Hi everyone! Hope you're having a very Happy Thanksgiving!
"What the hell happened last night?"
Vanessa winced as the general manager, Earl, yelled at her.
"I come in at six a.m.," he said, slamming his hands on his desk, "and then Freddy comes up and says to me, 'Don't worry, Earl! The power's back on! Everything is ready for showtime!' Imagine!" He paced around the office. "I had to hear from a freaking animatronic that there was a blackout in my Pizzaplex! When it should've been your job to call me the moment it happened! So, why didn't you?"
In truth, Vanessa had been subjected to a blackout of her own. She had only regained consciousness an hour ago, finding herself in Roxy Raceway with the lights back on. Then Earl had come in, shouting up a storm.
But she couldn't let on that she didn't remember anything past the moment she'd almost called him. "I'm sorry, Earl. I had no signal. And the landline wasn't working."
Earl stopped pacing, took a deep breath, and returned to his chair. "Were there any casualties last night?"
Vanessa shook her head.
"And the cleaning crew?"
"I got them out safely and sent them home early." Vanessa clutched her hands in her lap. "I…wasn't out of line for doing that, was I?"
"No, no." He massaged his temple. "You were right to make that call. Still, I would've liked to have heard from you and not Freddy."
"I did try to contact you. And I checked the breakers. Guess it must've been the powerlines because the power came back on all on its own."
At least, that's what Vanessa figured had happened. Unless the animatronics suddenly knew how to fix the power box.
"But there were seriously no injuries of any kind?" Earl asked again.
"Well," Vanessa said, shifting in her seat, "one of the cleaners got scratched, but nothing serious."
He looked paler than usual. "It wasn't…Moon, was it?"
All the animatronics had glitched at some point, but Moon's incident had been the most recent and infamous.
"No, actually…" Vanessa paused, not sure how much she should reveal. She could get in trouble for bringing one of the cleaners into Parts and Service. "Moon was…on his best behavior."
"Really?" Earl raised an eyebrow. "What about the cleaner assigned to the daycare?"
"Dawn is…she was…"
Feeling a headache come on, Vanessa put a hand to her head.
"You alright there, Shelly?"
But Vanessa couldn't hear him. Vanny was taking over.
"Yeah." She smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Just been a long night, you know?"
"I understand." Earl sighed. "I really should hire some more night guards. Not sure those security bots are enough."
"It's fine. I've got it handled." She scratched at the armrest of her chair. "Anyway, I didn't have to worry about Moon. He's kinda made friends with the cleaner."
"Friends?" He scrunched his nose.
"Yeah." She giggled. "Weird, right? When the lights went out, my first thought was to check the daycare. But I went in there and Moon and that girl were talking and laughing. I'd never seen him so tame."
Earl rubbed his stubbled chin. "He wasn't aggressive towards her…at all?"
She shook her head.
"What did you say this girl's name was?"
"Dawn Brenton. You could say he was," Vanny said with a smirk, "over the moon for her."
Dawn was awoken by the alarm on her phone. It took her a moment to register that she was in her bedroom, which was what usually happened when she didn't remember going to sleep. She checked herself, shocked to find a bandage on her left arm. She unraveled it, revealing two long scratches. Like something from an animal.
The last thing she remembered was cleaning the daycare, talking to Sun, and then the lights went out. Then she had dissociated. Diane must've brought them home. Hopefully, she'd written an explanation for this.
Dawn sat up and turned off the alarm. The clock read three in the afternoon. In an hour, it would be time to pick up Tameka from the bus stop.
Tameka was her roommate's ten-year-old daughter. After being kicked out of her foster home at eighteen, Dawn had been lucky to reconnect with Bianca, a fellow foster kid who'd aged out three years before her. By that time, Bianca had become a single mom. So, along with paying rent, Dawn helped watch Tameka while Bianca was at work. Since Bianca worked during the day and Dawn favored the night shifts, it was the perfect arrangement.
It was a good thing Dawn kept the reminders set on her phone, in case Diane happened to be the one waking up this afternoon. There was never a guarantee who would be fronting.
After taking a shower, picking clothes from her side of the closet, and rebandaging her arm, Dawn still had about forty minutes before the school bus would arrive down the street. So, she opened the drawer to her bedside table, took out a journal with a butterfly on the cover, sat on the bed, and opened to the latest entry.
The length of it caused Dawn's eyes to widen. Diane's handwriting was usually sloppy, but this looked more rushed and disorganized than usual, as if she had a lot to say but couldn't properly form her thoughts. Whatever happened during the blackout must've been something big.
Hey, Dawn!
Oh boy, where do I even start with this one? Okay, so first of all, when the lights went out in the Pizzaplex, Sun became a whole different animatronic called Moon. Which explains the other guy in the daycare posters. Apparently, he was glitching and thought we were a child and wanted to punish us for being up late or something like that.
Dawn went over that paragraph again to make sure she was reading it right. Sun had turned into another animatronic? Was Moon an alter of Sun? Was that why Vanessa had told them to keep the lights on? This was like something out of a horror novel.
Once Dawn had processed this information, she read further about Diane's encounter with Moon, her trip down to Parts and Service, and Vanessa's warning about Moon.
She thinks he's dangerous, but you know people have said that about me too. Yeah, I know I'm impulsive and quick to throw a punch, but that doesn't make me a monster. And just cuz Moony's got some glitch in his system doesn't make him a murder machine or whatever Vanessa's implying.
Yeah. He almost hurt us. But I don't think the way he acted when he came out is any different than how I act when someone is hurting you. I mean I kicked him in the face. And punched Sun last month.
Anyway, though he's a bit creepy and rude, I don't think Moon's that bad. He's actually kinda sweet. I mean he apologized for chasing us. And he seemed worried when he saw that we were hurt. I think the dude's just lonely.
By the way, I noticed the bracelet with your name on it. Since you didn't write about it in the journal, I guess you must've gotten it from Sun before we switched. Don't know who else could've given it to you. But you know, the colors of the thread are yellow and blue. Kind of like day and night? Makes me think that Moon had a hand in the bracelet too.
The bracelet was still on Dawn's left wrist. She fingered the beads. The gift was sweet. It was hard to imagine that the person who gave it to her was dangerous.
Diane then went on to explain how they had gotten home and that before going to bed, she'd done a web search on Sun and Moon. The significant articles were bookmarked on their phone.
Once Dawn was done with the journal, she picked up her cell to find these articles. Apparently, Diane hadn't just looked up Sun and Moon, but Freddy's in general.
Dawn had known that Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex wasn't the first location built by Fazbear Entertainment. There had been all sorts of pizza places, not just Freddy-themed, all over the country. Dawn was surprised that there had been one in the town she'd grown up in, but that had closed long before she was born. But that didn't interest her as much as reading that there had been another pizzeria in the same spot as the Pizzaplex, but it had burned down some years ago. Fazbear Entertainment must've decided not to let that property go to waste.
The history of Fazbear Entertainment was quite gruesome. People going missing, injuries and deaths, a supposed corpse found in one of the old suits, possible paranormal activity. Fazbear Entertainment had claimed that they were all rumors started by an indie game developer, who'd unlawfully used the franchise as inspiration for his series of horror games. They'd even created their own game a little while ago with virtual reality, making light of the rumors. Why anyone would want to make a horror game of such tragedies, Dawn had no idea.
Of course, she really wanted to know the deal with the daycare attendant. The only article Diane had saved concerning them was from six months ago. It was likely the accident that Vanessa had mentioned.
During naptime, a child had climbed out of his cot. The mother in the article commented that he only wanted to use the potty. But Moon, insisting he get back to bed, had been too forceful, breaking his arm. The boy cried, waking the other children, and alerting the staff. Moon was so unstable that security had to tase him three times before he finally shut down.
The child's mother went on to say that her son was traumatized, and other parents declared that their children now refused to sleep with the lights off. Children were pulled from the daycare, and lawsuits were filed. Fazbear Entertainment's only response was, "We apologize for the distress caused by our animatronic. Moon suffered a slight malfunction, which we are looking to rectify. For now, lights will remain on during naptime and sleepover events will be cancelled until further notice."
They must've never fixed him. Now Moon was the result of an elaborate cover-up. Even Sun had swept him under the rug, acting like he didn't exist. No wonder Diane sympathized with Moon.
Poor Sun, having to deal with a part of him that was out of his control. How many times had he been blamed for something Moon had done? The animatronic that was more animated and sociable than anyone Dawn had met was keeping secrets as much as she was.
The reminder to meet Tameka at the bus stop brought Dawn out of her internet rabbit hole. Since she could dissociate at any minute, she always set reminders for important tasks.
The minute she left the apartment complex, Dawn instantly regretted her outfit choice. It was May, the latter half of spring merging into summer. And so, the day was sunny and warm, causing her to sweat in her cashmere turtleneck and jeans.
It's alright. I'll just get Tameka, then change into a tee.
Shorts season, girl! Diane chimed in. Show some skin!
No, thanks. I'm not going to be out much today.
Since Dawn had started psychotherapy, she'd been hearing Diane a lot more frequently. Her therapist said it was because they had become much more aware of each other. However, the internal conversations were short, and rarely went past a few sentences. Often it had to do with making personal decisions, such as what to wear, or what to eat.
It was like having two sports announcers in her head. Dawn would voice her actions step by step, while Diane would provide colorful commentary. It wasn't much of a connection, but it was a start. Remembering Diane's entry, she wondered if they could ever communicate like Sun and Moon.
As for the other one, well, hearing them was even rarer.
By the time Dawn got to the sidewalk corner, several other adults were waiting for their kids. They gave her acknowledging glances before returning to their phones. The school bus pulled up a minute later. Several kids piled out and ran to their parents.
Dawn watched the door until an African American girl with a mess of curly black hair stuffed in a black hood came down the steps. Her eyes were glued to her phone. When she landed on the sidewalk, her head came two inches above Dawn's. She swore, kids were getting taller every generation. Even ten-year-olds were taller than her.
"Hi, Tameka." Dawn smiled, placing her hands behind her back. "How was school?"
Tameka's eyes flitted towards her, then back to her screen. "Hi, Dawn."
Tameka and her mom were among the few people who could discern between the alters. Of course, Dawn's modest attire, loose hair and slouched posture were dead giveaways. If she were in her work clothes, it'd be a little harder. Dawn and Diane agreed that when cleaning, they must stay in their practical work uniform and keep their hair out of their eyes. When off the clock, they dressed in their own respective styles.
Not answering Dawn's question, Tameka went ahead to their apartment building. Dawn quickened her pace to catch up.
"Ya know ya don't have to meet me at the bus stop anymore," Tameka grumbled. "I know where the apartment is."
"I know." Dawn looked down at her feet. "But your mom…it's why I'm here."
"Mom lets me walk to the stop myself, ya know."
"Right. Okay."
When they got to the apartment, Tameka kicked off her shoes and dropped her backpack on the couch as she sat down.
"You…want help with your homework?" Dawn asked.
"I'm good." Tameka emptied the bag of her school supplies. "But hey, remind Diane she said she'd help with my science fair project."
"Right." Dawn sighed as she went into the kitchen.
She used to be a lot closer with Tameka. Changing her diapers, playing with her, helping with homework, Dawn had been like a second mother to her. But now that Tameka was older, she was becoming more independent. And though she didn't say it, she obviously liked Diane better than Dawn. Maybe it was because Diane was more laidback, or because she was closer to Tameka in age, or because they shared a passion for electronics and video games. Dawn didn't necessarily hate those things, but wasn't as into them as Diane. When Dawn was fronting, Tameka barely acknowledged her presence.
Realizing she hadn't eaten yet, Dawn got a package of strawberry Pop-Tarts from the pantry. She put them in the toaster, but when she lowered the lever, it popped right back up. She tried it a couple of times, but the lever wouldn't stay down. Sighing, she put the Pop-Tarts on a plate.
Before she sat down to eat, she took a pad of magnetic sticky notes off the fridge. She always kept some handy in the house. Then, using a pen also magnetically stuck to the fridge, she wrote a note for Diane to try and fix the toaster. If she couldn't, Dawn would have to tell Bianca to buy a new one.
She stuck the note onto the toaster and sat at the kitchen table with her plate of untoasted Pop-Tarts. She nibbled on them quietly. They weren't terrible in this state, but not as warm and crispy.
Why couldn't Diane be out right now? She would know what to do with the toaster. She wouldn't be getting the cold shoulder from Tameka. Why couldn't their switches be more convenient?
Dr. Mitchell had said switches shouldn't be forced, but it was possible to persuade an alter to front. If the environment was comfortable for the alter, and all alters agreed, of course. Neither Dawn nor Diane had figured out how to do that quite yet. Even if they managed to get the other one to cooperate, they weren't like Sun and Moon, triggered by something as simple as the lights.
Dawn envied the daycare attendant for that. Sure, having two alters in one body was difficult, but at least he could control when they came out. If Dawn could switch between herself and Diane on command, and remember what occurred during those switches, her life would be so much easier. She could fix a toaster. She could hang out with Tameka without dealing with her attitude. Maybe she could find a real job where she wouldn't have to worry about dissociating.
But since that was impossible, Dawn was managing just fine as she was. She had a roof over her head, she had a decent amount of money saved up, and she was learning to cope with her DID. Why push her luck any further?
Then her phone dinged. She had an email notification from work. She put down her Pop-Tart to read it. The manager of the Pizzaplex had requested that the cleaning company send their crew again tonight to finish their job. Her boss wrote that they could ask someone else if she wasn't available. However, the manager had asked for Dawn personally.
That spiked anxiety in her. Had Diane gotten her in trouble again? Had she left something out of her journal entry? No, if she had done something, her boss would've put more detail into the email.
Well, Dawn didn't have any other commitments tonight, and she needed the money. However, she was hesitant to return to the Pizzaplex. Diane had insisted Moon was safe, but those articles had been unnerving.
She glanced at the bandage on her left arm. According to Diane, that had been done by a rogue endoskeleton, whatever that was, and not Moon. So, even if the lights remained on, and Sun didn't turn into Moon, there were other things in that place that could hurt her.
She massaged the bandaged area, thinking about the scratch underneath.
A soft voice whispered in her head. Don't go back. Not safe.
Right. Dawn thought. It's not safe.
Diane's voice broke through. No! I told Moon we'd come back!
Not safe, said the other one. No monsters.
He's not a monster!
He will hurt you.
He won't!
This wasn't good. Anytime her head got this noisy, her anxiety would increase, eventually leading to a switch. Then someone else would make the decision for her. Which one, she had no idea.
Then her hand brushed against the bracelet. She stared at the blue and yellow threads intertwining, then at the letters that formed her name.
She recalled Diane's journal entry, about Vanessa saying Moon was dangerous. People have said that about me too.
Was it fair to judge Sun and Moon for actions they couldn't control? They were a machine. If their shifting alters were causing problems, it was only because they were made that way.
She didn't know what to think of Diane befriending Moon, but Dawn knew Sun. He was sweet, considerate, just a guy who wanted someone to talk to when his day job was done. He would certainly be sad if she didn't come back.
The thought of Sun calmed Dawn down. Once her head was clear, she picked up the phone and replied to her boss's message.
Knew you'd see it my way, Diane said.
The other one said nothing.
One thing I want to make clear is a misconception with DID, that a person can only have two or a few alters. While this is possible, a person can have many alters, even up to a hundred. That said, for simplicity's sake, I am only using three for Dawn. Not only would having so many be hard to keep track of for both my readers and myself, but it would slow the pacing of the story to shift to so many perspectives and, I think, come off as campy.
So yes, if anyone with DID happens to be reading this, I am aware that there can be more than three alters. I just made the choice for storytelling purposes.