Michael Afton's P.O.V

1983

Night 4

My whole body felt stiff, almost like something was pressing against it hard. I slowly opened my eyes, but all I was shown in return was more darkness. And something covering my face. As soon as my eyes were open, they repeatedly looked around to figure out where I was. My eyes locked in position to me realizing where I was; I was in a springlock suit. "Shh. Be still. And quiet," said Baby's voice as I looked around to try and locate her. I couldn't see her so who knows if she's even near me at all. "You've been sleeping for quite a while. I think they noticed that you never left the building last night. The cameras were searching for you. But they couldn't find you. I have you hidden too well," she said. "I kidnapped you." Just those words in a whisper tone was enough to make my eyes go big in shock. 'What the fuck is wrong with her,' I thought. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I am only going to keep you for a little while. Try not to wiggle, though. You're inside something that came from my old pizzeria. I don't think it was ever used. At least not the way it was meant to be used. Too dangerous. It's just big enough for one person to fit inside. But just... barely," she explained. 'Something tells me this is the Springbonnie prototype suit the company never used,' I thought. "You're in the Scooping Room. Do you know why they call it the Scooping Room?" asked Baby. "Uh? No?" I said softly. "It's because, dummy this is the room where they use the Scooper. I thought that would be obvious," responded Baby. 'What the hell is that? Dad never mentioned something called 'The Scooper' at all,' I thought. "Isn't that a fun name for something? 'The Scooper.' It sounds like something you would use for ice cream. Or custard. Or sprinkles. It sounds like something you would want at your birthday party to ensure that you get a heaping portion of every. Good. Thing. I wonder, though. If you were a freshly opened pint of ice cream, how you would feel about something with that name? Thankfully, I don't think a freshly opened pint of ice cream feels anything at all," said Baby. "Uh oh. It sounds like someone else is in the building. Shh." I heard something open, as well of the sound of two pairs of moderate movement. "Okay, bring her over. Forward. More. Mooore okay, stop. Set her down. Waatch the step." That voice. It was Jim's. I was about to speak, until I was stopped to the sound of something moving near the right of me in the suit. "What happened to it this time? Just seems like these things can't go a day without breaking down." This voice was the sound of Jerry. If only the suit wasn't preventing me from making my presence known verbally. I moved a little, though I stopped immediately after. The suits springlocks could be fragile and possibly kill me in an instant if I wasn't careful enough, considering how unstable it was. "Did you hear that? It came from the prototype Springbonnie suit," said Jerry. "It probably moved due to some glitch. Thank god they don't store the real Fredbear and Springbonnie suits here," responded Jim. "Anyways. Who knows? It's always the same, man, some kind of hardware malfunction." "Well, hey I have to be back home in fifteen minutes. It's already late and you know how my wife gets when I wake her up at this time. Especially for Jacob. I can imagine the same happening with your wife and Micah. Besides, this place gives me the creeps," said Jerry. "So can we just get this over with? It's all automated. We don't have to be here for it. Just get her on some rollers, then we can go." I heard footsteps leaving my area as I heard something close, along with mechanical and industrial sounds. Coming slowly and steadily into view on a conveyor belt was Ballora, sitting still and deactivated while being lifeless. Just the way she always slept, acted, and danced. She stopped to the left of me, as I had a clear view of a lifeless robot. "There's something very important that I've learned how to do over time. Do you know what that is? How to pretend," said Baby out of nowhere. "Do you ever play make believe? Pretend to be one way, when you are really the other... It's very important. Ballora never learns. But I do. They think there is something wrong, on the inside. The only thing that matters is knowing. How. To. Pretend." Suddenly, an alarm blared through the rooms and through the spaces of the suit as something hit Ballora over-and-over in her chest before she was now an empty and lifeless shell. She laid destroyed with her faces plates hanging open, in which they exposed her mechanical lifeless endo-skeleton face. I had been seated and presented with an example of death robots experience. "I'll open the faceplates for you," said Baby as the faceplates opened on their own. "That way, they can find you on the cameras. Now all you have to do, is wait. I'd recommend that you keep the springlocks wound up. Your breathing and your heartbeat are causing them to come loose. You don't want them to get too loose. Trust me." She was right. The springlocks on the faceplates were moving slowly, creating a quick death to emerge. All because of my fear. I could now move my arms and hands, and that was all I needed to survive. I slowly moved my arms near the springlocks as I tightened each one the best I could. Even though I could freely move my arms they still were bonded by the tight movements of my arms due to the suit. 'Dammit, someone better be here. I can't control my breathing the best right now,' I thought tightening each one that came loose. However, on the left of me, crawling up on my left face plate was some little thing. I looked at it for a moment while tightening the springlocks, only to realize it was one of Ballora's Minireena's. 'If only I could get it off me,' I thought. However, another one was crawling up on the right side of the faceplate as the springlocks started to come looser now. 'The Minireena's are causing them to come loose due to the amount of movement they're creating on the faceplates. I gotta keep them in place or I'll be stuck in this thing for a permanent period of time,' I thought. I tried my best to stick with keeping the springlocks in place, and it didn't help that the both of them were crawling over my arms. Out of nowhere, another one came from underneath my neck as I could feel it lightly touching the bottom part of the face plates. The springlocks were furthermore coming loose, loose enough to impair my body. And it didn't help that my breathing and heartbeat was increasing my the amount of stress being developed in this predicament. "Dammit! I should've never trusted Baby!" I exclaimed softly as the springlocks become even looser from my words. I quickly tightened them as I could feel something over my head. From above peered another one of the Minireena's faces; the face that looked identical to Puppet. It was my idea I came up with for their design after all. The one on top of me got back up on my head, which made the springlocks even more deadlier than what they were capable of right now. 'I can't keep this up. Just focus on tightening each one the best you can,' I thought. Each one I heard or saw loose I immediately tightened to prevent my demise. The only thing I hoped for was that someone was here to save me before my death could be considered inhumane. The constant movement and crawling of the Minireena's all around me seemed it was Ballora's way of her taking me to be apart of her fate. A fate she endured. Now I was losing count and control of each springlock getting loose; a clock ticking away when to strike my life to be released from former chains all these animatronics belonged in. Except this time, I would be drowned in a pool of darkness. Being alone in the darkness with nothing but fear; being consumed by it. Finally, even at odds and the mercy of death, a miracle I could call fate was there to offer redemption and assistance. The sound of a door opening and running felt almost too real, as the minireena's got off me and retreated back to wherever their domain was in this place. "Michael," said my dad's voice as his face peered in front of me. "Dad," I said as he went behind me while opening the back of the suit to get me out. "Seems even the animatronics here set to make you an example. One to laugh and torment," he said. "Yeah. Just like how we do the same to them," I responded softly. "Just how we treat them like shit."

"As the moon rises, so also rises the tension between sworn lovers!" played the TV in the background as I stared watching it while eating popcorn. I was thankful I was back at home; at my sanctuary. A place to hide from the monster's and their domain. The sound of something tapping against the ground made me look towards the direction of it. Only, it was one of the pencils that had fallen off the table it was resting on a moment ago. I slowly went back in my chair as I sat comfortably, relaxed, and in no fear at all. Though, that lasted for a moment before I nearly jumped out of my seat to the sound of the phone ringing next to me as I picked it up slowly. "H-Hello?" I asked after a short pause before I answered. "Hello son. Good to know you're still active after your absence from last night. Now I know after these events you wouldn't want to be bothered, but I am obligated to inquire about the current and untold events of last night," said Dad. "So? What happened?" "I-I. So much..." I tried to say. "Take it slow. What happened when you got there last night?" said Dad. "B-Baby. She remembers Elizabeth's death. Clearly. She thinks her spirit may have been combined with hers," I said calming down a little. "Hmm. Elizabeth? Her spirit combined with Baby's?" repeated Dad sounding intrigued. "What else?" "Well. Hand Unit was acting up again. I also found Ballora all messed up and in bad shape on her stage, but Hand Unit acted like she was fine. And when I was finished repairing Freddy, as instructed by Hand Unit, Funtime Foxy attacked me as I was trying to leave and Baby apparently put me in that old prototype Springbonnie suit we moved here on Sunday," I said. "Why she did it. I don't know. But she needs to answer for what she did." "Interesting. Please, continue," responded Dad. "After I woke up in the suit I heard Jerry and Jim bring over Ballora near me. I could've for sure gotten their help but that could've just made and force the springlocks to kill me instantly," I continued. "Which brings me to another point. You have some other occurrences that I experienced to answer for." "And what answers do I owe you?" asked my dad. "That Bon Bon hand puppet was active, Funtime Foxy viciously tried to attack me, and those Minireena's crawled over me like I was their prey! And I saw Ballora get impaired in the chest by whatever mechanical contraption you call 'The Scooper!' It was so dark and my feelings and energy were so drained that I didn't see what it was in its pure form that destroyed Ballora! So what the hell is going on?!" I exclaimed on the phone. "Since you so desire to know, the actions of the animatronics are not my to command. The events you've described have lead me to believe to be done by Baby. As for 'The Scopper,' it is a device I made to destroy any animatronics that were. Dysfunctional. It is a name personally given by me," responded Dad. "These occurrences you've described have lead me to believe it is Baby who is responsible. She did trap you in a suit after all. Hmm?" "I-I guess you're right. But why?" I responded. "That is something we have to demand from her. For now, you rest up and replenish the energy and strength lost. I'll let you rest for tomorrow and return back to the place tomorrow night one more time. I'll see to seal these tampered memories. Formally," responded Dad. "Good night." He hung up as I set the phone back on its stand as I dug my face into my left hand. I couldn't hold in the tears that have been itching for a while to escape any longer. Pain. That was all I felt. All this torment and suffering. Only for my past to be the source of my problems. All I wished was I could burn it and let the ashes fly away and be forgotten. Like every bad memory everyone wants to forget. Finally I wiped away the remaining tears, knowing my will was still sustainable and here. "Whatever Baby's plan is, I have to stop it and figure out what her reasons are," I said sniffling to keep the running snot from coming out, caused from my suffering. "If Elizabeth really is inside her. If she is still here... I'm not leaving without her. Without the both of us. And without the strength together to break free of Dad's eternal hell of this franchise."