Chapter Text
A man opened the door to his temporary residence. He couldn't help but notice the frail, slender girl sitting on their temporary bed, at this temporary motel, in this random town he didn't know about until yesterday. His face, usually grim and drained of life, lit up upon seeing her.
"Have you been eating lately, Charlie?" He asked with a wide smile, his British accent still hanging on even after years of being around Americans. "You're looking a bit underweight, don't make me worry now!"
"Mike. Seriously?" Charlie looked a little upset.
Uh oh.
"We live off of canned food and gas station meals. What do you think?" Charlie squinted, crossing her arms.
"Sorry, sorry, just a bad joke," Mike said. His smile, while wavering, remained.
Charlie usually didn’t mind Mike's jokes, but he could sense that something was off today. His mom always said he had a knack for reading the room and trying to make himself the bad guy when things were tense. That was when he was five, however.
Mike stared at the girl. She looked to be nineteen, with her hair, light brown and unkempt, let loose in a frizzy mess down her back. This was opposed to its usual frizzy mess of a low ponytail. Stray portions of her messy hair cover her eyes, green and unnaturally bright. These eyes stared through his soul, analyzing him as much as he analyzed her. She had dark bags under her eyes, making her look haunted.
Her face looked motherly, or rather it would if it weren't for how soft and cute it was. Her skin was fair, with an elegant smoothness unheard of by anyone who washed themself with dollar bottles of shampoo and body wash. Normally, she wore an open green jacket with black, torn jeans, tied neatly together with some black and white high tops, dirtied and damaged with age.
Tonight, however, she wore nothing more than a white t-shirt, usually hidden under her jacket, and some well worn pajama pants.
Nice.
Mike sighed, setting down the canned food and packaged meals next to their motel's mini fridge. He turned to Charlie, kneeling down. He had forgotten to remove his jacket or set down his wallet and keys, instead smiling at the sulking girl.
"What is it, Charlie?"
Charlie looked back at Mike. She bore her eyes into his soul once more, reading his expressions and mannerisms. While Charlie was usually very caring and calm, she did occasionally feel a bit moody and negative. Mike knew this. He couldn't blame her; they didn't exactly live a life of luxury. They were lucky when they did have motels to sleep in. When they didn't have the money to do so, they slept in their shared vehicle, a blue 1992 Honda Accord. It wasn’t quite the image of safety and comfort.
Mike wasn’t exactly a totally positive person either. He looked to be twenty one years old, with straight, brown hair that was also unkempt, but in a curtained style. He never bothered taking care of his hair, and yet it naturally grew that way. His skin was sickly and unnatural, his body severely lacking in muscle definition. It was so unnatural, in fact, that he appeared to be purple from head to toe. His face was scarred around his mouth, but time had faded these wounds. This was unlike his eyes, which remained dark and shadowy, the ever present scars of the life he had been living, a glimmering white light shining in their centers.
Because of his rather sickening features, Mike often wore a dark jean jacket over his white long sleeve turtleneck, all covered by a gray hooded jacket. He often wore baseball caps, covered by his hood, and face masks in public. This did not help his overall “don’t approach me” vibe. His baggy jeans were accompanied by heavy black boots, scuffed and stained but still strong and sturdy. He always carried a black backpack full of snacks and medical supplies, as he could never be too safe with the condition his body was in.
Charlie straightened her posture and scowled at Mike. It took everything in his power not to snort at the sight of the girl's scrunched face.
“Hmph.”
Charlie said nothing more as she turned away, Mike utterly lost and confused.
Did he forget something?
“Hey uh, Charlie,” Mike gently said, “you don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I’d at least like to know what I did to have you not acting like your usual cheery self…”
Charlie remained unmoved. He glanced at the groceries, Mike realizing quickly what was wrong.
She’s hungry, stupid. What happened to being good with reading the room?
He completely forgot that she'd been waiting for hours without food. He had told her his trip to the grocery store would only take an hour, but he had unexpectedly ran into some traffic and some issues with his card declining. It took him an extra hour, and Charlie did not like being lied to or let down.
Mike finally set his wallet and keys aside, scooting closer to Charlie. She scooted away.
“I’m sorry I was late, Charlie,” Mike began, “and I could make excuses all day, but I know how you feel. I promised I’d be back soon, and I didn't keep that promise. But hey, I think I can make it up to you…”
Charlie turned to Mike, curious. Mike walked over to the groceries, blocking Charlie's view of them. He looked back and grinned. Charlie couldn't help but tilt her head in curiosity, wondering what the man was up to. His grin turned to a proud smile, dramatically turning and revealing…
“Ta-da! I snagged a box of your favorite snack!”
Charlie's eyes glistened at the sight of it. An entire box of strawberry toaster strudels. It's been so long.
“Well? How about that? Still mad at me now?”
Mike proudly held out the box towards Charlie as if he had just won a gold medal for being the sweetest and most thoughtful guy Charlie had ever known. Well, except for maybe her father, but that wasn't fair. Perhaps a silver medal was more fitting for Mike.
“...alright, you win, Mike.” Charlie smiled and rolled her eyes at the stupid man she lived with.
“Hell yeah!” Mike tossed the box to her as he rummaged a toaster out of a nearby bag, plugging it in.
*****
Charlie happily ate her treat, Mike helping himself to a can of ravioli. They both knew they should try and eat healthier, but they also both knew that they weren't exactly “normal” when it came to eating. They weren't really “normal” when it came to anything, really. Charlie didn't need to eat as much food as Mike did. Charlie didn't need to eat much at all, really. Despite this, Mike leaned over to her.
“Hey, Charlie,” he started, “when’s the last time you ate ravioli?”
“Huh? Ravioli?” Charlie was so focused on her own meal that she had completely missed what Mike was eating. “Oh, that. Um, it’s been awhile, why?”
Mike smirked. He held up his fork full of ravioli.
“Open up.”
“Mike, you know I don't have to eat, right?” Charlie frowned, but her smile creeped through anyway.
“Yeah, I don't care. You have to eat like I do, right? You're still human!” Mike cheekily smiled, slowly drifting the fork towards her.
“Am I?” Charlie flashed a slight sadness from deep inside her.
“You are. Now, open up.” Mike repeated.
Charlie couldn't help herself. She smiled, opening her mouth as Mike fed her some of his ravioli. She stared at him for a moment, Mike giving her a slight nod as if to encourage her.
“It tastes better than I remembered,” Charlie commented, “especially with it being canned.”
“Yeah, right? Not bad at all!” Mike continued to eat as he said this.
Charlie couldn't help herself when it came to Mike. He was so gloomy and brooding in public, but in quiet moments like this, it's as if his entire world lit up when he was alone with her. She knew that, despite how bleak things got, she could always rely on Mike to cheer her up whenever she felt a little down or grumpy over an insignificant thing.
“So, Mike,” Charlie quizzed, “where are we going next?”
Mike thought for a moment. “Good question!”
That really was a good question. Where DO they go next? He'd heard about many leads and rumors regarding Fazbear Entertainment and Afton Robotics, but nothing actually substantial. How long had they been chasing these leads? Stories about rogue animatronics and strange incidents across the country… Mike had no idea the Fazbear brand had spread this far. Where were they right now? What town was this? What year was it? How long had it been since they started doing this?
Mike felt a tug at his jacket.
“Michael!”
He looked at Charlie, who seemed concerned.
“Are you okay? You… spaced out again… you weren't thinking about…” Charlie started her question, but Mike gently cut her off.
“No, no, I’m fine. I'll be honest, I don't know where we're going next.” Mike frowned after saying this. He hated disappointing Charlie.
But Charlie simply smiled back at him. “You know, Mike, I can help too. We're in this together, aren't we?”
Charlie grabbed Mike’s sickly hand. A normal person would've been disgusted to be near Mike, let alone touch him, and yet Charlie…
“You're right. I'm sorry, I suppose I've been rather overwhelmed lately,” Mike’s accent came out a bit while saying this, “I wouldn't mind some help. You got your laptop handy?”
Charlie pulled out a laptop from her bag near the small bed, only meant for one, yet shared by the both of them. Technology wasn't exactly foreign to Mike, as his father had always surrounded him and his younger siblings with it. Though the computers he was used to weren't exactly portable, his father had plenty of gadgets and gizmos that were just as impressive. The skinny, portable computer did force him to reminisce on his father’s technology. The good parts of that technology, at least.
Charlie booted up the laptop, which displayed a light blue screen with her user icon proudly displayed in the center. The name “Charlie” hung under the icon, the icon being an image of Mike and Charlie. The image was a sentimental one; Mike smirking with an arm wrapped around Charlie, as Charlie cutely stuck her tongue out, holding both of her hands in a peace sign. It reminded him that, even if this endless journey never amounted to anything, he at least was making memories with someone he cared about. It gave him meaning, even when he felt that he had none.
Charlie waited for the slow laptop to finally enter the home screen with a happy chime, revealing a background featuring another image of Mike and Charlie. This image was of them visiting a spooky festival, with pumpkins and dim lighting illuminating the dark grounds around them. Mike was wearing his normal clothes, but with extra bandages, and Charlie wore a witch outfit. Mike was never one to dress up, but Charlie absolutely loved it. In fact, she loved participating in anything she considered “fun,” but she never pressured Mike to take part in it. All she asked was for him to be there with her.
The festival reminded them both of the one their fathers would take them to as kids. In Charlie’s hometown of Hurricane, Utah, every year there was a festival known as the Fall Fest. He didn't remember much about it, and neither did Charlie, but they specifically remembered the maze and carnival-like attractions.
“Finally!” Charlie shouted, snapping Mike from his daydreaming.
Mike asked, “Did the page finally load or something?”
“Yeah, I should update this laptop sometime, but the crappy internet we always have really makes it a chore…” Charlie complained, though not to insult Mike, more so just stating an obvious fact. “I heard someone at that fancy tech store say they had a new version of the software used by my laptop. I'm really curious about it!”
That was one thing Charlie had over Mike, as if there was only one thing. She was excellent with technology. Mike assumed she got it from her father, but he wasn't entirely sure why he didn't inherit that same trait from his own. Perhaps he was cursed, much like the rest of his life. He had to give himself some credit, however. He did know a thing or two about technology, when it came to the hardware side of things. Not nearly as proficient as his father, Charlie, nor her father, but he was no slouch with mechanics and engineering. She really was a whole other level, though.
“Got it!”
Mike leaned over, peaking at what Charlie had so proudly announced.
“Jeff’s Pizza!” Charlie spoke to Mike.
What?
He apparently looked just as confused as he had thought in his mind, as Charlie began to clarify.
“Jeff’s Pizza. It was once a Freddy’s.”
“A Freddy Fazbear’s?” Mike seemed surprised. How did she find this so fast?
Charlie read his mind. “It's a place I have been looking into since we got here. I mean, it's not the only place, but it was on the top of my list. Look at this…”
Charlie flipped the laptop over to Mike. He examined the screen, where a news report mentioned some disappearances at the pizzeria. Reading this made Mike’s stomach drop. Charlie saw his worry, grabbing the laptop and scrolling down.
“It's not what you're thinking, Mike,” Charlie eased his soul with these words, “the kids were found, unharmed.”
Mike sighed with relief. He wasn't ready to deal with THAT possibility again. No matter what horrifying things they had seen over the years, that was the one thing that scared him the most. He never got used to hearing about disappearances. Especially not ones relating to a pizzeria.
“But they all said the same thing,” Charlie continued, “something about…”
She paused. Mike raised an eyebrow, curious about her hesitation. She swallowed, continuing.
“...a yellow rabbit.”
Mike’s eyes widened. Mike quickly shot up, Charlie standing with him and grabbing his hand.
“Hold on, Mike, I don't think it's hi-”
“But what if it is?” Mike questioned, “what if it is him?”
Charlie paused. She searched for an answer, but struggled to find the words. Finally, she spoke.
“The kids were alive.”
This shook Mike to his core. She spoke the truth, but it still stung. Of course it wasn't him. It couldn't be. It's as she said, the kids were alive.
“Then what could it be?” Mike asked.
“I… don't know, really…” Charlie was at a loss. “But we have to investigate, right? It's the best clue we've gotten in years.”
Years.
Has it really been that long? Since his job at Freddy’s? Since they ran away, across this country, searching every day?
“My best theory,” Charlie thought out loud, “is that maybe it's related to the fact that it used to be a Freddy’s pizzeria? Like… an old costume, perhaps?”
Mike composed himself and smirked. “It's better than what I had in mind.”
Mike didn't want to talk about what he had in mind. It isn't something he tried to bring up around Charlie. He knew that, despite how he felt about it, she felt even worse. How could she stay so calm and collected, discussing a topic like this, knowing what happened to her?
“Why don't we leave tomorrow?” Charlie proposed. “Jeff’s Pizza is in Utah. No, not Hurricane. It isn't that far away, so we can take our time. Plus… no dead people this time.”
That really is a relief to hear. Mike and Charlie's Cross-Country Expedition brought them to many dangers and horrifying scenes of murders and tragedies. More than he cared to talk about. This “Jeff’s Pizza” is a much needed break from the usual investigations.
Charlie put the laptop back in her bag and plugged it in to charge. That was one of the problems with the device, it really couldn't hold a charge. He supposed that's the price for getting things dirt cheap at a pawn shop. He's honestly surprised it worked as well as it did.
“We have all the supplies ready just in case, right?” Charlie double checked.
In their car, they carried common vehicle equipment, such as medical supplies and snacks. However, they also often had other supplies not as commonly seen, such as spare gasoline and plenty of matches, just in case they needed to light an angry spirit or corrupt animatronic on fire. They weren't entirely sure why it worked, but it seemed to work just fine. That’s what they hoped, at least.
“Come on Mike, go change and let’s go to bed. You need some rest if we're going to be fighting another crazy animatronic again!” Charlie teased.
Mike smiled. “Right.”
*****
Charlie woke to the sound of children laughing around her. It was utterly dark, and she no longer felt Mike sleeping next to her.
Not again. Please.
Long, striped tendrils slowly moved towards her, like shadows from a tree outside a window moving in a breeze. These were not shadows, however, and a low, distorted and disturbing voice spoke to her. With each word, it stuttered, almost like it was a glitch in a computer program.
“D-d-do not run-un-un.”
The children’s laughter became louder, as five ghastly visages slowly walked towards her. Behind them, white eyes shown in the utter darkness, the tendrils closing in on Charlie.
“D-d-do you fear-ear what you have become-come-ome-ome?”
Charlie held her head. She began to breathe erratically, gasping for oxygen as black tears streamed down her face. Her eyes became black and shown with a light like the figure taunting her, its face moving closer, past the five haunting visages. Its face was white and sleek, with a wide smile adorned with small, sharp teeth, black streaks running down its cheeks. It came close enough to Charlie that she should've felt its warm breath, but she instead felt nothing but a cold, bone chilling air.
“Do not-t-t run.”
*****
Mike shook Charlie awake. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to get a grip on where she was. Mike’s warm hand gripped her own icey cold digits, his face full of worry.
“Did you see it again?” Mike asked with concern.
Charlie wiped her face. Her arm was now stained with a black liquid, much like she saw in her dreams. Mike quickly grabbed a rag from the nightstand, one evidently used for this exact circumstance, and wiped her face with it. The rag was stained with years of these black tears, and was now receiving new stains to join the rest.
“I guess reading about Jeff’s Pizza got to you too, yeah?” Mike held Charlie’s face, some black streaks remaining. Charlie slowly nodded, Mike pulling her close into an embrace. “It's okay. I'm here. You're not alone.”
Charlie smiled, slowing her trembles that she did not notice she had. He brushed her hair gently, soothing her, as she finally calmed down. She took in the sound of the music they always played while they slept at night, which seemed to soothe her soul. Charlie gently moved away from Mike, flashing a small smile at him.
“Thanks, Mike.”
“That's why I’m here.”
It's true, Charlie thought. The reason they slept together wasn't for the normal reasons a man and woman slept together- no, it was because of her nightmares. Mike hadn’t always slept with Charlie, but after these dreams kept recurring, she finally asked him to. Not that she was opposed to Mike being that close to her while she slept. That was a nice bonus, she had to admit. She liked his closeness to her, it gave her great comfort, a comfort she so desperately craved at all times.
“Do you think you're okay now?” The sleepy Mike was beginning to lose his grip on the waking world. Charlie had only just noticed that it was pitch black out still. Her distress must've woken up the poor man.
Charlie smiled at Mike, “I’m okay now. Get some rest.”
“Good,” Mike smiled at Charlie as he passed out without another moment to spare.
Charlie watched the sleeping man for a second. She could tell that this sleeping arrangement didn't just benefit her, but him as well. He didn't really talk about his emotions much, and when he did, he had a hard time expressing them. She knew that he had his own share of trauma and stories that haunted him, he had told her as much. But she wondered if he too had nightmares. She watched his face for a moment more, snuggling back under their separate blankets. She so desperately wanted to get closer to him, to see into his head. She wanted to peer into the mind of the man who was so gentle and kind to her, the man who had been carrying his own demons while helping her with her own. She wanted to be closer to Mike.
With that final thought, her eyes drifted, and she too joined in on the good night’s rest.
*****
“Morning, Charlie,” Mike yawned.
He really wasn't one to wake up early, but Charlie was. She was already ready, all of their various luggage and devices packed up and ready to be loaded into their vehicle. Her hair was in its usual ponytail, and today she sported a comfortable looking navy blue hoodie with a pair of gray sweats. Despite always waking up early and inevitably packing without Mike, she never ate without him. Charlie always said it was because her father did the same. He always ate with Charlie before work, no matter what.
“Morning!” Charlie beamed. She seemed to be in a good mood today, though he wasn't sure why. They were going to investigate like usual, so what was with the cheerful attitude? He didn't mind it, of course.
“What's got you so jolly?” Mike finally asked.
Charlie smiled wider. She swayed, as if she could barely contain the energy pent up inside of her. He's used to a positive Charlie, but this?
“I'm just excited to travel!” Charlie said with a hint of something else in her voice. Now Mike really was suspicious.
“Oh yeah? That's it then? Just a travel bug?”
“Yeah… well… and…” Charlie continued.
Mike was eager to hear what it was Charlie had been so excited about, but she didn't finish the sentence.
“And?”
Charlie’s attitude shifted slightly from beaming to a bit more shy. She closed in, her smile still remaining.
“A-and, there's a place nearby Jeff’s Pizza I thought we could… yah know…” Charlie swayed. “...swing by or something!”
Mike raised a curious brow.
Swing by?
“Sure, what is it?”
Charlie pulled out her phone, its cracked screen and scratched up rubber case immediately apparent. He really should figure out how to get her a new one, as this one was practically on its last legs, outdated and worn out.
“H-here!” Charlie stuttered.
Mike walked closer to the phone. He examined what she was trying to tell him about, and a smile crept across his face. Now he understood.
“You want to visit the festival?” Mike didn't even realize that it was that time of year already. Some sort of Halloween festival was happening for the next few days, the same time they would be going to check out Jeff’s.
Charlie slowly nodded, hoping he would approve. Mike, of course, did. This also reminded him of something else.
“Are you going to dress up?”
Charlie smiled, winking to Mike. “I already have a costume in mind!”
“I can't wait to see, then!” Mike was telling the truth. Charlie always dressed up for this holiday, and he really enjoyed seeing how much fun she had with it. This time of year always made her feel like a kid again. That wasn't too surprising, since…
“Mike!” Charlie had apparently been trying to get his attention.
“Sorry, sorry, I was thinking again,” Mike shook his head, “what did you say?”
“I said that I want to dress as something different than usual this year!”
Mike wasn't sure what this meant. Different than usual?
“You know, I usually go as a vampire or zombie, stuff like that,” Charlie explained, “but this year I want to try something different!”
“What's that?”
“I want to be an angel!”
Mike smiled. That's all? An angel? He couldn't help himself with what he said next.
“You already are one, Charlie! You can't go as yourself!”
Charlie blushed, trying to look upset. “No, I’m serious! I want to be something that isn't so evil this year!”
Mike loaded their things into their car as they spoke, Charlie following him around. He didn't have her help, since she did all the actual packing. He was on loading duty.
“Halloween is always so spooky and scary, but I've seen people dress in all sorts of things over the years!” Charlie continued explaining herself.
Mike knew what she meant, but he liked hearing her so passionately defend her decision. It's good for her to do that, he thought. She should stand up for herself when someone doubts her, even if he really didn't doubt her.
“Oh I’ve seen. Bumble bees, sexy nurses, costumed superheroes… Do you plan on any of those next?” Mike cheekily leaned towards Charlie, knowing it would embarrass her.
Charlie stood strong, though a blush did shine on her cheeks. “M-maybe! Who knows, maybe I'll get more adventurous!”
Now Mike was the one caught off guard. Where did this sudden spunk come from?
The two finally got into their old blue vehicle, a car just as worn out and rugged as all of their other possessions. It had clearly traveled a lot of miles.
“Whatever you say, spunky.” Mike adjusted his mirrors, pulling away from their motel.
*****
Charlie watched patiently out the window. They had made a few stops at some gas stations and a store so Charlie could buy her costume, but other than that, it was smooth sailing. The town was close, yes, but it was still a few hours drive to get there. It was close when comparing the distances they usually drove. The town was a small town neither of them had heard of before now, but they weren't one to judge. They themselves grew up in relatively small towns. She was actually excited to visit a town like that again, it made her think of when she'd get back from going on business trips with her dad. The warm air and the rocky environment always welcomed her back to their small little comfortable town of Hurricane.
This was not Hurricane, however. This was some other place in the middle of the same state, but not close enough to feel like home. Hurricane had a few small forests, sure, but this town had even fewer trees, and the air was a bit drier.
It's not the same…
They arrived at Jeff’s Pizza, Charlie immediately spotting the faded markings of a logo lost to time.
“Yep, that was a Freddy’s.” Mike spoke what she was thinking.
Charlie shook her head. “We've been to so many, but I still had no idea there were other Freddy’s outside of Hurricane…”
Mike parked their vehicle away from the entrance, even though all of the parking was available. It wasn't a very large lot, one overrun with potholes and weeds, cracked and faded with age. The building itself wasn't much of a spectacle either, a simple stand alone building made of old bricks and withered tiles, with windows that, while clean, had clearly seen better days. Weeds infested the surroundings, and a small neon light hung at the edge of a window, proudly, with all its pathetic might, announcing that the building was indeed open.
Despite everything else, the signage for Jeff’s was surprisingly well done. Although they could notice the faded Freddy’s branding, Jeff’s Pizza had done a great job of putting their own logo up. It was a simple logo with the name of the place in a green and red gradient with a pizza above it, a slice being taken out of it.
Charlie and Mike approached the building together, cautious and curious of what may lay inside. Upon entering, they found a very fascinating sight. Dozens of tables and chairs, booths lining the walls, and clear signs of older attractions that no longer existed. An overabundance of outlets lined the walls, with scars and markings of what was once arcade games. An awkward fixture stood along the back wall, an empty stage a curtain would've hidden if one had still been there. The floor of the stage was clearly boarded up with an extra layer of flooring, hiding what once clearly held animatronic stands and recharge stations.
No one was at the entrance to greet them, but they helped themselves inside anyway. The two knew the general layout of a Freddy’s pretty well, walking straight towards where the pizzas would've been made. A man greeted the two, the man, while only in his 40s, looking tired and worn out. He had large bags under his eyes and messy dark hair, with a roughly shaven face, specks of hair sprouting from his chin in odd places. He looked utterly drained.
“Hey.” His voice was rough and yet kind, like laying on a bed of soft gravel. “What brings such a couple as yourselves to my establishment?”
Charlie stepped forward. Usually she handled all the greetings and friendly interactions. “Hello, sir! My name is Fritz Smith, and this is my partner Mike Schmidt. Yes, we're aware of the similarities in our surnames. We’re up and coming reporters for the local paper, and we'd like to ask a few questions about this establishment of yours!”
Charlie, or “Fritz” in this instance, smiled so brightly the sun would've been jealous. The man was not immune to her charm.
Jeff nodded to the two. “You saw the sign out there? That's my name. Jeff. Pleasure meeting you, Fritz, Mike.”
Mike stepped forward. Mike handled all the business. “We have some questions regarding this place…”
Jeff turned a reluctant ear towards the man. He clearly was not nearly as thrilled to speak to him as he was the cheery little lady.
Mike stood an entire half a foot taller than Charlie, who was only 5’5. This made Mike a part of the “not exactly 6ft” club, but he always told Charlie that he really didn't care. Charlie liked that he was taller than her, because it meant that she could hide behind him if she had to. It was yet another comfort Mike held for her.
“We've heard rumors of some… disappearances.” Mike grimly watched the man, Jeff frowning. “But thankfully the children were found. Despite this, we still have reason to be concerned.”
Jeff readied to say something, but Charlie took the opportunity to jump in.
“What my partner is saying is… we want to get to the bottom of this. We know you want this to be taken care of so you don't have to worry about your business, we understand.”
Charlie looked at Mike. Mike’s gaze did not leave Jeff. She knew why.
“Mike here comes off a bit strong, but trust me, he's got a good heart. And we can tell that a man like you would never do anything to sabotage your own business.”
She turned back to Jeff.
“Isn't that right, sir?”
Jeff nodded. “First Oz, now you guys…”
Charlie seemed keen to learn more about this, but Jeff shook his head.
“I'm the only employee here. If I lost this job, this entire place gets shut down. I can't have that, ‘cause believe it or not, lots of kiddos come by and hang out here. I’ve got a few arcades hooked up, and some board games and air hockey for free. Not all of them work, but I had a kid, Oz, who fixed some up for me. Nice kid. Shame he's moved away.” He trailed off, lost in thought.
He snapped back to reality and resumed talking. “Anyway, the kids get a kick out of it, and the parents get to relax. That’s what this place is.”
Charlie pulled out a notepad and took some notes to make the two look the part, silent for a moment. She could feel Mike peeking to see what she wrote, Charlie containing a smirk as she had just doodled a little pirate fox next to some random words.
“Thank you. Now…” Charlie flipped the page on the notepad, preparing her pen again as she was seriously going to write down whatever his next answer was. “...what can you tell us about the disappearances?”
Jeff sighed. He's probably heard that question many times by now, Charlie imagined. She really couldn't blame his annoyance.
“Look, I told the cops and other reporters all I knew, but I'll say it again. I didn't see anything.” Jeff spoke frankly.
His eyes seemed to dart to the floor for a second, but then went back to normal. Mike noticed.
“Nothing?” Mike seemed curious.
“Nothin’ at all,” Jeff nodded, “but I have to admit… Those kids did say some strange things. Even I got a little spooked. I had a bad dream about it recently.”
Charlie’s interest was piqued. “Strange things?”
Jeff affirmed with another nod. “Yep. Somethin’ bout a yellow or gold bunny or somethin’ like that. But… I don’t have any golden bunnies here. I'd be rich if I did. Those rumors gave me a nightmare about some sharp-toothed rabbit thing attackin’ me. I know it wasn't real, but… it sure felt that way. I even banged up my arm, just like when I fought it off in my dream.”
Charlie felt tension grow from Mike. She herself was feeling uneasy, her stomach twisting and her throat tightening.
“Would you mind if,” she cleared her throat, “if we looked around a bit, sir? You can join us if you want. We promise we won't steal anything, but I understand that we're also complete strangers.”
Jeff waved her off, shaking his head. “Nah, I gotta stay here and work. Just know that I have cameras.”
“Oh!” Charlie suddenly shouted. “That's perfect! We can look at those too!”
Charlie looked to Mike, who nodded. Her excitement drained when she saw his own expression under his mask and cap. His eyes were drifting.
A security office.
*****
Mike clicked through the cameras, examining them closely. He thought about his past, and his experience as security guard back at Freddy’s. Actually, working as a security guard is how he came up with this fake identity he used. It's also where he got the fake name for Charlie too.
Mike pulled a stick of gum from his pocket, turning to Charlie and offering some. Charlie was too busy looking at the monitors with Mike, gears in her brain turning. Mike shrugged, opening the gum and sliding it under his face mask. He chewed away as he swapped between cameras, until finally noticing something. He gestured towards the monitor at Charlie, leaning closer to it.
On the monitor, something stood behind a “DO NOT USE” sign. Mike looked to Charlie, both instantly suspicious.
“Is that a ball pit?” Charlie squinted at the monitor. “What's a ball pit out of order for?”
“It's not out of order,” Mike snarkily teased, “it just says don't use it. Maybe Jeff uses it as his personal relaxation pit or something, eh?”
Charlie rolled her eyes. She then noticed Mike was chewing some gum. “And you didn't even offer me any!”
Mike got up from the chair slowly. “Oh no, I did. You were just absorbed in the monitors. TV rots your brain, you know.”
“You're one to talk! You watch TV every chance you can get!”
Mike’s smirk was hidden by his face mask, but he was sure his eyes smiled for him. He gestured for Charlie to follow, knowing exactly where to go based on the camera positions.
They arrived in a party room, seemingly barely used. Another smaller stage was in this room, and this time, the stage was not boarded up, so the metal stand and wires sat still in the center. In the corner, a net hung from the ceiling, a few ball pit balls still caught up inside of it. Nearby the net, a loud AC unit chugged above their heads, clearly struggling to keep the room at a decent temperature after all these years. The building was probably around thirty years old by now, leaving Mike to wonder if the AC unit had been chugging along for most of that time. It was almost inspiring, he thought.
“There!”
Mike looked to where Charlie was pointing. Under the net, a ball pit was not too far from the stage, the “DO NOT USE” sign still blocking off access to it. Mike pondered why a ball pit would need such a sign, but then noticed something strange. He turned, finding Charlie utterly mesmerized. He watched as her body was almost magnetically pulled towards it, Charlie’s eyes unblinking as she slowly crept closer towards the pit.
Mike snapped her out of it by grabbing her hand and gently gesturing at the cameras. Charlie nodded.
“Sorry, you're right. Cameras.” Charlie was a bit embarrassed. What had just come over her?
Mike knelt down to the floor, noticing a dark stain. The room wasn't lit very well, making it hard to see, but the dark stain resembled a small puddle. From what he could see, it looked like…
Mike leaned closer to Charlie, whispering under his breath. “Let's visit tonight. I know how to disable the security system long enough for us to investigate that suspicious ball pit.”
Charlie could smell the minty gum with each word. She liked that.
She nodded. The two began to head out back to the main entrance, but then Mike felt something touch his hand. He looked down, finding Charlie’s smaller hand grasping his own. He looked forward again, and without a word, understood what she meant. He stared at the wall, where faded cartoon animal characters could be seen waving. This place was bringing back memories, after all.
Memories of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.