I glanced up at the dark sky and let out a deep breath. "Things will never be the same huh?" I spoke softly while holding onto Y/N's hand tight. Something about her made me feel a comfort and safety that I don't feel in any other person.

She squeezed my hand slightly and hugged me. "Yea. We're never going to get them back..." As she finished her sentence, a flare of light appeared in the small building we had just left. The building was engulfed with flames in a matter of seconds. No one would ever know what happened there. We were the only two survivors....

•Earlier That Day•

I stepped foot into, hopefully, my new job. The rooms of this building were obviously geared towards the kids who visited with their parents. Many dining tables were around the room, decorated to always look like a party was going on. In the back of the room, completely opposite of the entrance, there was a stage with three tall animatronics.

Each one was different and from what I had heard, they all had different actions and personalities. The three animatronics seemed to tower over the children in front of the stage. The middle creature was a tall yellow bear, singing and dancing while tipping his top hat slightly. The animal on his left was a pink bunny that playfully danced and played it's guitar to the rhythm of the song. The last animatronic on the stage looked like a girl with purple hair, pulled into pigtails. She wore a light purple dress and held a blue cupcake in her hands.

The manager walked to me and smiled childishly. I studied the way he moved as he approached me. Cheerful, almost mechanical-like movements took over his body and I felt as if he would become the robots on stage. "Hello! I'm Jonathan, and welcome to Banana Bear's Ice Cream Parlor!" I chuckled at the name of the place, obviously because of the idea of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria being a play on this establishment.

I shook Jonathan's hand and spoke just loud enough for him to hear. "Hey, I'm Arlan. I wanted to apply for that job opening." Jonathan's eyes opened wide and he looked at me with astonishment. "You really want to have this job?" I nodded as my response and he quickly handed me a security badge. "Your shift starts in an hour. If anything weird happens, don't worry. It's normal for a few things to move. Anything more than a small shift means that you must call for backup. Preferably Evan Fong, Y/N, or me. Evan is the owner and was the one who created these robots. However, I am one with these animatronics, so if you need anything, call me." His eyes began to glow slightly as he finished his statement. A cool breeze hit my back and I shivered. "Oh, and please do not call the cops about anything that you see in this building after hours."

I shivered at the thought of needing to call for backup. I slid on my vest and glanced at the other staff members. A girl stood in the corner with a similar vest as me. She stared out at the kids, studying their playful moves and interactions with each other. I walked over to her and managed to catch her attention. "Hey, my name is Arlan. Are you one of the daytime guards?"

She shook her head swiftly and smiled as she glanced up at me. "No I'm another night guard. I work on the bottom floor with the animatronics that get sent out for parties. I fix the robots and find new things for Evan to work on. I'm Y/N. Are you the new guy?"

I smiled politely and nodded. "Do you know about the movement thing?"

She looked away quickly and watched as the animatronics finished their last song for the day. "Unfortunately, yes. That's why I work downstairs. I get to be in rooms where I never have to get near the damn things. They're frightening." Y/N took a deep breath and stepped forward. "If I were you, I wouldn't stay working here after tonight. No one makes it to payday in your specific job.... Well except for Jonathan. He managed to make the animatronics obey his every command."

I picked up the phone and called Brian. Of course, the call went straight to voicemail so I left a short and brief message. "Hey Brian, it's Arlan. I need you to do some research on a location. I know you're the best one for this job... I texted you the name of the business and the workers. Let me know what you find... Thanks." I hung up and looked up to examine the office I was ordered to stay in. There were a couple of monitors and some buttons that would control the lights in the hall, as well as the electronic doors. Y/N was roaming around the main party room while staring at the animatronics. She seemed like she was speaking to them. I leaned back in my seat and saw the back door open. Four figures creeped into the hallway and walked silently to my office. I turned on the light which revealed Brian, Brock, Lui, and Marcel, who had goofy expressions.

Brock spoke softly as we sat down, "Arlan you have to leave. This place is seriously bad news."

I shook my head in disbelief while Lui spoke. "I watched a couple of videos about this place. There's huge murder cases that happened here. They caught the wrong guy during the investigation. You can't stay here dude."

Marcel stayed silent as the information sunk in. Brian sighed and placed a hand on my back. "Arlan, the manager is behind the murders. He uses the robots to kill the night guards. I can't do anything to help except tell you to leave." The room began to spin as I tried to shake off Brian's hand. I saw Y/N lean against the doorway, causing my fear to start to escape my mind.

Y/N cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself. Her voice rang through my ears as she began to speak. "You guys are too paranoid. I know how far these robots go. As long as I'm here, you won't have to worry. Those kids went missing because some psychopath came into the old building and convinced the children to leave with them." She pressed a button under the desk and a door opened in the hallway. She glanced over her shoulder and looked over at me. "Sorry about this Arlan. I have to make sure the animatronics are in their places so I can stay up here." As she finished her sentence, her body disappeared into the darkness as she climbed down a ladder.

My friends begged me to not stay here, but I chose not to believe them. I wish I had left when I had the chance.

The buttons that were placed along the side of the monitors were glowing, making the room have a red hue. Things were calm until the clock hit 3AM. The images displayed on the monitors were becoming static as a figure walked across the main dining hall. Brock stood up and sighed as he stretched his arms. "I have to call my wife. I forgot to tell her that I'd be out tonight with you guys." As much as I protested, Brock left the office and entered the nearest party room. His darkened figure could be seen through the security cameras. My heart began to race as I looked at the stage and noticed a missing robot.

"One's gone. It's the one that walks to the party rooms to deliver cake and ice cream...." My voice was shaky as I stood and quickly looked down the hall. A large robotic girl stood at the end of the hall, eyes glowing red. A sinister laugh erupted from the robot as she ran into the room and grabbed Brock by the back of his shirt. His phone fell and a scream left his lips as he was dragged into darkness. I was speechless. What do you do when your best friend gets dragged away by a giant animatronic?

The guys stood behind me as they asked hundreds of questions. "He's gone. They took him." I managed to get out a few words but they seemed like lies. He can't be gone. The animatronics can't attack, right? They're made to entertain.

I scooted over to Brock's phone and held it up to my ear. "...Brock? Are you there? Why did you scream?" A feminine voice spoke fearfully and my heart dropped.

"Its Arlan. Brock disappeared. We don't know where he is."

We sat in silence as the clock hit 4:00. Deep laughter could be heard from within the dining hall and the animatronics were now moving around. Brian leaned against the wall and let out a sigh while glaring at me. His eyes showed his grief and anger. Y/N emerged from the dark hallway and smiled brightly. "The animatronics seem to like you. He was wrong about the new night guard... You've impressed him and hopefully he'll continue to keep you safe."

She examined a small silver object in her hand. Something about her seemed to keep the room cheerful, instead of the suffocating grief. I glanced around the room and noticed a small shoebox that overflowed with newspapers. Y/N was distracted with the silver lighter, that seemed unusually miniature. I carefully examined the shoebox and noticed a trend for the types of articles that filled the interior of the container. All of the news articles were about the supposed murders that occurred in the older version of this establishment. Foul odors as well as goo emitted from the machines and were discovered to contain traces of blood and/or mucus.

My body shot back as my eyes scanned the other articles that spoke about the incidents further in depth. A soft whisper rang through my head as I panicked, "Help... Me..." My breath was uneven and ragged as the voice reappeared. "Arlan, help me... You're our only hope," the whispers went quiet for a moment and when I thought that it was just hallucinations, I heard it return. "Arlan, he's on his way... Hide!"

A shuffling sound emerged from the darkened hallway and I whisper-shouted, "Everyone, hide! It can't find us! Stay silent." We all hid behind costumes in the only area of the room that did not contain light. Because of the lack of space and the rush, Lui dashed underneath of the desk, pulling a sheet of metal over the opening. I heard an evil laugh and my brain tried to search for the culprit of these sounds. A tall yellow bear trotted into the room and instantly shut off, seeming to have lost power. I felt as though something horrible would occur in the following seconds but I was too late. Lui had moved the metal and crawled from out of his hiding space.

The animatronic sprang to life and swung at Lui, knocking him off his feet. Marcel and Brian covered their mouths to prevent their screams while we watched the machine crush Lui's quivering figure. Fear was glazed over his eyes while he screamed out for help. My body shook as tears streamed down my cheeks. The closest person in my life was being killed right in front of me. Why couldn't I move? Maybe it was because of Marcel holding me back or the subconscious feeling that this was supposed to happen so if I got in the middle of the situation at hand, I'd cause a disturbance and get the rest of the group killed. I didn't move. I sat there and watched him get attacked as I felt my sanity drain away with every moment that passed.

Once the robot completed his task at hand, he picked up the lifeless body and carried it back to the stage. Brian's breathing was fast and uneven as he tried to stop his tears from forming. Y/N looked at me and mumbled something inaudible. We stared at each other, understanding that the two of us must have lost all sanity throughout that one incident. She opened her mouth as if she was going to speak, but quickly shut it as footsteps could be heard traveling to this office. A tall figure stepped into the room, humming the tune of the songs the animatronics sing during the day. Marcel and Brian were pressed against the wall, hoping to not be seen while Y/N and I watched the mystery man walk to the desk.

His smile could only be seen in the darkness while his movements seemed too familiar and far too cheerful. The man seemed to be amused with the occurrences from tonight and I could sense his happy aura from across the room. He opened his mouth and once his voice left his lips, I knew instantly who he was.

"I know you're in here. You can't hide from us, but alas, you still stay in your dark corner." He reached his hand out to Y/N and I, revealing his face to the two of us. Jonathan's lips curved into a grin as my heart began to race. This couldn't be happening... I studied Jonathan's figure, looking for something that would be familiar to me. He seemed to inhuman and his stance was similar to the robots on stage. I had read a lot about the ideas of animatronics being smart enough to hide out inside a human body but I didn't think it was possible. This man was nothing like the descriptions from the book but Jonathan kept staring at us without moving a bit. It felt as though he was one of the robots, posing as the manager. He lifted his foot slightly and stepped closer to us. I could tell that Y/N was full of fear and I wasn't sure if this was all a joke or not.

All time stopped when I saw an animatronic that was never introduced to me. It skipped down the hall as if it was a small child in a costume. It strolled into a nearby room and everything went silent for a few moments. A voice echoed down the hallway and Jonathan jumped back, away from Y/N and I.

Another face appeared in the doorway. There in the light, I saw that he had a long scar going through his eyebrow and down to his eye. His mouth formed a grin, similar to Jonathan's. "I've been looking for you! There's some new subjects that were caught tonight and I think you'll enjoy my new ideas for them." The rest of the person was shown as he walked into the room and smiled. Jonathan looked at him and nodded while lowering his hand slowly.

Brian gasped and tried to keep quiet, but it was too late. The mysterious guy looked over at the darkened corner and laughed. "Jon, I think we have some visitors that you haven't introduced me to!" Jonathan trotted over to where we stood and pulled us out into the pale light. His grip grew stronger as he held onto me. "This is Arlan, our new night guard. He seems to be quite friendly with Y/N and invited his friends along for his shift. Don't you think he's a perfect subject Evan?" A smile formed onto his face as he spoke in a somewhat cheerful but monotone voice. He sounded like a child trying to receive an award or have their parent be proud of them.

A sudden realization hit me as Evan laughed. He was the one who started all this. They both work together to get 'subjects' for their new animatronics. There had been rumors about the animatronics being too human looking so there might be a connection between the disappearances and the famous robots. My eyes shifted to Evan Fong, the owner of this horrible establishment and studied his movements, just like I did with everyone else. He seemed to now be moving in the same manner as the other employees but was more human-like than Jonathan. "It's you... You're the one who started this whole plan. You get Jonathan to control the robots so they'll kill the night guards and kids, right?"

Evan smiled at my remark. He seemed amused with my conclusion and took this chance to step closer. "What I did was to protect me and my family. I failed once and I will not fail again, especially not to the likes of you. Jonathan doesn't control the animatronics. He is one of the animatronics. Don't you understand?" He took a second to look at Jonathan before continuing, "Perhaps not everyone understands what people do to protect the ones they love. Jonathan did not understand but I solved that problem. The new problem is that little investigator you call a friend. He will destroy what I have worked so hard to create and I will not let that happen."

Brian started to move backwards slowly with Marcel, hoping to slip away unnoticed. "Evan, do you want me to eliminate these three myself? I don't need the help, I've got the strength already." Jonathan fought back the excitement and laughter as he waited for Evan's response.

Evan's expression changed to something that I didn't know what to call. He seemed happy but you could sense a fearful aura from him. His mouth opened slightly and he spoke in a confident voice, despite my observations. "Take our new friend Arlan to the back room and let our little puppet decide the fate for him. As for the friends, I think they deserve to be punished for attempting to escape. You may leave Y/N and Arlan here while you take care of the problem. They will make perfect additions to our franchise." Evan slid something into Jonathan's hand before turning to Y/N. His hands held her face as he kissed her forehead, "I will take care of you okay? You won't have to ever be alone again."

Y/N's eyes met Evan's as he seemed to put her into a trance. She smiled sweetly and nodded. He pulled her into an embrace and whispered into her ear as I watched them interact. Something caught my eye. It was Y/N's lighter and I couldn't stop examining it. It was mesmerizing and I knew that somehow, I needed to keep this with me. Y/N turned to me as I grabbed the small item. Her expression mimicked Jonathan's. "Arlan, we have decided that you are going to stay in the back room until the animatronics find you. Evan and I think that you've destroyed enough of our franchise and you deserve this." Her eyes were glossed over and she had lost that snarky glow that I loved about her. I could feel a tear fall from my eye as the realization of what kind of situation I was in, hit me.

Y/N reached out for my hand but I quickly pulled away. She was a puppet in the plan and I felt that I couldn't trust her anymore. My friends had already been dragged away and it was like they took my soul with them. I looked around the room frantically, trying to find a way out of this cramped place. I couldn't take it any longer so I dashed out of the room, racing down the hall and into the one place that I had assumed no one would be in. My body fell to the ground and tears fell from my eyes. My only partner in this was completely under Evan's control and I have to admit, I just wanted to leave. A loud crash echoed through the room as Y/N's face appeared in the dim lighting. My body froze, knowing what was about to happen.

My limbs were numb as Y/N took me to the back room that seemed to be hidden from everything. My eyes were fixated on hers, making me think about what exactly happened here. "Y/N, what's going on here? Why are you doing this to me?" Her movements were almost robotic but there was a hesitation that you could see in every step she made. It was as though she was trying to stop herself but ultimately kept walking. A scream was heard as we walked past a room labelled 'Scoops'.

A shiver ran down my spine once Jonathan's bloody face appeared at the end of the hallway. His dark brown eyes that now seemed to glow in the faint lighting was enough to make anyone run away but I was stuck in place. "You've sparked an interest in me, Arlan. Although everyone told you to leave, you continued to stay in your small office. Would you like to understand who we really are?" Jonathan's voice was deeper than before and his pupils grew in size.

My lips parted as an answer slipped out, "Yes, I want to know who you are and what your plan is. Why did you kill all those innocent people? Why are you moving like a robot?" My eyes shut as he lunged at me. The room went silent as cold chills ran through my body.

My posture stiffened as Jonathan's voice boomed. "Long ago, when this franchise first began, Evan hired me as an employee for the parlor. The place was a lot smaller and at the time, he only had one animatronic. It was the bear. His eyes seemed full of life and he was allowed to walk throughout the small building. One day, I guess something I said I failed to charm Evan and I was transferred to the night shift. My job was to clean the robot's costume and the party room. While I wasn't paying attention, the robot latched onto me and dragged me into a nearby closet. I don't remember much but I do remember waking up with an aching feeling that I was no longer myself. There was and still is a metallic endoskeleton inside of my body. I have no control over my actions anymore. Evan took care of me and will take good care of you. Y/N is also under his control. Evan ordered me to find a way to leave her in a trance so I used my animatronic capabilities to do so. I put her into a trance that only Evan can control. No one is capable of breaking the effect I caused." Jonathan seemed like he was in a trance of his own. His facial expression was grim and I could tell that he was having flashbacks of his past. "Evan protects us from the real world. No one tells you what kind of bad things happen but here, in this building, we are truly safe. You can join us, you know? You don't have to worry about getting harmed." My heart skipped a beat as Jonathan stepped towards me, closing the gap between us.

His eyes were staring into my soul as he stood only a foot away. All of the blood in my body felt like it turned ice cold. "You don't know the first thing about safety. If you go and kill employees, how are you supposed to keep this place safe? Working here willingly is practically suicide." I spoke harshly, trying to get Jonathan to back away from me. Y/N appeared behind him and I felt a wave of relief.

She stood still, looking deep into my eyes. At a first glance, it didn't bother me but minutes were passing while her eyes stayed on me. I couldn't read her expression. My brain couldn't comprehend what was going on and by the time it finally clicked that she was no longer the girl I knew, she had already begun attacking me. Her movements were inhuman and my body was beginning to give up. Jonathan watched as Y/N continued to abuse my weak frame. I noticed something odd, while I laid on the ground, not trying to dodge any on the incoming attacks. An animatronic, the one I had seen not too long ago, was sitting in the center of the room. It was surrounded by a puddle of a dark substance. I let all the hope and faith I had left in me take over.

My hand slid into my pocket, pulling out the lighter. Using all the strength I had in me, I flicked it on and threw it into the dark liquid. The room lit up with flames as the lighter ignited the liquid. i was saved. Y/N suddenly stood back, crying as the trance wore off. Using the adrenaline that coursed through my veins, I grabbed Y/N's hand and pulled her through the smoke filled building, quickly dashing through the exit. My heart was racing and we slowly walked up the hill, keeping our eyes focused on what was in front of us. She stopped once we reached the top of the hill and turned, looking at the star-filled sky. I sighed as my eyes landed on the establishment that contained the men who deserved what they were about to go through.

Marcel, Brian, Brock, and Lui. I will never forget you four. You were the ones I truly would have traded places with because no matter how dangerous it was, you still were by my side through this. I should have tried to protect you all. It was my fault and I apologize. Although you four will not get the chance to hear my side of the story, I still would like to say that I am sorry.

Y/N and I exchanged a few words before the building erupted into flames, breaking our hearts in the process.

The police only found five bodies that were from that night. Evan Fong, the man who started this, was never found. He was not in the fire. I had failed in my attempts to keep the community safe. Y/N and I now live in a world of fear. Evan is a dangerous man, who is now off the radar.