20) Hush

0 0 0
                                    

The first hint of dusk had settled over Fazbear Industries, and with it came an unsettling silence. Emily held her breath, gripping the cold metal frame of the supply closet as an eerie certainty snaked its way into her mind. The power had gone out only hours earlier, plunging all three floors of the sprawling building into a suffocating darkness. Frantic footsteps echoed softly through the halls—she could hear him, the old security guard Michael, his heart racing just as fast as her own.

"What was that? Did you hear that, Emily?" His voice, a hoarse whisper, barely penetrated the oppressive silence.

In the dark, Emily could only nod, though she knew he couldn't see her. A cold sweat broke out on her brow as the shadows danced and twisted, the only movement their imaginations could conjure in the engulfing dark. Outside, storms brewed, but for Emily, the real tempest lurked within the walls of Fazbear.

Funtime Foxy had become a memory intermingled with nightmares. The animatronic's bright facade belied an underlying malevolence as it prowled through the dim corridors, searching for something it could not find. Emily often wondered if it sensed them, somehow tuned to their heartbeat, their fear. And then there was Tea-Time Baby—her porcelain features were deceptively innocent, yet rumors whispered of tragedy and despair that clung to her like a shroud. In the quiet chaos of the building's darkened corners, Emily often felt like a moth drawn too close to a flame.

"Let's stay quiet," she managed, her voice trembling as she peered through a narrow crack in the closet door. Outside, the void seemed to pulsate with menace. Shadows settled into the corners like lurking phantoms, waiting to pounce when she least expected it.

In their desperate quest for survival, Michael had become her unexpected ally. Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore his age like a badge—the gray streaks in his hair and the deep-set lines around his eyes spoke of long nights and unending vigilance. But tonight, nothing could prepare them for the chaos that awaited in the dark.

The rattle of metal indicated Foxy's approach, accompanied by soft, melodic giggling—Tea-Time Baby's laughter tinkled, eerie and broken. Emily swallowed hard, wishing the sound could be silenced. Would they notice the small closet, tucked away beneath the staircase, hidden in shadow?

As the giggles grew closer, Michael gestured for Emily to pull back for a moment. The aged man glanced at the door as if it were plotting against them. "We need a plan," he muttered, though his own eyes betrayed uncertainty.

Emily knew they needed to stay put, let the animatronics drift on by. Brushing her fingertips against her heart, she felt its frantic beat. With every passing moment, the world outside this closet felt less tangible, fueled only by the advance of terrors that walked the halls.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a slant of moonlight poured across the floor, illuminating the outlines of her confined space. Emily froze, her breath catching in her throat as she caught a glimpse of Funtime Foxy.

Its mechanical eyes, glinting like shards of glass, scanned the room with an unnatural precision. "Where are you, little ones?" it chanted, voice sing-song and unsettling. There was a calculated madness behind its smile, as though it reveled in the hunt. And then the shaking giggles of Tea-Time Baby echoed in response.

The two beings moved as one, Funtime Foxy gliding with an unsettling grace, while Baby trailed, her porcelain arms swaying as if beckoning to an invisible audience. Emily clenched her jaw, forcing her body to remain still—a performance of survival she had rehearsed too many times.

"We have to go now," Michael whispered, breaking the spell of silence. But where could they go? The halls were littered with broken relics of their past jobs, memories that weighed more heavily than the ethereal darkness surrounding them.

"Shhh." Emily pressed her finger to her lips and pointed toward the door. The duo relied on shadows as their only allies, but the stakes were higher now; every creak of the wooden floorboards was a scream in the dark.

With bated breath, Michael reached for the door and creaked it ajar just enough to peek outside. The way seemed clear for the moment. "Let's make it to the maintenance room." The plan was flimsy, paper-thin almost, but it was a plan nonetheless.

The darkness outside felt alive, wrapping around them like a shroud. The echoes of laughter faded, but Emily knew they wouldn't be far off. The nightmares still roamed free—hungry, desperate.

They slipped out of the closet and into the hall, moving with the hesitance of trapped mice, hearts synchronized in fearful tempo. The air was thick and sweet, saturated with the sour tang of rust and forgotten memories.

Peeking around corners, they made their way to the maintenance room, a sanctuary surrounded by heavy metal doors consistent in their warnings. But as they approached, a familiar jingle danced through the air, growing more intense with every heartbeat.

"What is it?" Michael breathed, and then they spotted her—Tea-Time Baby perched atop a fallen stack of boxes, eyes glowing faintly. The dim light presented her deceptively cute figure, which was now grotesque in its relentless stare.

"Come play with me," she beckoned, her voice syrupy and sweet, fingers beckoning as though they were the threads that could weave comfort into chaos.

"We have to move!" Emily pulled at Michael's sleeve, but the deep shadows began to twist, hiding their retreat into manageable darkness. Escape felt like a cruel illusion—the shadows had teeth, and they were all heartily invited to the feast.

"Emily..." Michael's voice cracked as behind the animatronic, the glittering eyes of Funtime Foxy glared down. Instinctively, Emily ducked, dragging him down behind the fragile cover of nearby debris.

The footsteps grew louder, the unsettling laughter converging around them like dark water rising to engulf the light. Emily's heart thundered in her chest as, for the briefest moment, she made eye contact with Michael. Time slowed around them.

They were trapped.

With one last desperate breath, summoning the remaining willpower deep within her, Emily surged forward and pulled on Michael's arm—"Run!" she screamed, and they bulldozed toward the maintenance room, urgency propelling them through the inky blackness.

As they neared the door, a metallic clang echoed, followed by the high-pitched giggle that confirmed they were no longer alone. A surge of adrenaline flooded Emily's veins. She could not let fear consume her; they were more than shadows, they were alive and they would fight.

The grip of the dark tightened around them as Michael pushed the door open, and they barrelled inside, slamming it shut just as the sounds behind them crescendoed into maddening laughter. For a breath, they were safe, cocooned within the confines of the room, as shadows danced menacingly at the edges of their fragile sanctuary.

"They're still out there," Michael panted, sinking against the wall beside her.

Emily nodded, but her gaze drifted toward the window, the outside world enveloped in night. "Fazbear Industries is a trap—a maze designed to destroy." She squeezed her eyes shut, picturing the way the animatronics scoured the halls, always searching.

A chill swept through the room, a self-proclaimed harbinger of madness creeping closer. They couldn't stay here forever, but she refused to succumb to the dark.

Drawing strength from the terror, Emily made a silent vow: she would not let the shadows take them. Together, they would confront the demons lurking within and rise from the depths of Fazbear.

Five Nights At Freddy's Sister Location 2Where stories live. Discover now