Part 1 - Chapter ONE –

The scenery was a dreaded sight. The neighbors stood before him engaging in various activities: Next door, a man digs weeds while chatting with a young woman on her afternoon walk. His wife sat next to another, chatting, and sharing recipes from Pinterest. Across the lawn, A woman rocked in the chair, holding her newborn baby girl. Just a typical Sunday interaction with small-town living.

It irritates Gregory to his inner core. He pushes a few brown bangs aside, allowing for his eyes a better view of his new reality although he preferred to stay hidden. Meadow Fields was a complete 360° from city life. The bright lights, noisy elements of cars, sirens, and drunk people arguing were long gone. Instead, stood a small town with an idyllic countryside setting, less than 1,000 people that offered some diversity but no anything happening. Time seemed to stop which irritated the preteen more.

He'd promised his dad that he'll be more open-minded. That was three weeks ago, but Gregory knew that he hated it. The lack of noise, the calmness, the lack of action and he especially despised the friendly neighbors.

At first, it seemed like a dream come true, the representation of humanity being restored: When the father-son duo arrived in Meadow Fields, they had nothing other than the clothes on their back. His dad wasn't due to start his new job for a while and the last $20 was spent on the two bus tickets. The bus driver offered them his home after noting them sitting in the same place for two hours. The driver's supervisor gave him the night off, allowing for the trio to first grab a bite to eat at the dinner before resting for the evening. The next day, they were presented with streams of generosity – enough money for three months of rent, along with hefty donations, including a truck, food, furnishings for the rental and a few clothing. Gregory had thought it was too good to be true. After three years of surviving on the streets, he'd finally had a roof over his head and three stomach-filling meals each day.

Now? Now he doesn't know what to make of the endless conversations, unexpected visits, or the emptiness stares. Maybe it's the feeling of community, his dad had suggested, not used to it himself. Gregory noticed how tense his father gets but tries not to show when they ask him questions, especially regarding his mother. It creeped him out. How much does a person want to know about one's life? Again, they may have good intentions but to him, they seem fake.

The front door opens behind him with his dad stepping out, jiggling the keys in his hands, and sporting an old shirt and ripped jeans. Wrinkles pecked his complexion and strands of grey hair peeked at a couple of his reddish-brown streaks. His dad wasn't old, his posture and structure matured as a result of hard times and little sleep. He ruffles his son's hair and smile. "Ready to go kiddo?"

"Yup!" They get in the truck with the ignition going. Then a neighbor approaches them. "Frankie! Where you off too so early?"

"Job orientation. Getting a head start on training since they need me to start earlier than expected."

"Man, you are going to love Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex. Worked there for eight glorious years. Pay and benefits are amazing. Just as long as you don't mind losing your hearing within the first year. It's pretty much the place that keeps this town thriving."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"Good luck!" The neighbor waves as they pulled off the driveway.

"Wonder what made him resign if he like working there so much."

"Greg, that guy looks old enough to be a grandfather. He's probably retired."

"Probably."

Clevis Roger's Fly High blasts through the car, making it the perfect song of choice for the final destination. An enormous building in the midst of gravel parking on all sides. Decked in high windows and shiny red paint – it gave off an 80's vibe with the humongous sign decked in neon lights and has the structure of four animals: Bear, Alligator, Wolf and Chicken. Welcome to the Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex!

"Wasn't too bad of a drive," Frankie remarks, getting clearance to park in the employee lot. Twenty minutes sitting in traffic just to get out of traffic. One can understand as this was the biggest entertainment center of the country, perhaps the world. In the employee's parking lot, there wasn't many cars which troubled the older man. Thousands upon thousands of visitors are here on a daily basis – they cannot be guarded and cared for by 30 people. Maybe that was the reason for the urgent hiring?

"Maybe they got some super cool robots taking up half the jobs?"

"Only one way to find out." He turns off the ignition and beams at his mini-me. "Let's do this kiddo."

There wasn't enough words to describe the magnitude of the lobby. The colors, the black & white tiles, the palm trees and golden statue of the main-lead singer Freddy Fazbear. It was remarkable. Incredible.

"See? I told you they have robots!" Gregory exclaims giddily, pointing out the machines working the registration.

"Remarkable is it not?" The duo turn to see a woman with salt & pepper hair and sporting a rather expensive suit. "One bot is capable of handling two guests at once, speedy registration with no margin for error. Just one of the few amazing upgrades that makes this place wonderful." She holds out her hand to shake his dad's hand. "You must be Franklin Silo? HQ told me that we have a new security guard joining. I'm Colleen Edwards, CEO of shareholders for Fazbear Entertainment."

"Yes, I am. It's nice to you Mrs.…"

"Oh, please. Call me Colleen." She insisted, before peering down at Gregory. "And who might this young fellow be?"

"My son Gregory. I know it's the first day but he doesn't have school back in Meadow Fields. Not enough children to conduct such establishment."

"Oh! That's perfectly fine! One of the reasons why this place is popular, the children! Gregory can come to work with you anytime. In fact," She hands the child a lanyard. A keycard with the company's logo displays brightly. "Unlimited visits, food and play for every Fazbear employee and family."

"Whoa…" Gregory puts on the lanyard with awe. "Thanks."

Colleen maintains her smile. "Shall we take a tour?"

Two hours later as Colleen concludes the tour showcasing the employee area. At the same time, a young woman, pale skinned with shoulder-length blonde hair, freckles, green eyes, and glossy lips, and decked in a standard security guard uniform with darker accented shoulder pads and a dark gray cap labeled "SECURITY." "Oh, Vanessa! I want you to meet the newest employee of Fazbear Entertainment. This is Franklin and his son, Gregory. Vanessa's a close family friend of mine. I've known her since she was toddling in diapers."

"Ms. Colleen, please." Vanessa's cheeks redden. "I'm a professional, stop embarrassing me."

Colleen lets out a chuckle. "Franklin will accompany you for the next several weeks and I trust that you will lead him with full confidence to the doors to success."

"Yeah, no doubt about it."

"Great! So, Franklin, let's get you ready for the only tedious task you'll ever face: paperwork and online training."