Five Nights At Freddy's

Chapter Twenty Two: The Gift of Life

  Mike kicked the wall furiously, a groan escaping his mouth.  He scratched his head in frustration. 
  "There's got to be a secret tunnel around here that that bastard used," he muttered.  The puppet released him and slunk to the floor eyeing the ground like a sight hound.  Mike watched it intently, lowering himself on his knees as the puppet gestured to the tiles. He noticed four tiles out of place, instead of black, white, black, white... they went white, white, black, black. Mike picked at the ground, loosening the linoleum. The puppet jumped back around Mike's shoulders as the ground fell beneath them in the shape of a small trapdoor. Mike shined his flashlight, his eyes falling onto a metal, spiral staircase. The puppet moved its hand over Mike's, pushing the off button on the flashlight, coating them in darkness as they descended down the steps. His feet slipped slightly under his weight due to condensation buildup on the steps.  He moved as silently as possible, afraid to do as much as breathe. 

  Below him, in the shadows, he could hear conversation.  He felt himself relax at the knowledge that Violet was still alive.  While her voice sounded stressed, it didn't sound like she was in any immediate peril.  The second voice, robotic and cracking like Foxy's had been two nights before, was deep and slow, stuttering like a scratched CD.  Mike reached the bottom of the steps and slunk behind them, his eyes peering between the steps to watch what was happening.  As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he made out Violet facing toward his direction, the animatronic that had kidnapped her between them.  Violet's eyes casted toward Mike and froze, spotting him. 
  "W-What-?" The figure began, turning.
  "Nothing," Violet said hurriedly, catching his attention again, "I was afraid the other animatronics would find us."
  "Th-They don't know where I hide," he stuttered.  Mike's eyes widened as he recognized the voice.  It was Thomas.  Mike readjusted his position, moving slowly behind a discarded table from upstairs. "When you're one of us, th-they won't bother you ever again."
  "I'll never join you," Violet denied coldly.  Thomas let out a raspy breath as though giving a painful sigh. 
  "I know you're angry," he assured, "but you will see in t-time..."
  "How can you be so sure this will work?" Violet interrupted, "what if I just die?"
  "No," Thomas snapped, "th-that won't happen I'll see to it..."
  "But how?" 
  "I don't know h-how it works," he admitted, "I just know it does.  The f-five upstairs, me... we were all given life after death."  He extended his hand under her chin, causing Violet to pull away.  "I'd n-never do anything to hurt you."
  "You have hurt me, Thomas," she argued, shaking her head.  She glanced at Mike briefly as though ensuring he was listening, taking a few careful steps backward.  "You hurt me the day you killed those kids."
  "I-I told you it was justified," Thomas argued, advancing after her, "they killed Dexter, it was the only ch-choice." Mike felt his chest tighten as he turned away, the confession washing over him.  The puppet somehow seemed equally distraught, sitting limp in Mike's arms.  Violet's back suddenly hit the wall and she froze in terror as Thomas caught up to her.  He reached for Violet's face again, this time unexpectedly so Violet did not turn away.  "You are all I h-have left.  D-Don't deny me your presence b-because of a... disagreement.  I'm b-begging you."  Violet's lip quivered as she winced, crossing her arms.  Thomas lowered his hand, lifting a Fred Bear mask from the ground.  Mike's eyes widened.  "I d-don't need you to agree with me, y-you will in time.  It'll be j-just like the old d-days... we'll be a family again." 
  "Hey!" Mike cried, springing up from the table.  The puppet slid off of him and back into the shadows, it's mask only visible to Mike from his angle.  Thomas spun in surprise, dropping the Fred Bear mask.  "You... your recordings were very misleading."
  "W-Well, well," Thomas seemed to grin sickly "hello, hello Mr. Schmidt... we meet at last."  Mike swallowed as Violet began inching away from Thomas.  "I must admit I am r-rather thrilled you decided to show up to our little party.  You're far too meddlesome for your own good... I'll be doing you a favor b-by killing you." He lunged toward Mike who flashed his flashlight rapidly. Thomas slowed slightly, stunned, but continued at an alarming rate.  Mike chucked the flashlight at him, hitting him squarely in the forehead.  Thomas cursed loudly, gripping his mask.  "Alright, now you're really asking for it, k-kid."  Mike turned to run but stumbled on a pipe jutting out from under the stairwell.  He tumbled, gashing his knee on the unforgiving ground.  Thomas lifted him by the shirt, his putrid smell wrapping around Mike as he drew him close.  From here, Mike could see into the animatronic's mouth, the decaying remains of Thomas Glenn visible in the grimy light.  "I assure you I don't enjoy k-killing," Thomas hissed, "but if it's to protect my family, I am m-more than w-willing."
  "You didn't protect shit," Mike managed behind gritted teeth, "murder didn't bring Dex back and you destroyed Violet in the process." 
  "But it's all going to work out now," Thomas breathed.  Mike gagged, turning his head away from his captor.   "Violet will join us soon enough and we'll be a happy family.  You'll see..." he paused.  "Actually, you won't see. You'll be dead. I apologize."  With that he began tightening his grip on Mike's shirt, pushing him up against a wall so his forearm blocked his windpipe.  Mike squeaked, trying to speak, but found himself completely paralyzed. 
  "Stop!" Violet cried from behind, "stop, Thomas!  Or I'll never forgive you."  Thomas paused, releasing his grip slightly.  He turned, spying Violet behind him with the Fred Bear mask in her hands. 
  "Violet, no!" Mike choked.
  "It's too late for me, Mike," she managed, "you can't save me this time."  She took a deep breath.  "Let Mike go and I'll do exactly as you want.  I'll join you willingly and forgive you for what you've done. It'll be just like it was, just like you want. I promise."  Thomas considered this, lowering Mike to the floor.  His feet splashed as they hit the ground, a few inches of standing water below his feet.  He gasped, clambering for a breath.  He looked around the room, spying the busted pipe Violet had wrenched free while Thomas had his back turned.  Mike glanced around, spying the unplugged TV.  There must be an electric source somewhere.  Violet wanted to burn the place down.  Thomas moved toward her slowly, his hands overlapping hers over the mask. 
  "You promise?" He asked.  Violet nodded, her eyes damp. 
  "Just like you want," she agreed.  Mike began crawling along the wall, feeling for some sort of breaker. 
  "It will only hurt for a moment," Thomas assured.  "Do you remember when you got stuck in a costume and I got you out?  It'll be just like that, and I'll be here the whole time."  Violet closed her eyes, shaking in fear.  "Don't be scared, Vi, it's me."  Mike's hands found the metal box, a wire rigged up to steal power from the restaurant wrapped around one of the poles.  Mike began unraveling it hurriedly, looking over his shoulder at Thomas.  Thomas was completely engrossed in Violet, showing her the inside of the Fred Bear head and explaining how it would go.  Violet, with tears running down her face, nodded every few words to show she was listening.  It was as though Thomas was helping with homework, not with an assisted suicide.  Mike began pulling at the wire haphazardly now, wondering how much time he had left before Thomas would actually force Violet's head inside.  He must have been moving too haphazardly, for Thomas turned toward him sharply, making sense of the water and the power breaker.  He groaned, splashing forward toward Mike, but was interrupted by a another robotic figure, tackling him squarely and knocking him to the ground.  Violet screamed, jumping back as the round mound lifted its head.  It was Foxy, his hook shining in the dim light as he swung at Thomas in fury.  Thomas threw Foxy off, cursing loudly as the fox splashed to its feet, his back turned towards Violet as though protecting her.  Violet pressed her back against the wall, her chest heaving. 
  "Yarrr matey," Foxy growled at Thomas, "so this is where the yella belly b-be hidin..."
  "Enough," Thomas commanded, "stay out of this Jack, it doesn't concern you."
  "What?" Violet breathed.  Foxy turned his head toward her, his yellow eyes shining through the dark.
  "S-Sorry about your arm, lassie," he replied, "me hook gets the b-better of me sometimes."
  "Stop the pirate speak," Thomas growled, irritable, "i-it's not difficult t-to push through the voice box."
  "Sorry matey," Foxy replied, rearing to go, "I'm n-not accepting p-parlay at this time."  With that, Foxy bolted forward, his jaw unhinged.  Thomas braced himself, his arms outstretched.  The two fell in a heap, Foxy slashing at Thomas furiously with his hook, Thomas keeping him at a distance with his large arms.  Foxy snapped his sharp teeth, leaning forward in an effort to bite him.  Thomas kicked him off in response, sending the fox splashing across the floor. Foxy lifted himself weakly, stumbling slightly under his weight. "Is that the best you've got, you filthy landlubber?"
  "Oh grow up!" Thomas cried. Foxy straightened.
  "I c-can't, Dad. You killed m-me, remember?" Foxy charged again, catching Thomas off guard. His teeth sank into the shoulder of the Spring Bonnie costume. Thomas threw Foxy off, causing the fox to crash into the metal stair case. His eyes flickered momentarily and then went out, falling limp against the railing. Thomas turned back to Mike and moved toward him threateningly.
  "It's time to finish this," he growled.
  "Thomas, don't!" Violet cried, "please! I'll join you, I-!"
  "No," he interrupted, "the night guard knows too much, h-he'll ruin us all."
  "Thomas, please!" Violet wept as he grabbed Mike once more, his hands wrapped around his neck. Mike tried to breath, his hands wrapping around Thomas's spastically in a fruitless attempt to pull him away. The puppet jumped from the shadows, wrapping its arms around Thomas's eyes. Thomas yelped, throwing the puppet so it smashed against the wall next to Mike. The last thing Mike remembered was Violet screaming as his vision went grey and he slumped to the ground as Thomas released him, stepping back.

  "N-No more interruptions," Thomas growled, wrenching the Fred Bear head from the ground. Violet sobbed hysterically, shaking her head. She pushed past him to Mike, gripping his shoulders and shaking him. "Please, Vi, it was for the best."
  "What do you know about the best?" Violet cried. "My life has been an absolute Hell, what would you know about the best?" She dragged Mike over to the discarded table and hoisted him up out of the water, standing in the chair next to it. Thomas moved toward her, not noticing the puppet's hand creeping up the wall toward the breaker.
  "Violet," he croaked, holding the Fred Bear mask, "please. I love you."
  "Goodbye, Thomas." With that, the puppet pulled the breaker, sending electricity coursing through the murky water. Thomas screamed, his eyes glowing and a box inside his chest blaring a crackled lullaby. Foxy twitched in the water, his jaw snapping as the puppet convulsed. Violet threw herself on top of Mike's body as to protect him, the sparks flying out of the water and towards their shaking form. The puppet weakened, its grip on the breaker loosening and releasing. The charge ended, the sparks dying. Fried, Thomas swayed and fell to his knees, splashing into the water.

  Violet lifted her head slowly, the darkness wrapping around her like a blanket. She turned her head to Mike, shaking him. She whispered his name, caressing his face and shaking his collar. He was white as a sheet, his eyes closed gently against the water droplets that had splashed onto his skin in the turmoil.
  "Mike," she pleaded, "wake up, it's over. It's all over." Mike didn't stir. Violet shuddered, her shoulders shaking. "No..." she muttered, "not him too, please, please not him too." She rested her head on his chest, tears coming in wracking waves. She gripped his soaked shirt and shook her head, trying to listen for his nonexistent heartbeat. A light from her left caused her to lift her head, yelping as a translucent, grey figure stood before her. His dark hair ended just before his eyes, his shirt the same as it had been the day of his birthday. Dexter blinked, looking down at his hands. "Dex?" Violet croaked. Dexter didn't respond, but moved across the water without so much as disturbing it. Violet pulled Mike to her defensively, but relaxed when Dexter lifted his hands, communicating no ill intent. He brushed the hair from Mike's forehead and closed his eyes, disappearing in a flash of light. Mike gasped, sputtering to life. Violet screamed, jumping.
  "Vi?"
  "Mike!" She cried, falling atop him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Mike! I thought I'd lost you!" Mike hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. The two pulled away and laughed, only interrupted by the sounds of commotion upstairs. Mike felt ill.
  "Good God, now what?"

  The two splashed up the metal staircase, pushing the tiles of the ceiling only to be greeted with a flashlight to the eyes.
  "Freeze!" Jesse cried, "hands in the air!"
  "Jesse! It's only us!" Violet replied, showing her palms. Jesse extinguished the flashlight, flicking on the light in the hallway. He put his hands on his hips as though scolding them as they came out of the floor, soaking wet and wreaking of burnt hair and decay. Jesse's mouth fell open as he looked from Violet, to Mike, to Violet again.
  "Well, one of you better start explaining what the fuck is going on." Violet and Mike exchanged glances.
  "That... could take a while, Officer," Mike admitted bashfully. Jesse crossed his arms.
  "I've got all night Schmidt."