Five Nights

Night 1

   The cool night air was not the reason Michael was shivering tonight.
   Not even the unnatural feel of the chill, like the cold that came with the fall, in the middle of summer. The cold pricked at his spine, and sure, it certainly didn't stop Mike from shuddering, but he'd never minded the cold. Though, the chill bit at his partially numbed fingers nonetheless.
   The unnatural weather patterns and untimely chill, however, were not the reason why he procrastinated leaving his truck. The cold was not what made him shiver, and it was not why he was so nervous.
   Michael's fingers, thin yet strong, tapped on the steering wheel of his old truck in rhythm with the beat of his nervous heart. The truck was all Michael could truly afford; the absence of any real support paired with his own... personal problems meant that he had to work odd jobs to keep himself afloat. The windows never rolled up all the way, and there were plenty of other issues, but thankfully he had his father's way with machines and didn't mind the lack of air conditioning.
   Mike shivered again as his eyes passed over the neon red sign, malicious and bright against the black, small-town summer night sky. Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Michael would've found it comforting, if it weren't for the history that burdened the name Freddy Fazbear.
He almost couldn't believe that this place was still around, only 10 years after the events that took place at the original Fredbear's Family Diner. Evan would be a teenager, a young adult even, if it weren't for...
   Michael shook his head. Of course the place was still open. It always came back, or at least, that's what it felt like to him.
   He swallowed that thought like a bitter pill and tossed a piece of gum into his mouth, staring into the rearview mirror of his old Ford for a moment. Once-blue eyes glared back, now dark and unnatural; he had permanent dark circles, just like him. Michael gritted his teeth at that knowledge, forcing himself out of his truck and steeling himself to the cold.
   The permanent smell of gasoline from the nearby highway dominated his senses but he could still recognize that old, greasy pizza-and-french-fry smell of the pizzeria. It was different now, not so warm and family-like as it was at Fredbear's. Or maybe Michael's memories were wrong, skewed under his childlike love for the old restaurant before it all went downhill.
   The new place was better built, that was for sure- and at a better location, too, in Hurricane. Right by New Harmony, it was a slightly bigger town, and the new building had been around for some time before it'd become its current establishment. He distantly remembered the "toy" animatronics of '87, and the grand failure that had been that version of Freddy's. Not that any of the restaurants had been extremely successful...
   Michael shook his head to clear his thoughts once more, entering the building in long, confident strides. He knew what to expect, he'd seen pictures of the place, and yet it seemed to catch him off guard.
   Though Henry's original animatronics had always seemed kinder in comparison to others, these 6-foot, monstrous recreations before Michael did not seem very friendly.
   In the center of what seemed to be the main stage was a caricature of Fredbear; a tall, chubby brown bear with glassy blue eyes and a small, comical black top hat and a bowtie to match. In his right hand was what appeared to be an equally comical microphone, and Michael distantly wondered if it actually worked- it didn't seem to be connected to any speakers.
   To the left of the bear was yet another caricature, this time of Michael's father's old suit, the golden spring-Bonnie. This version was slightly taller, of course, and blue-purple with the same seemingly tired, half-lidded magenta eyes. Michael shivered as he stared at it, yet it seemed to stare past him and not at him- he reminded himself that it couldn't see him, it wasn't the same animatronic he had inhabited.
   Finally, on the right, was a yellow chicken- or was she a duck? Michael couldn't remember- with purple eyes and a bib with a bright, bold font: "Let's Eat!". In her left hand was a plate, and on top of it was a creepy little cupcake with golden eyes, pink frosting, and buck teeth. It also had a small, fake candle on the exact center of its top. Chica, and her cupcake.
   Michael watched the animatronics for a moment before turning around and looking at the rest of the restaurant. It wasn't quite 12 a.m. yet, though nobody was around- Michael supposed that the restaurant had been cleaned and closed before his shift officially started.
   It was only somewhat different from the original, again it seemed more corporate, less family-owned. Still messy, though. There seemed to be two large door doors at the back of the main room, leading to what he assumed was the kitchen. To the right of the entrance he'd chosen was a door labeled "Employees Only", most likely a supply closet of some sort.
   Michael spared a glance to the left, seeing two doors labeled as restrooms. There were two hallways, one leading to another supply closet and the security office. As Michael was heading in the direction of the office something caught his eye.
   Pausing, Mike turned to look at dark purple curtains and a small stage, labeled "Out of Order" in neat handwriting. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of what could've been either gasoline or metal, or a mixture of those scents, and shivered before quickly entering the security office.
It was small, and chilly- Michael first turned the small, cheap-looking metal fan on his new desk off. He leaned back into his new chair, spinning in a slow circle before booting up the CCTV system-
   RING!
   Michael jumped, and several papers and trinkets came crashing down alongside him as he punched at whatever mysterious thing was coming to attack him. He paused when he realized he'd hit nothing, and the space outside the security doors was empty- the deafening ring! sound struck again, and Michael noticed a red phone on the desk. He breathed a sigh of relief and cursed himself for his own anxiety, picking it up.
   "Hello? Uh, hello, hello?" Michael raised an eyebrow, murmuring a hey in response.
   "Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night." Oh. Michael frowned, and almost laughed at himself, leaning back in his chair.
   "Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact!" Congratulations, Michael hummed in his thoughts. "So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about!"
   Michael scoffed at that.
   "Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week, okay?" Okay.
   "Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company I'm supposed to read... Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, y'know. Um, 'Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occured, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.'"
   Michael paused, raising an eyebrow at that- they really weren't trying too hard to hide their secrets nowadays, were they? The phone-guy continued.
   "Blah, blah, blah; now, that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about! Uh, the animatronics here do get a bit quirky at night-" Michael scoffed again, "-but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for 20 years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night, too."
   Michael chuckled at that. The guy did seem to have a good sense of humor, he'd give him that.
"So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay." Mike rolled his eyes, glancing over the CCTV to see that Bonnie moved. Of course it was his father's costume's likeness that was the first to go.
   "So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh... something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long." Would that really be a bad thing? Michael thought as Bonnie slowly but steadily travelled down the East hall, each step a metallic thud muted by purplish blue fabric. The bunny paused in the middle of the hallway.
   "Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too." Michael bitterly recalled that time in the history of the restaurant. Poor Jeremy... "But then there was the Bite of '87. Yeah. I-it's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, y'know?"
   Michael shrugged. He'd seen plenty of things- almost none of them good, but amazing could be used to describe some of them. Technically, it was amazing that he was alive right now.
   "Uh, now, concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours-"
   A metallic screeching, eerily similar to that of a child, rang in Michael's ears. He flickered the light on to see Bonnie's blue silhouette in the door on the left. The rabbit had its mouth opened as if to scream, and Michael fumbled with the buttons for a moment before the door slammed shut. He noticed a power indicator on his desktop, shining bright with the numbers 93%. The clock above it read 12:35 a.m.
   "-gnize you as a person," the phone-guy continued, unaware of the current events in the office. Michael shook his head, panting heavily, before turning the light on for a minute to glance out the window. Bonnie's shadow remained. He wondered what would happen if the power ran out.
   "They'll p- most likely see you as a.. Metal endoskeleton, without its costume on. Now, since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to... forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit." Michael shuddered, an image of Evan and Fredbear flashing through his mind for a few seconds before he pushed it away. He shook his head, biting those memories down, forcing that chest-tightening feeling away as he checked the window again. Seeing that Bonnie had left, he opened the door.
   "Um. Now, that probably wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the... facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort... and d-ath. Uh. The only parts of you that would likely see the, uh, light of day again... would be your eyeballs and teeth when they, uh, pop out the front of the mask. Heh."
Michael rubbed his eyes tiredly, fighting a little harder to suppress certain memories. He felt that pricking feeling run down his spine again, and couldn't quite shake it off as the phone-guy finally ended his message.
   "Y-yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."
   Michael released a heavy sigh as the phone message clicked off, leaning back in his chair and flicking through the various cameras. The footage was blurry with static, and displayed the animatronics in muted, practically grey colors. Bonnie appeared to be hanging out in the supply closet opposite the bathrooms, whereas Chica was looming over one of the several tables- Michael silently wondered if they had watched him when he was coming in, if they sensed, if they knew, he was here.
   No, that wouldn't make sense. The animatronic's night mode probably started after the official closing time, 12 am. Speaking of time...
   Michael's dark eyes passed over the clock; 1:03 am.  He spat his gum- classic spearmint flavored- into a small trashcan beneath the desk. This was going to be a long night.