They are aware.
His heartbeat rose with every second, and his eyes were wide open, staring powerlessly into his personal hell. Chris expected to have another nightmare after the humiliation he suffered from Mike, so he did not even resist. He naively believed that after surviving one of those dreams with Lizzy, he was more prepared…Of course, those dreams were fated to crash and burn as he opened his eyes and witnessed the darkness before him unveiled.
The child was bound to his bed, feeling the nails plunged into his hands and stomach, forcing Chris to the bed as he was surrounded by silence. Chris tried to make a sound, but he was utterly paralyzed as if his body was rotting from inside by a poison that made him weak. Even Fredbear's voice grew fainter.
They are aware…
"Hu-hu-hu…"
The giggles fell at Chris from above like acid rain, a hurricane of pain and shame that forced him deeper into his own blanket, a black vortex that was about to consume him. And above, dozens of small white eyes descended upon him, running around from place to place, yet eventually always finding their way back to him.
This feeling of absolute powerlessness ad weakness was far too familiar to him…It was how Chris felt when Mike locked him in the backstage room, along with all animatronics. He couldn't cry now, but stains of sweat that fell from Chris's skin showed the extent of his terror. No power to beg, no strength at all. They could've chosen to attack him right now and end this dream, but they chose to toy with him until the child reached the brink of his sanity.
And to make it worse, now Chris could hear a demonic laugh that rang from the hall and become closer with every second. Bonnie must be closing in, and Chris couldn't even reach out for the flashlight.
"P…" He finally opened his mouth and stared at Fredbear's plush. "Please…Help me…"
I can tell you the last light of my energy…But if I do it, I will become weak. I will get corrupted.
"P…Please…"
So be it.
Finally, Chris felt the power surging in his veins; he was ready to resist once again, to desperately try and gain the upper hand in this cycle. He grabbed the flashlight and ran to the hall, eager to press it for a moment. The boy stopped at the very last moment after hearing the beast. It was breathing once again; its dreadful wheeze echoed in Chris's ears, and he could feel Bonnie's presence in the darkness. He was too close…
Chris shut the door and turned around, praying that the monster would not stay for long. The boy's heartbeat increased as he knew that this was far from the end and that the beasts he remembered from previous nights were not too far away. The surroundings were so dark that Chris could not see the window, and even the closed faded away from the boy's sight. Maybe Fredbear would give him a hint of what was to come…But he remained silent.
"Come here, my child…" A sweet, alluring ballet song echoed from beyond the window and caused Chris's legs to shake once again. This song soothed him even now after Chris learned that the phantom of his mother was the most vicious of all those monsters. "Come here and taste the sweetness of my embrace!" After those malicious words, lightning pierced Chris's ears and caused him to shiver, but it was far from the worst. What he saw before him was a twisted shadow of his mother, a creature reminiscent of Ballora he witnessed in another dream. Its long hands were like spider limbs; they overtook the window and locked out any way that Chris could go.
"No, please!" Chris begged as he let go of the door due to shaking hands and fell to his knees on the blue carpet. For a single moment, the room went pitch black again, but Chris turned on his flashlight. Surprisingly enough, she wasn't there, and no shade permeated the curtain, but there was another sound…That of a moving closet door. Foxy watched him.
There was no time to waste; Chris made his way to the closet and, after taking a heavy breath, finally opened the door. The face of a dreadful beast emerged from inside, his jaw was open, and his eyes gleamed with yellow. Foxy roared and attempted to plunge his teeth into Chris's skin, but the light paused him, forcing the monster to freeze in a static position.
"Please, stop…I can't do it anymore…"
But Foxy only grew stronger; he began to move very slowly, even despite the light. "What…How are you…"
Foxy answered with a piercing roar that made Chris look away and whimper. Nevertheless, he knew what to do and shut the door right, continuing to hold it. He tried to calm himself down; he knew what to do…He knew that he would not attack him through the door. But it got harder this night; Chris couldn't know what he could expect. Eventually, Foxy went silent, and yet another threat emerged in his place almost immediately, this time from above.
The myriad of white eyes closed and left a dark void above Chris, a void without sight but not without sound. A quiet howling echoed in the boy's ears, reminding him of one of the monsters that had ravaged him before. Two twisted paws emerged from the ceiling, later unveiling a large head with two sets of teeth and a single crimson eye. Chris wanted to close his teary eyes and pretend the beast did not exist, but he knew the moment he did this, the monster would immediately attack and plunge its teeth into it…Dug the dog, the demonic puppet.
Following his reflexes, Chris ran towards the curtain and hid behind it; somehow, he felt that no light would be able to hold Dug back. The only shadows were Chris's allies at this point, his final chance and hope. He was safe here, safe here, safe here…Chris repeated those words like a mantra in his head, a prayer to his own demons to leave him alone for a single night, a night before his birthday. But no matter how hard he tried, the dark shadow still arose behind him. This time, it was Chica lurking behind the windows with her yellow eye gleaming behind Chris, staring at the weakened child through the half-opened window. Something was written on her withered stomach, something in crimson.
LET'S EAT.
Chris could feel the smell of rot coming from the monster; its breath caused him to shiver even more. Chica stood there in silence, absolutely unmoving and still watching him with extreme precision, ready to attack at any moment. One wrong move and he would fall to her…He had to run.
Chris braced himself and flashed his light at the monster; it let out a disgusting shriek and recoiled in pain, allowing the child a moment to escape. He went back into his room he clung to his light. If he stayed in the center of the room and remained vigilant, then he could still resist those beasts, could fight his way to freedom. Chris went to his bed as quickly as he could…Before, a familiar giggle echoed all around his room as he realized that he wasn't alone.
"You're mine, child!" Another flash of lightning gave Chris a glimpse of a spider-like shadow that got reflected on the wall. His 'mother' found a way in…The boy couldn't force himself to turn, but he didn't have to. Two slim, black arms emerged from behind his back and clung to the boy's flashlight.
"NO!" Chris screamed, but it was too late; his only line of defense was annihilated in a single instant moments before the shadow disappeared, leaving the boy alone in the void, completely defenseless and weakened. Now any creature could easily break into his room and tear his feeble, frail soul apart. Perhaps at this point, this was what he wanted; sweat and shivers overtook his body, standing was almost impossible, and Chris felt a dark presence from all around him. They could end this here and now, but of course, they chose to play…They chose to torment him with their stain of slow rot and death until he pleaded for demise. Perhaps this was his fate, to forever remain so weak and broken…
"I HATE YOU ALL!" Chris screamed in a fit of self-righteous fury that burned strong in his heart. "You're monsters, you're evil, evil monsters! You want to make me suffer; you want to hurt me! I can't even ask anymore…Because I know you will never leave me alone no matter how much I cry, it only makes you feel better…" Chris's hands shook as he realized that his true spite was not even directed at those monsters…But at those who created them. Perhaps there was one benefit to being in a nightmare after all. No one could hear him. "I hate you, Mike! You are just like those monsters; you laugh when I cry…Because I cry! And I hate you too, Dad. You killed Lily! You pretend like nothing is wrong, you know what I saw, but…You want me there, with those animatronics. You're all the real monsters, I…I fucking hate you!" Chris remembered one of the bad words he had heard from Mike and decided to speak it out to portray his rage. "And now I'm all alone, I…"
You are not alone.
This familiar yet grossly distorted voice echoed behind Chris's back, causing the child to turn around in fear. Fredbear plush had its eyes glowing and began to morph into a monstrous creature. He grew as his color rapidly paled and became darker; sharp teeth emerged on his stomach, as well as claws on his hands. His kind eyes were gone, giving way to crimson dots of spite and hunger. His stomach was covered in teeth, with the bowtie and cylinder being the only recognizable part of what was once Chris's best friend.
"I am aware."
Now, even though he betrayed the lone child, Chris was at his mercy.
…
"Let me tell you a story, a story of our life! In search for an age eternal, drank from the deepest well! Our tales became unending, yet many would try being strife!
And yet, in the end, our friendship won…"
Fun.
Chris didn't expect to have any during his birthday, yet with how dull and disappointing today was, the boy realized he should've lowered his expectations. Everyone was here…Dad, Lizzy, Mike, and countless guests, and yet Chris felt alone amidst the hall, along with two golden animatronics that stared at the children running around and playing with each other, all while singing their jolly song.
"…Hey, try to catch me!"
"…You, that one's so cool!"
"…Have you seen Jonny lately? I heard he's…"
All children had the time of their life in their favorite establishment, all but Chris. They weren't his friends; some even counted among those who commonly bullied him. They only cared for the party, for the loud songs and dancing animatronics, for tasty food, and a never-ending show which became a nightmare for Chris. He despised this loud music and endless chaos; all he wanted was to disappear as quickly as possible and stay in his room, where he would play with his real friends…They were better than people; they wouldn't betray or hurt Chris.
But as it stood, all he could do to try and pull himself away from this chaos even a little bit was draw. Chris took a few crayons and a paper, deciding to surrender to the flow of his fantasy. It was easy, especially with how dreamy he was after the endless nightmares that kept him awake and tired during the night. And no matter how hard he tried, the result was always the same.
"Hey, Chrissy, are you alright?" Elizabeth's voice rang from behind the boy, distracting him from his work.
"Yeah…And you?"
"Kinda." The girl didn't sound confident. "Played a bit with my friends, but I couldn't stop thinking about you…And Dad is busy. What are you…Oh." Liz sighed after looking at Chris's drawing. It was a twisted form of Fredbear he saw in his last nightmare. A demon colored dirty yellow with a purple bowtie and teeth both in his jaw and his stomach, with crimson, vile eyes unveiling his fury and ravenous hunger. "Maybe we can do something else?"
"Hm…" Chris pondered in doubt. It might be even more children in other parts of the restaurant, most of them he didn't want to encounter. They rarely had nice words, but they also were not the main reason Chris feared to go out. "Is Mike there?"
"Yes…And his friends, too." Those words made Chris feel the sudden urge to fall underground and disappear even stronger; he was ready to do everything to avoid seeing those bullies and suffering all the humiliation on his birthday.
"Then I don't want to go."
"We can try and stay away from them…It can't be so bad." I just want you to have some fun; you look so tired…."
Before Chris could answer, he heard another voice coming from beyond the door.
"See, all is going on splendidly. I said that no matter what, it will be a wonderful day, and I am here to deliver on that promise." It was Mr. Bairren speaking with pride with another man following closely in his footsteps with a far less joyful disposition; it was Chris's dad.
"Happy for whom, exactly? I know Chris would've preferred to celebrate elsewhere…"
"He just doesn't know what he wants; you know I am good at changing minds; isn't that true?"
"True enough…But I would like to check in on my son first."
"Not before we discuss some further plans. Let the kids have their fun."
"Afraid to let me in the hall?"
"No, just don't want to get you distracted." Mr. Bairren shook his head. "Come into the office; I'll check everything is going alright; call them to see another performance, and then join you there."
"Just be quick."
"Of course." For better or worse, Dad left after those words, and Alison waltzed into the room, scanning all those present. Chris and Lizzy watched him carefully and with fear in their eyes.
"Was he the one who told you not to go okay with Baby?" Chris wondered.
"Yeah…"
"He must know about the claws…"
"And he's daddy's boss as well," Elizabeth noted as she and Chris looked at each other, letting out a quiet, fearful gulp, realizing just how much unknown horror there was around this man. "Let's hope he doesn't go here…"
"Ah, here you are!" Alison's jolly voice echoed in their eyes as he rushed towards the two children. "The birthday boy and his sister, you two are close, right?" He looked at them with interest, causing Chris to awkwardly look away.
"We like playing together." Elizabeth tried to keep the conversation natural, but it was hard to do in this situation.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't want to distract you, just checking if you are having the fun you deserve on this day…Not good to lie; you seem a little dreary."
"It's okay, I am just tired…" Chris sighed. "It's fun, truly." This did not sound convincing in the slightest, but Alison didn't push on it. Instead, his eyes caught a drawing of a nightmare version of Fredbear on Chris's table, looking at it with abashed curiosity and intrigue.
"Hm…Is that yours?" Alison wondered and made Chris's heart race, realizing that he had made a mistake by drawing his nightmares in this place; the open stomach might give something away to him…Alison picked it up and looked closely.
"Yeah…"
"Looks like Fredbear, a little, at least. A lot scarier, though…I don't remember making a horror show based on my characters."
"It's just…I saw them in my dreams." Chris admitted. "I have nightmares sometimes, and those robots are…They're scary sometimes."
"Ah, I see…I can see why someone wouldn't be a fan, though most kids would vehemently disagree on this matter. I have to say, I like your style, Chris."
"R…Really?"
"Yes. This Fredbear design might be a little extra, but there's definitely something to it. Might just need a few tweaks." Alison nodded to himself with pleasure before slowly moving aside. "Anyway, have fun; I will do my best to ensure that this day remains in your memories forever." He smiled before turning around to face as many kids as possible. "My dear guests, I see you're having the time of your life! Nothing brings me as much joy as seeing you so enthralled by the performances that I made for you. Rest assured, this is far from the end; I invite you all to the nearby room to watch another show by our gentlemanly scholar, Vigo the Snake! Just for the occasion, we implemented a speaker in him, so now he is ready to speak and tell you all the history of the valley! Who wouldn't want to know its secrets? Come along and discover them for yourself!" Alison waved and gestured for other children to follow him. All children were ecstatic about the opportunity and immediately rushed to the hall, some even pushing others aside. All wanted to witness the show.
"Do you want to go?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, not really…It'll be really loud, and Mike might be there."
"Okay." The girl nodded and sat behind her brother.
"You can go if you want; I'll just do some drawing here," Chris spoke up, trying to reassure Lizzy, but the girl shook her head.
"I don't want you to be alone; I know you don't like it here, so…It shouldn't all end up bad, you know?"
"You…" Chris stuttered. "You're the best sister." He let out, causing Elizabeth to blush.
"Oh, it's nothing special; I just want to help…"
"It is special. You could be cruel like Mike." Chris sighed.
"Well…I don't think he's cruel, just…"
"He is." For once, Chris sounded confident. His siblings were opposites of each other; one of them would hurt him for the sake of a cheap laugh, and the other would be there for him, sharing her warmth and love. But both of them had the choice, followed their own paths while Chris felt all the more powerless with every day. He was just a prisoner who had nothing but fear and tears left in his soul.
For a while, Chris and Lizzy remained alone in the large room, still listening to the distant singing of Fredbear and Spring Bonnie. Chris could even admit that he enjoyed the relatively quiet atmosphere. However, it came to an abrupt end when the door to the hall opened with four teenagers entering it.
"Jesus Christ, how much noisier can they get?" Jim, the one in the Bonnie mask, said with disappointment. "Can't even hear Vigo when those guys are around."
"You're just weak, dude." Lamar, the boy wearing the Chica mask, teased his friend. "I could've stayed here for longer."
"Nah, I'm with Jim on this one." Mike intervened; he was wearing his favored Foxy mask. "Fuck kids, I see enough of their antics daily to suffer from them even more here…."
"Speaking of which, look who's there…" Blake, the cruel boy in the Freddy mask, pointed at Chris and Elizabeth as the two children stood in silence. Chris looked down, his heart racing as quickly as during the worst of his nightmares. The sight of Mike and his vicious friends was enough to make him want to cry once again, but he knew that if he were to give in, the mockery would get even worse. His birthday would be ruined, but at least he could keep some of his dignity. "Your whiny brother and white knight sister…"
"Oh, for god's sake!" Mike scoffed. "Of course, you two would stay behind instead of joining all the other suckers and giving us some secluded space…How wonderful."
"Please, Mike, just leave us." Lizzy stood in front of Chris. "We play quietly; just go to the other corner of the room."
"Not like we want to waste our time on you anyway." Mike shook his head before looking at Chris; he must have noticed the fear in his eyes after how familiar it got. "Jesus, you're already scared just because I approached? God, you're so fucking pathetic; even looking at you is sad…Don't forget to change your pants; you might have wet them."
"Round!" Blake laughed and clapped loudly as Mike turned around and was prepared to go towards his friends. He didn't even want to bully Chris further, but he still didn't waste an opportunity to make him suffer.
"Mike…" Chris spoke up, making his brother and all others in the room turn around and look at him with curiosity. The thought of the speech he gave in his nightmare emboldened Chris, making him want to speak his mind. "You're…Horrible."
"What?"
"I always asked you to stop and stop; I cried and said please a lot of times…But you always made fun of me and scared me! You laughed at me; I have scary dreams because of you!"
"Chris, please…" Elizabeth tried to intervene, but he didn't stop.
"You don't care about me and want to make me suffer…You're…You're just evil…" He felt tears falling down his eyes once again; Mike and his friends stared at him, much like the nightmare visions of animatronics. "I hate you!"
"Woah, that was nasty." Lamar shook his head.
"Someone showing teeth…Impressive." Jim chuckled.
"You won't leave it like that, Mike, will you?" Blake encouraged him. "That brat deserves a lesson!"
"I know what he deserves," Mike said confidently and walked towards his siblings with his three friends following. Chris felt their shadows overtaking him, making the child feel small and insignificant. He fell on his knees and could no longer hold back his tears. Weeping once again, the thoughts about keeping dignity were nothing, not after this.
"Now…" Mike kneeled and stared into Chris's eyes just like nightmare Foxy. "Say that to my face, bitch."
"I…"
"Say it, coward! Now!"
"Mike!" Elizabeth spoke up. "Please leave him. He had a hard…"
"I do not give a shit!" Mike scoffed at the girl. "I am sick of this goddamn baby walking around, afraid of his own shadow and making stuff up on the fly; he's a slave to his twisted imagination, weak and pathetic. And I will make an adult and a man of him just yet, whether he likes it or not! Father wanted me to be the one who takes care of him like a babysitter, and if so, here's how I do it. I do not validate nonsense; I make him look into his reality, the one he's too afraid to change! And you better stay away; there is nothing you can do to us."
"I…" Elizabeth was scared yet tried to maintain confidence. "I can go tell Daddy?"
"Aahahaha…" Mike laughed. "As if I care, 'daddy' hardly even remembers we exist, but if he's going to whine too, tell him I don't care!"
"You're…You're just mean!" Elizabeth let out a fit of anger. "I'll come back, Chris, I promise!" She said and rushed towards the hall.
"Well, seems like we don't have too much time, thanks to our snitch." Mike sighed with disappointment before turning to Chris. "So, are you going to speak or not?"
"M…Mike…Please leave me…"
"Oh, no, you're not getting off easy." He responded maliciously. "Even on your own birthday, you cannot help but be a crybaby…Perhaps we need to cheer him up, guys."
"I'm all for it!" Blake said enthusiastically.
"Yeah, let's make him regret those words." Lamar supported.
"Anything in mind?" Jim wondered.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. Jim, come here; I'll need your help. Our little man over here really likes the animatronics, but you know, he's too shy to come and see them up close…Let's help him do it!" Mike announced, making Chris rapidly shake his head.
"N…No…Please, no!"
"What was that? You can't wait?"
"I see." Jim chuckled. Chris tried to run from them, but Jim and Mke were quick to grab Chris and pull him away from the floor.
"Come on, guys, it'll be fun!" Mike called for Blake and Lamar, and the two rushed to help their friends.
At this point, Chris was terrified; he felt his heart stopping there and then, yet the nightmare had begun. He shrieked and cried, tried to fight and break free from the teenagers' grasp, but they gave him no ground, no opportunity for a breather. His cries were drowned out by their laughs as the four dragged him towards the stage.
"Please, let me go, please!" Chris begged as they got closer and closer to the stage, closer to Fredbear's piercing eyes that reminded the boy of his nightmare. He could swear he could see Fredbear switching on stage, morphing into his nightmare version while the teenagers around him would become the nightmare trio and Foxy. Even Jim and Lamar, who seemed milder than Mike or Blake, didn't weaken their grasp.
"You heard the little man; he wants to get even closer!" Mike said cheerily as the four bullies came to the stage, with Chris growing weaker with each second.
"Please, please, please, please…" How pathetic could he get? Is that what Mike wanted? To see his brother powerless and humiliated.
"He says he wants to give Fredbear a big kiss! Come on, guys, let's help him do it!" The four teenagers lifted Chris up, making him stare at Fredbear's mechanical, gross face, this time closer than ever before. Chris's face was stained by tears, and his body shook in primordial horror.
And then he didn't see his jaw anymore…His head was forced inside of it.
…
She couldn't let this day be ruined for Chris; she couldn't allow this to continue!
Elizabeth's heart broke for her brother, who had to endure humiliation and pain even on his special day, but she knew she couldn't fight Mike and others; she needed to call Daddy for help. It was hard to find the office, but the girl was resolved enough to try her best. She maneuvered around the halls and tried not to encounter other children. At one point, she even ran past a packed room with green walls and a crowd of children inside.
"And now, allow me to recount the tale of the bunny burrows-s-s…" Vigo's whispering voice echoed from the other side, but Lizzy had no time to watch this show now while her brother was abused by Mike and his mean friends. Eventually, the girl finally discovered the small room far removed from others where two men discussed something that was beyond Lizzy's grasp.
"Anything new that we could introduce to their design, Mr. Afton. I heard that some visitors say the animatronics could be made more visually appealing."
"I had some design elements in mind; if you want me to show them, I will gladly share. That said, I would ask something about…"
"Daddy!" Elizabeth ran into the room, distracting both Daddy and Mr. Bairren, who looked at her with surprise in their eyes.
"What happened?" Daddy moved towards his daughter, noticing the fear and hurry in her eyes.
"It's…" Lizzy breathed heavily and tried to find her words; daddy watched her with anticipation and worry.
"Not now, my dear, can't you see, adults are talking." Alison crossed his hands.
"Wait, it's something important." Daddy interrupted him. "Elizabeth, what's going on?"
"M…Mike and his friends came to the hall, and they're bullying Chris; he's already crying, and I…I needed to call you. Please help Chris."
"Again?" William said with a rage-induced voice. "On his birthday, no less…The brat."
"Your daughter is probably dramatizing." Mr. Bairren shook his head. "Kids are having fun and…"
He didn't finish speaking as another man, this one dressed in a uniform of a guard, rushed into the office.
"Mr. Afton, Mr. Bairren!"
"What now?"
"Some idiots are trying to put a child into Fredbear's mouth."
"What?!" Daddy and Mr. Bairren said simultaneously; Lizzy just remained silent as her heart sank. There could only be one explanation, and this was beyond any reason. It must have been humiliating and agonizing; how could her own brother do this to another?
Daddy didn't wait; he rushed into the hall as soon as he heard about Fredbear, leaving the others alone. This rapid reaction made Elizabeth tense up even more as she realized that something was going horribly wrong, even more so than she realized.
"What are you waiting for?" Mr. Bairren spoke to the guard. "Go and help him stop this idiocy!"
Elizabeth followed her daddy back into the hall, her fists reflexively clinched at the thought of the travesty Mike was doing to Chris. At least she had some hope now; Daddy would come and save him…Like he did before. As she approached the hall, the girl could already hear Mike's malicious giggles, supported by three other teens, and amidst them, there were Chris's cries and pleas for help.
"Look at him. He's flailing!"
"Damn, this is pretty sad."
"We should probably take him off…"
"Nah, a little more; I lived long enough with this brat to say that he deserves it."
"MICHAEL!" Daddy's loud shout echoed through the room; Lizzy soon ran to the room and stood by his side. What she saw were four teenagers watching Chris in awe; her brother was forced into Fredbear's jaw that clutched his head tight, all while his body flailed in his attempts to get free.
"Hah, I was wondering when you'd show up," Mike responded with a snark.
"Get him out of there, now!"
"Or what are…"
"Dad, help me!" Chris pleaded, struggling to speak through his endless tears.
"Enough!" Daddy interrupted Mike and rushed toward the animatronic…But it was too late.
Moments later, Fredbear's jaw closed.