I pushed off the floor, lunging away from Foxy, avoiding the sweep of his hook.
"What will Michael do against the fastest animatronic? Can he outrun him? Will Foxy slice him to pieces? Will Michael survive this encounter?!" The entity commented.
I had no time or choices. I can't dodge forever, especially with my arm bleeding. Foxy stood, readying another lunge.
"Yar-Har! Me hook is getting M-MIGHTY hungry!" Foxy spoke.
I left the office and ran to the hallway. Bonnie stood at the end, but all I needed was space from Foxy.
Foxy slid into the hallway. His hook scraped the floor, creating sparks with each aggressive movement.
"Ahoy! It's time ye should be getting properly afraid," Foxy taunted. He twisted his hook menacingly and opened his eyepatch, revealing his discerning, white eye as his jaw widened–A terrifying scene to witness with little to no light.
Foxy leaned forward, ready to run.
Foxy sprinted, and Bonnie crept closer, sandwiching me. This was my plan. It looked stupid, but I trusted myself.
If I could pull it off.
I ran toward Foxy, watching our distance. As he approached, he bent his knees, going for another lunge.
Just as I predicted, I took one final step, kicked off both feet, and dropped backward, sliding beneath Foxy.
Whoosh
I made it to the other side.
I glanced back and saw Foxy and Bonnie sprawled on the floor. I laughed lightly as they struggled upright. I darted to the office before Foxy could catch me.
Ah ha ha... ha ha..
I can't catch a break.
At the door, I ignored the left and focused on the right. If I'm correct, Freddy waits there.
I hit the door button, watching it lower. However, the door stopped halfway, whining, as a brown hand peered inside and pushed it in the opposite direction. Freddy was forcing his way in!
I can't use my foot; the hand isn't low enough. If I don't act, the door will give in. Bonnie and Foxy are still in the left hallway, so running isn't an option.
I don't have anything sturdy enough to pry the hand off the door.
Wait, the security chair! It's not strong, but it's all I've got!
I smashed the security chair repeatedly on Freddy's hand.
It was working!
With each smash, the door lowered. I used my foot to push it further. Freddy's grip slipped, and it closed.
Ah ha ha... ha ha...
I exhaled in relief. Suddenly, heavy footsteps thundered from the left hallway.
"Shit!" I shouted, tripping over myself as I reached the left door, closing it before Foxy could enter. Foxy reached the door, pounding it furiously.
"Go! G-G-Go! Foxy!" Foxy shouted.
Throughout this nightmare, I've never heard Foxy talk--only sing songs. Why?
Foxy finally stopped pounding the door. It didn't sound like he went back to his cove, so I didn't open the door.
De de dum dum do do...
4 AM…
It was barely four AM, and the power was at 25%. My arm stung, and I felt lightheaded, bleeding badly from Foxy's cut.
I staggered around the office, searching for anything to patch my wound quickly.
There was nothing in the office, not even a first-aid kit.
Only a pile of napkins remained—used from a kid's birthday, likely years old, riddled with invisible mold.
I'm pretty sure there's one in the kitchen or something. Maybe the supply closet. Who knows.
I can't go back out with the animatronics roaming about aggressively.
No...I can't go out like this.
"That's a lot of blood. Hopefully, you'll die soon enough," The entity spoke.
"C...Can you..." I swallowed, voice shaky, "shut up already,"
The edges of the office smeared into nothing—a watery mess.
I could still see him. The entity.
The same golden suit was used to impersonate Cassidy.
Everything else faded except that recognizable color.
Something warm slid down my face. Were they tears?
Or was it the blood from my body?
"You had the choice to leave. Don't feel sorry for yourself now," the entity continued. Its words slowed, much harder to comprehend.
Another drop fell onto the shirt I wore, soaking it with the clear liquid.
I am crying.
Why am I crying?
I have to get up.
Crying got you nowhere. No one is coming to save you.
Get up, Michael.
My shirt...
I took off my shirt and wrapped my wound, pulling tightly to apply pressure. The pain grew as I tightened it.
I took a deep breath before standing. If I don't get up and defend myself, I'll die. Every breath was sharp, but I managed to check the cameras.
The animatronics were moving much more quickly than before. Bonnie went from the dining room to the employees' only room to the supply closet, all within a span of a minute. Chica went from the bathrooms, dining room, and the kitchen, while Freddy maintained his spot in the dining room the entire time.
The screen gave me a headache as animatronics vanished across the pizzeria. I opened both doors, power drained fast, and the glitching worsened. My head ached.
ha ha ha... ah ah...
de de dum dum do do!
Of course, the animatronics don't stop for the disabled. Savages.
"No! This cannot be happening!" The entity shouted.
I glanced at the cameras and found colored text on the screens. Instead of the animatronics, the children were there.
"Almost there. Hold out, Michael." Susie was in the restrooms.
"He can't control us anymore." Jeremy's in the employees-only room.
"We will finally be freed." Fritz peeked from the pirate's cove.
"Thank you for everything, Michael." Freddy stared into the camera from the right hallway camera. Freddy shifted his head upwards, his searing, white eyes pulsed with an unstable luminance. His animatronic body was shifting between a kid and the animatronic he was.
The child is Gabriel.
Freddy began playing the musical piece from the previous night. I thought I would never hear that again because I swore to never run out of power. But this time was different. It felt like a goodbye song rather than a song of terror.
A comforting song.
Suddenly, the camera screens filled with bold white text.
"He's Here!"
"Don't Trust What You See!"
"You Are His Son!"
"It's Still Me!"
"Find Us!"
"Turn Back!"
"Leave. Now!"
"He Knows!"
"Stop Watching!"
All the camera feeds told different stories as they filled with static, leaving only the white, bold words. The only camera feed available was the showstage.
"The Past Lingers." The screen displayed. Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica all stood in their respective places. Deactivated. Including Foxy from Pirate's Cove, with the exception that his curtains were fully open. Not only that, but there was a different sentence.
"The Children Remember."
5 AM...
Aside from camera issues, things seem fine. Power gauge back to normal, clock at 5 AM. Confusingly, power was at 60% with doors closed and blood loss, when earlier it was 25%.
Unless I was hallucinating? Or maybe the entity jammed it to show false numbers?
"Guess I'll have to finish this myself," the entity spoke. "I won't accept defeat. I WILL NOT LET YOU WIN!"
---
Bonnie jolted awake.
He found himself standing upon the show stage. The dining area was silent and empty. Bonnie looked below, observing his arm and hand movements.
He could move again.
"What…?" Bonnie thought. He didn't remember what he did before, nor did he know if he'd ever finally move himself ever again after being controlled all these years. Bonnie looked up and around, finding Freddy and Chica beside him.
Deactivated.
It was shortly before he spotted another animatronic that didn't belong here. A bear cloaked with purple fur.
White glowing eyes.
"Follow me." The purple bear began to make way toward the bathroom, disappearing into the hallway.
"Hey! Who are you?" Bonnie asked wearily. There was no response.
Well, there was only one way Bonnie was going to find out, and that was to follow the bear. Though it's generally not a good idea to follow strangers, Bonnie had a feeling this was different.
It felt important.
Bonnie stepped down from the stage and walked to the bathrooms. To the left of the bathroom hallways, the purple bear stood, awaiting him.
"Follow me." It said again, walking through a wall.
"What the?" Bonnie said, confused. He followed the purple bear, going through the false wall himself.
---
The entity's voice echoed loudly across the pizzeria, vibrating in my ears as it slowly settled. The cameras finally returned to normal, showing the pizzeria. All the animatronics remained deactivated. Until I clicked on the dining room camera, that's when it was standing there.
The exoskeleton.
The one who killed Robin ruthlessly without reason.
"To think you would survive this long? I should've killed you when I had the chance–– I'll show you I learned from those mistakes."
The camera flashed quickly, showing that the exoskeleton had moved. After a quick search, I located him in the employees-only room. However, by the time I located him, he had already disappeared. This animatronic was more aggressive than the others combined.
"This time, you will die. Like you should've been."
Thump Thump Thump
Footsteps from the left door already, that was quick. Without a second thought, I closed the door. I switched the camera to the left hallway corner and found the exoskeleton standing menacingly there. It was waiting for me.
ha ha ha... ah ha...
What the hell?
I checked the show stage, only to find nobody had moved from there.
Was it a trick?
I then went to the dining room, where I saw Freddy.
How was this possible? Is it another hallucination?
"I'll use their anger against you. To kill you." The entity spoke.
The entity is controlling them. There's no other explanation.
Thump Thump Thump.
The exoskeleton moved from the left hallway corner to the supply closet. I opened the door, but I kept an ear on the left door in case the exoskeleton double-backed.
ha ha... ah ha ha...
Freddy moved to the right hallway, standing exactly like he would. I checked the show stage to confirm, but it was just something made by the entity, since the real Freddy was standing on stage.
"Maybe you'll notice they've changed significantly."
De de dum dum do do!
Foxy was now active. The pirate cove showed the real Foxy standing deactivated; however, the imposter Foxy stood in front of the real Foxy, mimicking the real Foxy's movements. It was an odd sight because it seemed like the imposter was coming out of Foxy--almost like a hologram.
De de dum dum do do!
The screen flashed, showing Foxy had moved again. But, how? Doesn't Foxy only move when I'm not watching him?
ha ha ha... ha ha...
I closed the right door immediately upon hearing Freddy's laugh; he was at the door.
Thump Thump Thump.
And as I predicted, the exoskeleton double-backed. I closed the door in response.
De de dum dum do do!
Once again, Foxy moved, and he was ready to run. I clicked off the camera. Maybe that was activating him?
ha ha... ah ha ha...
I opened the right door as Freddy left. He retreated back to the dining room, where two more threats presented themselves: Bonnie and Chica. The weird part was that Bonnie was super close to the camera, and by the time I clicked on it, he started visibly shaking. With each second, the shaking grew worse. On top of that, the screen began to fill with words and the heads of the animatronics popping up everywhere.
I switched to another camera, hoping it'd go away soon. That's where I met the exoskeleton, which was making its way down the right hallway. I closed the right door as the camera flashed. The exoskeleton was at my door by the time I caught a glimpse of him on the right hallway camera.
"It's a game you'll never win." The entity spoke once more.
"Can you shut the fuck up? I'm trying to concentrate!" I said, annoyed.
"You're going to die here, Michael. Just like the others." The entity said.
"No one will find you, call out your name, or even remember you."
"The same could be said to you," I struck back.
Ah ha ha...ha ha...
---
Chica slowly awakened, opening her eyes. Usually, whenever she was conscious, there would be kids to entertain or feed. However, the place was empty—an unsettling feeling for her. Chica hated being alone.
Chica realized that she could move, witnessing her arms and hands move as she commanded. It had been a while since she could do that freely. Chica whirred her head, finding Bonnie had disappeared. This immediately raised alarms as the gang was always together. Now that they're not, a twisted feeling began to dig deep inside her.
"L-let's Eat!" Chica said, stepping down from the stage. She strode down to Foxy's cove, hoping he'd be there.
"Foxy! Are you there?" Chica called out.
No response.
"Foxyyyy!" Chica called out once more.
Still no response.
"Freddy?" Chica switched. Still, there was no response from either of them. Chica's twisted feeling escalated exponentially.
"Maybe he went somewhere else? I should check the kitchen! Yeah!" Chica thought. She turned, facing the direction of the kitchen. That was when she spotted a figure in the distance—Its white eyes fixated on Chica.
"Bonnie! There you are…" Chica said, uncertainly, suddenly present. "No…You're not him. Who are you?" A purple bear stood at the very corner-edge of the dining room, next to the kitchen door—almost as if it was there to block Chica in the first place.
"Follow me." The purple bear said, swiftly rotating toward the bathrooms, striving his way to them. It was a moment later until it disappeared into the bathroom hallway. Chica was dumbfounded by the mystery of this animatronic, as she had never seen it before, aside from Freddy, Bonnie, and Foxy.
Though it felt like the purple bear was important, Chica could sense the urgency it conveyed. Chica began to step forward, following the purple bear's instruction. Chica reached the bathroom hallway, spotting the purple bear, which promptly disappeared behind a wall.
"Follow me…" It said once more.
"What? How!" Chica said. She had never seen someone, or anyone for that matter, go behind a wall without bumping into it.
Chica followed the bear.
---
Freddy was in the right hallway, ready to strike. I searched for Chica until I found her in the left hallway for some reason. When I clicked the camera location, the feed started freezing, with words plastered everywhere. A gurgle of mechanical noise could only be heard. It only stopped when I clicked off.
"Pretty neat ability, huh?" The entity said.
"Oooo, Chica's jamming my vision and moving to the left hallway. Big whoop," I said sarcastically. I switched the feed to the right hallway, where I was met by Bonnie, who was closest to the camera. Immediately, he began to twitch. It steadily grew more unhinged by the second until, finally, he screamed at it, disabling the camera.
The right hallway camera is disabled.
"What the fuck? What now?!" I panicked.
"You found Bonnie's power! Now, what will you do with no vision? Permanently!" The entity laughed
ha ha...ha ha ha...
The laughs between both Freddy and the entity seemed synchronized in a way. Or it could be a coincidence. I closed the right door.
Thump Thump Thump.
The exoskeleton had moved somewhere. I opened the left door. With both doors coming down repeatedly and staying down for a while, the new power percentage was 30%. The clock still showed 5 AM.
Footsteps came from the left hallway; it was Chica. I closed the left door immediately. I checked the corner of the right-hand hallway and found Bonnie there. It only took three seconds before he screamed into the camera again, disabling it.
"You're losing cameras. Are you sure you're gonna survive?" The entity asked.
"I still have my ears," I sarcastically replied.
Bang! Bang!
A loud banging noise came from the left door. Was it Chica? Who is banging on the door?
ah ha ha... ha ha ha...
I opened the right door.
Thump Thump Thump...
I closed the right door. The animatronics were getting progressively more aggressive by the minute. The entity's doing. It's desperate.
"I've watched you for so long, Michael Afton. Longer than you realize. And I want you to know... nobody is coming. Nobody is waiting on the other side of this. You will win nothing but silence." The entity said.
"I will not bow before you. I wasn't going to do it before, I'm not going to do it now." I said. "I will keep the promise I made myself to free these children."
ha ha...ha ha ha...
Thump Thump Thump
Bang Bang!... Bang Bang!...
De de dum dum do do!
The power was draining fast. The doors felt like they could give in at any moment. The animatronics whispered of death as they stared through the office windows with those white, piercing eyes.
There was nothing left I could do.
The animatronics camped the doors, trapping me inside the security office. The clock hadn't hinted at the sign of that sweet 6 AM relief. In fact, I could feel it.
The entity wasn't done yet.
I sank into the security chair, watching as the power drained like the last grains of sand in an hourglass.
25%...
20%...
10%...
5%...
1%...
The doors slammed open. The power gauge read zero, but the lights and camera system remained active. The animatronics stood outside with unnatural stillness, occasionally tilting their heads in error.
They weren't coming in.
"No!" The entity shouted. "Attack! Kill him!"
"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"
The animatronics stood there, not moving an inch.
"I COMMAND YOU TO KILL HIM!!!" The entity shouted in frustration. The animatronics still didn't budge—almost like they didn't want to. Then Freddy started playing his music. The music played for a few moments before the animatronics began to move. They were heading the other direction, toward the dining room. The only animatronic that remained was Freddy, who stared through the office window with vibrant white eyes as his song played beautifully, without a single error.
"No…Why?" the entity spoke. "Why are you helping him? The one that caused you pain this entire time?"
"I didn't do anything. They know that," I replied.
"No. That's not true. You are exactly like your father. Nothing but a murderous, sickening killer," The entity said. "They can't survive without me. They can't go back to who they were before. I GAVE THEM PURPOSE!"
"That may be true. However, they don't want your help anymore."
"NO! It doesn't matter if they want it or not. Not after everything I did for them to be safe."
"They don't belong to you. They never have,"
"THEY ARE MINE!" the entity snapped. "You were supposed to hate him…Hate all of them. I told you none of them were trustworthy…Told you to kill them all because they'd never do anything to help you…Now look at you, defying and dismissing what I had told."
The entity became silent. It was quiet for a moment. Something I thought I'd never get to hear again. I stared at the ceiling, relieved that this was finally over. Though it was still 5 AM, it seemed like the animatronics were at ease, and I beat the entity at its game.
"But that's fine…" The entity spoke again. "I'll finish the job, like I always have."
The lights flickered vigorously, and an earthquake formed as the entity finished its final words.
Great. It still wasn't over yet.
The room broke into separate square pieces that floated out of existence, turning to dust as the office ceased to be. Freddy broke into pieces, distorting the comforting music until it became something familiar.
The sound of children? How?
Eventually, I was in the pizzeria's dining room. Except it wasn't the dark, gloomy place it once was; it was bright and colorful, with the animatronics moving playfully on stage, entertaining the children sitting at the dining party tables, some of whom wore different solid-colored hats.
However, the one thing that stood out was the yellow rabbit and the blonde-haired girl with a pink dress, complemented by a polka dot bow. It was Susie.
"Hey! Susie!" I called out, running quickly to the other side of the dining room.
Both the yellow rabbit and Susie began walking toward the employees-only door, talking to each other.
"Stop!" I shouted.
It took me seconds to finally reach them, only to be struck down by an invisible barrier. Something blocked the path, and I came tumbling down to the floor. The bystanders looked at me confusedly as I lay there in pain. I cursed under my breath as I stood back up, seeing the employees-only door slowly closing.
"No… No, please!" I whispered as I bolted to the door, opening it.
It was never your fault. Susie's voice echoed.
I slammed open the door, hoping I reached her before it happened.
Instead, I was met with an empty dining room.
The door behind me vanished along with the party. Trash littered the floor. Plates with half-eaten pizza sat abandoned on the tables. Party hats tipped over onto the floor.
The animatronics stood motionless, staring blankly ahead as if nothing had happened.
Suddenly, a squeak from sneakers could be heard. A boy bolted across the dining room with a terrified look. The boy wore a long-sleeved dark yellow shirt and short dark brown shorts. His familiar dark hair and white ankle socks…It was Gabriel.
"Hey!" I whispered quietly. Gabriel didn't acknowledge my presence. "Hey! I can get you out of here!"
Gabriel stopped in his tracks, facing the employees-only room.
"Someone! Please help me!" a voice cried out, lightly knocking on the door.
"No! Don't go there!" I shouted, running to Gabriel. However, it was already too late before Gabriel opened the door and was pulled inside by the yellow rabbit behind it. I reached the door, jiggling it, but it wouldn't budge. I stepped back and tried to kick it open, but it still wouldn't open up.
"I-I promise I won't tell anyone!" Gabriel pleaded.
I kicked, banged, and hollered at the door, trying for different results. However, it did nothing as the other side of the door became silent.
It was already too late.
You may look like him, but you aren't him. Gabriel's voice echoed.
A hand touched my shoulder, jolting me as I turned to see the culprit.
It was Henry's. I wasn't in the dining room anymore; I was now in the hallway corner near the office. In my hand was the crumpled-up newspaper from the wall.
"Whoa, hey! Are you okay?" Henry asked, trying to ease me. What is Henry doing here?
"Y-yeah. I'm fine." I replied.
"No. You're not." Henry's face switched from worried to a neutral expression. "You're lying to me."
One thing was clear: this wasn't Henry.
"What makes you say that? Who are you to say that?" I asked, brushing past him. I walked down the dark hallway before Henry spoke.
"It's not all your fault, you know. It was my negligence to stop it in the first place!" Henry called out. I stopped in my tracks. "Maybe if I had just been stronger, none of this would've happened in the first place."
I snapped back around to face Henry, only to find my foster parents standing before me.
"You are a burden to us. We have nothing in common with you. Someone we can't stand or want." Mrs. Turner spoke.
"Get out of here!" Dave shouted, pointing towards the door. I quickly moved backward, opening the door.
I was back in the dining room from before. This time, a boy wearing a blue shirt, matched with a well-fitted pair of jeans, and brown hair.
It was Jeremy.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I figured out the pattern already.
These were my memories. Or I should say, the children's memories the entity stole from me. The entity was trying to get me to break.
But the children and everyone…They were helping me through it in a way.
Creakkkk…
Jeremy began to run as fast as he could, bolting for the exit. I watched as the scene unfolded, ending in the supply closet. I couldn't do anything but watch. It's heartbreaking seeing children who can't even defend themselves be killed so cruelly. Maybe that's the purpose of the entity.
I doubted you at first. But I realized you were scared… and you still kept coming back every night. Gabriel's voice echoed.
I raised my head from the floor, seeing it had changed from the supply closet to the body-filled bathroom stalls, then to the basement. My hands felt wet. It was blood. Blood dripped from my hand, some of it staining my pants as I stood motionless.
"Do you feel it yet? The blood-stained memories that fill the room?" a voice asked. I looked up slowly to see it was Afton, who stood before me with his arms behind his back. "Do you feel guilt rotting inside of you? After all, you caused all of this." The corner of Afton's face crept into a slight smile.
"Go on then. Tell me how many people died because of you. Maybe for once, I'll feel proud," Afton said, smiling wickedly.
I couldn't help but ball my fists in anger. After the terrible things my father had done, he still had the audacity to blame me for his shortcomings. Killed innocent people. Children. My eye twitched with every derogatory word he spewed from his stupid mouth.
"No. You did this, you psychopath. Not me," I shot back. Afton laughed.
"Oh, please. Ignorance is bliss, Michael. I'm merely telling the truth, your so-called friends won't tell you because they're using you, my son."
"You shut your mouth, piece of shit. You don't get to preach about right and wrong after what you've done."
Afton laughed more, with an eerie joy.
"Nothing is wrong, my boy. You just need to control your feelings. Cause if you did…" The room immediately shifted from the basement to the dormitory.
Where Robin's body lay. Head torn.
"Then your little friend here wouldn't have died gruesomely. You could've kept it quiet, so don't blame me."
I turned away from the body and faced Afton. Instead, I faced the entity. A high-pitched laughter came from him as he stared me down with his piercing, white eyes. I felt my face twist as tears streamed down my cheeks.
"Finally, I broke you. I told you you weren't going to win." The entity spoke.
I laughed.
"No. I'm afraid you misunderstood," I said, wiping the tears with the sleeve of my shirt. "I'm not crying because you broke me. These are tears of joy because I finally figured out something for once."
"What?" the entity said, confused. "I'm lost here."
"You existed not to protect, but because of fear."
The entity shifted slightly.
"You were terrified that one day they'd realize what's happening and stop listening to you."
I walked slowly toward the entity. I raised my index finger, waving it up and down.
"Terrified that they'd come to the conclusion they didn't need you anymore."
The room trembled. Something was happening.
"You were only scared of me because I was helping to free Cassidy, who was going to replace what you were."
The entity started to step back as I grew closer.
"If I'm willing to bet, you were made by the very person who brought despair among the children."
The entity's eyes flickered. I hit something deep inside it.
"And your purpose was to bring hate and stop Cassidy from assuming control. You've been lied to."
"Stop," the entity finally said. "You don't know what you're talking about. You are nobody."
The environment around it slowly began to chip away, a signal that the entity was weakening.
"I won't…I can't!" the entity said, vanishing.
The room switched over to the backstage room again. This time, Foxy stood beside me. It was dark, but not nearly enough that I couldn't see at least. Until the employees-only door squeaked open.
"How does it feel that you can't alter anything. When you can't save them?" the entity asked provocatively.
"It's true I can't save them. It's merely a dream. A dream of a memory." I replied.
A boy popped in, his eyes sparkling as he observed Foxy close up. The boy wore a red-and-grey striped shirt, tan cargo shorts, and a fine pair of black-and-white sneakers. His auburn hair flared with every excited step to Foxy. It was Fritz.
"No matter what I do, I can't reach them, and it's a twisted game you forced me to play," I said, watching as the yellow rabbit stabs Fritz over and over again. "And no matter what, I can't run from these memories. I can't forget them. I never thought I would witness this scene unfold again, but here I was."
I looked around for the entity, but it was nowhere to be seen.
"I've noticed that out of all the memories, you never once showed me Cassidy," I called out. "Are you that afraid of her?"
You say we belong to you.
But Michael proved that wrong.
You say he can't save us.
But he already has.
Fritz's voice echoed through the darkness.
The entity can't run away, Michael.