Chapter 2: Eyes In the Crowd

The sun started to shine through the blinds, waking me up in the process. I groaned in annoyance, from both the sun literally in my face, and the whiskey from last night giving me a bit of a headache. I looked over at my phone on the charging stand. It read 12:30 PM. My head was starting to pound again.

"Ugh", I groaned, "I need to get rid of this damn headache!"

I groggily got out of bed, and slowly walked over to my bathroom. Fumbling the medicine cabinet open, I started to look for the ibuprofen. When I couldn't find any, I shut the cabinet door in frustration.

"I guess I have to go to the store today", I mumbled in annoyance, pinching the bridge of my nose to try to stop my head pain.

Since I was already in the bathroom, I just figured I would take my shower right now. Stripping from my pajamas, I turned on the shower. When the water became slightly warm, I stepped in. After washing myself, I stood in the cascading water a bit. The warm water felt amazing on my head, helping my migraine subside.

"I need you"

I froze when I heard someone or something whisper in the bathroom. Turning off the shower, I looked out into the bathroom with labored breathing. Nobody was in it besides me! Quickly grabbing a towel and drying myself off, I just needed to get dressed. I didn't want to be found without anything on, if it was him that was the one who whispered. Looking through my walk-in closet, I found a pair of black jeans, a white T-shirt, a maroon hoodie, a pair of black underwear, a pair of white socks, and my favorite pair of cream, white, and black sneakers. Removing the towel from around my waist, I hurriedly put my outfit on. When I was ready, I put my black shoulder tote bag and pair of sunglasses on, and grabbed my phone and car keys. I scurried down the stairs of the apartment building, after locking up my apartment securely. Finding my car in the apartment building's parking garage, I hopped in and locked the doors. When I slid my shoulder tote bag into the passenger seat next to me, I put my seatbelt on, and then I turned the car's ignition on. Whirring to life, I made sure to look everywhere to not hit anything while backing out of the garage. I shifted back to the drive setting, and I headed out of the parking garage.

The drive to the local Target wasn't too long. When I found a parking space, I pulled in and cut the engine. The sudden silence of the car, combined with the lingering throb in my temples, made the headache feel even worse. I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

Shaking off the weird sense of unease, I grabbed my tote bag and swung it over my shoulder before stepping out of the car. The cool air outside was a welcome contrast to the stuffy warmth of the car, but it didn't do much for the pounding in my skull. I squinted into the sunlight and headed for the store's entrance, my sneakers squeaking on the pavement with each step.

Inside Target, the familiar hum of fluorescent lights and the soft murmur of other shoppers gave me a brief sense of normalcy. I made my way toward the health aisle, hoping the ibuprofen would be easy to find. However, it felt like there were a lot of eyes on me. A quick glance at the overhead signs told me I was headed in the right direction, so I grabbed a shopping basket and began scanning the shelves. I just needed to go in and out.

My fingers brushed over bottles of vitamins, cold medicine, and band-aids, but no ibuprofen. I moved further down the aisle, my patience thinning with every step. Where the hell was it?

A voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Can I help you find something?"

I looked up to find a young woman with a name tag that read Megan standing a few feet away, offering a polite smile.

"Uh, yeah," I muttered, still scanning the shelves, "I'm looking for ibuprofen."

She stepped closer, eyes narrowing in concentration as she scanned the shelves. "Should be right here." She paused. "Wait, it looks like we're out of stock on that one at the moment. But we do have aspirin, Advil... or there's a store-brand pain reliever that works just as well."

I nodded absently, feeling the pressure in my temples increase. "I'll just take the Advil, thanks."

She grabbed a bottle of it and handed it to me, then turned to head back to her post.

I could get some more food for the house as well. I pondered while my head was still hurting.

After grabbing things to make creamy chicken pasta, some snacks and sweets, some boxes of mac and cheese, and some frozen dinners, I was ready to head over to the checkout area.

But as I was walking toward the registers, something caught my eye. A display of candles, each one with a strange, swirled pattern on the label. The scent was subtle but familiar—a mix of lavender and sandalwood. A twinge of déjà vu struck me, though I couldn't place where I'd smelled it before. I hesitated, staring at the candles for a moment too long.

"Excuse me, do you know if these are on sale?" I asked, unable to resist the pull of curiosity.

A man standing by the display glanced over, his dark eyes scanning me with an almost calculating look. "They are, actually. 20% off," he said, his voice smooth and calm.

I wasn't sure why, but something about the way he said it made my pulse quicken. My headache flared again, almost as if my mind was trying to push me away from the display.

"Thanks," I muttered, turning away quickly, while grabbing a lavender candle. The feeling that had started as mild discomfort in the store began to shift, becoming something... more. Like a faint shadow creeping along the edges of my mind.

Shaking my head, I walked briskly toward the registers. It was probably just my hangover. Or maybe it was the whisper earlier, still echoing in the back of my mind. I need you. The words sounded different now—hollow, as if they were meant for me... or someone else. My heart skipped a beat as I reached for my wallet.

"Hey, you okay?" The cashier, a young guy with a scruffy beard, gave me a concerned look as he rang up all of the things I had brought.

"Yeah, just... a little headache," I said, forcing a smile as I pulled my card from my wallet. "Nothing a little painkiller won't fix."

He raised an eyebrow. "If you need anything else, just let me know. We also have some good headache relief teas over there," he added, pointing to a small display near the front.

"Thanks, but I'm good," I said quickly, swiping my card and taking the bags. The transaction was over before I could really process anything.

Before leaving, I saw a table all alone, sitting by the entrance. Peeking my interest and curiosity, I looked down to see colorful fliers. They were a bit scattered across the plastic, white table. Setting down some of my bags of groceries, I picked one up from the table.

It read; FREDDY FAZBEAR'S MEGA PIZZAPLEX, NOW OPEN!

I kept reading the poster. It had the address and it listed some of the attractions of the place. What caught my eye was what it said at the bottom of the flier.

NOW HIRING! LOOKING FOR ALL POSITIONS (TECHNICIAN, SECURITY GUARD, HANDLER, GREETER, PARTY PLANNER), PART-TIME & FULL-TIME! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! WALK-IN INTERVIEWS OCTOBER 16TH!

"I mean I could do something to keep my paranoid mind at ease", I thought to myself out loud quietly.

Looking down at my phone to read the date, it was October 15th! The interviews were tomorrow! I didn't have much time to think about it. Folding the flier into my bag, I grabbed the rest of my shopping bags and then walked out of the doors.

I left the store in a bit of a daze, the strange encounter lingering in my mind. The sun had shifted since I'd arrived, casting longer shadows across the parking lot. My car was parked a little further than I remembered, but I wasn't too worried about it. As I walked toward it, I felt that weird sensation again—the one where everything around me seemed too still. Too quiet.

When I reached the car, I paused, a chill running down my spine. Was I being followed?

I glanced over my shoulder while putting everything into the trunk of my car. Nothing.

I shook my head, muttering to myself. "It's nothing, just the damn hangover. Get it together."

Slipping into the car, I locked the doors behind me. My hands were shaking a little as I started the engine. Something felt... off. But I couldn't put my finger on it. Shaking off the feeling, I quickly sped off to my apartment.

When I returned back home, I quickly grabbed half of my bags and ran up the stairs to my apartment. Feeling the cold metal of my keys in my hand, I unlocked the front door and rushed in. After leaving the first half of the bags of groceries on the kitchen island, I ran out of my apartment to grab the rest. When I reached my car again, my head started pounding again. While I was grabbing the rest of the bags, and then locking my car, I felt chills run up and down my spine. Thinking that someone was watching me, I looked over my shoulder, again it was nothing.

Why do I have to be so damn paranoid?! I shook off the feeling.

I ran up the complex's stairs and into my apartment. After setting down the last of the bags, I quickly locked my apartment door. I immediately cracked the Advil open, and fetched myself a glass from one of the cupboards. Hovering the glass underneath the spout of the filtered water on my fridge, cold and refreshing water poured into it. Popping one of the pills into my mouth, I chased it down with the water. I knew that it wasn't going to get rid of migraine right away, so I decided that I should make that creamy chicken pasta while I waited. I moved toward the kitchen counter, staring at the ingredients I'd gathered. It was supposed to be a simple, comforting meal, something to take my mind off the strange whispers and the odd sense of being followed. But, as I stood there, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was... wrong. The knife in my hand felt too heavy as I chopped the chicken into cubes. My hands were shaking again, but this time it wasn't just the headache.

Was it the flier from the store? Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex? The name was familiar in a way I couldn't quite place, but I knew I'd heard it before—maybe in passing, maybe on the news. I didn't like how my brain kept circling back to it. I kept seeing the smiley face on the flier—so bright, so cartoonish—and it unsettled me in a way I couldn't explain.

I set the knife down, and the sound of the blade clinking against the cutting board felt louder than it should. My kitchen was silent except for the hum of the refrigerator and the soft buzz of the overhead light, but my pulse was beating in my ears. I glanced over my shoulder. The apartment felt too quiet. Too still.

Just get the pasta started, I told myself, shaking my head.

I tossed the chicken into a hot skillet, listening to it sizzle as it hit the pan. The smell of it filling the kitchen should have been comforting, but it only seemed to make the tension in my chest grow. I continued to ignore it as I grabbed the light cream.

Once I had finished making the dish, I put some onto my plate. I retrieved more water for my glass to drink with the delicious meal I made. I can cook, but I haven't had the time to. Well, that is until now, since I've now had the time to. I glanced out the window and over the golden horizon, the sun was setting already. Sitting down on the couch in the living room with my meal, I decided to watch some TV while I ate.

I was so engrossed with watching my show, 9-1-1, that I didn't realize that my eyes were starting to get heavy. When I opened my eyes, I rubbed them a bit, and I stood up from the couch. After turning off the TV, I grabbed my dirty dishes and placed them into the dishwasher. Trudging upstairs with heavy feet, I made it to my bedroom, not wanting to think about anything else. Locking my bedroom door, I stripped down from my clothes, and laid under the covers.

Finally, I missed my damn bed. I groaned and smiled with delight.

Letting the tiredness wash over my body, I closed my eyes, and fell asleep.