La Muerte Subita

Are You Ready for Freddie?

Dan sits tensely at the desk, the keyboard under his fingers as he watches each screen with equal intensity.
He can feel Phil stood behind him, but he ignores him in favor of trying to keep track of the action on each screen. So far, only Freddie had started moving, but it couldn't be long before Chica and Bonnie started to move as well.
A hint of movement; just a flickering flash on a single screen has Dan's head whipping to the side in terror:
"Left door!" he screams, the sound reverberating through the tiny, cramped office.
Phil leaps into action, slamming the door shut with the lever near the frame.

Dan doesn't even flinch, eyes already back on the screens as he waits for the animatronic to leave.
Phil waits for his instruction, still poised and ready at the door, watching the mop of brown hair dance softly as Dan's head flicks back and forth between bright screens...
"Right door!"
Phil stumbles to close the opposite door as quickly as he can, running back to open the opposite door and conserve as much power as possible.

Dan's attention is focused solely on the bright lights of the monitors. The tan of his skin fades in harsh light, bleaching him out until he looks like a terrified angel in the center of the dark room; illuminated.
Phil returns to Dan's side after a moment of tense silence and he can almost sense him watching the screens as his hands grip the back of the office chair behind Dan's shoulders.
After a few taps on the keyboard, Dan flicks a hand toward the door to their right;
"Open it, I see him." he commands, eyes still unmoving.
Phil does as he's told and opens the door, flicking on the light just to check. The hallway beyond is empty, a relief, and Phil starts back to the desk just as Dan screams.
"Shit!"

Dan's shrill voice leaves Phil startled, frozen solid in confusion and fear.
"Shit! Shit, shit, shit...!"
He abandons his chair, knocking it over loudly as he runs to the left side, slamming the door shut. He's breathing hard, and Phil starts to ask him if everything's okay when Dan points frantically at the opposite side of the room.
"Get the light, Phil!" he gasps, and Phil wastes no time in running to flip the switch. Outside the room is empty, once again, but there's something running down the opposite hall. Phil turns to see Dan pressed up against the door as some heavy force smashes against it.
"What is that!?" Phil shrieks.
"The fucking fox!" Dan replies, loud and angry.

The knocking stops and Dan runs for the computer, not bothering to right the chair as he leans his body over to push his face directly into the wall of monitors.

The tension in the room is so heavy Dan feels like he can breathe it in. Their power is low, leaving both of them vulnerable; and he's scared to turn on a light or shut a door. It's humid, it's hot, and Dan can't tell if he's sweating from the heat or the situation. Blue eyes are trained on him, he can feel them even as he redoubles what focus he can muster onto the streaming footage.

It feels like they've been trapped in this room for an eternity...

"What's the time?" Phil calls gently.

For a moment, Dan doesn't respond; but once he's sure there aren't any animatronics' nearby he checks the clock on the desk.
"It's 5am, Phil," he breathes, "We're so close..."
Phil can't help the relieved smile creeping onto his face, and both of them sort of laugh; nervous and hopeful as Dan turns back toward the monitors. Dan's almost relaxing, almost, until he sees a flash of movement on a screen. He swivels his head about, looking quickly between screens and tapping crazily at the keyboard trying to find what it was.
"What?" Phil calls.
Dan almost doesn't respond;
"I can't find Chica..." Dan admits, looking toward Phil, "Phil, I can't find Chica."

* * *

Dan's heart is beating a million miles an hour, his hands are sweating; his head aches.
"Who?"
"The goddamn duck!"
Phil's face is frozen for a minute before he starts toward the right door; reaching for the light. Dan isn't fast enough to reach his side; He isn't even thinking, he just knows that Phil shouldn't be there. He's watched enough playthroughs to know that Chica is always in the right doorway.
"Phil! No!"