- Ah, here you are…

- Remember what I said about you making last-minute calls? Highly impractical.

- Far less impractical than delaying the sharing of my wondrous plan.

- Then get on with it.

- Such displeasure, Mr. Afton…Remember the last time we talked about attitude?

- Quite well. We came to the conclusion that it wasn't part of the contract.

- Hm…Perhaps, but let's just get to the point.

- There is another one.

- So soon?

- Progress doesn't wait, Mr. Afton, and besides, I think you may find this one rather interesting…

…

1987

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, gather round, gather round! Relax, stay in your seats…Oh, and of course, lest we not forget-Enjoy the show!"

Those were the words of the cheerful announcement that echoed from the dynamics atop the white building that rose at the heart of Hurricane, the one that always looked for new visitors. And there was no shortage of those, for it would open its doors for the multitudes of cheery children running through its gates every day. They would see the cutout of the lead rise above the roof colored in both red and white to match the animatronic's colors. Her blue eyes and a never-fading smile would greet every arrival, ensuring that they had the most unforgettable of times.

This was Circus Baby's Pizza World.

Chris wasn't a fan of this place, which made most other children look at him like some kind of weirdo, but he couldn't pretend otherwise just to fit in. The animatronics were different from those Chris saw before, so smooth and shiny…But there was still something strange about them, something that gave the boy the creeps. There were town legends about the golden animatronics back at Fredbear's Family Diner, the ones that talked about those animatronics going alive at night and stuffing everyone they saw into suits. Mike always laughed at those stories and found it ridiculous that his younger brother was scared of them, but Chris couldn't help it. Every time he saw their eyes, it was just…It felt wrong.

But no matter how Chris felt, he started to get used to it. He was a big boy, after all, he shouldn't cry at such silly things, especially when his father became one of the most important people in the company, and if those places were so scary, why should he spend so much time on this job? Why would he take it at all? He would always be away on business, coming home late at night and leaving early in the morning, always busy with something…It was only Fredbear's at first, but then "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza" opened, and now Circus Baby's. Father needed to be in all of those places from time to time, and sometimes visiting those restaurants was the only way for Chris to talk to him. It got lonely at home without him and his mother. Lizzie would often spend time with her friends and their parents rather than come home early, and Chris couldn't blame her. Mike was often home…But for some reason, it felt even lonelier when he was around.

The most joyous days for Chris were those when he got his chance to meet Lily, and now was one of those days. When they last met, Lily told him that their school was planning a group visit to Circus Baby for its pupils, and Lily would be among them. Chris didn't usually go on any school trips, but this was different…When he heard about an opportunity to spend time with her and near father, he enthusiastically agreed and came to Dad to beg him to take him out on that day; it was preferable to traveling with other mean children. His father was very reluctant for some reason, Chris couldn't understand why, but after hours of occasional begging, he finally got his opportunity.

He had to wake up early for his father to take him to the restaurant, and it's been almost an hour now that he was waiting for the children to arrive. Chris would sit beside the entrance patiently, the workers didn't bother him since they knew he was William's son, so the boy was left to himself. He took his Fredbear toy with him, as always, and found himself staring into its pale eyes once again.

"They all look really bored…" Chris spoke quietly as he looked at Fredbear. "If this is the place where fantasy comes to life, shouldn't they smile more? Yeah, I knew you'd understand…Well, I guess I don't smile too much, either, that's true, but it's different…" At least when there were no other kids, no one could make fun of him for playing with his toy like this. Adults probably thought it in their heads, but they were polite enough to just pass by.

"Here they come." Chris heard one of the restaurant workers wave to another at the gate. "I think that's their bus."

"Oh, great…" Another one came closer.

"We have to entertain them, remember? They've been probably told that this would be their best experience ever or something."

"You do that while I'll stay and guard the door."

"And then get a lecture at how shit you are at your job by Afton; sure you want that?"

"Oh, for god's sake…Fine, fine, I'll watch over them."

Soon, the doors opened, and the children rushed inside like a storm, making Chris's heart skip a beat. He hated when they used to come into school or classrooms like that because, from time to time, they would notice him, and this meant more mockery and cruel jokes. Even now, he saw a few boys pointing at him and one of the girls whispering something about a yellow bear to her friend, followed by both of them laughing. At least they would have something else to do here and leave him alone…Probably.

Lily walked towards the end of that line, not having anyone to talk to, though Chris saw a smile of anticipation on her face. She wore a green dress and looked quite excited, the boy wanted to wave to her, but the fear that it would attract unwanted attention overwhelmed him, causing Chris to just wait patiently. Eventually, she turned her eyes towards him; this was the moment when Chris noticed the spark in her eyes.

"Hi, Chris!" She exclaimed in an unusually loud tone herself and rushed towards him. The boy worried that some bullies would follow her, but thankfully, they were too preoccupied with looking over the wide halls of the restaurant to care.

"Hi…" He looked up and smiled as Lily sat beside him.

"I was worried that you wouldn't come here, but…Doesn't matter; I'm happy you could make it."

"Of course, how could I not…" The boy chuckled, thinking of what to say. They had known each other for two years already, and yet would still find themselves amidst those awkward pauses, they never felt good, and Chris learned to leave them by saying the thing that came first into his head. "You're very pretty today…I mean, more than usual. I like your dress; it's really cute."

"Thank you!" Lily smiled and looked away as Chris noticed her blush. "It's a new one; Mrs. Leila was very kind to give me some money to buy it; I'm glad you like it."

"It looks really good on you." Chris wondered why everyone couldn't be like him and Lily. They complimented each other, said kind words to cheer each other up, were never mean to anyone else…The world would be so much better if others were like them.

Soon, the two of them noticed a tall shadow rising over them; a man in a purple uniform and a golden badge immediately garnered their attention.

"Somehow, I'm unsurprised that I would find you two far away from others." Father sighed and crossed his arms. He tried to help Chris with self-defense but also didn't interfere too much as per the boy's own wish. Otherwise, the bullies would feel emboldened. "I hope you aren't planning to stay here all day."

"Hi, Dad…" Chris said shyly. "No, we were just thinking about where to go first."

"Good. Considering how much you wanted to come here, I'd expect you to at least interact with the attractions here." Chris couldn't help but notice some annoyance in Father's voice. He often behaved like that, especially recently…As if he just didn't want to talk at all, as if he was just annoyed by everything around him. Only Lizzy could get him to show a softer side, and that's on a good day. It just seemed like he never left his job.

"Hello, Mr. Afton." Lily smiled warmly. "I hope you're well."

"More or less," Father responded before looking over Lily. "You look quite stylish today; that means I don't have to worry about losing you and Chris in the crowd."

"Thank you, Mr. Afton. Mrs. Leila says that I'll be a real lady when I grow up!" Lily responded with excitement.

"Yes, I don't doubt it…" William responded quietly as if slowly taken away by other thoughts. "I am afraid I can't stay with you for long. Can I count on you to entertain yourself however you see fit for now?"

"Yeah, Dad." Chris nodded. "We never get bored together."

"I know…Well, you know the rules, don't get too close to the animatronics, and don't wander far off from each other, and all will be well. And I'll be off to my…"

"Wait, Mr. Afton." Lily pleaded. "Can I see Kitty Fazcat? I heard she is in here, but I am not sure where to go."

"Well, I could show her to you, she's in a separate room, but that's where most others went moments ago."

"Oh, no…" Chris sighed. "Can we wait before going there, Lily? I don't really want to get in their way."

"Of course, I don't want to go there either yet."

"Have no worries," William interjected. "I wouldn't leave Kitty's biggest fan without an audience with her. When they are preoccupied with something else, I'll call you in."

"You're too kind, Mr. Afton." Lily thanked him.

"That's the least I can do. Now, then, why don't you get up and play with each other? The time is limited, so be sure to make the best of it." William encouraged them before walking away towards a nearby. "Yes, Brian, what was it? I assume you've prepared all the animatronics for the show…"

"Your dad is really cool." Lily looked at Chris. "You should be proud!"

"I am; he just…I don't know; he doesn't talk with me often anymore."

"Maybe it's because he is busy? What does he do here?"

"He never really explained it…" Chris sighed. "He just said that he's the 'operator' and that it's really important."

"Maybe we can ask him later." Lily shrugged. "Would you like to play something?"

"Oh yeah, sure!" Chris lightened up. "You know how we didn't finish that game with Buster and stuff?"

"Yeah…"

"So I've got an idea. What if Fredbear just teleports all of them to some other place? Maybe they could fight in the field; I think that would be cool…And then Saber will try to cut him, and Freddy will come in and save him and…"

"Kitty will help protect him!" Lily added, excited before a new game.

"Yes, that too. Maybe Bonnie and Vanny can kick Buster's butt."

"Should we try it?"

"Sure!"

It was time to indulge in their fantasies once again, Chris was looking forward to finally finishing their game and bringing it to a culmination, and Mike would not stop them this time. The two children were full of energy, completely at odds with how they were only a few minutes ago. Chris and Lily ran around the tables, completely submerged in the imagination of their endless game. What new adventures await them after this one? Chris wasn't sure what they would come up with in their spiral of imagination, but he was eager to find it out.

"Try to catch me, haha!" Lily said, trying to imitate Buster's arrogant tone as she hid behind one of the larger tables. Chris loved moments like those, for in them, he could forget about all his woes and not feel like himself…He didn't like feeling like himself. He was a weak boy who almost everyone found annoying and weird, even his own brother, a boy who yearned for his parents, but his father was growing more distant with every month, and his mother…She became nothing but a distant memory that would continue to hurt him from time to time. But in moments of the game, he could feel like he was someone like Fredbear, a brave, imaginative hero who would always stand up for his friends, the one who was respected and revered by everybody, but also the one who was fair and kind to others. If only he could be like this in real life…

Eventually, the two rushed past a small, blue stage.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" A playful robotic voice echoed from the stage, causing Chris and Lily to turn around and watch in awe. A tall blue animatronic, reminiscent of a cat, stood before them amidst yet another sequence of his movement. He wore a cylinder and monocle, the signature clothing of one of the characters from the show.

"Is this Sugar?" Lily asked with curiosity, although she must have known the answer. All characters in the show were memorable, and the traveling collector of relics and souvenirs was no exception.

"Did someone call me?" The animatronic looked at the kids, likely reacting to his name being called out. "Oh, but where are my manners? Hello, my dear guests. What brings you to my store?"

But Sugar wouldn't be who he was without a pet dog that he always took to search for antiquities left in the ground.

"Woof, woof…" The mechanical puppet in Sugar's hand opened its eyes; a dog-like creation opened its eyes. "Guests, where?! Can I sniff them, Sugar? The smell is lovely from here…Maybe they brought something with them? Some shinies?" It spoke with excitement.

"Come on, Dug, don't scare the poor fellows away just yet." Sugar spoke playfully. "Maybe we should ask them why they came here? I would love to sell my wares! Would you like a shiny diamond? Maybe I can offer a discount…"

"Woof, woof, no discounts!"

"Do you always have to be like this, my friend?"

"Hm…" Chris paused. "If you could show us some of your things, maybe…"

"Look, it's Sugar!" Another boy's voice echoed from behind, causing Chris and Lily to turn around and see almost a dozen of other children run towards the stand, some of them they knew for being very mean. It was better not to risk it, so Chris and Lily moved aside towards a more secluded place. They rushed to the opposite table, hearing some giggles coming their way.

"They just can't leave us alone…" Lily sighed in disappointment; Chris was quick to put a hand on her shoulder to comfort the girl.

"Were they mean to you in school today?"

"Well, a little…Some girls made fun of my dress even though the ones they wear are almost the same." Lily looked down.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be; it's not your fault."

"I should protect you more and not be afraid," Chris said. "Dad and Mike tell me that all the time, and I just run all the time…."

"But that's fine!" Lily said with concern. "You'd get hurt if you tried to fight, and it would be horrible!"

"But I can't just stand aside and do nothing, right? It's cowardly!" Chris retorted, thinking of what Mike had called him a couple of times. "And I don't want you to feel like you were alone in here, even if you leave…"

"Leave?" Lily responded in a puzzled voice. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Dad said that they might move you to another orphanage, I think…." Chris remembers their father mentioning it a few days ago.

"No one told me…"

"Well, maybe he was mistaken…" It felt strange saying that. His father rarely made any mistakes, if ever. "I was hoping he would at least consider taking you into our family after all this time, but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen…." Chris spoke quietly and with sadness in his voice. "Father is too busy, and I don't think Mike would want another kid, either. He complains about how he has to care for Lizzy and me quite a lot…"

"That's fine; I don't want to be a bother," Lily reassured him, though Chris knew that she wouldn't give up on her dream even when the chances were so dire. He didn't want to give up on it, either.

"It's not your fault; it's…Well, I don't think it's anyone's fault. It's just that our family changed after Mom was no more…We aren't as close to each other as we used to be."

Before they could continue, a soothing voice echoed from one of the sides.

"Come along, children, let us share a dance that we will remember…" It sounded welcoming yet commanding, almost motherly; Chris knew who this was. The robotic ballerina emerged before them; she was attached to a rail that would methodically move her all around the place, making her go through all galleries and rooms, always here to dance and soothe the children's eyes.

"Wow…" Lily looked up with awe. "This is…Was it Ballora? She looks so pretty! But she wasn't from the show, right? Why would you make her like this?"

"Well, you see…" Chris began explaining, unsure if he wanted to talk about it. "Dad created it after Mom…You know she was a ballerina; you did some classes with her."

"Oh, is that…" Lily's voice grew quieter. "I see."

"He said that even though she's gone, her memory can live on through this robot…But I don't know, it just doesn't feel right." It was a strange feeling to see Ballora on her stage. She reminded Chris of his mother, but only because he knew she was created in her honor. It wasn't her; it was just a robot, another creepy robot, not different from the rest of them. She deserved more than this…

"Did I hear some steps?" Another playful and girly voice echoed from the nearby stage, allowing Chris and Lily to witness the star of the show. Circus Baby herself, an animatronic created in the form of a human, a clown-like woman with red pigtails, a smile, and blue eyes.

"Here she is…She's pretty, too." Lily walked closer.

"Come here, little child. Would you like some ice cream? I always have treats for good kids like you!" Baby announced. "Would you like to play with me? I feel a little lonely today…" She lured Lily with her mechanical voice, though Chris found nothing appealing about it.

"Why do others like them so much?" The boy shrugged. "They're scary…Probably dangerous too."

"Why do you think so?" Lily looked back at Chris as she approached Baby. The animatronic opened her stomach with a small claw emerging from there with a cone of ice cream. This looked like something out of a movie about the far future; even though Chris didn't like the animatronics, he had to admit that they were a testament to his father's talent.

"I don't know, but Dad tells us not to get close; I think he should've told others the same."

"I don't think he did."

"Oh, really? Strange…He's really strict about it with us. Lizzy gets really annoyed by it; she really likes Circus Baby; Dad made it in her image." Chris thought back to Elizabeth throwing a tantrum the last time William refused to take her to this place. She changed over those two years, as well…She would become more annoyed at times and more demanding, although she did her best to keep her warm demeanor, a challenge considering the death of their mother. Chris wondered if those were all the urges he had in himself, as well…Maybe he was simply too afraid to act on them, unlike Elizabeth and Michael? He never wanted to get too close to those machines, anyway.

"Hey there!" As Lily was busy eating ice cream and looking at Circus Baby from a distance, Chris heard an adult man approach him rather hastily, one of the workers, no doubt. "What are you doing here all alone?" This was a surprising question that caused Chris to turn around in shock. This was the first time any of the workers paid any interest to him; so far, they would just pretend he was invisible.

"Nothing, I'm just playing with…"

"A fan of Freddy's, are you?" The worker looked at his Fredbear plush. "You must know that guy, then." He pointed at the stage behind him, where all the kids had now gathered. "Sugar, right? Come along, don't be shy; I'm sure you love him!"

"Thank you, but…"

"Come on, don't be scared; he doesn't bite!" The worker forcefully grabbed Chris by his hand and began to drag him towards the stage, causing Chris's heart to sink. He wouldn't want to get close to those machines either way, but all the mean kids gathered around him as well…

"I…I don't want to go!" He could already imagine the tears falling down his face if he spent too much time in the crowd, and all the others would laugh about it, shaming him in front of the whole restaurant. That would ruin his mood for the remainder of the day; he couldn't allow this to happen. In his panic, the boy wanted to call out for Lily, but when he looked toward Circus Bay and the surrounding area, the girl was nowhere to be seen. He began looking around rather hastily, trying to find his friend everywhere he could, until finally, he saw something…Surprising.

Lily was on the other side of the restaurant with Chris's father guiding her towards the nearby room, both of them moved quite quickly, and no one seemed to notice it. He quickly realized that the room he led her towards was the Fazcat auditorium, just like he promised to show her Kitty when the other kids all left. He wanted to be there, too, however, not among those cruel bullies…

"Let me go!" Chris spoke surprisingly loudly for himself and resisted the worker's grasp. The man was surprised by such ferocity, causing him to let go of the boy.

"Ow, not so rough!" The worker said in annoyance, he seemed like he was about to chase Chris, but eventually, he just sighed and turned around. "Whatever, mate, your loss…"

After making sure that no one was watching, Chris made his way toward the Fazcat auditorium. No kid or worker was on his tail, thankfully, and all the boy wanted now was to just stay alone and continue playing with his friend. There were a couple of boxes left lying around by the door, must have been some new parts for the robots…When Chris passed by them, he saw his father leave the room. William looked very suspicious, always looking behind and around him with his constant running eyes; he radiated unease. This sight reminded Chris of what happened two years ago when father arrived home very tired and very late; he was so secretive and didn't want to say anything at all…This was the day he became so secretive and reclusive, which only got worse after their mother died, and now he looked the same…Before Chris could reach him from behind those boxes, William rushed off toward other children and workers. The boy wondered if he should follow him, but he knew how Father would react if he was to be distracted from his important work, so instead, he decided to go straight to Lily, carefully sliding through the door to the auditorium.

When he was inside, Chris immediately noticed the stage decorated in pink and purple colors; the ceiling above had a bright artificial sun descending, tied to a lone string. Beneath it rose a pink feline animatronic with a cane and a cylinder, her face imitating yet another smile. Chris liked Kitty in the show, she was cute and sweet, a wonderful sister to Freddy that occasionally reminded him of Elizabeth, but all this charm was gone when she was put in the form of this lifeless robot…Chris just didn't get the point of it.

And Lily was there, as well, standing alone with a half-finished ice cream, looking at the robot in awe with her eyes wide open. She loved it; that much was clear from her gaze, and Chris was happy for her, even if he couldn't quite share this feeling.

"Hey." He called out to her, making Lily turn around with joy.

"Oh, here you are!" Lily jumped from joy and ran towards him. "Did Mr. Afton tell you I'm here?"

"Eh…No, I just saw him bring you to this room."

"Ah, that's good." Lily sighed with relief. "Mr. Afton said I should come here and see Kitty while everyone was away; I wanted to take you but couldn't find you, so he said he'll come to look for you after I'm here…But if you could see us, that's great; we can have a look together!" Lily looked towards her favorite character yet again, and for the first time, Kitty moved.

"Freddy, did you bring someone with you? Oh, I see; looks like the entire band has gathered; what a pleasant surprise!" She raised her hand and waved at Chris and Lily. "But I don't think I saw those friends of yours…Oh, they're new, how lovely! I adore meeting new friends, as Freddy knows all too well. Come here, and let's get to know each other!" She moved her hand towards Chris and Lily, calling both of them to her side.

"Is she…Inviting us to the stage?" Chris said with caution.

"I think so." Lily nodded. "Come on, let's get to know her!"

"Eh…I don't really want to." Chris sighed. "You know I don't like those things, but if you want to go…Sure."

"Okay…Will you look from here, at least?"

"Yeah, I can."

Lily took a breath and walked on the stage with Chris closely watching her. He wanted to say something, for there was an inkling in his heart…All of this felt suspicious, and he couldn't shake this feeling off, no matter how hard he tried. Father not wanting him to be here, him taking Lily when she was alone, this strange worker who suddenly decided to force him towards Sugar, Father's suspicion…Chris felt like he wasn't supposed to be here no matter what William told Lily, but why? What was so wrong about seeing those animatronics, even if he didn't like them? Why did he tell Chris and his siblings to stay away while encouraging Lily and the other children? Wouldn't he want Chris, Elizabeth, and Mike to be the ones that get to enjoy his creations the most? He wanted to say something, to tell Lily not to come close, but he didn't want to ruin this moment for his friend…Not when her eyes gleamed with joy and anticipation.

Chris found himself going back as far from the stage as possible; it happened on pure reflex. There were a few large loudspeakers towards the walls, they were turned off now, but Chris knew that they would sometimes play to enhance Kitty's performance. This place was anything but what it was supposed to be…Anything but fun. In the next instant, Kitty slid towards Chris, looking at him with prying eyes. This made the boy shiver and shake as he felt this robot focus on him for a moment; he didn't want to look at her…Chris slid behind the loudspeakers, causing Kitty to turn towards Lily once again. He stood there and watched, wondering if all the fear was nothing but a figment of his imagination; after all, this could all make perfect sense…

"Come here, child, let us play together!"

And then it happened. The moment Lily came too close, Kitty's stomach opened, and a giant metal claw emerged from there. The girl recoiled without even making a single sound; it was far too quick for her to react. The claw grabbed her and pulled her inside the animatronic's stomach. Chris saw his best and only friend disappear in the darkness of Kitty's metal body. There was only a slight scream, the first few sounds of it, then Chris heard a crushing sound echo from inside the animatronic, immediately silencing any others. The stomach closed the moment claw was within…And then there was silence.

Chris was unable to move; he watched the animatronic in absolute silence with his hand occasionally flinching. Kitty stood in her place, not letting out a sound, as if nothing happened at all. There were two children in this room only a few seconds ago, and now it was just Chris and the machine.

"L…Li…" Chris's lips quivered, but he couldn't force himself to speak even a single word. This wasn't real; this couldn't be real. It was all a very scary dream, a horrible nightmare like the boy had before already, the monsters he saw from time to time; he knew this would soon be over; this was a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, lie lie lie, it was alright it must be alright it…

He heard steps that caused Chris to hide again, desperately trying not to breathe and not let out a single sound. Someone walked into this room, someone who looked familiar as Chris looked through a small gap left between the two speakers…The purple uniform made it abundantly clear, making the boy feel like a prisoner of the most hellish dream on earth, the dream that made no sense yet seemed more real than any other…

It was the father.

William walked to the stage; he must not have been aware that Chris was there…He approached Kitty, pulling up a small lever and opening her stomach. At this moment, Chris wondered if he should show himself and tell what happened, he would see Lily trapped, he would help her out, he…He looked into the darkness for a few moments before closing the stomach calmly. Chris watched William walk towards the exit with his usual focus and determination to get to his work. He was left alone once again.

Alone in a nightmare of his life, from which there was no awakening.