Five Night's At Freddy's: After Hours

//6//

There was change in this atmosphere. A change that suffocated and denied rest. The expo floor was empty but it wasn't truly a den of loneliness. Thuds and whirring filled the backstage. Jeremy could guess with conviction just what exactly decided to stalk him.

That missing one. That giant one. It could be seen gliding across the empty seats of an empty audience. Not a sound as it eerily slinked in a quiet dance. The echoes filled his head...a woman...but not exactly a comforting sound.

"Is someone there? Is it time for the show to begin..? I can hear someone...breathing..." Jeremy tried to keep himself still as the metal creature made her way onto the stage. "Is it a friend? Or...did you bring me prey?"

The creak of the creature onstage could cause an earthquake. A weight of metal that was evident despite the grace of each step. Eerily human in it's stride, still stuck in a performance fit for the stage they stood in, a silent show for a silent crowd. Now closer to a tragedy play if it found him.

While not as rugged as earlier models, the more humanoid features did little to pry him for those terrifying thoughts. If anything, it only lead to an uncanny valley sort of feeling. Not quite on the level of being close by it's appearance...just enough to make his fear expand to performers in general.

This only increased as it was just a few feet away from being right in front of him, it's eyes permanently closed. Yet still listening. A giant that could crush Jeremy easily, possibly even worse considering the machinery held inside that plastic frame.

Just barely an inch, enough for him to note the metallic mesh beneath the gaps in the shell. A whirring as the giant stalked near Jeremy. He wouldn't dare move for fear of making noise. The creaking of the wood panel stage the only sound allowed for this little stage play. A dull light gave off the sheen of the animatronic, ghostly in it's apparition. Crouching just enough to stare at Jeremy, face to face. It's blindness not hindering the pounding in his chest as it found him.

"There is no mistake here...someone decided to trespass," Pulling back to search elsewhere, the breath of the teen still short enough to hopefully be silent.

Not a moment to release a gasp as he took a step towards the only way he could see; the same hallway, the same ladder system from earlier. The boy was practically slinking towards the ladder, as the creature moved it's own performance to the rest of the stage. Unconcerned with the notion of life in these walls. Always on the move. Despite it's immense size the Ballora did it's job eerily well, a ballerina that could put the professionals of The Nutcracker to shame. Able to extend it's feet just to the tip without breaking the flimsy wood. An elegance that betrayed it's purpose

The tune of humming from that robot always keeping him on edge, his heart almost stopping with every pass that she made circling him with the pattern of the hunt. It almost felt as though to Jeremy that this thing already knew he was there, toying with him as he kept getting closer to a possible escape.

*clang*

"Oh~" Ballora stopped in it's tracks as it took a few steps towards the hallway deep in backstage. "Looks like we have a quick one,"

Jeremy didn't question that. A sound of something metallic hitting the floor continued as if...no it couldn't be. He continued to note the animatronic heading towards the noise. And each time he continued to step towards the ladder. Placing a hand on one bar, he looked back to see the tall monstrosity hum towards the clanging.

That idea still nagged in the back of his mind. That sound was being produced by somebody. And given how few people that he knew would be in immediate danger at this location, part of him had a small hope with an added dread as of the identity of that person.