Thursday, August 22nd, 2012
The vibrant colors of Freddy Fazbear's pizza washed over every corner of the room-the laughter of children mingling with the cheerful jingles of games, as the constant hum from the three main animatronics performing for the young, eager faces, how it created such an thick atmosphere of joy and excitement. Yet, amidst the jubilant chaos, a dark undercurrent pulsed just below the surface. Mark Knight, a bright blue eyed boy of eight years old, darted through the throngs of children, skipping on his feet through the pizza scented room, with a boundless energy of pure innocence and laughter. However, it was his vibrant love for all things balloons that made him so excited. Some thought he was strange for the way he just loved balloons, they were a symbol of everything he cherished, his parents often said it was his way of expressing himself, for like a balloon he was always full of hot air, and like a balloon he was a carefree child. ''Mommy, mommy, look!'' he shouted, as he pointed to the colorful multitude of balloons that floated above him, each one tied together in a huge bunch, Mark didn't know which one he wanted first. ''Oooo, blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow!'' he yelled, voice rising with such happiness, it was often asked how his little body could hold so much excitement, or how his throat couldn't handle producing such a loud voice.
His parents noticed his excitement, chuckled and said, ''Alright, balloon boy! Which balloon would you like?'' Mark's bright eyes sparkled as he scanned the array of multiple colors floating above him. Every huge seeming to whisper to him, as if every balloon promised an adventure just waiting to be unfolded. ''I want them all!'' he yelled, bouncing on his toes as if he might just lift off the very ground. As he watched the balloons dance in the soft glow of the restaurant lights, he felt an undeniable sense of joy once his mother began tying a baby pink balloon to his wrist, staring at it as if it was his best friend. ''Ooo, look Mark, look what's over there?'' Following his mother's eyes, his face brightened as he caught the eyes of a balloon vendor, a man in a vibrant striped shirt, who smiled warmly as Mark waved enthusiastically towards the man. Scampering over he said ''Hello! Can you please make me a balloon that looks like a dragon?'' Mark asked, eyes wide with anticipation as he waited, unblinking, as he didn't want to miss a single bit of the making process. ''Of course, champ! But I've got something better,'' the vendor replied, as he reached behind a thick red curtain, pulling out a bouquet of intricate balloons that twisted and turned into all manner of shapes. ''This one here,'' he said pointing to a baby blue balloon, ''Can fly to the moon and back if you believe hard enough.'' Mark's little heart raced at the thought of a balloon that could take him on fantastical adventures, so even though he really wanted the dragon, he nodded, accepting the entire bouquet from the man, as his mother handed the man a few Fazbear coins.
''Balloon boy, come here, we're about to start singing happy birthday!'' said his father, urging him back to the table. Mark's heart soared as he clutched the bouquet of balloons, the vibrant colors shimmering like jewels in the flickering light, as he scampered away, approaching the table, dancing, as the pink balloon bounced lightly against his wrist as he rushed to join his parents and friends back at the table. Laughter and excitement filled the air, blending seamlessly with the cheerful audience, but as he looked around, he felt a strange mixture of joy and apprehension tugging at him. ''Look at all those balloons, buddy! You've really got a whole arm there, don't you?'' His Father chuckled, as he ran his hands through Mark's unbrushed black hair. As Mark brushed his hands across the balloon's surface, as he allowed them to fall to the ground beside his feet, his bright blue eyes landed upon the cake. A towering confection laden with bright blue frosting and candles of all sorts of colors. Taking it all in Mark's eyes grew wide as he took in the glowing candles just waiting to be lit. ''Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!'' The voices of family and friends erupted, mixing with the cheerful music from the animatronics, ringing in Mark's ears as the song began. He bounced in place as the moment made his heart quicken in his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy.
''Make a wish, my little birthday boy!'' his mother encouraged, her smile bright as the candles flickered gently in the warm glow of the multi colored stage lights. Mark squeezing his eyes shut, tried to clear his mind, thoughts of adventure and playtime flooding his mind, as he tried to focus on a single wish. After he made his wish, he moved his body closer towards the cake, his short little legs causing him trouble, as he tried to blow out the candles. Eventually he was able to blow them all out, and the room erupted into cheers, and for a second, time seemed to freeze around him, as the world sparkled with pure magic. As the cake was sliced and laughter bubbled all around him, he picked all of the balloons off the floor, their strings clutched tightly in his small hands, as he laid his eyes over the colorful spheres. ''Mark, please don't go to play yet, you haven't even had a slice of your cake yet.'' his mother said grabbing his attention away from the stage, as his mother got working on slicing a perfectly sized piece of cake, making sure she added a lot of the baby blue frosting. Once he'd devoured his entire piece of cake, even going as far as to lick the plate, his attention returned to the stage, where his favorite animatronics, Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica were performing.
''Come on, let's go see them!'' one of his friends, a little girl named Charlotte, shouted, urging the others to follow, including Mark, as he jumped up from his seat at the table, tugging on his father's arm before he joined the others. ''Is it okay if I go?'' he asked. Locking eyes with his wife for a moment, as if they were communicating using just their minds, Mark was over showed when he heard the three words come outta his father's mouth. ''Yes,'' As Mark made his way to the stage, a mix of enchantment and trepidation filled his body as he approached the towering figures. As he got a little bit closer, coming up beside his friend Charlotte, Mark noticed something unsettling - Bonnie's gaze seemed to linger on him, almost as if he were waiting for something. Mark felt a chill sweep through him as the rabbit's mechanical grin widened, as if he sensed the little birthday boy's excitement.
''L-ook-look at him! He's waving at me!'' shouted Chris, a little boy with bleached blonde hair, and big brown eyes, his love for the purple bunny showing through as he repeated the motion, waving back. ''Hey there, boys and girls!'' Bonnie's animated voice broke through the cheerful music, echoing a little too warmly as the purple bunny held his large animatronic arm out to the kids. ''Who would like to come up here and join the band, for some fun?'' Mark's heart raced at the invitation, suddenly he felt his mother and father at his side, with his mother's hand resting gently on his shoulder, as the three of them enjoyed the show together, Charlotte and Chris being the two who went up on stage, their little bodies bouncing up and down as they tried to dance, try as they may to duplicate Bonnie's dance moves, but failing miserably, but Mark and the others seemed to find the sight hilarious as the entire room was filled with the kids laughter. As Mark's laughter joined the chorus of giggles as he watched Charlotte and Christ attempt to mimic Bonnie's lively dance movies, the purple animatronic bounced from side to side, his big ears flopping with each exaggerated motion. It was impossibly fun, and the moment felt like it would stretch on forever-just an endless realm of happiness.
''Come on, Markie! You can do it too!'' Charlotte called out, her voice ringing with encouragement as she tried again to mimic Bonnie's latest move, bending her arm in a way that didn't like to comfortable, but she didn't seem to bothered by it, more motivated with getting the moves right. ''All right!'' he returned, as he tugged on his father's arm for a little boost of encouragement before he dashed forward to join his friends on the stage. Just as he was about to step up, a fleeting glance across his path-Bonnie? No, it couldn't be Bonnie, Bonnie was still on the stage, dancing with the others? No, the closer he got of the strange animatronic, the more he began to notice its features. A golden Bonnie, with such expressive purple eyes, Mark felt butterflies flying around in his stomach, a feeling he didn't like, so try as he might to push the butterflies down, he returned his eyes to what was happening on the stage. ''Whoa! L-look at you-go!'' Christ stuttered, pointing excitedly at Mark then at Bonnie. ''Yeah, he's doing it!'' agreed Charlotte as she flashed a giant smile toward her friend. The moment Mark found his footing, Bonnie stared to lead them through a more simple dance, twisting and twirling to the music, as Mark did a pretty good job at keeping up, mimicking the purple bunny's exaggerate arm motions and steps. More laughter filled the air, and in that moment, the real world around him like ice cream, seemed to melt.
As he danced alongside his friends, and Bonnie, he managed to catch sight of Freddy and Chica, who were dancing, just standing still on the stage, a wide smile plastered onto his face, as if they'd been turned off, but was caught mid-animation before completely shutting off. Chica who was once flapping her wings cheerfully, seemed frozen in time, forcing Mark to drift his eyes back to Bonnie, who seemed to hold the center of attention..and for a moment he was starting to get the feeling Bonnie was watching him-studying him-following his every move. However the atmosphere seemed to shift the moment the song ended, Mark pulling himself away, as he stepped down from the stage, as did his friends. ''Wasn't that just the best?'' Charlotte giggled, attempting one last spring as she twirled her arms wide, her own excitement radiating off of her. ''Yeah, I'm havingg-g-the best time!'' Chris interrupted, as he was caught up in Charlotte's whirlwind, as he attempted to spin her.