The third chapter is here at last. It's the chapter where stuff starts goin down. The first two chapters seemed like intros, now it's time for the magic. Sorry for the long wait, (If any of you were waiting) Microsoft word was being retarded and deleted all my stuff. But anyway, ENJOY!

Echo First Light

Chapter 3 The Source Within

For a split second I was screwed until the most unusual of things happened. As the purple bunny lunged, that ever so annoying auto pilot system reactivated and unexpectantly saved my life.

Instead of the robot crushing me against the wall, I quickly side-stepped and grabbed its back in mid-air and flung it into a stall. I stood there, flabbergasted, until a whirring sound emitted from the stall. I regained my senses and sprinted out of the bathroom.

I ran past the two metal doors on the side of the hallway and heard a loud yelp from inside. I stopped for a few seconds but then quickly continued my sprint since loud footsteps could be heard from the other end of the hallway. I ran past a storage room and quickly cut my way back into the party room.

I slid behind a counter and listened for my pursuer, but being six and a half feet tall wasn't really an advantage. I sought a better hiding place behind the serving counter.

About 5 minutes later, I guessed the robot had given up. I peeked up from the counter and saw yet another one of those animal like robots sitting in a chair bye one of the tables. It appeared to be a bit sleeker that the others and resembled a duck. I got a closer view on the far end of the corner and noticed that its eyes were closed and it was holding a toy cupcake. Except the cupcake had eyes.

The eyes of the cupcake seemed to hungrily look at "everything" as if it couldn't get enough of anything it stared at. I ducked back behind the counter. When I looked over again, the robot duck was standing up now, tossing the cupcake up and down as if in deep thought. I saw this as a chance to leave the area.

I crouched low to the ground, shaving half of my height off as I approached the door on the other side of the room. When I was about a foot in front of the handle, I noticed the soft "thudding" sound of the robot tossing the crazed cupcake in the air had stopped. I nervously looked back at the duck and was relieved to see it looking the other way. But the cupcake was staring straight at me.

It was sitting in the ducks palm, its seizure-like gaze had stopped and it was glaring at me. It didn't show any sign of a mouth (thankfully) but I wasn't taking any chances. I quietly barged the door open.

On the other side, I shut the door silently and sighed with relief, but my relaxation ended when I turned around. Standing behind me was an 8 foot tall robotic bear that looked exactly like the deteriorated ones in the basement, except he seemed to be restored and actually ha eyes in his sockets.

I stood there, frozen in fear while he simply walked straight toward me and tapped that switch thing on my neck. "No autopilot to save me this time" I thought as my vision slowly faded away until it was all dark.

I finally regained my senses, but I couldn't see anything nor could I move. I started feeling as helpless as I did when I was stuck in that creepy basement.

"I think we should scrap him, I could use a new ear after what he did to mine!" Exclaimed an angered voice with a sort of city accent.

"Now let's not go straight to that, none of our skeletons could possibly fit into his suit!" Another voice said. It was deeper than the first, but strangely comforting, like a hug.

Then another voice spoke, "Turn him back on, see if he sheds the same curse as the others." This voice was a little more calm than the others and sounded more high pitched and female, but with a strange seriousness following it.

I felt something move on my neck, and then my vision cleared but I couldn't move.

I looked around, scared out of my mind. The three robotic animals I had encountered earlier were now all gathered together staring down on me.

I seemed to be hung on something, maybe a hook of some sort. The duck animatronic then said, "Give us a reason."

I just looked back with a confused look on my face.

"Well what are you waiting for?! Tell us what you're doing here and we might consider NOT destroying you." The purple bunny demanded. It would've been funny to listen to a purple bunny threaten someone, but this one was seven and a half feet tall with eyes that stared straight through you.

I still just kept looking at him, not saying a word.

Now the bear broke the silence and said, "Well Bonnie, his eyes aren't those of, err, the last encounters" he paused as if remembering something terrible, "and he doesn't seem hostile nor is he running around screaming."

The intimidating bunny then said, "Well he ran pretty fast when I saw him! He could be a replacement for… for..,"

He paused as if realizing something. A wave of sorrow seemed to rush over him and he then left the room quickly.

I was still just sitting there, helpless. I couldn't even talk. This would be the moment when my inabilities could get me killed.

The bear robot then let out a troubled sigh, (can robots sigh?) before saying,

"Well newcomer, you still haven't answered our question. This is your last chance or we'll leave you to deal with Bonnie."

On that thought I opened my mouth weakly to speak but instead of words, only a few static-like noises emitted from inside.

"Hmph. Is that all?" The bear answered sarcastically.

"Well maybe you should allow him to redeem himself." The duck in the corner room exclaimed, startling me. She was so silent in the room I forgot she was still here.

"Allow him to stand." The robot said smoothly. "If he fails to do so and retaliates, he shall become of the others."

The robot bear stared at her, deep in thought, before he turned and walked towards me and unhooked me from a corner on a shelf. He then flicked that same switch on my neck and my joints reset. He dropped me on the floor and I stood there not sure what else to do.

"Well well." The bear animatronic said. "He sure is unlike the others, perhaps we could let him roam."

I guess this wasn't my last day.

"You can move freely around here, but do NOT leave. I'm allowing you to stay here without trouble, but if you give me any reason, ANY reason to change my mind, well… don't expect me to be as nice as I am now."

And with that the bear left, leaving me and the duck standing there in the room.

I wasn't sure what to do now, nor what just happened, so I slowly looked around the room nervously until she spoke again.

"There is nothing to fear, newcomer, so stop being so paranoid. I talked Freddy into letting you stay, so you are now apart of us. We will all come back here in 30 minutes and that includes you. We have important matters to discuss."

And then she left the room.

None of them even introduced themselves. Tough crowd.

A thousands questions filled my head. Some were so confusing I didn't even want them answered, so instead of sitting there and waiting 30 minutes, I decided to check the room a bit.

The room was a pretty small storage room with rows of shelves with miscellaneous robotic body parts strewn across them. Spares I guessed.

I looked around some more until I found something that looked like a recorder. It wasn't a tape recorder, but more like some sort of small motorized gear box. I picked it up and examined it.

A thick rubber band connected two wheels to the tide of the box and a small speaker was on the tip of it. Two pairs of hinges were placed around the box, as if this recorder was supposed to be attached to something.

A little attachment was on the bottom of it, so I opened it up and started to mess around with it until I found a little switch like thing on the side of it.

It really looked like the kind of things in movies which had a DO NOT PRESS sign next to it, but just like the movies my curiosity got me.

I flicked it and what I got was a loud eerie electronic scream that echoed for about 15 seconds.

SCCRRRRRREEEEEEEECCCCEHEEE it went.

Did I mention it was loud? I'm serious it sent chills straight through me.

I jumped back in alarm and threw it on the ground where it broke into a few pieces, but the scream was still going.

I regained my senses and crushed the recorder with my foot until the sound stopped. For a small speaker, that sound was loud.

I turned to leave the room but blocking the door was that same golden bear thing that visited me in the basement.

"What does this thing want from me?" I thought.

He turned his head a full 180 degrees towards me and his body followed later.

"Hello again," he spoke in an echoed voice. "Sorry you have to die again, but you're unnecessary. A simple stick in the sand, waiting to be washed up in the tide. Don't worry, no one will even remember your existence."

He sounded dead serious, so I knew he wasn't the guy to screw around with.

I made a fighting stance out of defiance and fear to combat this monster, but I knew it was no use. He obviously knew what he was doing and I was in no shape to make a last stand.

"Good luck, you'll need it." And with that, the golden bear grew an extra foot in width and height and wielded what looked like some sort of blow torch.

He gave an eerie electronic scream much like the one in the recorder, except this one was MUCH louder and you could see sound waves emit from his mouth in a funnel looking shape.

Then he lunged. And I ducked.

Till next chapter