Autophobia

Chapter 12: Answers

"I thought there was someone in here last night." Fritz was smiling, but he was intimidating even with his pleasant demeanor.

"I uh... I just... I wanted to see-"

"I know why you're here, Charlotte."

"Don't call me that." She snapped. The security guard's smile remained.

"You want to know why the animatronics are acting strange. I have an answer for you, but you're not prepared for it."

"How would you know anything about them? You're just the night guard."

"And?" Fritz calmly pulled a carton of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket.

"You... you'll be gone in a few days. Today, even." Charlie stammered, trying to process whether she knew him or not. It was quite possible that they'd gone to high school together- Hurricane wasn't that small of a town. She didn't know everybody in her graduating class. Fritz lit a cigarette and took a long drag off of it.

"What makes you say that?"

"Everyone quits after a few days. I remember... from when my dad owned Freddy's."

"Tell me, Charlotte, do you know why those guards quit? It wasn't because of their paycheck, I'll tell you that." The condescension in his voice was starting to get to her.

"They... they couldn't handle it. It's long hours and very tiring."

Fritz laughed.

"Long hours and it's very tiring. You really don't know, do you?"

Charlie glared at the guard.

"I know more than you. I watched my dad build them."

Fritz held his smouldering cigarette between his lips and unbuttoned one of the sleeves on his purple shirt. Charlie could only stare as he gradually revealed the large wrap bandage on his forearm.

"The Mangle bit me. Damn thing was hanging from the ceiling and swung down. I put my arm up to protect myself, and, well..."

"...The Mangle...?"

"Oh, excuse me. I meant Toy Foxy."

"Toy Foxy can't move. That's impossible."

Fritz laughed again and his cigarette fell onto the shiny checkered floor, where he promptly stepped on it to extinguish the small fire within.

"God, you really don't know. The damn things are murderous now. They catch you, it's over."

"Over?" The word came out as whimper.

"Their facial recognition scanners are broken. I told you the other day, but you didn't believe me. Those guards didn't quit, Charlotte, they were killed."

Charlie stumbled backwards, another wave of nausea sweeping over her. Her head shook on its own.

"Don't believe me? Check the room you were hiding in last night. I know you were in there."

"Spring... Spring Bonnie..."

The blood belonged to a previous, ill-fated, security guard.

"Now you understand."

Charlie managed to catch herself and she sunk down to the floor slowly, staring straight ahead.

"That's not even the whole truth." Fritz said softly. "You don't even know who your father really is."