Wired To Haunt

Chapter 1: Beyond the Curtain

The fluorescent lights overhead hummed softly, casting a stark white glow across the office lobby. Mira adjusted her jacket, pulling it a little tighter around her shoulders, and took a deep breath, glancing at the garish poster on the wall beside her. Bright, oversized letters spelled out "Cheetah's Carnival Cabaret," surrounded by colorful cartoon versions of the animatronics-Cheetah the Cat grinned wide, one paw raised in an enthusiastic wave, while Flossie the Fox, Fitch the Bunny, and Puppetry struck playful poses around her. Underneath, in much smaller print, the tagline read: "Bringing the Magic of Fun to Families Everywhere!"

Mira stifled a smirk. It was a little too cheery for her taste, but a job was a job, and she needed one. Besides, how hard could it be to keep an eye on a bunch of animatronics?

"Ms. Caldwell?"

Mira looked up as a man emerged from the hallway. He wore an ill-fitting polo shirt with the company's logo stretched across the chest, and his tie was slightly askew, like he'd been in too much of a rush to straighten it. He gave her a tight, weary smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm Mr. Hayes, the manager. Thanks for coming in on such short notice."

"Not a problem," Mira replied, following him as he gestured for her to enter his cramped office. The room was filled with stacks of paperwork, odd equipment manuals, and a faint smell of burnt coffee lingering in the air. She settled into the chair across from his desk, and he shuffled some papers, clearing his throat before looking her way.

"Alright, so... night guard position," he began, glancing at her résumé as if he hadn't really bothered to read it. "Mostly routine stuff. You'll be monitoring the animatronics, making sure nothing goes missing, you know the drill. Security cameras, check-ins every hour... simple stuff."

Mira nodded, keeping her expression neutral. Simple was good; she could handle simple.

"Now, full disclosure," Mr. Hayes continued, his voice dropping slightly, "the animatronics... sometimes they, uh, 'act up' at night. Nothing to worry about, just technical glitches here and there. If you see them moving on the cameras, it's probably just a programming error or some kind of mechanical hiccup. Happens all the time." He laughed, though it sounded more forced than reassuring.

Mira raised an eyebrow. "So, if they're moving, I just... ignore it?"

"Pretty much," he replied with a slight shrug, tapping his pen against the edge of the desk. "Just document anything strange and keep your distance. They're not dangerous, just... unpredictable sometimes. Anyway, we don't get many applicants for the night shift, so if you're still interested, it's yours."

Mira took a moment, considering the offer. There was something off about the way he described the job, but the pay was good, and her options were limited. She forced a smile and nodded. "Sounds like just the challenge I need."

Mr. Hayes exhaled with relief and extended his hand across the desk. "Great. Welcome aboard, Ms. Caldwell. I'll have someone give you the tour. Starting tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night works," she replied, shaking his hand. As she left his office, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking into something more than just a night job. The animatronics in the poster seemed to watch her as she left, their painted smiles a little too bright, their eyes a little too knowing.

But a job was a job. And Mira Caldwell was ready to face whatever the night shift had in store.

As Mira turned to leave the lobby, footsteps echoed down the hallway behind her, quick and purposeful. She paused, glancing over her shoulder just as a man approached, his orange eyes gleaming with a strange intensity that was hard to ignore.