I opened my eyes, finding myself in the dark, familiar hallway.
When did I fall asleep?
I pushed myself up from the floor and stood straight. Cassidy sat at the end of the hallway as always.
"Cassidy?" I called out. Cassidy's hollow animatronic eyes immediately filled with the familiar white eyes, indicating she had arisen.
"Hello, Mike," Cassidy replied. "Or should I say Michael?"
Hearing that name twisted my stomach. I wanted to throw that name away forever. But it was the only thing I had that proved my identity of who I really am. I wanted to keep it a secret. Now, there's no turning back. I have to live with the images still fresh in my mind. But that isn't the most pressing thing on my mind right now. I'm pretty sure Cassidy was the only one who understood—which is why I'm not so satisfied. Especially with her.
"You knew it was him, didn't you?" Cassidy straightened her tilted head, facing me properly. Her white eyes glowed brighter.
"There are many things I know. But nobody listens to me. I wanted to tell you—"
"Then why didn't you!" I interrupted with outrage. "All this time you could've told me—warned me about it. But you decided to leave it out!" Cassidy didn't speak, letting me spew my anger out.
"I understand you're frustrated, Michael, but I can't tell you everything. You have to discover your path on your own." I took a deep breath. I wiped my face in annoyance before facing Cassidy again.
"If you knew I was his son, then why are you trying to help me? I thought you would want to kill me–Like the rest of the animatronics." Cassidy stood up from where she sat and switched to her human form in an instant.
"I had a feeling that you were different from your father." Cassidy waved her hand, and the room shifted. The hallway dissolved, replaced by something entirely different—a scenic park.
The area around us shone brightly, with birds tweeting happily and a breeze rustling the tree leaves. Even after adjusting to the sudden brightness, everything beyond the tree that was in front of me was white. I turned to inspect my surroundings, finding a family sitting on a wooden bench, smiling at a camera in front of them. At least, Afton and the teenage boy sitting in front of him were clearly smiling—the rest of the family appeared as a blurred, glitchy mess, especially in their facial area. Similar to a TV glitch. The boy in front of Afton had messy, brown hair and blue eyes similar to Afton's, except Afton's hair was more uniform and well put. The boy had a rather slim and lanky build—pretty common for teenage boys. He wore a gray T-shirt with ripped blue jeans and sneakers. In fact, the kid almost looks identical to his dad or me—he just needs a few more inches in height and a nicer haircut. One thing I did notice was the teenage boy held what looked to be a Foxy mask beside him, as if he thought it'd be a cool easter egg in the photo.
Despite the blurry mess on the family's faces, I could still observe what they were wearing. A little girl, who was next to the teen boy, wore a frilly white dress with peach bows at the shoulders and had orange pigtailed hair with Mary Jane shoes to top it off. The little girl looked well-dressed for her age—most likely helped by her mother. Behind the little girl was a woman who wore a long, lavender dress complemented with shiny, white pearls that hung around her neck, paired with ballet flats. All of it was accompanied by her luxurious, shoulder-length, gently curled dark brown hair.
To the right of the little girl stood a little boy. The little boy wore a striped, dark grey t-shirt with horizontal stripes of blue. He also wore black shoes and blue jeans. The little boy clutched a Golden Freddy plushie, dressed in a purple bowtie and top hat
"Do you recognize them?" Cassidy asked, interrupting my thorough inspection of the family. With her question lingering in my head, I reexamined the family again and spoke.
"I recognize the Golden Freddy plush. A younger version of me? And Afton, naturally," I replied.
"That plush toy? You recognize it?" Cassidy asked.
"It's the same plushie from the pizzeria, and it's also dressed the same as the Golden Freddy I met last night." Cassidy moved towards the plushie, inspecting it.
"Like I said before, I've never met another Golden Freddy. Maybe it's an experiment created by Afton?"
"I wouldn't know for sure. The animatronic did express the same hatred Afton did, so it could very well be."
"Maybe, but we can't assume everything—for all we know, it could be something entirely different." Cassidy turned to face me.
"Well, to find answers, we need to discover them." Cassidy said. Cassidy is right on that front—however, there was still one nagging issue.
"Speaking of which, the next tape should be in the kitchen," Cassidy continued. I looked deeply into Cassidy's hazel eyes before speaking.
"I have a question for you, Cassidy," I said. "How many tapes are there exactly?"
"There are five tapes," Cassidy replied.
"And how many of those tapes have my memories?"
Cassidy's face immediately became hesitant. I knew it—she wasn't spilling the truth.
"So, you were lying."
Cassidy darted her eyes away—like she was guilty of something.
"So tell me, do you really have my memories? Or am I just a puppet? Are you trying to get me to do something that I might regret later?" I pressed. I wanted the truth of what's going on. She thought I was stupid not to know the game she's been playing. The past tapes have been nothing but other memories. I figured soon enough I was going to come across a memory of mine, but she only now confirmed my suspicion. I obtained three out of five tapes. There are four animatronics in the pizzeria, with the fifth one being Cassidy. What is she really having me do?
Cassidy then changed abruptly, as if someone had flicked a light switch inside her. Something flickered in Cassidy's eyes—something unnatural. Then her smile faded.
"You really shouldn't be asking questions," Cassidy said with a threatening tone. The aura of the room immediately turned dark and dangerous. My heart began to race, goosebumps formed on my arms, and my hands shook.
"If you really want to know what's going on, then participate in the game, Michael." I felt my stomach twist, causing me to fall to my knees.
"You aren't in control like you think you are, Michael." Cassidy suddenly switched back to her animatronic form, causing her eyes to darken and become lifeless.
"However, I don't want to force you. Please, Michael, just do as I say." Cassidy's voice faded into a whisper. The room around me turned into a watery mess. "I have important plans for you."
"You play a key part, Michael. Whether it'll save them or not depends on your actions."
Soon enough, darkness took over.
***
I opened my eyes, finding myself sweating and breathing heavily. It was like I had a terrible nightmare. I guess it partially was true. I calmed myself down and glanced at the clock. It was 6:00 PM—meaning all of my classes are definitely over. I sighed deeply before sitting up straight on my bed and inching closer to the edge of it.
When did I fall asleep?
I remember talking to Robin about what happened to me during previous nights, but I don't remember anything past that. Maybe I was that worn out.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I slid off my bed and made my way out of the room. As always, the living room was empty and the lights were turned off. I was pretty sure that Robin had already gone to bed. I sat down on the couch, scrunching my face. My confrontation with Cassidy went exactly as I had predicted. However, I didn't anticipate that the intensity of the room would escalate so quickly, nor did I expect Cassidy to become frustrated like that. I have actually never seen that side of Cassidy—at least not yet.
I looked up at the coffee table to see the VCR player was still put together. That's when I remembered I had obtained another tape. I was so busy with work that I forgot about the VHS tape I had in my vest pocket.
I got up from the couch and searched my security vest that hung near the door of the dormitory until I found the VHS tape in one of the pockets. The VHS tape was labeled on white paper with "being." I brought the VHS tape over to the VCR player on the coffee table. Instead of inserting it immediately, I took a minute to prepare myself. Knowing the contents of the other VHS tape, this one could be bloodier or more gruesome. However, I don't think anything could be compared to what I saw in the pizzeria.
Pushing aside my thoughts, I inserted the tape into the player and pressed play.
***
Jeremy had always been observant of others' behaviors, even when they wouldn't speak them out. Ultimately, this led to a girl in his class inviting him to a birthday party. Jeremy had defended the girl from some boys who were picking on her. Despite their size, Jeremy stood his ground–He was like a knight in shining armor. Well, that's how he interpreted it, but really, he waited until teachers arrived to put a stop to it. Still, he was rewarded for his efforts. A noisy experience at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.
Though, he never complained because he got a free ticket to view his favorite animatronic there. Bonnie!
Most people perceived him as a quiet person who wouldn't speak during large gatherings, and Jeremy was fine with that. What people didn't know was the secret side of him. His passion for music. And who portrayed that better than Bonnie? I mean, Jeremy liked rock music a lot, but occasionally he'd listen to classical and other genres. However, he liked Bonnie because he was a rockstar.
Jeremy not only liked Bonnie, but he also liked the vast array of arcade machines the place had. Other arcades never had nearly as much as Freddy's has. The only disappointment was how much it costs to play one game. However, Jeremy still comes even with the rumors behind the restaurant owner—though they were never proven to be true either. Still, It didn't stop Jeremy from going. All he really had to do was to stay vigilant. At least, his parents wanted him to be vigilant—which he never argued about.
After reaching a high score on a new arcade game, Jeremy was ready to beat that one. He felt like he was the best player ever as he made autonomous movements. Jeremy consumed all of it. Jeremy never took one glance off the screen. He felt a sense of satisfaction as he progressed further in the game. The level ups… The points…the stage completion… All of it. The game continued until it came to an end. The game no longer had anything else to give to Jeremy apart from replaying it again.
Jeremy sighed and finally took his hands off the machine. It was time to stop. Jeremy took a moment to look around his surroundings. The arcade room was quiet. The arcade room was filled with the sounds of humming and an occasional beeping from arcade game machines. There were no kids nearby causing a commotion or running around like there usually were. Jeremy looked around but only saw a multitude of arcade games and no one else.
"Maybe they all went to the dining area?" Jeremy muttered, walking to the exit of the arcade room. When Jeremy entered the dining area, he found it to be quiet as well. The lights were off, with only the stage lights remaining on.
"Where did everyone go?" Jeremy thought. "Did they close early or something?"
Jeremy was about to call out for someone, but he stopped himself. He was by himself, and nobody was around—he could do whatever he wanted! Jeremy glanced at the show stage—Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica all stood there. Motionless.
Jeremy found it creepy seeing the animatronics like that. However, Jeremy saw it as an opportunity to look at and feel the animatronics closely. Jeremy walked forward towards the stage. Despite them looking creepy, it was still cool to see them up close. Specifically Bonnie.
Jeremy placed his palms on the edge of the wooden stage and lifted himself to the top. Steadying himself, he stood in front of Bonnie and his red guitar. Jeremy examined both of them, admiring how close he was to them. Jeremy then lifted his hand up high and inched closer to Bonnie's guitar. He wanted to touch it—maybe even pluck a string or two.
"I'm s-sorry! Please!" a voice cried out. Jeremy snapped his head in the direction of the voice. It sounded as if it belonged to a boy. The voice sounded like it came from the employees-only door that was cracked open. A chuckle could be heard from the door. Curious, Jeremy got down from the stage and made his way to the employees-only door quietly. Jeremy could hear voices behind the door as he walked closer. Eventually, Jeremy reached the door and peered through the crack of the employee's room door.
Through the crack, Jeremey watched a tall, yellow rabbit crouching on one knee with a boy about his age on the bottom. The boy was twitching profusely on the floor—something Jeremy knew wasn't normal. A wet, gurgling noise could be heard, but Jeremy wasn't sure where it was coming from. That's when he saw a pool of blood—lots of it—surrounding the boy on the floor. Jeremy covered his mouth to prevent himself from gasping in shock.
"I told you. You can't escape me," the yellow rabbit said, taking a deep breath. Jeremy needed to get out of there. Now. Fast. His body wanted to move, but his mind remained stagnant. He couldn't process it… Why is the yellow rabbit killing a child?
Creakkkk…
Jeremy could finally move, but he unintentionally moved the door, causing it to creak. The yellow rabbit reacted to the noise behind him and found himself face-to-face with Jeremy. The yellow rabbit turned to face Jeremy, with its mask and belly covered in the boy's blood, as well as the knife it held. The yellow rabbit stood over the boy's body menacingly. Its smile sent sharp shivers in jeremy's body. Jeremy's face widened with fear. His instincts screamed for him to run.
Jeremy took one step back. Then another. And again, until he turned his back and ran.
"Oh, no, you don't!" The rabbit yelled. Jeremy could hear heavy, metallic footsteps behind, but he didn't turn. Jeremy kept running, making his way to the exit. With the rabbit close by, Jeremy approached the exit door. Jeremy tried to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge.
It was locked.
Jeremy tried jiggling the door with force, but it didn't work. The rabbit finally caught up with Jeremy.
"There you are, little shit!" The yellow rabbit yelled. Jeremy turned to face the rabbit. He had no options left. The yellow rabbit had cornered Jeremy. Jeremy didn't know what else to do—he realized he should've been more careful, as his parents told him. Instead, he had been too busy playing his arcade machine—now, it would cost him more than just a few quarters. It's going to cost him his life.
The yellow rabbit approached by the second. Each step raised Jeremy's heart rate, and his breath became short. Was this it for Jeremy? Was this how he was going to die? In his favorite pizzeria?
No! Jeremy won't! Jeremy won't die. Jeremy won't die without a fight.
The yellow rabbit grew near, so jeremy had to act fast. He looked around the room he was in. There wasn't anything nearby that could aid in Jeremy's escape. The only item nearby was a metal bucket in the corner behind him.
Without a second thought, Jeremy picked up the bucket and raised it defensively. Jeremy didn't understand how it could be useful—but it was better than nothing. It was better than nothing. The yellow rabbit laughed.
"And what are you going to use that bucket for? Mopping me clean?" The yellow rabbit laughed. It raised the knife it had.
"Just accept it, kid… you're dead." The yellow rabbit ran towards Jeremy, clearing the rest of the distance between them.
Without thought, Jeremy used the bucket to swipe the knife off the rabbit's hand and push the rabbit down with all his strength. Though he didn't fully knock it down, the yellow rabbit lost balance and tumbled to the ground. Jeremy wasn't done yet. Jeremy picked up the knife from the floor and quickly climbed on top of the yellow rabbit.
Jeremy lifted the knife in the air and stabbed the rabbit in the belly—and he didn't stop. Jeremy slashed and stabbed the rabbit multiple times until he grew worn out. Jeremy finally stopped and took a deep breath.
Did he kill it?
Suddenly, Jeremy felt a sharp pain in his side, and he was thrown off the rabbit. Jeremy lay on the floor, clutching his side out of pain.
"Stupid child. You think you could kill me in my suit?" The yellow rabbit said. The rabbit first sat up straight and then eventually managed to stand on its two feet.
"You really shouldn't have done that. Now I have to repair this suit. Fucking children. They ruin everything." The rabbit picked up the knife from the floor and took a deep breath.
"You remind me a lot of rabbits. They scatter and run when danger is nearby…"
Jeremy grunted as he tried to lift himself up. He needed to—otherwise, the yellow rabbit was going to kill him. With the rest of his strength, Jeremy got up from the floor and limped away from the rabbit, clenching his side that ached with pain. The yellow rabbit laughed cruelly, watching as Jeremy ran. Like a rabbit.
"Run, rabbit! Run!" The yellow rabbit taunted. Jeremy focused on getting away from the rabbit as much as he could—He could hear the rabbit's footsteps get closer every step he took. Jeremy felt something tug behind him and throw him at the door labeled "supply closet."
Jeremy's back ached with the pain of being thrown into a metal door. His vision was watery and blurry—He couldn't tell what was going on anymore.
"You really should've just let me kill you. It would've been quicker." The yellow rabbit laughed. The yellow rabbit's laugh was muffled to Jeremy—His ears rang, and his body ached. Was this it for him?
"Like I told him, You can't escape me." Jeremy felt something sharp penetrate his left side. Jeremy began gurgling and coughing up blood. Tears streamed from his eyes as he desperately wanted to scream. However, he couldn't, as his throat was filled with his own blood. Jeremy twitched as more sharp pains entered his body.
Pain…Sorrow…Fear…Anger… All these emotions Jeremy felt overwhelmed him. Jeremy wished he had seen his parents just one last time. He wished he could've played that game one more time—Play Bonnie's guitar again. Listen to his favorite rock song again. Instead, he laid on the floor with his last image being those piercing, purple eyes…
***
I gasped awake from the tape dream. It was over.
The TV screen displayed a blue screen with white, bold letters that spelled "Play." The same as before.
I covered my mouth to prevent myself from throwing up. There was a limit to how much blood I could muster. Now, it felt like the moment was the last straw. I managed to keep myself from throwing up, but I couldn't rid my stomach of twisting. Afton truly was a monster. It had to be William Afton who killed these kids. Does he have no sympathy? No regard for life for children? Yet, he wants to blame me for killing my brother that I didn't even know I did?
I turned off the tv and sat in disgust. I'm not sure how to process these tapes anymore. It's the same thing over and over again but in different ways. I'm not sure if I can handle any more. Although these tapes answer some questions, they also raise new ones. If there were three killings at the restaurant, then why were only two reported according to the newspaper? I mean, unless Cassidy's death occurred somewhere else? It's something I would have to ask Cassidy about. Another question would be, why weren't the kids' bodies in the basement I was in? Where did Afton put them? The clues don't add up the more I think about it.
I didn't want to think about it anymore. Anything else—anything—would be better than this.
I located my phone and tapped the screen. It was barely 6:00 PM. I definitely missed all my classes. I'll just ask someone to share their notes from the lecture—surely one of my classmates will help me out.
Freddy Fazbear's Pizza—11:30 PM…
I parked my car near the familiar entrance of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. To pass the time, I was working on a project that I forgot about this week. It's due tomorrow, which is the cherry on top. However, I'm pretty sure the professor would give me an extension. Work is a viable excuse, right? I mean, it's not like I could say that there were robots trying to kill me at my job. They'd put a straitjacket on me and send me right to an asylum.
Setting my thoughts aside, I got out of my car and entered the restaurant. From what I remembered, Cassidy said the next tape was in the kitchen. Walking past the party tables, I made my way to the kitchen—which was conveniently on the way to the office. Approaching the kitchen door, I placed my palm on the doorknob and tried to open it. However, it wouldn't budge. It must be locked.
Where would the key be?
Well, there was only one answer. The office.
I turned away from the kitchen door and headed to the office. Arriving at the office, I looked around for something shiny that resembled a key. However, I was unsuccessful in finding one. If not the office, where would the kitchen be? It's possible that Afton has it. If that were the case, then I wouldn't be able to get the tape from the kitchen. What other option would I have?
Squeak! squeak!…
There was a high-pitched squeak coming from somewhere. It sounded like rats. Wait. Rats? That means there's an opening somewhere in the restaurant. Like a vent.
Squeak! Squeak!
I listened closely and tried to locate the sound. It was faint, but it got louder when I came closer to the right hallway. I took out my flashlight from my vest and shined it on the hallway walls. The vent was located beneath the drawings on the wall, and it appeared to connect to the kitchen. If this was the case, then maybe I could crawl inside. After all, it looked like I could fit inside. One small problem occurred, however—I needed to take off the bolts.
Luckily, we have a backstage room filled with tools. Surely there should be an adjustable wrench in there. I made my way to the backstage room, splitting between the party room tables in the dining area. I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it, but something stopped me. I had a trembling hand, and my arm wouldn't budge. My traumatic experience is behind this door. Moreover, a child was killed in this very room along with others. I began breathing rapidly, and my heart beat with force. I closed my eyes and calmed myself down.
I need to get over it. I have a job to do.
Finally, I was able to open the door. The door creaked as I pushed it open. I shone my light in the familiar room and looked around. The exoskeleton that activated on one of my night shifts sat on the metal table. It had blood on it. In particular, the hands and their joints were covered in blood. I swallowed my spit and tried to ignore the exoskeleton but kept my eye on it. Who knows, I could be next. I searched around the room for the wrench. Eventually, I found it in one of the boxes of tools.
I stood up and faced the exoskeleton. While looking at the exoskeleton, I noticed the basement area was sealed off with caution tape. Maybe the police came in and cleaned the area. I'm not even going to think about going in there.
I closed the door behind me and walked back to the vent. I knelt down, adjusted the wrench to match the bolt size, and then got to work. After a couple of minutes, the vent came off reluctantly. I held my flashlight and checked the vent first before entering. The vent was very musky—it seems like it hasn't been maintained for a long time. After what felt like hours clunking around the vent, I found the end.
At first, I tried pushing open the vent cover, but it didn't budge. So, I repositioned myself to a kicking position and kicked it several times before it finally came off. I came out of the vent and searched the kitchen. The kitchen looked exactly as you would expect it to. The kitchen contained a sink, fridge, oven, and food stacker trays for pizza. A foul smell was emanating from the stacks of dishes in the sink, which I guess is rotting pizza or ingredients. Now I feel awful for whoever has to repair that vent cover—they have to endure this rotten smell.
I looked around the kitchen and began searching for the tape Cassidy said was in here. The better question is, where would you put a tape in a kitchen? After searching for what felt like hours, I found the tape on top of the fridge. Whoever hides these tapes sure does like high places that are somewhat reachable. However, the job is done.
I took a deep breath and got into the vent. I turned the corner of the vent when Bonnie's face popped into my vision. My heart immediately stopped dead in its tracks, and I frantically tried to move back. Bonnie stared at me with his white, piercing eyes and open jaw. He let out a threatening groan. I tried to wiggle back as fast as I could, but Bonnie lunged forward, jaw ready to bite.
This is it. Who knew, of all times, that this was going to be where I died?
In a fucking vent.