The First Night at Freddy's

Just a test. Messing about, trying out ideas.
Written for the 5n@f thread. It's a bit late, I'm sorry.

--

A dull mechanical thumping pulls you from whatever dream you were having. Immediately you've forgotten everything about it. The elusive thoughts drifting away from your mind without so much as looking back. You wanted to dwell on them, to sustain that slumber for as long as you could before having to give in to the embrace of daylight.

Daylight isn't what greets you when you eventually come to. It's so dark in fact you have to check again to make sure your eyes are actually open. But sure enough after a few moments you notice the red tint of LEDs in your peripheral. Oh right, you're at work. More specifically on the floor of the arcade.

Now that this realization dawns on you, you're suddenly aware of how uncomfortable it is. The rough carpet itching at your back, you're sure it must have caused plenty of burns when kids tripped in the past. Patting down your body yo make sure everything's where it should be. You're not sure why they wouldn't. But considering you're in the middle of a pitch black room with no recollection of how you got here, you figure there's no harm in checking.

Pulling your body up to a sit you take a proper look around. The sharp red lights aren't enough to see by, and only a sliver of light is spilling from the main hall giving you an idea of the way out. Gripping a nearby cabinet you stumble to your feet, patting down your legs and butt. With unsteady feet you shuffle towards the exit, only tripping a couple of times before you make it.

The building is unnerving in its darkness. And thanks to the building's layout, you can't help but turn and check behind yourself. There's never anything there, but the second you turn back it tickles the back of your mind. Running a hand back and forth along the waxy wallpaper you look for a switch, but find nothing. It's around here somewhere. You're sure of that. But each step takes you further and further away until the floor disappears from beneath you.

For the second time tonight you blink up at the darkness. At the least you know where you are now, the stairs leading down to the main dining area. The tiled floor here is chilly and you can feel a cold breeze coming from the double doors to the kitchen. Rubbing the arm that fell first, given that you can't see you actually take a moment to listen.

A quiet static buzzes from one of the nearby rooms, piercing the otherwise silent night. Racking your brain you follow it on a mental map. It's in the... parts and services? Yeah, it's got to be. Finding a table you pull yourself up once more and stumble about, using the tiny child's tables as a guide. With each step you can hear it louder, and as you reach the door you're certain somebody must have left a radio on.

The door is stuck. And after a minute or so of pushing you're convinced it's jammed by something too heavy for your weak frame. There's only one other option. Finding the heavy curtains beside you, you pull yourself over to the stage. It's not too high up and despite a stiffness in your legs you manage to hoist yourself.

The curtain falls leaving you in total blackness. Somehow it manages to be even darker back here and before you can even take a step you bump into Freddy. Oh, haha, whoops. He's a lot harder than you expect. They look so fuzzy but they're just big, clumps of assorted metal wrapped in a pretend charming skin. He's not on now though, standing motionless and unmoved by your intrusion. Good thing, the darkness is starting to get to you.

The steps aren't hard to find once you knew where Freddy was. Using the wall as a guide you land yourself into the blocked off room. The crackling of radio transmission is loudest here, your ears flatten to shield themselves. Part of you is glad you can't see as you know what is in here, those soulless heads. Staring. The other part is afraid for exactly that reason. You can't see them.

Hoping to get back out quick you reach out towards the noise, hoping to find out whatever it is. The noise is elusive though, almost like it's pulling back every time you grab. Before you know it, you're at the center of the room standing beside the work station. Reaching out with hesitant fingers your hands grip about whatever is causing the noise. It's sort of rectangular, but round. Firm, with buttons. The noise abruptly changes to a crackle as you test one.

It's a walkie talkie. Now that you know what it is the shape makes complete sense. Playing with it in your hands you do your best to visualize it. A welcome distraction from the feeling of empty eyes watching. Walking backwards towards the exit your hands drags across the plush faces on the wall. The sensation sends a quiver down your spine, and you pull back on reflex. The corner to the stage couldn't come sooner and you find your feet speeding up to get out. For a moment you're sure you can hear the garbled noise once more behind you, but shake it from your mind. Your mind must be wandering.

The wood of the stage creaks beneath you as you emerge once more. Taking only one step further before you bump into Freddy once more. Man your sense of direction must be awful, you could've sworn he was closer to the center. As it is right now, you have to press against the wall to get around him. But it isn't a second later before you make your way back down to the floor. You forgot how chilly it was here, the heavy curtain does a good job of insulating the stage.

Holding the walkie talkie with a firm grip you find yourself stepping back towards the arcade. You know the lights are here somewhere, and this oppressive darkness is getting to you. You're starting to see things, hear things. The occasional scraping as if something's moving. Like the auditory movement in the corner of your eye.

A nerve wracking minute later you find yourself at a door, a unlocked one at that. Before the door can even finish swinging open your hands fumble at the wall for a switch. A second later the room twitches to life. The dim fluorescent bulb casting a flickering yellow glow into your unprepared eyes. Covering your face with a hand you find yourself a seat and slump into it, looking through the gaps.

It's the staff room. Though it seems to be in worse repair than when you last saw it. Not that it's particularly vile, but you know your boss wouldn't accept it. It's not like normal use either, not so much dirty spoons and cups left about, but damaged. Like something big had fallen on everything.

With your eyes adjusted you can get a better look. Thankful to finally be in the comforting light once again.

Before you is wide, wooden table that looks too big for the room. Or rather, the room is just too small. Along one wall is a wooden platform with various break room amenities. Among them is a severely damaged microwave, the top crimped in so much the door hangs open. The inside is grotty and brown, as though it were in the rain.

To your left are the lockers, most of which left open with their keys hanging from the lock. Two of them stand out though, it's clear it's past work hours, but in defiance they're locked. And of course, the keys are missing. You're just about to get up and inspect them when a crackling erupts from your hand.

"Hello? Can you hear me? What are you doing in there? Don't you know we're closed?" The sound causes you to jump in your seat, but before you can respond the voice continues. It's a deep voice, grainy as though the man is struggling to speak. "If you can hear me you need to get that light off right now. They're coming for you. Turn it off now!"

Looking up at the light switch you linger. You've only just gotten out of that oppressive darkness, you're not eager to sink right back into it. You don't even know who's talking to you, it could be some kind of prank for all you know. A thump erupts from your right as a large yellow claw grips at the door frame. Only a second later a beak pushes its way around the corner before you hit the switch and the room fades.

In the second the light dims you see it. Never in your life have you been so afraid of Chica.

Falling backwards your body shuffles to the back wall on instinct. You bring your knees to your chest and wrap your elbows about your legs, tugging at your long ears from the stress. This is it. This is where it gets you.

You hear a step. A thump in the darkness. Then another, the whirring pistons moving closer to you. Until it backs away, returning to the hallway and back from where it came. Your hands are quivering and you refuse to pull your head up, for all you know it could be a trap. And if you lift up its cold, dead eyes will be staring back. But death doesn't come. After a few moments - seconds that seem to last forever - the thumping steers away. A powerful piston lifting the heavy metal legs one after another down the hallway. Back towards the stage.

You spend the next few minutes calming yourself, shaky hands bouncing against your knee. Each breath slows more and more as you focus on it keeping your attention off the animatronics. That wasn't the Chica you knew. The way she moved, those eyes.

Before you can gather your thoughts the tinkle of a radio snaps you back to reality. Is she near? Can she hear it? Before you can attempt any of these questions you're cut off.

"If you're still here, listen to me." The voice starts, and in obedience you listen. "They struggle to see you in the dark. But that doesn't mean you're invisible. Hiding is what's going to save you."

"I don't know how you got in there, but you're stuck. We won't be able to get you out for at least another few days. So you're going to have to lay low."

There's a pause as though the voice is deciding what to say. You close your eyes and listen given there isn't much for you to look at.

"You're going to need to get into the office. It's at the end of the hall. We're doing what we can to get you out, just keep quiet, and keep the lights off. Good luck."

Silence follows. You're both terrified as the only sign of life vanishes as soon as it came, and happy. Happy that nothing has come for you yet. The radio is dormant now, and despite knowing what you need to do you can't bring yourself to move. Not just yet. Your body won't allow you to, the initial shock is over but it's still out there. They're still out there. They must all be awake. Alive? It's best to assume that's the case. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath and try to relax

It takes a moment for you to realise where you are. The orange room in front of you is familiar, but from where you're not sure.
You lift a hand to your head and think back. You must have fallen asleep after last night, and it looks like you slept into the afternoon. Slumped up against the lockers in the corner of the staff room. The cold metal feels good against your skin, almost natural.
What exactly happened last night? You remember the frightening image of Chica but not why it scared you so. They're just animatronics, you've seen them time and time before and they've never been anything but. Animatronics.

Looking around now you get a good look at the room, stained a burned amber by the fading light that creeps in through the shutter blinds. You can't see much outside, but that's mostly thanks to the light hurting your eyes. Averting them to the floor instead the absence of a walkie talkie is the first thing you notice. You're certain you had it. You can still remember...

Actually, you can't remember the voice. It seems pretty distant now. But you do remember it saying people were coming for you. All you have to do is hold it out for as long as it takes. It shouldn't take long, surely. After all you're only in a pizeria. Surely they have to open up for business at some point, you must be here on a weekend is all. Maybe you got knocked out during a Saturday shift or something.

Hoisting yourself onto your feet you check yourself. Legs. Torso. Head. Yep, everything's here. One of your ears has curled about the back of your head from your sleeping position. Pressing it back with a hand you stretch out. How long has it been? A day so far easily, you should probably get some food. You step over the broken table, making sure not to stand on any splinters and open up one of the cabinet doors. The foul stench of rotting food prompts you to slam it shut immediately after. Whoever's job it is to maintain this place isn't doing their job that's for sure.

You hope it isn't your job. That notion gives you pause. What exactly is your job here? You know this place well, you know your way around and who the animatronics are. You know them all by name. So why is it you can't remember what you do? Your eyes wander over to the lockers, most all empty save a couple locked hatches. Most of the labels have worn away likely from overuse, the few remaining numbered. You were hoping for some kind of name, something to work off.

Moving back towards the door your eyes wander over the broken wood frame. Splinters stick out at odd, rough angles and your mind rolls back to your visitor last night. It's light now, why aren't they coming for you? The voice said-

Your eyes wander about the room, the radio is missing. Patting yourself down you feel frantic scanning the floor. Nothing. The only person you can speak to is gone. Your hand moves up to hold at your sleeve if only to stave off the shaking. A large part of you wants to hide here, wait until somebody rescues you. But the prospect of starving doesn't thrill you.

Slow steps take you through the hallway away from the stage. You figure it's best to keep as far away as possible for now, and far away as possible leads you to the office. Back here it's a struggle to make out things in the darkness. The light filtering through the break room only goes so far, and there are no windows here. After stumbling into a potted plant your hand finds its way to the door, giving the handle a rough twist. No use. Locked.

Letting out a low sigh you turn on the spot. Freezing in place as a tall, brown-red fox stands high above you. Its cold, emotionless eye stares down at you, head lopped to one side as though unable to hold it upright. And with a hiss of its leg it steps towards you.