The Graveyard Shift

A Friendly Talk

After the little " accident", the remaining customers were shooed out of the building, and the 'special' janitors were called to clean up the mess. They had all done this before. You, along with Mike and Vincent, were told to go home. On your way out of the building, you stopped Mike and Vincent. " We need to talk. All of us. " You told them.

Mike nodded. " I agree. " He said, not meeting your gaze. He obviously felt ashamed at the actions his friend had taken. Vincent was a little braver. " I don't think there is anything to talk about. The only thing we need to talk about is when we're going to bandage my arm. " " You can bandage your own arm, purple-boy." Mike butted in, taking a step towards Vincent. You put a hand against Mike's chest. " Let's leave the bad beef at the pizzeria. Vincent needs medical attention, and that is, I'd say, a little bit important. "  " Glad to see someone can see reason..." Vincent mumbled, glancing at the building. " I'll take him there. Then we'll talk. " You said firmly, wanting no argument to sprout up.

(...)

Vincent's wound wasn't as bad as it had first looked. It was mainly just waiting to see if it got infected. There wasn't much else they could do, except give him a large bill. You had returned to your apartment, looking around the cramped interior. You were already having doubts, not sure if you actually wanted to host Mike, Vincent, and Scott at the same time. They seemed to really have it out for each other. Your eyes drifted back to the table, where you had set down the gun. You had taken the time to get a concealed carry holster, and you were practicing your technique. You weren't the greatest at it, but it was something. Besides, you doubted an animatronic would stay standing if it had a few dozen bullet holes in it. 

In the end, though, you didn't really think you had the nerve. Sure, you could pull a gun on someone to intimidate them, but actually pulling the trigger... Payne wasn't just a metal hulking monstrosity, he was a human being. Used to be. That line seemed to be growing thinner and thinner in light of his recent actions. The sheer delight that seemed to cross his face was inhuman as he ripped that poor girl's head apart. It gave you chills just thinking about it. You took another glance around your apartment, then back at the gun on the table. You grabbed it, putting it into your holster. You needed to get away from this for a while. You needed some fresh air. 

" I'm going out for a walk, just so y'know. " You said as you put on a jacket. You didn't know why you said that. There was obviously nobody there. Though... it felt like someone was there. Watching you. A few ideas leapt to your mind, one of them being the child that you kept seeing. You shook your head, trying to push those thoughts away. You stepped outside, taking a breath of the cold night air. It wouldn't be cold for very long, as was custom in Arizona, but it was nice while it lasted. You started to walk down the sidewalk, not a single soul in sight. 

After a few minutes of walking, you found yourself looking up towards the stars. They made you feel so small. So unimportant. Everything that happened here could just be a grain of sand upon an ocean beach. And yet, it wasn't. You kept walking, shivering slightly in the darkness. It slowly began to rain; a light drizzle at first, but it soon started to rain harder. You didn't mind much, deciding to take cover under a tree. Soon, the streetlights flickered out, and you were left in darkness.

A pair of footsteps alerted you to the presence of someone. Immediately, your trance was broken, and you were tense and alert. Your hand slipped down to grip the revolver. The man raised his hands, which were covered in white bandages. " Hey! Hey! There's no need for that. I just uh, wanted to talk. " It was Scott. You laughed, a shrill, barking laugh. No matter how hard you tried, it just all came gushing after you. You would never be able to get away. 

Your laughs soon turned into sobs. You couldn't escape. People would keep on dying, people like that poor innocent child earlier today. What was her name again? Ella? Or was it Elly? Scott sat next to you, his hand on your back, watching the rain pour down. " It just isn't fair. She was just a girl! Why did he have to do that? It just isn't fair..." You babbled. Scott shifted uncomfortably. " I know. She wasn't the only one who was bitten. There was a bite of 83', where  some kid got his frontal lobe bitten off. He died later, to my knowledge. People are already calling this recent one ' The bite of 19''.  The thing is... I knew what Afton was doing the entire time. And yet I didn't do anything about it. " You had stopped crying, listening to Scott's story.