Some Things Are Better Left Buried

By: Miss-DNL

Chapter 8: Interlude

Gregor sat in the security room watching the recording from the previous night. The recording was set to play at a faster speed so he wouldn't have to sit for six whole hours. He still couldn't see what was happening inside the office, or just outside the doors. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to fix that immediately. He needed to speak with Herald about that. Who, speaking of which, hadn't come in yet. Herald had shown up on their opening day but left early. Gregor hadn't known that until he went back to speak with him-just to discuss how well it was going. The next day when he arrived Gregor had talked to him after he arrived, he seemed really on edge. This naturally drawn to ask what was wrong, but his boss just dismissed the question. Gregor had been skeptical but accepted the answer. He'd left early that day, saying he was going to handle the rest at home.

I'll need to start calling him to discuss things. It's still busy during the day and I need to do my job. Gregor thought to himself, as he continued to watch the recordings. He sighed when it finished. He couldn't really tell much from the recordings, but he watched them anyway to see if something new happened. Far as he knew Kyle had handled it well. No bits of ripped fabric were found, no blood either. The animatronics were even in their proper places.

Gregor wondered if either of them would return to the job. Not likely for obvious reasons. He hadn't heard back from Cole or Kyle yet. Gregor had thoughts that Kyle may still be sleeping after her shift. It was still early in the day. He'd wait a while longer before putting out advertisements for the position again. Another thing he'd need to get in touch with Herald for.

The guard looked at his wristwatch. He should have sped up the recording a little more, it was just about opening time. Getting up from the rolling chair Gregor head out of the security office and over to the front. Once he entered the lobby the receptionist, Cathy, greeted him as had become routine since she began working with them.

"Right on time Gregor, I was about to open it myself." Cathy said, as she sat at the reception area, keys in hand.

"Looks like it." Gregor stated. He pulled the keys from his pants loop and looked through them for the right one, "And it is my job, leave it to me."

"I know," Cathy began, putting her own keys away, "But I am right here."

"When I'm on shift it's my job, don't worry about it." Gregor reaffirmed, dismissing the point she was getting at, as he found the key he was looking for. Unlocking the front doors, opening the pizzeria for business, he turned back to Cathy, "Any call from Griffith?"

The receptionist shook her head, "No, nothing yet." Cathy continued to speak as she looked through a few applications she had. "He may still come in, but I can't say for sure. We also got a few more applicants for the night guard position."

Gregor arched a brow and walked over to the reception area, "And how many of those are Fazbear Fright enthusiasts?" Cathy's partially amused smile gave him his answer before she even spoke. Gregor shook his head while irately grumbling, "Last thing we need is one of those guys pulling a stunt during the night shift…"

Cathy nodded, "One of them asked if we've seen any ghosts."

Inwardly Gregor stiffened at the mention. Quickly he shook it off by shaking his head, "Nonsense."

Looking at the receptionist Gregor couldn't gather whether she agreed or not. She went on to say, "I told them that our positions were full and tossed their applications, so we won't have to worry about them."

"Good, and the others?" Gregor asked, he was handed three applications. As he skimmed over them Cathy finished up her little report.

"I also told them that our positions were full, but that we would call them back if the position opened up again."

Gregor nodded approvingly, "Good." He stopped skimming over the applications and headed back to the security room, "If you need me, you know where I'll be."

"Try not to fall asleep." Cathy said as he left, getting a moment of pause from the guard. She smiled at him with a mix of joking and vague worry, "You don't look like you got much sleep last night."

Recalling last nights' nightmare Gregor stiffened. He offhandedly rubbed the bags under one of his eyes, they felt more sunken than he recalled. The guard in purple continued on his way to his office, not looking at the receptionist as he responded, he'd felt the strings so vividly in his dream, "It's nothing. I'll be fine."

The smell of pizza was flowing through Freddy Fazbear's along with the sound of cheerful, catchy, music. It was time for the titular bear's show, virtually every kid in the pizzeria was rushing over to the main party room to watch. The previously mechanically moving robots that had looped motions over and over were now seemingly full of life! Lights were turned down and the party was underway. Very few wanted to miss it, leaving the other rooms low on occupants as crowds moved to where the part was. One such room was Kid's Cove, where one child was just climbing out of the ball pit. Sitting on his head was a Chica cap, the bill had fake teeth lining the sides.

Hearing the show, the boy hurried from the play room and into the hall. He stopped at the prize corner, blinking he backed up a few steps and tilted his head back. He swore that he saw something. He furrowed his brows confusedly, looked back to the main party room before taking a few steps into the prize corner. He looked at the prize counter where he'd gotten his cap a short while ago, the person that had been there was gone now.

"Hi!" Pipped Balloon Boy as he walked past him.

The boy smiled and waved, before continuing towards the big present. As he peeked around the side of the box, looking towards the back, he knitted his brows at what he saw.

Gregor was keeping an eye on the main party room when he heard a young voice call for his attention. Turning his head he saw a three or four-year-old, wearing a Chica cap, looking up at him from the right doorway. Gregor turned his chair to face him, putting the tablet down, thinking that the boy had probably lost his parents.

"Did you lose your parents?" He asked, as he did he noticed the boy didn't look at all distressed. In fact, he looked eager with a smile on his face. Gregor furrowed his brows slightly, wondering what the kid wanted.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked, looking up at the guard from under his cap, glancing around in a secretive manner.

Gregor nodded, "Go on."

"There's a boy behind the box in the prize room." The little boy barely whispered.

Brow arched Gregor looked at the boy questioningly, "Oh? Does he need to find his parents?"

The kid shook his head, "Nu-uh, he doesn't like grownups." Gregor's expression turned perplexed when he heard this. The boy leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone, "He's really mad at you."

Gregor wasn't sure why but he felt a cold bristle run up his spine as he heard the boy's words. He was going to ask why the child was mad at him, and what he looked like, when the boy's mother came into the scene. Gregor had been so focused on what the child had said that when she showed he'd lifted his head in surprise.

The mother grabbed her kid's hand then gave the guard an apologetic look, "I'm so sorry." She looked to her kid, "Don't bother the guard unless somethings wrong Ethan." She looked back to Gregor, seeming earnestly embarrassed, "Thank you for watching him."

It took a moment for Gregor to find a response, "Uh, yes, no need to thank me."

The mother flashed another apologetic smile. She tugged her boy's hand, urging him down the hall, "Come on Ethan, you're going to miss Freddy's show."

"Aw, can't I talk to the guard a little more?" Ethan whined sadly, though still followed his Mom's lead.

"You don't want to miss the show do you?" The mother questioned.

"No, I don't." Ethan answered in a partial mumble. Perking up again he looked back and smiled at Gregor, "Bye security guard!"

Gregor nodded curtly to the boy, "Bye."

When the boy, and his mother, were out of sight Gregor looked back to the camera screen and changed it to the prize corner. He relaxed slightly when he saw nothing out of the ordinary, but the child's words echoed in his mind. Just when he thought he'd shaken them off they bounced right back.

With a frown he thought about what he'd been told, a boy behind the box, that hates adults and is mad at me… Gregor felt his jaw tighten, and the animatronics are haunted by children. The image of Puppet's haunting eyes flashed in his mind and the guard felt his body stiffen reflexively. The sound of someone else approaching his office snapped Gregor out of his moment of dread. With a turn of his head he found himself looking at Kyle Hudson. Even with her agitated look Gregor preferred this over his previous train of thought.

"We need to talk." Kyle said as Gregor expected her to.

"I'd guess so." Gregor said as he got out of his chair. He headed over to the front after passing his night shift worker. He stood at the side of the reception desk, catching Cathy's attention. He motioned over to Kyle and said, "I'm going to have a small meeting with Kyle, one of our night guards. I'll be in Griffith's office."

Cathy glanced at Kyle then nodded, "Got it."

With a wave Gregor lead the night guard to towards the back and into the manager's office, which off the side of the staff lounge. The room in of itself wasn't very big but it still held a nicer air when compared to the casual lounge just beyond it. Gregor motioned for Kyle to have a seat while he sat on desk itself.

"This is about the animatronics right?" Gregor predicted as he eyed his guard. He noticed she bristled at the mention.

"Of course it is!" Kyle snapped angrily, quickly shooting up from her chair and into her feet. Even with her anger the head guard remained calm, something that went unnoticed by Kyle as she went on to rant, "What the hell kind of glitch causes robots to hunt the nearest person down? Not to mention Mangle was crawling on the ceiling like a spider and missing two eyes! None of this was in the job description!"

"First," Gregor began, "the job description clearly states that our company is not responsible for injury or death." He continued immediately after, cutting Kyle off before she could respond, "Second, I'm not sure what sort of glitch causes it. I'm not a programmer. Our mechanic is working on fixing the issue. As for Mangle, that animatronic is meant to fall apart and be put back together. The wall crawling, I can't say. You must have been stressed out by the working conditions."

"Are you saying I imagined that thing sticking the ceiling?" Kyle said stiffly as she sharply pointed up to the ceiling above them.

"Mangle is lighter than the other animatronics, but it's not possible for anything that big to crawl on the ceiling." Gregor lied in an even manner. While Kyle glared daggers at him he loosely crossed his arms, "You can always quit. We have a few others waiting for the position to open up."

"Have you seen those things up close?" Kyle questioned before gesturing back to the front stage.

"I only work the day shift." Gregor answered, then right after asked, "Are you going to quit?"

Kyle could tell Gregor wasn't going to budge. She didn't fully believe he was actually skeptical about what she'd seen, but his question was pressing. Kyle hated the thought of going through another night with their animatronic monsters. At same time, thinking about risking another life by leaving made her stomach turn. She also needed money to keep Jessica from worrying. Kyle found herself conflicted between her own safety and her worries for others.

After biting her lower lip for a second she gave her answer, "I want higher pay."

"I'll have to talk that over with Griffith, but I'll see what I can do." Gregor answered evenly, inwardly he was surprised by her answer but wasn't about to complain. Kyle just silently nodded that she understood, still clearly not happy. Gregor glanced at a clock hanging on the wall, "If that's all…"

"Yeah, it is." Kyle said, ending their conversation as she got up and went to the door. As she left Kyle added, "I'll clock in on Thursday, but I want an answer by the end of the week or I'm quitting."

She shut the door right after finishing what she said, leaving Gregor unable to object. The head of security had no problem with this and simply got up from the desk. He could call Herald at any time, he had the man's phone number after all. Leaving the office, he headed back to his own. When he entered the main party room he saw that Clifton was almost done having the animatronics preform their show.

Gregor walked through the room and looked over the crowd over to make sure everything was fine. When he spotted nothing Gregor headed into the hall. Once he reached his office, Gregor sat in his chair and picked up the desk phone. He'd already gotten Kyle's answer, but what he needed was Cole's he was the one scheduled for the night.

"Hello Cole, it's Gregor." The guard said once the young man picked up on the other end, "I wanted to know if you'll be coming in tonight. Yes, I am aware of the working condition. I've spoken with Kyle and she's still coming in. I'll be speaking with Griffith about the situation today." Gregor fells silent while Cole warily mulled his answer over. Once the answer was given the man in purple nodded, "Alright, good to hear you'll be staying with us. Good-bye and have a good day."

That taken care of Gregor dialed another number.

A phone rang in a dimly lit room that was both an office and a study. Herald Griffith sat hunched at his desk looking sleep deprived, his hands clamped down on his forehead-covering his face. The man groggily lifted his head and looked at his phone. Hand shaky he picked it up, took a moment to calm himself, and answered, "Yes? Oh, Gregor, yes I'm sorry about not showing up today. Don't worry everything is handled. You know I'll take care of things."

Herald felt his blood turn cold when his ears picked up the sound of creaking. His eyes darted around trying to search for the sound, but found nothing out of place in the room. That's how it'd been go through, he'd search for where it was coming from but find nothing. Then it'd show up wherever he wasn't looking or when he least expected it.

Realizing Gregor was still talking Griffith quickly spoke, "What was that?"

He listened to the answer. His stomach turned when a rotting odor filled his sense of smell. Herald fought back the urge to react and went still when a heavy presence loomed over in front of him. Herald, frozen in place, stared when, at the edge of his vision, a pair of decrepit hands grabbed at the edge of his desk. He could see the ends of the metal endoskeleton fingers poking out the ends of some of the digits. Through the holes in the suit cover Herald could see something else, something white with dried red coating it.

"Yes, yes…I heard you. I'll see what I can do about their pay." Herald had to force the words to come from his mouth. He didn't look up. He didn't need to look up to know what was looking down at him, with those lifeless glowing eyes. Herald covered his eyes with one hand as Gregor continued, hoping that not looking would offer some reprieve. He heard the sounds of something dripping down on to his desk, in slow drops, one at a time.

"I'll call you when I come up with their new wages." Herald continued, squeezing his eyes shut as words were growled into his ears. It was at his side now. Feeling the presence bear down onto him harder Herald quickly wrapped up the call, "I won't be coming in for the rest of the week. You'll be in charge until I get back. Everything is on my computer, you know the password. Good-bye."

When he docked the phone back onto his desk it sounded a lot more final than it should have. The feeling of being alone weighed down strongly on him, strong as the presence that he felt circling him. Herald held his head down, staring at the desk as the gaited creaks circled him again, the smell of death hanging in the air. It wasn't there, he knew it wasn't actually there. It was locked away in the pizzeria! Yet here it was.

At first he only had nightmares of the animatronic, now he was seeing it in the waking world. Saying that same phrase over and over, the words were more clear now. He'd woken it, and all the others.

Herald slowly looked up, he could see Springtrap slink around to his side, just out of his vision. He looked behind him, nothing but the wall. Herald turned his head back to the front and felt his body lock up when haunted eyes met his own. The tomb called Springtrap was bearing down right in front of him. The thing twitched and jerked its head around, resulting it creaks, snaps and pops. The sight made Herald's skin crawl, and the smell only aided the effect.

Springtrap's eyes twitched from the left to the right, eyeing Herald. In a snap the animatronic lunged at him. The last thing Herald remembered before passing out at his desk was a screech and blunt animatronic teeth.

Author's Note: And we're back everybody! Sorry about the wait! I went back and edited this story. Nothing much changed really, cept how one scene played out. As I got to the parts I thought I'd changed I realized it was better to leave them as they were. So, I worried for nothing. I still need to go back and edit "We Found One" but I decided to make an update on this first. I got this written out in like two days. Pretty happy with it too.

So, Sister Location is out, and I'm still not sure I'll add it to my AU. Wouldn't really contribute to the story I have set up. Great game though.

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