Five Nights At Freddy's

Chapter Twenty Four: Jeremy

  The rain came down in sheets from the cold, early winter morning. Against the patter of the water hitting the window and the sounds of traffic from outside, Mike Schmidt heard the phone in the hall ring.
  "Executive Writer Mike Schmidt's office, this is Nancy Penn speaking. Just a moment." She stood and entered Mike's office. "Mr. Schmidt, a Jeremy Fitzgerald is on the line."
  "Put him on," Mike agreed hastily, reaching for his phone. Nancy left swiftly, the eagerness in Mike's voice somewhat surprising to her. "Hello?"
  "Mike Schmidt!" Jeremy cried ecstatically, "my God, it's good to hear from you. I'm surprised you took my call."
  "Of course," Mike chuckled, "anything for an old friend, what can I do for you?"
  "Well... there's this golf course down the street... they say it's haunted..."
  "Jeremy," Mike warned, "seriously, what's up?"
  "Honestly, absolutely nothing," Jeremy chuckled. "Isn't that fantastic? Absolutely nothing, life is wonderful and everything is right in the world. I... I wanted to thank you." Mike blushed.
  "It was... mostly Violet, at the end of the day. But you're welcome, of course, you're welcome."
  "Your paper cleared me of all charges," Jeremy continued, "I'm a free man, aside from the fact that I am eternally in your debt."
  "Consider it paid," Mike shrugged, "I'm an executive now..."
  "Seriously," Jeremy pressed, "there must be something I can do." Mike felt his mouth thin.
  "How's Violet?"
  "As far as I know, she's fine," Jeremy informed, "the last I heard she skipped town to go heaven knows where. She sold me the house and the car... I'm the new purple guy in town I guess." The two snickered.
  "I'm... worried about her," Mike sighed. "I don't know... I feel like there's more to all this. Like... it's not finished, somehow." They sat in a grim silence.
  "I know," Jeremy agreed. "I... I feel the same way." Mike cleared his throat, trying to think of a change of topic. He wanted the story to be over, he did. Something, however, had latched onto him at Freddy's and he felt like it wouldn't let go.
  "On a brighter note, I'm expecting my first kid in a few months."
  "Congratulations!" Jeremy exalted, "Mike that's wonderful!"
  "Yeah," Mike managed, tearing. "You're the first person I've told I'm... kinda scared honestly. I'm worried about the kind of father I'll be."
  "The bar is low," Jeremy reminded, "don't worry."

  They chatted for a while, trying to keep their minds off the doubt that had settled in their brains. Jeremy, eager to repay a debt to ease the lack of closure, and Mike, wanting to bury any and all memories of that cursed place forever, stayed on the phone for what felt like hours until the conversation died into pure garbled nothing. At last, Mike gave in to the call of work, needing to get a jump start on his next story.
  "Listen," he said, "I've got to go. But don't be a stranger. Please."
  "Of course," Jeremy agreed. "I couldn't if I wanted to. Oh and Mike... thank you." With that, he hung up, seemingly always getting the last word. Mike shook his head, putting his phone back on the stand. He watched it, half expecting some other call. None came. He relaxed, looking down at his paper where he'd absentmindedly drawn a little rabbit, a list of baby names lining the paper.
  "The bar is low," he reminded, circling one, "the bar is... so very low."