Michael...? You There? (CRYING CHILD X READER) ON HOLD

14 | Can I See My Mother Again?

Warnings: Mentions of murder, slight language
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I can't sleep this night, and I can tell that Mike can't either.

I don't feel like talking so throughout the night I just shut my eyes and pretend to sleep. Occasionally they'll flutter open when I sense movement beside me- Michael. He won't stop getting out of bed and leaving the room. Surely, he can't need that many bathroom breaks.

He and I slept in his bed. I don't feel either comfortable nor uncomfortable about it, just plain numb. I don't care where I sleep, if you can call it sleeping.

The bed creaks as Michael swings his legs over and leaves the room. Maybe he's getting a snack.

I flip to my side and eye the indent of the bed where he was. I don't even know what to think. I should be grateful that he's back, but I just feel uneasy- because he shouldn't be back. It's not natural.

Is he some sort of cyborg? I haven't seen any robotic parts or anything, like in the movies. Maybe it's all inside his body.

Or maybe the bite from the animatronic wasn't fatal. Maybe he was in a coma and was mistaken for dead. But if that were true, how would he survive being put in a box for so long? Wouldn't he suffocate?

I don't want to think about that.

I catch a couple hours of sleep before the morning when I decide it's light enough outside to get up. Michael's already awake. He's standing, stiff as a board, at the dresser where a large mirror is resting. He's watching himself, staring into his own eyes.

I clear my throat. "M-Michael?"

"Hmm?" After what seems like years, he blinks and turns around, offering a grin. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Pretending everything is normal again, I smile back, but a thought creeps into my mind. "Mike... How long am I going to stay here?"

He doesn't speak at first, just takes a seat beside me. He cups his face and sighs. "What could you say to your mom if you went back? She'd want to know why you haven't gone home."

He shakes his head, an irritable expression carved into his face. "James's mom told your mom about you going to her house to make sure he was there... Thank God he wasn't." He murmurs the last part, but I still hear it.

I gape at him. "Wait, how did you know that she called my mom?"

Michael continues. "I just knew. Anyway, there are people looking for you. They'd want to know what happened to you when you go back. And you can't let them know that I'm alive."

"Why not?"

"They'd ask me things. And we don't need the attention." His gaze darkens. "We don't want anyone figuring out what Dad is doing."

"So... What will I do?"

"You will stay here until Jr's. is closed and until we get the animatronics."

"But, they'll surely find me here."

Michael shakes his head. "No one steps near this house. It's cursed apparently. Also, they won't bother to look if you're dead."

I stare, mouth open in shock.

"I snuck back into the pizzeria last night," he explains in a soft voice. "I put the note on the desk with your name on it."