Deceptive

Bright Light

Elizabeth sighed to herself, trying to make out something, anything in the darkness that surrounded her. She couldn't tell if anyone was around to hear her, but she spoke anyway. "Okay, why the hell am I tied to a chair?"

The familiar click of heeled boots approaching became audible. A flashlight turned on. Foxy became visible. His expression was solemn and the high contrast lighting made his face appear very gaunt.

Another flashlight turned on and Ballora appeared right next to him. The shadows were a bit softer on her face than they were on his, and she looked borderline uncomfortable.

Elizabeth's gaze darted between the two of them. "Why am I tied to a chair?" she repeated. "What's this all about?"

Foxy moved his flashlight away from his face and instead pointed it straight at Elizabeth, who barely squinted despite how bright it was.

"We're a little suspicious," he told her, keeping his voice steady.

"Suspicious? Suspicious of what?"

"Of you."

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"I am not."

"I still can't believe that I let you talk me into this..." Ballora muttered under her breath.

Foxy lightly elbowed her, whispering, "You better not be getting cold feet now."

"That would imply that I, at one point, had confidence in this plan."

"You know, I'm a bit offended," Elizabeth said somewhat loudly, squirming a bit in her restraints, clearly being able to hear their hushed voices. "Offended that you guys apparently don't trust me after all we've been through together."

Foxy did feel pretty bad about roping one of his friends into helping him tie another to a chair, but something needed to be done.

Neither of them responded to her.

"Alex, Laura," she said their names in the authoritative way that a parent would when they were trying to get you to admit to something. "Why do you feel like you can't trust me?"

"There are a few different reasons," was the vague response Foxy gave.

The set of questions they had prepared for this was intentionally basic. They (mostly Foxy) had made a few vague theories while scheming. This mock interrogation session would help figure out if they were all utter garbage or not.

"Alright, first question! What year did you move back to this town?"

"1995," Elizabeth answered easily.

Ballora asked the next question. They were taking turns. "How long have you been employed here?"

"Uh... let's see, I started working here when I was seventeen, so however long that is... five years?"

"Where did you meet me?"

"A circus. You got mugged and I had to drag you to a hospital because you had a concussion."

"What about me?"

"You? I met you here. You applied for the opening after Ennard quit."

"And Freddy?"

"Met him here too. He got stuck in one of the trash cans out front and I had to pull him out."

Those answers checked out. Now it was time for the more advanced questions.

"Do you remember when the whole thing with Afton started?"

"The second of August. He was on the news."

"When did he show up in our basement?"

"The same day after work."

"What happened after that stairwell collapsed?

"I already told you, and I'd not rather have to repeat it all again."

With only a flash of hesitation, Foxy pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to Elizabeth. "Can you explain to us what this is?"

"You— where... where did you find that?" The redhead's eyes went wide, an audible crack forming in her otherwise steady voice.

Foxy still didn't know where Charlie got the photographs from, but he wasn't going to tell Elizabeth that. "That's not important."

"Okay, well, I would beg to differ. I don't know where you got that from, but that's— that's sick."

Foxy and Ballora exchanged looks before retreating to one of the darker corners of the room, leaving the flashlights pointed at Elizabeth.

"She answered all of your questions right. I think that blows your theory of her being an imposter out of the water," Ballora whispered, unsurprised that they found no solid evidence towards Foxy's ridiculous theory. "And she didn't know what the picture was."

"But she could've been acting like she was all surprised and had never seen it before. Ooh, another theory. What if The Wolf did actually capture her and take her to Afton? What if he, he brainwashed her, and then sent her back here?"

Ballora looked at him as if that was equally as absurd as his last theory.

"I don't see you coming up with anything!"

There was no chance for her to retort as a loud crash echoed throughout the room.

The both of them spun around, finding the desk chair they had tied Elizabeth to laying sideways on the floor. The restraints themselves (a couple of extension cords that Foxy had found in the upstairs storage room) were lying on the floor beneath it.

"She's gone!"

"How?"

"I don't know!"

Foxy and Ballora quickly pushed their way through the half-open office door, speeding down the hallway in search of the redhead.