CHAPTER FOUR:

11:25 PM.

Dave Miller looked at himself in the mirror, as he did up the last few buttons of his uniform. He looked tired.

Of course he looked tired- Mitch woke him up at five in the morning.

Deep purple bags hung heavy under Dave's eyes. He looked like he was decomposing. He thought back to what he had said before.

Not going on any dates looking like this.

Definitely not going on any dates looking like this. And this job was only gonna make it worse, what with working the damn graveyard shift. He'd have to get his sleep in during the daytime hours- if these hours were to become a trend. He picked the golden badge that Annie had given him up off the counter, rubbing it slightly with his thumb. Annie had off-put him a little. She seemed like a really nice lady, but something about the way she held a conversation really bugged him. Like she always needed to get her words out before anyone else.

He secured the badge firmly to the breast of his uniform. This is it, Dave.

Welcome to the Fazbear family.

Placing his new baseball cap on his head, he shut the bathroom light off- stepping out into the main room. He grabbed his coat from his bag, putting it on. He decided he wasn't going to get back into Mitch's van- because he valued his life, thank you very much- and thus, he'd take his chances with walking. It wasn't that far, anyway, right? It only took so long last time, because Mitch decided to make an activity of committing as many vehicular crimes as possible. Dave pushed the door open, stepping out into the night-time air. August was cold here. Bitingly so. Even with his jacket on, he found himself shivering slightly as he walked down the drive.

Look at him. He was going to spend the night guarding a children's pizza place for his new job. It was, frankly, pathetic.

But it was money, right? He wasn't gonna do it forever. Just until he had enough cash to work as a jumping-off point. He tried to remind himself that this was a job, not a career.

Where was this place again? He was pretty sure that Mitch hung a left here, and...

Oh. Oh, wow. Either they lived far closer to Freddy's than he though, or he got lost in thought somewhere down the line- because Dave found himself coming up on the restaurant then. Dave figured it was the latter.

He checked his watch. 11:50. Pretty perfect, actually.

Coming up to the front door, Dave realized he hadn't received a key of any kind. Shit- should he have asked for one? Should he have borrowed Mitch's? Luckily, pushing on them, he found the doors to be unlocked. He stepped inside, letting the doors shut behind him.

There was that feeling again. It's late, and all the teachers have left school grounds.

Dave tried to push the childlike nervousness to the back of his mind. He took a step further in, adjusting his shirt collar. He pulled a chair out from one of the tables, and sat down. The place still seemed very tidy, which was odd. Wasn't it just full of kids all day, running around and wrecking shit? He picked up one of the party hats off the table, placing it on his head.

He never really had one of these minimum-wage jobs as a kid. In his teens- around when he was fifteen or so- he had worked at a library for a few summers, sure- but he never really had one of these fast-food, 'summer job' jobs. And here he was: in his 20s, in August.

A sudden noise made him jump.

"Enjoying yourself, birthday boy?" Dave whipped around to see Annabelle, giggling at him. He quickly stood up, and ripped the party hat off of his head. She walked over to him, patting him firmly on the back. "How are you today, David? B-ah, what am I talking about? You're doing great, I can see it in your eyes!" She turns around. "A tad early, but that may work to our advantage. How's about I introduce you to the band?"

Dave tucked his hair back underneath his cap. "Uh, yeah- sure. Sounds good." Walking briskly, Annabelle led him over to the stage.

"Now, I really shouldn't let them perform so late at night. Have to preserve power, you know? However-" She pauses to- with great difficulty- climb up onto the stage. Dave follows suit. "...However, I can still give you a quick run-down, now can't I?" She walks over to the middle of the three animatronics. "This here, is the star of the show! Freddy Fazbear, himself." Annie pats the automaton bear on the back, causing it to shudder and shift slightly. "Gosh, the kids just love him. I cant help but feel a sense of pride." She walks over to the blue rabbit. "Here we have Bonnie the Bunny. She used to be one of my favorites, you know? Always did have a soft spot for rabbits. She's a real rock star type. Evidenced by the killer a-wing guitar, hmm?" Annie pauses to laugh. "And then, of course, over here, is Chica the Chicken." She pats the thing on the back, smiling. "Resident foodie of the bunch. Every cast of characters has got to have one."

Dave wondered how one could attribute these personality traits to these lifeless looking hunks of metal. They were just staring forward- their faces locked in a permanent expression of- what was it, surprise? Joy? Drunkenness? Yet again, Dave was left to wonder why on god's green earth kids supposedly liked these things.

Annie continued, seemingly unfazed by Dave's distaste. "Of course, these are just the ones that perform. If you'll follow me...!" She sits down on the edge of the stage, before sliding off. She leads Dave to the back corner of the room, where a smaller stage stands, covered by a purple curtain, patterned with golden stars. A wooden sign stood in front of it read 'Wuh-oh! Looks like Foxy the Pirate fox is off at sea again...! Let's all hang tight and wish him a safe return, eh, mateys?' Next to it, a sinister, grinning pirate fox brandished his hook hand.

"Of course, old Foxy isn't really at sea...! That's just what we tell the kids whenever Foxy goes out of order. Happens more often than I'd like, but...he's old, you know?" Annie drew back the curtain revealing the awful, grinning thing. It's jaw hung open, flopping down- like it was laughing at him. Foxy's uncovered eye was clouded over, staring off into nothing- as if it were blind. Well, Dave supposed they were all technically blind. There's no sight to process if there's no brain to do the processing.

Annie giggled, sadly, continuing. Annie's laughter sounded less endearing to Dave this time around. "Some kids love him, some just hate him. But it isn't his fault he looks a little rocky, now is it? Oh well. He'll always have a special place in my heart, and the hearts of the children who can stand him, poor thing."

Special place in the hearts- that thing deserves a special place in the town trash compactor. The damn thing made him nervous to look at. It felt like it was looking into his soul, for crying out loud. Something that was appearing to be becoming a bit of a theme for the Freddy Fazbear's Pizza band.

"And that should just about do it! You're all caught up with the Freddy Fazbear's crew! And right on time, too, it seems. 12:00 on the dot. Hurry off to that office...! And I mean stat, dear." And with that, Annie patted his back, and hurried out the door. She appeared to be slightly rushed. Maybe she has a date.

Pfft, yeah, right.

Dave walked down the hallway, and turned left, entering his new office. He took a seat in the chair, sliding in to the desk. Looking at the monitors on his workspace, he saw that they were now turned on. Each one appeared to display a camera feed from a different location of the restaurant- some hosting multiple. Dave figured they just didn't have the budget for 11 monitors. Another thing that appeared to be becoming a theme for the Freddy Fazbear's company- cheapness. The biggest one appeared to show the show stage, that Dave had just previously been to. A few more displayed various other locations: The beginning and end of each hallway, a storage closet of some kind, bathrooms, backstage, etcetera. One of the cameras wasn't displaying anything at all, actually. A small sticky-note stuck to the front of the monitor read 'KITCHEN FEED - OUT OF ORDER, AUDIO ONLY. SORRY!' In hasty scrawl.

As if on a cue, the phone began to ring. Quirking an eyebrow, Dave leaned over, picking it up. "Hello?"

A tinny, nasally voice began to speak. "Hello? Hello, hello? Uh, welcome to your first night at your new career- that being, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza! Uh, whether you knew us in our time as Fredbear's Family Diner, or you're just joining us now- the company is very, very happy to have you with us, as a Night Watchman...!"

Right, the recording. Dave listened in.

"Now, there are, uh, some legalities that I've got to get out of the way, before I can really verse you here- so, uhm, if you'll indulge me..." The phone guy shuffled some papers, and cleared his throat. "Us here, at Fazbear Entertainment are legally obligated to inform you, that we are not responsible for any damage to person or belongings, which, to be frank, is a very real possibility. Any attempt to sue us will most likely be moot. Understood? Okay."

More shuffling of papers. He continued. "Now that that's, uh, through- let me give you a quick introduction to your office, there. If you'll take a look at the doors, uh, on either side you, there...There should be a little control panel next to it. That, uh- that panel houses a light, and door button, respectively. You, ah, should be able to figure out what those do, uh- by yourself, yeah? Haha."

Dave looked over to one of the doors. Sure enough, there was the little grey panel. Pressing the light button, the hallway illuminated, casting the posters that littered the walls in an eerie, fluorescent glow. As he took his hand off the button, the light shut off. Reaching over, he pressed the door button. A thick, metal blast door slammed shut directly in front of him, causing him to jump back. With a shaking hand, he pressed the button again, and the door slid open. Holy shit. He understood the need for security- but didn't a fucking blast door seem a little overkill? Maybe?

"But uh, you gotta be careful with those, there. The building, it uh, it runs on a generator-based power system- that uh, gets recharged during the day, when not as much power is required. It's all very Eco-friendly. And, uh, cheap too." The phone guy paused to swallow. "Basically, what that means for you, is, uh, you gotta be careful keeping the doors shut, and using the hallway lights, 'cause both of those things, they uh- they use power. Don't ask me why, I don't really know." Before Dave has time to be confused, he keeps talking. "Now. To address what you'll, uh, probably wish I brought up sooner." Oh? Dave sits up straighter. "The animatronics, in recent months, have, uh- begun to act a little...say a little quirky, at night? Yeah- quirky, that works. The company, they put them in a sort of...free-roam mode at night. Something, something, their servos lock up if they're left, uh, dormant for too long. Now, the animatronics, they've been acting a little, uh, aggressive toward our previous guards. Our, uhm- our leading theory is that they see you, think you're an animatronic endo-skeleton missing its suit, and then...attempt to forcefully get you into one of these said suits. The suits are full of crossbeams and wires, so this can cause some d- some discomfort, as you can probably imagine. And death."

What.

No, let him reiterate- what the FUCK? Did this guy just say DEATH? No, sorry- Dave was worried about the wrong damn thing; the real problem was that what Dave thought were soulless hunks of pre-programmed metal, were really some fucking killer robot bullshit! This guy means to tell Dave that Annabelle fucking HANDED him this job- and not ONCE did she decide to mention that 'oh yeah, by the way, freddy fazbender and his robotic menagerie are gonna be walking around trying to shove you inside an animatronic iron maiden.'

"In the event that Freddy and friends do, uh, reach your office- don't panic. Just shut the doors, and they should go away after a few seconds. Uh, remember to treat Freddy and friends with respect, too. These characters hold a special place in the hearts of children- and the least you can do is acknowledge that, okay? Okay."

Right. Of course- allow me to shake their cold, aluminum hands, and take their coats. Allow me to kiss their feet before they rip my goddamned face off.

"But, uh, yeah...! First night should be a breeze- remember to keep an eye on those cameras, and only close those doors if absolutely necessary, okay? Gotta conserve power. That should just about wrap up this message, so allow me to close it off by saying: Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, where Fantasy and Fun come to life. I'll talk to you tomorrow." And with that, the man hung up.

Dave did his best to slow his breathing- though it was a little hard to, after having that absolute bombshell dropped on him. Maybe he could just leave, now. Quit, and put this whole place behind him.

But- fuck- no, this was too good of an offer to pass on. This job was handed to him, on the house- and he wasn't about to reject it. He just needed to work here for a little while- just enough to get his feet up off the ground- a week, tops. He just needed to hold out.

Dave placed the phone down on the receiver, looking up at the monitors. He said to keep an eye on the cameras, didn't he?

The Freddy Fazbear's Pizza band stood on the main stage, half cast in shadow. Earlier that day, they were unnerving, at best. But now, they made Dave feel outright nervous. Something about their faces, carved permanently into 'child-friendly' expressions- just served to give off the impression that there was something sinister lying beneath the surface. And fuck it, Dave wasn't about to start digging.

Three layers deep.

He just needed to hold out. Hold out from what? Looking at it, there was absolutely no fucking way that these things were capable of hurting anybody- hell, if they were, this place would have been shut down ages ago. It was nothing more than a disclaimer. A disclaimer from a sketchy company, trying to cover all their bases. He looked back at the stage. There, see? Bonnie was looking right at him- tell him that that hunk of lifeless metal was some sinister killer robot.

Oh. Bonnie was looking right at him. Were they just a second ago? Dave could have sworn they were looking forward, like the rest of the band. He must be misremembering. There must be some rational explanation for this. It couldn't see Dave, could it? No, that's ridiculous- it was a robot- it couldn't see anything. But still, the seed of doubt was planted.

Dave tugged at his shirt collar. Something about the way the thing was staring at him, made him feel like it knew where he was. Knew he was watching.

The camera feed cut out, and gave way to dense, monochromatic static. Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit- really? Right now had to be the time for his cheap-ass equipment to crap out? Dave tapped firmly on the side of the monitor. Come on, you piece of shit.

The camera feed returned, once again revealing the band. The incomplete band. Bonnie was missing from the stage.

Dave felt sick. He leaned in further to the screen, as if that would do something. As if he'd suddenly see the thing again, and decide that he must just need to get some more sleep. He didn't want to look away from the screen. He was afraid to. Afraid of what he knew he was going to see if he looked at the other cams. Dave peeled his gaze off of the main monitor, and began scanning the others. Bathrooms, Left hall entrance, Storage closet...

Storage closet. Upon further inspection, he saw that the lavender rabbit was standing in the back of the room, standing half-slumped against a wall- like a marionette when you push it's strings slack. It- she?- looked at the camera for a moment, before taking a few tentative steps toward it. Only now did Dave really get a good look at Bonnie. Her eyes had blacked out- bright, white pupils piercing through the camera's dense static. It reached a hand up behind the camera, before the camera feed cut out once again.

Only this time, it didn't come back on. It had disabled the camera. This confirmed it in Dave's head. He wasn't dealing with pre-programmed automated entertainers- he was dealing with fully sentient beings. Beings capable of figuring out on their own how to disable the cameras that monitored them.

It also confirmed that they knew he was watching.

Checking back on the main stage camera, the only animatronic remaining on the stage was Freddy Fazbear himself. Both Bonnie and Chica were now roaming around the restaurant trying to get into the office. Trying to get to him.

He found Chica on the restroom camera, shambling about, somewhat aimlessly. She would walk to the end of the hallway, turn around, walk down the other way- rinse and repeat etcetera. Her movements were jerky, and jagged- and yet- her actions were incredibly human. Mitch was right. Watching them move in real time- this was magic. Not the kind of magic you would see as a kid- with the flashing lights, and pretty women- no, this was the kind of magic that would keep you up as a kid. The kind of magic that reminded Dave of ghosts, or the Boogeyman. Dave couldn't help himself- he was utterly mesmerized by the things- taking in her every movement.

A sound brought Dave out of his trance. Footsteps. Clambering, metal footsteps coming down the hall toward him.

He whipped around, leaning over to the door button- slamming his hand down on it.

It only closed halfway. Looking down, he saw a purple, metal hand, holding the door slightly ajar. Dave fell over backwards, shambling to the opposite wall, as the hand slid the door open. The animatronic stepped through, looking down at him- letting the door slam behind them.

She stood at about his height- though her ears added at least an additional two feet. She took a few steps forward, her black, soulless eyes blinking- as she clenched and unclenched one of her hands. Dave screamed, gutturally. He couldn't help himself. He had never been so terrified in his life.

"They hadn't told us you'd be coming." Bonnie spoke. Dave looked up, afraid to blink.

"There was another one, before you. What happened to him?" Bonnie cut him off, before he had a chance to sputter out a reply. "But you wouldn't know, would you? Not everyone who works at this company are best fucking friends." She paused. "Pardon my french."

Bonnie paced a little. "But oh well. I have you here, now- and sooner than the other guards. You were frankly pathetic, guy. I'm gonna rip you to pieces." She paused to snicker. "Oh, and then I'll stuff you in a spare suit, all mangled and stuff- it's gonna be so good." She leaned against the side of the desk. "But let's chat a little, first- yeah? Nobody ever has the time to chat anymore. Entertain me, guard." Bonnie rested her head on her hand, crossing one leg over the other.

Dave sputtered. "P-please, God- Please don't kill me- I haven't done anything with my l-life, I- I'm not an exoskeleton thing- I'm a human life, please, fuck-"

Bonnie groaned, leaning backward. "Oh my Scott, would you shut uuup. Christ- I don't think you're an endo-skeleton. I'm a cartoon character, not a fucking dumbass. I kill the guards because I like it. And, uh- because Fred tells us to- but that's- that's besides the point!"

Dave rubs his eyes. "Fred- Freddy, tells you to...?"

Bonnie jumps up onto her feet, causing Dave to flinch backward. "It's not like I abide by his every command! I just happen to like killing the guards, is all!" She begins to pace again. "And this is very important to him! Least I can do is do him a solid. Argh- shut up! Just- shut up!" She jabs a finger into Dave's chest. "And what about you, Mr. Human life? Hmm? Why'd you take this job? You sure are a lot older than the other ones we've had."

Dave sits up slightly, as Bonnie pulls back her arm. "I- I was recommended the job by my roommate, I- I guess I just needed the money. Why am I telling you this, I-"

Bonnie leaned over him slightly, laughing. "I dunno, Daaaave. Why are you telling me all this...?"

He jumped a little. "Wh- how did you know my-?"

"It's on your badge, chucklenuts. Or are you illiterate, too?" Bonnie snickered again. "Look at you. You're in your 20s, at least- working night shifts at a children's fast-food joint. At least the other guards were teenagers. You're a loser. A fat, idiot loser."

"I'm not fucking fat!"

Bonnie cackled, pacing about. "Fatass...! Fatty fatty fat fat."

"Tubby; a little fucking tubby, MAYBE-"

That only made Bonnie laugh harder. In between gasps of hyenish laughter, she managed to sputter out words. "Holy shit! Oh my Scott, this is so good. You are so funny! I think I like you, Dave. Which makes it a shame you were so incompetent, really." Bonnie looked over at the clock. "Oogh- getting early. Let's get this show on the road, huh?" She snickered again, towering over Dave- and speaking with a theater-esque flourish. "Anything to say before I ravage you, Dave?"

Dave put his hands around the back of his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and braced for impact. This was it. Of course his life had to end so pathetically. He only regret not having the chance to beat the ever-loving shit out of Mitch.

"Bonnie."

A deep, gruff voice came thundering from behind Bonnie. Dave opened his eyes, to see Freddy Fazbear- towering over Bonnie, hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing to the new guard?"

Bonnie sputtered slightly. "F-Fred! I was, just- uh- w-well, I was trying to stuff them, and-"

The clock chimed, playing a cheesy church-bell sound effect.

"You know that we don't hurt them on the first night. We need to give them a proper fighting chance. You know that I tell you this every single damn time. So how about you tell me something, Bonnie? How about you tell me what changed?"

Bonnie's ears drooped slightly. "Aw, but- b-Fred, why do we gotta? Why can't we just get to 'em when we have the best chance? I mean, come on- you're the one who's telling us to kill them in the first place-"

"It's just how we do things here, Bonnie. And if you have a problem with it, you can see yourself out." He adjusted his posture, placing a hand on his broad chest. "In the olden days- in a joust, one would often wait for their opponent to pick up their sword before continuing the fight. It's not about the end goal, it's about the nobility of-"

"Aw, Fred, c'mooon- I don't want to hear about your french sword-fighting crap again...! You're embarrassing me in front of the guard!" Bonnie whined, looking up at the ceiling and groaning.

"Don't 'aw, Fred' me. If you hadn't tried to kill our guard here, I wouldn't have had to. Go to the stage. Now." Freddy turned to Dave, as Bonnie sulked out the door. "I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Sometimes, dealing with these idiots, it's...well, a lot. What's your name?"

Dave blinked, bewildered. "It's- It's Dave. Dave Miller."

Freddy stepped back, allowing Dave to stand up on his feet. He took off his top hat, and placed it to his chest. "David Miller- I speak for the company when I say that we hope you come back tomorrow for another shift. If you come early to your shift tomorrow, I'll get you your pay. I'll see if I can get some...monetary compensation in order. You don't need to fear us during the day. We'll treat you like a..coworker outside of the hours of twelve to six a.m." He pressed the door button, letting the door slide open. "You can go home now. Have a faz-errific day."

Dave slowly crept past Freddy, and out the door- before absolutely booking it out of the restaurant.