"Come on, Foxy, Hold on." Chica's voice fluttered through the air. The restaurant in my dreams, and the beautiful woman shifted and phased, finally giving away to darkness.

"I'm doing the best I can. Give me some space." I didn't recognize this voice. A man's, definitely, but not Freddy or The Puppet. It could've been Bonnie.

"Well, you'd better do better. He doesn't wake up, neither do you." Freddy. I knew that voice. Suddenly, the room lit up. When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into a blinding light.

"His eyes opened." Chica shouted, a note of relief in her voice.

"See, I told you I could to it." The mysterious voice said triumphantly. I could see shadowy outlines in the corner of my eyes, but I couldn't focus with the light in my eyes.

"Shut that thing off, will you?" I pleaded sadly.

"Right." The light swiveled away to the corner. The color of the world returned. Chica and Freddy were standing on either side of me. I recognized the face of the Night Guard standing back, a flashlight in his hands, the source of the unknown voice. Bonnie stood next to him. I couldn't see the Puppet, but I guessed he'd be hiding in the shadows.

"Foxy, are you okay." Chica knelt down beside me, her hand supporting my head. I blinked a couple times and tried to sit up. My body felt stiff; I could hear my metal bones creaking and creaking as I moved.

"I think so." I said, flexing my hand. "What happened.

"Yeah, what happened?" Freddy grabbed the scampering Night Guard by the arm and dragged him over to me. "How about both of you start explaining?"

"Look, all I know is that this fox thing attacked me." My memories came back slowly. The plan, my fight with the guard, and me losing badly.

"Freddy, it's my fault." Chica stepped between the bear and the guard.

"Chica, you know the rules. What did we tell you?"

"Can it, Freddy, this one's on me." I stood slowly, loosening my joints. "How about you let me and him have a chat to fill in the gaps in memory." I nodded to the guard. Freddy grunted angrily, but made no effort to stop us.

"I attacked you, didn't I?" I asked the terrified guard. He was sitting with his back against the wall, his knees pulled close, the same as he'd been in the security booth. "I'm sorry, I lost control." The man looked at me, only slightly reassured. I offered a hand, but his gaze focused on my hook.

"What are you?" He asked through chattering teeth.

"I don't know." I closed my eyes. "That's why I need your help."

The guard gave an uncomfortable glance upward at me, but outstretched a shaking hand. He pulled away at the touch of the cold metal, but recovered from his shock and reached out again. I pulled him up to his feet.

"So you guys aren't going to stuff me in suit?" He asked.

"Not unless you misbehave." Freddy threatened. The guard's determination wavered, but held strong.

"Alright. I doubt that I know much more than you guys."

"We know less than you'd think." I shrugged.

The scrawny Night Guard scratched his scraggly beard. "I think you guys are ghosts, right? Ghosts of the five children who died here? At least, that's my theory."

"Ghosts?" Chica asked, her voice trembling. "Like, as in we're dead?"

The night guard shrugged harmlessly. "Yeah. I was reading up on this place. Apparently, a group of five kids died here. Murdered."

"Murdered?" Chica sounded almost in tears.

"Yeah, I figured something like that." I whispered, shaking my head.

"How'd you figure that?" Freddy asked, his rage undercut by the sucker punch he felt in his gut at the moment.

"When I was unconscious, I saw . . . Something. It looked like the pizzeria, but in a lot better shape. I saw you three on stage, singing. I could see daylight through the windows."

The room fell silent for a short time. "Why should we believe this?" Freddy asked, his shock simply piling on top of the returning fury. "What the hell do you know?" Freddy asked, stepping threateningly toward the human. I stepped between them, but another figure stepped in in front of me.

"He knows more than you. How's that for a reason." The puppet stood in the middle of the room, his dark form bringing the debate to a screeching halt.

"So what? We're dead? That's the explanation?" Freddy roared.

"Shut up and listen," The Puppet commanded. "I suppose you all deserve the truth." The puppet's slender hand motioned to the seats by the cove. We all sat down or stood against the wall. The puppet took his place on the stage readying to speak.

"What this man says is true. You are all deceased."

I could feel the palpable silence in the air. Glancing around, I could see each one of the others, staring down at their bodies. They didn't understand. How could they? They hadn't seen what I'd seen. They hadn't seen my mother sitting beside me. To feel her hand rustle through my hair.

"I think it's best if you leave us be." The puppet finally whispered. The security guard took one final look around before scurrying out of the restaurant.

"So . . . that's it?" Chica asked. She put her head in her hands and made a sound like a mechanical sobbing. Freddy just looked down at his hands. They shook violently, but noiselessly.

"I had hoped to keep this from you. But it appears I no longer have any choice in the matter." The puppet said.

"So what?" I rose from my chair, my hands at my side. Only Bonnie and the Puppet looked up at me. "We're dead. Is that it? Do we just sit down and wait for the world to end?"

"What else is there?" Chica asked through a break in her sorrow.

I opened my mouth to answer, but I couldn't find the words. I looked to the puppet, but he just shook his head. "We . . . we make sure this never happens again. We keep the children safe." I sounded about as clueless and unenthusiastic as I felt. Somewhere in the building, the clock chimed, signaling the approaching dawn.

"I'm afraid we're out of time for tonight." The puppet said morosely. "Return to your places for the morning."

"What's the point." Freddy cried. Despite the burly form and tough demeanor, his voice sounded like that of a crying child. He started to breathe heavy.

"That's not something I can tell you." The puppet jumped down from the stage. I followed after him, leaving the other three behind. He led me back to the security office. The room had been cleaned since I'd been here last. The puppet swept into the room, me close in tow. After a moment of thought, he reached down and picked the small brass security badge up off the table. The sight of the small shield almost hurt.

"We need your help." I whispered, trying to hide the absolute hopelessness in the words.

"I told you, I can't help you. I couldn't help any of you." He looked down at the metal in his hands. With one violent motion, he crushed the security badge and held it close to his chest. I stepped back, away from the shaking machine. "Don't you get it." He said, on the verge of tears. His dark form ebbed away, leaving me standing alone with his final, echoing words.

"I can't save you."