Golden Grip

"SAVE THEM"

"S-"

I'm running down the hall with my 5-year-old daughter in my arms,

"A-"

panting heavily as I sprint through party rooms waving my flashlight around at the consequence of bolting through doors and hallways.

"V-"

I can hear a mechanical voice saying... letters I think?

"E-"

*shuffle* *shuffle*

"T-"

It's gotten too close for comfort. 'I'm never going to find the exit at this rate!'

"H-"

I think to myself as I look behind me, seeing black nothingness, which was more comforting than seeing that monster.

*pant* *pant*

"E-"

Thankfully we find ourselves back at the stage, brightly lit with white fluorescent lights, but this time... they aren't there... 'What the hell is going on? I need to get out of here, if not for me then for Elizabeth.', I think to myself as I look around for the way I came in. I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the "EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY" sign on the door. "We're going home, baby." I say relieved, finding the exit beside the stage and making my way over to it.

"M-"

My celebration is short-lived, as the last letter sounds the lights shut off without warning. I hear one of the creatures dragging its feet along the dust-covered black and white tiles behind me. I try the handle of the door hoping to God that it hasn't locked itself behind us; no such luck, of course. I hold Elizabeth closer to me as she buries her head in my shoulder and hugs me tighter than before. I can tell she knows how screwed we are, I can hear a faint

"I love you mommy." and her voice says it all.

"I love you too baby... I'm so sorry. Just hold on to mommy, I'll protect you... I'll always protect you." The voice comes back on speaking faster this time.

"S-A-V-E-T-H-E-M"

"Still speaking in your stupid code I see.' I say, frustrated with all the games and hoops I've had to jump through in this case. 'Why can't you just speak English instead of in your ridiculous riddles?" I yelled at the voice coming from the intercom. The voice comes again repeating the last thing it said. "S, A, V, E, T, H, E, M? Save them? Save who-? The kids?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM! IF YOU WANT ME TO SAVE THEM SO BADLY, LET ME

SAVE THEM! PLEASE!", I yell at the voice again as I walk away from the door with my flashlight on into the middle of the room trying to look for another way out. I pull out my walky-talky and page the station for back up, not sure where this is going. "This is Detective May Clement, calling for backup, I'm in the old rundown mall investigating the restaurant on Hurricane Road. Send backup immediately, there are several minors in danger. Over." I whisper into my walky-talky, hoping it got through to someone.

The second I reach the middle of the main party room the lights turn on, blinding me a little. My eyes adjust quickly and I scream, holding Elizabeth close so she doesn't turn around to see the horrifying massacre that now presents itself on the stage. The animatronics are back, but this time their fuzzy mechanical heads are gone. In place of the metal exoskeleton, there is something I have feared for the past three weeks, the missing children... The animatronic's fur is covered with old blood and reeks of death, behind them on the wall is written, in what looks like blood "YOU CAN'T". "Oh god, please... no... this isn't happening....,' I say, praying that this is all a bad dream, that I'll wake up in bed with Elizabeth beside me. "Elizabeth, don't turn around. Plug your nose and close your eyes, okay?" I whisper to my terrified daughter as I sit her on the edge of the stage, placing the flashlight beside her. She nods. "Good girl." I say. I hop up on the stage and check for any sign of life left in the kids... Nothing... I put my hands over my mouth in horror. "No... NO! YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!? THEY WERE ONLY KIDS! I'M GOING TO PUT YOU IN A CELL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND WATCH YOU ROT TILL THE DAY YOU DIE!" I yell at the top of my lungs, starting to cry.