AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song I referenced isn't mine. :) Enjoy guys, thank you for all the support.

For some reason, Springtrap's threats began dulling to Peyton. In the moment before, she was terrified but now she was just exhausted from this power struggle. She was tired of this hunt; she didn't want to be prey anymore. Springtrap seemed more like he was an angry child acting out.

"Behave how exactly? What could I possibly do to piss you off more than you do to yourself? I was eating an apple, and because of it you just tried to choke me out. Springtrap, if you're going to do something make up your mind or back off."

Peyton stood with her chin held high, dusted herself off and strode across the room to stand in front of the mechanical beast. Springtrap felt the anger swelling inside of him, self-control waning under the urge to simply snap her fragile neck.

She was stupid, that was obvious. Her stupidity made her comfortable, made her bold. Springtrap had not yet mastered his malice, his wrath. She was afraid because he had hurt her, she was NOT afraid because she felt like her life would end at any second. That was crucial to his whole romance, and it needed to change.

Springtrap backed out of the room and eyed her up and down. She still had not backed down and it filled Springtrap with disgust and competitive anger. She could fight all she wanted, that was the whole point after all. He walked away from her without a word more, mind clearly set on something else.

Peyton took that as a victory and smiled internally. He was not a worthy opponent; he was only a threat to those that had already given up their will to live. She strode away from the scene carefree and confident, looking for any more clues to help her learn about the lapin. All that was in sight, however, were decorations and props. She stopped to examine a child's drawing on the wall when the lights flickered, then went out completely.

Peyton whipped around immediately, expecting Springtrap to be right behind her. Instead, there was a loud screech near the exit followed by dead silence. Peyton backed herself against the wall in the main hall. Nothing could jump out at her, Springtrap had to enter this hallway to get to any other room. In the distance, he called out.

"Do something? I want you to remember that statement later tonight, that you were stupid enough to say that. I overestimate how much is actually going on in that head of yours, dove. I'm going to make this simple. If I find you, Peyton, I will kill you. I will even give you time to hide, even though you don't really deserve that mercy. To make up for it though, if I find you? I'm not going to choke you out. I'm not going to snap your neck. I'm going to hurt you. A lot.

You have 5 minutes."

The rabbit fell silent, and Peyton felt the fear overwhelming her again. She knew he was serious this time, this wasn't a game anymore, he wasn't sparing her anymore. She had crossed his lines and she was going to pay for it. She pulled out her phone hastily to check the time - 2:47am. Okay, where can she hide? Springtrap knows these halls better than she did, she would have to rely on fitting into spaces he couldn't. Or maybe she should go for the obvious because he would overlook it? How was this going to work for 3 hours, or least till she got to the exit? Peyton felt the adrenaline spiking her blood, and she scrambled behind one of the arcade games.

Crawling on her hands and knees, the stray wires of the decayed games snagged her feet and wrapped around them like snakes. She fumbled to one of the middle ones and felt for the latch door on the back of the game. Nervously aware of her dwindling time, she pulled the door open with barely enough room for herself to fit and push down the arcade's internal wires and crawled inside. The arcade game was cold and extremely cramped, but she fit. She pulled the door back into place and managed to pull out her phone.

2:52 am. He was coming. Peyton tried to control her breathing and ride out this hiding spot as long as she could.

Springtrap had jammed the doors to the point of being unusable from the inside. The only way Peyton was leaving was if someone let her out. He drew in a long breath, the tingling excitement of his first true hunt washing over him. She was vulnerable, helpless and his. He could almost feel her heart pound, its little vibrations shaking the air around him. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air. When he picked up her scent, it was like he was almost salivating. Oil pumped through his body, over lubricating the hinge of his jaw and his tongue licked around his mouth like a hungry dog's. He took his first step toward his prey, his legs taunt and ready to sprint. His body so tensed and primed, he could almost run on all fours like a feral animal.

He checked the break room for her, although he already knew she was not there. He gorged himself on the thought of her blood running freely from her body, her once young and strong heart nearly bursting from the fear of her wretched fate. Though he truly did not know where she was, he knew she could hear him. Softly, he sung out,

"What will we do with the drunken whaler?
What will we do with the drunken whaler?
What will we do with the drunken whaler?
Early in the Morning
Way hey and up she rises
Way hey and up she rises
Way hey and up she rises
Early in the morning"

Peyton heard his demonic song and fought the urge to weep into herself. This was hell on Earth, this was torture beyond explanation. What had she done to deserve this? What god had she offended? She had struggled all her life, wasn't she supposed to have some great turn around? Not a violent, merciless death at the hands of a predatory rabbit, where her death would be written off and she would be forgotten, for nothing much than sport.

"Stuff him in a sack and throw him over
Stuff him in a sack and throw him over
Stuff him in a sack and throw him over
Early in the morning"

His voice was nauseatingly sing-song and childlike in tone. He was closer now but still in another room. Peyton pulled out her phone and opened the note pad app. Tears streaming down her face, she wrote her goodbyes to the family she barely knew and friends that really didn't care. She told them she loved them and to remember her fondly. She wept harder while writing, ashamed of how formal it sounded because there was no one she could truly think of that would miss her.

"Feed him to the hungry rats for dinner
Feed him to the hungry rats for dinner
Feed him to the hungry rats for dinner
Early in the morning"

He was much closer now, in the room right next to her. He was tearing props down and opening doors. Peyton's heart was galloping like a thundering horse. He was going to find her, she knew it. It was inevitable, like the rising and falling of the Sun. The only choice she had was to fight, even if it was for nothing. Slowly, quietly, she crawled out of the game, careful not to make any noise. She curled up with her back against the wall and her feet against the back of the game, and sat quietly, waiting.

"Slice his throat with a rusty cleaver
Slice his throat with a rusty cleaver
Slice his throat with a rusty cleaver
Early in the morning~"

His singing let her know he was in front of the arcade games now. There were 4 in total, and he started with the one furthest from Peyton. His fist came down hard on the game, destroying. He banged it a few more times before pushing the console over. He moved to the next one. Peyton was on fire with fear, terrified that he would see her once he destroyed the second game.

BANG.

Was this it?

BANG.

Please, god, don't see me.

BANG.

The second console fell to the ground with a loud crash. Peyton readied herself, determined to fight to the end. As Springtrap brought his fist down on this game, Peyton pushed with all her might. The console came crashing down on top of the robot, trapping him under its weight. Peyton bolted to the exit, flying as fast as her legs would carry her in this dark. She slammed into the door and fell back roughly. She rose and pushed with all of her strength, but the door wouldn't budge. She cried out in despair and heard Springtrap, still trapped.

"I knew you would try to leave me. You're fucked, and I'm coming for you."

Peyton ran into the office, but not before she heard Springtrap free himself from the game. Peyton dropped desperately to her knees and felt the walls for the last thing that could save her. The clanking of his feet closed in as Peyton found what she was looking for. She hastily unscrewed the bolts from the wall and moved the vent plate aside to crawl in. Springtrap was rounding the corner into the office when Peyton replaced the vent face and sat as still as stone. Springtrap moved to the middle of the office, stood for a moment and then spoke, in a way that was almost humbled.

"Thank you for this. Thank you for fighting. Thank you for making this a challenge for me. It makes the reward that much sweeter. I can't wait to reunite with you, dove."

Peyton covered her mouth to stifle her breathing, unable to crawl further into the vents until he moved away from her. After a few moments, Springtrap retreated back into the attraction and Peyton gently crawled to the center of the vents. The fight for survival weighed heavy on her body, and after 30 minutes of dead silence she began to feel heavy with sleep. Fighting desperately to stay awake, she blinked in and out of consciousness. She was losing the fight quickly, though, and the last thing she saw were two silver eyes a long way down the vent.