Some Things Are Better Left Buried
By: Miss-DNL
Chapter 9: Night 4
Cole pumped his legs as hard as he could, turning the corner as he entered the front lobby, heading around the front desk. The guard, flashlight still clutched in hand, could hear the animatronic fox rushing towards him. It sounded like the distance he'd put between him and the red robot meant little to nothing. Cole rounded the front desk and headed into the right hall. He almost came to a skidding halt when he saw Chica the chicken standing right in the office doorway, head inside the office. The chicken seemed to be looking for something, bulky head swerving from side to side, likely for him. The sound of the incoming red fox pirate urged Cole to hurry forward, looks like he'd need to come up with another plan.
Cole hurried past Chica before the chicken realized he was in the hall. Quick as possible he ducked into the prize corner and hid behind the counter. Pressing uncomfortably against the counter he prayed Foxy nor Chica had seen where he'd gone. In both hands he clutched the security flashlight, it was his sole deterrent.
In the hall, Foxy just turned around the corner to see the corridor lacking of night guard. The animatronic's glowing yellow eyes, illuminated whatever it was looking at, studied the area. The fox's twitching head perked spotting Chica, almost confusedly, looking out into the hall from the office. Foxy uttered a short, sharp, screech to catch its friend's attention, then with suit covered feet headed towards the chicken. Chica exited the office and met Foxy halfway in the hall.
Chica sputtered a few choked noises to the fox, which seemed to have some sort of meaning to them. Foxy gave a what seemed an acknowledging noise, similar to bark accompanied by metal scrapping together. The pirate fox moved past Chica and began stalking down the hall, with the backup singer in tow. The search for the guard was resumed.
Foxy's head hung low, almost at its shoulders, as it swept from left to right making sure not to miss even an inch of the hall. Hook arm sway at its side, the tip bearing a touch of dark red once again for the first time in decades. Foxy didn't waste any time to relish the fact, it was on a mission. Only the guard's death would do. The guard had to suffer like they were. It was the only reasonable punishment for dragging them back to this hell hole.
Behind the slinking fox the big anthropomorphic, yellow, chicken followed with a more clunky step. Her larger, bulkier, body made it harder to creep along. With the much quicker friend; however, the fake feathered fowl didn't need to worry. Foxy could catch a fleet footed guard no problem. The guard was out of the office, now they just needed to catch him.
Foxy stopped by the prize corner, its angular ears swiveled back and forth, listening. Chica just behind the red animatronic slunk into the room. Their pal Balloon Boy was long since gone but that was of no concern. Passively Foxy glanced its glaring yellow eyes at the music box before stalking quietly over to the prize counter itself. With hook hand and red furred hand Foxy grabbed onto the counter and peered over the side.
Underneath the prize counter Cole was curled up underneath an available space. Behind him were wires that were barely visible in the inky blackness that hid him. Soon as the pirate captain's hook poked over the edge, digging to the glossy granite countertop, he felt himself seize up in fear. Beside it was its red furred, white rounded clawed hand. Cole could see where the fox was gazing, thanks to the glow of its eyes. A pair of yellow spot lights was dancing around in front of him. He felt like they were taunting him, that at any moment he'd be spotted.
Go away, go away, go away, please-please go away! Cole begged in his head, hands clutching on more tightly to the flashlight. If it were alive, he'd be strangling the poor thing right now.
The sound of Foxy's jittering jaws stalled Cole's thoughts completely. He could feel it was growing agitated with its lack of spotting him. He could pick out the sound of the endoskeleton teeth hidden inside it clacking together. Fake teeth mashing together, accompanied by bear metal teeth. Cole gripped his stinging burning wound, his own warm blood sticking to his fingers, as he prayed for the fox to leave.
Next to the prize corner sat the large home of the gift giving animatronic, the Puppet. The simple melody of pop goes the weasel coming from the present. Such a simple song shouldn't fill Cole with such trepidation, but the mounting situation made it much easier. Such as the many rows of eyes peering down at him. The plush dolls sitting up on the prize shelves seemed to be gazing down at him, from the very bottom of their various colored material eyes. Like they were waiting for Foxy to lung over the counter and give them a bloody show.
Cole winced as Foxy's hook dug deeper into the counter top and dragged forward. It was hard to see from his darkened position, but the guard could tell the hook had left a score behind it. The college boy's eyes widened, hands gripping his flashlight once again as his mind shouted, Why in the world its hook so sharp? It's meant to entertain kids!
The hidden night guard cringed as hook scrapped along the bottom of the counter. Finally, Foxy pulled it off, nicking the edge subtly. The red fox let out an agitated snort and pulled back from the counter, the small spot lights that were its eyes vanishing from sight.
Withholding a relieved sigh, Cole gave himself a moment to let his shoulders drop. He waited a while long under the counter, listening to the sounds of the animatronics leaving down the hall. When the only noise he heard were distant footsteps, along with the music box playing its simple repetitive verses, the guard dared to move. Remaining cautious Cole slowly, and carefully, looked over the top of the counter. The hall was dimly lit with silvery moon light that just barely crept into the room. In dark cover of the prize room Cole spotted the prize corner camera, cam 11 he believed, turning mechanically from left to right with a faint whirr.
Again Cole allowed himself to ease his tense posture when he spotted no animatronics in the room. Aside from the Puppet inside the box that is. Arms shaky with still flowing fear Cole began to pull himself up to his feet. One hand gripping the counter edge the other still clutching his flashlight. He halted just before straightening his back when he heard a familiar noise.
A tiny clattering like the classic chattering teeth gag. His mind only just managed to register what it was when a shrill noise cut through the air. Next thing he knew Chica's cupcake minion with right in his face with a flash of pink, and blinding yellow eyes. Cole felt a startled cry launch from his throat as the vengeful mini-bot bit down on his face. The blunt little gaped buck teeth dug into his face. Cole could feel meaner, secondary, metal set of teeth also digging into his skin.
Frantically the night guard tried to pry the deranged cupcake from his face, his fingers grabbing on tightly to the foamy, fake, frosting as he yanked and pulled. The tiny animatronic didn't yield, it's jaw strength stronger than its size would led one to believe. Amidst his struggling Cole bumped into the prize shelves behind him, leading to some of the plushies to tumbled onto the checkered ground. He yelped in surprise and soon as he did Cole realized something, he was making a lot of noise.
Sure enough he could hear animatronics heading his way soon after the thought crossed his mind. With a surge of franticness Cole gave one final yank on the bot, ripping it from his face. Carl somehow managed to right itself in midair, landing on its cup. Its front was now speckled with bits of red. The left side of Cole's face was enflamed with pain, he could feel and smell the blood coming from his fresh wounds.
The guard tensed when the mini-bot seemed ready to launch itself again. Instead it stopped, seeming to notice something. Carl's black ringed eyes darted over to the large present and it clattered almost mockingly.
The music box was going through the last verse of its song.
Unexpectedly the mini-bot hopped its way out of the room. The Puppet's coming arrival was enough for the tiny bot. It had done its job anyway it had gotten the guard out of his hiding space.
Cole Henderson looked from the present back to where the cupcake had bounded off to. Without another moment to allow himself to process what had happened Cole hopped over the prize counter. Soon as his tennis shoe feet hit the ground Cole bolted from the room and into the hall. Looking towards the office doorway he was relieved it was vacant of any bulky forms.
In a few quick strides Cole was made it to what he'd hope to be salvation. Instead he was met with the sight of the band's guitarist standing in the middle of the security office, like it'd been waiting for him. The bunny's eyes flicked from its pinkish red to pools of blackness, housing tiny orbs of light. Cole quickly ducked back as Bonnie lunged at him, jaws first, ready to finish what Carl had started with his face.
Undeterred by missing, Bonnie quickly lumbered forward in pursuit as Cole desperately continued to back step away. Cole ripped his gaze from the purple guitarist and headed back down the hall. The pictures of drawn by children nothing but blurry darkened colors in the sides of his eyes.
The music box's misleadingly carefree tune suddenly seemed to sound louder. It was coming from right behind him. Cole felt a presence looming over him. In front of him he saw a more humanoid shaped head, though the cheekbones were stretched to joker-like proportions. Just behind the shadow behind him, Cole could see a pair of bunny ears poking out from the rest of the darkness. Bonnie was behind him, but the bunny didn't move. It was just waiting, patiently, for whatever was about to transpire to happen.
Able to recall how to run again, Cole sprinted into the only place he could go now the main party room. As he dove headlong into the high animatronic traffic area, into the darkness that was the room, the Puppet and Bonnie calmly followed behind. There was no need for them to hurry. The lanky limbed animatronic did do one thing though, call the others to gather up.
Hearing an ear cringing, scraping, metallic hiss come from behind him Cole ran faster. That noise couldn't mean anything good. Sticking close to the back wall of the party room, Cole urgently continued to try and make his way back to the security office. If he could just get back inside. He ignored the fact that the blood sliding down the side of his face was beginning to drip onto the floor. He ignored the fact he was beginning to feel light headed from all the running, fear, and blood loss.
He just had to get to the office!
From the pitch, black, darkness of the ceiling swung down Mangle's white and pink head, jaws open letting out the same screech as its comrades. Cole could feel his face go three shades whiter as he got a good look at all of the fox's teeth. Mangle gave a snake-like hiss as its head swiveled upright, one good yellow eye and darkness with a pin prick glaring at Cole. The guard edged away cautiously, as what was possibly the remains of Mangle's parrot friend popped out from behind the main head. The parrot, Petey, had somehow completely shed its shell and was now nothing more than a head on a thick metal cord. In fact, Mangle had shed a lot of its suit, only the main torso and appendages still had their white fur. This left the fox's limbs bare, leaving metal bone-like extremities showing.
Mangle kept in step with Cole's slow, fearful, backing away from the ceiling. Hateful, static-filled, hissing continued from the fox, yet it did not aim to strike.
Instead Cole felt a familiar dragging slice from behind, the guard yelped and jumped back. From the side, Foxy had snuck up and scored him right on his shoulder. Yet it wasn't as bad as the last, it was more like the pirate captain was keeping him corralled. Beside Foxy was Chica, her cupcake minion back on its plate. The little monster was clattering away, laughing at the guard's futile situation.
Cole was pinned in between five different animatronics, six counting Carl. Feeling something weighty in his hand Cole recalled his flashlight once again. Quickly he tried to flick it on. Panic swelled in his chest when all he got was a muted click. His breath pitched and clicked it on and off in quick succession. Nothing.
Author's Note: Okay, somehow a night of no sleep due to being hyped up on soda and sudden mood music spurred this. I'm not upset about this, I got like twelve pages written today. Sleep is for the weak! (Do not copy me)
Trying to push for more detail in my works, been lacking a bit recently. I want to get a good balance. Detailed but not over dramatic. Tell me how that went.
I've got the third and final part of this chapter written, just need to edit and I'll post.
Please let me know your thoughts!