Five Nights At Freddy's

Chapter Five: The First Night

  Mike arrived ten minutes to closing, just as Mr. Iris had instructed. He felt a lump in his throat as he put the car in park, his headlights illuminating the dingy windows into the pizzeria. Mike looked up at the ceiling of his car, swallowing hard. This is for my job, he thought, I can do this. There's nothing to be frightened of... there's-! He jumped as a firm rapping came from his window. He exhaled sharply in irritation, recognizing the purple uniform of Violet Jackson, her flashlight shining into his car. He rolled down the window, pure fury riddling his sour face.
  "Welcome back, Mr. Schmidt," she greet placidly, "you going to get a move on or what?"
  "I was about to," Mike insisted, "I was just... collecting my thoughts." Violet nodded, straightening herself and turning back to the restaurant. Mike cursed under his breath, unbuckling his seat belt and rolling up his window angrily. He slammed the car door as he exited, pressing the lock button twice in hopes the honk may frighten Violet. She barely stirred, her glossy eyes reflecting his headlights. Mike was reminded of a raccoon. He froze in front of the door, taking a deep breath. He half expected Violet to say something snarky about his behavior, but she didn't. She watched him like a hawk.
  "I'll be back at six a.m." she reminded, opening the glass door. Mike gave a sharp nod, stepping inside. He felt as though a bucket of ice water and poured over him. He turned around, adrenaline pumping through his veins, just in time to see Violet lock the door. They made eye contact through the glass. She frowned, turning away quickly and retreating to the hideous purple car parked in the employee spot. Mike released his breath he'd been holding. There was nothing to do now but move forward.

  Mike clicked his flashlight on, moving through the dining room cautiously. He eyed the animatronics which were erect at attention but absent of any motion. He swung his light in the direction of Pirate's Cove, but found it vacant as well. He whistled, readjusting the grip on his flashlight as his sweat made it more difficult to hold. His footsteps echoed off the checkered floors and walls as he made his way toward the claustrophobic office. He entered, blinking to adjust his eyes to the dim light as he sat down at the monitors, turning his flashlight off for the night. Mike sighed, watching the clock tick... tock... tick... 11:58... 11:59... ding... dong... ding... dong... ding... dong.. ding... dong...

  Dong... the phone began ringing. Mike straightened, eyeing the red plastic handle of the phone suspiciously. He looked around as though looking for supervision on what to do. At last, he gave in, answering the phone.
  "Hello?" He asked.
  Dong...
  "Hello? Hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you.  I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact.  So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about.  Uh, you'll do fine.  So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week.  Okay."
  Dong... Mike shifted in his seat uncomfortably. No one had mentioned a pre-recorded instruction from the previous night guard... hadn't Charlie mentioned that something had happened to him? Mike shook this thought, straightening himself as to pay attention to the phone's message.
  Dong...
  "Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read.  Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know.  Um: Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life.  Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person.  Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within ninety days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached and the carpets have been replaced."
Dong... Mike felt his stomach drop out from underneath him. He scrambled for a pen and paper, scribbling down the quote for his story.
  Dong...
  "Blah, blah, blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. You'll do fine.  Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them?  No.  If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too.  So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right?"
  Dong... Mike lifted his head to watch the security cameras where the three animatronics stood at attention. He swallowed hard. Until the guy on the phone had mentioned it, he hadn't noticed the smell wafting through the place. It reeked of mold and old food. Mike wrinkled his nose and grimaced, wondering how many code violations this place had.
  Dong...
  "Okay.  So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit.  Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night.  Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long."
  Dong...
  "Wait, what?" Mike demanded, his voice reaching a frightened pitch. He swung his attention from his notebook to the monitors where the animatronics were standing in place. He swallowed, flipping through the cameras furiously to the motionless curtain at Pirate's Cove and relaxed. All seemed well. When he returned to the stage however, he found one of the animatronics, the rabbit, staring the camera dead on. Mike jumped, his skin crawling.
  Dong...
  "Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too.  But then there was The Bite of '87.  Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"  
  Dong...
  "Eighty seven," Mike managed in his horrified trance. He shook his head, scribbling the quote on his notepad. "Eighty seven... bite... of... eighty seven..."
  Dong...
  "Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person.  They'll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on.  Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to... forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit."
  Dong... The clock struck midnight. Mike shifted cameras to the backroom where the spare animatronic suits sat limp and lifeless. Well, he thought, that can't be too terrible... As though reading his mind, the recording continued.
  "Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area.  So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort... and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh.  Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up." Mike felt himself pale as he tentatively looked at the screen. In a split second, all three animatronics swung their gazes in the direction of the camera before the whole screen went black. Mike jumped, hitting the monitor furiously.
  "No, no, no, no..." he repeated hysterically, frantically thrashing the screen with each cry of agony. The image flashed back, revealing two of the animatronics on stage. The rabbit was gone. An ice cold fear shot through Mike's chest.
  "But hey, first day should be a breeze.  I'll chat with you tomorrow.  Uh, check those cameras, and remember to lose the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power.  Alright, good night." Mike furrowed his brow, flipping through the cameras. He strained his eyes in the darkness, trying to make out the hulking figure through the darkness...
  "Bunny... rabbit... come on... where are you?" He muttered helplessly. Above the whir of the desk fan he could hear a decompressed sigh, as though someone in the hallway outside his door were drowning. He straightened, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. His mouth went dry as he turned slowly to his left gingerly turning on the light to illuminate the doorway.