The sound of gentle rushing water, birds happily singing their songs, leaves swaying with the wind, and woodland animals joining the orchestra of nature woke up the young male who laid on one of the rolling, grassy hills. His sapphire blue eyes took in the vast world. The sun smiled down. The boy sat up and scanned his surroundings. The grass brushed his legs and he turned back to see the hills stretch out as far as he could see. In front of him flowed a wide river with water a crystalline blue. A simple wooden bridge stood over the river, the wood painted an alluring white with gold and light green swirls and designs painted over the white.

Something urged the boy to approach the bridge. Standing up, the boy looked at his hands. His hands were small and the skin was irritated red. He wore a gray tank top and black shorts with gray sneakers. A Foxy mask was on the ground next to him. His brown hair felt sticky around his forehead and the top of his head. He  should have felt cold, but the place he was in didn’t have a chill in the air. Even though in the hills behind him snow fell.

Once he reached the bridge, an angelic voice beckoned him to cross. A woman with pale skin, black hair and eyes that shone like diamonds on the other side, her white and green dress blowing with the wind. “Come, child,” her voice was soft as honey and filled him with warmth and peace. “Cross and find the rest you’ve always wanted, Michael Afton.” She extended her hand, calmly watching as Michael stepped onto the bridge.

“Wait,” a wrinkled hand reached out and grabbed Michael’s arm, pulling him back from the bridge. The woman didn’t scowl or look angry. She simply smiled and rolled her eyes. Michael opened his mouth to protest before he saw the man who grabbed him. He looked to be about sixty years old, his hair a silvery grey, his eyes shining like rubies, and he wore a red tunic with brown sandals, a staff in his other hand. “Child, you have much to think about before you cross,” he smiled at the woman, “if you cross.”

“What…what are you talking about?” Michael tilted his head, allowing the man to drag him to the riverbed. They both sat on the rocks, the old man skipping rocks. “Who are you?” Michael looked up at the bridge, the woman sitting at the other side, weaving a golden spool of thread, creating a blanket. “Who is she? Where am I?”

“You are in the in-between,” the man laughed, handing Michael a few rocks. “Go ahead. Skip them. I am Old Man Consequences. She is Young Lady Virtue. You are here because of the accident.” Lady Virtue waved to them. Consequences waved back.

“What accident?” Michael asked, pouting as the rock didn’t skip. He tried to remember, but everything was fuzzy. He barely remembered his family. Did he have a family? Who was he?

“The FredBear accident,” Consequences whispered. Dark clouds rolled in and thunder boomed. Michael’s eyes widened. Memories came flooding back like water when a dam broke. Oh, god. The blood…the sickening crunch followed by screams…Evan and Lizzie screaming his name…his mother and father frantically calling the ambulance. Tears streamed down his eyes as he remembered how he approached FredBear, looking up into the animatronics mouth. He knew the dangers but he hadn’t cared. He didn’t think the springlocks would fail. His head was trapped in the bear’s mouth.

“Oh god,” Michael sobbed. “I…I never meant…no, I did, but not like that! I just…what have I done?” Sobs wracked his body and he felt soft arms wrapping around him. Young Lady Virtue had floated over, draping her golden blanket over Michael’s shoulders.

“It’s okay, Michael,” she whispered in his ear. “We are here to help you. Consequences wants to make sure you are ready to cross and end your journey.”

“That’s right,” Consequences nodded, patting Michael’s shoulder. “Once you cross, you will cease living. You will be in the afterlife with Young Lady Virtue and all other children. Or, you can follow me and wake up. Live your life.”

Michael gripped the blanket. “Can…can I think about it?” Both deities smiled and nodded. “Give me a week. Then I will make my decision.” Though, Michael had already made his. He wanted to cross the bridge, yet something held him back.

“In one week we will return. Be careful, Michael. If you chose to live, we will be here when you die,” Lady Virtue hugged Michael and crossed the bridge with Consequences.

Seven days, Michael. Seven days.

On the first day, Michael skipped rocks. He was determined to get one rock to the other side of the river. He didn’t notice a young woman coming up to him. Soft sobs got his attention. A woman with emerald green eyes and deep ginger hair fell to her knees. “I can’t do this anymore!” she cried, trying to stop her tears. “I can’t!”

Against Michael’s better judgment, he put his blanket around her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I love him,” she sobbed, “but he wants to leave me. I really thought he would be the one. Now, I’m alone with no one. He was my everything!” she wailed, sobs wracking her body.

Anger flared in Michael. “Are you serious?” he scoffed. “That’s what got you here? Because some man dumped you?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You should be ashamed! You still have your life! You're lucky you’ve never been robbed of anything.”

“Thank you for listening,” the woman breathed, wiping her tears away. “I needed to hear that. You’re right. He was the one to leave. It’s not my fault.” She gave him back his blanket and walked back toward life. Michael watched her go, a feeling of familiarity hitting him. He went back to skipping rocks.

Day two rolled around and this time a small crying boy appeared. His brown hair was messy and his clothes were ripped and dirty. “I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me!” he sobbed.

“Kid, it’s okay,” Michael smiled, offering his blanket which the child took, wrapping up. “What’s wrong?” he got off his rock and sat next to the child, slinging an arm around him.

“I don’t belong! Everyone at school hates me and bullies me. I can’t even go to school without feeling sick. I have no friends but my plushie which was taken from me!” the boy wailed. “No one cares about me!”

“Kid, you listen to me,” Michael angrily started, startling the boy. “Just because school is hard and no one there likes you doesn’t mean you bring yourself here! You still have a loving family at home and food on the table. Think of their pain if you died. Your parents would be burying their child they wanted to see grow old!” A pang of guilt punched Michael in the gut.

“I hadn’t thought of that…” the child whispered, throwing the blanket off. “I have to go. Thanks mister!” He ran off back to his family. Michael smiled.

Day three brought Michael a preteen girl with pale green eyes and ginger hair. She cried about her father giving her a hard time and not giving her what she wanted and how she felt unloved. Her brothers got more attention from her. All she wanted was her father’s love and affection. Michael sternly told her to stop being a spoiled brat and that she needed to stop being so selfish. The world didn’t revolve around her. Her parents cared, but something they didn't always know how to show they did. She smiled, hugged him, and ran off to apologize.

Day four was when an older gentleman with a smile that made others happy. He was a bit heavy set with a beard and eyes that once glowed with happiness. He spoke of his troubles and stress with maintaining work and a family. He spoke of his best friend who was starting to drift away and become distant. One who kept secrets and one who was becoming somewhat obsessed with work. Michael rolled his eyes and simply said to confront the friend and cut them off if needed. He said to take more breaks from work and to spend more time with his family. Because the one regret he would have would be not spending enough time with his wife and twin children.

On day five, a girl with brown hair sadly tried to skip rocks. She cried over not being good enough to help others. She wasn’t strong enough to protect the ones she cared about. No one seemed to notice how hard she tried to make them happy and safe. Bitterness welled up inside of her. Michael told her to stop, set boundaries, and do self-care. She can’t protect everyone, and she can’t help everyone. It was okay to be selfish sometimes. Not everyone depended on her. She was only a child, after all. Like you are, Mike. You were only a child. She wiped her tears and laughed. He helped her skip a rock and she left him alone.

Day six brought someone like Michael. A boy about twelve years old and a spitting image of Michael flinched as Michael draped the blanket over his shivering form. “Why does he hate me?” he whispered and that made Michael froze. “Why am I never good enough? What did I do wrong?”

“Who?” Michael asked, protectiveness sparking.

“My father,” the boy trembled. “He hits me and yells at me.” Michael could see the black eye and bruises that littered the boy's arms and legs. “I try so hard to please him, but I always mess up.” Tears slipped down his cheeks. “He doesn’t care! He never wanted me!” He sobbed even harder. “I only wanted him to love me.”

“I…I’m sorry. My father didn’t love me either, but it is not your fault,” Michael comforted.

“I don’t wanna go back. I’m scared. I’m going to cross.” He went to stand up.

“Wait!” Michael shouted. “Yeah, your father’s a dick, but you shouldn’t waste your life because of him. You may be scared of becoming him, but strive to be better than him. Be the man he never could be. Help kids instead of hurting them. Help people.”

The boy paused and looked at Lady Virtue who nodded. He turned back to Michael and gulped. “I’m scared.”

“I know, but it’s a small sacrifice that will reap good results later in life. Be decent and try to be the best you can be,” Michael smiled and embraced the boy. “I believe in you.”

“Thank you,” the boy cried and bravely walked back home, a goal set in his mind. Michael smiled through his tears. He wanted to go home. He wanted to hear Evan cry, Lizzie laugh, and his parents talk (even if they were fighting). Michael didn’t care. He wanted his family.

Day seven came and Old Man Consequences came back. Young Lady Virtue stood at the other side of the bridge, beckoning Michael. “Have you decided, Son?”

“I want to go home,” Michael choked out and ran back toward the hills. A doorway stood at the bottom of the hill he woke up on. Old Man Consequences laughed and Young Lady Virtue dipped her head and giggled. Michael burst through the door.

—

“MIKEY!” Elizabeth cried, hugging Michael as he woke up. Evan sobbed and hugged Michael as well. Clara and William breathed in relief. Charlie and Henry were as happy as clams.

“I’m so sorry!” Michael whispered through his tears. “Dad, I never meant for it to happen. I never wanted to leave any of you.”

“Don’t ever do that again!” Evan cried.

“I promise, I won’t.” Michael smiled as he was smothered by his family’s love. More tears slid down his cheeks as he embraced his family.

Sadly, life didn’t get better. A year later Clara died in a car accident that nearly drove William to die. He started drinking and Michael’s siblings didn’t take it well. Then Elizabeth went missing, and Evan died from a prank Michael’s former friends pulled. Michael screamed his throat raw as he saw his brother dangling from the same bear that almost killed him.

Then William snapped. A few weeks later, he killed Charlie and then later on five more kids. Fredbear’s closed and Michael grew up alone with a father who hated him. Henry moved away with his wife and remaining child. William disappeared and Michael went to Circus Baby’s after William told him to find something. There, Michael was scooped, but he didn’t die. Ennard made sure of that.

Fire licked at the walls of Freddy FazBear’s Pizza Place. Helpy hid in Michael’s vest, crying as well as a machine could. Michael welcomed death. His mission was complete. Cassidy, Susie, Jeremy, Elizabeth, Evan, Charlie, and all of William’s other victims were free. Michael was free.

—

“I told you I would be welcoming you,” Young Lady Virtue smiled down at Michael. She extended her arms and picked Michael up.

“You did,” Michael breathed in the fresh air. He could feel his lungs moving and all the vital organs he lost to Ennard. “I’m ready to cross now.”

“You can cross, or,” she paused, her eyes twinkling, “you can become one of us. Be the one who helps those who can live on, live. You will be welcome in my realm and in Consequences realm.”

Michael smiled. “I’ll be able to see my family?” Lady Virtue nodded. “Then I accept. Allow me to keep helping others.” Michael took her hands.

Throughout time, Michael helped many souls live on when all seemed hopeless. He visited Evan, Elizabeth, and the others on the weekends. He played with the children and helped his mother care for them. Virtue and Consequences gifted Michael with a newly remade Helpy, one who was fully sentient and not a machine. Helpy helped Michael comfort the saddened souls. Michael was finally at peace.

A young man laid on the soft grass, staring up at the blue sky. The wind blew, the gentle sounds of the river calmed him, and the animals chittered and chirped. He smiled as a small white and pink plush sized bear slept on his chest. His sapphire eyes closed once more, and he drifted off to sleep.

---

Hey guys!

So, I wrote this about a year ago and I thought I'd finally crosspost it here. I may make this into a series if you all would like that. Please let me know if you do!

Have a wonderful day!

~Kat