Mangled: A MadPat Origin Story

2

Sorry this one is shorter, I've been busy af. Hopefully it's not shitty.

When Matt got back home, he screeched into the driveway and unlocked the front door, looking behind him every step of the way. He slammed the door behind him and headed straight to the nearest bathroom. With shaking hands, he locked himself inside and scrunched up into a little ball in the corner, rocking back and forth with tears streaming down his face.

He heard the patter of feet as Steph ran looking for him from somewhere else in the house. "Matthew! Matt! Dear god, what happened!" She had almost checked every room, closet, nook, and cranny when she heard his sobbing. Quickly, she sprinted towards the bathroom and started jiggling the handle, causing Matt to jump.

"Matt, please! It's okay... I'm here for you."

"They're coming." She could hear his muffled speech from beyond. "Matt, let me in! Who? Who's coming?" Steph was starting to get nervous herself. "Blue," he croaked. "Blue?" she almost laughed out loud.

"Rabbit. Blue," he replied, his hands still shaking. "Rabbit, bl-- oh! Those silly animatronics? They never hurt anyone... well, except that one time with that poor, innocent child. But still!" She pulled her head back from the door. "Come on out, Matt. It'll be fine."

He stood up, his face red with fear and annoyance. He fumbled to unlock the door with his sweaty hands, heavily breathing. Almost kicking it open, he screamed into Stephanie's face, "YOU JUST DON'T GET IT, DO YOU? THEY ARE ALIVE, I SWEAR IT ON MY OWN LIFE, YOU... YOU INSENSITIVE--"

He slid down the wall and onto the floor, his face in his hands as he once again burst into tears.

Steph, taken aback, took a deep breath in and tried her hardest to ignore her brain telling her to turn away. Obviously something had happened to cause Matt to become this paranoid and terrified. Her brain whirred to life, trying to come up with a scenario that would leave her husband in his current state.

Despite her efforts, one idea remained nagging her in the back of her mind. What if the animatronics truly were alive? What if they actually did try to murder Matt? She shook of the clearly impossible thought. Haunted robots or not, he would have to find some new, safer job or work a different shift than he currently was at Freddy's.

"Hey," Steph spoke as softly as she could. No response. "Hey. Look, we'll fix this. I know we can." Matt raised his head an inch. "You can email the manager... maybe you could change your shift." He moved his head a little higher. "Are you sure? A-are you?"

"Don't you worry, Matt. I'm sure. Heck, I'll email him for you if that would help."

She kneeled down, wiping the tears off his face. "Umm... Stephanie?"

"Yes?"

"Er, do you, uh, do you know if there's any, uh, Diet Coke in the house?" Steph almost laughed out loud. "I'll check, if it'll make you feel better."

"It really would," he sniffed. "Thanks."

As Stephanie walked away, Matt pushed himself up. The trembling in his hands was starting to go away. Following Steph's advice, he tried to take a deep breath. In, out. In, out. "Everything is going to be alright," he thought. "Everything is going to be alright."

Dragging his tired body back into the bathroom, he turned the faucet and splashed some cold water onto his face. Matt glanced up at the mirror in front of him. His eyes, usually bright and full of life and energy, were red and droopy. For the first time in his life, he could feel himself age.

"Breathe." In, out. Each step that he took sent a jolt of pain through his frightened soul. In, out. Matt collapsed on the cold floor of his home. He felt the vibrations of his wife's footsteps getting nearer and nearer. "Matthew!"