"I'm not a…"

COWARD

The same talk, over and over again. Gron did not know why he even tried to talk to the twisted one; engagement hardly made it any easier. After all, there was nothing to gain from this but even more spite and insults, even more, agonizing shame. The twisted one was a simple deity, after all, no matter how painful his existence was to Gron. It was the amalgamation of his shame, regret, and loathing made manifest in the form of a monstrous creature.

THEY WOULD KNOW

EVEN THE CHILDREN CAN SEE

YOU CAN NOT HIDE IT

Was this true? This was the thought that persisted with Gron for days. He didn't want to return home, did not want to open the door and enter his flat, once again shutting himself from the outside world. What Gron wished for above anything was to stay alone, even for as long as a day. Just a day of silence, a day when there will be no pressing voice in his head. After all, each time he came back home, it wasn't just his home Gron returned to.

All that followed were endless attempts to distract himself from the silhouette creeping in the nearby room, sometimes resembling Gron's younger self, a wide-eyed child whose passion and energy have been stifled by neglect and shaming…This must be why they even bonded with William in the first place. They knew how it felt to grow up in abusive households, and that is why both of them were resolved to make sure that their spouses and children never knew the pain they had to endure.

HE SUCCEEDED…YOU DID NOT

Once again, Gron turned towards the door and witnessed the creature taking one of its other favored forms. A golden animatronic rising in the doorway, emerging out of thin air and disappearing just as chaotically, its eyes still bleeding. What was it he wanted? To simply drive him insane? Was it control the Twisted one longed for?

"I…I never hurt them." He didn't have to speak out loud for the Twisted one to hear him, and yet he spoke reflexively, nonetheless. Gron was not alone here. Perhaps this was a time to stop pretending that he was. "And I never will."

YOU HAVE

"I haven't!"

DO YOU THINK THEM SEEING YOU TORMENT AN INNOCENT GUARD IN PUBLIC DID NOT HURT THEM?

THEIR BELOVED HUSBAND AND FATHER, THE ONE THEY CHERISHED AND LOOKED UP TO, BEHAVING LIKE A RABID DOG THAT IS LONG PAST THE TIME OF ITS DEMISE?

"Shut…Shut up!" Gron shouted, trying to clutch his ears and block the echoing sound, even though he knew full well there was never a way to break it entirely. "I did everything to make up for that, separated myself from them, gone through treatment, went to therapy, everything I did was for them, everything!"

AND WHERE DID IT BRING YOU?

YOU DIDN'T GET BETTER; YOU ARE STILL A SICK BASTARD!

THAT FACILITY SIMPLY AWOKE YOUR INNER SELF, NAUGHT MORE!

"No…No! I am ready to work on myself, whatever the fuck it takes to get rid of you once and for all!"

THERE IS A WAY

"Don't…"

THE KNIFE IS IN THE KITCHEN

"You don't really want me to do it, do you…You are a persistent freak; you do not want to die so easily," Gron responded with spite and anger.

I KNOW YOU WILL NOT DO IT

COWARD

"Ha-ha…Fuck." Gron clutched his hand with shaking hands. "Oh, the father almighty, pray to deliver me from this evil…" His voice broke. "For I know I have sinned, but…I cannot take it anymore!" He never learned any prayers. All Gron could do was plead for some kind of deliverance.

YOU ARE JEALOUS OF HIM, ARE YOU NOT?

"What?"

WILL

YOU ARE JEALOUS OF HIM

"No, what are you…He's my friend. Why would I be jealous of him?" Gron's anger festered inside him, but there was something else at play, something that made the jester clench his teeth. If the Twisted one was a real being, he would've jumped from his bed and launched himself at the demon.

YOU ARE JEALOUS OF HIS FAMILY; YOU WANT YOURS TO BE LIKE THAT

No, no, his family is his own. I don't…

EVERY TIME YOU HEAR ABOUT HOW HAPPY HIS YOUNGEST ONES ARE, HOW MUCH THEY LOVE HIM, AND THAT THERE'S NOTHING THAT SEPARATES THEM

Shut up; you don't know what you're talking about!

OH, BUT YOU DO. YOU BOTH CAME FROM A BACKGROUND OF PAIN

BUT WILLIAM WAS ABLE TO MOVE ON

ALL BECAUSE OF A SIMPLE GIFT YOU DO NOT HAVE

Don't you dare! You are not breaking me. You are…

A HEALTHY MIND

"No! I am not jealous; I am not! I'm not…I AM NOT INSANE!"

THEN WHAT ARE THOSE DREAMS YOU HAVE AT NIGHT?

WHY IS WILLIAM IN THERE? WHY DO I FOLLOW HIM AND NOT YOU?

"That means nothing, that means nothing, that…"

AND WHY IS HE CRYING AT A LONE GRAVE?

"Those are nothing but dreams! Fucking nightmares and you know it!"

I NEVER MADE OUT WHOSE GRAVE IT WAS…WIFE OR CHILD?

PERHAPS IT DOESN'T MATTER; PERHAPS YOU JUST WANT HIM TO KNOW YOUR SUFFERING?! PERHAPS YOU NEVER WERE…

The nightmarish tirade was interrupted by a ringing phone on Gron's table. Hearing the buzzing sound immediately made the jester freeze and stare at the phone, feeling that his entire world, as fragile as it was, was about to collapse into a hellish inferno. The last time he was called, it was Alison demanding a meeting and threatening his life. Now, the sound echoed again.

ANSWER IT

ANSWER

With reluctance, Gron slowly walked towards the phone. He prayed that it wasn't someone from the company. So far, he had performed his job to the highest possible standard, no matter how excruciatingly painful it was for him. After a few moments of bracing himself, taking deep breaths, one after another, Gron finally picked up the phone.

"Hello." A warm, concerned voice echoed from another end, allowing Gron to experience a momentary relief that immediately turned to creeping tension.

SHE WILL KNOW

Gron has not contacted her ever since he escaped the facility and learned the truth about Alison's experiments, not daring to tell or even hint at the truth, remembering Alison's words. She must remain ignorant or else become endangered. Knowing Lynda, Gron had no doubt that if she knew the truth, she would not conceal it and immediately bring it to the police, making herself extremely vulnerable.

"Hi…" Gron responded with a trembling voice.

OH SHE WILL

"Oh, thank god, I was actually starting to worry." Gron could hear Lynda breathing in relief.

"Is there…" He needed to be more confident. He couldn't give it away, anything at all. "Did you want something from me?"

"You were calling me just to check up on how I'm doing, and I want to do the same," Lynda replied firmly. "You didn't call at all since we came over, and it's strange…Well, seemed strange to me."

"I'm alright…I have to do a lot of work. Those children won't entertain themselves." Gron attempted his best to sound upbeat, yet this hardly sounded persuasive. He could already hear the Twisted one's laugh in his mind. He enjoyed it, enjoyed Gron's pathetic attempts at maintaining the pretense while his entire soul was breaking down.

"You sound…I don't know, tired? Very, very tired." Lynda noted. "Have you had a good sleep? This work shouldn't drain you too much, so…"

"I said it's alright," Gron responded snappily. The last thing he wanted was to have Lynda persist in her own investigation, trying to have him tell her everything about his life. Sometimes people would simply feel tired. Why did this need an explanation? Was his fear and weakness in the voice so evident?

YES, IT IS, AND SHE KNOWS

"The children are demanding; they need someone to entertain them left and right, especially with a spring lock suit. If you were doing this, you'd understand too."

"Spring lock suit?" Lynda responded in shock. "Isn't that the animatronic…You say you put it on?"

"Both at some point," Gron responded proudly, a reflexive reaction to the worry in Lynda's voice.

"I heard they are very dangerous; it's too much of a risk."

"I know what I'm doing, Lynda," Gron affirmed, sounding a little angrier than he intended.

"I'm sure you can entertain them just as well without those suits, I saw you back during the party, and you did great."

"Lynda, you don't know what they actually want…They come to that place for animatronics, for characters from their damn show!" Gron spoke up with annoyance. She shouldn't be the one to lecture him on his job. He wished he could do it without risking his life in a suit of metal, but this was the only way to truly attract their attention. "They want this bear, and the bunny come to life, and the best way to make them come to life is the suit, to have someone living inside it and not just…Not just some program." He knew that this was hardly a good reason. He wasn't even paid more for it, he just tried it once to give children the best performance they deserve, and now Gron was bound by Alison's rule. He was the entertainer for them and had to continue being one, no matter the dangers. "I know what I'm doing, Lynda."

"I see…That you're not in the mood." Lynda sighed with disappointment. "I suppose I might have picked the wrong time, but…I was worrying, that's all."

"There's nothing to worry about."

"Also, Charlie is asking when is the next time we can come over to you. He wants to see you, too." Lynda said, immediately making Gron pause.

"Oh…" The thought of Charlie was quick to strike at Gron's heart. His joyful smile and supporting words emerged in the jester's mind like a soothing embrace, the only light he could see amidst his darkness. His boy wanted to see him once again, wanted to extend a helping hand to a father who would inevitably have to lie to him. "How is he doing?" The jester asked in a softer voice.

"As great as always, all teachers are very proud of him, and he has many friends to rely on." Lynda conveyed as her prideful voice grew louder. "And he wishes you were here to share his success, just like he wants to share yours…I'm sorry that I kept him away from you for so long. But maybe now we can begin to make this right?" Gron listened to her earnest, hopeful words as silent tears fell from his eyes.

YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT…BUT YOU CAN NOT HAVE IT, NOT ANYMORE

YOU ARE CHAINED, AND YOU HAVE ONLY TWO CHOICES

TO PUT THOSE CHAINS ON OTHERS…OR SHATTER YOUR OWN

WILL YOU MAKE A COWARD'S CHOICE?

"I…Thank you, Lynda." Gron felt pathetic as he was completely unable to hold back his own emotions. But the image of him spending time with Lynda and Charlie, being happy together, as happy as they could be after the wounds inflicted between them. "I'm sure…I'll plan something, and I'll let you know when I have free time, alright?"

"Alright."

"Good, good…" Gron was at a complete loss, he hardly knew what to say, yet he knew Lynda would push for more.

"Gron…Sorry if I'm blunt, maybe I imagine things, but I think something is wrong." Lynda spoke cautiously, trying to tread carefully. Gron wiped his tears, trying to collect himself. There was nothing he wished for more than to simply speak the truth and reveal it to Lynda, to speak in earnest as he always wanted. But now fate has decreed that he become a liar yet again. "Are you telling me everything? It seems like more than just work…Have your hallucinations resurfaced?" That and much more, and yet Gron was bound to silence. Perhaps this was the only place he could show some strength, to protect his family by any means he could, even if those means meant lying to them.

"No, everything is alright, truly…I'm just really tired, that's all. I hope you understand." Gron reassured her, realizing full well that those words would not even be able to reassure him. "And I'll let you know when you can come over again, I promise."

"Fine." He heard Lynda take a deep breath. "I just wanted to thank you for reaching out. If you ever need anything, I'm here, Charlie is here…We want all the best for you."

"Thanks, it…Means a lot." Gron wished she could hang up; he couldn't bear to hold the truth and not let it burst out. The temptation was too big, the temptation to break this cycle and to have someone who knew who was close to him, not William, who was too busy with his own family, and not the Twisted one. But this was not possible.

IT IS POSSIBLE

END THEM BEFORE THEY REACH YOU

THEY WANT YOU TO FEAR

DO NOT FEAR

"Goodbye, Lynda. I hope to see you soon." Gron wished farewell.

"You too, Gron. Take care."

And then, just he and his demon were left alone. A demon who yearned for action, who mocked Gron's weakness and inductiveness.

IF YOU CALL THEM HERE

YOU WILL FEEL EVEN MORE PAIN

IT WILL NEVER FEEL GOOD AGAIN UNTIL YOU ARE FREE

Was this an attempt at sympathy from the Twisted one? Was Gron feeling so sorry for himself that even his dark reflection got tainted by this?

"I have to…I have to get used to this."

NO, YOU DO NOT!

THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE WEAKER YOU WILL GROW

THE SPIRAL OF INSANITY WILL TAKE YOU

AND YOU SHALL BECOME A PATHETIC SHELL, LONELY AND BROKEN

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO AVOID IT

"H…How?"

IF YOU WANT TO REUNITE WITH YOUR FAMILY AGAIN

GIVE IN

AND DESTROY THEM FROM INSIDE

…

"They take them underground."

Days passed, William's work continued, the animatronics slowly made their way into life, and the basis for the trio was already done. Soon Freddy Fazbear himself will become a part of the development program just before a new restaurant is opened, and then everyone in Hurricane can smile with joy as they see yet another exciting place for them to visit, another gift brought by Fazbear Inc, all the while William had to watch this mysterious corporation slowly corrode and consume their entire town, like a shadowy monster leeching onto its prey.

And perhaps as he was making the new animatronics, William was helping Alison in his foul deeds. Who knows what he really intends to use those suits for beyond entertainment? There must have been a reason for specific design choices like those. William couldn't stand aside and let this happen. He had to take action, as secretive as it is. It all began with a few notes, a few videotapes of the mysterious cargo that is always brought to the pizzeria, a few suspicious workers that he noticed going into the back room…Even the Foxy animatronic was required to be placed there by Alison, away from the cameras that would observe it. None inside, none at the entrance, even seemed like a perfect place to keep his secrets.

Now, William was collecting evidence, ready to compile as much as possible, so when he eventually revealed it to someone who he could trust, it would be truly undeniable. He wished to tell this to Gron at first, yet his friend dropped out of contact after the incident, claiming that he wished to be alone, and William decided not to disturb him, continuing alone on this path. Now, this led him to spend yet another evening writing out a detailed account of what he saw, as well as drawing out the sketches of the animatronics he saw beneath the surface.

"They took them underground, and though I wasn't unable to discern what they are exactly, I am certain that they take it into the underground complex, 'Facility,' as Bairren called it." William wrote on a sheet of paper near a rough draft of the golden humanoid animatronic. He desperately tried to get all the details right, and yet it still looked more animalistic than anything, not entirely corresponding with the image he saw in his memories. He would need to try again eventually and…

"Daddy?" Elizabeth's quiet voice echoed from behind William as he heard the door to his room creak quietly, as a little girl stood in shadow, reluctant to enter. William turned around, unable to express any joy or warmth. The process of compiling evidence and writing the tale, always coming back to those painful memories, was exhausting for him. He noticed his daughter looking down shyly as she noticed his gaze upon herself. He told his children that he'll be busy this evening, and they didn't want to disturb him. "Are you busy?"

"I am," William said, grasping at his papers and slowly pushing them to the drawers so Elizabeth couldn't see. It was for the best if they lived their lives as carefree as possible; hopefully, the issue of Fazbear Inc will be fixed soon. "Is there something you wanted to say?"

"Well…I drew something for you." Elizabeth had some paper in her hands, holding it rightly at her chest and finally allowing herself to look up at her father with hope. "Do you want to see it?" Her eyes gleamed with anticipation and joy.

"Sure…" William couldn't deny his little princess and beckoned for her to come closer. Elizabeth made her way toward her father and turned the drawing around, allowing William to see it. There were two people drawn, standing outside the lush forest in the background and holding hands together, one of them in a purple coat and another in a dark blue dress and waving hair. Seeing the new drawing felt like a breath of fresh air for William, finally allowing him to focus on something that wasn't keeping his mind at that nightmarish facility. "I tried to draw you and mommy this time…I tried to make it, so you were dancing together, but it was too hard to do…But I hope you still like it!"

"I do; it's wonderful." William smiled at her before taking the painting himself and examining it closer. She had quite a talent, and her school allowed her to make the best of it.

"Thank you, daddy!" Elizabeth seemed like she was about to jump from pure joy.

"I like the resemblance on this one…You paid some close attention."

"I will try and draw you dancing next time! Mommy said she taught you to dance. Is it true?" The girl asked, forcing an awkward chuckle out of William.

"Oh, don't remind me of the embarrassment that my first attempts at dancing were." He shook his head, watching the girl giggle.

"I want to learn to dance one day…Just like mommy."

"If you will be as attentive with it as with those paintings, I'm sure you're aiming for some great achievement." He reassured her.

"Thank you, I'd try my best if I ever got the chance," Elizabeth replied before throwing a glance at the door. She must have considered if this was the time to leave William alone, but she didn't seem to be eager to leave just yet. "Chris was wondering if you wanted to come down and…Watch something with us?"

"Not today; sorry, I have a lot of work to get done," William responded as plainly as he could, even if this meant disappointing her. The evidence was an urgent matter. The more time he takes, the more likely it becomes that Alison suspects something of him. He wished to spend more time with them, but not before this was done.

"You are really tired, daddy; it's been days already," Elizabeth spoke cautiously. "I know it's an important job, but you've never worked so much before…I think you need a break!"

"Thank you for your concern, but I knew…I knew this job would be very demanding, and I knew what it was I signed up for." William responded.

"But it's taking all of your time now!"

"I know, I know…I won't be like this forever."

"It's just…" Elizabeth stuttered. "I don't know how to say it, but it's…When you come back from work, you seem so tired, so…Angry. I don't know, I just…Are you sure you even like it?"

"Of course, how could you suggest otherwise? A stable job for me and the privilege of having your father be the one who brought those characters to life for you." William was careful not to become combative, but he didn't want any signs to be out there just yet. He couldn't allow for anything.

"But if it hurts you, is it really good?" Elizabeth wondered. "I just worry about you. It seems like it's getting worse…"

"I…" There wasn't much he could say; William took a deep breath before looking into the girl's worried eyes. "Come here." He said before extending a hand to her. Elizabeth walked closer, slowly reaching her father's embrace, which he shared with her. "I know you care, and I know you worry my dear, and it's a good thing, make no mistake. We, parents, give everything for our children, and it's a blessing when they show the same care in return. But sometimes…Sometimes they just get tired and have much to do. I'm sure that happened to you when you had to do your maths for a few hours…" He spoke with sarcasm, seeing his daughter giggle as her uncertainty was extinguished. "Just wait for it…Soon you will see my creations in their full glory, singing on the stage, and then…Then we will have all the time in the world."

"I believe you will make the best robots ever…I just know that." Elizabeth looked up. "But can I just ask for something?"

"What is it?"

"I don't know if Chris or Mommy told you, but…He decided to invite his new friend, Lily, to come over in a few days."

"Really?" William raised his eyebrow. Was he so busy that he missed that news, or did Chris not want to tell him?

"Yes, and everyone's really excited…Chris said she wants to meet all of us, so could you maybe find a few spare hours?"

"I'm not sure of that," William spoke with some reluctance, only to be met with Elizabeth's pleading eyes.

"Pleeeease…Just a few?"

"I…Alright, I promise."

"Thank you!" She jumped in excitement before rushing towards the door. "See you soon, daddy…I'm looking forward to seeing the trio!"

Ah, those brief moments of joy…Now wasn't the time for them. If William was to experience true relief ever again, there was an entire company to outplay.