(In Scrap Baby's voice) "It feels like my birthday, do you have a gift for me?"
Hey all, it is FNAF's 8th anniversary, happy birthday Five Nights at Freddy's!
We got 'Security Breach Ruined' to look forward to and the new book series 'Tales of the Pizzplex' to enjoy, hopefully they don't get as weird as the later Fazbear Fright Books did. . .hopefully, maybe, or maybe not.
A big thanks to pbcchoirboy for their review, really pleased that you're enjoying the story and have stuck around for this long, but there is still plenty of story left to cover with this beast. ;-)
A big thanks as well for all of those who have decided to follow or favoutive this story, it means alot.
When I started, this story seemed so small and then it just ballooned into all of this. . .how times have changed.
There is a song in this chapter (finally decided on one after alot of effort), it is 'Last Night of Your Life' by Tryhardninja, it is a fast paced song though.
Do please enjoy this chapter, apologies for any lingering grammar mistakes that I've probably missed.
Chapter 64
Mechanical Puppets and Circus Home Invasion.
"We know who are our friends are, and you are not one of them!"
Nightmare Fredbear from Ultimate Custom Night.
A series of mechanical claws tightly gripped the doorframe's upper portion as Nightmare Mangle pulled herself through and onto the room's ceiling.
Despite the brightness of the room's lights, she didn't mind it, especially when compared to the full blast of a flashlight.
She hissed in reaction to the memory of that pain, she hated it.
Her vibrant yellow eyes scanned the entire room, it being Elizabeth's bedroom.
Although she was technically a wolf or a fox humanoid by appearance, the way both her human and metallic arms stretched out across the ceiling made her look a lot like a spider.
"Mmmm, what have we got here?" she cooed, eyeing everything that held her interest.
There were five faded outlines on one of the walls that indicated something had previously been there.
The drawings of Elizabeth Afton's Funtimes.
Nightmare Mangle had a good enough memory to recall most objects in the various rooms of the house and the Funtime drawings given their bright colours and detail clearly stood out from the rest.
The fact that they were missing intrigued her, but she could easily guess as to why.
"Still digging are we Springtrap, you were warned, so you need to be strongly reminded of how wrong it is to trespass," Nightmare Mangle said excitedly, as her eyes moved over towards the open doorway at the room's opposite end.
"What do you hope to find here exactly, I have to wonder?" she inquired outloud, as she quickly moved across the ceiling, racing for the open doorway.
"Pictures, detailed notes of our involvement with Vincent Afton, a way to save Tommy, or a treasure trove of secrets that reveal the answers to your most sought after questions?"
She sneered, revealing a mouth full of jagged fangs.
"You'll be painfully disappointed in the end."
"Then get on and do it without monologing," another voice replied, sound exasperated.
Turning her neck and looking down Nightmare Mangle spied out Plushtrap learning against the open doorway with his arms folded.
His grey eyes glowed with both mischief and impatience.
"There's no need to waste time N-Mangle, Springtrap is desperately searching for answers and we better keep up the pressure. . .to its fullest extent," he remarked causally, but there was a sternness to his voice.
"Understood Plushtrap, but you have to admit it is entertaining to be back on the hunt again?" Nightmare Mangle asked eagerly.
"Yes, it is nice to be chasing people again, jump scaring Tommy although fun does get boring sometimes," Plushtrap replied with distain, stepping forward as he spoke.
He cast his gaze around the room, sniffing the air.
"There's a heavy concentration of spiritual taint in this room, both from Tommy and the others, looks like they stayed here for quite a while."
Nightmare Mangle turned her gaze back towards the open door way, alerted by a loud sound.
CREAKKKKK!
Despite it being pitch dark outside, she could see just fine; noticing how the walls appeared to be unbending themselves, returning to normality amidst a series of loud wooden groans.
"And it looks they've only just left," she muttered in a low tone, watching as the corridor outside reformed.
"Clearly the house has outrun its patience with them, that'll make their attempts to escape all the more harder to achieve."
"Then it's for the best that we don't waste such an opportunity," Plushtrap remarked eagerly, striding across the room towards the open doorway.
"I'll race you to them if you're that eager," Nightmare Mangle said excitedly.
Yet Plushtrap shook his head, replying nonchalantly.
"No, I'll pass, for now at least, best that we stay the course."
Nightmare Mangle turned her head back to Plushtrap, eyeing him as he confidently made his across the floor.
Despite being noticeably small Plushtrap was fast even when just walking. Speed and stealth were his specialities, as it were with Nightmare Mangle, but Plushtrap was able to utilise those skills to their fullest due to his small and nimble stature.
No sooner had Plushtrap reached the opposing doorway did the corridor outside resume its typical and unsuspecting appearance.
The small Nightmare turned his head back towards Nightmare Mangle. The act making his tattered bunny ears wobble.
"Come on," he said with a mysterious smile, drawing out his knife from his trouser pocket.
"Let's raise hell, like old times."
Nightmare Mangle smiled sinisterly, quickly moving across the ceiling and extending one of her endoskeleton arms down towards Plushtrap.
"Care for a hand?" she asked eagerly, already knowing his answer.
Plushtrap merely nodded and grasped hold of it, interlocking his finger claws with the metal hand's talons.
Tonight, was definitely going to be a fun one. . .
In the dim light of a few lamps that lined the hallway at various points along its entire length, a shadow passed them by, briefly blocking out the light like a cloud covering the sun.
The shadow moved on, progressing by numerous doors and additional lamp lights. . .before stopping before one particular door.
The shadow belonged to Nightmarionne, who turned to face the door in question, her white dots for eyes glowed with satisfaction.
Slowly, she pushed the door open and went inside, immediately recognising the room beyond.
This was her room and it was the same room that Springtrap had entered prior. Thick black webs that interlocked together hung across the entire length of the room, heavily restricting movement for anyone. . .apart from Nightmarionne.
She moved effortlessly through the webs, all created by her through her strings, woven and tailored as she experimented with the black silky and yet gooey substance that she naturally created, much like a spider.
The stickiness of the webs was strong enough to snare anyone, including other Nightmares and it was always a source of entertainment for Nightmarionne. She would tease and semi-torture them as they tried to pull themselves free, but they would only further entangle themselves, much to Nightmarionne's amusement.
Her vibrant eyes lit up the back of the room as she approached it, coming to the end of her thick overlapping jungle of webs.
It wasn't empty, for sitting upright against the opposing wall was something. The Nightmares' insurance should things go badly wrong with Vincent Afton's scheme.
Nightmarionne knew that Springtrap had seen them when he was in the room. Well, he had spied out their outline, but he couldn't get a closer look, thus he had been unable to work out what it was he was actually looking at.
He would have been shocked had he known the truth.
Nightmarionne had been present though, suspended in the air at the very top of her web hidden in the pitch blackness with her eyes closed. She was in effect invisible to all, save for the most enhanced eyes.
Listening, eavesdropping as Springtrap and the children decided on what to do; with the latter winning the debate and the group leaving without investigating further.
Although hearing Sammy's comment that her webs were akin to those made by spiders did make Nightmarionne feel a surge of pride at her handywork.
She actually felt humble. . .for a fleeting moment.
Still, it had been interesting to listen to the conversation, how the children recognised that the house did not like them and this sensation of dislike was steadily becoming stronger.
What was it that Susie said exactly?
"If we explore further than we increase the risk of getting ourselves trapped somehow."
Prophetic words as events would turn out and it made Nightmarionnie smile.
"But you couldn't stop yourself could you Susie," she remarked amusedly.
"You and Springtrap just needed to find out what secrets are kept in here, you had to keep digging; you are practically intruders breaking into our home."
"Yet, there is more going on than you realise and it shall remain hidden as such."
"Perhaps I should activate our new friends and sent them on you like guard dogs."
She raised one of her tentacle hands to her face, thinking things over.
"No," she muttered slowly, her voice having lost any sense of amusement.
"I cannot do that, it would risk exposing our assets, regardless of whether Springtrap makes it out anyway."
Her eyes narrowed, as she down looked at the assets in question.
"Given our own talents, their participation is. . .not necessary."
The assets, illuminated by the white glow from Nightmarrione's eyes were four bulky animatronics.
From left to right, sitting up against the wall were Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy, but they were not the Freddy, Bonnie, Chica or Foxy that people would know. If anyone remembered Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria during its heyday.
Freddy was a big brown male bear with glassy blue eyes, his skin was made a soft fur like fabric that covered his entire body. He wore a glossy black tie and top hat. Bonnie was a dark blue or light purple bunny rabbit, wearing only a red tie, whether they were female or male remained unclear.
Chica was a bright yellow female chicken animatronic with fluffy feathers decorating her body. She wore a white bib pockmarked with colourful dots and it was decorated with the black outlined words of "Let's Eat!" In her right hand rested a plastic cupcake with two yellow eyes and a head that was made out of fake pink frosting with a single candle on top. Finally, there was Foxy, a red male fox dressed up in pirate clothes, wearing only brown shorts, having a black eyepatch over his left eye and possessing a hook for his entire left hand.
Apart from looking old and dusty, the animatronics were in perfect condition, seemingly unaffected by the passage of time. They had been made with no ill intent in mind, only to entertain children for ages on end, but they never stood under the stage lights before a crowd.
Instead, due to unforeseen and 'tragic' events their future had been cut short, ending with them being placed in long storage. The only working models of the animatronic versions of the Fazbears. No replacements were made following the immense backlash from the two Missing Children Incidents.
"Maybe, I can perform a little test," Nightmarionne whispered, with a sense excitement starting to rush through her like a firestorm.
"Just to make sure that there aren't any errors, after all we did just dump you four here upon having you transported over to the 'other side'."
She steadily moved her skeletal hand with her tentacle like fingers forward and gently grabbed hold of Freddy's bear head, with her fingers wrapping around it like a vice.
Then she moved her hand down towards the base of Freddy's neck, where the endoskeleton spine would connect with the head.
There, hidden deep within Freddy's brown fur was a simple switch, the 'on button' effectively.
Had it ever been turned on, Nightmarionne didn't know, but there was always a first time for everything.
It might as well be now.
She pushed the switch upwards, turning on the Freddy animatronic.
The results were immediate.
"Hello boys and girls, are you ready for some fun!" the Freddy animatronic bellowed out, with his blue eyes lighting up and learning forward.
He quickly looked about, taking in his surroundings, noticing the wall of silence emitting from his non-active band members.
Then finally his bright blue eyes fell on Nightmarionne, noting her pale and ghostly appearance.
"Hello, is something wrong madam, you look unwell?" Freddy asked curiously.
Nightmarionne, feeling a little taken aback by the Freddy animatronic's words replied accordingly with a firm tone.
"I am fine Freddy, age clearly hasn't worn down your sensors, let alone your programming it seems."
She then moved her tentacle hand across Freddy's field of vison, his vibrant blue eyes steadily tracked the movement of her tentacle fingers.
"Good, you have clear precision," Nightmarionne muttered, watching Freddy's eyes keep pace with her movements.
The animatronic bear's blue eyes turned back to face Nightmarionne, her pale face was illuminated by the vibrant glow of his eyes.
"Where are the children, where are the guests?" Freddy asked, curiously studying the Nightmare's body features.
"They aren't here yet, but don't worry, we are just getting the show set up?" Nightmarionne answered, she had no habit with lying to the animatronic.
She then reached across and with three of her long black fingers, pressed the on switch for Bonnie, Chica and Foxy, located at the base of their necks.
All three animatronics immediately activated.
"Who wants pizza?" Chica cried out excitedly, lifting her cupcake companion in celebration.
"Arr kids, who wants to sail on the jolly roger and explore the high seas!" Foxy yelled, raising his hook in triumph.
"Which one of you lucky buddies want to jam with Bonnie?" Bonnie exclaimed energetically, clearly in a female voice as they punched the air with their fist; before realising that there were no children nearby and that where they were wasn't a pizzeria.
Swiftly, all three pairs of eyes found Nightmarionnie, examining her with evident confusion.
"Who are you lassie?" Foxy asked, eyeing her.
"My name is of no importance," Nightmarionne answered casually, she could have been stern with them, but really wasn't any need.
She then leaned down, coming into be eye level with the four animatronics. The collective brightness of their coloured eyes caused her to use one of her tenacle hands to create a mask of sorts around her eyes to shield them.
Bright lights caused her discomfort and pain.
"However, I wonder if. . ."
With her free hand, she slowly moved her array of tentacle fingers around the neck of each animatronic, her grip steadily tightening.
"Hey, what are you doing?" the Bonnie animatronic asked, sounding both confused and concerned. Their programming was indeed advanced with a grand range of interaction protocols, despite being developed in the nineteen eighties.
"Experimenting," Nightmarionne muttered coolly, but she paid the Bonnie animatronic no further attention.
She wanted to see if they could be infiltrated, with the same method that her kind does to others.
Slowly, a series of white strings slithered out of Nightmarionne's eyes. They danced about in the air as they moved forward like worms burrowing into the earth.
Their targets, were the Fazbear animatronics.
Then with precise precision the strings all struck home, striking the animatronics in their respective eyes, before proceeding to burrow themselves in deep, reaching for their central logic unit.
Nightmarionne felt strange an odd sensation, something truly unique, different from the last few occasions when she had mind meld with another. Although she could sense the various emotions of panic, concern, uncertainty and dread that the animatronic internally expressed, there was something that they lacked.
Their will, their mental strength was. . .almost non-existent.
There were safeguards towards hacking and interfering with the animatronics' programming, but the actual willpower to resist was minimal, at best.
"How interesting," Nightmarionne remarked curiously, but she began to smile as the vulnerability of the animatronics become increasingly apparent.
"So advanced in your interactions and yet, you have next to no minds of your own."
Her smile grew as the possibilities fully dawn on her.
"How perfect for us."
Foxy raised his hook hand to strike at Nightmarionne, but Nightmarionne reacted faster and the tenacles fingers from one of her hands quickly wrapped themselves around his entire arm, pinning it firmly in place.
Freddy attempted to do the same with his microphone hand, but again Nightmarionne using her other hand, proceeded to trap Freddy's hand in a tight vice.
To prevent the Bonnie or Chica animatronics from attempting the same idea, the tentacles that usually sprouted out of Nightmarionne's back grew, reaching round and wrapping themselves around all four animatronics, pinning them down.
Overriding the animatronic's anti hacking programming was simple enough, Nightmarionne just needed to force herself through like a battering ram, or find back channels that she could utilise, making the system 'think' that her commands weren't contradictory to what was already in.
Although she had realised the origin of the strange sensation, it didn't dimmish it in anyway, mentally commenting on her discovery.
"It feels bizarre, their defences are static and irreparable once broken through, their programming isn't trying to rebuild itself."
Her white dots for eyes narrowed as a new thought entered her mind.
"Once I have influenced them enough, I can be fully registered as friendly."
She craved several breaches through the Fazbear animatronics' defences, overrunning parts of their code and cutting directly through to their core.
Yet, it was the parts of their codes that she controlled that she was most interested in.
"Now, let's see what I can do," she remarked, as she tried to mentally push new commands into their code.
In one sense it would be a remote possession.
"Move legs," she mentally instructed and immediately all four animatronics' moved their legs in unison in the limited space she yielded to them.
"Look up."
All four pairs of coloured eyes looked upwards, they even leaned backwards.
"Look left."
"Look right."
Complete syndication, with no faults to be found.
Nightmarionne pushed further, she didn't intend to take full control of them, not yet. This was only a test, but she felt increasingly curious by the lack of the animatronics' capability to resist.
Her only real source of comparison with possession or even mind reading that she could call upon was with an old encounter, way back in the nineteen eighties; yet it still felt fresh in her mind, as though it only happened yesterday.
When she fought that ghoulish clown monster.
That god damm ghoulish clown monster. . .
Summer 1989. . .
"Oh, look what we have here, another tasty little morsel!" a cruel female voice exclaimed excitedly with a ravenous temperament, as they turned to face Nightmarionnie.
"That nightmare white fox girl was tough, but no challenge, especially that little dummy boy, a crafty little devil, but lacking in many respects."
"You however I sense, might be a more worthy challenge and it'll make devouring you all the more sweeter."
The female creature's yellow eyes shone brightly at Nightmarionne, who loomed large in the hallway before it, blocking its progress.
"I could say the exact same thing," Nightmarionne muttered coldly, as her white dots for eyes glowed ever brighter with each passing second.
"What have you done with Nightmare?"
The creature merely scoffed, before saying.
"The less you know dearie, the better, trust me, there are things that not even impressive. . .'shadows', as yourself can endurance."
"You might be mistaken with that remark," Nightmarionne replied coldly, with red hot anger burning in her white pupils.
The creature's response was to smile sinisterly and baring her sharp teeth; before suddenly charring straight at Nightmarionne, although she didn't extend her claws.
Nightmarionne in response, opened her mouth wide and emitted a soul crushing scream.
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHH!"
The very hallway started to shake, the surrounding light bulbs burst and cracks began to appear, spreading across the walls like twisting vines.
The female creature stopped in mid action, steadying herself as the floor beneath her feet fractured and became unsteady. Its blue carpet surface turned into waves, pushing the creature back as Nightmarionne continued her war cry unabated, increasing the pitch.
It was enough to burst one's eardrums with its intensity, drive them mad with fear, yet the female creature held an endurance beyond those of weaker minds.
She expressed an annoyed look as she proceeded dig in her feet, ceasing her backward sliding, despite the entire hallway shaking like a ship caught in a raging storm.
Opening her mouth, she revealed rows upon rows of jagged teeth, emitting a scream of her own.
"HHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!"
The female creature's scream was agonising to hear, even for a being such as Nightmarionnie.
It was unhuman, like something from the depths of terror, a pure manifestation of both rage and horror. For a literal Nightmare like Nightmarionne, being on the receiving end was as ironic as it was unpleasant.
Then the creature charged, right at Nightmarionne, even as the combined screams brought the ceiling down upon the female creature.
Chucks of wood and plaster fall down upon the female creature, yet she merely bashed them aside as though they weighed nothing. Her ominous yellow eyes never broke contact with the vengeful glare of Nightmarionne's white pupils.
The Nightmare raised her many tenacles to protect herself, forming a wall of sorts, just when the female creature impacted them.
The female creature's claws were as sharp as knives, but Nightmarionne's thick wall of tentacle vines held, it didn't dimmish the pain she felt though.
Ripping a few tentacle vines apart, the creature's yellow eyes burned brightly through the gaps, still angry.
"Does that hurt dearie?" they cooed mockingly.
Nightmarionne's response was to simply push forward with her vines, imposing her sticky black essence onto the creature's face. . .before sharply pulling back and ribbing the skin on the female creature's face right off.
It wasn't just skin that came off, a pale white and reddish liquid splattered across the floor and when Nightmarionne saw the end result, she was intrigued to put it mildly.
A mixed black and whitish liquid pooled out of the large hole Nightmarionne's threads had been able to create, with a bright light shining out of the wound, making the skin around it look as though it was made out of porcelain.
SMACK!
It didn't get to say anything as Nightmarionnie charged into the creature with enough force to knock it backwards.
Bringing one of her arms down, with all three fingers following suit like knives, Nightmaronnie struck the creature harshly across their left shoulder leaving a deep scar behind.
The creature merely snarled this time, baring her fanged teeth before lasing out ferociously.
It immediately grabbed Nightmarionne's fingers, holding them tightly and preventing the Nightmare from pulling back. Then, its jaw extended, or rather its whole mouth did, pushing outwards like some trap composed entirely of flesh and revealing more rows of razor sharp teeth within.
Once done, it bit down on all three of Nightmarionne's fingers.
Nightmarionne screamed, feeling the teeth penetrate deep before the creature started to tear away at the freshly made wounds, trying to rip her fingers off.
However, Nightmarionne was one step ahead, quickly wrapping her other three fingers from her spare hand or claw fully around the creature's neck.
The creature's yellow eyes widen, realising what the Nightmare intended to do.
It grasped Nightmarionne's fingers in an attempt pry them off, but the Nightmare pulled back not a second later, ripping her fingers off.
It was like skinning someone alive with all the agonising implications it carried for the inflicted individual.
More of the same black and yellow liquid flew in all directions, amidst the creature's pain filled screams, in doing so she released Nightmarionne's other hand, which she immediately pulled back once freed.
The creature clenched her neck, trying to stem the flow the yellowish black liquid that poured forth.
Yet if Nightmarionne hoped that the impact of 'blood loss' would result in her victory, she was gravely mistaken.
Glaring at Nightmarionne with a look that could freeze anyone stone dead, the creature growled whilst the blood flow seemed to lessen, becoming less apparent with each passing second.
It only then occurred to Nightmarionnie what was happening, the creature was healing herself!
It had her ability!
"You seem shocked dearie, I hope I haven't startled you, making you stringy will only make your meat tougher to rip apart," the creature asked, sneering with a hideous smile that stretched across her battered features.
If Nightmarionne wanted to stop this intruder, she needed to kill it and quick, constantly deny it the chance to recover.
Taunting words were a waste of time.
Narrowing her white pupils in open contempt, Nightmarionnie pounced immediately straight at the creature, aiming to knock it down to the floor.
She extended her long fingers like branches to wrap around and constrain the creature in a vice.
The psychical force of her act was enough to knock the creature over and Nightmarionnie saddled herself on the creature's stomach; whilst wrapping her many strings and fingers around it, quickly forming a cocoon.
Staring the creature down face to face, an idea came to Nightmarionne's mind, simple, effect, informative and pleasurable to her desires to make this intruder scream for lientery.
The female creature fought back hard, ripping away at Nightmarionne's thick and gooey webs with her claws. Her tattered white clown costume seeped in the black sticky essence of Nightmarionne's webs, acting like glue and keeping her stuck (for the moment) to the floor.
She still attempted to break free, reaching upwards and latching her sharp teeth into Nightmaronnie neck, penetrating the gooey yet tough texture that made up her skin.
The Nightmare gritted her teeth to suppress the immense wave of pain that erupted from her neck.
Although it caused more pain, she forcibly shoved the creature back down to the floor. She didn't care with pieces of flesh being torn from her neck, leaving visible puncture wounds behind that leak a blackish blood, almost like ink.
Having locked the creature's face in place through sheer physical strength, powered by an adrenaline fuelled desire to survive; Nightmaronnie leaned in close, closer than she would have much preferred, but it was necessary.
With her white pupils glowing intensely, it matched the dazzling yellow beam projected by the creature's eyes, as well as that being emitted by the gaping hole in the clown's face.
Despite seemingly so realistic, the bright light that shone forth from the wound and through other cracks still made the clown's face look like porcelain.
Fragile, yet sturdy at the same time.
Clown, that was what this 'thing' was, a female clown monster.
For the first time Nightmarionne could see her eyes clearly, yellow rimmed irises circling what liked a swirling maw at its centre.
"You think you are stronger than us, that the boy is yours to keep?" Nightmarionne asked, although she didn't care for an answer, despite the clown creature providing one.
"To keep, no, but to feast on, he emits torment, he is a literal open wound, gushing terror and pain wherever he goes."
Her yellow eyes glowed evermore as she spoke.
"I am surprised that he has managed to survive in this hellish place for so long, but I can see he has you and your other companions to thank for that achievement."
"You think that large demon bear friend of yours can keep him from me?"
"We've survived worst intruders compared to you!" Nightmarionne hissed back, barring her sharp needle point teeth.
"I am yet to get the circus show started!" the creature growled, before opening their mouth wide, revealing rows upon rows of sharp teeth, looking like they intended to swallow Nightmarionne's entire head.
THUD!
Nightmarionne smacked the creature on the side of the head with her free claw, hard. The act dazed the creature momentarily, but it was enough time for to reveal her own 'circus act'.
White strings slithered out of Nightmarionne's eyes they looked like thin snakes quickly closing the space between her and the creature, whose yellow eyes widen with both curiosity and possibly dread.
Nightmarionne internally smiled at the prospect of making her enemy feel some fear, after so much boasting earlier.
It was time for a little interrogation.
Rapidly, Nightmarionne's string penetrated the clown creature's eyes, burrowing in deep, searching for its fears to recreate them.
In this world, in the house, Nightmarionne's power was at its absolute.
"Mmmm, let's see what we can use, shall we?" she asked assumedly, as she strengthen her grip on the clown creature.
Yet the latter merely smiled back, no words, just a contemptuous grin, not doubt she was burying her anger at being forced onto the backfoot.
Through the creature's mind, Nightmarionne saw things that she would normally expect see.
Rows upon rows of memories.
She could see the creature through its own eyes watching a group of children through the branches of some tree on a summer's day. Nightmarionne could feel the heat of the sun, the light breeze and she could hear the creature's breathing. It being tense and anticipative, waiting for the right moment to strike.
It was a sensation that Nightmarionne could familiarise herself with, having been in the same position when hounding Thomas from the hallways outside his bedroom.
She observed as the creature's eyes hoovered on one child, a young brown haired teenaged girl tracking her movements as the group of kids broke up and went their separate ways. Then there were sounds of wood creaking when the creature moved, as it started to follow the girl, staking her.
The memory changed to that of another as Nightmarionne turned her focus elsewhere. Again, it was shown through the creature's eyes, but this time the creature in a place of darkness, for it was damp and cold.
There was a small outlet that let light in from the outside and it was through that the creature was watching. . .waiting.
Despite it raining heavy outside, the creature and that of Nightmarionne could hear well enough, listening to the falling rain.
Then. . .there came another sound, the sound of someone running and shouting in joy. Nightmarionne felt the creature's breathing quicken, again in anticipation of the approach of potential prey.
She felt a sick smile pull itself across the creature's features and Nightmarionne couldn't deny feeling the same. . .they both loved the hunt.
The sound increased and suddenly, a paper sail boat appeared by the opening, pulled in by the water that was pouring in. The creature immediately reached out and grabbed it firmly in mid fall.
"No," someone called out, it was a child, probably a boy given the tone, but it wasn't clear enough for Nightmarionne to decipher.
Then a pair of black rain boots came into view, completely covering the outlet, which only now Nightmarionne recognised as being that of a drain, meaning that the creature was in the sewers somewhere.
A human hand gripped the drain's opening and then the face of a young boy came into the view, peering to undoubtedly find his paper boat.
Then the memory dissolved and it was then that Nightmarionne encountered what she didn't expect as she dug deeper; searching for the creature's fears.
Images of stars bursting, darkness enveloping light and strange creatures that Nightmarionne could only describe as being from the true depths of the cosmic void for she had no words to describe them.
Yet she still couldn't find the creature's fears, not a single one, no matter where she looked, but now the memories were starting to shift, overlap and blend across into one another.
As she felt increasingly confused, she heard the creature laugh.
"Having trouble finding my fears little one?" she cooed mockingly.
"Don't worry if there are things you don't understand, for as powerful as you are, you're still a tadpole compared to what lies beyond this house."
Nigthmarionne ignored the creature, continuing to gaze through memory after memory, but it no avail and the creature's mind was starting to become more and more chaotic. Nightmarionne would focus on one, only for it to disintegrate and then lock her out.
"Within me, there is no refuge, no weakness that you can hope to uncover, I am far beyond the mere likes of you 'Nightmares," the creature boasted triumphantly.
Suddenly Nightmarionne felt herself being restricted access, when she tried to push forward, something would push back. Trying to retrace her 'steps' through various memories was proving next to impossible as they were being merged into one other, making the context undesirable as environments, people, words and feelings are became crossed wired.
Yet, if this was happening, how could the creature remember anyway coherently?
"I remember everything was it once was, I know the differences between reality and make believe, have you ever played make believe; pretend you're one way when you're really the other?" the creature asked, there was a touch of genuine curiosity in her tone, besides the overflow of mockery.
Nightmarionne knew the difference, but she refused to answer, seeking to deny the creature any satisfication.
"Can't make sense of anything, mmm, a distracted prey is no fun," it mused.
"A cornered one however. . ."
Suddenly, there was a great mental push, a tidal wave of will and Nightmarionne was thrown right out of the creature's mind. No chance to react, to dig in, just a hard shove. She had expected a challenge, but creature's mental strength had been unexpected.
Nightmarionne's white strings retracted back into her eyes as the creature merely freed itself with relative ease.
"Have you ever seen lights as bright as these?" the creature asked curiously, but again there was a thinly veiled undertone of mockery.
She opened her mouth wide, once again revealing row upon row of sharp teeth; but this time she was too quick for Nightmarionne to stop her.
The creature's face it seemed to lift upwards, like it was a facemask. Yet it still moved, twitching with its eyes moving and blinking like nothing was wrong. The rapidly expanded mouth became more monstrous, abandoning all pretence of being human. Nightmarionne soon found herself staring into what could only be described as the maw, at the bottom of a long organic hole lined by jagged teeth.
At its very bottom, staring right back at her were a series of bright yellow orangish lights. It was painful to look at them, but Nightmarionne found that she couldn't look away, she couldn't force herself.
Her will, it was. . .slipping.
Then she heard the screams, howling, agonizing cries of sheer pain and terror which racked her mind. The brighter the lights, the stronger the screams became, building into a crescendo of haunting wails.
The lights drew her inwards, although she wasn't physically moving, her mind, she felt incredibly drawn into those lights. . .like a moth being drawn to the flame.
Nightmarionne barely even noticed that the creature's mouth had moved to almost fully enveloped her head, she was too locked in.
Amidst the screams and cries of pain, she swore that she heard her own name, calling out to her.
"Nightmarionne. . ."
"Nightmarionne. . ."
"So pretty, aren't they," the creature whispered, talking despite their mouth not moving.
"You want to be a part of them, don't you?"
Nightmarionne didn't react, she couldn't, her mind was firmly locked on the bright lights emitting out of the creature's wide open mouth.
It was truly like looking into the heart of the maw and the brightness of the lights seem to make the white glow of Nighrmarionne's pupils glimmer in unison.
In the far distance, she could barely hear a distant cry.
"Nightmarionne. . ."
"Nightmarionne. . ."
The yellow eyes of the creature widen with excitement, although they were unseen by Nightmarionne given that the creature's face was raised like a visor.
"You want to float with them in the void?" the creature asked curiously, but it lacked any sincereness, only a delightful foreboding. With Nightmarionne completely distracted, the creature slipped her claws free of the Nightmarionne's tenacle chains.
"We all float. . .and soon so will you dearie."
Her claws reached upwards for the Nightmare's neck, aiming to severely tear and if possible, decapitate her.
"Just like all the others. . ."
"NIGHTMARIONNE!"
Something slammed into the creature from the side, landing right on top of her with a high pitched shriek.
The creature growled in open anger, snarling, but suddenly found itself being attacked viciously by 'something' and the blows were unrelenting.
And just like, the spell holding Nightmarionne prisoner was broken.
Nightmarionne needed to blink repeatedly, as her mind reeled from the shock, but as she quickly recovered, her senses returned to her.
As her vison fully cleared, she could see that the other voice belonged to Plushtrap, as he literally wrapped himself around the creature's face and bit down hard on the creature's left ear. The act resulted in the creature howling out in pain with a high pitch scream.
Plushtrap didn't stop, instead he continued to attack, slashing down at the creature's eyes with such strength, craving in deep and drawing more of that pale white liquid that seemed to be the creature's blood.
If you could call it that. . .
The creature immediately lowered its face, much like a visor, but Plushtrap was quick enough to detach his jaw from the creature's left ear and bite down on the creature's face as it lowered. A tense tug of war developed, as Plushtrap pulled back hard on the creature's face, stopping it from reattaching to the rest of its head. Despite the bright array of lights which continued to emit a powerful glow for the creature's throat, it no longer held sway over Nightmarionne.
"YOU BLASTED LITTLE RAT!" the creature roared, reaching up with both claws and grabbing hold of Plushtrap's nimble form.
"YOU'LL BE THE FIRST TO BE DEVOURED AFTER THE BOY!"
They dug into their talon like nails into Plushtrap's flesh along his sides, aiming to dig in deep.
"And devoured by us you shall be," Plushtrap whispered harshly, pulling out his trusty knife before proceeding to vicious stab the female clown monster repeatedly in the throat.
"After all," Plushtrap continued viciously.
"This place will be your grave, won't it, Nightmarionne?"
The yellow hate filled eyes of the creature looked forward to see an array of black tentacle like fingers surge forward in a downward strike.
Suddenly, there was a great spike of pain across the creature's chest, as the tentacle slash created considerable holes in their centre.
The creature didn't scream out this time, but they did hiss, in both agony and annoyance. However, Nightmarionne quickly followed the first act up with a hard punch to the creature's centre, having formed her tentacle fingers together into a makeshift fist. The resulting blow knocked the creature back a few steps, causing it to grunt as the air was momentarily knocked out of its lungs.
Fuming immensely, they gripped Plushtrap tightly, despite his persistent claws attacks and tore him off their head, caring not for how much flesh he dragged away with him or the pain that it caused.
Plushtrap was tossed away to one side like a discarded toy, but Nightmarionne caught him with her other arm of tentacle fingers. Quickly, she brought him back, allowing him to stand atop her shoulders, as the pair now redirected their attention towards the obviously wounded, yet still formidable creature.
"Look at you, still feeling boastful, if you leave now, we might let you out," Nightmarionne said confidently.
"That's if you can remember how you got in of course," Plushtrap remarked mockingly with a cold yet delightful smile.
The creature, the female clown monster merely straightened its red bow tie and dusted down its now smeared white silk suit, as though it was trying to look presentable amidst the apparent gore.
The creature snarled aggressively, revealing its extended rows of sharp teeth; it was a monster in human skin, as were the Nightmares themselves.
Nightmarionne emitted a low pitch growl in response with Plushtrap giving a determined roar, raising his pitch to sound as menacing as possible given his small statue as he stood atop Nightmarionne's right shoulder.
The Nightmares and the creature stood facing eachother, evidently recognising that they had reached an impasse.
The creature tinted its head towards the pair, giving them both a suspicious and ominous look. The anger of being bested (so far) was expressed through its glaring yellow eyes that luminated its pale white face, minus the red lines of its makeup and the orange flowing locks of its hair.
This parody of a circus clown merely stood, unmoving, even not blinking; whilst Nightmarionne and Plushtrap breathed softly as they regathered their strength.
Eventually Plushtrap spoke, breaking the tense silence.
"You know, I have to wonder what drove you here, a single monster against the likes of us six?" he asked curiously.
The clown monster didn't speak, choosing not to reply.
"You've talked at length about devouring us, so you're hungry, very hungry?" Plushtrap questioned again, but like before the clown monster said nothing, continuing to stare headlong.
"Are you hungry enough to become desperate in trying to find a suitable meal?" Nightmarionne asked coldly, gesturing with her tentacle fingers to both herself and Plushtrap.
"Sometimes though, you should be careful with what you try to eat, for it could consume you instead," she remarked harshly, narrowing her white pupils at the clown monster.
"You got the jump on us at first, but not this time, this place doesn't want you and nor do we."
"If you were wise, then you would know that it would be best for you to leave now."
"Otherwise. . ."
Nightmarionne adopted an aggressive stance, raising her array of tentacle fingers high into the air like whips and barring her needle fangs; whilst Plushtrap displayed both his sharp teeth and razor claws after falling into a pre-pounce stance.
"If you really do want the boy as you are clearly starving, then you'll have to get through us first," Nightmarionne continued, speaking with a menacing tone.
"And try not to die of exhaustion before we actually get to kill you," Plushtrap sneered mockingly.
The clown monster laughed, her laughter turning in a mixture of deep and high pitch chuckles that were marred with a demonic undertone. Her vicious array of various wounds healed at a considerable rate; the white coloured 'blood' stains were already beginning to fade.
"Your confidence is illusory at best, my little pretties!" she scoffed venomously, smiling, but the anger flared in her yellow eyes.
"You are all more capable than I initially thought, still, it'll make killing you all the more satisfying, a worthy foe, at last!"
Her smile grew into a grin, barring all of her fangs like a wall of jaggy spikes.
"I have not encountered monsters who are so protective over such a delicious soul as this boy, but that only makes me want him more!"
Suddenly she charged forward, mouth wide open and uttering a terrifying demonic roar, whilst her claws were grasping forward like talons. Her eye
Her baggy white silk clown costume lined with red buttons, a red bowtie seemed to glow under the bright light being projected from both Nightmarionne and Plushtrap's eyes. Even her orange hair seemed shine intensely like it was aflame.
Equally Nightmarione charged forward, her array of tentacle claws reaching out towards the female clown creature, seeking to envelop her again in a web.
She emitted an ear piercing scream, a howl from the depths of terror for anyone. It being loud enough to make the entire hallway shake uncontrollably like it was caught in an earthquake.
Plushtrap meanwhile leapt off Nightmarionne's shoulders aiming to sink his teeth into the female clown's face and rip into her throat with his claws or knife, despite his small size. He gave out an aggressive high pitched yell, with his grey eyes narrowed with ominous intentions in mind.
Time seemed to slow down as the three combatments bore down on eachother. It was like an unstoppable force meeting an unmoveable object, each bringing their full might to bear, but inevitable one would have to break first and each side were determined not to be the first. . .
Flashback ends. . .
Nightmarionne mentally shuddered, pushing the memory back into the recess of her mind, before she could relive anymore.
The mocking laughter that female clown monster faded away into nothing, but despite the pain she had inflicted on Nightmarionne and her family, she had lost, fled with her tail between her legs.
She was only an echo now, as uncomfortable as it was for Nightmarionne to relive that echo.
Meanwhile, the mechanical whirring sounds of the Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy animatronics continued unabated as they shook uncomfortably in their pinned upright positions. The white sliver strings which were projected from Nightmarionne's white pupils continued to dive deep into the animatronics'' electronic minds, advanced minds for programmed robots, but programmed they still were.
And reprogrammed they could be. . .
"Protect us, protect me, understand?" Nightmarionne asked firmly, expecting only one answer.
"I. . .I. . .I," the Freddy animatronic stuttered, his deep bear like voice glitching as he struggled under the strain of his programming being slowly rewritten as contradictory orders began appearing in his code.
"Protect me, Nightmarionne?" Nightmarionne demanded, more forcibly this time.
"I. . .I. . .I understand. . .Night. . .Nightmarionne," Freddy stammered, as new commands regarding ensuring the safety of the person who stood before him, mentally issuing these new 'orders'.
"I will prot.. .protect you," Freddy complied, sounding more in agreement than before.
"Yo. . you are our num. . .number one concern," Chica added, in a cheerful tone, amidst the disorting static emitting from her voice box.
"I wi. . .will stand before you and the gr.. .great kraken to prot. . .protect you lassie," Foxy remarked proudly, although the stuttering from his voice box threaten to scrambled his voice box.
"We will ke. . keep you safe a. . .at all costs," Bonnie declared in a reassuring manner. She raised her arm as though to make a point, but she twitched about in an odd fashion, struggling to cope with the surge of information was being processed through her systems.
Nightmarionne smiled, feeling satisfied. . .this, this is what her experience with that savage clown monster had given her. The knowledge of knowing that the mind was as susceptible to influence as the body.
If that clown monster could use their myriad of abilities to pull illusions on children to lure them away to feast on, then why not her.
She knew that being a Nightmare gave her the ability to interact with people's dreams, to trap themselves in their own minds, but to actively influence someone as though they were a machine that could be scrambled and reassembled repeatedly,
That was an idea worthy of exploring and the possibilities fed Nightmarionne's curiosity as much as she knew it would satisfy those of her brethren.
"Very good," she muttered, sounding pleased, her smile widened to become a full on grin that would like terrifying to anyone else who held the capacity to feel fear.
"You four will always protect me."
Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy all nodded firmly, despite their bodies constantly twitching about in all directions.
The infusion of new commands had taken a solid hold on the animatronics' code, embedding itself and stabilising, but it might take some time for all of kinks to be ironed out, but Nightmarionne could feel proud with what she had achieved.
A new tool at her and by extension their disposal.
Slowly, but steadily Nightmarionne extracted her strings from the animatronics'' eyes, much like a doctor pulling a syringe out from a patient's skin, until there was complete separation, breaking the mental bond she had established.
Once done, all of the twitching behaviour that the Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy animatronics' had exhibited stopped almost immediately. Soon the four of eyes were staring back at Nightmarionne, waiting for orders.
Nightmarionne released them from her tenacle chains, pulling them back towards herself, shorting her tenacle fingers, whilst those chains that had originated from her back receding back into her skin like water spouts folding back into the sea from which it had been birthed.
"You shall shut down for now, but I'll return at some point," Nightmarionne remarked smoothly, turning to go.
"Aye lassie, we'll wait for your return from the high seas," Foxy remarked coolly, raising his hook in a friendly gesture.
"But should someone who is not me or looks like me wake you four up. . ." Nighmarionne replied, then lingering for a short while, before finding her words.
"Hold them here, until I return or another of my kind returns."
"You can count on us to keep this place safe from intruders," Chica yelled.
"There'll be no security alerts when you have the very best of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria guarding your home," Bonnie announced confidently.
"Let alone a security breach," Freddy added firmly to which Bonnie nodded in agreement.
Nightmarionne raised an eyebrow in interest at the exchange, clearly their friendly banter had merged with their new orders seamlessly, that was quick.
They couldn't tell the difference between the normal family friendly establishment that they were made for and the current situation in a literal house of horrors, both were one in the same for them.
"Good," Nightmarionne though to herself, feeling satisfied enough.
"That'll prevent any contradictory programming errors from emerging should we really need them for taking down Springtrap and those kid companions of his."
A security breach is still a security breach regardless of who the 'intruder' was and the punishment for trespassing universally applied to all.
Quickly, with her tentacle fingers, Nightmarionne reached back round and pressed the individual on/off button located at the back of each of the animatronics'' neck, shutting them down almost instantly, save for the mechanical groan of their servos locking up.
"Sleep well. . .my newly found puppets," Nightmarionne whispered proudly, be it with dark intentions in mind.
"There'll be plenty for you to do when the time does come."
With nothing else left to conclude, the Nightmare quickly departed, filtering through her maze of sticky webs without issue before arriving at the front door.
Stepping out into the desolate hallway that was barely lit, save for a nearby small table lamp, Nightmarionne found herself thinking back to her encounter with that female clown monster.
"If I ever see her again, maybe, just maybe, I'll thank her for showing me the potential of the mind, human or otherwise to be reshaped and turned against them. . ."
She hummed, whilst concluding her thoughts.
"It is just like modelling clay over and over again, until it is finally perfect."
She stretched her long drawn out tentacle finger like claws, realising any lingering tension in her muscles.
"I just wish I'd had the full mental strength to fully tear that bitch down a peg or two, down to rock bottom ideally, but she was a fighter," Nightmarionne muttered scornfully, as memories of said encounter vividly replayed themselves in her mind's eye.
Echos of the clown monster's laughter sent a small shiver of dread racing through Nightmarione's body.
As Nightmare Fredbear himself admitted, it was in those moments that he truly felt fear, was completely terrified as the prospect of actual death loomed over him and the others.
Nightmarionne could not deny having ever felt the same back then.
"That clown monster, she knew about our connection to Tommy, but how?" Nightmarione questioned out loud, knowing that there was no one listening in.
"How did she figure it out so quickly?" she growled, feeling frustrated at the lack of a clear answer, even now just over twenty six years later she still didn't know.
"Just because she was a demon from the cosmic void, she was somehow smarter than the rest of us?"
She then smiled, but it was a sarcastic smile at best, in her eyes one would see that she was fuming.
"Demonic clown monster, hmm, a fitting title, not her actual name though, but it suited her demeanour just fine."
"We were smart enough to see through her 'charm' and tricks, numerous children however were obviously fooled. . ."
Nightmarionne then laughed mockingly, but there were strains of frustration within it that betrayed her true feelings, of being out smarted.
"Pennywise. . ." she muttered, forcing herself to say the creature's name as sent a shiver of disgust run through her being.
"Pennywise the dancing clown, one only needs to look closely at her appearance for a minute and her whole disguise falls apart."
Yet, as poor as the creature's attempts were to trick the Nightmares into lowering their collective guard, once she abandoned the attempt, Pennywise 'the Dancing Clown' was more than capable of breaking through their combined defences and reach Tommy.
Nightmaronnie sighed internally, dropping her smile, here in isolation, could she admit her feelings about death and fear. The irony of feeling fears and being a creature of fear wasn't lost on her, but it only made her resent the fact more.
It seemed unnatural, despite having felt the sensation more than once in the past and there was one point in time when she and the others were truly standing on the edge of the abyss as Pennywise sought to consume them all to satisfy her never ending hunger.
(Begin the song here).
We see Tommy surrounded by the Nightmares, as Pennywise appears out of the gloom before them, smiling sadistically.
"It is always great when I, I, I, get to meet another new one."
New prey, new victims.
"Welcome, you won't last the night, but we're gonna have so much fun!"
The circus is in town!
"Everybody's waiting now, so let's get it started."
The end is inevitable once you're in the clown's sights.
"Your candle's burning, burning out, live it while you've got it."
Enjoy what peace you can before the grim reaper arrives.
"Take a break from the day, grab a slice of cake before you're cold and rotten."
Pennywise's golden eyes glow sinisterly.
"Because you can't survive."
Whilst wearing a crocodile's smile
"Feel the bite by the morning light!"
The Nightmares adopt aggressive stances towards her.
"Throw 'em up, celebrate, yeah, one more timе, one more time. . ."
Pennywise bares her teeth in anticipation of a challenge.
"Tеll me, are you giving me all you got for one last night, one last night?"
She then charges headlong at the Nightmares.
"So, tell me are you ready, ready?"
Nightmare Mangle roars.
"Play and turn it up loud!"
Nightmare BB jumps at Pennywise.
"Let's eat, lets rock, lets party now!"
Plushtrap pounces, with his claws outstretched.
"Ready, ready?"
Nightmarionne screams, making the walls shake.
"Go on, scream your lungs out!"
Nightmare Fredbear takes off with Tommy.
"Let's eat, lets rock, no slowing down!"
We see Pennywise's claws dripping with blood.
"Let's eat-eat!"
Agonised howls are heard.
"Let's party-party!"
Terror screams echo through the halls.
"Let's rock-rock!"
Pennywise's eyes glow ominously in the dark.
"It's the last night of your life!"
We hear sounds of strangulation.
"Let's eat-eat!"
The breaking of bones.
"Let's party-party!"
Pained breathing.
"Let's rock-rock!"
We see Pennywise emerge triumphant through the gloom.
"It's the last night of your life!"
We see Pennywise pursuing Nightmare Fredbear and Tommy.
"Built in hunger for revenge, it's your downfall that I'm longing."
The thrill of the hunt drives her.
"But that doesn't mean your end, has to be so sad and boring."
We'll all float together. . .
"So, hey-hey!"
We see countless victims of Pennywise, with their eyes clawed out.
"Yeah, it might be twisted, twisted."
Their deaths served a better cause.
"Hey-hey!"
Life in the void is one of freedom.
"But you shouldn't miss this, miss this. . ."
"Hey-hey!"
That is what she offers.
"This last gift I'm giftin', giftin!"
Death is only natural.
"Party now 'cause you won't survive!"
For the strong always consume the weak.
"Feel the bite by the morning light!"
We see Pennywise easily breaking through a locked door.
"Throw 'em up, celebrate, yeah one more time, one more time. . ."
She then hears sounds from behind her.
"Tell me are you, giving me all you got for one last night, one last night?"
Suddenly, she is jumped by Nightmare Mangle.
"So, tell me are you ready, ready?"
Plushtrap drops down on her from on high.
"Play and turn it up loud!"
Nightmare BB launches on her legs, biting in deep.
"Let's eat, lets rock, lets party now!"
Nightmarionne's banshee screams make the hallway shudder again.
"Ready, ready?"
Cracks appear in the surrounding walls.
"Go on, scream your lungs out!"
We see Pennywise extend her teeth outwards.
"Let's eat, lets rock, no slowing down!"
We hear more blood curling cries.
"Let's eat-eat!"
The ripping and tearing of flesh.
"Let's party-party!"
The shattering of bones.
"Let's rock-rock!"
Pennywise's mocking laughter.
"It's the last night of your life!"
We see a gravely bloodied Nightmare Mangle.
"Let's eat-eat!"
A badly wounded Plushtrap.
"Let's party-party!"
A seriously injured Nightmare BB.
"Let's rock-rock!"
An incapacitated Nightmarionne as Pennywise walks by.
"It's the last night of your life!"
We see Pennywise having cornered both Nightmare Fredbear and Tommy.
"It's game over, over tonight, over tonight, over tonight!"
Pennywise grins, revelling in a near victory.
"Let's make your last night, the night of your life!"
Her hunger demands to be satisfied.
"The night of your life, the night of your life!"
As she approaches the pair, Tommy hides further behind Nighmare Fredbear.
"It's game over, over tonight, over tonight, over tonight!"
Nightmare Fredbear bares his teeth and claws, growling in anticipation.
"Let's make your last night, the night of your life, are you ready?"
Pennywise roars and charges at Nightmare Fredbear.
"Ready, ready?"
Claws lock.
"Play and turn it up loud!"
They fight viciously and without pause.
"Let's eat, let's rock, let's party now!"
Yet Pennywise impales Nightmare Fredbear with her claws.
"Ready, ready?"
Before tossing him aside, despite him still being conscious.
"Go on, scream your lungs out!"
Tommy flees, gaining Pennywise's attention.
"Let's eat, lets rock, no slowing down!"
She takes off after him, pursing on all fours.
"Let's eat-eat!"
Barling down the hallway.
"Let's party-party!"
Tommy screams in terror, as she quickly closes in.
"Let's rock-rock!"
Pennywise's eyes widen in excitement.
"It's the last night of your life!"
She grabs Tommy and slams him against the wall.
"Let's eat-eat!"
Pinning him firmly in place.
"Let's party-party!"
Pennywise opens up her face.
"Let's rock-rock!"
Revealing her deadlights.
"It's the last night of your life!"
The Nightmares suddenly feel a harsh pull on their souls.
"Ready, ready?"
They are ripped out of existence.
"Play and turn it up loud!"
Falling straight into the void.
"Let's eat, let's rock, let's party now!"
The house starts to crumble.
"Ready, ready?"
It screams in agony as it is being crushed.
"Go on, scream your lungs out!"
Before collapsing in on itself.
"Let's eat, lets rock, no slowing down!"
We see Tommy in the void, falling into an enlarged version of Pennywise's mouth.
"Let's eat-eat!"
We see all of the Nightmares being dragged down with him.
"Let's party-party!"
Pulling vainly on their soul leashes.
Let's rock-rock!"
Pennywise's sinister laughter echoes all around them.
"It's the last night of your life!"
We'll all float together.
"Let's eat-eat!"
As one big happy family.
"Let's party-party!"
In the enteral circus of damnation.
"Let's rock-rock!"
Forever after. . .
"It's the last night of your life. . ."
(The song ends).
And it very nearly was the last night of their lives; they were practically falling through death's door at that moment.
However, they were able, just able to claw their way back through, thanks to the herculean efforts of one particular Nightmare.
Nightmarionne sighed, leaning against the wall of the hallway, allowing the gloom and silence to surround her and bring about a sense of peace.
Pennywise was gone, she had only just managed to escape the hellish retribution that they were about to bring down on her.
She fled from the house, like a wolf hightailing it from a gang of relentless hunters, but not without a great amount of injury being inflicted on her and she would certainly remember it.
The agonising screams of Pennywise when the tables were suddenly and brutally turned on her flashed in Nightmarionne's mind.
Nightmarionne smiled at the memory, relishing the sweet satisfaction and enjoying the present. In particular she loved replaying the moment of when she played her 'siren' song to a dazed Pennywise, her mental contraction being broken enough for the Nightmare's false soothing words to have an effect, she practically puppeteered the clown monster for a while, intoxicating her mind with a sudden unexplainable desire for her.
Now that was fun and it served Nightmarionne's desires for revenge very well, in fact, it made all of the immense pain worth it.
In the end, Nightmarionne was still alive, as were the others. They had survived all who had dared to challenge them and came out on top.
Pennywise, Bendy and Alice Angel, the Mindflayer and its mysterious humanoid master had all either been driven off, negotiated into making a satisfactory deal that spared them; or had been fought to a complete standstill which presented the prospect of continuing the fight against the Nightmares as definitively being against their best interests.
Now, finally, the Nightmares' chance for true freedom was dawning, slowly, but surely it was emerging before them like the rising of the sun.
The various puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place and Nightmarionne felt excited, no, energised by it.
She knew the outcome to this long game, she still had her role to play in it and right now, she couldn't linger in memories of the past.
"Maybe Pennywise, I might just take a few tricks from your book," Nightmarionne mused, although it felt grudging to admit that she was willing to take any ideas from that soul parasitise.
"After all, terrifying the 'meat' as you put ever so elegantly, does make the game all the more fun, when reason fails and insanity prevails."
"But we can't keep playing with our 'food' now can we, eventually, the hunt has to end and end it shall."
She narrowed her eyes, to the point where they became slits and she increased her speed, gliding down the hallway with such quickness that she actually created her own windfall.
"I am done playing around, it is time to remind those children and their 'valiant knight' of what a true nightmare feels like. . ."
And with that Nightmarionne vanished further into the darkness, it opened up to her as though it was welcoming her home.
And it would help guide straight to her prey. . .
Silence drifted through the hallways of the Nightmare house, the doors were closed, the rooms sealed from any unwanted intruders. Dust and cobwebs littered this desolate tomb of what was once a vibrant, if not troubled family home.
At some points there were junctions where four hallways would meet eachother, from a bird's eye view it looked like a cross. Through these empty corridors, lit up only by a series dim lamps dotted at various places, acting like islands in a sea of infinite darkness; a tranquil silence existed, despite the sinister nature of the house itself.
And it was at one of these hallway junctions that the silence was shattered by several ear-piercing screams from on high.
It was a low at first, but it rapidly grew in its intensity.
Five children fell right out of the darkness that covered the ceiling of the hallway like a thick cloak. A bright light momentarily broke through the blackness as the child holding it plummeted through.
And yet, just as they were about to hit the floor, it rose upwards as though it intended to catch them. When the children impacted it, the floor bent downwards, cushioning their impact, absorbing the full force of their fall.
Suddenly, a larger figure, an adult, tightly clutching into another child fell through the darkness, also landing onto what seemed to be an elastic floor.
Once the force of the group's impact had passed, the floor sprung backwards, popping itself back into its normal position, as though nothing had happened in the slightest.
Raising his head to observe the situation, Springtrap quickly became aware of another sound, that of something heavy falling.
He didn't need to look up to know what it was.
"QUICK, EVERYONE HUG THE WALLS AND STAY THERE!" he shouted, before tightening his hold on Tommy and running for the nearest side of the corridor.
All five children immediately obeyed, rushing off to whichever wall they were closet to.
As they did, an all manner of discarded furniture fell through the darkness above them. Chairs, lamps, min tables and anything else you could think off plummeted to the floor, shattering upon the combined impact of hitting the floor and eachother.
Instinctively Springtrap reached out with one hand and grabbed a hold of Susie, before pulling her in close, pressing her against the wall with his body, shielding her from the worst of the falling debris.
Once the sounds of crashing furniture ended, only then did Springtrap allow himself to look around, checking on the other children.
They were fine, thankfully they had all been able to clear a good distance.
"Ok, just to check, is everyone ok?" Springtrap asked, quickly glancing from child to the next.
"No one is seriously injured?"
He got the various responses of.
"I'm fine."
"I'm good."
"I'm still ok."
Springtrap sighed, feeling relieved, despite the sudden downturn of the situation.
Looking around, he found that they were all in a corridor junction of sorts, with four passageways leading in all directions and neither one gave a clear indication of where they would lead.
Typical, this house loved to play mysterious.
"SpringBonnie?" a small, quiet, but exhausted voice asked, making Springtrap look down.
It was Thomas Afton; he was still clinging onto Springtrap's shoulders and had been for most of the way down.
"Are you ok Tommy?" Springtrap inquired, although by all appearances the boy didn't seem to be hurt, just tired. . .as he always was.
"I am ok. . .mostly," Tommy replied, although he sounded cautious, unsure, couldn't really blame him for it, given what had just happened.
There no signs of his evil counter opposite, Dark Tommy. That demon seemed to have vacated, or rather slipped back into the dark recess of Tommy's soul. . .watching behind Tommy's eyes.
Springtrap narrowed his grey eyes slightly, feeling warry at the thought of Dark Tommy listening in on their conversations and activities.
However, Springtrap knew that they couldn't linger for long, the other Nightmares were on their tail and this house would do its best to slow them. It had made its intentions obivious by this point.
Springtrap felt his inner resolve strengthen, he couldn't allow hopeless or fear to take hold now.
Tightly gripping Susie's hand, Springtrap marched forward, heading the nearest hallway.
"Come, we all best make haste, otherwise we'll never find our way of this death maze," he directed. Susie didn't question it, but Gabriel did.
"Wait, how do we know that we aren't walking into another trap?" he asked cautiously.
"Yeah, isn't that a fundamental rule with this place," Sammy added, although he sounded more warry than cautious at the prospect.
"We don't know, we just have to take our chances, as scary that seems, but we cannot stay here and nor am I going to risk us splitting up and trying all four, it'll be our death sentence," Springtrap replied firmly.
He turned and looked back at Gabriel and the others, looking both serious and yet sincere.
"No matter what happens next, I will do whatever it takes to find a way out for us, I made a promise and I intend to keep it," Springtrap said determinedly, turning his gaze to each child in turn.
"Besides, with there being four hallways, how will the Nightmares know which one we've chosen?" he asked, stating what he thought to be obivious.
His last point was enough to calm the children's' fears and they quickly joined him by the nearest corridor's entrance. Further along the corridor, the scattered islands of lamps could be seen fading in and out of the darkness.
"Tommy, do you recognise this place?" Springtrap, looking down at the boy who still cling desperately to his shoulders, practically digging himself into Springtrap's chest.
"No, I am rarely allowed to come down to the lower levels of the house," Tommy replied, his voice quiet, but his nervousness was evident to all.
"Then, we truly are wandering in the dark," Susie muttered cautiously, keeping a firm grip on Springtrap's hand.
"We have been since we first came in," Charlie remarked observantly.
"Still, we should make our move," he muttered, casting his eyes upward at the darkness that loomed above them.
"They may try to follow us down here, despite the long drop."
"They will," Springtrap added firmly, his eyes narrowing.
"They're Nightmares, they're ruthless, we've seen enough of that particular trait of theirs."
He strengthened his grip on both Susie's hand and Tommy as he turned round and started to head off down the chosen corridor.
The other children, not wanting to be left alone at all, quickly followed suit.
"Come," Springtrap ordered encouragingly.
"Let's best make our way forward, the sooner we move, the sooner we can find an exit."
As the darkness began to envelope them Springtrap found himself thinking back to his earlier conversation with Charlie and the other children, before the house suddenly turned on them.
"I promise to get us all out, I'll do whatever it takes," he mentally muttered, reminding himself of his personal vow.
"We aren't beaten yet, in the end, despite their combined strengths, their intelligence and this house's love for tricky, they are all merely shadows still."
He briefly glanced down at Thomas Afton. The boy seemed to have his gaze cast forward, spying out the tiny pricks of light which emitted from the various lamps that dotted the hallway's entire length.
Yet, even then Springtrap could easily guess as to what was on the poor boy's mind, he knew Thomas felt guilty for not being able to make them leave earlier and in truth Springtrap did feel guilty himself for not heeding the boy's warnings.
"I am sorry for not listening to you earlier and leaving like you said I should," Springtrap muttered softly, feeling the regret in his voice.
Thomas momentarily stirred and looked upwards; his blue eyes seem to almost gleam in the darkness.
"I know, you are SpringBonnie, but. . ."
He paused, sounding troubled, before coming back with.
"We need to find a way out for you and the others, I cannot leave, so getting you guys out is my only priority."
Springtrap couldn't help but smile at the boy's good, if not noble intentions.
"I appreciate your kind thoughts. . .superstar."
"Superstar?" Thomas inquired, now sounding confused, but there was the tiniest hint of playfulness to his voice.
"Sorry, it just felt right to say in the moment," Springtrap answered, now feeling a little embarrassed and if not caught off guard.
"How come he is a superstar and we aren't?" Susie asked, sounding a little bit jealous, as she turned to look at Springtrap.
"Superstar, I want to be a superstar?" Sammy demanded playfully and soon he had set the others off.
"Can we be superstars, we've endurance enough crap to earn the title," Cassidy muttered wearily, as she tried to keep pace with Springtrap.
"Crap?" Gabriel added confusingly, before shaking his head and continuing with.
"No, more like we've endured tons of sh-"
"Language!" Springtrap yelled, although he did his best keep his voice low.
"Fine, you can all be superstars, but only if you keep dead quiet."
"We promise," Charlie added firmly, although he equally sounded mischievous.
"If the Nightmares find us though, we get to yell as loud as we want."
He then stopped before, going quiet for a moment.
"We did when we possess the Fazbears, having a large physical body to back up the yell really did wonders with scaring the night guards to death."
"Well, I hope that you still capable of doing the same thing here," Springtrap remarked eagerly with a small smile.
"It would be funny to see a Nightmare scarred to death."
The image he conjured up of Nightmare Fredbear cowering as he suffered under a bombardment of high pitched banshee screams made Charlie smile and he immediately forgot his troubles.
Altogether, the group surged further forward into the darkness, supressing their doubts and fears. . .mostly, and keeping their eyes set on finding anything
"You are all my superstars, now let's be super quiet, until we can find our bearings, or ideally an exit," Springtrap muttered, earning him several affirmative musing from the children, even Tommy, although as usual he was the quietest of the bunch.
Meanwhile. . .
"Superstars, you say Springtrap, indeed they are like little stars in the night sky, but as with all things in this world, star light eventually dies. . ."
The owner of the voice, peeked out of the gloom which emitted from the opposite hallway to the one that Springtrap and the children had gone down.
The red brownish eyes, the red and purple stripped hat which fitted a fan on top, coupled with the red and purple stripped shirt, followed by the bulky looking blue trousers and plain brown shoes, all tattered age and worn by time. Nightmare Balloon Boy grinned in anticipation, or maybe delight was a better word, stretching his menacing monster claws and feeling his muscles pull. Standing in the dim twilight between the darkness of the hallway behind and nearest lampshade made his giant jagged three rows of teeth gleam in a manner that seemed almost. . .elegant.
Possessing similar skills to Plushtrap, Nightmare Balloon Boy could hear the faint whispers of the ongoing conversation between Springtrap and the children, listening in on every word and seeing their movements clearly as to him, darkness was almost like daylight.
"You had to pick the worst hallway didn't you Springtrap, by sheer chance, what are the odds."
His reddish brown eyes narrowed.
"But those are good odds for me," he chuckled joyfully, clasping his claws together, complementing his next move.
"Let's see how you deal with this next round Springtrap," Nightmare Balloon Boy muttered observantly, setting his sights on Springtrap in particular.
"Perhaps now you'll fully realise that you've taken onto many burdens, we all need to make hard choices."
He pressed his rows of teeth to form a murderous grin, as his eyes shine with an unholy glow.
"Let's see how much you can take before you break?" he mused curiously, but there was a sadistic undertone to his words; a desire to witness agony being unleashed, inflicted and ultimately enjoyed.
"This will be an interesting game and I cannot wait to get started," he whispered, before chuckling ominously again as he moved back into the shadows, to stalk, observe and eventually, when the right moment came along. . .pounce.
Finally got round to introducing Nightmare Balloon Boy. It is a mini introduction though, but you'll be seeing him again shortly.
Additionally, yes it is indeed IT/Pennywise from Stephen King's universe, to be accurate it is a female version of IT from the 2017 and 2019 films by New Line Cinema; I had tons of fun writting them in!
As for the next chapter, we'll be returning to a familiar pizzeria. ;-)
Do please review, I appreciate your thoughts.