"I'm always watching," a voice whispered, echoing through the room. "Your journey has only begun,"

"You have so much potential."

I jolted awake, gasping for air. Someone or something woke me up, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. Darkness surrounded me. The last thing I remembered was being in the office when the power went out— Freddy's lullaby playing in the pitch black. Now that I think about it, the lullaby resembled March of the Toreadors. Maybe it was.

I need to figure out how to preserve power better without fully shutting down the pizzeria.

I shifted my body to understand exactly where I was, but two problems occurred.

My arms were restrained. I couldn't twist or turn.

A terrifying thought crept in—What if they stuffed me in an animatronic suit?

The phone guy warned me that the animatronics might do just that if they got into the office. I tried standing up to get a better sense of the situation, but my legs wouldn't move. Something heavy was pinning them down. I took a deep breath and pushed again with all the strength I could muster.

"Jesus, is this fucking thing made out of titanium?" I muttered, exhaling sharply. Suddenly:

Creak. THUD!. Click, click, click, click.

A heavy metallic thud echoed through the room. Slow, deliberate clicks followed—unnerving in their rhythm. I began to panic. My heartbeat thundered in my chest. What's going on? I froze in place, hoping I hadn't triggered something dangerous. But my gut twisted in dread.

Click, click, click, click, click.

It felt like the walls were closing in on me, preparing to crush me. My breathing became limited. I couldn't move. I could hardly think.

Click, click, click, click, click.

The sound was faster now. Most of it came from above. My panic reached full throttle. How many clicks until something happens?!

"Help!" I screamed. No answer.

"HELP!" I shouted louder. Nothing.

Click, click, click, click click

It was relentless—like the ticking of a death clock. Suddenly, a metal door creaked open. Light poured in behind me, illuminating the room through what looked like eye sockets. That's when it hit me—I was inside a suit. I twisted my eyes, trying to make sense of the shape outside. It looked familiar…but I couldn't quite place it.

Then, I heard the footsteps. A pair of brown, fuzzy feet stopped right in front of me. Freddy?

A distorted laugh echoed from above, followed by the same lullaby again. It felt like Freddy was mocking me—comforting me before I died

***

Afton adjusted his red tie and smoothed the fabric of his purple suit. He stared into the mirror, pushing his hair into place. Then, with steady hands, he placed purple contact lenses over his blue irises. He blinked a few times, admiring the transformation.

Afton grabbed his suitcase and headed down the hallway. As he passed the kitchen counter, he turned off the music player—the March of the Toreadors stopped mid-chorus.

"I'm off to work! See you later, Honey!" He called toward the living room.

Sitting silently in the center of that room was a 6.2-foot-tall animatronic ballerina. It wore a purple tutu adorned with golden orbs and a blue bikini top. Rosy cheeks, bright lipstick, exaggerated lashes, and neatly tied blue hair completed the uncanny look. She embodied both beauty and beastliness.

After Afton closed the door, the ballerina's faceplates shifted—silently. Its robotic eyelids opened, revealing gleaming purple eyes.

***

This is bad. This is really fucking bad. Is Freddy just going to stand there and watch me die?!

 I fumbled around in the suit, feeling for a lever, a switch—anything. Freddy suddenly cut off the lullaby, and his feet moved away. Their footsteps echoed down a corridor. But the light remained, letting me see more clearly inside the suit. I moved my body, freeing my arms at last. I groped through joints, ball sockets, and wires—but found nothing useful.

Then I looked up.

Freddy's upper faceplate was slowly descending. The clicking—the faceplate was the source of the clicking. I was out of time. Adrenaline surged through me. I braced myself and pushed the faceplate upward instead of down.

Screeeeee. Click. click. click. click.

The clicking slowed. Freddy's face began lifting. It was working!

"Goddamn, this fucking thing is heavy," I groaned, huffing and puffing as I fought against the steel.

Click. Click. Click. Click. THUD!

The head locked back into place with a loud crash. There was finally enough room. I grabbed the edges of the suit and hoisted myself out, landing hard on the floor. I got up, wincing in pain. I scanned the room. I was in the backstage room. I turned toward the Employees only door—just as heavy metal footsteps echoed from the hallway. I dove under a table seconds before Freddy re-entered the room.

Please don't see me… Please don't see me…

My adrenaline spiked again. Freddy moved left. I crawled right, inching toward the door. He turned around—maybe suspecting something. Taking advantage, I ran. I bolted past the dining tables, toward the prize corner, and turned—only to smack into someone.

"Ow, watch where you're going, idiot," the man snapped, rubbing his head.

"Oh! I—I'm sorry, sir!" I stammered. "I wasn't paying attention!"

He looked up. It was Afton. His demeanor shifted the moment he heard my voice.

"It's okay," he said, offering a smooth, reassuring smile. "Just watch out next time."

He paused, then asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Oh! Uh… a-a-date. Yeah. A date," I replied awkwardly, forcing a grin.

"Aha, well—go get 'em, tiger!" He laughed, patting my shoulder.

As he walked away toward the dining room, I didn't look back. I sprinted toward the exit.

Afton's smile didn't fade as he strolled toward the office. But as he passed the backstage door, something caught his eye.

"…That's odd," he muttered. He peeked inside. The endoskeleton on the table was now fully suited in Freddy's costume—and the mouth was wide open.

"What the fuck…?" Afton whispered, stepping closer.

He inspected the suit, grinning slowly. Then, he pushed Freddy's head back down until it clicked into place. As he turned to leave—

Click, click, click, click, PSH!

The suit hissed—sharp, metal-on-metal. Like needles retracting.

Afton paused at the doorway, then walked calmly to the front of the stage. His shoes echoed with each deliberate step until he stood before the animatronics.

They stood still, eyes vacant, motionless.

Afton smiled wide.

"Looks like you've got some competition, children," he said.

He chuckled darkly.

"Let's see who'll win…

You—

…Or my son."