actually, I need to fix that first, I decided. My foot stepping out into the parking lot marked the end of the third night at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.
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My brain churned with fragmented memories. There's Charlotte with chocolate smeared across her cheek. Disgusting.
"Let's play pretend! You can be the bear, and I'm the puppet!"
There's me, slumped over the kitchen counter island, staring teary-eyed at a paper. The clumps of text and numbers written below brought static into my already-blurred vision. I could no longer comprehend the words. There's that girl. She approached me from the side of the island. She slid into one of the chairs. I could no longer meet her eyes. Her hand clasped around mine. No, it didn't. I thought it did. Maybe I don't remember this right.
"C'mon, Mikey, take a break. You haven't seen the sun in, like, weeks! That's super bad for your health. Vitamin D comes from sunlight, and that prevents colds and stuff. I think so, anyway- health science was an annoying class. You don't get colds, though, do you? Anyway, yeah, my point is, like- when's the last time you ate something?"
"I… can't remember."