Dave awoke in a strange place. Something was... different. He felt different.
The last thing he remembered was Henry burning that trap to the ground.
He wandered through his new surroundings. After only a few steps, he recognized the place: a Freddy Fazbear's Pizza location. Except—like himself—it felt off.
He walked into the security room and noticed something bizarre: a pair of blue floating hands. They jumped and slammed one of the doors shut.
"Strange... that shouldn't be in this level. I don't think it should even be in the game," a male voice said.
"It's not Springtrap..." he muttered. "Eh. I'll make a note of it later."
Intriguing, Dave thought.
The world shifted around him—textures flickering, walls changing, locations bleeding into each other. He followed the stranger, silently observing.
"Okay. This can't be a bug or a glitch..." the man said.
Dave stared at him. The man shivered.
"That thing creeps me out more than any of the animatronics," he muttered.
"Jeremy!" a voice yelled.
"Y-Yes sir? Coming!" Jeremy called back. The hands vanished.
Jeremy.
Interesting.
From what Dave gathered, he was inside some sort of video game.
He was back.
Now he just needed a way out.
The next day, Jeremy sounded exhausted.
"All right... let's get today over with."
Dave approached him again, standing
in the doorway. Jeremy flinched.
"It's here again..." Jeremy whispered. "Those eyes... those damn eyes."
Dave spoke. "Tell me, Jeremy. What do you remember?"
Jeremy let out a strangled scream. "Y-you talk!?"
"Yes. Now... I would appreciate it if you answered my question."
"I... I don't remember anything before my twenties," Jeremy said. He didn't know why he was still responding—it felt like he couldn't stop.
"Really? Peculiar. Do you have anyone close to you?"
"There was my uncle, but he died in a fire."
"What was his name?"
"Henry. Henry Emily."
That was all Dave needed.
"I have so many secrets to share with you, Jeremy. All I need in return is your devotion." Dave held out his hand.
"N-no. No, I won't listen to you anymore!" Jeremy snapped, and the hands vanished.
What a shame.
Oh well—Dave knew when someone was close to breaking.
Jeremy would be back.
Dave told Jeremy stories—true or untrue.
Jeremy wouldn't be able to tell you.
But the nightmares... the nightmares felt real.
Events he could not remember.
Faces he could not name.
Fear and guilt that had been long forgotten.
Jeremy's mind cracked under the pressure.
Dave leaned close. "You are my puppet. You will free me from this digital prison."
"No... I won't..." Jeremy gasped. He collapsed to the floor, shaking, hyperventilating. "Let me go..."
He tore the VR headset off. His gaze fell to the guillotine paper cutter.
He didn't want to do this.
But he couldn't let this monster inside the game use him.
He couldn't let him hurt anyone else.
He placed his face beneath the blade of the guillotine paper cutter and pulled.
Blood drenched him.
Through the burning pain, he forced the VR headset back on.
"You won't escape," he said weakly. "I won't let you."
Moments later, he fell, and everything went dark.
Dave hummed.
"How tragic. He was so close to breaking... oh well. There are other puppets."