In a drowsy, half-awake state, I raised my head and noticed a blob resting carelessly on my arm. A bug! I flung it off in a panicked animation, scrunching my nose. It startled away. I sighed, but my relief was short-lived, for I finally noticed the squirming sensation in my chest. My skin chilled. No. I dared to unbutton my shirt and peer past the collar. The sky cast glints on their tiny backs and wings. There had to have been at least a hundred. Wriggling, meddling cockroaches.
"GET OUT-T OF THERE!" I screamed. The bugs flailed along with my arms. I undid my clothes and waggled and shook in a very undignified manner. Somehow, I got to my feet. The crowd of privacy invaders began to scatter, and it wasn't until seconds later that I realised they'd stolen one of my inner parts. Why?! I threw a chunk of trash. To my disappointment, the roaches escaped unharmed. And with my other kidney. Which meant that I had no kidneys left. I sighed.
It's fine.
Using scrap pieces from my bag and nearby, I got to work fixing the damages from the night before.
I can't believe I was crushed by an arcade game. I wonder which one it was. Paperboy? Wrecking Crew? Unable to think of any more titles, I resumed my bitter scowling, strapping duct tape across my stomach. Whatever. I was trying to do something good. Maybe I deserve it.
A small, expensive-looking box not far from the dumpster caught my eye. Using my foot, I manoeuvred it closer. Written on the top flap in bold orange were the words EGGS BENEDICT. The monotonous voice of my father's AI, HandUnit, echoed in my head.
Oh- another one of these boxes. I turned up my nose after successfully recalling those memories. The circus and its exotic wonders. I examined the rest of the box. It lacked a specific address, only saying, Hurricane, UT. The sender was none other than Fazbear Entertainment themselves. I yanked the clear tape off the box but stopped to watch it wiggle in the wind.
I shouldn't. But that was my name before. No, it could be a trap! But it's meant for me. Who delivered this?
Biting the inside of my cheek, I swallowed my concerns and opened the box. This better kill me for real, whatever it is. Up went the flaps. I halfway expected to see a basket of magical dairy products, so the pretty cake resting at the bottom threw me off guard. Huh? The fluffy, frosted number 20 in the centre was so purple that my eyes strained to read it. Pink dollops laced the cake's rim, and rainbow confetti covered the remaining white sections. What is this? Is this real? The overbearingly sweet scent of artificial, sugar-infested fruit knocked me out of my disbelief.
Strawberry bubblegum! I recognised, and some part of my gut curled in response. Sweet mama, it smells good. When's the last time I ate something? I dipped a finger into the frosting. It sank easily, smooth and pillowy to the touch. But I did not bring the speck of frosting to my mouth. Suddenly anxious, I hunched over the box. My eyes darted around. This dingy, crumbling part of town housed more dirt and overgrown greenery than people. The sun evilly cast hot-white glares off the roofs of parked cars.
How did they know where to put this? My mind reasoned. How did they know who I was? How did they know my favourite?
I stared at the frosting on my hand and then down at the cake. My stomach stiffened. Something felt wrong about this moment. I dabbed the speck of frosting back, wiping what little stubborn bits remained onto my clothes. Looking back at the bright 20 on the cake's top, I closed the box. The number still burned in my vision.
It's already November. I'm 20 years old now, I finally acknowledged despite having started the security job on the first day of the month. It's my birthday. My head spun, repeating the thought again, it's my birthday. I kicked the box back to its original location. It's not like anyone cares. I don't.
01110100 01101000 01100101 01111001 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00101110
"Hey, dude," I muttered after picking up the phone. The desk fan suspended the posters halfway off the wall, once more droning with a monotonous hum.
"Hello, hello? Hey! Hey, wow, day 4. I knew you could do it. I, uh…"
Phone Guy's awkwardly-enthusiastic voice grew distant as I let myself get distracted. My eyes lazily traced down the stripes and bite marks that decorated an old cup's straw.
Weird dream last night. What if she came back right now? Blood pooling- I shook the imagery out of my head before I could dwell on it any further. I wonder how Sasha is doing. One of my fingers absentmindedly found its way through a belt loop. I couldn't imagine Sasha with a slobbering child on her hip- no matter how hard I strained. Mom Jeans were just not a good look for her. I picked at a sauce stain on the desk. Maybe it died. Or she got rid of it. My stomach twisted, both a heavy relief and a twinge of guilt forming within.
Maybe I should talk to her, I started and then shut it down immediately. No. It's not mine. It wasn't. Isn't. It doesn't matter. The chair squeaked when I sat upright.
Phone Guy still jabbered on and on about everything and nothing. I focused on the computer instead. In the main room, the lights cast a pale glow on the empty stage. My stomach twisted again. I could construct the furry figures with my lucid imagination, Bonnie, Chica, and Freddy staring empty-eyed at the dust. The children stood in their places for just a second, and then the stage lacked life once more.
It's fine, I told myself to shut down needless anxiety. They're free. I'm freeing them. The stage lights flickered. An eerie feeling crawled up my back. I checked on Foxy's Cove and was disappointed to see no changes. As if the office wasn't already emitting a tense atmosphere, Phone Guy shut up mid-sentence. I jabbed a finger at some buttons. The phone played a series of choppy, faraway crashes. Heavy breaths then spouted from the speaker. I watched, leaning forward and balling my hands at my chin. What the-
"Okay, no more dumb scripted company calls," rasped the Phone Guy. "It- it's been a bad night, and- and… might be the last message you get from me. Unless they erase this one. They cover up everything. This company is twisted. He's got everyone wrapped around his finger-"
He? Father? He still works there? Is he there?!
My muscles tensed at the sudden violence in the background. I conjured up a million possibilities in my head. Are they attacking him?! Eaten alive?! I thought I heard the gnashing of teeth. But then the man continued; however, his words broke apart in chunks, mostly unintelligible.
"…the killings… i-tal-ity… using the charac-ters… doing crazy experiments on people- o-on kids, and- and- it's all under our noses- nobody wanted to talk about the missing babies… I kn- AND I'M NEXT!"
The raw emotion in his voice gripped my throat. Another crash and the sounds of screaming glitched out the recording. CRRRUNCH! And then the man's last hush, "Uh, see you on the flip side," cut off the racket. Only the desk fan prevented absolute silence. My clammy hands still clutching the phone, I glanced around with huge eyes for an eyeball or finger or something on the crowded deskspace. Nothing caught my attention, and that crammed a boatload of guilt into my stomach.
This is all my fault. They must have thought he was me! But wait- this recording isn't recent. But I know it was my fault!
"Hello?" I squeaked to the dead phone.
"Hello?"
I gulped down a painful bubble of air, whirling. A pair of yellow eyes squinted up at me. The source of the child-like voice gave a little smile.
"G-get out of here," I snapped, swallowing and forcing my focus back to the desolate camera footage. "I'm busy."
"Doing what?" Electro asked. His puffed-up innocence infuriated me; I couldn't tell if he was being serious or pushing me to tear out the rest of my hair. My fingers twitched. I changed the subject, "How about you stop freaking with the e-electricity?"
"I need it," the Bidybab replied. "It's cold out there, Michael. How much longer are we going to be alone?" I gritted my teeth and bolted from the chair, towering threateningly over the little guilt-tripping robot. In a fraction of a second, I whipped out the taser gun.
"This i-is your last chance, Electro-bab."
The Bab flung up his hands in surrender. His peach button nose and crooked red bowtie seemed to taunt me. I ignored the sensations of my lower back aching under a sudden weight. Did I really want to shock this baby-like robot?
"Just leave m-me alone," I said, a pinch of shame leaking through my aggressive tone. "Once I finish dealing with all these animatronics, the kids inside them will be fre-ee. I'm gonna catch th- the- the killer here and stop him. I h-have to do this."
"And then what?"
"Wh-what?" I hadn't expected that.
"After you destroy the bodies and kill your father," Electro articulated with careful composure, "what will you do?" My mind blanked. I lowered the taser, my shoulders stiff. The tiles beneath my feet swam.
End it all. That's the plan. There's no point in going on after that. She's gone. But I'm leaving behind the Bidybabs. And what if other children need help? And what if Sasha really needs my help, too? No. They don't need me. Nobody needs me.
I held my silence and stance. Electro dropped his hands and shook his head, replying calmly, "Okay. I understand. You'll never find that girl like this-"
My nostrils flared and my fingers clasped onto the trigger, instantly firing 50,000 volts through Electro's plastic and metal. I watched him spasm in place. An instinctive wince crossed my face when I heard his pitchy scream; it sounded too similar to a child's. Years seemed to pass before he collapsed into the floor. He rolled onto his side, his eyes burning brightly.
"We put you-u back toge-gether…" he whined, "and th-this is how you treat m-me?" My brow wrinkled. Huh? I processed his words, stepped back, and flinched at the edge of the desk against my tailbone. Electro returned my frown.
"The others- Biddy, Bitey, Chelsea. We saw you f-fall off the bridge. They didn't want you to be unable to move in your broken b-b-body. So we put all your intricate pieces back together," he explained. The memory struck me, sending ticklish tingles down my body like rain. I rubbed my arms. Tiny faces and hands… that was…
"I didn't kn-know," I murmured, hating myself. Who else would repair all that damage? Father? Why did I think-
"I don't care," Electro sassed with a mocking tone. "I didn't want to put you back together. You didn't take me shopping or feed me popcorn! You didn't care!"
I didn't know you existed, and I have no memory of what the hell you're talking about, I almost protested, but movement on the cameras caught my attention. Foxy peeked out from behind his curtain. My gut twisted. Uh-oh. I need to be ready! Why's he coming out now?! In my peripheral vision, Electro's highlighter-yellow eyes brightened intensely. He scolded me, "Pay attention." The lightbulb above blinked. I gave Electro what he wanted while taking a slow step to the left. The door controls were just out of comfortable reach.
"There were seven of us," the little robot continued. "Your three were supposed to pretend. But one night in your house, and they didn't want to pretend to like you anymore." On the cameras, Foxy's hook glimmered in the dim lighting. My narrowed eyes refocused on Electro, who balled his fists and clenched his even teeth.
"Why didn't I get to go to the surface? Why can't I stay with you? Why does nobody like me?!"
A tiny foot-stomp knocked the building lights into a constant state of flickering. The camera feed beside me fizzled into black. Eyes widening, I slapped the side of the display monitor and fixed nothing. The building's power buzzed; it flashed back and forth between on and off. Oh no! Looking back at Electro, I scowled.
"H- st-stop that! I'll shock you again!"
Where did I leave that axe!? I wondered while Electro-bab adjusted his bow tie with a stupid, smug stare.
"Do it."
I did exactly as he said. His body shook in such a frenzy that I thought he'd explode. But he didn't fall back this time. He maintained a menacing glare with those judgemental yellow eyes. Electricity circulated throughout the room, feeling like tiny hot prickles on my skin. Meanwhile, the lights kept on faltering, and now the metal security doors sprang open and shut like an automatic meat slicer. I knew I should have started running already, but I couldn't pry my eyes away from the mesmerising, horrifying view. Electrobab poked the poor computer and watched it overload into a flurry of colourful sparks. Glass shards freckled the desk. Then he returned his stare to me, a sudden joy irradiating it so much that his irises resembled hazard lights.
"Let's play tag."
I withdrew my arms, my teeth clenched. The taser snapped back onto my belt. I'm gonna get fried by a baby doll this time! Melted into the floor! My brain played out an escape route, but all involved bumping into Foxy or getting a limb melted off. My imagination was wild.
"Let's not!" I hissed finally. Electro smiled at my defensive position.
"Don't worry, big guy, I'll give you a running start for your feeble legs," he said, closing his eyes, and thus, he began the countdown. "Ten… nine…"
Oh hell no, my brain decided, and my legs bounded for the door. It slammed in my face, then opened, then closed again.
"Gah!" I yelled in frustration. The button crackled under my palm, and the door shot up. I took my chance, sliding across the floor on my busted-up sneakers with an annoying screech. My hands caught the wall before my face did. Behind me, the door resumed freaking out. I hurried down the hallway, fumbling around my waist for the flashlight. Get it, stupid! The chequered pattern on the wall flickered in and out of the shadows.
"I'm it!" Electro called from inside the office. In a blink, the lights were dead. My nose crinkled. I hate not being it-
"Oof!"
My gut rammed into the corner of a party table, halting my flee instantly. A spiral of light shimmered away as my flashlight rolled across the table. No! Something shattered again, and I whirled halfway. The hall light bulbs sparked alive above Electro's head and then soon burst. SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! The Bidybab approached menacingly. Both returning darkness and a shuffling sound to the right freed me from a trance. Oh! I located the flashlight a few feet away. Foxy's Cove was illuminated by the stray light beam, giving the statue-still, battle-ready fox his own personal spotlight. Every few seconds, he moved another inch. My mouth uttered a nasty swear. He's still terrifying. After touching on my chest where he'd stabbed me months ago, I dropped to the ground for the flashlight. My fingertips grazed its cold surface. C'mon, c'mon- Electro's tiny footsteps pat-pattered closer, and the glow of his eyes stretched across the floor. I gasped. My body clambered backwards like a frightened animal. The undersurface of the party table- its hard gum wads and loose nails- pressed against my spine.
This isn't what I had in mind for this night, my brain commented bitterly. I clenched my teeth as Electro wandered closer. But he didn't seem interested in me anymore. He neared Foxy's Cove instead, his tiny feet stepping carefully over what I recognised to be sprawled-out limbs of plastic ballerina dolls. Minireenas. They're here. Are they still alive like that? In pain?
I redirected my attention back to Electro, who stared up at the red robot fox. A cold chill rolled down my arms. What is he doing?! I glanced at the flashlight, considering snatching it up and running. He doesn't see me… I could leave. Moonlight faintly shined through the front windows. It's right there. What time is it?
"ARGH! What are ye doin' in my cove?!"
My body shuddered at the sudden exclamation. Foxy, now fully animated, startled at the small robot child at his feet. In a different situation, this would have been hilarious. Electro pointed right at me. I shrunk away, grimacing. Shit!
"We're playing tag," Electro announced nonchalantly. "That's the man who hurt y-" Foxy didn't let him finish. In one speedy motion, he jabbed his silver hook through the little bot's eye and tossed him across the room like he was a cheap toy.
"AHHH!" Electro's scream bounced off the dark walls. His body collided with a metal pizza decoration. THUNK! Even as annoying as Electro was, I still winced. The lights- excluding the hallway ones- made an unceremonious return. Foxy turned to me, snapping me out of my sympathy. I pressed into the floor. Maybe he can't see me? The thought was cancelled out in no time; Foxy stepped forward. His golden eye remained locked onto me. He can see me.
I clambered to my feet, making sure to grab the flashlight, too. Foxy's pointy teeth seemed to stare back at me.
I'm not scared, I told myself. It's just another animatronic. Worst they can do is beat me, and that's not new. I touched the taser but hesitated. No. Where is the damn axe? That felt better to use for some reason.
"Aye, I remember ye. What are ye doing back here, bilge-sucker?"
I threw my fists up without a single plan in mind. "I'm n-not scared of you! I destroyed al-ll of your friends! And you're next!" Foxy didn't take kindly to this information. With a fiery growl, he raised his hook and leapt at my neck. My arms drew up the flashlight like a shield while the rest of me jumped backwards. And the light struck Foxy's good eye. He screeched.
What just- I didn't have time to comprehend, for Foxy dashed away and I followed suit in the opposite direction. I ducked into one of the smaller party rooms before the lights went out again. My hip hardly dodged a table.
Oh no- no, no, it's fine. I got this. I just have to find the axe. That'll solve everything.
Seconds later, Foxy darts into the room at a speed that rattles me to the core. I shrieked and aimed the flashlight. Again Foxy fled with a holler. My eyebrows raised.
He hates the light! I noted. I can use that! To preserve its battery, I switched off the flashlight. Breaking through the darkness felt like an impossible task- like wading through tar. Squinting did not make it any easier. I brushed my hands across every surface, all the while listening attentively for footsteps.
I should know this building like the back of my hand by now. Not soon after this thought, I bumped my shoe on a wall corner. I hissed a swear. Where's that axe? The office? The arcade? Where did I leave it? My hand grasped the doorway into the hallway. Foxy's rapid footsteps clattered behind me.
"HAH!" I yelled and pivoted to fire the flashlight beam directly into his exposed eye. Bam, baby!
"ARGH!"
"You should've h-ad two eyepatches-s!" a dumb taunt escaped my mouth. That made no sense, but anyway- aha! My eyes and flashlight cast bright circles on the fire axe's reinforced glass case. Someone put it here to stop me, huh? Some solid jabs broke my weapon free in no time. I gave a weak and throaty chuckle. Control was back in my grasp. The arcade room wasn't hard to locate from here- just a few more blind steps back. My hand squeezed the old curtain blocking its entrance. I confirmed my location by bumping into a game cabinet and turning on the flashlight. This is it. As I took another step, my toe grazed the remains of Bonnie's face.
"Yeu-ugh!"
I stifled my shout with a free hand. A moment of horror ensued- I stared at all the fragmented, mutilated bits of fur, wire, plastic, and metal- before I actually remembered who trashed these robots.
Right. Foxy's next.
Right on cue, the devil wandered into the doorway. I dared to stand with my back against him. My fingers curled around the axe handle.
He's next, I repeated in my head. Don't hesitate.
Foxy's clicking steps sounded slowly behind me; he seemed reluctant this time. He acknowledged my presence with a low snarl, "There you are." My muscles locked when I heard his scrappy body leap. NOW! I whirled around in a heroic gesture, the flashlight blinding him again.
"ME ORBITS!" Foxy cried out. While he hunched over in pain, I used the axe to damage him. He attempted to stand, but his legs gave out underneath him, splitting into impossible positions.
"ARRRRH!"
He swung his hook madly and missed me as I sprang back. Yikes! Fresh scratches glistened on the floor.
"Get over here!" Foxy shouted once more, following it up with several mind-boggling pirate-slang obscenities. I clutched the axe to my chest and declared firmly, "Time-e to m-meet your doom." Yeah, maybe I was having too much fun with this.
Foxy met my persistent gaze. Giving up on thrashing, he lowered his head to the tiles.
"Aye," he sighed, "you know what? I'm t-tired of these pirate shenanigans, anyway." My grip loosened on my weapon.
What? Horrible feelings sank into my organs- worse than usual. No. I brought the axe over Foxy's head, my stomach and jaw tightening. He did nothing to stop me. My toes were within bite-reach. And he did nothing. The forced fierceness on my face disappeared for a second. I'm saving the kids. I'm saving them. And Foxy will meet his doom… NOW! Foxy's shoulder joints contorted beside the blade. I chopped apart his lower back. Next, his face. I saw my big brother's eyes behind the mask. Fight back! The animatronic pieces joined the rest.
A freckle-faced boy manifested at my feet. He stared, his lip quivering, then looked away. His wild ginger hair lowered with his gaze.
"I wanna go home…"
His abrupt sobbing echoed throughout the room, and his hot tears created a pattern on the floor. He had to have been just four years old. What did Father ever want with these kids? I shut down that disturbing thought before I crouched to his level, the usual guilt squeezing my gut. The little boy trembled.
"Hey, hey-" I began another awkward attempt at consolation but movement in my peripheral vision interrupted me. Who's there?! From the faded, busted-up animatronic bodies rose the souls of the other children. The young faces caught my bewildered eyes. I scrambled backwards in alarm only to crash onto my butt.
"Fritz! He saved you, too?" the girl, Susie, invaded his space to ask. The boy in question stopped crying.
"What?"
Susie gave him a strong nod. "He saved us." On my right, Joseph copied, "He saved us."
"Who are you, stranger?" Fritz asked. Meanwhile, another kid echoed with a whisper, "He saved us." My mouth was paralyzed.
Why aren't they gone?! Have they just been hanging out here in the dark?! But I'm saving them- I'm freeing them from the bodies! Right?! That's why I was breaking them apart!
The floor felt like sponges all of a sudden. I rubbed my forehead, nearly lurching under my thoughts as I stood. There sang the carousel, playing melodies of the past in a faraway room. I wondered if the children heard it, too. They didn't seem to notice.
"That there's Mike. He's one of us but waay older," Susie pointed as she introduced me to the others. "And he's going to stop that bad man." Joseph nodded in agreement while the child that had inhabited Freddy simply pouted. I recoiled at a sudden pressure around my leg- a strange ghostly contact. Fritz's hair rubbed against my knee.
"Thank you, Mr Mike," he said before breaking the hug. "You're scary but nice."
"Uhhh-"
Before I mustered up something to say, the children dropped to the floor in unison. They crossed their legs and began to fuse with the animatronic remains. My eyes widened.
"Wait," I got out some words, "what are you doing?" I remembered the way Elizabeth's soul melted away- the day I found her and then lost her. Is she gone forever? I didn't know. The kids waved and repeated "thank you"s and "goodbye"s, ignoring my question. Are they going away forever now? Susie noticed my puzzled countenance and wagged her finger.
"Hey, watch out for Cassidy, okay? She's been pretty cranky."
Cassidy? I couldn't pin a face to the name. I didn't even meet Gabriel. Susie's previous words entered my head, and I gasped. Oh, right! Without a second thought, I grabbed the arm of the sour Freddy boy before he vanished among the others. This has to be Gabriel, right? He struggled in the air. Yet again, his flailing feet did no damage to my chest.
"Hey!"
"Where is the secret? The secret door?" I rushed out the words, ignoring his cries. I need to know! This is my only chance! I just knew he'd take off if I let go so soon. "Where did the bad man take you?"
"Get bent, twiggy!" he spat. My nose wrinkled. Another brat. I snapped back, exasperated, "How do you think your father would feel if he heard you say something like that?" I hadn't meant to touch a nerve, but Gabriel's shocked, horribly offended expression told me I did anyway. My frown eased up while his lowered.
I guess I shouldn't have said that- he probably hasn't seen his father in God knows how long.
"Put me down."
"Look, I just need to know where the secret door thing is, okay?" I tried again in a calmer tone. Gabriel couldn't hold the furious glower on his face for much longer. He sighed.
"Fine."
His eyes grew distant and glossy as he explained bitterly, "My dad left me here. All by myself. I was stuck. In the dark. He took me into the dark place. Locked it tight. The door… it's in the room with all the old robot stuff. Kids weren't allowed to go in there. It's… dark." He swiped away tears and returned his frown. "I don't remember nothing else. Now let me go." In the pause that ensued, I bit my lip and stared at my shoes. How do you just lock someone away? In a basement? In the trunk of a car?
"I'm sorry," my mouth said quietly, though Gabriel only stuck out his lip. As soon as I let go of the boy, his body faded into oblivion. And my body returned to its broken state. I left the now quiet arcade room faster than necessary, swiping the axe off the ground first. Just in case.
What if they come back? Are they really gone for good? Where do they go? They can't still be trapped in the bodies if I-
My internal ramblings were cut to a halt. Before I blinked, I saw for a second a tiny child standing in the hallway's shadows. I froze, not scared but definitely unnerved. There's another kid?! A Bidybab stood in the soul's place now. One amber iris flickered in the dim light, and where his other eye should have been, a pale pupil hovered in the centre of a dark, gaping eye socket. At first, my face twisted in annoyance. Electrobab. But the imagery of that new child kept creeping up in the back of my mind. A toddler- a real one. Is that… him? I aimed my flashlight down the hall and held the axe behind me. If he's really one of them… then that means Father… My fists tightened, followed by my stomach.
"Electro," I called, "I'm sorry-y, ok-ay?" He held his position. I started down the hallway. The Bab's plastic limbs were splitting at their seams, firing a few sparks here and there. He stepped back when I got too close.
"You are not sorry," he scowled. "You only care about yourself."
Maybe he's right, a small part of me thought, but I tuned it out. No! I care, and that's when someone dies! They don't need me. But maybe the Bidybabs can be saved, too. I revealed the fire axe. That's a much better fate. Fear struck the baby bot's face, and then the mockup of anger overtook it. He screeched, "Don't come near me with that!" and reared back his heels. Oh, how the power had shifted now.
"I c-can help you-"
"No!" he cried, shaking his head. "Stay back!" I took another step. Slackjawed, he raised sparkling, crackling fingers. His arms shook. I wasn't sure if it was due to the voltage or his fear. The longer I observed him, the more my shoulders ached. He's scared of me. He's gonna shock me.
"You're insane," Electro said. I couldn't fight back a wince, nor look past his terrified mannerisms.
I know, I almost replied. I'm no better than Father, am I? I'm hurting them. The other robots looked scared, too. My eyes burned. Before I delved any further into self-hatred, I shivered away these thoughts. This is for their own good. To save them! I had to convince myself, "I saved the others. I saw-w their s-souls. Who they really are. Were. Before he hurt th-them. I saved them."
"No, Michael. You destroyed their bodies."
The axe handle cracked under the force of my grip. There was no time for doubt; I swallowed it back. What was sympathy and sadness in my stomach morphed into frustration. No, I'm doing something good. For them! They're gone now!
"What do y-you know, anyway?" I jeered, jutting the tip of the axe blade into Electro's plastic face. He didn't see what I saw! I continued to tell what I knew was the truth, "I saw them. They wer-re t-trapped. But now, th-they're free. They're fr-ee."
"No. They're stuck even worse-" Electro stopped when his back hit the wall. I towered over him, clenching my jaw. He doesn't know what he's talking about!
"I will save them," I declared for both myself and Electrobab to hear. He shook his head.
"You can't."
No. Both my hands wrung the damaged axe. He's trying to sabotage me. That brat. He's lying. My breath rattled unsteadily in my chest. He's just a stubborn child, messing up my plans. I'm doing this for his sake-
Electro struck my gut. A wave of heat zipped into my body; both colours and black static scattered in my vision. Convulsing, I screamed with a choppy sound. Sh-shock! It hurts! My legs spasmed. I was frozen, and yet, I couldn't stop spasming. The eyes, THE EYES! Hurts! The way she looked at me- I can't! I grasped for any coherent thought and only saw my Father's eyes. Those damn eyes! SAVE THEM! The glint of-
The axe blade and handle fractured as it sliced cleanly. Electro was split down the middle from head to navel. His good eye, its light dying, was forever locked into place. Staring up at me. My body eased out of its shaking. I gathered what thoughts I could comprehend.
He shocked me. I saw my father. He was- no, he's not here. I freaked out.
I took a breath and waited for the lights to dim and a small soul to emerge. My face blanked. Nothing happened. I glanced at my hands. Bony, dirty, tape-covered hands. The building's power came alive, but Electro didn't.
"E-Electro?"
Bright silver-blue liquid dripped from his segmented nose and empty eye socket. I touched it and gasped at the heat. I remember this. What is this stuff? Its taste lingered in the back of my throat. Just by allowing the liquid to run down my index finger, an odd sensation zapped through my veins- intense energy that softened the floor beneath me. I felt heavy and light at the same time, dizzy and violated, but also… rejuvenated? I shivered. The hell? I wiped it on my clothes. Electro's body seemed to be producing more by the second, painting over his skin.
"Wake up," I called out, jostling the body. It didn't move.
What have I done? What did I do? I broke him- I- I thought I saved him? But I did! He's- why isn't there a ghost? I saw it! What did I do? Was I just trying to make myself feel important?
The urge to vomit solidified the spit in my mouth. I tore my eyes away from the warm robot corpse and tried to compose myself.
It's after six. They are not active after six, my brain came to a conclusion. I did save them. I did something good. I tried to take another deep breath or two. I spluttered. God, these broken lungs.
Going back to the main party room, I caught the early sun peeking through the window. Something echoed behind me- a low-pitched noise. Or was it a scream? It was layered, and at the very faraway edge was the scream of an innocent young girl.
I'm imagining things, I dismissed the noise immediately but not without drawing my arms together in fright. I saved everyone here. I'm fine. There is no yellow bear here. I squinted. That was a random thought.