Chapter 5: One Frightful Night
I was getting ready to head over to the Pizzaplex on this Friday night. Twas the night before Halloween. I was kind of excited because this was my second favorite holiday ever! Scott wanted Gavin and I to get as much Halloween decorations as we could with one of the company cards. Business was booming between the two locations, from what I was told. The decorations we got were all being stored in a storage closet until my shift tonight. The animatronics and I were going to be decorating the Pizzaplex tonight. Speaking of the animatronics, most of them have been getting along with me quite well. However, I don't really see DJ or Sun and Moon that often. I try to see them here and there as often as possible. Then, there's Monty. He's still holding this invisible anvil over my head for no reason!
That gator will be fucking nice to me! I shook my head while I was driving to my new job.
Outside of work, my paranoia about Andrew, who now has a group of fucking minions, was getting worse. I kept hearing whispers about me throughout this city, especially near my own apartment. I just hope it would go away. Though, it the deepest pit of my stomach it wouldn't because I knew how Andrew worked.
Those thoughts left my mind the instant I pulled into a parking spot by the entrance of the Pizzaplex. I just couldn't wait to start decorating. Quickly jumping out of my car, I ran and wove through the people who were pouring out of the building. I briskly walked behind the customer service desk in order to clock in. I clocked in at exactly 11 PM. Kennedy was still there tidying up the customer service area.
"Hey Kennedy! How was it today?" I smiled at her after logging out.
The woman finished wiping off the desk, "Hey Elijah, it was very busy today. The air was buzzing with excitement for Halloween at the Pizzaplex tomorrow."
"That's great!" I beamed.
She sighed a sigh of relief, "I'm glad I get to go home now."
"Oh, I bet!" I chuckled.
"You can say that again!" Kennedy laughed as well.
"Have a good night! Stay safe!" I smiled and then headed out of the room.
On the way to Rockstar Row, I had to unfortunately tell a group of kids that the facility was closed and to immediately leave. When I had arrived to the hallway with the green rooms, I sent the animatronics a message to meet me outside of their green rooms when they were done charging. I did add at the end of the message that hinted it was for Monty. It read that yes it was mandatory. Since Scott and Gavin told the night technicians to tweak the programming for the DJ and the Daycare Attendant just for tonight. It was so they could help us tonight with decorating. I sent a message to Sun and Moon to decorate the daycare for Halloween before meeting up with the rest of us. Gavin and I had given the daycare the cute decorations, so the little ones wouldn't get too scared. After I had gotten a thumbs up emoji on my Fazwatch, I sent a message to the DJ, asking if he could help us by bringing up the giant decorations from the loading docks the other employees left there. He responded that he said that he'll do it right away. Instantly, I heard giant, metallic steps coming from the wall next to the Fazcade entrance, moving down towards the first basement.
I keep forgetting that the DJ is a great wall climber. I shook my head and smiled.
One of the green room doors opened, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked up from my Fazwatch, the door that opened was the green room that belonged to the hot pink and white chicken animatronic. Hearing her chirp with delight, she ran over to me.
"Oh my gosh, hi Elijah! I've missed you so much!" Chica picked me up with a hug, and twirled around.
"Hey Chica! Also, you saw me last night, silly!" I laughed with delight as soon as she put me back down.
"Hehe yeah I know. I just miss your company when you're not here!" Chica smiled sheepishly.
"Awe thanks, Chica! You're too nice", I beamed at the chicken.
Another green room door opened, it was Freddy this time.
"Hello, superstar! I'm glad to see you tonight", Freddy's voice was soft and smooth. He gave me a hug as well.
"Awe I'm glad to see you too, big bear!" I smiled softly while looking up at Freddy.
I let go when I heard another door open. Roxy scanned between the three of us, before spotting me between the other two animatronics. When she did, she sprinted towards me!
"There ya are pup! I missed ya, you know", Roxy laughed while pulling me into an embrace.
"I missed you too Roxy", I chuckled as she let go of me.
There was a sudden silence between the four of us just standing in Rockstar Row. We were still waiting for that damned gator to get his ass out here!
"I really hope Monty read that last part of the message" I deadpanned and rolled my eyes.
"Do you want me to go get him?" Roxy asked with annoyance.
"No, we'll just start without him", I looked over at Monty's green room.
"Oh yeah! What are we doing tonight, superstar?" I heard excitement drip from Freddy's voice.
"I need you, Freddy, and Roxy to help me bring up the Halloween decorations from that storage closet in the utility tunnels. We're decorating the Pizzaplex for Halloween tomorrow!" I was full of excitement by the time I finished talking.
"Yes! I love Halloween!" Roxy jumped for joy.
"What did you want me to do, chickpea?" Chica asked curiously.
"I need you to wait here for Monty and tell him the plan. He needs to help, Gavin's words as well. Also, when DJ comes over here with the giant decorations, I need you to help him by guiding him where to place the boxes", I turned towards the chicken and smiled softly.
"Oh I can do that", Chica chuckled with a grin.
"Great! Come on you two!" I motioned for Freddy and Roxy to follow.
The three of us walked through the Atrium to the Salads and Sides venue of the food court. After accessing the elevator, we went down to the first basement.
"This is the only thing I don't like about this place", I muttered while the elevator was heading down.
"What is that, superstar?" Freddy looked a bit confused.
"This annoying elevator music!" I groaned in annoyance. Roxy snorted at my grievance.
"I do have to agree with you superstar", Freddy nodded while the elevator doors opened.
When we all stepped out of the elevator, I looked down at my Fazwatch.
"Okay, so Gavin said that all of the decorations were being stored in the second storage room by the wardrobe room", I clicked on the map of the Fazwatch.
"I know where that is, superstar!" Freddy smiled.
"Lead the way, big bear!" I grinned back at him.
Roxy and I followed Freddy through the corridors of the utility tunnels. When the three of us were about to head into the storage room with the decorations, I heard it from a different hallway. There was a loud, metallic noise. My fight or flight started to kick in.
"What was that?" Freddy asked with caution.
"I don't know", Roxy warily replied.
"I'll be right back", I breathed out, "Start grabbing boxes, I'll meet you by the elevator."
The two animatronics nodded and went inside of the storage room. Hearing another metallic bang, I quickly but quietly, scurried down the hallway that was to the left of the storage room. As I was nearing another intersection of hallways, I heard another noise down another hallway to my left! For some reason, this hallway was darker than the rest? I shined my flashlight down the hallway. Slowly going down the hallway, I swept the light back and forth.
There's nothing here? I was definitely on edge being alone down here.
I felt something tap on my shoulder! I yelped softly and quickly turned around. It was just Monty.
"Monty?! What are you doing here?" I gasped with fright.
"Chica said you guys needed help with carrying the decorations up, so I came down here to help. What are you doing here, wimp?" Monty crossed his arms.
"I-I heard a noise down here, I'm just doing my job", I plastered a smile.
Then, the both of us heard a sort of maniacal laugh coming from the end of the hallway!
"W-Who's there?!" I tried to shout with bravery.
All of a sudden, the lights in the surrounding halls went out! I shined my light down the hallway we were in. There was a man with a purple and black mask on just standing there with his back turned! There was a bit of silence before more maniacal laughter was heard, but this time it sounded like it was coming from that man!
"You're not supposed to be here! The Pizzaplex is now closed for guests!" I shouted at the man.
The creepy man didn't respond, or even acknowledged what I said because he just slowly turned around. What happened next made me freeze with terror.
The man pulled out a knife! Then, with words that were dripping with venom and malice he spoke.
"Andrew needs you Elijah!", the man taunted.
I almost dropped the flashlight in utter horror, and started backing away from the man.
"N-No! How did you even fucking find me?!" I cried while gripping my sides. My body started to feel weak.
"Andrew will be so happy that I've found you", the man ignored my question.
All of a sudden, the man disappeared and the lights came back on. All I could do was cry out of fear. I fell to my knees, still clutching my sides. Before I could think, I felt Monty pick me up bridal style. He rushed the both of us out of the utility tunnels.
"Freddy, something happened with Elijah. You guys are going to have to make several trips up and down until I can be there with you", I heard Monty talk through his Fazwatch over the elevator music, even though my face was in his chest.
"Okay Monty", I heard Freddy from the watch.
At some point, while being carried by the gator animatronic, I heard Chica tell Monty to put me in her green room. I felt my body being laid down on a couch. Looking up through blurry eyes, I saw both Chica and Monty hovering over me. Before anyone could say anything, Monty left Chica's green room. It kind of broke my heart, but I knew that he was thinking that I was still beneath him.
It's true, I'll always be beneath him. I looked down with sadness.
Chica knelt down in front of me, "What's wrong chickpea?" I looked at her, she had expressions of both concern and sadness.
I sat up on the couch. "I-I-", I tried to speak but I just choked on my words. I shook my head slowly while tears kept falling from my eyes.
"Shhh", Chica cooed and sat next to me on her couch, "You're fine. Everything will be fine."
Chica gently placed her arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a side hug. Her feathers brushed against me, the synthetic softness of them oddly comforting. I was starting to calm down again.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Freddy's familiar bulk stepped into the doorway, his gaze landing on me. "Superstar, are you alright?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
I nodded, though my heart was still racing. "Just... a little shaken up."
Freddy knelt down beside me, looking between Chica and me. "We're here for you, no matter what," he said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Let us help you finish the decorations. It might take your mind off things."
I nodded slowly, managing a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. I think I need that."
Wiping my tears away, I stood up from the couch in Chica's green room. Following Chica and Freddy out of the room, I witnessed the most funniest thing ever tonight. The instant I saw Monty and the Daycare Attendant tangled up together in a Halloween themed banner, I laughed so hard.
"Don't. Even. Ask." Monty grunted in defeat while Freddy was about to ask what happened.
"Awe, is the big, bad gator all tied up?" I cooed jokingly and poked Monty's side.
"Stop. Laughing.", Monty mumbled in annoyance.
"Fine, I'll stop teasing you and I'll help you out, big guy", I shook my head and smiled.
As I reached over to untangle Monty and the Daycare Attendant, Chica stifled a giggle, covering her beak with her hand. Freddy chuckled too, stepping in to lift part of the banner from Monty's shoulder. The Daycare Attendant, who had been swinging back and forth trying to free itself, tilted its head in an exaggerated pout.
"Maybe next time," the Daycare Attendant said, twisting to face me with a slightly dramatic tone, "I should stick to my decorations."
Monty rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and maybe stay out of my space." He muttered under his breath, looking away, a little embarrassed but still bristling at the teasing.
"Come on, Monty," I grinned, "even you have to admit, you look hilarious. I mean, you are the center of attention right now."
"Just keep laughing, Elijah, and maybe next time you'll be the one wrapped up." Monty gave me a mischievous look, clearly challenging me.
Before I could reply, Freddy placed a gentle paw on Monty's shoulder. "Now, now. Let's all remember tonight is supposed to be fun. Besides," he glanced at the banner mess, "Elijah is the one who's been helping set all this up—imagine if he got wrapped up!"
The Daycare Attendant's eyes brightened at the idea, and I quickly shook my head. "Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather not spend Halloween being mistaken for a present."
Finally, with a little more maneuvering, we managed to pull Monty and the Daycare Attendant free. They stood up, brushing off stray pieces of banner, and I couldn't resist giving Monty a friendly nudge. "All set, big guy. Next time, try not to get into wrestling matches with the décor, alright?"
Monty smirked, crossing his arms. "Only if you promise not to hang these banners so low. Deal?"
"Deal," I replied with a grin.
After untangling the last of the banner from Monty's arms, Freddy glanced around the room. "Now that our Halloween friends are all freed up, why don't we check on the party area? I heard there were some... surprise decorations added."
Chica's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she nudged me with her elbow. "Ooh, surprises! Let's go see, Elijah!"
We all headed down the hallway, and as we approached the party room, the lights suddenly flickered. The room was dimly lit, with eerie shadows dancing across the walls, and something—or someone—was hiding in the corner.
"Alright, who set this up?" I asked, smirking, pretending to be unphased by the spooky décor. "You guys really went all out with the creep factor, huh?"
Freddy chuckled, crossing his arms proudly. "I believe that was a collaborative effort. The Daycare Attendant provided the...mood lighting."
The Daycare Attendant bobbed its head, looking delighted. "And I added the spooky figures! Did you see the skeletons?"
I turned, and sure enough, there were cardboard skeletons in various poses around the room. I tried to keep a straight face, but their goofy positions—one doing a split, another striking a disco move—made it nearly impossible. Even Monty let out a snort.
"Very...authentic," I teased, biting back a laugh. "Nothing says 'spooky' like a skeleton doing the robot dance."
Monty gave a low, amused growl. "Almost as scary as Freddy's 'boo' face."
Freddy looked mock-offended. "Excuse me! I happen to have an excellent 'boo' face." He did a quick demonstration, raising his arms in a menacing stance and widening his eyes comically.
Chica squawked with laughter. "Freddy, you look like you're about to sneeze, not scare anyone!"
We all laughed, even Freddy, who finally shook his head, chuckling. "Alright, alright. I'll work on my 'boo' face. Now, should we continue exploring, or have you all had your fill of the 'spookiest' room in the Pizzaplex?"
Before anyone could answer, a loud BANG! echoed from somewhere down the hall. Everyone froze, their eyes shifting around the room.
"Uh...what was that?" I asked, feeling a slight shiver.
"It sounded like it came from Roxy Raceway", Chica pointed out.
The Daycare Attendant perked up, its eyes narrowing. "I believe it's part of the mystery, friend… The ghost of the Pizzaplex, perhaps?"
Monty crossed his arms, not looking as amused anymore. "Alright, who's setting up a prank this time? C'mon, spill it."
But Chica just shrugged, her eyes wide with surprise. "I didn't plan anything! Honest!"
A sense of tension built in the air, but I wasn't convinced it was real. "Okay, fine, whoever set this up, good job. You almost got us."
But Freddy shook his head, looking genuinely puzzled. "I don't recall anything on the Halloween schedule, superstar, that included... loud noises."
Just then, the lights flickered again, dimming lower, and a low, eerie hum filled the room. The Daycare Attendant looked around, looking just as confused as the rest of us.
Freddy stepped forward, motioning us all closer. "Stay together. Let's investigate... carefully."
I couldn't tell if I was just caught up in the moment or if there was something genuinely odd going on. But whatever it was, it looked like our Halloween night was about to get even more interesting.
We crept down the hallway, sticking close together as Freddy led the way. The eerie hum grew louder, vibrating through the walls, and every so often, a shadow would flicker at the edge of my vision. I couldn't tell if it was one of the animatronics moving behind me, or… something else.
Monty muttered under his breath, "If this is another prank, someone's going to pay."
Chica clung to my arm, her eyes darting around nervously. "Do you think… it's real?" she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur.
I tried to stay calm, but my heart was pounding in my chest. "Come on, Chica, I'm sure it's just… part of the ambiance. You know how the Pizzaplex likes to keep things lively."
But even as I said it, I wasn't so sure. The atmosphere felt different tonight—heavier, like the Pizzaplex itself was holding its breath. The group of us headed through the Atrium, and carefully walked towards the entrance of the Roxy Raceway attraction. When we arrived, it was a mess! There were skeletons, bats, pumpkins, and cat decorations all over the floor! I looked over by the opened shutter to the attraction, and saw that Roxy was trying to pick up the spilled decorations.
"Roxy, what happened? We heard this loud bang come from here", I started to help the wolf animatronic clean up the mess.
"Oh, whoops, my bad pup. When I opened the shutter to go decorate my attraction, these decorations spilled out of their container", Roxy sheepishly smiled.
"Girl, we thought there was another intruder!" Chica laughed while handing Roxy some more decorations to put back.
"At least we know now that it was just Roxy", I shook my head and smiled.
"This one over here thought there was a ghost in the Pizzaplex", Monty pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the Daycare Attendant.
"What? Isn't it Halloween? Anything could happen!" Sun scratched his head in confusion. That made all of us burst out into a fit of laughter.
"Come on, let's help Roxy finish decorating the raceway before we finish decorating the Pizzaplex!" I beamed with excitement.
"Yeah! Let's do this!" Chica agreed.
Chica and I linked arms and we both skipped up the ramp towards the raceway. Roxy shook her head and smiled. She followed behind us with the box of decorations in her paws. Freddy and the rest of the gang then followed behind Roxy.
This is going to be a fun career past Halloween! I smiled to myself while I waited for everyone else to come to the racetrack.
Meanwhile...
A black SUV pulled up to a five-star restaurant in Las Vegas. A man with a purple and black mask stepped out of the car after parking it. Walking over to the host podium, one of the hosts looked up.
"Welcome in, sir! How can I help you?" The host plastered a smile at the man.
Instead of answering the host's question at hand, the man started to scan the dining area until he found the person he needed to find. His boss was waiting for him in one of the booths at the farthest end of the not-so busy restaurant.
"He's been waiting for me, so I don't need to wait", The man pointed and smiled.
"Of course! Go right ahead", The host politely gestured.
Then slightly huffed and headed over to the booth. When he had arrived, he quietly sat down in the seat across from his boss.
"I know where Elijah is, sir", the man with the mask whispered smoothly.
The man holding the menu slowly flipped it down, "Excellent work, Damien. Elijah will see me when the time comes". The young man, Damien's boss, gave out a dark and malicious grin.