My Old Friend

Chapter 1: Help Wanted

The atmosphere was tense. More than I had expected. The low lighting of the office wasn't helping matters. It made it look as though I was being interrogated.

Maybe I had been naïve in thinking that the interview was going to be an immediate success…

"I don't mean to sound blunt, Mr. Schmidt, but I don't understand why someone like you would want to take this job?"

I had anticipated a question like that. It was lucky that I had a convincing answer ready.

"Well, you know how it is, sir. When you're a college student, a part time job is essential."

The middle aged man - who was also the CEO of the company, frowned a little. He glanced at my CV one more time.

He rubbed his chin.

"It says here that you're attending the… School of Engineering. So why a night guard? Why not apply to be a technician somewhere else?"

As far as I knew, this wasn't the same CEO as the one from ten years ago. I had to give it to him, though; he was one rather cautious interviewer. It was honestly a bit stressful for me, because I couldn't afford to screw this up. I managed to keep my voice steady.

"...To be honest, I used to visit this place a lot when I was a kid. Even with everything that happened, it still feels special to me. So when I heard that it would be shutting down, I guess… I just felt like this was what I wanted."

Thankfully, he seemed to soften at my response. Who knows, maybe I managed to strike a chord?

"You must be quite a sentimental person," he said, looking somewhat conflicted.

I chuckled at that.

"Maybe so."

His focus bounced back and forth between me and my CV, until he finally laid the sheet of paper down on the desk.

"Whatever. You're qualified, so I'm not going to question it. Job's yours."

"Really? Thank you, sir!"

"Sure… Just sign this and you're good to go."

He slid the contract over to me, and I brandished a pen. I was one hundred percent certain that if I were to take the time to read the small letters, I'd find a paragraph that went something like:

By signing the hereby contract, you willfully concede all rights over your internal organs to Fazbear Entertainment.

But hey, if it were important, they would have written it in bold letters, right? With that in mind, I wrote down my signature like a sucker.

"Done."

"Good. Can you start tomorrow night?"

"Yes, that works for me."

"Alright. Your shift starts at twelve. Be here half an hour earlier, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

He extended his hand, and I shook it. As I was getting ready to leave, he said one last thing.

"Say… Your surname… It sounds familiar. Have we met before?"

"I don't think so… You might be thinking of the baseball player," I proposed. Whether that convinced him or not, I couldn't tell. Regardless, he dropped the subject, and I was free to continue on with my day, having successfully sold my soul.

After I left the management's office, I decided to take a trip down memory lane. I entered the dining room and let myself get immersed into the atmosphere of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, the pizzeria I had spent many hours as a kid at.

'The place where fantasy and fun come to life'. That was the slogan. As a kid, it was pretty accurate. Back in the good ol' days, this place had a sense of wonder that I can't quite put to words. The music; the laughter of the other children; the smell of freshly baked pizza. It brought a certain giddiness out of everyone.

Now that I was a grown-ass man, I could really feel the age this place had endured. I walked up to the show stage, where the band was performing. I looked up at the animatronics as they sang some decade old rock song.

The blue bunny, the yellow chicken, and the brown bear. They seemed so stiff and robotic at that moment, but I didn't know if that was always the case or not.

As a child, these weren't just robots. They were Bonnie, Chica and Freddy - one of the coolest bands in town. Bonnie's guitar solos were spine-tingling, Chica's backup vocals were always so mellow, and Freddy, the leader of the crew would always steal the show, with his warm voice, and charming personality.

And now… I looked at them, and felt nothing. Not even nostalgia, just… a sense of hollowness. And that's how it had been ever since the incidents.

…

Not wanting to think about it, I glanced around the room. Well, the children seemed to be having fun, at least. There weren't as many of them as there were back then, but still, I could see the joy in their eyes. It was comforting, in a way.

'...I'm beginning to sound like my grandpa.'

"Excuse me, sir."

I turned around, and came face to face with a security officer. He was wearing that signature uniform, and an awkward expression.

"Adults without children are not allowed here. You understand, right?"

"Right," I nodded idly, before taking my leave. It wasn't like there was anything left for me to do there. Besides, I had a sleeping schedule to rearrange…