Chapter 4
Chapter 5 The party is just getting started
The next shift at the Pizzaplex went as normal.
Gregory headed to Parts and Service. DJ went up to the light and laser show to run a sound check with Freddy and the band. Gregory watched him go, waiting for DJ to turn the corner before slipping into a service elevator. He pulled out an old tool, checking something.
“Weird… everything should be shut down for the night,” he muttered as the elevator reached the sub-basement, a level most employees knew about only in passing.
Upstairs, Jaimie and Cassie wandered through the arcade, playing games and trying VR sets. Cassie ran off to take pictures with Chica before a show and gave Roxy a huge hug.
“Roxanne!”
“Well hey there, racer. Glad to see you back!”
Roxy spun Cassie in a twirl. “What brings you back so soon, birthday girl?” she asked, scanning her like she was comparing her to her last visit.
“My mom wanted Dad and me to visit that weird church with her…” Cassie groaned, clearly not wanting to get into it.
Jaimie signed, I’m gonna look for my brother, then headed toward the sound stage to find DJ while Cassie stayed with her favorite characters and a group of kids who rushed over at the sight of Roxy and Chica.
“Whoa, little cupcakes! One at a time. This star’s got sparkle for all of ya!” Chica laughed, posing for pictures.
In the service hallway, Jaimie felt the music grow quieter as he approached the main stage. He snuck up behind DJ and startled him.
“Dude! You know better!”
DJ signed at his little brother with an annoyed look, then laughed it off.
“Freddy’s having malfunctions again, so he’ll probably only do one show tonight. You bring any friends?” he asked, adjusting sound levels.
Then he paused. An odd ringing cut through the air, sharp enough to make his head ache.
Down in the daycare, Dianna arrived for her afternoon shift. She worked through late pickups, sending kids off with their parents, then started cleaning the art stations.
“Ew. Why do kids have to be so gross? And why is this sticky? Nope. I don’t get paid enough for this,” she muttered, bagging up supplies.
Sun watched from across the room, playing with a group of kids during circle time.
I should go help.
Within his mind, Moon warned him not to leave until every child was picked up. Sun complied and stayed put.
Dianna checked her phone while hauling a large trash bag to the compactor. As it crushed, old juice splashed onto her shoe.
“Ugh—great.”
She huffed and headed to the bathroom to wash off before it dried sticky. While there, she noticed a new schedule update.
“…My badge will be on the security desk in the morning. Cool… wait. I’m full-time? I thought I told them I couldn’t do that… wait—my pay went up? I guess I could quit Sparky’s… Madz is gonna be pissed.”
Elsewhere, Carlton continued a tense conversation with Charlie about their marriage.
“It’s not that I don’t want Dad to know. It’s just… after Mom left him, and Benny’s passing… I don’t know if he’s ready for that kind of news. Or to know we’re back in town.” He struggled with a beer bottle.
Charlie took it and opened it for him. “He’s on the committee board. He’ll find out eventually. Why don’t we stop by tomorrow? You said you and Dee wanted to talk to him anyway, check out Ben’s old room. Perfect chance.”
“And what am I supposed to say, babe?” Carlton took a swig. “Hey Dad, back from college. Sorry the last time we saw each other was after my little brother’s funeral.”
Charlie crossed her arms. “Your dad and Ben deserve more than that. You know they do.”
“All after what your dad and his partner put us through—” Carlton stopped himself, regret hitting immediately.
Charlie sighed and locked herself in the bathroom.
“Oh, come on, babe. Please. I didn’t mean it like that… I’ll tell him, okay? Promise…” Carlton sighed as his phone pinged. “Uh… hey?”
He knocked gently. “You said the old factory’s files never went digital, right?”
Charlie opened the door, confused. “They were on old servers… Why? Did city hall find something?”
—Back in the sub-basement, Gregory booted up an old computer. A Helpie icon popped onto the screen.
Helpie: access log new entry: Jeremy Hearth
GGY: Hey, why are you letting people into the old place?
Helpie: message not received retry mail undelivered
Gregory sighed. “Great… I’m gonna have to go up there eventually.”
A noise behind him made him jump.
“It’s nothing… Calm down… Just go back to work...” He threw a sheet over the computer and headed up to Parts and Service.
As he entered, his radio crackled with DJ’s voice.
“Yo! Gregory, you copy? Where are you? The board’s going crazy and I can’t find Monty!”
DJ was already moving, one arm wrapped around Jaimie as he hurried toward the daycare.
“Yo, Dee? You in here? Why doesn’t anyone around here use their radios…” He sat Jaimie down on a play mat. “Sorry about that, little J. Let me see.”
He checked Jaimie’s ears, both of them wincing from the feedback.
“Haven’t heard that kind of screech since you were a baby. Mind staying here until I find my coworkers?”
Jaimie nodded, dazed but okay.
Sun skipped over. “Well hello, Devin James! And Jaimie Jameson! What brings you two so late?” he beamed.
“Hey, Sun… Jaimie got blasted with some bad feedback. Mind making sure he doesn’t get hurt while I find Gregory?”
His radio crackled again.
“Huh? Gregory? Hold on—I’ll come find you. Stupid thing isn’t connecting right…” DJ sighed and headed out just as Dianna returned from the bathroom.
“Oh? Sun? I thought all the kids went home already?” She waved.
Jaimie signed hello.
“He’s an employee’s sibling waiting for his shift to be over,” Sun explained.
“Ohh. DJ’s little brother. Right… you’re deaf, and I suck at ASL.” Dianna paused. “Hold on.”
She grabbed paper and crayons from a cart and handed them to Jaimie.
“Just have Sun flag me down if you need something. I gotta keep cleaning, okay?”
Jaimie gave a thumbs-up.
The night carried on.
Gregory never figured out what caused the soundboard to spike, nearly deafening guests, but after handing out coupons, DJ returned to the daycare to pick up Jaimie.
Dianna spotted him first. “Hey. Don’t stick me with your little brother.”
“Turn your radio on and maybe I won’t,” DJ shot back, chuckling.
He headed to the play area. No Sun. No Jaimie.
“Sun?” Dianna called.
“Here I am!” Sun popped out from under a pile of stuffed animals, startling them both.
“Sun… where’s little J?” DJ groaned.
“Huh? He was playing sneak attack with me.”
“You mean hide and seek?” Dianna asked, picking up toys.
“Yes!” Sun nodded, then looked around. “…Um. Where did he go? I thought he wanted to play.”
DJ face-palmed.
“He’s a preteen, right?” Dianna said. “How much you wanna bet he’s at the snack bar? I’ll stay here if he comes back.”
“Right.” He sighed. “I’ll text you when I find him. Night, Dee.”
DJ headed toward the food court.
Sun fidgeted nervously.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh N-nothing… I just usually get scolded if I let kids wander off,” Sun admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
“He’s not a little kid,” Dianna said. “He’s old enough to know better… and old enough to trick a daycare attendant.”
She patted his knee and smiled.
“Oh… I see. Thank you, Sunshine.” Sun beamed and skipped off to clean. Dianna chuckled.
Rain began pouring outside. The lights started to dim. Sun scrambled toward his charging station, movements hurried and a little frantic.
Dianna watched him, confused, but shrugged it off as her phone buzzed.
Got the kid. Have a good night.
A grumpy bear emoji followed.
She laughed under her breath.
Something near the charging station froze… then slowly turned toward the sound.
Dianna pushed her dust mop along the floor, finishing up. She spotted Gregory near the exit, keys in hand.
“Oh, hey. You leaving?”
He gave a tired nod and slipped out the door without another word.
“Well… good night to you too,” she muttered.
A voice appeared behind her, sudden and close.
“Naughty, naughty… go back to bed now…”
Dianna jumped, turning sharply away from the toys she’d been cleaning.
“Ah! You scared me—” She blinked, studying him. “Oh… wait. You’re not Sun. I don’t think I’ve met you yet.”
She stepped slightly into the dim stream of light, trying to see him better.
“Guess you can be out with the lights like this…” She took a breath. “I’m Dianna. Dee, if you want.”
She held out her hand, unsure if he’d take it or disappear.
Moondrop tilted his head. His grin twisted faintly as his eyes flicked between her outstretched hand and her face. Shadows shifted across his smooth features.
Somewhere in his mind, an alert pulsed.
(Warning: restricted guest.)
(Glitch.)
(Override.)
(Update… full authorization.)
He didn’t react outwardly.
“Dianna,” he repeated, like he was testing the shape of the name. “I’m Moondrop. And I don’t… shake hands.”
A quiet chuckle followed.
Deep in the back of his mind, Sun stirred.
Oh? Dee’s back! Be nice, Moonie! She’s the one who keeps coming back!
He sounded genuinely excited, but the daycare was in nighttime mode. He couldn’t surface. Moon remained in control.
Dianna gave a nervous little laugh and lowered herself to sit on the floor, staying in the light.
“Ha… fair. So… Moon—drop? Anyone call you Moonpie? Sorry. That was corny.”
She took off her glasses and started cleaning them.
“So what do they have you do when Sunny’s watching the kiddos?”
“Moondrop,” he corrected softly. His voice dipped low, almost a whisper. He watched her with unsettling focus. “Sunny handles daytime activities. I’m more of a… nighttime presence.”
She blinked.
“Security? Gotcha. Right. Forgot about that.” She hesitated, adjusting her glasses. “Can I ask you something uncomfortable? About someone who used to work here?”
Sun’s voice flickered faintly again. She looks really tired…
Moon didn’t acknowledge him, but he agreed.
“Mhm,” he said quietly, his grin easing into something more serious. “What do you want to know about the old staff? I’ve been here long enough to remember most of them.”
He crouched down so they were eye level.
Sun shifted uneasily in the background.
How can you remember how she always looked? She only started working here days ago…
Something warm stirred in their shared mind. A memory trying to surface. Static, like an old VHS about to play.
Sun drifted back, fading from the moment.
Dianna hesitated, searching for words.
“My little brother used to work here… Benjamin.” Her voice tightened. “He… he died here too. I was hoping you might know where he kept his notes.”
She exhaled slowly.
“He talked to the things he worked on. The animatronics. I thought maybe he told you… or Sun… about what he was building.”
She looked at him, hopeful.
Moondrop’s grin flickered, then faded. His eyes narrowed slightly, not in anger, but in recognition.
Memory.
He stepped closer, shadows clinging to him.
“Benjamin…” The name slipped out reverently, threaded with static. “The quiet one. Always carrying a notebook.”
Dianna looked confused at first, then softened.
“Quiet? …Huh. Back then, him and—” she stopped herself. “Benny was never the quiet type. But I guess life changes people.”
Her expression dimmed.
“Sorry. It’s hard talking about him. I’ve… lost a lot at this place. But it still holds good memories too. Maybe Charlie’s right. Maybe things will start getting better.”
She wiped her face and pushed herself to stand.
“Did Ben ever say where he kept the notebook?”
Moondrop watched her carefully, something almost gentle passing through his expression. He reached out, hesitated, then briefly touched her arm before pulling back.
(Restricted guest.)
The alert pulsed again.
“He kept it hidden,” Moon said quietly. “In the old storage room. Behind a broken toy box.”
His gaze lifted toward the loft and balcony near the charging station.
Dianna followed his line of sight.
“The taped-off area? DJ said he didn’t find anything up there. You sure?”
His grin returned, softer this time.
“The tape is a warning. Not a barrier. Benny was careful. He didn’t want just anyone finding his notes.”
She stepped a little closer, studying him.
“You… sound familiar. Like I’ve heard your voice bank before.”
He leaned back slightly, keeping distance.
“I’m just cautious. Gregory didn’t mention that you… have a way of getting under people’s skin.”
Dianna paused, staring.
“…That sounds more like an annoying blonde than a dorky engineer,” she muttered.
She turned away, going back to cleaning.
Moondrop watched in silence, his grin fading into something more thoughtful as he edged closer to the boundary of the shadows, never quite stepping into her light.
“You know… Vee always said you were too stubborn to listen to advice.”
“Really? She’s one to talk.” Dianna lifted a box, then glanced up toward the balcony again. “Guess I don’t have much choice now…”
She sighed and headed for the stairs.
Moon watched her climb, unreadable.
“Dee?” he called softly.
She turned, one foot already crossing into the taped-off area.
Then she startled.
He was already on the zipline.
“How—? Ugh! Stop playing peek-a-boo and help me look for Benny’s notes!”
He dropped down lightly onto the balcony, grin returning.
“Peek-a-boo?” he echoed. “I prefer sneak attack.”
“It’s hide and seek,” she groaned. “If you call it that to kids, no wonder they’re scared of you.”
She started searching, arms wrapping around herself against a strange chill.
“…Ben probably made this his hideout.”
Moon nodded slowly.
“Yes. Bee loved this place. Said it was his safe haven. Away from everyone else’s noise.” He paused. “He was… good at hiding things.”
She huffed a sad laugh.
“I bet. He was the best at treasure hunts. I remember when he convinced me and Ceecee we could dig a tunnel to the ocean…”
Her voice cracked into laughter that turned sharp.
“…His dad had to talk to beach security for an hour.”
The memory hit too hard.
She kicked a box across the room and yelled, the sound echoing off the walls. Then she crumpled, shaking.
“…It’s not fair. He should still be here.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Why am I still here…?”
Moon watched quietly, grin gone.
He didn’t move to comfort her. Just let the silence sit between them.
Then, softly:
“Because someone has to remember him.”
The lights flickered. Both of them looked up.
Dianna wiped her face, noticing drawings scattered from the box she’d kicked.
“Sorry… I shouldn’t have done that.” She knelt, gathering them. “You… remember people you’ve lost?”
“I remember everything,” Moon said. He crouched beside her, helping pick up the drawings with careful precision. “But some… linger longer than others.”
She sniffed, managing a dry chuckle.
“Favorites, huh?”
“Mhm.”
His attention settled on one drawing. A crude picture of five figures: a sun, a moon, a small sheep between them, a tiny dancer, and one wearing a crown. His fingers traced the lines.
“This one…”
Dianna leaned over.
“Looks like you’ve got fans. I’m impressed.”
She stood with a grunt.
“Well… I should head back downstairs before they think I’m somewhere I shouldn’t be.”
She glanced directly at a camera.
“Hey, Vanessa. Watch this.”
She flipped it off and headed down the stairs.
Moon watched her go, something unreadable in his expression. When she disappeared from view, he looked back at the drawing. His grin returned slowly.
He folded it carefully, tucked it into his pocket… and slipped back into the shadows.
