Prayers of the Forsaken

1

Gregory noticed two things as he blinked open his eyes from his impromptu nap.

One: His neck hurt so bad. Being curled up in a ball in a cramped metal hatch was definitely not optimal sleeping conditions, but he was tired, and once the hatch closed, he couldn't get it open again. May as well, right?

Two: There were now lights inside the hatch. Those had not been there before. And Gregory was now upright, whereas before he'd been laying down against the back of the hatch.

That brought on his third observation: Freddy Fazbear was awake.

Gregory opted for holding his breath as he took in this new development, wondering if Freddy could sense the change in his weight, or if his sensors had registered the child hiding inside him. Gregory was fairly sure this was not a regular occurrence for the animatronic.

"Showtime already? I am experiencing a malfunction. The recharge cycle is not complete."

Whoa. Gregory winced as the sound of Freddy's voice rebounded loudly on the inside of the hatch. Okay, if the animatronic knew he was inside the hatch, that probably would have been the first thing he'd said, rather than assuming he was heading onstage.

Maybe he should make a run for it? If he alerted Freddy he was in the hatch, the bear would no doubt kick him out, but where would he go? He didn't actually know where he was; tech had wheeled Freddy off somewhere after checking him over in Parts and Service.

Besides. The security guard was still looking for him. If he booked it, she'd probably catch him if Freddy didn't stop him first.

Smart move, Gregory, climbing into the stomach hatch of company property.

Maybe Freddy would short circuit if he startled the bear enough. But that probably wouldn't open the stomach hatch.

Okay, this train of thought was getting him nowhere, and Gregory had no idea what time it was; he needed to get out before the building closed, otherwise he'd be in real trouble. Unless he managed not to get caught, but there were cameras everywhere.

"Is there...something in my stomach hatch?"

Gregory froze. Well, he was not ready for his grand reveal, but there was nothing he could do as the hatch hissed open. He was greeted by the sight of his own face, staring back at him from a mirror directly in front of him. Freddy seemed to notice him in the reflection as well, and before Gregory could do anything else, Freddy was reaching into his stomach hatch, grabbing the boy beneath his arms and hoisting him out of the hatch.

"Hey!" Gregory yelped.

"My apologies for startling you; however, my stomach hatch is not a safe play area!" Freddy turned and set Gregory on his feet, a blue light projecting from his optics and scanning the boy from head to toe. Gregory flinched away from the light, though the movement was restricted by Freddy's hands still curled around his shoulders.

The bear hummed thoughtfully as the light shut off. "How odd. Your guest profile is...unknown to me. Who are you?"

Gregory stared up at Freddy, his mouth opening slightly. The bear stared expectantly at him, and he heard his voice before he could tell himself to shut up. "I...I'm Gregory."

Great. Tell the animatronic bear your name and have him alert security. Gregory looked around the room. The walls were a painful shade of orange, plastered with pictures and posters of Freddy. There was a vanity behind the animatronic and a couch to their right, with a door on the left wall and a second, bland gray door on the back wall.

"Gregory," Freddy repeated, saying his name slowly, his ears wiggling in approval. "I will notify--"

"No! Please," Gregory interrupted, raising his hands and pressing them to Freddy's muzzle. The bear went cross eyed, his jaw dropping slightly. Gregory pulled his hands away as if he'd been burned, struggling to get out of Freddy's grip. The bear released him and he ran to the window, parting the red curtain and peering out into the corridor beyond.