Autophobia

Chapter 19: Autophobia

Autophobia: noun

au·​to·​pho·​bia | \ ˌȯt-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə \: A morbid fear of solitude.

__________________________________________

"So." Charlie pressed her hands together.

"So." John said. He sat next to her on the couch while Michael sat in the nearby armchair.

"...Where would you like me to start? There's a lot." She said, picking at a loose thread on the couch.

"Well, you went back. Tell me why."

Charlie and Michael exchanged glances.

"There's a reason the animatronics are malfunctioning. A big one." She began.

"Okay..."

"First of all, this is going to sound absolutely crazy. But Michael can back me up." She laughed nervously but it didn't alleviate the strained atmosphere. Both men were staring at her. "...They're possessed. By the missing children."

"Okay." John said again, slower this time.

"The children didn't just go missing. They were murdered." Michael spoke up.

"...Really? I mean, I've heard rumors about that, but is it actually true?"

Charlie relaxed. His reaction wasn't what she was initially expecting, and that was a good thing. Michael nodded.

"The man who murdered them was my father, William Afton." Michael said mournfully.

"Dad's old business partner." Charlie interjected. She put a hand on John's knee.

"Your dad didn't have a partner."

"That's what I thought too, but it's true. And I remember him. Just a little, but I remember him."

Michael stood up and pulled the large photo album off of the bookshelf.

"It's all in here." He set it on Charlie's lap and she thumbed through it until she found the page with her father and William.

"See?"

John squinted.

"Huh. Doesn't ring a bell for me. But he does." He pointed at Cassidy. Michael sat back down on the armchair and pulled out a cigarette. Charlie knew that he did so whenever he was stressed and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"That's the kid who used to cry all the time." John continued.

"Yeah. Sammy and I were friends with him." She chewed on her lip. "His name was Cassidy."

John looked to the picture of Cassidy, Charlie, and their classmates.

"Those are the missing kids, right?"

"The first group, yes." Michael said, visibly relieved at the change of subject.

"The first group?" John looked at Charlie.

"You don't remember? There were more missing kids at every location." She said softly, tears pricking her eyes. "And it wasn't just William who was responsible. My dad...he... he helped him."

"What?" John's voice was low with apprehension. Charlie turned away tearfully.

"My father murdered the kids, Henry would hide the evidence." Michael said calmly. "He even invented a machine to aid in the process."