Elena

The whirring of the fan in my office was nearly unbearable, deafening, and the worst thing about it was that there was no off switch for it.

But other than that there weren't any negative aspects about this job...

Save for lack of sleep, but I had a cup of coffee before I started and so I should've been fine until six a.m.

A man called on the phone, and before I could pick it up the call went to voicemail.

"Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?"

"Well he seems like a nice individual..." I thought aloud. "Let's hope you have more information for me than Zane..."

"Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, 'Welcome to Freddy Fazabear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazabear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.'"

That sounded absolutely terrible...why would that be the introductory greeting for any business

"Now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay."

Simple enough, I suppose...

"So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servers locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"

Jesus what kind of place is this...?

"Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazabear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazabear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh."

As I listened to the message for longer and longer I realized that maybe it was right of Zane to deter me from taking this job.

"Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."

I was slowly shaking my head as the phone on the other line clicked, indicating that he had hung up.

This had to have been some sort of cruel and rather unintelligent joke...

Right?

Animatronics had to be controlled by an external force or by initial programming.

Machines such as those do not carry artificial intelligence.

It was just a prank.

It had to be.

My watch beeped then, a low toned, beep. It did this ten times, indicating that the time was ten p.m. The official start of my shift.

I sat down in the chair I was provided and relaxed.

Maybe I could take a nap if things got boring.

I did already look forward to morning.

Listening and waiting for something potentially bad to happen was not the most amusing of occupations.

Before I knew it it was eleven p.m. And then twelve a.m.

And I wanted desperately for morning to come.

Because it was getting to a point where I almost wished that the animatronics would come to life.

I guessed I shouldn't have wasted my wish...

It started out as a low drone, echoing through the building as if it were nothing more than a damp cave.

But as it grew louder I realized that it wasn't a drone...but mumbling...

I couldn't make out what it was saying, but just the pitch of it was enough to send chills down my spine.

I could hear heavy footsteps and crashing noises that sounded like pots and pans falling to a tile floor.

And as the beeping of my watch counted the hours for me I grew panicked.

I could hear them, but I didn't know the building and so I couldn't tell how close they were based on how loud they were.

Eventually I gave in and shut both of my doors, sitting not in my chair, but underneath the desk that zane had shown me, the one that supported the fan.

I hugged my knees tight and tried my best to be invisible, because even though I couldn't see them, it was highly likely that they could see me.

And that was very disturbing.

My watch chimed off four times, the pitch was slightly higher than when it had rung at ten p.m.

Which told me that it was four a.m.

I smiled to myself, two more hours left...

And then I can go back home.

That's when the power went out with a heavy sigh.

I heard the industrial doors, my only protection, slam open.

I could hear a tune being hummed in the distance, and the footsteps of the approaching guests...

Or were they the animatronics?

The second option seemed most likely by this point.

And that smell...

What was that awful smell?

I curled up even tighter when I heard the music box melody start to play.

It was whimsical and friendly, but I had a feeling that the intention that the intruder held was not a friendly one at all.

The footfalls were in my room now, and the strange groaning was very loud.

The music had stopped and given way to the rustling of papers and equipment.

Whoever...

Whatever was in here was searching for me.

Now I knew why Jay ran away...at least to some extent. Maybe it was more frightening for him because he could see what was coming.

The foul stench was right on top of me now, and I could almost feel the presence of the thing in my office, as if it was touching me, but not quite.

I could feel the air shift as it moved it was so close.

I covered my mouth with my hands in desperation to be silent.

But my watch rang out six times and I panicked, feeling around on it until I was sure that I had turned it off.

The rustling stopped.

The footsteps ceased.

I held my breath.

And then they started again.

Getting softer and softer until I could not hear it anymore.

And I realized.

Six a.m.

It was six a.m.

My shift was over.

The mumbling had stopped too, and the humming, and it seemed that the robots were programmed to stop free-roam at six.

I was overjoyed.

I stood, legs shaking, and I balanced myself against the desk that had hidden me so well.

And I knew one thing now...

The person who called me wasn't trying to prank me.

His warnings were real...