3October 13, 1993- Night 1, 12:05 AM
Five minutes past midnight... Armin sighed as he flipped from camera to camera. Nothing was happening. He reached for a bright blue thermos at the corner of the desk, unscrewing the cap before he brought it to touch his lips, closing his eyes as the warm, thick drink covered his tongue and filled up his mouth. Mm... Hot chocolate. He opened his eyes and placed the cup back down on the cluttered tabletop, checking the cameras again. Still nothing of course. But there was something unnerving about this rundown old place, something that made Armin's skin crawl and the hair on his body stand to attention, undeniably nerve wracking. Was this really worth a one-hundred dollar paycheck? Maybe not to anyone else, but to Armin, this was absolutely necessary. If this creepy job was what it took to pay the rent, then of course it was worth it. After all-
Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ri-
He picked up the phone, not even bothering to see who exactly he was speaking with. But judging by the beep at the beginning of the call, he could tell that this was a voice message.
"Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?
"Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.'"
Armin continued to check the cameras, listening intently. Damage or death? Were they kidding? That's quite a welcome wagon they planned, he thought. Is there anything else they'd like to say?
"... That might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay.
"So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"
W-What the hell? Another chill ran straight up the blonde boy's spine, then another, then another, each one growing more intense as he began to question why in the world he applied for this job. He kept flipping through the cameras- until he scrolled past Camera 3.
B-B-Bonnie... B-Bonnie's missing...
"Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on."
Armin kept going camera to camera until he found the bunny animatronic. He relaxed slightly when he found Bonnie backstage, standing still. Ok... There it is... Good. He glanced at the clock. 2:35 already... When was this guy going to stop talking?
"Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh.
"Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."
Armin hung up and leaned back with a horrified expression across his face, now pale as a sheet. They were going to stuff him into a suit!? He should have ripped that application apart when he had the chance... But there he was, in a crappy-ass office that smelled like old pizza crusts, trying not to die. He shook his head and sat up straight up. Think of the money, Arlert, he reassured himself, going back to the cameras. The money is the reason you took this stupid job. He look towards the doorway to his left curiously. I wonder... His thin, shaking hand reached out and pressed the button that activated hallway lights.
There was Bonnie, looking in at him with its cold, lifeless eyes. It stared at Armin, seemingly waiting for an invitation. Armin stared back, paralyzed by fear, unable to move. Bonnie had found him. He was good as dead. Might as well forget about having an apartment.. Wait.. What was he saying!? He needed that money! The terrified blond reached out after pulling himself together, slamming his fist on the door button. "Goodbye, Bonnie.." He whispered shakily as the metal door closed on the purple animatronic in the hallway.
Armin went back to the cameras and checked the clock. 4:47. Almost time to leave... He checked the rooms, Freddy and Foxy still hadn't moved, but Bonnie and Chica had been out and about since around three. The bunny had moved to the Dining Hall, while the large yellow chicken hung out around the restrooms, staring into the camera coldly, as if it knew Armin was there, watching its every move. Its beak hung open, and the young man swore that he saw it drop slightly, like Chica was forming words as the bottom half of the beak creaked back up again. All of a sudden, it occurred to Armin that he should check the power. His eye drifted to the corner of the screen...
45%
He sighed in relief. That would tide him over for the rest of the shift. All of a sudden, he got another chill up his spine. And then he felt it... a hand. A hand on his shoulder. He turned around slowly, holding his breath.
There was nobody there. He sighed again, turning around again- and he felt it again. This time he whipped around as fast as he could... Still nothing. Armin didn't understand, how could he feel the hand when there was no hand to feel? He blinked at the dark behind him slowly. Open. Shut. Open. Shut. Remarkable, yet terrifying... Every time he closed his eyes, he'd see an animatronic- he couldn't place which one- but when his eyes were open, he saw nothing... How could that be? He shook his head and turned around again, checking the power, cameras, and lights... All was well. The animatronics had begun to leave him alone, sticking close to the stage and waiting for 6:00AM. Armin looked back at the clock. 5:34. Why did time pass so quickly? He'd never know. Time flies when you're having fun, they said. You should take this job, it'll be fun, they said! He thought madly. This job was anything but fun. There were robots trying to kill him! How could someone call it fun? He looked in the cameras at Freddy and Foxy. They hadn't moved at all. His breath slowed down a little as he tried to comfort himself, looking outside the doors for Bonnie and Chica. Bonnie had moved back to the Dining Area. Chica had gone into the kitchen, rattling pots and pans.
Just leave me alone... He reached over and grabbed his thermos, getting ready to take another sip of his hot chocolate when he heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Armin put the thermos down and checked the camera. Nobody there except what looked like the faintest shadow in the hall. He took shaky breaths as the chills made another trip up his spine. He flipped through the cameras even faster- then he looked at the power.
25%.
His large, ocean blue eyes dilated rapidly with fear, his hands began to shake and vibrate the tablet in his hands. It went down so fast... Please be 6:00, please be 6:00... Eren, please be waiting out front... He checked the clock for the one hundredth time. 5:59... he closed his eyes.
Please, please, please, please, plea-
Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong.
Armin's eyes snapped open as warm, salty tears came down his face. He did it. He survived the night! At last, he could go home! He wasn't going to die! He clapped his hands together and thanked the lord for his survival, jumping up and running out of his office to clock out. The blond stopped by the stage one final time to look at the animatronics, which had quickly returned to that elaborate stage. He reached out and stopped at Freddy, rubbing his nose and smiling gently, though still frightened. "Thank you for not coming after me..." He whispered, turning to the door and leaving the pizzeria.
HONK HONK!
"Yo, Armin! Hurry up!" A tan brunette with intense blue-green eyes was waiting in a black Optima, waving to Armin. "I-I'm coming, Eren!" Armin ran towards the car and got into the passenger's seat.
Eren Jaeger was Armin's best friend, whom he loved like a brother. He was a tall young man with a short fuse and a sense of adventure, and he lived in a small uptown apartment with his girlfriend, Mikasa Ackerman. They always looked after Armin, in fact, they were the ones who had gotten him that nightmare job. But he couldn't tell Eren that he didn't like it. After all, Mikasa had spent so much time helping him find a job, he didn't want to make her feel bad. "So, Armin, how did it go? It was boring, wasn't it?" Eren asked.
Armin leaned back and swallowed quietly, nodding slowly. "Y-Yes... It was super boring." He replied. "Nothing happened at all." He looked over at Eren, who was smiling. Armin sighed.
Sorry for lying to you, Eren.