With music, the ride to the restaurant was the same as any day, thinking about your cats and fandoms as you always did.

Once outside the restaurant, you parked your car and abandoned it quickly, wanting to make as much of a good appearance as any ol' day.

After you were inside Freddy Fazbear's, you found that a whole universe of people were gathered, interspersed in at least a million different conversations.

You took a step back, your jaw dropping.

To say it was packed would have been insulting.
There was barely any walking room in sight.

Cautiously, you stepped deeper into the establishment, eyes pinning loosely on your surroundings before you felt a soft pat on your shoulder.

You turned to find Scott, who wavered in place, clearly exhausted.

"There you are," He greeted, his voice spellbound by dizziness.

"Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry?"
You answered quickly.
You were on time, why was he asking you this?

Before you could ask what was going on, Scott was suddenly elbowed to the side by none other than Boss.
His clothing was disheveled, as if he'd fought off the groping hands of little gnomes hellbent on destruction.

You probably weren't far off the mark with that one.

"(Y/N), I'm glad you're here!" He said. You could tell that beneath the tiredness he was growing hot with malice. "I need you to get straight to work. We're too busy today to make room for any lollygagging."

After he melted back into the sea of customers, Scott soon followed his pursuit, casting you an apologetic glance before turning away and disappearing.

You paused for a moment, still trying to figure out if there was anything wrong before shrugging and doing what you were told to do.

You couldn't wait to get today over with.
The hours would likely drag, but you knew time would never actually stand still.
Even so, you wished days like these would last forever.

But what you didn't know was that even forever must eventually come to an end.

You'd been right in your prediction.

The hands on the clock were now made of slugs.

Even as the lunch hour descended farther into evening, and the sun continued dipping toward the seam of the infinite horizon, which alluded your grasp, with the capacity remaining at near maximum.

You'd realized early into your shift why this was happening, since the faces you saw maneuvering from room to room, hall to hall, had all been the same, belonging to one party.

That's right, a party.

It was some lucky kid's birthday today.

You had no idea what theme the family had aimed for, but it called for gel covers on the lights to make for a more colorful atmosphere in the party room being they followed the spectrum respectively.
Was an odd request on their part, but you mostly met it with a shrug.

Now, you'd seen a fair share of birthdays take place at the restaurant, but none as colossal as this.

Whoever the tot was that was celebrating must've been extremely popular wherever he came from.
Even his cake, which you'd noticed leaving the kitchen after the top of it had almost been scalped by the door frame, was large enough to accommodate for his party attendees and then some.

Things had been running pretty smoothly.

Most of the elementary-aged children were congregated in front of the stage, watching and singing along to Freddy and his gang, the younger toddlers all dumped off in Kid's Cove.

You'd only visited Kid's Cove once, but had never really stuck around, mainly out of disinterest, but you knew the attraction inside it was enough to keep squealing kiddies entertained for hours on end.
Though it disturbed you to no end.

The parents sat at their tables talking, laughing, gossiping about things too hushed for you to distinguish properly. Paranoia told you it was about you, or Vincent, or the restaurant in general.
Which you told yourself was silly, since it's been a whole week without his mug around here, why would anyone even bother to remember that?

The staff was beyond exhausted.
You were empathetic, though it was difficult to relate with them since you were able to do all of your work with ease.
Your face was slightly covered with sweat, and your hair sat untidy atop your head, but you looked well put together all things considered.

You even found time after your lunch break to have a little down time after things finally quieted.
No new customers came pouring through the doors, so you gravitated toward a wall near the entrance, leaned against it with your head tilted back.
A smile ghosted past your face, a small laugh following.

"...Uh...p-pardon me...again..."

You whirled your head to the side. You eyes widened slightly after you discovered who the voice belonged to.

Jeremy stood bouncing anxiously on his heels, as if the very idea of existing gave him great discomfort.
His question mark emoted his state of mind by curling slightly, insinuating shyness.

"My apologies," He said, "I hope that I'm not bothering you, but I really need some help."

You realized how wide your eyes had become and tamed your surprise with a quick shake of the head.
It felt like you hadn't seen him in so long, and since then he'd voiced complaints to others about nearly perishing while working in the restaurant.
You figured it wasn't your place to discuss it now out in the open, so you played your cards safely.

"Oh no it's fine! I didn't even know you were here today, Jeremy."

"Yep, Boss asked me to sub in today because of the large amount of people. I've spent most of the day in Kid's Cove, making sure the kiddies don't hurt themselves with any of the sharp edges on Mangle's parts."

You blinked.
"'Mangle?'"

Was that the animatronic's name?

Jeremy's mouth opened in preparation of a much-needed answer, but before he could, Scott walked over.

"It's the animatronic in the Kids Cove, I'll tell you more about it later. Now what was it you needed, Jeremy?"

Jeremy appeared conflicted for a short second before propelling himself.

"Boss told me a light in the Party Room is flickering. He asked if I would tighten the bulb up. But I need a ladder to reach it."

"And?"

"I don't know where the ladder is."

Scott brought a hand beneath his chin, allowing him a moment to ponder.

"I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in the storage closet."

"Oh no,"
Jeremy's voice quivered.
"A-Are you sure?"

'Well yea where else would you keep a ladder?'
You wondered to yourself.

He seemed to forget you were still present before admitting to both you and Scott,
"I really don't want to go in there alone."

You were about to blurt an inevitable why before Scott took hold of the younger boy's sleeve and ushered him toward the aforementioned closet, promising to assist him in retrieving it.

You were left alone on a single black panel of the floor.
You watched your coworkers' bodies twist past the corner of the hall before disappearing, wondering what on earth could scare poor Jeremy so bad that he couldn't even go into the closet alone.

Unless he's had some sort of experience like you did, you didn't see the reason.

You suddenly gasped silently to yourself as you remembered.

Whatever the two of them were hinting at, you knew it had something to do with the night shift and the secrecy that came with it.

Curious, you decided that since Jeremy was going to be helped by Scott, you'd go re-check this 'Mangle' out yourself. It's been a while since you've seen it, so its couldn't hurt to go take a quick glance at it.

With shifty eyes, you waited to make sure none of the staff members were watching as you tiptoed toward the door that led to Kid's Cove.

After descending down the pastel corridor, you picked up on the growing echoes of childish laughter and realized you were getting close.
Soon, the door was in sight, and you made sure to allow no falter in your step.

Suddenly, you sensed someone try to ambush you and you whirled around to find none other than Scott himself, who had somehow materialized behind you.

"(Y/N) where are you going? You need to help Jeremy by holding the ladder steady."

He gestured in the direction and started walking toward the area where customers dined.

Why Scott himself couldn't just hold the ladder for Jeremy passed by your thoughts, you decided to not question it.

Though you were slightly upset about not seeing the Mangle, you decided against being vocal about it.
If the guys needed your help, you would be happy to help in anyway you could.

"Easy does it, Jeremy. There's no rush. Just take your time and try not to fall."

For Jeremy, heeding these instructions was easier said than done.

With the curious eyes of the customers following his every move, coupled with his one-legged balance on the highest step of a ladder too flimsy for its own good, he was lucky to have so much as managed gracing the scorching light with his fingertips.
The boy carefully peeled back the purple gel before mingling with the bulb behind it.

"I'm almost done, sir!"
He assured Scott, who stood nearby coaching him, muttering under his breath about how he hated being called sir, which of course caused you to giggle as you stood at the base of the ladder, making sure it didn't kill anyone.

After all, if there was one thing Grunkle Stan taught you, it was that carrying a ladder was more dangerous than carrying a loaded gun.

With a satisfying click from above, you saw that the teen had finished his job, and moved aside so he could climb down, still holding it steady in your grip.

"Wow...look at that!"
Jeremy said in awe, squinting upward at his handiwork.
"It's so much brighter than before! Boy does it feel good to know I did something right."

"That you did,"
Scott said, patting his shoulder.
Jeremy beamed, his question mark stretching triumphantly.

You could help but find that super sweet.

"Seriously though, Scott, are you really scared of heights? That's why you couldn't do it yourself?"

"Yep. Silly, right? But it's the truth," Scott chuckled shamelessly.
"Boss knows it too. That's why he went to you instead with this one."

"Well you weren't the only one, Grunkle Stan had a fear of highs too until that fear was concurred on a water tower and then passed to Mabel!"
You chimed in, laughing.

You and Scott had found the time earlier in the week to let Jeremy in on your little "Fan-club", which he was happy to be a part of, since he confessed to have a liking for the shows as well.

Jeremy scratched the back of his head, laughing, seemingly at ease.

"Gosh. And to think...the kind of things we go through here at night and you're too afraid to be on a ladder! Kind of funny when you think about it."

"Are you guys ever going to tell me whats up with your night shift?"

You suddenly asked, unintentionally shattering the conversation between you and your coworkers.
Jeremy's elbow flinched at the question, careening into the ladder.

Because it was so lightweight, it began to wobble in place, and before you could grab it and set in upright, it had slammed into the ground.
The crash echoed across the dining area.

Somewhere, a child unleashed a terrified squeal.
The three of you winced, with Scott sending the kid's parent a look of deep apology. You immediately dropped the subject to help pack up the ladder.

When you started lifting it, you were somewhat confused when you realized neither Scott nor Jeremy came over to help you. You were also staring to wonder why everyone was so quiet.

When your had finally gotten it back up, you realized far too late that neither of them were so much as glancing your way.

Scott, Jeremy, and everyone else present in the party room had their eyes pinned on the stage.

Your heart shriveled, your erect palms shrinking back to your chest.

You had a clear understanding of what was happening, but your mind was having trouble processing it.

And so you turned to get a look yourself.

You wished right away that you hadn't.

Freddy was already stepping off the stage and moving in your direction.

Yes, yours.

With a sharp gulp, you realized that the child's scream had alerted him.

Your own voice had been the triggering source during the last incident.
You couldn't believe history was repeating.
Had they not figured out how to fix him?

Better yet, what was he going to do?

You were torn between wanting to know and wanting to run for your life.

You had trouble moving at all, but you managed to ghost several steps to the side, trying to get to the fire alarm.
In order to do so, you had to shove the ladder aside with an intrusive heel.
The wood scraped the ground loudly.
You grimaced.

But then you realized that Freddy wasn't heading for you at all.
Your brows raised high, your mouth falling open.

Centered on the floor was Jeremy, beneath a cone of purple light that he himself had repaired.
Freddy was stepping toward him, slowing the closer he got.
Scott had also stepped away, leaving the teen alone, petrified, jaw hanging agape.

He couldn't speak.
His lip quivered, but he emitted no voice.

Some of the parents whispered to each other worriedly, some hauling their children off with either experience or knowledge that whatever was happening could not have been good.

You and Scott idled nearby, knowing it probably would have been best to shout at Jeremy.

"Get away from him!"
"Don't let him near you!"

Jeremy didn't move.
He was a deer caught in the headlights.

When Freddy was directly in front of the much smaller boy, his eyelids fluttered noisily over plastic irises, his jaw opening and closing in repetition, as if he were speaking and yet the only audible sounds were that of his endoskeleton churning beneath the skin.

A deep warbling came from within his chest, barely distinguishable beneath the cogs spinning madly.
Red pinpricks formed in the bear's eyes.
A harmony of gasps littered the room. Both Bonnie and Chica froze on stage, their heads creaking toward the scene with eerily mechanical indifference. Their eyes were also dipped by scarlet.

With shuddering breaths, you backed away even more, you backside hitting a table.
For some reason, you couldn't summon the courage to face the animatronic again.
Your gut told you that this time, the animatronic wouldn't just let you push it around.

Scott looked as though he was about to intervene, when suddenly his actions were interrupted by the sound of distant clanking.

The voices of curious customers went off like a bomb behind you.

You looked toward the open hall, hoping to locate what was causing so much loud confusion, when suddenly you found yourself collapsing into the seat, breathless, in shock.

WHAT THE HAY?!

An animatronic came entering the party room, a trail of bolts and screws discarded behind it, snaking all the way from Kids Cove where wide-eyed children watched from the doorway as their toy scampered away.

A staff member who normally resided in the kitchen gasped, pointing at the creature. He called across the room.

"What's Mangle doing outside the Cove?!"

OH POLAR BEAR DOGS.

This Mangle was not like the other animatronics.

It only moved on one foot, using some unknown joint to further balance itself while it drifted along the floor in a spidery fashion.
The head was that of a white fox, and yet the rest of it was so lovelessly torn apart you wouldn't have known otherwise what it was meant to be, other than a sheer abomination.
Its skeleton was completely exposed, jagged with razor-thin edges, and from a speaker bolted to it elsewhere, came the sound of distorted white noise.

Its eyes shared the same attributes as Freddy, burning bright in the middle with embers set alight by something unknown.

As soon as you saw this thing creeping toward Jeremy, your senses finally came to you and you bolted for that fire alarm, breaking it and sending it off.

The alarm started blaring and people started to head out the doors while making panicked noises and commands to their kids.

You turned your head just in time to see something you'd never wished to see.

Mangle had crept upon Jeremy, who, at the time was distracted by the fire alarm, only turned around just in time to scream.

And before you could even yell a "Watch Out!", it sprang up at him, sneering with an open jaw before sinking its canines into his head, puncturing his skull.

*CHOMP*

Blood shot in ribbons.

Everyone shrieked.

You roared in fury, sprinting to the robot before prying it away from Jeremy and throwing it into a wall.

As this happened, Toy Freddy was still there watching, and when he saw you throw Mangle, he reached for you. He would have had you too, if he wasn't intercepted by Scott, who had grabbed his animatronic paw just in time and twisted it away, before trying to push it onto it's back like you had done the first time.

Prying away The Mange, it had brought back, in its jaw, threads of Jeremy's brain matter before they snapped and splattered back against what was left of his head.
His hat had been shredded.
His question mark fell limp on his face. His knees shook before collapsing beneath his weight.
Before completely hitting the ground, he deterred in place, his head swaying and spilling some of its contents through the opening in curds and red liquid.

Rushing to his side, despite all of the gore, you caught him before he completely hit the ground, trying to stifle a cry of grief. You lay him gently on the ground, tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

You couldn't remember the last time you cried. It would be the first in a very long time.

The smell of death hit you hard.

You felt a knot form in your stomach. You were sick.

You could throw up.

"Oh Jeremy..."

You uttered the name in the faintest whisper before you too hit the floor, now sharing it with what might have been the corpse of your coworker, spotlighted by purple.

The same light began flickering again.

No no!
You couldn't black out now!
These people needed you!
Boss needed you!
Scott needed you!
Jeremy needed you!

Its not too late to save him!

Get up (Y/N) get up!
You are stronger than this!

But no matter how hard you fought, you felt the darkness over shadow your sight and you finally gave up fighting.

Before blacking out, you swore you saw phantom shadows collect around his body, prodding at it while it writhed weakly in place.
They were small, varying in shape but mostly of human proportions.

You tried counting them.

One...

two...

three...

There were definitely more than three, but that was the only number you could make it to in time before unconsciousness claimed you.

The last image you saw was that of Vincent.

You didn't question why it was him.

He wasn't real.

He was reaching for you, smiling as he had always done.

You had some idea of what was happening.

He was just there to invite you into another dream.

Or, more accurately, another nightmare.

In sleep, you could not cry.

Rather, you could only stare blankly while he took your hand in his, intertwining his fingers with yours.

You couldn't stop him, even though there were no chains to restrain you this time.

You were too full of grief.

He grinned broadly before asking playfully,

"So (Y/N), are you still willing to risk it all to keep the inevitable from happening?"

Then nothing.

Reviews and Criticism are always appreciated!