Five Night's At Freddy's: After Hours

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Jeremy awoke in a cold sweat, the pounding of his heart still ringing in his ear. A violent thumping rhythm continued on. The dream still fresh in his mind of those creatures of metal and fur. The last sight was of a creature lunging for him. Cornering him within a closet. Screams. But not his own. 

Sitting up in his bed, he scanned the room as if by habit. Tracking the decor of his space, silently imagining the sudden appearance of those nightmares. Nothing. At the very least, he felt lucky that the bad dream had ended. Most of it was dull and undecorated. No plushies or toys to scatter the room. No signs that anyone even lived here, all neat and tidy. All of these relics were removed a long time ago, now an empty tomb before Jeremy. 

His right showed the alarm clock. Six AM. He let out a sigh, wishing he could return to yesterday. But it'd never happen. It was the most dreadful time of year again; a birthday. 

Sluggishly removing the covers from his body, Jeremy stood up, taking a few cautious strides over to the door. It would be just him, considering his parents often took late nights to work. Simply things he didn't care to ask about. He had his own obligations to focus on. 

"You are very demanding Elizabeth..." Jeremy stopped in the middle of the hallway. He never quite got used to saying that name without her present. 

Shaking those thoughts away, he returned to his objective. The kitchen lay empty, most of it removed of last night's steak dinner. The only time they could have a meal made at home. Most of the time, Jeremy and his family survived on a diet of fast food and microwavable dinners. It'd change for today too, but only today. 

The kitchen was quiet this early in the morning. Neat and orderly, his presence changed the contents of the space. Soon, there'd be opened packages, flour lightly spilled onto the floor. He'd clean up later. The pitter patter of his bare feet outmatched only the clanging of metal bowls and baking pans. 

All of it positioned with the precision expected of a half awake teenager. Flours, butters, eggs, all dumped into the bowl, the whisking the only thing Jeremy focused on. The pan, a tray meant for small cupcakes were set aside to his left. Pouring, he'd find himself lost in the mission. So much so that soon he found himself awoken a second time at the sound of a timer.

Apparently he was finished. Outside of that brief moment of dissociation, Jeremy found himself setting up the rest of the dessert. Soon he'd have what he was looking for...a singular cupcake, topped with yellow icing. 

Shuffling the contents used away, perhaps not exactly as quiet as he had hoped, the teen opened a nearby drawer. Packets and batteries long used but never thrown away. There were a few candles he wanted, grabbing one generic stick alongside matches. Stabbing the cupcake, Jeremy stopped to watch the clock again.

Seven AM. It had been awhile.

The match was struck, a light flame echoing in the darkness of early morning. It flowed over towards the candle, now lit with purpose. This was someone's special day. It had been counted, it'd be her seventeenth birthday, same as Jeremy. 365 days a year. 6,205 days exactly, not counting leap years. 

Only 3,650 days she was alive until...

"Happy Birthday Elizabeth," Jeremy whispered to himself. Perhaps he assumed he'd have a thank you by someone. They'd had been friends. Close friends. 

To hear something would be reassuring. To hear the gratitude from the girl, anything to confirm that he was doing right by continuing such a ritual. No. To him his gratitude was met with utter silence. No words, no jokes to make. Not a sound. Yet he'd do it again next year. And the next.

It was the only thing keeping him from the reality; there was going to be no more birthdays.

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