Hey all, here's chapter 49.
This one underwent multiple rewrites as I was struggling to balance out plot and character and I didnt wish to get bogged down in repetition.
Anyhow, a huge thank to both AugustFrost12 and Moonshine for their reviews. I'm really glad that you liked the Halloween song August! Moonshine, I hope that this chapter satifes your desire for more Springtrap. ;-)
A big thank you to Nharrison93, Fer09 and MrDeathWaltz for favouriting and following this story, there are plenty more chapters to come!
Other than that, I am looking forward to reading the 1:35AM Fazbear Fright book when it drops in a week! I heard that there was an issue between Funko Pop and Scott over FNAF2020, with Scott having to rectify some leaks.
Apologies for any grammar mistakes and do enjoy. :-)
Chapter 49.
Vengeful Spirits.
"Looks like something bad happened."
Circus Baby from Ultimate Custom Night.
Springtrap lead the way forward through the pitch blackness, keeping himself close to the wall as he kept a tight grip on both Cassidy and Charlie's hands, who in turn had hold of Sammy's hand and so on and so on, keeping the group of children together.
It was the only way in which they could stay together and not get lost as neither of them had a light of any kind on them.
Springtrap had to rely heavily on his senses of hearing and touch to understand where he was. It was like he was blind and lost in a maze where everything had the same layout. So far, he and the children had encountered nothing, but that only made Springtrap even more worried, the children did say that this place was evil, cold and uninviting.
He did not know Limbo like they did, and the only reason he was in here was on the belief that he could find answers to questions which he didn't possess. That framed picture still haunted his mind, stirring up endless questions, why was he in that picture, why couldn't he remember anything regarding a Fredbear and Friends?
"Springtrap…Springtrap?" a voice called; the sensation of his arm being tugged on brought him out of his thoughts.
"Springtrap?" Cassidy asked for the third time, she sounded calm, if a little timid.
"Yes," he whispered, keeping his voice low, although he didn't look back at her.
"Do you know who the child in the picture was?" she asked curiously.
Springtrap shock his head.
"No, I've never seen him before, best guess he once lived in this house, but why is it here of all places I don't know."
"There are so many doors, but the house didn't look that big on the outside," Gabriel remarked, running his hand along the faded wallpaper.
"You guys said it yourself, we are not in reality here, this house is bigger on the inside," Springtrap replied as he pushed onwards, keeping a good hold of both Cassidy's and Charlie's hand. It was to ensure their safety; it was also a way for him to keep himself calm. Yet like Gabriel said, there were numerous doors which lined the corridor, often one of the children would encounter a brass doorknob and wonder if they should open it and satisfy their curiosity.
However, Springtrap's words on them to stay close and their own experiences on wandering off had reminded them to remain cautious. Even though Springtrap himself was naturally inclined to investigate each room to find out if there was anything of interest inside.
"I would like look behind these doors, but none of us can see in the dark," he muttered under his breath.
If there was something nasty in here, then he wouldn't want to find it accidently.
Besides, it would be a waste of time if he couldn't see anything anyway and yet, he had to search for something that explained his reason for being at Fredbear and Friends, it was driving his curiosity.
The fact that Goldie of all people had not told him about that place left Springtrap feeling very confused. Granted he knew why Goldie or Fredbear to use his proper name kept elements of their past hidden from him out of shame. Yet, the establishment felt out of place with Springtrap's own personal history, for his last real memory was witnessing the chaos and panic that his breakdown in Fredbear's Family Diner had created before he was forcibly induced into a 'medical coma' and suffered an never ending series of nightmares reliving that infamous day in 1978.
When the first child. . .Charlie met their end at Vincent Afton's hands and Springtrap saw it take place.
Next thing he knew he was waking up on an airship thirty seven years later in the amidst of a titanic battle between the Fazbears and Vincent with his army of endoskeletons. He had no memory of anything to do with Fredbear and Friends. However, he was there somehow on stage alongside Fredbear and for some unknown Fredbear aka Goldie never told him anything about it since the moment he returned to the waking world.
"Therefore, that can only leave one answer on why I was never told about it and like always it seems there is a dark secret to that particular place," Springtrap mentally remarked to himself.
"Something bad must have happened, or it simply fell apart and given what I know already about the past of Goldie and the others, it is always due to something tragic and horrific having taken place."
He then found himself feeling a sense of irony by the reoccurring pattern of events.
"I am starting to notice a theme in these locations, everything starts happy and bright, only to then be soured by shadowy deeds that causes them to be closed for good."
In the end, Springtrap couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like to witness such events being played out before your eyes.
Then Susie's words suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.
"This place feels cold, lonely, isolated and warry, I am getting the feeling that we haven't gone unnoticed," she stated nervously from somewhere behind Gabriel as she gazed about at the tattered wallpaper that stretched forth into infinity.
"I'm getting the same vibe," Charlie added, cautiously, promoting Springtrap to reply.
"Then we keep on searching for anything of interest, you said that the others would come rushing to our defence, so we aren't completely on our own," he retorted, ensuring to keep them calm.
"If that picture exists, then there must be something related to Fredbear and Friends in here somewhere."
He really did wish to explore those other rooms, but the lack of any light source and fear of the unknown strongly advised extreme caution. Still they kept on going, plunging deeper into the darkness which surrounded them like a cloak.
Occasionally they encountered the wall with their feet as it was hard to see. Or in Springtrap's case, seeing how he was at the front, crashing over a small table and nearly pulling Charlie down with him, Cassidy however was not so lucky.
"Aghh, bloody hell, that hurt!" Springtrap cursed, nursing his knee which had directly impacted the table that had sent him spiralling uncontrollably towards the floor. In the amidst of his pain, he didn't care to vent his frustration at being so careless, even if it attracted something. Cassidy, slowly picked herself up having been sprawled on the floor, feeling that one of her arms felt twisted, probably having from pulled sharply in an awkward position.
"You'll pay for that," she remarked sounding irritated, probably casting him a cold look of vengeance.
"I didn't know that there was a table ahead of me, I can't see any better than you can," Springtrap replied, determined to make his point, but he could sense the annoyance in Cassidy's voice,
"And how exactly, will I pay for that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as he gazed in her direction, but Cassidy didn't reply, yet she was most likely nursing dark thoughts. Suddenly, Springtrap felt two pair of hands grab his shoulders, but he knew it to be the other children as they tried with their combined strength to lift him up.
"Thanks, but I'll manage," he said reassuringly, pushing himself off the ground.
"If only we had a flashlight to hand, then things wouldn't be so difficult," he muttered, voicing his thoughts.
He then turned in what he assumed to be Charlie's location.
"Charlie, seeing how you're persistent with time management, how long had we been in here?"
There was a short silence before Charlie answered back in a stoic tone, clearly thinking his words over.
"About fifteen minutes…at best."
"Therefore, we should have forty-five minutes left in here."
Then his tone became insisting, with an irritated edge.
"I hope that you know what it is you are looking for."
Springtrap shook his head, in truth he didn't know what he would find, but he wanted more than just answers for why he was in that picture with the boy. There was more going on here, he felt it in the air, like there was something waiting to be discovered here.
"No, I don't know what it is exactly, but it will be anything that can answer as to why I am present in that picture when I was never at Fredbear and Friends, so we just have to search carefully," Springtrap answered confidently, hoping to put Charlie's concerns at ease.
He continued to look at Charlie, even though he couldn't see him, but he felt that it was necessary to reassure him, given his tactile manner.
"I know that this is a long shot, but I was never told anything about this other location and it just feels odd that Goldie never mentioned it, despite being there himself."
"I have this feeling, that there is something left unearthed that might shed light on the past, or even provide a means to fix this mess."
Before Charlie could respond, Springtrap addressed everyone.
"I know that this is risky, beyond insane and I am asking you all to trust me on what is a hunch and if everything goes wrong, then it is all on me."
"No," came a reply, it being from Gabriel, who spoke in a quiet, but determined voice.
"We will all be responsible for what happens here if the worst comes to pass, we choose to join you and do I believe that there is something worth discovering here."
There were several mutterings of agreement from the other children. Springtrap smiled internally, he was glad to hear that they were still willing to keep exploring, even though they were basically wandering about in the dark. Although that didn't diminish the risks they were taking.
Then he remembered what Susie had said earlier about them being noticed.
"Susie, what do you mean by us being noticed, we haven't encounter anyone or anything since entering?" he asked curiously, although he was concerned about something watching them from the shadows.
Susie was probably looking around, replying in a confused tone that revealed her own uneasiness with the situation.
"Like I said this house isn't what is seems, I just get the creeping sensation that we are being watched somehow, that it can somehow feel our presence."
"This is Limbo remember SpringBonnie, normal rules don't apply here, hence why we cautioned against entering in the first place," Sammy added, before saying in a stern tone to underline his words.
"There are worse beings out here than vengeful murdered children."
Springtrap cast his gaze towards his front, seeing nothing but endless darkness ahead of him.
"Still, we should press on, maybe the house is just watching us and seeing whether we'll leave or not, but we find nothing then we'll just go," he said, balancing out the risk of encountering something horrible and the opportunity of finding something that could answer his questions about Fredbear and Friends. He still felt very inclined to keep on exploring, but he knew that he was putting everyone on the line for it.
"Remember stay close to me and eachother," he said out loud, walking forward and he could feel the sensation of their physical presence close to him, so he knew that they were following him.
He also realised that by being at the very front, if anything were to attack them, he would be the one to get jumped first, as this time none of the children dared to walk beside him.
It was a cold calculation but given their collective experience of death and the afterlife, he wasn't too surprised that they were willing to use him as a protective buffer. They continued to walk on in utter silence, with Springtrap's concern for danger growing with every step that he took, as it brought them further and further from the other children and their point of entry.
If the house was indeed alive, then its lack of action against them was puzzling, occupying Springtrap's thoughts.
"Either it is hoping that we give up and leave and that it can keep whatever secrets it has well hidden. . .or it wants us to explore, luring us in," he mentally remarked, feeling nervous as the surrounding darkness seemed to cover everything like a thick fog.
In addition, the very air felt strange, it was heavy for some reason and there was an underlying chill as well that did little to sooth Springtrap's inner fears and that of the children. This place was not natural, seeming to exist on its own rules and yet it didn't respond to the would-be intruders, but seemed to keep a hidden watch on them.
The steady growing feeling of tension in the air crept into Springtrap's mind, with him mentally whispering to himself.
"There better be a light at the end of this tunnel in some sense, otherwise I might as well call the whole search off if nothing interesting tur-"
"Wait, what's that up ahead, can't you see it?" Susie announced eagerly, pointing towards the item of interest, even though nobody could see her hand, but they could see what had gained her attention. There was indeed something up ahead, a light of sorts, a dim one but it was there, whitish in colour, flickering in and out of the gloom.
It acted as a beacon for them to follow and they were drawn to it, satisfied to finally be able to see their surroundings.
Plus, the light provoked a feeling of security, as it seemed to hold off the surrounding darkness.
"At last, some comfort at least," Springtrap said in a relived tone. He reached the lamp first, eager to see if he could detach it somehow and use it as a makeshift flashlight.
However, he discovered that due to its design it was impossible for him to take it with them.
"Finally, we can see probably for once," Sammy whispered, pausing to look around, not that much was revealed anyway.
The only thing worthy of notice was a plain door along the corridor, with the light of the lamp illuminating its outline and casting its shadow on the opposite wall.
Cassidy seemed to cast a curious gaze at it.
"Should we try to explore it?" she asked inquisitively.
"Or at least look inside?"
The idea was tempting, with the addition of having enough to light to see inside, the desire to find out gnawed at their collective resistance to the idea.
Springtrap decided to go first, less the children discover something horrific on the other side that they wouldn't be able to escape from.
He stepped forward slowly, seeing his own shadow crawl up the door's frame. His instincts strongly advised caution as he reached out for the door handle. Gripping it tightly, he waited a few seconds, allowing himself to calm his inner fears. Turning briefly towards the children, he could see that they looked uncertain. Charlie looked nervous even though he tried to put on a brave face, his eyes never leaving the door. Yet Springtrap could tell that he strongly advised against what he was about to do, believing that if anything went seriously wrong then his reservations about coming here in the first place would be completely justified.
Gabriel stood the furthest away from the group, looking quite tense and was probably deciding whether to flee or not at the first sight of danger. Susie, equally looked concerned as she stood by the table with its lamp, seeming to want to witness the event from a safe distance. Sammy however, looked unsure, as he didn't stand too far from Springtrap himself. Cassidy was simply blank faced, expressing little to no emotion, save for her eyes which indicated an inner feeling of discomfort. Yet, unlike the others who shown fear, she hadn't moved away from Springtrap, instead choosing to stand right behind him.
Springtrap narrowed his eyes in determination and he turned the door's handle, slowly pulling the door open.
As light from the lamp pushed away at the shadows, it revealed to Springtrap and the children something that neither of them ever expected to find, making their eyes go wide.
Webs. . .thick, black and gooey webs that stretched across the entire room like vines. The mere sight of it made them feel confused, as well dreading what the implication meant. Initially Springtrap suspected massive spiders as the cause, but such when did spiders make webs as large as these?
The light from the lamp had only revealed so much, leaving most of the room in the dark, although judging by the appearance of those webs, Springtrap quickly concluded that this wasn't a room worth entering. Some of the children had scooted closer, seeing that there was no immediate danger, with Cassidy leaning out from behind Springtrap to get a better look at the various webs that were strung out before them like a transparent curtain.
Hesitantly, Springtrap took a small step forward, he didn't intend to touch the black webs, seeking instead to look beyond them and see if anything of interest lay at the room's far end. The children wisely remained either behind him, or stuck to the safety of the lamp, trying to spy out anything of note from where they stood.
"There has to be something in here, it can't just be a room full of unnaturally large webs," Springtrap mentally commented, feeling alert as the room itself gave him a strong feeling of uneasiness.
Wait, there was something. . .towards the back up against the far wall, flickering in and out of the darkness.
Springtrap couldn't quite make it out, but it appeared to be a series of bulky objects stacked up against the far wall placed alongside each other in a line. At best he could perceived them to be distinctly humanoid in shape, but any further detail was kept well beyond his sight. Nor, did he wish to venture any further to find out, should he risk altering something and finding that the room not as empty as it first appeared.
"We should move on, there isn't much for us here," Springtrap muttered, stepping backwards and in doing so, the other children followed his movements.
He then closed the door shut, allowing darkness to fully reassert its dominance over the room, keeping its secrets hidden from prying eyes.
"What do you think made those webs?" Sammy asked, turning to look at Springtrap and although he had a good idea in mind, Charlie in a blunt tone beat him to it.
"Spiders, massive ones by the looks of it."
"Or something akin to it," Springtrap remarked in a dark tone, casting his eyes in Charlie's direction.
"Hence, we are truly not alone in here, although whether anything is aware of our presence at the moment is anyone's guess."
"Given the creeping sensations that this house is giving me, we have all the more reason to be afraid," Susie muttered, turning to gaze into the darkness that lay further along the corridor.
"If we explore further than we increase the risk of getting ourselves trapped somehow."
Springtrap followed her gaze, equally staring into the void that glared back at him longingly, as if it was awaiting his next move like a player at a chess board, playing poker face with their opponent. In the back of his mind, Springtrap did truly wonder if this sensation of being watched was in fact being created by his fear of it, instead of being something tangible. The children themselves despite the hellish, confused and fear driven existence that they had come to know were still at the end of the day children. . .despite what they had become over the years.
What is understood by an adult can easily be misunderstood in the mind of a child, and perhaps in this case that meaning still rang true.
Yet, there was truly something odd about this place, even when regarding the irregularities of Limbo itself and Springtrap couldn't shake off the feeling that the children's' concerns were well grounded.
He needed to think for a moment, he wondered if it were possible to die in Limbo, despite being dead already?
Probably not, given that this was the afterlife, other than there being heaven and hell, there was nothing else after Limbo. Although as the children had demonstrated, you could certainly feel pain here and thus you might end up in the worst circumstances possible, where you would suffer constant agony, both mentally and psychically, but never be able to die from it.
That fate alone made Springtrap physically shudder with dread.
"We should keep on moving," he said, loud enough so that the children could hear, immediately taking charge.
"We only have half an hour left in here," Charlie remarked plainly, walking forward as Susie kept on examining the table lamp, although Gabriel motioned to her to move along.
"Then we better not waste any more time then we have to," Springtrap replied warmly, to which Charlie nodded in silent agreement, making Springtrap feel relieved that the boy wasn't fighting him anymore about heading deeper into the house.
"Remember we aren't alone in here after all, we have the other children as back up," he said in a matter of fact tone, turning in the direction of the darken hallway that laid beyond them like a gaping maw.
"I know that," Charlie retorted in an irritated tone, to which Springtrap rolled his eyes in a minor form of amusement, maybe he had been too optimistic about Charlie not fighting him.
"I was just trying to be reassuring," he muttered lightly, not taking his eyes off the darkness, although he felt that Charlie was being far too provocative for his own good, the child had a rough edge to him that wasn't a good trait, although in his circumstances that cold edge had served him well.
"I already know that we have the others for back up, otherwise I would never have agreed to joining you in here," Charlie remarked stoically.
"Fearful of the horrors that might exist in here?" Springtrap asked curiously, although he sensed that there was more to Charlie's mood than he let on.
Charlie shook his head.
"No," he began.
"We cannot die in here, but like we've told you, there are worst things in Limbo than us, despite everything we've done. . ."
He began to trail off.
"Even though we did it with the best of intentions. . .to remove a monster."
"However, we turned ourselves into monsters, me especially. . ."
Charlie's voice faded away and Springtrap took notice, turning in his direction to see the boy staring off into the distance.
Charlie's face was blank, but his eyes expressed his inner thoughts and Springtrap sensed that he was feeling unsettled and he had a good idea as to why. Referring to what the children had done in their friezed and fear driven attempts to gain some form of closure had clearly forced the memories to resurface in Charlie's mind.
It clearly didn't take much to make them reappear though.
In that one singular moment, Springtrap could see the mental pain in Charlie's eyes and he could imagine the vivid images that the child's memories had created for him, as it dragged him back down memory lane. Even though they had told Springtrap about how they felt about their past actions, the pain and horror of what they had done was overwhelming.
"Charlie," Springtrap called out, trying to shake the boy out of his mental mire.
"Charlie, Charlie."
Yet he got no response from the boy, as Charlie's memories pulled him back into the past, once the door to it was open it couldn't be slammed shut for some time. He didn't want to revisit this moment, when he first stained his hands with innocent blood, but he felt obliged to make himself hurt. To remind himself of how his ceaseless desire for revenge had blinded him, and how in his rage he had taken the life of someone who was as innocent as he had been, and whom he turned into a monster like himself. . .
Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Greenfield Indiana, March 1990.
Vengeance, rage, hatred. . .pain.
It was all Charlie could feel as he glared at the light glow that came down the hallways leading towards the pizzeria's security office.
From where he stood in Puppet's body, he could see Gabriel, Susie, Fitz, Emma and Thomas wandering around in a mindless demeanour as they possessed the bodies of Freddy, Chica, Foxy, Bonnie and Goldie. Their lumbering form banged into the rows of tables and chairs as they walked about without much thought to their immediate surroundings.
"The others are like animals, but I am very aware," Charlie mentally muttered to himself, he at least was able to maintain some degree of coherent thought. Then there came the heavy steps of the Toys, moving out of the hidden room that kept them safe during the daytime as they weren't supposed to be here.
Soon they emerged through the door that was built into the wall that ran along the pizzeria's left side, their white dots for eyes glowed in the dark as they made their entrance.
Finally, everyone was here.
They all had to be here, so that they all join in making that monstrous bastard suffer.
It was only right. . .
Charlie was still afraid of him, but he wanted to make that monster hurt and his desire for blood was overpowering his fear.
Slowly he stepped forward, gaining the attention of the nearby possessed Toys as he moved, with their array of white dots for eyes turning in his direction like a series of searchlights. Out of the corner of his eyes Charlie could make out the stumbling forms of Sammy, Cassidy, Charlotte, Jeremy and Rachel as they possessed the bodies of Toy Freddy, Toy Chica, Toy Bonnie, Mangle and Balloon Boy, forcing them to move forward across the pizzeria's main dining area.
He could sense their rage, pain and misery, it was like a screaming well of inner voices, constantly shrieking in agony and only further reinforcing their own negative feelings as all the children's' voices echoed about in one another's heads.
"What happened?" Rachel asked pleadingly.
"Where is home?"
"I want to go home!"
"This place, I don't like it here, I want to leave!" Gabriel screamed, gripping his head.
"I WANT TO LEAVE!"
"Where is daddy?" Susie asked, looking around, with the glow from her eyes sweeping across the surrounding walls, revealing nothing but the colourful chess pattern that lined them.
"WHERE'S DADDY!" she wailed.
"DADDY WHERE ARE YOU?"
"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!" Cassidy yelled, as in her possessed form she turned about in all directions.
"WHY. . .WHY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
"MUM, MUM, WHERE ARE YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM!" Thomas shouted, looking around everywhere at once.
They didn't know who they were or where they are, that much was clear to Charlie and he pitted them greatly.
They did absolutely nothing to deserve this pain and him likewise, it was completely unjustified, and he hated it even more because of it.
Yet, tonight, things would finally change for the better.
Because 'he' was here, in the office, Charlie knew it because he heard the man's voice earlier.
He was back because he always comes back, but he wouldn't come back from Charlie had in mind for him.
This turmoil had to end, and tonight it would end in blood.
Charlie did his best to ignore their cries, choosing to focus on the signature camera that was situated on the far wall. It constantly kept on sweeping back and forth and Charlie knew who would be watching on the other end. His eyes briefly flickered over to the other children who were still mindlessly walking about in a state of extreme mental torture. However, Charlie had given them life, a fresh start and a chance to gain vengeance by finding the one responsible.
Now was that time and Charlie seized control of the moment with authority.
"He's here," he muttered openly, his words instantly caught everyone's attention, their heads turned in his direction and for a moment all the mental screams stopped.
There was a brief silence, before one of them responded.
"He is here?" Emma asked curiously, her head twitched about uncontrollably.
"Yes, he is here, in the office, can't you hear him. . .laughing?" Charlie replied, his voice was cold.
It was there, the sound of someone laughing in a male voice, at what no one knew, but it was clear there was a man present in the building.
And it was recognisable to all of them, that sinister maniacal laugh which had heralded their demise as SpringBonnie loomed over them, holding a sharp knife and a cold uncompromising stare. Although for others he had been grinning like a madman, fully embroiled in his bloodlust.
"Why he has come back?" Susie asked, her voice trembled, expressing her inner fear.
"Does he wish to cause us further harm?" Thomas enquired cautiously.
"I do not know, but it does not matter either way," Charlie answered coldly, staring down at his new hands, he fully understood the opportunity that lay before him.
"Yet we are all together and there is only one of him."
His words seemed to cause a stir among the other children, clearly engaging their thoughts on what he was implying.
"He deserves to suffer, as we did and we can make it happen," Cassidy remarked smoothly, having understood where Charlie was heading.
"He is all alone in here," Fitz muttered observantly, also coming to the same conclusion, as did several other children.
"He is here!"
"I am still scared of him!"
Rachel strove to calm her brethren's fears
"We don't have to be if we are all together and in these new forms, we can end him permanently."
"And gain our freedom," Charlotte remarked excitedly, finishing Rachel's words for her.
"We can still be afraid of him, but now he should be afraid of us," she sternly, her conviction in her words were evident enough, stirring dark thoughts amongst the children. They wanted vengeance for the cruel and undeserved fate that had befallen them by an evil that seemed remorseless, devoid of any regret. . .because evil is never guilty.
Whilst they were still very much afraid of their murderer, they now had the chance to make him fearful of them. . .before they ended his life.
Charlie took a step forward, by now the other children had noticed the various cameras positioned around the room, but it shouldn't prevent them from proceeding anyway.
One by one, the children moved forward, heading towards one of the two hallways that lead down to the security office, as they were now united in a common purpose and a shared trauma that burrowed itself deep into their souls and would always remain in the centre of their thoughts. Emotionally, they felt a wide variety of feelings that all conflicted with eachother, uncertainty, dread, concern, excitement, determination and bloodlust.
The steps of their host bodies sent foreboding echoes down both hallways as they marched, willing themselves forward to confront the one who was responsible for their suffering. Their feelings increased in strength as they neared the office doors from which light could be seen, along with the buzzing of static, but one sound rang out above all others. A psychotic laugh of pure enjoyment that felt off, even for a rundown place such as this pizzeria.
Finally, Charlie and Gabriel, being at the heads of either group walked into full view of the office doors, with the others following up at a distance, perhaps being warry of seeing the one who had caused them so much terror before dragging them into the embrace of death.
And they weren't disappointed. . .
Sitting in office chair and laughing his head off at the various monitors that showed several areas of the pizzeria was SpringBonnie himself. He looked exactly how they all remembered him, with his golden hair, golden bunny ears, whilst wearing a golden suit with a purple bowtie. His green eyes were bright and alive with emotion as he continually laughed at the array of monitors, although for what purpose exactly was unknowable to those that watched him.
Yet, whilst most of the children saw SpringBonnie, in his place Charlie saw the man who taken his life outside Fredbear's Family Diner all those years ago, Purple Guy. His purple hair swayed as he rocked back and forth in the office chair, seeming to be laughing at nothing, but he was clearly entertained. The man's green eyes were clear with emotion. He still wore the same clothes that Charlie had last seen him in, dull purple shirt and black trousers with black matching shoes. In fact, despite the passage of time, Purple Guy didn't seem to have aged in a single day, as Charlie stared longingly at him.
He was here, very much in the flesh and seemed to be oblivious to the company that he had acquired. However, as he rocked back once more into his chair, he happened to turn his head and immediately caught sight of Charlie, or rather Puppet, as that was Charlie's physical vessel.
"Well, well, it's about time you all got here, I have been waiting to meet you all again, after being separated for so many painful years," Purple Guy said, his tone was full of excitement and he looked physically overjoyed to see them, so much so that it seemed off putting. Yet, Charlie and the other children continued to stare at him in complete silence and no one dared to take a step forward into the security office, despite its small space.
Purple Guy seemed to recognise that none of them were doing anything, other than just staring at him, like he had told a bad joke and they were silently judging him for it. His excitement appeared to wane as he glanced around at them.
He then held his hands up, venting his inner confusion at the awkwardness of the situation.
"Well," he began, sounding irritated.
"Don't any of you have anything to say?" he asked, glancing around yet again in search for some form of recognition from them.
Charlie could sense the whirling storm of emotions that raged within both himself and the other children. Fear, anxiety, distress, confusion and rage all intermixing together and keeping them rooted to the spot. They wanted to act, but they felt unsure on how to handle the situation and were too scared to make a move against their murderer, as he sat there in the chair, his visible appearance bringing back many traumatic and terror filled memories.
Even Charlie found himself unable to speak and although he had often dreamed of getting revenge on the one who had caused him so much unimaginable pain, to actually see the man himself had strengthen his fears, making Charlie freeze on the spot.
Purple Guy then sighed bitterly and leaned back into his chair.
"And I thought that you would take full advantage of the opportunity to get your revenge, after all, it is probably what you've all been thinking about ever since I watched the light fade away from your eyes," he remarked sarcastically, although he sounded like a fed up child with the way that he was sitting in the chair.
"Guess that I really did put the fear of God into you didn't I, maybe I tried too hard to be scary, let alone intimidating."
"Well, I can always improve my conduct next time," he muttered softly, pushing him out of the chair as he proceeded to stand up straight.
"A next time!" Charlie mentally screamed, he felt the same feeling of rage ripple across from the other children.
There wasn't going to be a next time, not as far they were all concerned and right now, they had the perfect opportunity to end this monster, but instead they remained stationary. They still felt strong feelings of terror intermixed with anger, as Purple Guy made his way over to Charlie, looming over him like a dark shadow.
For a moment there was silence as both Purple Guy and Charlie stared back at eachother, with Charlie expressing his feelings through Puppet's eyes. It was a swirling maelstrom of furry, dread and even fear at being so close to Purple Guy.
"You tried so hard to stop me," he commented coldly.
"What is going on?"
What was that sound, was it a voice?
It sounded very distinct, too faint to be made out properly for Charlie or anyone else near him. Its meaning was lost to all of them, as Purple Guy kept on talking in a cold and disappointed tone.
"Yet at the final hurdle you falter."
"Are you ok?"
Where was that sound coming from, it was merely a whisper and barely audible to Charlie, yet he maintained his full focus on Purple Guy.
"I am disappointed, I thought that your rage would have enabled you to break through your fears of me."
"Puppet, what is wrong?"
Again, where was that sound coming from?
It was too low for Charlie to understand what it was trying to say, but not low enough that it was undetectable. Could only he hear this unknown voice, whose words remained far beyond his ability to grasp?
Purple Guy then placed his hand on Puppet's shoulder, the sensation sent Charlie's emotions alight with unrivalled anger that burned within his soul like a firestorm.
"In the end, you will always be weak."
"Do you need help?"
"How disappointing. . ."
"Let me help you."
"NO!" Charlie screamed in open rage, as he suddenly grabbed hold of Purple Guy by the shoulders and with an unknown strength that he didn't realise he possessed; he threw Purple Guy to the side with full force, right against the line of lockers that stood against the back wall of the security office.
Purple Guy cried out in pain as his left side slammed into the metal lockers. The force of his impact made a sizeable dent in several lockers as he pulled himself up, but the damage was done and Charlie no longer felt intimidated, but enraged, feeling a creeping sensation of delight at seeing his murderer wince in pain.
The pain Purple Guy felt couldn't compete with what Charlie had been put through, but it was a decent start in his eyes. Equally, in the eyes of the other children they saw weakness, like sharks smelling blood in the water and it broke the hold of their fear, fully releasing their rage as they all started to swarm him.
Purple Guy chuckled as he fully regained his footing, despite the fact that certain death was staring him in the face, he somehow found the capability to see humour where none existed.
"Together again," he commented, sounding relieved and delighted as several pair of hands reached out for him, eager to tear him limb from limb, if it made him feel an ounce of the pain that they had felt, when he mercilessly dragged them into the clutches of death.
"WHAT THE HELL!"
"Just like old times."
"Why did you do that?"
That distinct voice, it sounded so panicked, but its source was untraceable, being a whisper that was still barely audible, however right now it was the last thing on everyone's minds.
Cassidy reached him first and she gripped him hard by the neck, pulling him away from the lockers only to then slammed him back into them with as much strength as her physical vessel could summon. Gabriel went next, delivering a solid punch against Purple Guy's ribcage, it created a considerable thud and made Purple Guy groan in pain.
However, Purple Guy suddenly responded in kind, bringing his fist against the middle of Gabriel's ribcage, hitting him in the soft spot between his ribs. The blow made Gabriel stumble backwards, making Purple Guy grin in delight.
"So, you fully take the plunge, but I'm not going down that easily," he said determinedly.
"STOP, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"
Fitz then lunged forward and delivered a swift sweep with Foxy's hook hand against Purple Guy's chest, the full force of his attack gave the man a nasty tear, going through his shirt and ripping the skin open beneath.
Purple Guy's face became distorted in open pain as blood began to drip from the wound, but Fitz wouldn't let up and he punched Purple Guy square on the face, the rage that he expressed through Foxy's eyes was enough to make him register a small glimpse of fear in Purple Guy's face, but it quickly faded away to be replaced by pain.
Purple Guy groaned, but he struck back at Fitz. . .well, he tried to as Charlotte stopped him in mid action, catching his arm and twisting it, fully intending to break it. He was vulnerable and she wanted to sink her teeth in and cause as much pain as possible before the others got involved.
"Murder!" she hissed through the mouth of Toy Bonnie.
"Guilty as charmed," Purple Guy replied stoically, he looked irritated, an underreaction given the dire situation he found himself in.
"What?"
"You know what you did!" Thomas yelled, seething with open hatred as his eyes burned bright, yet Purple Guy brushed him off.
"And I regret nothing and the pleasure that it brought me."
"I haven't murdered anyone!"
Although Charlotte could only see SpringBonnie whereas Charlie saw Purple Guy, they could both see the damage that they were causing, and they loved it. Yet that mysterious voice now sounded a little bit clearer now, it carried a distinctively female tone to it, but again it was untraceable, and it was becoming annoying, further fuelling their rage.
Then Jeremy gripped hold of Purple Guy by the shoulders and used Mangle's endoskeleton arms to grab of hold of his legs before throwing him with significant force against the chair and desk, with Purple Guy slamming straight into it with an immense thud before dropping down to the floor. Various monitors, and even the telephone fell off the desk having been shook loose.
"YOU DESERVE TO SUFFER FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DID TO US!" Jeremy screamed.
An instant later, Susie reached forward and grabbed hold of Purple Guy by the throat. With help from Jeremy who used Mangle's endoskeletons to hold him upright.
"Let's see how times we can break you," Susie hissed, before delivering a square on punch to his face. She enjoyed the act, but it didn't satisfy her desire to see him as broken as she had been. Purple Guy cried in harsh pain, as his nose was broken by the full force of Susie's punch.
Yet there was another sharp cry of pain as well, sounding at the same time as Purple Guy's cry, but it was too distinct to be heard probably.
Then Jeremy dropped Purple Guy down to the floor, only for Sammy to bring his foot down on Purple Guy's left leg and this time there was a deafening crack of bone, making the man scream out, much to Sammy's delight. However, it was not enough for as he repeatedly stomped down hard on Purple Guy's left leg, only then to receive a swift kick from the man himself via his right leg, knocking Sammy backwards.
Purple Guy gripped the office desk and with great effort managed to pull himself upright. He expressed a slasher grin of delight, despite the immense agony that he was clearly feeling.
"Is all you've got, breaking a few bones and having me scream out in pain?" he asked amusingly, seeming to be baiting them to come at him again.
"PLEASE STOP, I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU GUYS!"
"You really are pathetic, even for enraged children you are a broken bunch."
"PLEASE, DON'T HURT ME, JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU LOT?"
They all stepped towards him, despite the tight space of the office they were all able to cast shadows over him, further highlighting who held the upper hand.
"You may kill me, but you'll never be freed of the horror that I dragged you into."
"I NEED AN AMBULANCE, PLEASE, I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!"
Purple Guy laughed once more as they loomed over him, the dark look in their eyes expressed a deep-seated fury that was barely being kept in check by their curiosity at what he was going to say next.
"Regardless of what you do to me now, I have already won, and I can die happy-"
"PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME, IT'S ME JESSICA REMEMBER!"
They lost it before Purple Guy could even finish and the annoying sound of that faint female voice only further aggravated them, pushing them over the edge. Once more the bloodlust descended over their minds, and they became lost in its embrace.
They swarmed him and delivered onto him a hell of physical punishment, with no one holding back. Rachel took the opportunity through her use of Balloon Boy's body to twist Purple Guy's right arm back and Thomas using the strength of Goldie's body pulled so hard that he ripped it out of its socket with a sicking dislocating crack. Purple Guy screamed as agony coursed through him like fire, whilst trying to fight off his opponents, but it was a hopeless endeavour as they enveloped him on all sides. They would break him completely and even if they could not make him terrified for his life, then they could make him feel as much agony as they felt, or at least through their combined efforts they could get close to it.
However, as they continually laid down a relentless and endless barrage of agony, even throwing Purple Guy back against the wall of lockers, which resulted in him bleeding; that faint voice kept on reappearing. It was screaming in pain, whilst speaking a few words in a tone of utter desperation, but it only seemed to be heard whenever Purple Guy spoke or cried in pain. None of the children could understand why they were hearing another voice that seemed to be impossible to locate and it enraged them further.
They wouldn't stop, nor could they as mauled him, they didn't want to kill him immediately, seeking to drag out his agony for as long as possible. They had to see him suffer like a cornered animal, even to see him finally beg for his life would be a crowning achievement in their eyes. Their fear still existed though, deep in the depths of their minds, the traumatic feelings of terror and loss were still felt strongly, intermixing with their anger and fuelling their drive to be free of him forever.
However, their physical vessels felt exhausted as their limbs hung wearily by their sides. Together they all stared at the badly bruised form of Purple Guy. He was bleeding in various places from minor cuts, although Fitz's attacks with Foxy's hook hand had delivered considerable damage. Purple Guy's body was marked with black and purple bruises decorating his skin. His nose was broken, just like his left leg as was his right arm, or at least it looked badly twisted. No doubt several of his ribs were broken and he suffered from some internal bleeding as he coughed up blood. It seemed to be painful to breathe as he wheezed and gasped for air, his level of vulnerability was very evident and it invented the children to continue their savage beatings, but they held off for now, wanting to see him realise his error and then to beg them for forgiveness, only for them to drag him into the waiting jaws of death.
"I understand that you are mad and rightfully hate me, but nothing you do will erase the trauma that you suffered at my hands," he said in victorious tone, despite looking utterly exhausted.
"Please, I haven't done anything wrong to any of you guys!"
He paused to cough up blood before resuming.
"Those special moments that we've shared. . .are forever-"
"I don't want to die!"
Suddenly, a hand grabbed his head, sharply pulling it forward only to then quickly slam it back against the locker, creating a dreadful clack. The impact seemed to have distorted him, but the hand took hold of his hair and pulled his face up.
"And you won't recover from the hell that we will put you through!" Emma whispered sternly, her tone was one of barely contained rage and wrath.
Purple Guy or rather SpringBonnie as she saw him looked up at her, despite his bruised and blood covered face, his green eyes still held a lot of fire in them. He wasn't one to be cowed, even in the face of death.
"But I still won, and you'll be dead forever, the damage is done, killing me may free you, but you'll never undone what I did."
"What do you want from me?"
He was cruel and triumphant to the end, maybe boasting about his 'victory' as he called it was his way of supressing his fear, but it mattered not as he wasn't going to live for much longer.
He wouldn't be able to harm another child, yet that didn't stop him from further boasting.
"Even when I die, I will have left my mark on the wor-"
"Why are you all doing thi-"
Suddenly, a pair of strings wrapped themselves around his throat, instantly tightening as he was strangled from afar.
"And removing you, will be our mark on the world," Charlie whispered sternly, gripping Puppet's strings with an iron hold as he choked the life out of Purple Guy. He wanted to shut him up and get to the main entertainment of the night, his idea of execution was more than ideal for this monster.
"We have a place for you in here," Charlie muttered in a dark tone.
"The suits in the back, let's see if we can find one that is right for you, shall we?"
He knew that the other children wouldn't resist the opportunity to cause further pain and after all, no one deserved a long and agonising death than Purple Guy, especially if it ripped his sense of victory away from him as he finally realised that his end had truly come.
Soon an array of cold smiles appeared on the face of every possessed Fazbear as they suddenly realised the joy, they could gain from seeing his life being brutally ripped away from him. . .like theirs were.
It felt as poetic as it was desirable.
"Yes," Emma muttered in agreement; her eyes were alit with a hatred driven urge to see him in even more pain.
"It's perfect for him."
She took hold of Purple Guy's shoulders, as the other children stepped forward to help. Charlie then retracted Puppet's strings, allowing Purple Guy to breathe once more, but given how things would end, it would only be a temporally respite. Collectively, the children using the strength of their physical vessels dragged Purple Guy across the office floor and out of the left doorway. The act of moving him resulted in there being some traces of his blood on the floor. Purple Guy did fight back, but they constrained him and tighten their hold on his limbs, it made him cry out, but he received no pity from them.
Together, they pulled him past the storage cupboard and Pirates Cove, across the main dining area and finally into the Parts and Services room.
It was dark, but there was no need to turn on the lights as the children could see very well in the dark through the glow that their eyes created. The room itself was considerable in size, hosting a few boxes of repair tools, some basic first aid packs, but what they sought above all else was available in huge abundance.
The suits were here, all standing in several rows from front to back.
What they were originally used for was of little concern to the children. Only what they could be turned into it mattered.
"In here, he'll soon know how it feels to be trapped. . .like us," Charlie ordered, seeming to take direct command of the situation and other children merely complied. They acted quickly in their desire to become enterally freed from their prison.
Salvation shouldn't too far off now.
Cassidy and Thomas hastily pulled the suit's chest plates wide open, the act making the metal creak, whilst the other children continued to hold Purple Guy down. Now seeming to be more aware of his impending fate, his desire to escape it was more evident as he fought back against them, resulting in them having to use more force to restrain him.
He wasn't going to get away this time.
"Now," Charlie ordered, as he pulled the suit's face plates back, opening them up as far as the mechanisms would allow.
The other children dragged Purple Guy over, he resisted of course, but together they were able to overpower him with relative ease as his injuries had taken a toll on him.
"Killing me won't bring back all of the time that you have lost," he remarked bitterly, but with an undertone of satisfaction, still espousing that he somehow had gained a final victory over them.
"PLEASE DON'T DO THIS, I BEG YOU PLEASE!"
Again, that female voice made a return and it didn't cease to annoy the children, as they forcibly turned Purple Guy around so they could see his face when they shoved him in.
"Murderer!" Cassidy screamed, smacking him in the face, with enough force to knock him against the open suit.
"Murderer!" Fitz yelled, lashing him once more in the chest, leaving another a nasty gash.
"MURDERER!" Emma shouted, sharply kicking him directly in his broken left leg, making Purple Guy grit his teeth to withhold his desire to scream.
"MURDERER!" Gabriel shrieked, pulling hard on his dislocated right arm, which only further added to Purple Guy's distress.
"YOU WILL BURN IN HELL FOR WHAT YOU DID TO US!" Thomas cried; his anger was as visible as the others were.
"LET'S SEE HOW MANY PIECES WE CAN CUT YOU INTO!" Rachel screeched, her desire for blood was all consuming.
"YOU TORE US APART; NOW IT IS OUR TURN!" Sammy roared viciously, eager to see his murderer's brutal fate be played out before his very eyes.
"WHY DID YOU DO IT?" Jeremy screamed, demanding answers in an emotional storm of uncontainable rage. Not that Purple Guy would bother to satisfy his desire for answers anyway.
"NOW YOU'LL KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE RIPPED APART!" Susie shouted, as vivid memories of that dark day played out in her mind.
"WE ARE A BURNING REMINDER OF YOUR MISDEEDS!" Charlotte yelled, hoping to be freed of the enteral pain that had existed from the moment SpringBonnie had plunged the knife into her chest all those years ago.
Purple Guy merely smiled despite looking tortured from his injures.
"I'll exist forever in your memories, the trauma will always feel real wherever you are," he muttered in an exhausted yet victorious tone. He still believed that he had somehow won, regardless of the terrible fate that awaited him.
"Please, don't do this, I don't want to die!"
"No."
Charlie moved to stand before Purple Guy, his eyes burned with a hatred that pierced his opponent's soul as he stared into its depths.
What Charlie saw from Purple Guy was a man who would never feel remorse for what he did, gaining a sick sense of pleasure from what he saw as a 'special moment'.
Evil is never guilty. . .
"We will move on from you, our pain will fade and you will disappear from our minds, but you will be in a world of agony, which is what a monster like you deserves," Charlie said, in a cold, but straight tone.
He leaned into him, looking deep into his eyes, they were a stark contrast to Charlie's own, a soulless, dark and sadistic expression glaring back at a cold, vengeful and moody one.
"My death will not erase my art," Purple Guy muttered softly, his eyes expressing his inner monster as he spoke.
Slowly, Charlie placed his hands on Purple Guy's shoulders, shaking his head, almost as if in dismay.
"You are wrong and seeing you powerless will be like music to me."
Then that faint female voice reappeared, only this time Charlie could just trace its source to Purple Guy himself, as it seemed to come from his direction.
"Please. . .I beg you Puppet, I haven't done anything to deserve this."
It sounded sorrowful, downtrodden, exhausted, hurt and desperate, a plea to live. Yet Charlie was too entrenched in the moment to stop his emotional need for revenge, and freedom to pause; and consider why he was hearing this female voice whenever Purple Guy spoke.
Instead his eyes burned with a desire to see this long awaited moment come about and he smiled coldly, feeling the power that the situation had granted him.
"It's time to die," he whispered sinisterly.
Suddenly, using all his physical vessel's strength, he shoved Purple Guy back into the open chest cavity of the prop suit. Immediately the other children joined in and with their combined strength they forced him into the suit's narrow confines.
It wasn't a perfect fit, as they had to push his arms and legs into the suit's arm and leg holes, often forcibly pushing the existing endoskeleton aside in order to make him fit. Purple Guy didn't take the move lying down and fought back desperately, but their grip was unbreakable. He groaned and cursed aloud as his body was pressed up against the sharp, cold and uncomfortable metal endoskeleton, as various parts of his body were pushed into places that were either too narrow, or that left him in bizarre positions. His head alone had to push aside the existing endo head, as it separated into two halves on either side of the head casting in order to make enough space for his head to fully fit.
Then Cassidy, Gabriel, Fitz and Emma, all pushed the suit's outer metal casting closed, fully encasing him inside, like a cage.
Purple Guy's eyes stared out of the eye holes as he glared back at them from within his new prison. He could see a host of angry faces that sported cold smiles of sinister delight. He didn't move though, remaining perfectly still.
"You'll be surprised, but I am actually proud of you kids."
His words immediately left them all feeling confused, although their anger didn't fade.
Even still, that distant, but annoying female voice had returned, now speaking in complete despair and terror.
"PLEASE, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET ME OUT!"
Yet, that did not distract them at all from listening to Purple Guy, even though they wanted to be done with him.
"I've made you all love pain, to hold the power of life and death in your own hands, to decide who lives and who dies, you crave it, vengeance is all that you've been thinking about from the moment your little bodies dropped dead to the floor."
"You might take my life, but I corrupted you into little killers, my little monsters."
His eyes were alive with a psychopathic smile, so bright was his enthusiasm for his 'craft'.
"Your daddy's little monsters and you've earned it; nothing will ever remove that mark from your souls."
Charlie was enraged, why wasn't this suit working like it was supposed to?
Was it a dud and he had never bothered to check properly?
Wait, maybe there was a simple solution to this. . .
"It's a pity that we couldn't kill together, just imagine all of that rage of yours, going into making something beautiful," Purple Guy espoused, his excitement was uncontainable as he spoke and it only further fuelled Charlie's anger at the suit's inability to work. That annoying female voice wouldn't stop either and now it sounded as though it was speaking at the exact time that Purple Guy was, despite it being just a whisper.
"PLEASE STOP, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
Charlie's eyes narrowed as he slowly lifted his leg up, all the whilst Purple Guy and the unknown woman were still talking, and she was still screaming.
"Even though we are together again, at the end, it is quite fitting, for the hunter to become the hunted."
"PLEASE, I AM NOT A MURDERR, YOU ALL KNOW ME, FREDDY, MANGLE, CHICA, BB, IT'S ME JESSCIA!"
Purple Guy's eyes now looked at Charlie, seeing him raise Puppet's leg, with an obvious intent in mind.
"However, we could have become so much more."
"I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG!"
Then Purple Guy's voice rose to a tone of unrivalled joy driven madness.
"ONE BIGGGGG HAPPY FAMILY!"
"PLEASEEEE!"
Charlie screamed in open rage as he sharply kicked at the prop suit's chest with a loud clang.
There was a series of soft sounding metallic clicks, before the suit's endoskeleton suddenly snapped back into its original position. . .
It couldn't have worked out any better than Charlie had imagined.
Purple Guy screamed in pure agony, as his whole body was punched, stabbed and impaled from almost every angle. His hands and arms were torn into and compressed by those of the endoskeleton's, ripping into his flesh and breaking every one of his bones. His legs and feet suffered no better, being crushed and pinned into place by the sharp metal. Yet his chest, abdomen and face had the worst treatment, as the endoskeleton forced itself into him like knifes plunging into flesh and piercing multiple organs from a wide variety of directions. His screams of pain were cut short as his vocal cords were brutally severed and his lungs were fatally impaired, making him breathe irregularly in constrained gasps.
The pain of having all that metal forcibly shoved into him made him move about in every direction in a mindless yet desperate bid to escape from the agony, but he couldn't get away from it.
Blood poured out of the gaps and holes like streams amidst his death curling cries, as there came the sounds of more metal snapping back into place. Even his eyes holes bled blood, mimicking tear strains as he writhed in agony. Yet it wouldn't end for him, not for a long time, as Charlie had intended. All the while Purple Guy had been screaming, so had the unknown woman, her screams of pain erupting at the same time as his and it sounded just as intense, if not more painful.
Soon the screaming died down to be replaced by desperate strained gasps for air that sounded irregular and very constrained.
The children gathered around him on all sides, chanting in a low voice.
"Murderer, murder, murderer."
Gabriel then moved to look at Purple Guy through his own eye holes, whispering closely.
"Your nightmare is just beginning, and death will not save you from hell's wrath."
Then Cassidy positioned herself to also glare at him back through the suit's blood covered eyeholes, seeing him in an absolute state of agony that refused to cease as he bled out.
"This is how it feels," she whispered coldly, but sporting a sinister grin.
"And you get to experience it over, and over, and over again, the same pain that you cruelly inflicted onto us, will now never leave you."
Then Charlie moved to be in between the two of them, staring at Purple Guy with her intense judgemental gaze looking deep into his wretched soul once again. Despite being headed for the grave, Purple Guy's eyes remained bright with emotion as he gazed back at them, a mixture of pain, extreme discomfort, fear and lastly pride. He still thought that he had won this game and claimed their souls, but when he finally died, the children's spiritual chains would break, and finally they would be able to leave.
"Shhh," Charlie began, putting his hand to the blood covered face of the suit, as he stared at a dying Purple Guy.
He whispered softly, almost in a reassuring tone.
"It will all be over soon. . .for all of us."
Expect it wasn't over soon, for no sooner had Purple Guy died, they still remained imprisoned on earth. There was no sense of fulfilment which left them all feeling confused and angry at the lack of an answer to their plight.
They had killed him, so why weren't they moving on?
Because as it turned out they hadn't killed Purple Guy at all, but rather the female night guard, Jessica Woods. It was her voice that they heard, desperately pleading with them to spare her and insisting that she hadn't done anything wrong and didn't understand why they were hurting her. Not that they understood their folly at the time, as with each passing night they found that Purple Guy or SpringBonnie was still alive and back in the security office.
He kept on coming back and they in return kept on killing him, trying in vain to find the right solution through either shorting or extending his pain. Each failed attempt to find salvation fuelled their rage and desperation to escape, making them ignore those irritating male or female voices that seemed to appear whenever Purple Guy talked. They had no time for it, as they became fully servient to their emotions, turning into feral monsters that stalked the pizzeria's hallways, their souls grew dark as their ability to think left them.
Their perception of Purple Guy/SpringBonnie was right, they had become his little monsters and they didn't stop, pushed further and further by their rage and twisted sense of justice as they descended into the abyss.
Charlie could feel the emotional trauma to continue to build up inside his mind, his self-loathing and hatred screaming at him the long list of his crimes. It threatened to overwhelm him like a tsunami and drag him down into an emotional mire, as each passing image of those 'dark nights' became more and more realistic in his mind's eye and he couldn't escape its pull.
It kept on rising and rising, building and building until-
Suddenly, a pair of arms enveloped Charlie, pulling him right out of his trance and back to reality like a fish on a hook. It took Charlie a moment to realise that Springtrap was hugging him, keeping him in a tight embrace. All the pain and vividness of his memoires that been displayed in his mind, collapsed like rubble and faded into nothing, as his inner black hole of despair weakened its hold over him.
"I'll put you back together," Springtrap said reassuringly in a gentle tone.
"Those dark days will never be repeated, because you know where you went wrong, you took a step back from the abyss Charlie."
"Your self-loathing, your perception that you are a monster is preventing you from seeing that."
Upon hearing those words, Charlie instinctively hugged Springtrap back, burying his head into his chest and finally allowing his inner emotions which had been raging like a ferocious ocean storm to settle peacefully.
"I'm sorry," Charlie whispered, although his voice was more of a sob.
"I'm sorry for having created so much pain."
Springtrap knew what Charlie was referring to, the bloody murderers of the nightguards, yet he said little else as he allowed the boy to cry into his chest, releasing his inner worries and fears out into the open.
"Let me try to fix you and those whom you've carried in your arms," he whispered softly.
Springtrap then casted his mind back to that dreadful day at Fredbear's Family Diner, seeing Charlie getting murdered outside the main entrance, back when everything went to hell.
"I couldn't save you back then. . .so let me save you now." Although now Springtrap's words were more of a reassurance to himself, that he could save Charlie from his inner demons.
Soon there came the sound of footsteps as Susie, Sammy and Gabriel, slowly approached the pair. Springtrap turned in their direction, their facial expressions were ones of regret, shame and sadness, for they could also recall the same hellish nights as vividly as Charlie could. No doubt seeing Charlie in a state of mental lock had also drawn them back into the past, back to a familiar point in their lives that they would otherwise wish to forget forever.
Their sense of self-disgust was evident as they all joined in hugging both Springtrap and Charlie, allowing their own emotional torment to subside. Springtrap smiled to himself, it was a very touching moment and it did remind him that despite everything they had seen and done, they were still just children caught up in a world of unmanageable misfortune.
Yet there was one child who hadn't joined in the group hug. . .Cassidy.
She was standing alone, looking at them with an expression of uneasiness, as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, appearing to be very unsure.
"Cassidy, you don't have to be afraid of your past anymore," Springtrap said reassuringly, extending a hand in her direction.
"I know what you did back then, but it is not too late for you."
"You are not a monster; I will do whatever it takes to help set you free."
Cassidy looked torn, with her gaze switching from the floor and then to Springtrap, seeming to toss her conflicted thoughts around in her head, but was unable to break free of her fear that she might be beyond saving, given her dark deeds.
"I'm scared," she whispered, barely audible. Her eyes were now brimming with tears, as she remained where she was. Charlie turned his gaze in her direction, seeing Cassidy standing there out in the open, more scared than he had ever seen her before. The vengeful demeanour that had dominated her personality during those dark years had now been replaced by tears and fear. Charlie knew what she had done, as they had both killed those night guards together, not giving their reality a second thought when they forcibly shoved them into those death traps for suits.
However, he could see that she did not want to be given false hope and have the opportunity fade away before her like it had done previously. Yet, at the same time, she undoubtedly did want to believe that it was possible for her to escape this hellish existence.
"Cassidy," Charlie began, speaking softly, but also directly as he held out his hand to her, the move gained her attention.
"I'm sorry for dragging you down with me."
He then spoke with his usual sense of conviction, hearted by Springtrap's offer of enteral support and words.
"We can beat this together, all of us, the nightmare has to end eventually doesn't it?" Charlie asked warmly. His words reached out to grasp Cassidy's soul and wretch it free from the clutches of her inner darkness.
"You show regret Cassidy, you display remorse and that makes you more human than you realise," Springtrap said confidently, also holding his hand out to her.
Charlie's words of unity, of him and the other children being the only other family that she had and Springtrap's own words on her feeling remorse slowly broke through the emotional darkness that gripped Cassidy's mind.
"You're not in darkness Cassidy, if you were, then you wouldn't feel anything bad about what you did," Springtrap remarked reassuringly
"I gave you a second chance Cassidy," Charlie stated, looking at her with a deep expression of a genuine desire to help.
"Please, don't leave us all to ascend without you."
Like a chain, Cassidy's inner darkness broke its hold as she willed herself to move, slowly pushing her feet forward, taking small steps. She wanted to ascend, to be free, in the end there was nothing to be gained through endless loathing in the dark. Even though the scarred parts of her mind screamed at her to not give in and risk getting hurt again by false chances, she endured. Her steps became longer as she began to near Springtrap and the others.
Susie, Sammy and Gabriel joined Charlie in all holding their hands out to her, willing her onwards.
"It's ok to believe again Cassidy," Gabriel called excitedly, as he reached out the farthest to grasp her hand.
"The darkest days are behind us," Sammy cried joyfully, leaning forward to offer his hand.
"If we have survived for this long, then we can endure a little more to make it to the end, together," Susie said reassuringly.
"Like we always have."
Cassidy reached out with her own hand towards the group, her eyes were a mixture of uneasiness and relief, mentally preparing herself to step over the line and accept that she was truly an innocent who had merely lost her way due to foul circumstances over which she had no control. She still had her doubts, but she wanted to rest her soul and stop feeling condemned by actions that she had never dreamed of doing when she was alive.
She gently took hold of Gabriel's hand, who immediately gripped it and pulled her forward in a hug. Immediately, multiple pairs of arms took hold of her and she knew that she was safe. Her inner darkness faded away into insignificance, strangled by her renewed sense of self confidence. There had been dark days, but those were long gone, and they were victims of poor fortune. Springtrap thought as much when he spoke, happy that he able to give these poor tormented souls a sense of inner peace.
"You didn't become murderers willingly, you were forced into the hell that Vincent Afton chained you in, he above all else is the one worthy of complete damnation. . .not you," he muttered quietly, but loud enough for them to hear.
"You didn't deserve to suffer as you did, you didn't know what was happening, you were scared and lost and when you all needed help, no one was there to lift you up into their arms."
"If there was an alternative, you wouldn't have gone down the road that you all took?"
Immediately, the children nodded their heads in full agreement and Springtrap took that as an extremely good sign. Their moral compass wasn't completely beyond repair, although some parts may never be restored, given how far they had gone into their inner darkness.
Yet, Springtrap wouldn't rest until he had succeeded in allowing their battered souls to finally rest. Yet, he let himself enjoy the moment, it was rather touching and there was a strong feeling of warmth in the air. Looking around at the dusty and age worn walls, it felt as though for a moment this old house had also been warmed by the children's sincerity, however it was only brief.
Still, Springtrap could feel proud knowing that even in death, he had been able to save another life, like he did with Goldie.
He internally sighed, feeling sorrowful for a moment. He hated having to leave Goldie and the others behind, but he hoped that they were ok whenever they were currently.
CREAKKKKKK!
Suddenly, there was a loud drawn out creak, signifying a door opening somewhere, everyone froze on the spot, eyes darting about at all angles.
From somewhere far up ahead, a light appeared along with the silhouette of an opened door, gleaming in and out of the darkness. Once the sense of immediate danger had passed, the children stepped away from Springtrap, breaking up the hug and all looked towards the open door.
Springtrap instinctively moved to the front, signalling to the children to get behind him.
All sense of warmth subsided, replaced by the need to focus.
"Do we investigate it?" Susie asked cautiously.
"What if something wants us to go in there?" Sammy inquired.
"There might a light source that we can use in there, plus any light in here is a welcome sight," Gabriel suggested.
"I agree," Springtrap muttered supportively, keeping his gaze forward.
"The way that door opened, it seemed deliberate," Cassidy muttered.
"I agree Cassidy, it seem odd, however, we do have back up and there might be something worth investigating in there. I say that we should investigate, and we'll deal with whatever monster comes our way," Charlie remarked determinately, earning several mummers of agreement from the others. There was a strong sense of confidence and focus from Charlie's tone to which Springtrap couldn't help but smile at, however he quickly returned himself to the moment at hand.
Slowly, he strolled forward with the children following close behind, as they all stuck close to the wall.
No sound came as they approached the door and there was no sign of anything dangerous, but what if the unseen threat was hiding beyond their sight.
The children were of course, tiptoeing in behind Springtrap, cautiously glancing over their shoulders and peering around him to see what lay ahead. Soon enough they reached the open door through which light itself flowed out, brightening up the immediate area to the point, which things could be seen normally.
Springtrap firmly planted himself against the wall, with the children copying his approach. He turned to face them, in their new brighten surroundings, they could see his face clearly, he looked serious.
Springtrap put his finger to his lips, signalling them all to be quiet, before he made his move. Slowly, he inched his way towards the doorway and peered round, braced for anything.
His eyes saw. . .a child's bedroom.
Doing a double and triple take to make sure that his eyes weren't playing a trick on him, it was indeed a child's bedroom. Springtrap's sense of tension slowly receded as he found nothing dangerous as he glanced around. There was a blue coloured chest of drawers in the far-left corner with a greenish looking shirt sticking out of one of the drawers.
On top was by appearance a deactivated lava lamp, plus an idle inactive digital alarm clock, and finally perched on the edge was a small bright purple fan, a toy perhaps?
Standing next to it was a wardrobe, big by child bedroom standards, all bulky and imposing.
By judging its design, it appeared to act like a massive shutter.
Sited on the other side, closest to him was another chest of drawers with an inactive lamp resting on top. Littered around the floor before the wardrobe were numerous toys, ranging from a robot, a phone on wheels and a stuffed caterpillar like creature, all sitting on a blue, purplish carpet.
Then lastly scattered across both walls were various framed pictures, family ones probably, snapshots of the child's life.
So far all good, but appearances can be deceitful, so Springtrap slowly slid his way inside, looking around, he could hear the quiet footsteps of the children following him inside.
By all accounts there was no threats to be seen or heard, but why was there an ordinary child's bedroom in a dark and locked house which was stranded all the way out in Limbo?
And more importantly whose bedroom was it exactly?
Springtrap slipped around the doorway, sticking to the wall as he attempted to sneak about, with the ghost children following his lead to the best of their abilities.
Springtrap turned his gaze towards the rest of the room, noting a sizable wooden bookcase in the far corner. Closer to him laid a bed, with a quilt and some pillows which looked dated. They matched nothing that he had encountered in Jeremy's house, which held all the landmarks of the twenty first century.
"Speaking of Jeremy, how is he and Mike getting along?" Springtrap thought, allowing his thoughts to distract him for a moment.
"Hopefully well."
Then he saw that this bedroom wasn't as empty as it appeared to be. The discovery alone was enough to make him stop dead in his tracks. For there, sitting on the bed, holding a worn out plushie of what appeared to be Goldie in his Fredbear persona, was a boy of about ten, looking right back at him.
His baby blue eyes showed a mix of confusion and wariness. By the looks it, he had been watching Springtrap for a while, without Springtrap himself even noticing. The other children leaned out from behind him, their actions caught the boy's attention, as his eyes immediately shifted onto them.
Everyone froze, with Springtrap being up against the wall, his attempts at sneaking about having obviously failed.
Slowly, the boy turned his gaze directly onto Springtrap, sensing him to be the leader of the group, seeing how he was obviously an adult.
"Who are you guys?" he asked in a demanding tone, sounding both worried and curious, if it were possible.
"And what are you all doing here?"
Let the fun begin!
To me, the ghost children are morally split, as you obviously pity them for their misfortune, whilst also feeling edgy, knowing where their emotions can take them.
Thank you for reading and please review. :-)