The Life Behind an Animatronic IV- Solace

Chapter 21 - Flesh-Eater

What happened next could only be described as a horrible, tortured experience. The Nightmarionne attacked my psyche with relentless assaults, fueled by the hatred he had for the other animatronics. But I needed to hold on as tightly as I could. I couldn't fall for his lies, not now, not ever.

I gripped onto what fleeting memories I could grasp. I thought about Spring Bonnie, Springtrap, Nightmare and Funtime Freddy, my dearest friends. They'd never abandon me and I wasn't about to abandon them. The assaults pressed harder, coercing me to forget them and think about how only the Nightmarionne was my true friend.

But he wasn't. He was never my friend, never my creator, never someone I looked up to. He was a monster who murdered my close friend and tortures the others. He wasn't going to influence me to become his tool.

His persistent barrage continued for what felt like eons. I had to find some way out of the pain and agony he was inflicting on me before I began to believe his words for real. The only thing I could do was think about Spring Bonnie and how strong he was before he died. He and Fredbear were so defiant before the end.

I thought again about how Fredbear attacked Shadow Freddy. He was willing to lay down his own life for vengeance for his brother. My mind was wracked with loneliness and sadness after I thought about that event. Would anyone do that for me? The Sister Location wouldn't have, but maybe my new friends would. Come to think of it, Spring Bonnie and Fredbear did die for me. Whether they wanted to or not.

A pulse of pain echoed throughout the void once again. It ached like none other and if I still had my body, my teeth would be clenched and my metal bones would be rattling. I quickly thought of another memory.

Golden Freddy. Had he been lead astray by the Nightmarionne, too? The puppet had given me hints, but never a definite answer. But Golden Freddy didn't want to hurt his close friends, deep down he didn't, at least. He was just trying to protect them. Maybe the pressure and stress had been getting to his head and turned into a nourished, healthy dose of severe paranoia. I felt awful for what I did to him, and I wondered if he and I would ever talk to each other again.

I came to the realization that maybe Golden Freddy and I could've been friends if I had met him before this all happened. What would he have been like? Kind and caring like Spring Bonnie? Enigmatic and stoic like Nightmare? Or sour and hot-tempered like Springtrap?

Whatever he was, I wanted to meet the real him. That bear, that paranoid, untrusting bear couldn't have been him. That was an animatronic that was forced into a situation he wasn't ready for and was crumbling before our very eyes. All I could do now, however, was pity him.

I waited silently for the next constricting ring of agony, but it never came. Instead, all I felt was the empty nothingness that surrounded me. It felt...odd. Had he stopped? Was I just stuck here for eternity?

Then I jolted. I was immediately met with such a loud click! noise that it made my ears hurt. Wait...my ears? I could hear again. I could taste the air, I could feel the chill of the snow outside, and I could touch the floor boards beneath me. Was I...was it a nightmare that I was waking up from? I couldn't tell- my dreams had felt so real before, just like this.

"Open your eyes." I heard the Nightmarionne whisper directly in my left ear. I did as I was told, and lifted my eyelids, immediately greeted with the white and black face. He was grinning at me and had his hands on my upper arms.

"You look...magnificent." He murmured with delight. "Go on, take a look at yourself and at my handiwork. You'll be as amazed as I am."

I was scared. I was so scared, but I didn't dare ignore his orders. Something told me that disobeying would put me back in that hellish blackness for even longer. So I...obeyed.