The Story and Timeline of Five Nights At Freddy's (And the fanverse)

1960 to 1969

1960

The Rat & Cat Theater is open to the public, providing entertainment to families through the antics of two costumed actors known as the Rat and the Cat. It is co-founded by the two actors (the Rat is an acting graduate), along with another who takes the role of a puppeteer with a ventriloquist puppet called Vinnie.

Mary's mother (Madeline) passed away during her childhood (When Mary was five years old), and the last memory she has of her is an origami cat she made with her.

Mary's father (George) was heartbroken, but he devoted himself to making his children happy. Whenever they needed a break from homework, he was always there to occupy them. He sent Mary's brother to camp, while Mary visited the Rat & Cat Theater.

1961

October. 9th- Mary comes to the Rat & Cat Theater with her father while her brother is away at camp. She arrives early for each show throughout the week and plays hide-and-seek with the Rat and Cat actors, losing each time. Today, before the show (The Mystical Tree), she plays with the Rat.

October. 10th- Mary plays with the Cat before the show (The Cat's Birthday).

October. 11th- The puppeteer has arrived early before the show (The Picnic), his puppet put away. Mary plays once again with the Rat.

October. 12th- Before the show (Vinnie Loses His Toy; also Vinnie's birthday), Mary plays with a new Cat actor, who doesn't recognize her from before.

October. 13th- There's a surprise show where the actors would reveal the names of the Rat and Cat (who would actually be named Candy). Excited children gather around an inebriated Rat and play a big game of hide-and-seek, which Mary partakes in. As all the hiding spots are taken, she decides to hide in the closet of the open employee room. The Rat tries to find her in there, having seen her come in.

The puppeteer scolds the Rat for his behavior and the two end up in a confrontation, leading to the former to be strangled. He pushes the latter off, who hits the table behind him and ends up paralyzed and bleeding out to death.

The Cat's actor comes in and after hearing what happened, decides to call the police to tell them the truth, despite the puppeteer wanting to make up a story to save his career. Seeing no other choice, he strangles the Cat to death, taking advantage of the air-tight mask. The puppeteer calls the police, takes the diploma and leaves. The theater is cleared out, leaving a traumatized Mary alone. She leaves as the police outside are given a fake report by the puppeteer.

Mary's father made a desperate attempt to convince the police to search the location again after they could not find Mary amidst the evacuated crowd. In a heart-wrenching moment, Mary emerged from the building, and her father rushed to embrace her.

The experience left her suppressing memories and fearing the performers. She would proceed to have nightmares about them from that moment on, taking the form of monsters. Memories of her old home and toys, including her favorite, Lollipop, are locked away in her mind. The puppeteer, while still traumatized by what he did, tries to make a name for himself with the diploma. He stars as the lead of a horror film called Psychopath, which has broken box-office records in one week.

1962

Before November. 19th- Rowboatics Corp. opens a factory on St. Antonia's Road 27, specializing in the design and production of animatronics. They began with wire-controlled animatronics, and would continue to advance their technology for years to come. Their first creations were RAT and CAT, which would replace the costumed actors for the Rat & Cat Theater's grand reopening. Both animatronics soon become possessed by the deceased souls of the dead actors.

November. 19th- The Rat & Cat Theater has its grand reopening. Mary Schmidt is brought here by her father a year after her traumatic experience. Her younger brother is there as well, who approaches the Rat as they perform for the audience. He is attacked by the possessed animatronic, though he is not badly injured. The animatronics are sent back to the factory, where there would be used for newer, fully mobile models in the future.

December. 3rd- Mary is plagued by a vision of Vinnie's puppet, who has not forgotten what she had did, and guilts her to not tell anyone since the deaths of the Rat and Cat actors were her fault. She has been seeing a therapist to overcome her nightmares of the Rat and Cat, who she has drawn as the monsters she feared. He tries to help her remember the day it happened.

In her sleep, before her nightmares, an origami cat helps her in remembering her old room before she moved and offering tips on fighting the nightmares. Throughout the week, Mary dreams about the monstrous Rat and Cat, fending them off while she sleeps with a cassette player (given to her by her father with a music tape he recorded to help her sleep when she was younger). She remembers more of her room, as well as the week leading up to the tragic event.

December. 7th- Mary finally remembers what had happened last year. The therapist suggests to describe the room where the incident happened, offering to help her overcome her fear of the three actors. He reckons she should continue visiting once a week until she fully recovers.

As a side note, the therapist asks his assistant to schedule a meeting with the authorities and the case manager so that Mary can give a witness statement to the events and reopening the case.

Between 12/7/62 and 6/4/63

With the case reopened and Mary giving her testimony of the events, the puppeteer is tried for his crime. Mary decides to confront him in her dreams, him being the primary source of her fears. He takes the form of a monstrous Vinnie in one last nightmare. She manages to conquer him, finally freeing herself of her fears.

William meets Scott Silver, a friend of William's father (Oliver) and the two develop a family-like relationship.

1963

June. 14th- Mary has been improving since she remembered her trauma. Every therapy session, she is more energetic and happy. Mary has had no more nightmares and has been able to draw regularly. Her therapist concludes in his report that the next session will be their last, Mary no longer needing counselling.

Fritz Schmidt passes away (Dan Schmidt's grandfather).

Mary has forgotten about the the animatronics RAT and CAT are gone for good. And to be never put in performance again.

1964

November. 13th- Midnight. The old RAT animatronic, along with a special model named Blank and a new, blue version of the Cat (named Candy), are sitting on the conveyor belt in the Rowboatics factory. The RAT awakens and begins wandering around the factory, prepared to wreak havoc.

CTC Entertainment is formed and Candy's Burgers and Fries opens up to the public. Both Candy and Blank are the main attractions while RAT is kept away in the factory.

William Afton meets Henry Emily and they become friends during William's junior to senior year of college.

1965

One night, Candy is led through the restaurant by a shadowy Candy, the spirit of the actor who possessed the old CAT animatronic. He leads him to the maintenance room, where a mechanic is at work. Scared, the mechanic tazes Candy.

William's mother is killed by his father.

1966: William Afton marries Annabelle Lorraine Schmidt on June 28th (no relation to Mary).

1967: Michael Terrence Afton is born and William neglects him, one of Michael's friends is also born.

1968: Jeremy and Simon Fitzgerald are born in November.

1969: Henry Emily marries his wife (Veronica) in the springtime (May).