The Daycare Attendant

Living Hell

"Sun?! Sun! SUN!"
I heave. "I'm here!"
My rays have started to welt away and my bells have begun to melt into clumps. Everything is on fire here as well.
I can't see my friends because of the smoke. My  X-ray system is failing me. The PizzaPlex' smoke alarms are going off, but there are no functioning sprinklers.
I hear my friends calling for me again.
"I'm coming!"
I hear Chica screaming with her broken voice.
She sounds just as desperate as the others.
"I'm here!"
I run onto the dancefloor again. My friends notice me and Music Man guides me over to them.
"Sun are you okay?" Montgomery asks. His glasses have melted onto his face.
"It doesn't matter. We have to escape. Now."
"What do you have on your back?"
"I packed up my belongings. I had no time I... I just wanted to bring the things that are important to me and suddenly the Daycare was on fire. It felt like hell on earth."
Chica comforts me.
"I can't carry you now, Montgomery. Roxanne?"
"Yes?"
"Can you carry him?"
"I can, you have to help him get on my back. The gator can guide me that way as well."
"Good. Chica, are you okay on your own?"
I look at her. Her eyes are filled with fear. She clutches the cupcake. I give her a hug. She then signs that she's alright. And that the smoke doesn't affect her much.
I notice my friends have begun to melt just as much as I have.
"DJ?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know a way out of here?"
"Absolutely, you guys get on my hands and I'll carry you all out of here."
I want to thank him. But I stop myself.
"DJ?"
"Yes?"
"Can you get out yourself as well?"
He thinks.
"I think I should be able to. If we escape through the loading docks, I can get myself through the garage doors and I can carry us all to the front side of the building."
"Perfect."
I help Montgomery get on Roxanne's back and I tie him on with another loose cable.
"That should do it. Are you both okay like this?"
They both respond with yes. I guide Roxanne to one of Music Man's open hands.
"Chica?"
She looks at me. Her earrings have melted and her bow is on fire. I pat out the fire and I guide her to the other hand. We both get on and DJ lifts us up.

DJ Music Man climbs through tubes and holes all through the PizzaPlex. I've never seen everything from this high up before. It makes me realise how big and complicated the PizzaPlex actually is. I notice DJ Music Man speeding up with the second. He's running for his life at this point, but I can tell the smoke is disorientating for him.
"Music Man?"
I know he can hear me.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm just..." he heaves "I'm just trying to hurry. The smoke... is thickening by the second. I gotta get you guys outta here."
I'm worried. I tell him to let us know if he needs a break or anything and he nods, but proceeds speeding through the building.
Something runs across the floor.
I hear DJ speak.
"Hop on, hop on quickly! C'mon now!"
Several timy wind-up music man toys run up DJ's legs and lift along with us.
Then, I begin to look around again. I can't help but try to see if I can find Miss Vanessa. With every bit of white or yellow I get a rush, but it's never her. Then it's a cardboard cutout, then it's a statue or a prop. I really hope she's alright. Thinking of Vanessa, I hope Solara is alright as well. She shouldn't be in the building yet, their shift starts in two hours. But she's probably completely unaware of what is happening, since the system doesn't alert employees who aren't present when there is an emergency like this. I wish I could talk to Solara again. I wanted to give her a set of custom hijabs, one with a sun print and one with a moon print. I hope I still get to do that. I hope we can make it out.

"Almost there guys, just a few more turns left!"
I thank DJ already for his help and encourage him to keep going for as far as he can.
I look to the side and see a glimpse of the gift shop. I see Freddy there. He's lighting stuff on fire with every step he takes. I see the little kid run off.
I feel defeated and betrayed by Freddy. Why would he light the building on fire like that?
I try not to think of it too much. All I know is that Freddy often makes his decision with knowledge not everyone has on the situation. I hope this is another one of those carefully thought over decisions.
Then, Freddy runs the same way Gregory went. They've gone to the roof. I decide not to inform anyone of what I have just witnessed, for their own peace of mind.

"The docks are right there!" Montgomery points. The door opens up already. I can sense that DJ is on his last bits of power. I keep encouraging him. And eventually he does make it out. Finally, fresh air.
I haven't smelled outside air before.
I enjoy it.
Though, my senses are a bit messed up from the smoke, so I can't tell for sure if I like it.
Music Man's arms buckle and his body drops down. He sighs. All of us get off of his back and we make sure he can rest up.
"Thank you, DJ." I put a hand on his cheek to show support and gratefulness.
He smiles and closes his eyes. The lights in his mouth shut down. A loud droning type of sound can be heard. His power ran out. Luckily I have a cable I could charge him with, once we are in a safer environment.
I check on my friends. Roxanne is well, Montgomery is alright. Chica still has her cupcake. She's frightened. I go over to her and sit down next to her. Her body is still smoking and cooling. I try not to touch her to avoid melting together. I look at her and begin to sign. I ask her how she's feeling. She signs that she's glad to be out, but she feels upset about Freddy. I tell her I feel the same. She says she'll miss every memory she made here, but she's hopeful towards the future. I tell her that that is a beautiful way to think.
I then check myself. Pants are a charcoal black color, sunrays reduced to blobs, smile looks horrifying. The yellow and red have completely changed to gray and black. I sigh.

I look at the PizzaPlex. There's fire beating its way around through every opening. Nearby trashbins have caught on fire as well. But I notice something.
"Guys, look! The rabbit!"
I point up.
The rabbit is edging closer and closer to the edge of the building. Then I see him.
"FREDDY!"
My friends begin to yell for him. Though, our efforts are worthless. The friendly bear grabs onto the rabbit and jumps down the building.
My throat feels like someone's squeezing it. I am gasping for air.
Then, we hear a loud clanking and a thud.
The two landed.
Freddy looks charred, the rabbit looks lifeless. I use the zoom function in my eyes and I take a closer look. Gregory is by Freddy, he came through the fire exit. He seems concerned. I focus my visor on the rabbit, of which the face is now revealed.
"Miss Vanessa?!"
I look up again.
Miss Vanessa is atop the building still.
I quickly understand. The rabbit is a manifestation of Miss Vanessa, but bloodthirsty instead of caring.
I begin yelling up.
"MISS VANESSA! GET DOWN THROUGH THE FIRE EXIT!"
She looks at me with pain in her eyes and shrugs, showing that she cannot make her way through there for whatever reason.
But I feel something lift me up. It's DJ Music Man. I'm brought to the roof and quickly hop on.

"Miss Vanessa!"
"Oh Sun, I'm so sorry for all of this—"
"Miss Vanessa please, come with me! We'll get you to safety!"
"Sun the fire is exhausting me, I can barely walk because of how much smoke I inhaled. I'll only bring you down. Just leave me here, it's better that way."
I don't take that for an answer.
I grab her wrist, pull her onto the hand with me and DJ Music Man brings us down. Once down, she falls to her knees and hands. I make sure she's alright.
I see her wrist got burned from me grabbing her. I thought I had cooled enough, but the fire probably heated me back up too quick.
"Miss Vanessa, are you okay—"
"Thank you..." she coughs loudly. Actual smoke comes out. I bring her to a laying position.
"Miss Vanessa, no worries all of us are here. The rabbit is gone—"
She interrupts by coughing again. Her voice is almost gone, but she manages to bring a few words out.
"Call 911..." she passes out.
I instruct the others to speeddial 911 with their system. I see Chica immediately understanding and dialing via her installed phoneline. I make sure Miss Vanessa is laying comfortably for as much as that is possible.
I'm glad she's safe. I don't worry about the kid and Freddy right now, we just need help to get here as soon as possible.
Chica lets me know that an ambulance and police are on the way, as well as our mechanics. I let out a sigh of relief.
We'll be okay.