Hey all, here is Chapter 51 at last!
Another super long chapter, but I had to extend things to make the ending feel natural.
Many thanks to TrimusicalDrag00n90, swid16kawail and nagrme2702 for favouriting and following this story, I deeply appreciate you taking the time to read this. :-)
As usual many thanks to both August Frost12 and fer09 for your reviews. Yes August, the Possessed Prop Suits certainly deserve sympathy given how they were dragged into this whole mess, but then so does the Fazbears and the children, everything seems to be beyond everyone's control. I agree Fer09, the Possessed Prop Suits do see the Fazbears in the same way that they see Vincent. If you found the last chapter intense, then hopefully this chapter is right for you.
There is no song for this chapter as there's enough going on already and it's quite important going forward as we kick into high gear.
I'm looking forward to getting the 'Step Closer' Fazbear Fright book when it releases next month, it should be a blast!
I heard about Scott changing things with Funko when they leaked the action figures for Security Breach. Dammit Funko, you could not keep a secret until the launch date, that's all we ask!
Apologies for any grammar mistakes and do please enjoy.
Chapter 51
A Troubled Mind.
"There is something bad inside of me."
"I am broken."
"I can't be fixed."
Circus Baby from FNAF Sister Location Night 5.
"Who are you exactly?" the boy asked in a demanding tone, sounding both worried and curious, if it were possible.
"And what are you all doing here?"
Springtrap didn't know how to react to the boy's demands for answers, other than to stare back at him with a confused if not shocked expression.
Slowly, he pushed himself off the bedroom wall and straighten out his posture. The children merely stood to attention, also staring at Tommy with a collective blank expression.
"Why are you all here?" the boy asked again, not dropping his demand and now he sounded more assertive, seeing that none of them seemed to pose a direct threat to him.
"What do you want?"
He refused to relent in his questioning, sounding more confident as he spoke each time.
Seeing there to be no danger in answering, Springtrap stepped forward, looking sincere as he spoke so not to frighten the boy.
"I am Springtrap, otherwise called SpringBonnie and-"
"SpringBonnie!" the boy immediately replied, cutting Springtrap off with a tone of instant recognition, yet he still eyed Springtrap cautiously. However, Springtrap continued although he made sure to remember the moment, having gained his interest.
"We mean you no harm, we didn't know that this place was your home, we only came in here looking for something from my past."
He felt that an honest explanation was the best one and the boy didn't seem to be an evil spirit in disguise hoping to lure him into a false sense of security only to then lash and consume his soul.
After all this was Limbo and appearances could be deceitful.
The boy continued to stare at him suspiciously, even as the other children came forward to support Springtrap's case.
"It's true, we only came here to find answers to a problem that constantly plagues us, we mean you no harm," Gabriel said warmly, gesturing to everyone else around him.
"We won't harm you, trust us we aren't monsters," Susie stated calmly.
"We're just like you, we cannot move on," Charlie remarked plainly.
"For now. . ."
They didn't need to go into detail, but it should be enough to win the boy over.
The boy seemed to relax his posture a little, dropping his suspicions, but he still looked unsure.
"You need to leave," he said firmly, clutching his Fredbear plushie tightly to his chest as a form of reassurance.
"Right now," his voice quickly became stern, but he didn't narrow his eyes as one would expect.
"You cannot stay here, regardless of what you seek."
"Why do we need to leave so urgently?" Springtrap asked, although he knew that this house held a dark nature, but so far, they hadn't encountered anything that had forced them into a hasty retreat.
"What it is about this place that requires us to leave immediately?" he asked again, slowly stepping forward, although he didn't intend to intimidate the boy and put him under pressure to answer.
The boy in question further gripped his Frebear plushie, a sign of nervousness. Yet he continued to speak in a stern tone, but it seemed unnatural with his tense body language.
"This place isn't friendly to newcomers who come in uninvited, the longer you stay the more aggressive it will become."
"It would be best if you all leave now and be spared the dreadful conquences of staying."
The boy's blue eyes darted from the doorway to the closet before swiftly returning to Springtrap and the other children.
"This house isn't as empty as it first appears. . ."
"We know that this place isn't safe, that there is a cold vibe to it, we've felt it since we first entered the house," Charlie remarked observantly.
"Trust me, we're well aware of the risk we're taking by being here, although it is because one of us here." He immediately looked towards Springtrap with an expression that can be described as annoyed, even if it was meant in a playful manner.
"Has a hunch that there's something in here which can unravel the mysteries of our tormented past, and he usually isn't wrong on these things."
"Thanks Charlie, I'll take your words as a compliment," Springtrap thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He started to look around as there was no immediate sign of any danger, although he did take the boy's warning seriously.
However, if the house didn't want them to be here, then why hadn't it stopped them yet?
It had opened the boy's bedroom door when it was within their sight, like it wanted them to enter. Cassidy had pointed out such a likelihood when it had happened.
Putting things together Springtrap did suspect a trap was being laid for them and the boy's warnings couldn't be anything less than genuine. Although the boy's existence in of itself did raise additional questions that immediately took centre stage in Springtrap's mind. Yet Cassidy beat him to it when she approached him, with a look of curiosity.
The boy in return looked warry with Cassidy being so close to him as she stared back. Her brown eyes gazing deep into his blue. It was clear that she was trying to figure something out as she tilted her head for a better look, only then for her eyes to suddenly go wide.
"It's him, he's the boy from the picture, the one about Fredbear and Friends remember!" she exclaimed, pointing at the boy, whilst turning back to face the others.
"Hey, you're right, it is, the resemble is a clear match!" Sammy yelled in his astonishment.
"It is him, the boy from the photo!" Gabriel remarked, sounding excited at the prospect from having actually found something in this mausoleum maze of a house.
Immediately, a dozen questions came forth from the excited children like a constant artillery bombardment as they started to crowd around the boy, unnerving him further.
"Who are you?"
"What is your name?"
"Why do you look so sad in the picture?"
"What is Fredbear and Friends?"
"How did you die?"
"Why can't you move on?"
"Why is this house unfriendly to visitors?"
Yet Springtrap stepped forward, gently pushing each child aside, the act made them ceased their questions.
"You're not letting answer anything and you're all crowding him at once, give him space," he said calmly, although there was an undertone of sternness in his voice to help make his point clear.
Springtrap approached the boy, before getting down onto his knees so he was eye level with him.
"Ok, small steps first, what is your name?" he asked calmly, trying to look as non-hostile as possible so not to unnerve the boy any further.
Th boy seemed unsure on whether to answer, contorting his face as he internally debated the matter.
"There's no harm in telling us your name," Springtrap muttered softly, it was at this point that the other children joined in, announcing their names.
"I'm Sammy."
"I'm Susie."
"I'm Cassidy."
"I'm Gabriel."
"And I'm Charlie."
Their display of openness, seemed to finally compel the boy to give an answer, but he was clearly reluctant in his tone.
"Tommy, that's my name," he mumbled, unwilling to go any further.
"Tommy, that's a nice name," Springtrap said warmly, he reached out to pat Tommy on the shoulder, but the boy gave him a look that amounted to, 'please. . .don't.'
Springtrap retracted his hand, before sighing deeply, feeling his bunny ears drop, he knew that the boy was indeed the one from the picture, but his withdrawn nature meant that he was unlikely to give any detailed answers.
Looking upwards at Tommy, Springtrap's attention was drawn to the plushie of Fredbear that the boy held protectively in his hands.
"You know Fredbear?" he asked, striking a causal tone.
Tommy looked a little unsure, but he slowly nodded.
"Yes, he's my favoutive out of all the Fazbear gang."
Out of the corner of his vision, Springtrap could spy out four docile plushies of Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy, all situated against the bed's pillow, sitting attentively.
It was then that he noticed that there was also a plushie of himself present, positioned just between the Freddy and Chica plushies. It sported bright green eyes whilst in a purple waistcoat with golden coloured trousers and sleeves. His old showtime costume, back when it had seen better days, compared to the worn-out version that he currently wore with its faded colours only signifying old age.
Time had not been kind to his clothes, when he got back to the real world, he would make sure to wash them thoroughly so to reclaim some of their lost glory.
Yet Springtrap quickly returned to the matter at hand, putting his thoughts to one side as he brought up an earlier observation.
"You immediately recognised me as SpringBonnie, was that because I was at Fredbear and Friends?" he asked cautiously.
Tommy slowly nodded before answering with.
"I remember seeing you on stage preforming, you were always my second favoutive."
Springtrap internally smiled at Tommy's words, but he remained focused.
"What do you know about Fredbear and Friends?" he enquired, expressing interest as he spoke.
Tommy looked hesitant, although surely there wasn't anything threatening in Springtrap's question for him to withhold answers. . .was there?
"Why would it matter what I know?" he said ambivalently.
"You can't stay here long and how would what I know possibly help you?"
Tommy's voice wasn't dismissive, even though it might contain that edge, but it was clear that he didn't want either Springtrap or the children to remain.
So Springtrap decided to fully come clean, hoping that he might be able to buy Tommy over.
"You were at Fredbears and Friends and even though that's me on stage in that picture, I was in fact never there."
All look of scepticism vanished from Tommy's face to be replaced by confusion.
"What?" he asked, unsure of whether to believe Springtrap's words.
"Trust me it's true, I have absolutely no recollection of Fredbear and Friends, because I was put into a medically induced coma back in 1979. The SpringBonnie in that picture isn't really me and I don't know why another version of me exists," Springtrap said sound genuine in his surprise.
"I want to know why, seeing that picture of you at Fredbear and Friends is what brought me here and you are that boy Tommy, I just hope that you might be able to fill the gaps."
Tommy's gaze drifted from Springtrap to that of the floor, exhaling as he did.
"We all want to know what Fredbear and Friends was?" Susie remarked warmly, although it sounded like a plea.
"We won't be staying long, we just want some answers as your life seems to be tied to ours somehow," Sammy said plainly.
"It. . .was a restaurant," Tommy finally answered, although he still sounded reluctant, yet he continued.
"You were there SpringBonnie as was Fredbear, you often preformed on stage, it was a place of fun. . .well, it was supposed to be. . ."
Tommy then trailed off, evidently his words held more meaning than he was willing to say, something which tugged at Springtrap's curiosity.
"What happened to it, because in my time, all other locations have been shut down?" he asked.
Tommy looked up to look at Springtrap, now he looked surprised.
"They're all shut down?" he questioned, sounding very unsure and confused.
"All of them are, there is nothing left of Freddy Fazbear's, other than the actual Fazbears, whom I know actually on a personal level," Springtrap replied plainly, although he felt a sense of loss with the closure of everything to do with his former life as an entertainer.
Tommy's blue eyes lit up with sudden interest.
"You know the Fazbears, is Fredbear still alive?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes, he is, they all are in fact," Springtrap answered smiling, nodding his head as he did.
"Then how did you die?" Tommy enquired, sounding sorrowful.
Springtrap lowered his head, his smile fading as Tommy then turned to face the other children, eyeing them curiously.
"How did you all die, was it at once, hence why you are all together?" he asked curiously, but with a tone of sadness.
Charlie wrapped his arms around himself, choosing to speak for the other children.
"We all died at separate moments, but we all met our demise at the hands of the same man," he said nonchalantly, but his eyes reflected a serious expression that was haunted by countless years of trauma and regret.
"He pretended to be our friend, luring us away from our families on the promise of fun and games, only to then kill us in cold blood, smiling whilst he held the knife."
"Do you know what it is like to feel the hurt of betrayal, the sudden realisation that you are in grave danger and that your immediate death is staring back at you, whilst you are helpless to prevent it?" he asked slowly, his choice of words had clearly unnerved Tommy, as the latter further hugged his plushie of Fredbear for comfort.
"A little, in a way," he replied cautiously, gazing back at Charlie with a warry expression. His eyes flickered across to the other children, seeing the same gloomy and sorrowful look in their faces.
Tommy then returned his gaze to Springtrap, asking once again in great curiosity.
"How did you die SpringBonnie, what happened to you?"
Springtrap sighed, remembering the past moment well when he fought against Nightmare Fredbear in a desperate attempt to free Goldie.
"I died, saving Fredbear from a monster version of himself."
He could remember his encounter with Nightmare Fredbear vividly, the chase, the tension. The nightmare's voice and laughter, as he hounded Springtrap to no end other than for pure sport.
"A monster?" Tommy asked curiously, but he quickly withdrew as his eyes seemed to shift away from Springtrap. . .towards the open right doorway.
"A monster version of Fredbear," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, but he did seem to understand Springtrap's words. He also looked tense as if he knew something, or at the very least suspected something ominous.
Springtrap followed his gaze, looking at the open doorway, did he suspect something?
Were they being watched?
Was there something here in this house that was causing Tommy to be reluctant in what he would say?
If so, then he seemed to be aware of its presence and that it was equally aware of what was causing place. It was like an invisible hand that had clapped itself around Tommy's throat, forbidding him to speak any further.
Instinctively, without needing to be told, Susie and Gabriel both headed towards the right doorway. Susie grabbed hold of the handle, whilst Gabriel kept watch, staring out into the pitch darkness.
Gabriel could feel himself shiver, the cold feeling in this house seemed to have intensified as though it strongly disapproved of their presence, which would be in line with what Tommy had just told them.
Equally, Susie gazed around, looking out into the dark hallway in which the light from Tommy's bedroom only penetrated so far. Even the nature in which the light fell felt unnatural, the way the darkness seemed to be bending itself around the light's rays, keeping it at bay and allowing the shadows to linger.
There was a tense uneasiness as Susie felt her stomach form knots, not feeling such a sensation since. . .darker times. She felt on edge as if she knew that something dangerous may leap out of the shadows at her.
Were they indeed being watched by unseen eyes?
Quickly, Susie closed the door shut, not wanting to wait and see if her fears were indeed true and Gabriel released a sigh of relief.
Yet when Gabriel looked back at the other children, he could read a deep sense of uncertainty in their faces.
Springtrap felt as though they were on a timer. He needed to quickly to gain answers from Tommy, turning back to face the boy as he spoke.
"What happened at Fredbear and Friends? If it's horrific, you can tell me, I am no stranger to it," he said calmly, trying to make Tommy feel at ease.
Tommy looked nervous, but he answered, even though his voice was low and despite his obvious reluctance.
"There was an accident at the restaurant, something bad happened."
He tightly cradled his Fredbear plushie in a comforting motion.
"You can trust me Tommy, I just want to know and what you tell me may help us uncover the mysteries of our own past and fix everything," Springtrap said reassuringly, trying to make Tommy more willing to talk.
As Springtrap spoke, the other children had taken the opportunity to walk about the room, heading for either the closet or the left side door, both of which lay wide open.
Cassidy examined the closet, she didn't like how imposing it was, the way it towered over the bed with its large shutters.
There was something of a menacing quality to it that frighten her, the closet's design felt unnatural, as it was far too big for a child's bedroom. Given its large size it was perfect for someone to hide inside, be it a child or an adult. . .like that was a deliberate reason for its existence. Even with the lights being on in Tommy's room it was too dark to see all the way inside.
Yet it wasn't empty as she soon discovered.
Looking down at the floor Cassidy's eyes found a foxy plushie, only it wasn't one of Foxy, nor was it clothed in a pirate costume. Instead it was clothed in a pretty white dress with pinkish ribbons, plus its fox ears were a mixture of white and pink, even though much like Foxy himself it sported yellow eyes.
Curiously, Cassidy reached forward and gently took hold of the plushie, examining it.
To feel its soft fur against her fingers brought back memories of her old life when she was alive and didn't know the suffering of being unable to feel anything excluding the times when she was possessing her vessel Toy Chica.
Yet in this house, she was as human as she had been on her last day of life. It felt as satisfying as it was creepy, but Cassidy brushed her concerns to one side, wanting to linger in the moment.
Upon closer inspection it was clear that the plushie belonged to Mangle. Yet why was it in the closet and not on the bed with all the other Fazbear plushies?
Cassidy stared at the plushie in wonder, unsure as to whether she should just leave it here or place it with the other plushies.
Meanwhile Sammy and Charlie had moved over to the left side doorway, Sammy gripped the handle as Charlie gaze out into the surrounding darkness, keeping watch.
Compared to the right side doorway the left one wasn't completely empty as Charlie observed. The darkness was strong, cloaking just about everything beyond the light's reach, seeming to be holding the light itself at bay like it was an actual physical wall. Yet Charlie could spy out some pictures hanging on the far wall and although he couldn't fully make them out, he presumed that they were pictures of Tommy's home life.
However, given the heighten atmosphere and sense of being watched, he wasn't willing to walk out and examine the pictures for fear of the unknown. Sammy merely closed the door, completely shutting out the dark and any potential would be listeners. The closing of both bedroom doors didn't seem to alleviate Tommy's outward expression of discomfort.
"What happened at the restaurant, what was the bad thing that happened there?" Springtrap asked again, still in a reassuring tone, although he was painfully conscious of being on borrowed time.
Tommy now looked pained as he seemed to be fighting with himself on whether or not to speak, but he eventually seemed to come through, uttering in a single sentence with a nervous tone.
"I died. . .I died in Fredbear's jaws."
Immediately Springtrap's green greyish eyes went fully wide with both shock and confusion.
"What?" he stammered, unsure if he had understood Tommy's words correctly.
Surely, he had misheard, hadn't he?
Yet the children clearly hadn't misheard, evident by their reactions as they all turned to look in his direction. Their faces were a mixture of both naked shock and horror.
"Fredbear. . .killed you?" Gabriel asked nervously.
Tommy turned to look at him, his face was crestfallen.
"In a sense," he mumbled softly.
"It was my older brother really; he was pulling one of his pranks on me, like he occasionally did."
"I was having my birthday party at Fredbear and Friends in May 1983, my father took there regularly as he worked there," he remarked, although he looked depressed, despite sounding reflective.
Then he smiled slightly.
"I did like the restaurant, seeing Fredbear and SpringBonnie preform and all. . .but."
His smile immediately faltered, evident of his inner pain.
"My older brother would never stop bullying me, no matter where I went, he and his friends would always find me."
Tommy gently cradled the plushie of Fredbear in his hands, even he seemed to be in a great deal of emotional pain through having to relive the memory.
"They always treated me like I was sport, regardless of what I did."
"On the day of my party, I was left alone for one moment, then, my brother and his friends suddenly ganged up on me and for a laugh, proceeded to shove me into Fredbear's jaws and. . ."
Tommy began to look hesitant, becoming more and more shaken with each passing second, he began to psychically tremble.
"The screaming, I tried to get out, but I couldn't, Fredbear was too strong. . ."
He was evidently feeling the psychological trauma of such an event as he gripped his head, dropping his plushie of Fredbear in the act.
"They were laughing at me, giggling, and pointing as I called out for help, but no one came. . .no one came to help me."
Whilst Tommy painfully retold the story of his untimely demise and it was beyond evident that doing so was bringing up a lot of emotional agony, Springtrap was going through a variety of emotions on his own. He felt profound shock, confusion, then dread at the prospect of Goldie having harmed someone unintentionally, before finally settling on the feeling of conviction.
"Fredbear wouldn't dare harm anyone, especially a child," he mentally commented, but he couldn't deny Tommy's words, but in all likelihood, what had probably occurred was simply a tragic accident.
Yet he could clearly see the agony in Tommy's face as he spoke, vividly reliving each moment.
Tommy had never left this tortured mindset, much like the other children and most likely the Fazbears themselves, although properly to varying degrees. Yet it was clear beyond doubt that Tommy's emotional baggage was an anchor that kept him pinned in Limbo.
At least it was one anchor that Springtrap could see.
Springtrap could feel his own thoughts twisting back and forth in confused mass as he pondered further.
"Did Goldie feel shame about this incident, yet why did he seem ok with telling me about the other children and the other Fazbear locations, was because he wasn't somewhat responsible for what happened?"
Every question that his mind created only ended up giving birth to more.
"Wait, since when did Goldie have a jaw that was large enough to fit a small child's head?"
"Also, why didn't Goldie stop, surely he would have done everything possible to save a child?"
In the end, Springtrap found himself left with only one conclusion.
Whatever happened to Tommy must have somehow been beyond Goldie's ability to control.
It was only explanation that made any sense given Goldie's nature and Springtrap knew him well.
Tommy meanwhile was still talking, and he looked physically shaken as though reliving the traumatic memory was actually taking a visible toll on him.
"The pressure kept on building and no matter how hard I screamed Fredbear wouldn't let me go, he didn't stop performing."
"He wouldn't stop!"
He paced back and forth on the spot, becoming further lost in his emotional outburst. It was now obvious to everyone how much emotional trauma he seemed to contain within himself.
"I could feel blood running down my head, it felt as though my bones were on fire!"
"My brother and his friends was still laughing, they didn't seem to realise the danger I was in. . .or maybe they just didn't care!"
He became more and more hysterical as his story finally reached its climax.
"All I remember next, was the sound of a deafening crunch, an immense pain, everything went black and I was falling, but the pain still remained, constantly rippling against my skull like waves!"
The children gazed back at him with a collective expression of dismay, sorrow, shock and above all pity.
This tortured soul who like them had done nothing wrong and yet had ended up in the bowls of death. Yet unlike themselves, Tommy most likely had not fallen into the abyss and be plagued by the guilt of his past actions.
Tommy kept on speaking, now evidently panicking.
"I can't get out of here, they won't leave me, they won't let me go!"
"They, whose they exactly?" Charlie thought, as his eyes narrowed, whilst trying to determine the mysterious of those responsible for Tommy's imprisonment.
Then Tommy fell onto his knees, still gripping his head, but he seemed in immense pain, gritting his teeth and seemingly unable to speak any further.
His mere expression of agony promoted several of the children to back away, scared by the visual display of Tommy's torment.
Susie was keen to remain by the right side wall, she looked horrified by what she was seeing, daring not to approach Tommy out of fear of him lashing out. Similarly, Gabriel backed off, not wanting to be close to Tommy as he cried out in extreme pain.
"You shouldn't have come here; they will find you!" Tommy screamed, unable to shake off his pain.
Cassidy had remained where she was, standing around the closet, she wished that she could do something to help alleviate Tommy's pain, but nothing came to mind.
He was right though, they had to leave, before this house fully turns on them. Cassidy had felt uneasy from the moment she felt a cold presence upon stepping into this place. The way the door to Tommy's bedroom had opened only further cemented her suspicions. She bit her lip, briefly enjoying the sensation as she hadn't done so since she was last alive decades ago, but she concentrated on trying to make sense of all this chaos. All the while Tommy continually howled in pain before her eyes.
Sammy had backed up against the blue chest of drawers that stood alongside the closet. He could only stare at the unfolding scene with a look of immense dread, fearing that Tommy's cries would immediately be picked up by whatever monsters lurked within this labyrinth of a house.
Charlie expressed nothing but pure pity. He wanted to help the child and free him from his ceaseless torment, yet he knew that in this case he was far out of his league, as he was when he transferred the children's souls into that of the Fazbears. Given how that turned out, he wasn't particularly willing to risk messing things up further with Tommy.
Yet Springtrap intervened, getting down on his knees and grabbing hold of Tommy by the shoulders, trying to stabilise him somehow.
Yet when he met Tommy's eyes, he immediately felt confused and deeply concerned.
Tommy's eyes which were usually blue were now flickering to red, switching back and forth between the two colours in a rapid motion and the very act seemed to cause Tommy agony. He seemed unable to end his inner turmoil.
"You. . .should. . .leave. . .right now!" he hissed, his voice being a mixture of both concern and panic.
"You. . .have. . .your. . .answers. . .now go!"
Springtrap knew that Tommy was right, but only to an extent, he wanted to find out more. There had to be more to this, what exactly happened back in 1983?
There are had to be more to that event and more to this house than Tommy was willing to let on.
Springtrap had to find out for his own sake and for everyone else, especially if it could somehow lead him to being able to stop Tommy's torment and free everybody from this awaking nightmare.
He needed answers, but Tommy was clearly unable to give them and he had been largely unwilling to go any further beyond basic answers out of fear of telling them too much.
Why though?
Was there something in this house that didn't want him to speak?
Tommy's warnings on this house not tolerating their presence was an obvious hint and it was more than likely that he wasn't the house's only occupant.
Yet, his reluctance to speak gave Springtrap the strong impression that Tommy felt that someone or something was watching him. That they knew the subject that Springtrap was asking about and didn't want Tommy to give away any important information. In fact, he had looked towards the door when Springtrap had mentioned having to fight a monster version of Fredbear, who was actually Nightmare Fredbear.
The look of understanding that Tommy had given when he looked at the open doorway. Could it be that Tommy saw a connection, a familiarity that caused him to seem uneasy?
Quickly, Springtrap turned his attention towards the Fredbear plushie, noting once more its clothes. The colour purple and wearing a golden suit, whilst sporting both a purple bowtie and top hat, those were indeed the main features of Goldie's showman clothes from Fredbear's Family Diner.
Then Springtrap remembered, that Nightmare Fredbear had worn the same clothes when he first encountered him back at that old factory.
Seeing the similarity made his mind go into high gear, Tommy died in Fredbear's mouth, Fredbear and his nightmare opposite both wore the same suit and the look. . .that look which Tommy had expressed when mentioned having to a fight a monster version of Goldie.
It was like he knew who Springtrap had been referring to.
Springtrap's eyes went wide in fear as a chill went up his spine.
No, that couldn't be right.
Could it just be down to coincidence, but Springtrap's instincts told him otherwise, the connections were just too strong to be dismissed.
Nightmare Fredbear was here, somehow, he was present.
They had to leave, they had to get out now!
"You will all perish here, regardless of already being dead."
Tommy's words suddenly caught Springtrap's attention, making him turn to look at the boy, only now his expression had visibly changed. He still looked pained and his eyes continued to flicker but stayed red for longer before switching back to blue. Yet it was how he spoke that had caught Springtrap's attention the most.
It was cold, almost vengeful in its tone and Tommy's facial expression only confirmed it.
His eyebrows had narrowed, and they held a dark look to them, particularly whenever his eyes flashed red.
"Welcome to my world SpringBonnie," he said in a tone that sounded both vindictive and excited.
"Your enteral grave lies here, let me lead you into it."
Suddenly, a more pained expression appeared on Tommy's face. The cold hard look that he had previously worn had vanished into nothing.
"Please stop, I'm sorry!" he shirked, continuing gripping his head in a desperate attempt to subdue his pain.
Springtrap locked eyes with Tommy, seeing him a confused state. On one hand, he was a frightened and tortured child undergoing extreme agony, whilst on the other he seemed to express a dark nature, delighted with Springtrap having wandered into a trap and eager to inflict him to untold levels of suffering.
Yet Springtrap only looked at the boy sternly, his green greyish eyes boring deep into Tommy's. He could see a fractured, traumatised mind struggling to reconcile itself as one side seemed to viciously attack the other, refusing to let up its assault.
"Please go. . ."
Yet suddenly, his darker side reared its head again as he smiled coldly the moment his eyes flashed red.
"And fall into my embrace SpringBonnie, I am eager to meet you, seeing how far you have come into our home."
"Our home?" Springtrap thought in surprise, although deep down, he suspected what the most likely answer was.
Tommy's voice was once again eager and cruel, seeming to being enjoying every single moment as he gazed back at Springtrap with a sadistic expression of great anticipation. The red glow in Tommy's eyes remained, not flickering as he continued to speak in a chilling voice that was intermixed with his apparent bloodlust. Yet Springtrap felt as though there was something else in that voice, something vaguely demonic.
"Tommy warned you, he truly means well, but I have different ideas for how this little expedition of yours should end."
His eyes gave an intense stare, seeming to bore deep into Springtrap's own eyes like they were gazing into the depths of his very soul.
For a moment Springtrap felt hypnotised by the intrigued look in Tommy's red eyes, like they were invisible fingers reaching out and grabbing hold of him.
"I like you, SpringBonnie, you were my second favouritive performer, but even a fan can become bored and irritated by a former interest of theirs and in the end, they just might end that interest through bloody means to be free of it. . .forever."
Springtrap felt terrified as Tommy spoke, what the hell was going on with this kid, none of the others acted this way!
It was like seeing the mirror image of someone, only that both these personalities existed in the same body.
Did Tommy have a multiple personality disorder?
Springtrap felt so terrified that he could do nothing but look at Tommy with utter horror in his eyes at what he was seeing.
On the edge of his vision he could see the terrified face of Charlie, the boy looked pale in the face, unnerved by what he had just heard.
Just then Tommy's eyes flashed once more back to blue and all of darkness that had inhabited his expression vanished in an instant. It seemed that the old Tommy had broken through, although it required great effort for him to speak as he openly struggled with his inner demons.
"They won't. . .let you go. . .if the monsters here. . .catch you. . .you will. . .suffer dearly for it. . .and some. . .are far worse than others. . ."
"Run. . .from this. . .place. . .I'm not. . .in control. . .of anything. . .here!"
"Please. . .run!"
It looked as though he wanted to say more and Springtrap could tell that he did, given his urgent tone of voice, his choice of words and the way his eyes frantically darted about as if he was looking for some hidden onlooker that was listening in.
"Leave. . .me!"
Tommy undoubtedly knew many truths and they all had to be important if he was unwilling to speak them and especially if there was someone who didn't want him to share them with anyone else. Yet Springtrap wanted to be sure that his suspicions were indeed correct. Pushing all of the crazy shit that he had just witnessed aside, he asked in a calm yet serious voice as he gazed intensely at Tommy.
"Is Nightmare Fredbear here, is he one of those monsters?"
Immediately, Tommy's eyes looked right back at him, going wide and his face seemed to become pale in its complexion.
He knew, he recognised the name.
Nightmare Fredbear was here and that confirmation instantly caused a ton of questions to burst forth into existence within Springtrap's mind, but he subdued them all temporarily as Tommy spoke again.
"He's here and he isn't alone. . ."
Suddenly, he gripped his head again and howled in adject pain that seemed to come from somewhere within himself, ravaging both his body and mind like a savage beast. Seeing that Tommy was in complete distress and agony, Cassidy decided out of sheer desperation on her part to give him the plushie of Mangle, hoping that it would somehow calm him down.
Even though it was highly likely that it would not change Tommy's situation in the slightest, yet she still wanted to try. She turned away from the wretched scene towards the plushie that sat on the floor in the closet before her and reached in.
Cassidy firmly grabbed hold of the Mangle plushie, but suddenly she wished that she hadn't. . .
Instantly a metallic hand reached down from above and grabbed hold of Cassidy hand, swiftly pulling her up off the floor.
Cassidy screamed in terror at the sudden sensation.
Her high-pitched screams immediately earned everyone's attention.
"CASSIDY!" Sammy yelled, rushing into the closet first as he was the closest, but when he looked up, he wished he hadn't.
Glaring of the darkness that hugged the ceiling of the closet were two vibrant yellowish eyes that eyed the boy hungrily like a predator in the wild.
"Ahh, fresh meat, let fear devour your heart!" an excited female voice called out from the shadows.
Suddenly another metallic hand reached out from the darkness and proceeded to grab hold of Sammy's left leg, just as Charlie rushed into the closet.
The strength of the monster's pull was instantly felt, as Sammy only had enough time to grasp onto Charlie's hand and one of the closet doors as he was swiftly pulled upwards.
"CHARLIE!" Sammy cried in absolute terror, he fought to maintain his grip as the monster pulled hard from the other end.
Charlie equally could barely prepare for the monster's sudden pull, as he grabbed hold of one of the closet's doors in a desperate attempt to hold on.
He looked up, past Sammy to see two quite hungry yellow eyes shining out of the darkness that cloaked the closet's ceiling from view.
"Charlie, Sammy and Cassidy," the monster spoke delightfully in an excited tone, Charlie felt his hear stop as fear took hold of him.
"Innocent little children to the ignorant and murderous devils to those who are aware of their blood-stained deeds," the monster cooed loudly, clearly enjoying every moment.
Charlie swear that his blood went ice cold at those words, he didn't know this. . .'creature', but it clearly knew about him and the others.
But how?
How the hell was it even vaguely aware of what they had done in their past?
The only time that they had ever discussed it in this place was when he was undergoing a vivid flash-
Wait!
Charlie's eyes wide as the realisation impacted him like a blot of pure lighting.
They were being watched; someone had been listening in on their conversations!
He knew that this house wasn't empty, that there was a dark presence within, and often it felt like it was watching them progress with unseen eyes, beckoning them to go further into its depths.
And this was the trap being sprung!
He had been aware of such a strong possibly, but he had willingly ignored his own advice in the search for answers.
Charlie felt foolish, but his attention was suddenly returned to the creature as they seemed to lower themselves down from the closet ceiling, steadily revealing their true form.
Charlie and Sammy momentarily felt confused by the creature's appearance.
"Mangle?" Charlie silently mouthed, his thoughts aligning completely with that of Sammy's as he had the same realisation.
The creature was indeed Mangle, but not as they knew her.
This Mangle wore a tattered and ripped pink whitish dress that was peppered with many holes and had clearly seen better days. She sported a reddish ribbon around her neck which looked withered and old. Yet it was the rest of her that frighten the boys, watching as she lowered herself down towards them using two of her four endoskeleton arms, in which the ends were comprised of claws, that were jagged sharp metal pincers. Her actual claws were deadly in their appearance as were her feet, with all limbs composing of a sharpness that could match a well bladed knife.
Her face looked strikingly similar to that of the real Mangle, the yellow eyes, the ruffled white hair, the white skinned face which from a certain angle might look beautiful to an observer, minus the scars. Yet it was her teeth that stood out the most, a cutting-edge set of fangs that seemed perfect for ripping and tearing into flesh as well as breaking bone or even wood, let alone metal if it were possible.
Faced with such a menacing appearance, both Charlie and Sammy found themselves going deathly pale in the face as this monstrous version of Mangle glared intensely at them. Her gaze was so strong that it felt like she was staring deep into their souls and judging them for any misdeeds.
"You're a fine gift. . .just for us," she remarked sinisterly as she brought out another one of her endoskeleton claws out of the surrounding darkness.
"So easy to ensnare."
In doing so she revealed Cassidy, being held up in her endoskeleton claw by means of having wrapped itself around Cassidy's body, pinning her completely in place as it she was held afloat, much to the shock of her peers. Monster, or rather fittingly 'Nightmare' Mangle growled in ravenous excitement, her eyes expressing a sadistic sense of mischief as she eyed Charlie.
"I can see why you are the leader; someone has to be the strong one when it comes to putting everyone back together after they've been so viciously ripped apart," she hissed playfully, almost seeming to be ignoring Sammy despite still pulling on his leg in her attempts to pry him into her grasp.
"Now I get to play take apart and put back together," she continued, her growls grew like a feral wolf, feeding into Charlie's fear.
"You won't feel a thing!"
Then she leapt at him, her mouth opened wide, revealing her full set of fangs as she launched herself forward, detaching her endoskeleton claws from the ceiling as she did. Yet she didn't let go of Cassidy as she crashed right into Charlie knocking him to the floor with him ending up halfway in and out of the closet.
Sammy was knocked to the side, losing his grip on both Charlie's hand and the closet doorway. Yet the moment he was forced to let go, the endoskeleton claw that was gripping him pulled back sharply and immediately Sammy felt his back slam into the closet's far wall with a sizeable thud. The impact rippled throughout his body sending a stab of sharp pain racing up his back. He then fell to the floor with another thud, feeling dizzy and confused.
"Springtrap," he croaked struggling to find his voice as he lifted his head upwards.
"Help us."
Fear and panic quickly reasserted themselves within him when Sammy felt himself being pulled upwards into the air, seeing Cassidy also being held in a similar president.
The way Nightmare Mangle's endoskeleton claw had wrap itself around her was alike to that of a large snake coiling itself around its victim as it strangled the life out of it. Meanwhile Nightmare Mangle had proceeded to pin Charlie down, using her claws to grip his hands and keep them in place as she opened up her jaw, revealing her deadly set of fangs.
"Actions," Nightmare Mangle said sternly, bearing down on Charlie, her eyes expressing full blown sadism as they stared back at Charlie's own fear driven pupils.
"Have conquences. . ."
She proceeded to bite at Charlie, trying to sink her teeth into either his head or neck, although Charlie was able to get one of his hands free and get it in between him and Nightmare Mangle's teeth.
Sheer pain ripped through his arm; it was like a thousand daggers were stabbing deep into his arm's muscle. It was followed by a fiery hot sensation that rippled through his entire arm as blood dripped out of the wounds that Nightmare Mangle made in her frenzied attacks. Charlie tired his best not to scream, but he couldn't help himself, emitting a cry of terror and pain which only seemed to excite Nightmare Mangle, evident by the vibrant glow in her eyes.
Then she viciously clawed at his face and agony erupted into being as Charlie felt a severe stinging pain like someone was pressing a white hot poker against his check. He felt a warm liquid trickled down his face and he knew it to be blood.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over everyone, resulting in Nightmare Mangle briefly pausing in her savage attacks to look up at this intruder.
Charlie also turned his head to look up at the newcomer as did Sammy and Cassidy, only to see that it was Springtrap. He bore down at Nightmare Mangle with an enraged expression; evident by his narrowed eyebrows and the anger that resonated within his greenish grey eyes. Yet there was also a degree of confusion in his expression as he silently stared Nightmare Mangle down, probably because of how similar she looked to the real Mangle.
Yet, he lunged himself straight at her and Nightmare Mangle seemed to more than welcome the challenge with open arms as she smiled in sweet satisfaction.
He collided sharply with her, with enough force to knock her off Charlie, allowing the boy to quickly scramble to safety as he crawled out of the closet doorway to relative safety.
"LET THEM GO!" Springtrap screamed in open rage and concern as he rammed Nightmare Mangle up against the closet' far wall.
Seeing her up close only further underlined how striking her appearance was to Mangle herself. Springtrap felt immediate confusion rush through him, running alongside his anger at seeing and hearing the harm she had been inflicting on the children.
This was thee Nightmare Mangle, but something stuck out to him like a sore thumb in his observations, slowly working itself out in the back reaches of his mind as pure adrenaline overtook his focus. He tried to hold her firmly in place to buy time for both Sammy and Cassidy to free themselves from the Nightmare's grip, yet Nightmare Mangle wrestled with him, countering his strength with one of her own.
Then and much to everyone's surprise, Nightmare Mangle's endoskeleton claws in one swift motion threw both children forward and out of the closet. Sammy was simply flung out without much of a second thought like a child tossing a toy away, whilst the endoskeleton claw that held Cassidy rapidly uncoiled itself as she was thrown forward.
Then Nightmare Mangle smiled coldly as she gripped Springtrap's hands tightly with her claws, grinning from ear to ear as she spoke.
"Now I have who I really want!"
Springtrap felt fear rush through him as all four of the Nightmare's endoskeleton claws suddenly turned on him, gripping and lashing out at his body like sharp talons.
Springtrap did his best to rein in his desire to scream in pain, but he retaliated by breaking out of her grip and quickly delivering several hard punches to the Nightmare's chest and then her face, aiming to disrupt her focus long enough for him to escape.
Nightmare Mangle hissed in pain with Springtrap's blows traveling throughout her body. Yet she didn't cease her own attacks, proceeding to slash viciously at Springtrap with her claws, trying to immobilise him with pain and he was willing to bet that she had a much higher pain tolerance than him.
"What are you?" he asked sternly, trying to hold her off and prevent her from escaping his grasp and reaching the children; but Nightmare Mangle didn't seem to be all too concerned about escaping.
Instead she merely smiled in response, a knowing smile, clearly enjoying Springtrap's confusion.
"A shadow that became something much more," she replied softly, her yellow eyes glowing brightly as she swiftly side stepped him before delivering a sweeping kick to the back of his left leg, causing Springtrap to stumble forward, although he quickly regained his footing, ignoring the pain.
"But it matters not," she muttered nonchalantly, yet there was a coldness in her voice.
"You should know your priorities better SpringBonnie, shouldn't the children's safety come before asking me questions?"
She then swiftly turned to face him, fully baring both her fangs and her array of vicious endoskeleton claws that hovered above her head like vultures waiting to descend on a fresh carcass. Springtrap did likewise, turning about to prepare for her next move. He couldn't underestimate her, yet he knew that he had to return to the children as their safety was paramount in his eyes.
Then Nightmare Mangle spoke in confident tone.
"You must really feel like a fish out of water, locked away in the dark for years on end after witnessing a horrific crime being committed, you had no idea how far the effects of that singular event would go as the world changed around you."
Springtrap felt immensely confused, not by what she was saying as he recognised that she was referring to his old life. It was how she knew that confused him.
"And even if you weren't really present for it, you still got roped into another heart crushing tragedy and many more in the following years," Nightmare Mangle continued, speaking clearly, but with evident enjoyment of the confusion that she was causing him.
"And now you have to suffer in the aftermath, despite being an outsider for so long, but if I may ask you this SpringBonnie?"
Nightmare Mangle then smiled, it almost looked sweet, if it weren't so bitter.
"Do you really want to get drawn into the abyss, the answers maybe tempting, but the costs of doing so might be insurmountable?"
Springtrap knew what she was referring to, Tommy's death, the missing children's incidents, and the fact that he had been absent for all of it. He was tempted to ask her more, but he knew that she would never answer. Yet, he desperately wanted to know how had things had gone so disastrously wrong?
However, in the back of his mind, he realised what it was that seemed odd to him the moment he had laid eyes on Nightmare Mangle.
Tommy had died in 1983 and the Toys had only appeared on the scene in 1987. So, how exactly could there be a Nightmare version of Mangle? Given how Tommy died and what Springtrap already knew about Nightmare Fredbear, it was fairly evident that he was the nightmarish embodiment of Tommy's perception of Fredbear. The Nightmare's large sharp teeth alone was a big giveaway.
Mangle was not present in 1983, so how exactly could Tommy have known her?
Springtrap dismissed the thought, needing to stay alert for Nightmare Mangle's next move.
However, as it turns out both were caught off guard by Charlie appearing in the closet doorway and suddenly a bright light flooded the closet.
It was so bright that it physically stung, with Springtrap needing to cover his eyes as did Nightmare Mangle.
"SPRINGTRAP, GET OUT NOW!" Charlie sounded, as the light continually grew in its intensity that only caused further pain. Nightmare Mangle shrieked in agony, shielding her eyes as she leapt up onto the ceiling with her endoskeleton claws in a desperate bid to escape.
With the Nightmare clearly distracted, Springtrap heeded Charlie's advice and ran, stumbling out of the closet and into relative safety.
Charlie turned the flashlight he was using off and passed it to Susie. Then the closet shutter doors were quickly slammed shut with Cassidy, Gabriel, Sammy and Susie now holding them closed.
"Quick, help me get this chest of drawers in place!" Charlie yelled, instantly moving to push the large blue coloured chest of drawers across the closet's doorway, despite the sheer pain that was shooting up from his wounded arm and his face.
Springtrap immediately complied, even though it took a while for his vision to clear. He used his superior strength to forcibly push the chest of drawers across the closet's doorway. However, Nightmare Mangle seemed to be clearly aware of what they were trying to do as the large shutter doors shocked and rattled with such intensity that the children were barely able to keep them closed.
"SHINE THE LIGHT, SHINE THE LIGHT!" Gabriel screamed as Susie proceeded with shaky hands to shine the flashlight into the gaps to blind the Nightmare whenever she tried to smash her way through, be it by her own claws or those of her endoskeleton. The closet shutters doors creaked and groaned as it suffered from a ceaseless pounding from within, striking endless at them with sheer uncontainable rage, let alone strength.
Yet the light from the flashlight seemed to be doing the trick in keeping Mangle one step away from breaking through even through the wood was splintering, but Springtrap and Charlie finally pushed the blue chest of drawers firmly into place. It wasn't a perfect barricade, but it seemed to do the job as Nightmare Mangle stopped her attacks and a tense silence settled over the room.
"Where's Tommy?" Springtrap asked, looking about, only to then find the boy lying on the floor, rocking back and forth, and gripping his head as his eyes continued to flicker between blue and red.
Although he was no longer screaming, it was clear that he was still in great pain as he whimpered and hissed softly to himself.
"Please," he whispered in a tense voice that was racked with agony.
"Let them go, they haven't done anything wrong."
"They don't need to know anything. . ."
Those words immediately got Springtrap's attention as he instantly knelt down at Tommy's side. He reached out and touched Tommy's head, resulting in the boy's eyes turning to face him.
"Please, leave now!" he begged and Springtrap swore to himself that he had never seen a child in more torment than Tommy, although the other children could definitely be joint holders of that title.
"Who or what is doing this to you?" Springtrap asked softly, looking very concerned by what was ever afflicting Tommy.
Tommy gritted his teeth, trying to withstand his inner pain, yet when the moment passed, he didn't say anything.
"Tommy, you need to tell me, I can't help you if I don't know what is going on," Springtrap said urgently, slowly stroking the boy's brown hair in a soothing motion so to distract him from his agony.
"You can't help me," Tommy replied wearily, still in great pain.
"No one can help me, I'm beyond repair, I cannot leave on my own accord, even if I wanted to."
Springtrap sighed in despair, he had thousands of questions on everything that he had encountered since coming to Limbo and how it all related to Freddy's. Yet, the only person who could answer his enquiries couldn't due to fear and being distracted by agony originating from some unknown source.
"Please, get out before things get much worse!" Tommy begged, fervently locked into his endless cycle of pain as his body constantly tensed up.
Yet Springtrap had already decided on his next course of action.
"No," he muttered, now looking rather stern and Tommy immediately reacted, his eyes going wider than Springtrap had ever seemed them.
"You won't survive them!" he protested vehemently.
"No," Springtrap answered again in a serious tone, he stood up, towering over Tommy with the boy falling under his shadow.
"I will leave as will everyone else, but not without you."
"I'm not leaving you behind in this accursed place."
Springtrap then looked at Tommy with a warm expression.
"I can save you Tommy," he said reassuringly.
Tommy stared back at him in absolute horror, only mumbling in disbelief.
"You can't . . ."
No sooner had those words left his mouth, the right side bedroom door suddenly swung open and two thick black ropes flew into the room out of the darkness, before proceeding to latch themselves around Gabriel's arm and Susie's leg.
No one had the chance to react as both children were instantly ripped away from the others; being dragged across the carpet towards the doorway and to whatever horror lay waiting beyond it.
They both screamed in blind terror, trying to grab onto anything that could prevent them from being ensnared.
Instantly, Springtrap as did Sammy and Cassidy raced forward, with the latter two grabbing onto the overstretched hands of Susie and Gabriel before they reached the doorway. Cassidy then grabbed hold of the other blue chest of drawers, just being able to bring Gabriel's slide to a halt, but she was being stretched to her limits. Sammy had nothing nearby to grab onto, but luckily Springtrap was able to grab hold of his arm and using his own strength anchored himself firmly.
Yet the horror that was controlling the ropes refused to let up and instead they continued to pull sharply on their end.
Seeing the ropes up close, their black, thick, and sticky texture made Springtrap think back to that room where he had first seen those gooey black strings that had been stretched across the room like a spider's web.
These things were the same as those, only much bigger.
Then a black pair of claws gripped the doorway and two white dots appeared in the gloom.
Slowly the horror revealed itself, a tall skeletal female figure dressed in black clothing from head to toe with white stripes on her arms and legs. Her hair was jet black, whilst her face was a deathly pale white as her eyes glowed sinisterly in the light.
For the second time Springtrap and everyone else for that matter found themselves feeling very confused as this newfound horror appeared to be the Nightmare version of the Puppet. The similarity between the two was rather striking, although the differences were noticeable. This version of Puppet had longer hair and was considerably taller, if not a little bit older than Puppet herself appeared to be.
In addition, there seemed to be several black tendrils sprouting out her back, as they hovered about her form, waving, and slithering back and forth in the air as she moved. Yet in her hands she tightly held on the other end of the ropes and was pulling back sharply.
"It's been so long since we've last had company here," she began, her voice sounded very similar to Puppet, were it not for the deranged and silky tone that she spoke in.
"I smell fear, you've experienced a lot in your short lives, but in here, everything is enteral, and I will gladly demonstrate how fear can break even the strongest of minds."
And then she screamed, but it wasn't like any ordinary scream. Her voice was am ear piercing high pitch wail akin to that of a banshee screaming her heart out. Her voice reached deep into Springtrap's very soul and filled him with a fear of unknown quality that he couldn't combat. It sucked his inner strength right out from him like a leech. His face went pale as hers and his mind began to collapse into a mush of dread and panic, he couldn't think straight. The Nightmare's eyes, those two vibrant white dots seemed to look deep into his soul, they were enchanting as Springtrap couldn't tear his eyes away and nor could any of the children.
Nightmare Puppet's howl continued unabated and grew in strength as the children seemed to be paralyzed with fear, expressing nothing complete horror as their will crumbled. The room was starting to shake, nearby lights began to explode and die within an instant, making the room go almost dark, the bed shuddered as did the chests of drawers and every single door nearby shook violently on their hinges, threatening to break them.
The nearby closet shutter doors let out a loud groan, followed by the cracking of wood. No doubt Nightmare Mangle could tell what was going on outside and saw an opportunity to break free of her makeshift prison. Multiple holes were created in the twin door's wooden frame as Nightmare Mangle's claws burst through and the blue chest of drawers wobbled, as the Nightmare forced it forward, trying to topple it over.
Springtrap could see that they were in an extremely dangerous position and it could only get worse. Within the remaining conscious part of his mind that wasn't completely being consumed by terror, he reasoned that the other ghost children would probably have already sensed the emotional state of their brethren; and would undoubtedly come looking for them, but who knows how long it would take for them to get there.
Out of the corner of his vision he could see that Charlie too was immobilised with fear, being motionless in the face of Nightmare Puppet's wail. Yet the flashlight that he held was still active, even though it was constantly flickering on and off, threating to burst its bulb.
Springtrap, focusing immensely on the task at hand, reached out and firmly grasped the flashlight, taking it off Charlie, who didn't seem to notice.
With even more effort, primarily driven from a need to survive, Springtrap turned the flashlight on, pointing it directing into Nightmare Puppet's eyes, blinding her with bright light that fully obscured her vision, despite it flickering.
In a near instant, Nightmare Puppet's banshee screams turned into one of immense pain as her eyes were overloaded, it was like a tidal wave of light impacting her eyes. She immediately retracted her strings back into her claws, releasing both Gabriel and Susie from their grip. The children wasted no time in making their escape, fleeing to the other side of the room. The shaking and the flickering of lights and the sounds of doors slamming repeatedly all ceased as Nightmare Puppet covered her eyes, feeling the pain flow throughout her entire body.
Immediately, the children and Springtrap felt their feeling of terror fade, although it did not completely die, but they could now fully focus without being paralyzed by fear.
Although they knew that they couldn't stay here, they needed to leave right now.
Springtrap instinctively went over to Tommy, who was still locked in a world of agony as he lay on the floor helpless yet seeming to have not been affected by Nightmare Puppet's banshee scream attack.
Without much of a second thought, only the drive to help this battered and abused soul, Springtrap bent down and picked Tommy up, cradling him in his arms.
On instinct Gabriel took the flashlight off him so he could use it when the need arose.
However, there came a new noise, the sound of plaster cracking and wood snaping, but it wasn't coming from the closet, even though it was continually being hammered against by Nightmare Mangle.
It was coming from the ceiling above them, immediately everyone looked above, with Gabriel shining the flashlight in the sound's direction. Upon doing so he saw multiple cracks appearing across the ceiling, getting wider and wider with each passing second and the sounds only further intensified, creaking and groaning as the ceiling struggled to withstand whatever pressure was pressing down on it as started to sag directly above Tommy's bed.
Nightmare Puppet meanwhile had mostly recovered from having the flashlight forced into her eyes as she fully entered the room, rising to her full height and barring her strings as though they were whips. Her face was one of immense annoyance, her white dots for eyes glowed with bloodlust and were narrowed, expressing her displeasure.
Then the blue chest of drawers toppled forward after receiving a powerful shove from behind, creating a massive thud once it hit the floor and the shutter doors of the closet burst open, sending hundreds of wooden splinters flying everywhere. Nightmare Mangle leapt through the opening, landing on all fours like a wolf, before turning her full attention towards her would be jailers. She was eager for revenge after being imprisoned. Her yellow eyes were vibrant in the darkness and filled with great anger.
Gabriel turned the flashlight in Nightmare Mangle's direction to blind her again before she could make a move. Yet the Nightmare merely shielded her eyes with her endoskeleton claws, warding off the light. Nightmare Puppet deployed a similar trick by unleashing many sets of black strings from her claws and having them wrap around her eyes, forming a mask across them. She could still see as evident by the whitish glow of her eyes peeking through the gaps, but it greatly reduced the brightness of the flashlight, rendering it dangerously ineffective.
The pair began to advance on the group, eager to continue their torment, when suddenly, the ceiling fully gave away directly above Tommy's bed, with broken wooden boards landing nearby and plaster shards impacting everything and everyone. Although Nightmares Mangle and Puppet didn't seem to be affected by the action, although they stopped moving, allowing the moment to pass. Thick dust travelled through the air, causing both the children and Springtrap to cover their mouths to avoid inhaling it.
The bed creaked as though it was in agony with its springs screaming out in pain as it strained under the weight of something massive having landed on top of it. Gabriel was reluctant to shine the flashlight in its direction, yet he forced himself to do so. However, before he did, a pair of scarlet red eyes appeared out of the gloom, shining brightly and when the flashlight was shone there, it revealed the eyes' owner.
Standing there in all his majesty and towering over everyone was Nightmare Fredbear. He still wore the same tattered golden suit, with the withered purple bowtie and top hat as when Springtrap had last seen him, only now he appeared to be even taller than before.
Perhaps this was his real height and being on earth had somehow reduced it, despite still being considerably tall back then.
Nightmare Fredbear smiled coldly, seeming to be enjoying the moment immensely with his search light like eyes firmly locked onto Springtrap.
"Welcome Springtrap, you are not who I expected to see, but I did sense a familiarity about you when you first entered our beloved home," he said, speaking in a confident, if not stateman like tone.
"It's been so long since we've last had guests, but you are a welcome one at that as are your little friends."
"I am surprised that they were the ones who advocated caution on entering this place and not you Springtrap, particularly in Charlie's case," he said, now more in an observant tone, gesturing towards the boy in question.
"How do you know my name; in fact, how do you know anything about us?" Charlie asked, sounding defiant, but no one could deny how scared he looked, given that he was physically shaking.
Nightmare Fredbear smiled a little, it was a knowing smile and he narrowed his eyes as he gazed intensely at Charlie, before responding with.
"Why would I need to tell you our secrets, it's not fun if you know, but I assume that you are smart enough to figure things out on your own. . .aren't you?"
Charlie seemed to be deeply insulted by the Nightmare's words, but Nightmare Mangle spoke up before Charlie could reply.
"Secrets are best kept, and some are best left buried," she remarked in a serious tone, eyeing the group with a ravenous hunger for blood.
"You came here for answers, there is much that is beyond your understanding and if you ever did figure things out, you might not like the outcome."
"However, this place doesn't like you, it knows that you are an intruder," Nightmare Puppet said menacingly, glaring daggers at the group.
"Tommy truly meant well when he told you to leave, but now you've overstayed your welcome and you must pay the price."
"I wonder if this situation feels reminiscent of when you children murdered all of those nightguards who were unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time."
That shocked the children as Springtrap registered them all going pale as they shrunk back further towards the open doorway.
Yet how on earth did the Nightmares know about what the children did decades ago?
Could Vincent Afton have told them, but then how would he have known?
The questions eroded away at Springtrap's ability to concentrate, only to be dismissed when Nightmare Fredbear addressed him directly.
"You truly think you can save Thomas?" the Nightmare asked in both a curious and yet dismissive tone as he glared at the boy in Springtrap's arms.
Springtrap narrowed his eyes at him, looking angered as he instinctively tightened his grip on Tommy in a protective manner.
"When I find out what's wrong with him I will," he replied defensively.
"And he wouldn't have to fear you demons anymore!"
He had expected the Nightmare to laugh at his words, but instead the latter merely shook his head dismissively.
"You are naive, but that's to be expected, you cannot save him, at least, not the way that you think," he said, almost seeming to be disappointed by Springtrap's answer.
However, the moment was brief as his dark nature seemed to reassert itself within him as he smiled coldly once more, stepping off the bed as he spoke menacingly.
"Still, it's perhaps best if you didn't figure things out, because what's the point in finding out the truth, if you're going to be dead a few seconds later."
Then Nightmare Mangle advanced as did Nightmare Puppet, with the later stretching out her strings towards them like enticing vines from which escape would be a near impossibility.
"We thank you Springtrap for delivering all of these little souls into our grasp," Nightmare Mangle said sadistically, growling as she approached them, her yellow eyes glowing intensely with bloodlust.
"A gift. . .for us," Nightmare Puppet remarked eagerly as she to glide across the floor.
"You know horror all too well, but you are yet to experience what we can deliver when it comes to true fear."
Nightmare Fredbear's ominous smile grew bigger as he flexed his claws, whilst moving towards the defenceless group. In his hunger filled eyes, the time for talk had clearly passed.
Immediately, and without saying anything, Charlie, Cassidy, Gabriel, Susie, and Sammy all rushed out of the open doorway behind them. Springtrap followed, quickly backing out of the bedroom whilst holding onto Tommy, who was still very much in a world of pain that he was probably oblivious to what was going on around him.
Springtrap glared coldly at the Nightmares, feeling enraged by their taunts and what they had done. The fact that they were willing to harm children showed them to be as immoral as Vincent.
It sickened him to his core.
Yet he knew that they had to quickly get away from these monsters. Far enough away to devise a way to escape and if possible, take Tommy with them.
Even though Tommy himself had said that it wasn't possible for him to leave Springtrap was determined to find a way. Even in death, he wanted to save the children and help his friends in unravelling the mysteries that plagued them.
Tommy seemed to be the key to all of it, but he had to get him somewhere safe where neither these demons, let alone his personal ones could harm him.
Yet, just as Springtrap crossed over into the hallway and reached for the door handle, Nightmare Puppet threw one of her strings forward at breakneck speed.
It was so fast that Springtrap felt air rush past him as it flew by, only to latch itself onto Susie's shoulder, but it didn't stay there.
No sooner had the black gooey string stuck to her, Nightmare Puppet quickly retracted it.
It was the equivalent of using wax to rip out body hair, only in this instance it was human skin being ripped off the body.
Susie screamed in immense pain as she fell onto her knees, clutching her shoulder as the string ripped off parts of her skin, exposing the muscle underneath and making it bleed profusely.
The string raced pass Springtrap before he could reach out to grab the door handle.
Nightmare Puppet smiled sinisterly, fully enjoying the misery that she had created, whilst Springtrap stared back at her in complete horror.
"You maybe already be dead," she said coldly, but with an undertone of dark delight as her white dots for eyes glowed like diamonds in the dark.
"But in this place, death cannot save you!"
Then Nightmare Mangle leapt up at Springtrap, her claws and fangs at the ready, but he quickly grabbed the door handle and slammed the door shut in one swift motion.
There was a sharp thud of her impacting the door, only to be followed by the sounds of the door being hammered against with the sounds of hellish screams coming from the other side.
"Where do we go?" Sammy asked, panicking as he supported Susie by the shoulder, helping to hold her up as she clutched her bleeding shoulder.
"Where's the exit?" Cassidy pleaded, frantically looking around for any signs of an escape from this hell, but there was only one route to take, the hallway that led further into the darkness and the rest of the house.
Springtrap knew that time was of the essence, he maintained a serious expression as he held Tommy in his arms, the boy had ceased to cry out in pain, but he was still clearly suffering.
"Charlie, are the other children aware of what is happening to us, are they coming to help?" he asked, turning to face the boy.
Charlie sighed deeply and nodded, but he didn't look relieved.
"Yes, they are aware, but I fear accidently leading them into a trap, we don't know if there are any more Nightmares in here," he said wearily.
"Plus, we don't know if we'll be able to retrace our steps, let alone find a new exit, but perhaps they'll find one and can lead us to it, but that's not without its risks."
Everyone understood his logic, it was a double-edged sword. They could call in the other children and gain a safety in numbers. Yet, given how the house was built like a labyrinth there was the probable risk that it wouldn't be easy to retrace their steps.
They could become trapped in here, never finding their way out, with only monsters for company.
The screams and the sound of the door being pounded against only grew louder, putting everyone on the spot, but Springtrap could only see one option to take.
So, he took it with both hands, speaking clearly.
"We need to find a place to hide first, contact the other children and then regroup ideally near an exit point and leave this wretched place behind."
All of the children nodded in agreement with his words, they were in the deep end, there was no point staying any longer unless it couldn't be helped.
Springtrap moved forward, keeping a firm hold of Tommy as he headed into the darkness. The other children quickly followed, trying to ignore the nightmarish sounds coming from behind the door as its hinges cried out in agony as it buckled under the pressure.
It wouldn't last for much longer.
"Only use the flashlight when I say so Gabriel, the last thing we want to do is to give away our location," Springtrap said calmly.
"Understood," Gabriel cautiously, keeping a firm hold on the flashlight, trying to ignore the dreadful sounds that rang out from Tommy's bedroom.
One by one the children followed Springtrap into the darkness, all save for Cassidy.
She had started to follow the others when the row of pictures along the far wall caught her eye.
Turning to look at them she could see that they depictured an array of things, family, holidays, scenic pictures of nature, nothing out of the ordinary.
Wait. . .what was that picture?
Moving closer Cassidy focused on the picture in question, examining its contents intensely. . .her eyes went wide.
"No," she whispered, feeling herself go pale in the face.
"That can't be right, it can't be."
She gripped the picture's sides tightly, staring at it with a look of pure shock and dread.
"How can this be real?"
A loud animalistic female shriek probably from Nightmare Puppet judging by its pitch caused her to jump out of her skin, but she repressed the urge to scream.
"Cassidy!"
She quickly turned and saw Charlie standing a fair distance away, gesturing at her frantically to join him.
"Come on!" he urged in a low voice, but also in an annoyed tone as it was painfully obvious what would happen if Cassidy stayed near that door.
"Coming," she said quietly, before prying the picture off its holdings and cradling it under her arm.
The others would need to see this, she was sure of it. The implications were grave if what she saw was true.
Cassidy could feel her mind racing with a thousand questions. It made her feel nervous, but she pushed them all aside as she joined Charlie.
"What is it, what's up with that picture?" he asked curiously as they both ran off to re-join the main group.
"Something mind bending to say the least," Cassidy replied in a serious tone, but in her eyes, she looked very concerned.
"I'll show you later when we've reached a place of safety, but if it's true, then we won't see things the same way ever again."
Charlie sighed, thinking for a moment before saying.
"Then hopefully this trip wasn't a complete waste of time."
Cassidy genuinely smiled, feeling rather pleased with herself for having stumbled across something potentially ground breaking.
If what the picture showed her was true, then everything was potentially open to reinterpretation like a shattered art picture reforming itself to present an entirely new image. However, Cassidy's moment in the sun was swiftly dashed as there came a loud smashing sound from behind them. It was followed an equally loud defeading thud as something heavy hit the floor.
Both Charlie and Cassidy looked back to see three pairs of eyes glowing in the darkness, moving about before looking forward in their direction, it almost looked as if the eyes were looking right at them.
The Nightmares had broken through!
Suddenly, three loud voices called out, echoing off the surrounding walls and sending a sharp chill up the children's' spines.
"THIS IS A NIGHTMARE THAT YOU WON'T AWAKE FROM!" screamed a high pitch female voice that no doubt belonged to Nightmare Puppet.
"NO LIGHT CAN SAVE YOU NOW!" cried another female voice, this being Nightmare Mangle, followed by the sounds of her jumping up onto the ceiling.
"LET ME PUT YOU CHILDERN BACK TOGETHER, THEN TAKE YOU APART ALL OVER AGAIN!" the third voice roared in eager anticipation, obviously being Nightmare Fredbear.
Charlie and Cassidy gripped each other's hands and ran blindly into the surrounding darkness, hoping that it might hide them from the Nightmares' sight.
They desperately needed to find a way out, to share what they had uncovered in this twisted place.
If they did escape this hell, then they had a chance to finally make things right, to break free of their blood stained past and all of the misery and pain that accompanied it.
For once, even amid their fear and though it was sparingly brief, they both felt a faint tingle of hope, like a lone candle in the darkness, standing defiant against the odds.
This time, it couldn't be snuffed out. . .for everyone's sake.
The hunt is on, but when in a labyrinth the exit can seem to be impossible to find and in some cases it never is! ;-)
Hoped that you liked the reveals for Nightmare Mangle and Nightmarionne. I've been aiming to introduce them properly for quite a while and I enjoyed writing their parts.
Plushtrap and Nightmare Balloon Boy will turn up shortly! ;-)
Things are moving very fast now, the next few chapters will be of great significance going forward, trust me.
Thank you for reading and please review, I appreciate your thoughts.