Chapter 2: First Night

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*June 30th, 1977

It was an easy going Friday afternoon. The sky wasn't too cloudy, so the sun's rays were free to warm the town. The wind was blowing gently, and the grass swayed in tandem.

A little boy was practicing soccer shots in his backyard. He was doing quite well for himself overall, but volleys were giving him some trouble. Try as he might, he just couldn't get them quite right.

Annoyed, he kicked the ball as hard as he could, as if it was its fault. The boy failed to foresee what would happen next, though. The ball flew over the wooden fence, and ended up behind a neighboring house.

The boy fought down his indescribable anguish, and made his way over to the neighbors', moping all the while. He reached the single storey house, a common sight in that area, and rang the doorbell. Or at least, that's what he tried to do. Since he was a little too short to reach it, he resorted to just rap on the door a few times, until someone eventually answered. A tall woman opened the door, and looked at him in surprise.

"Hello there, little fella. What brings you here?" she asked, bending down. Her voice was sweet, and her eyes had a certain warmth to them.

"Uh, excuse me, miss, but I was playing with my ball, and uh… it landed in your backyard. Can I go get it?"

"Of course, go right ahead!" she said with a smile. "Oh, my daughter should be playing there, too. I believe you two might be the same age. Go say hi to her."

"Okay, thank you."

The boy followed her directions, and ended up in a small playground of sorts. It was certainly fancy, featuring a set of swings and a teeter-totter. A girl was swinging on one of the swings. She hadn't noticed him yet.

He looked around, but his prized possession was nowhere to be seen, which gave him one more reason to talk to her. She noticed him as he was approaching, and forced herself to stop. She looked at him with curiosity.

"Hello," he said, waving his hand.

"Um, hi? Who are you?"

"I'm Mike. I live next door. Uh, have you seen a black and white ball around here? I lost it…"

The girl rubbed her chin, as though deep in thought.

"A ball, you say…?"

She got off the swing, and walked a few paces, until she reached the other side of the teeter totter. Mike followed her shortly.

"You mean… this one?" she asked, as she held it up.

"Yeah, that's the one! Thanks."

"No problem. How did it even get here, though? That fence is super tall."

Mike gave a short explanation of what had happened, and watched as the girl struggled to keep a straight face.

"Really? Well, uh… How do I say this? Um, you need some practice."

He frowned in embarrassment, which only made her smile widen.

"And by some… I mean a lot. Tons of it, actually. Ha ha!"

"Yeah yeah, I get it."

Not wanting to be humiliated any further, Mike grabbed what he had gone there for, and turned to leave.

"Hey," she called. "You're already here. Why not play with me?"

"No, thanks. I don' wanna," he replied without looking back.

"What's wrong? Scared you'll lose?" she asked teasingly.

That had done it. Mike stopped for dramatic effect, and turned around. He pointed his finger at her, and was ready to shout, but held himself back, as he took a proper look at her for the first time.

She had light brown hair, one shade lighter than his own. It was tied into a ponytail. It matched her eyes, in a way. They were of a striking amber, almost yellow color. What really had prevented him from voicing his thoughts however, was her smile. It was so carefree and sweet, it was disarming. Even her stance screamed 'innocent'. She had crossed her arms behind her back. In all honesty, he would have probably found her cute if she hadn't annoyed him to such an extent.

"L-listen here, you," he said with a serious tone. "I never get scared."

"Great!" she beamed. "Come on, help me set up some posts."

With that, Mike begrudgingly accepted the invitation. The two set up their playing field, and got to it. While he was competitive at first, he eventually relaxed, and genuinely started having fun. His competitor's laid back attitude, yet respectable skill certainly helped in that regard.

"Hey… what's your name?"

The girl said her name with a small hint of pride.

"Wanna be friends?" she added.

"Sure!" Mike replied without much thought. It was lucky that none of his classmates were there to see him play with a girl, because girls are lame.

I blinked a couple times, until my eyes adjusted to the darkness of my room. The alarm was blaring.

I shut it off, and focused on getting my bearings straight. I couldn't tell how it could still be so dark outside… until I remembered that it was 10 PM. Waking up this late was definitely going to take me a while to get used to…

No matter. I had to get ready.

The end was nigh. In just half an hour, my eternal servitude to the Fazbear overlords would commence. It was certainly too late to go back, but this was what I signed up for, so I couldn't complain.

The sign that depicted Freddy Fazbear was glowing brightly overhead. I could feel its aura beckoning me, pulling me in, kinda like how a candle flame attracts a moth. I pushed the double glass doors open, and stepped into the dimly lit foyer. I heard the CEO's voice, as he was discussing one thing or another with somebody.

"Ah, there's our guy," he said once he noticed me. "Good to see you're here early."

"I wouldn't want to get fired on the first day, sir."

"That's great. Last time that happened, it was quite a headache."

'Wait, someone actually got fired on the first day? I said that as a joke…'

"Anyway, Rob here will get you up to speed on what you have to do. Good luck, sport."

The CEO left me all too eagerly with who I recognized to be the day guard I had met the other day. I briefly looked at him from top to bottom. He seemed older than me by a decade or so. He spoke how one would expect an employee who has already worked a full shift would sound like.

"Alright, newcomer. Have you ever worked in a similar position before?"

"I used to be a day guard in a museum, but it wasn't for very long."

"Alright, I'll give you a quick rundown, then. At the beginning of every shift, you are to patrol the building, and make sure no one has decided to stay overnight. Once you do that, head over to the security office. You'll find some tapes left behind by a previous guard that will help you get started. That's where you'll also find your equipment. Got all that?"

"Seems simple enough."

"Alright, then. I'll leave you to it. Oh, and take these keys," he said while handing me a keyring. "Good night."

Just like that, I had the entire building at my disposal. I began my patrol by entering the dining hall. I had to admit the dissonance I felt caught me off guard.

This pizzeria was usually brimming with life, even during its late hours. To see it completely devoid of any human presence was bizarre. It was like seeing an empty airport, or subway station. It had a sense of… what's the word…? Ah, that's right. Uncanniness.

The dull, low lighting certainly helped. The colorful tablecloths and party hats seemed bleak and washed out, like in a gray-scale picture.

I got a move on, and checked underneath each of the tables to ensure no one was hiding underneath. I then checked the show stage, but other than the animatronics, I found nobody. I noted how eerie they looked. They were still, gazing into the void. I couldn't recall ever seeing them like that.

No matter. I continued by entering the backstage room. Since it was reserved exclusively for employees, this was the first time I had ever set foot in it. It didn't take long for me to understand why that was.

Animatronic parts, spare heads, endoskeletons, and various tools were lined up on the shelves. There was even a spare Freddy suit sitting in a corner. If any child were to be met with this sight, they'd be traumatized beyond repair.

As I stood there, I remembered something. Something that made my stomach turn. This was where the… incident took place.

Not wanting to mull over it, I left and closed the door behind me. There were still more rooms I needed to cross off the list. I briefly visited Pirate Cove and the restrooms, and didn't find anything noteworthy.

Up next was one of the larger rooms in the building, and that was because it was shared by both the Prize Corner and the kitchen. As I entered the Prize Corner, I couldn't help but smile, as all the fond memories I had made in it came flooding back.

Plushies, action figures, sweets, and other Freddy's related knick knacks were on display, both on the shelves, and in glass cases. It was a six year old's dream. My eyes eventually settled on a large gift box on the other side of the counter. There was a single drawing above it, probably drawn by a child. It depicted a strange character, one that I hadn't seen before.

It was tall and slim. That, along with its coal-black body, reminded me of a spider. It was kneeling in front of a child, while its thin arms were carrying a gift box.

Its mask was strangely detailed. Purple tears were rolling down from its hollow black eyes, ending up just over its red lips, which matched its rosy cheeks. Its similarly hollow mouth was open in a wide smile. I didn't really know what to make of it, but it sort of reminded me of one of those masks that were used in ancient theater.

I moved along through the rest of the rooms, like the kitchen and even the supply closet. Having left no stone unturned, I decided it was about as good a time as any to get to my work station.

It's worth mentioning that the farther away I got from the main show area, the more filthy the environment got. Cobwebs were littering most corners and doorframes, while mold was chipping away at some spots of the walls.

I entered the security office, and took a seat on the squeaky swivel chair that was across the desk. I simmered down, and got acquainted with my surroundings. My cramped, claustrophobic surroundings…

Right out the gate, I noticed an oddity. This office had two entrances; one doorway on my left, and one on my right. They led to the west and east hall respectively, both of which connected to the dining area.

Each doorway had a window next to it, along with a glowing red button.

I shifted my attention elsewhere. The black, sturdy desk was against the wall. A bunch of monitors were resting on top of it, along with a metal fan, which was buzzing loudly, a phone, and a cassette player.

The wall was littered with children's drawings, all of which were centered around the animatronics. There was even a poster of them, too, with the word 'celebrate' written in large capital letters.

It was only thanks to the single, shoddy lightbulb that was glowing overhead, that I could see all these things. Honestly, the lighting condition was so terrible that I couldn't even see the hallways outside.

With all that said, I reached the following conclusion. Either this office was meant to double as a panic shelter, or the architect of this establishment was a complete lunatic.

I sat there, taking it all in, until I remembered the words of the dayguard. I opened the drawers of the desk, and sure enough, my equipment was there. I put on the security vest, which fit me well enough. I then spotted a notebook that was titled 'Security Logbook'. It was blank. Lastly, a tape with the label 'Night 1' on it caught my eye.

The day guard had told me it would help, so I slid it right into the player. I hit the play button, and to my surprise, the ringing of a phone came through the speaker. After three rings, I heard a man's voice.

"Hello? Hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you, to help you get settled in on your first night."

That was quite a strange way to train an employee, but I rolled along with it. The man went on to explain that he was a previous night guard, and noted that as he was recording this tape, he was finishing his last week.

That was all well and good. He then proceeded to read a message from the company, which immediately soured my mood.

"Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovery of damage or if death has occurred, a missing person's report will be filed within ninety days or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached and the carpets have been replaced."

…

I hit the pause button and took a deep breath.

'Not responsible…? Ninety days? Cleaned and bleached!? How are you still in business!?'

I knew from personal experience that this company was about as slimy as corporate entities went, but this far exceeded my expectations. I also knew that this job wasn't going to be easy, but I hadn't even begun, and already my blood was boiling.

I hit the play button again.

"Blah, blah, blah… Now that might sound bad, I know. But there's really nothing to worry about.

Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No! If I were forced to sing... those same stupid songs for twenty years, and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children, and you need to show them a little respect. Right? Okay."

Twenty years… I was far too young when this place opened to have any vivid memories of its early years, but even so, the grand opening was a pretty big deal. It gave a breath of fresh air to our town. No matter what happened afterwards, the man's words were true to a degree.

While the rambling continued, I decided to boot up the monitors. One by one, they all lit up, and allowed me to see basically the entire building through the security cameras. It looked even bleaker thanks to the desaturated video feed.

"So just be aware: the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uhh, they're left in some kind of 'free-roaming mode' at night. Uhh... something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long."

The cassette man went on to explain to me that apparently, if I were to be spotted by one of the animatronics, they would mistake me for a metal endoskeleton, which would prompt them to shove me inside a spare suit. He then noted that because the suits were all filled with cross beams, wires, and other animatronic devices, that would result in my death.

"You can imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort... and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask… Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up…" he characteristically said.

…

I then understood what was going on. That guy was getting his kicks out of terrorizing the poor newcomers. To think I honestly believed him for a moment… I wondered if this was just a way for the company to cover up their horrific history from their employees…

"But hey, the first day should be a breeze. Uh, I'll chat with you tomorrow. Check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, goodnight."

With a click, the call, and by extension, the message ended. Curious as to what he meant by 'conserve power', I decided to check the monitors a little closer.

On the bottom right corner, was a small indicator of how much power that was being consumed, along with a percentage of the power that remained. Good thing that guy told me about it, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have seen it.

It was strange, though. Was the building running on a generator during the night, or something? In any case, it was already ten minutes past twelve, and I apparently still had 99% power left to spare. Seemed plenty.

After all the job-related formalities were taken care of, it was time for me to properly get to work. I rolled the chair closer to the desk, and bent down to open the cabinets. They were locked, but fortunately, the smallest key I had, fit perfectly. Being a security guard sure has its perks, doesn't it?

At that moment, all sorts of different files, reports, and documents were available to me. Being the good employee I was, it was my duty to ensure that the possibility of a security breach occurring was minimal.

There were files dating as far back as 1971, but it wasn't my goal to delve that deep into the past. No, my interest was set on the year 1983. It didn't take me long to find the missing persons reports from that time period.

I carefully pulled out the dossier, and a thick cloud of dust wafted in the air. There it was. The reason I had pursued the job in the first place. On the desk in front of me, five reports were spread out. I examined each of them in alphabetical order.

'Olivia Brown'

Long brown hair, brown eyes.

On the day she went missing, she was wearing a black t-shirt with white stripes, blue jean shorts, and white shoes.

'Bradley Connors'

Short black hair, blue eyes.

On the day he went missing, he was wearing a green t-shirt, black shorts, and black sneakers.

'Grace Fitzgerald'

Auburn hair in pigtails, green eyes.

On the day she went missing, she was wearing a blue dress and red shoes.

'Miranda White'

Curly blonde hair, brown eyes.

On the day she went missing, she was wearing a red bow, a white t-shirt, a red skirt and white sandals.

I couldn't bring myself to look at the fifth report. I had already seen enough. All these people had something in common.

Actually, they had quite a lot of things in common. They were all children, for starters. They were all born in the early '70s. What was more grim to think about, however, was the fact they were all reported to have gone missing on the same date: June 26th.

I kept sifting through the archives, until a newspaper article from that period caught my attention. It read as follows.

Five children now reported missing. Suspect charged.

Five children are now linked to the incident at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, where a man dressed as a cartoon mascot lured them into a back room.

While the suspect has been charged, the bodies themselves were never found.

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza has been fighting an uphill battle ever since to convince families to return to the pizzeria.

"It's a tragedy."

This incident had wounded the town, the state, and the nation as a whole. That wound was still bleeding, despite the fact that just over ten years had passed since it happened.

Parents had lost their children, while children had lost their siblings and their friends. The holes these victims left behind were never filled, and although justice had been served in a way, even that hadn't filled the gap.

I got tired of thinking about this… I put everything back in their proper place, and locked the cabinets. Not sure of what else to do, I glanced at the cameras. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Man… being a night guard was way less eventful than I had imagined.

I leaned back on my seat, and let the gentle humming of the fan soothe my nerves.

…