₍ᐢᐢ₎

X READERS

Game!Michael Afton ;

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (reverse comfort, post-scoop Michael)

Babysitting Ennard (AU, non-scooped Michael)

Head over heels (fluff, teenage Michael)

Unhealthy obsession (post scoop, stalker! Michael

It's me. Michael. (Self aware game Michael in your PC)

Do you recognize me? (Meeting Michael again post-scoop - angst)

Only you are the light among the dead. (Mike x ghost reader - angst)

comforting michael (mike x gn!reader, short fluff)

Movie!Michael Afton ;

I will always be his [angst, post-movie setting (like, right after the movie takes place) ]

I will always be yours (^ PART 2, hurt/comfort)

Stirring inside (Michael gets jealous. Doesn't end well for the third party. You guys get takeout tho all's well)

smaller - Ashbury Heights songfic (going over your relationship with Michael, pre and during the movie.)

Wont you die tonight for love? (reader is Michaels partner in crime)

Please don't go (alternate route to ↑ where reader rejects his ideas. Hurt/comfort)

Do I look like him? (reader and Michael were childhood friends, reader is now a detective. Bumps into Michael in the pizzeria.)

Slippery slope (Michael slowly falls for security guard reader)

Double Trouble (Michael x reader x William)

Forget yourself, surrender your mind. (Reader rejects Michael - angst)

Purple looks good on you (F. E. employee night out. Michael overhears you saying you like him)

Daddy issues (short drabble angst/fluff)

Photos of you (drabble)

Movie!William Afton ;

Babysitting (you babysit your cousins with him)

Chasing a ghost (Emily reader, reuniting with Michael during the scene inside of Mike's house at the end, mostly reader and henry backstory focused.)

Double Trouble (Michael x reader x William)

Henry Emily ;

A small child, seated at her school desk.

Staring down at the nasty words carved into the table. Reading them over and over and over again;

'UGLY' , 'BITCH' , 'SNOTTY KID' , and more.

Kids could be so cruel, no?

It's only right that you turned out the way you did. Shut off from the world, cooped up in your room all the time. Your little sister knocking on the door, telling you the neighbors kid - a weird boy around your age - wanted to see you and play.

You telling her to go away, that you don't have time right now.

Oh, how you wish you could take it all back.

What you would give just to hear her voice again. See her lively eyes again. Sit at the family dinner table again, the three of you, together. One big happy family.

But it's all just wishful thinking now.

"So," a voice interrupted your thoughts, your eyes jolting upwards to the source. "tell me about your most recent nightmare."

You sighed, closing your eyes, trying to recall what you dreamt.

"I saw Charlie again," your voice came out close to a whisper, as if your father could hear you. He didn't like talking about her. Not with you, anyway.

"she was.. standing in front of me. We were in a field. She was very, very far away I.. could barely make out her features."

"Could you see her expression? Was she angry, sad?"

"I couldn't tell from where I was standing."

"How did you feel in that moment?"

"..Guilty.*

Your therapist handed you a paper and pencil. "Draw what the scene looked like for me."

You sighed, taking the pencil and paper, and trying your best to recreate it.

"To me it seems like.." your therapists eyes focused on your artwork, focused on Charlie's figure. "..you feel like you always kept your distance from her. You always stayed as far as you could."

You hummed in agreement. "I regret it. I was.. awful as a kid.*

"You were a product of your environment. It wasn't your fault." She put your drawing in a folder. "What matters is that you're working through it. What about your dad?"

Ah, your father.

Your relationship was very.. rocky, to say the least.

He loves you, he really does. You're his daughter, his first child.

But you're not Charlotte.

He's taken her death extremely hard. Your therapist explained it may be because of how young she was. Henry may feel like he missed out on so many possible memories he could've made with her.

You're jealous of her. And you feel terrible about it.

You're in your late 20s now. It really shouldn't matter to you much. But ever since that day, you've envied her. She was the only thing on Henry's mind, so much so that you wondered whether he remembers he has a second child.

After what happened to Charlotte, Henry told you he felt too emotionally unstable to care for you, so you lived with your mom, occasionally visiting your dad, until you were old enough to get your own place. You've barely kept up with him, afraid of slipping up and accidentally mentioning her.

"..my dad.. I.. I haven't seen him in a while."

"How come?"

"I'm not sure. It just, hasn't crossed my mind I suppose."

Your therapist didn't say anything, she just stared at you. You hated it when she did that. You know it's a tactic they use- people get uncomfortable being stared at in silence as if they're expected to say something else, so they divulge more details.

You try not to fall for it, you like feeling like you're in control. You don't want to give in to other people's demands, you've had enough of that in your childhood.

Still, as you stared at the ground, the feeling of her watchful eyes settling on you became rok unbearable.

*..I'm just.. afraid. That it may be awkward."

"Why?"

"I don't know.. it feels like there's.. just things lingering between us. Unspoken words. Things feel tense."

"Putting off seeing him will only make it worse. You need to talk it out with him, sooner or later."

Your eyes narrowed as you kept your eyes locked down. What would you even say to him? What is there to talk about? Hey dad, how've you been doing with my sister being dead and all?

You couldn't bring yourself to say these thoughts out loud.

From the corner of your eye you saw your therapist check the time.

"..Alright. Would you be comfortable leaving our session here? We can pick it up again in a month."

You nodded, and arranged for an appointment.

★★★

Walking home, your thoughts kept running in circles. From your dad, to your late sister, to Fazbear's.. you couldn't get it out of your mind.

Your eyes were scanning your surroundings until they landed on a board full of posters.

One in particular caught your eye.

It was your Dad's handwriting, you were sure of it. His number was underneath it.

"The truth about Freddy Fazbear's pizza.." you read the paper under your breath, taking it off the wall to examine it closely.

Your eyes darted back up, only to notice what your dad's clever little paper was hiding.

You could've sworn your heart stopped beating for a moment.

Some sort of festival for fans of the Pizzeria? For kids to dress up? What kind of sick fucking joke is this? The pizzeria shut down for a good reason. Charlotte was first, and then the other kids- who in their right mind would even think of..

You looked down at the paper again.

Ah. Your dad must've seen these posters too, so that's why he.. hm.

Perhaps this was a good topic of conversation.

★★★

Your car stopped in front of your old childhood home.

Rundown, but still upkept fairly nice. Seems like Henry is doing his due diligence of keeping the place presentable. From the outside, at least.

You walked up to the door, hand hovering over it. Still reconsidering whether or not it would be a good idea to knock..

Before you could-

The door suddenly opened.

Your father breathed your name out under his breath, as in disbelief that you were there. He seemed to have opened the door in a rush, hurrying to see you as soon as possible.

Your hand slowly lowered, and you stood there in silence, until your father broke it.

"I.. uh.. I saw.. I saw a car, in, in the driveway. I was just.. gonna check on who it was, I.. didn't know it was gonna be uh.. you."

A bold lie. He knows your car, he got it for you. Henry was always the type to hide his real feelings behind a facade. A quirk he picked up working as CEO of Fazbear Entertainment. After all, showing calmness to the public about the events that occur calms the customers.

You just.. nodded along. You weren't really sure what to say now that you were actually here.

"Do.. do you wanna go inside?"

"Ah! Um, yes. Thanks.. dad."

He gave a tender smile and stepped aside to let you inside.

You sat on the couch, it was the same couch. Worn out by years of use, the spot you always sat on as a child slumping under your weight.

"Tea?"

"Mhm."

Your dad brought you (tea flavor) tea- your favorite. It seems that he still remembers, even after 3 years of nearly no contact.

He sat down next to you, although a bit further away to give you space.

Another beat of silence ensued, but you could tell Henry was getting antsy. You noted he always played with his hands when he was stressed.

"So.. you, um.. how've you been doing?" Seems you were right. He spoke up again.

"Well enough. Job's been alright, it's been.. peaceful." Your dad nodded, "that's good. I'm glad to hear that."

You reached into your jacket and pulled out the paper with your father's phone number.

"There was.. something I wanted to ask you about, Dad."

The moment the word 'dad' slipped out of your mouth, he turned to you sharply. It's been so long since he heard that word spoken by one of his darling daughters. Far too long.

You pulled the flyer out of your pocket. He recognized it immediately. You didn't even need to ask him anything.

"I'm.. I'm trying to get the, the truth out there. What with the whole.. 'Fazfest' the kids got going.."

"I, I gathered that dad, I just.." you sighed, not really able to formulate a sentence. "Why not just let go?"

"..let go?"

"This whole fazfest thing happened because a crazed woman claimed there are possessed animatronics walking about," Henry looked to the side. "it's just a sort of.. trend. And then it will be forgotten again. You know, like, um, things that happen on the internet. They're all the craze, and then they're gone. Just let it pass. The more you add onto the fire, the longer until it dies out."

He looked at you with a solemn look. He understood your point, but you could tell he was too stubborn to let things go.

To let Charlie go.

You felt your gut tighten at the thought.

His youngest daughter, perfectly alive and well, yet he ignores her for the sake of a ghost. She's gone. You know she is. But it seems like he doesn't. It tears you apart.

"I.. I already got a call about it." You looked at him with a small glance. "I told him everything that happened with Charlie." Your silence pursued

None of you spoke after that. He knew you were upset with him, but didn't understand why exactly. And you didn't want to tell him the truth.

"I should get going." Henry perked up immediately, "a-already? Y'sure you don't wanna stay for dinner?"

"I'm sure, thanks." You got up from the couch, walking out of the door with a prep in your step. The air inside of that house felt oddly suffocating.

What stopped you was the sound of your father calling out your name. You turned to face him once more.

He seemed desperate. "Wait, just- one, one last thing-" he disappeared from the doorframe and came back, holding a box. "it's, it's a music box that.. I made for her. For Charlotte. I was.. I want you to have it." Henry extended it towards you. "It's of no use to me.... Not anymore."

You felt conflicted. You wanted to sever ties with the past, unlike Henry, who was drowning in it. You knew taking this item in would just haunt you again, and yet-

"Alright. I'll take care of it." The slightest relief could be seen on Henry's face. "Trust me, it might come in handy."

Whatever he meant by that, you didn't linger on. You went inside of your car and left.

★★★

"Hey! You didn't answer my question. Ya coming to Fazfest?" Your friend, Rodrick, nudged your arm teasingly. You rolled your eyes. "Is the answer to that question not obvious to you? Only little kids and teenagers are interested in that. And grown men with the mind of a child, apparently."

"Heey. I mean, my point is, you're the daughter of the man who created these things. You could make cash money out there. Interviews, answering questions and what not-"

"Is it always money with you?"

"Can't live without it. Oh, by the way, there's gonna be this music festival that I was gonna attend.. you w.."

The voice of your friend faded into nothingness as you stared at the person you just made eye contact with.

It was her. You were sure of it. And you know she recognized you too.

Vanessa.

Carrying a bag and in what appears to be fitness clothing, you can only assume she was probably at the gym. She seems distressed, as she stares at you from across the street. None of you move for what feels like an eternity, until she looks away from you and hurries off again.

"(Name)..? Yo? What, did you see a ghost or something?"

"..Sorry Rod, I gotta go." You pushed past him, hurrying home yourself.

Your friend stares at you confused, but doesn't think too hard about it.

★★★

You felt like you were spiraling. All these things happening at once. The Fazfest. Haunted robot stories. Vanessa. Henry. The music box. It felt like you were being thrown into a pit of the past, drowning in the sorrow that your father has kept himself in for all these years. Except the sorrow that was once in his mind has escaped into reality.

It felt like the universe was playing a sick joke on you. Your years of therapy slowly being undone like a loose thread tearing from sewed cloth, turning into a jumbled mess.

The sound of the music box was the only thing surrounding your silence, as you kept looping it over and over again, in hopes it could silence the loudness of your own thoughts. In hopes it could calm you, like it once did your sister.

But it seemed to do the opposite.

You can't ignore it anymore. The past you ran from for so long is catching up to you with sharp teeth and clawed hands.

The only way to escape now is to defeat the monsters that haunt you.

Something is happening, and someone out there knows what.

And you will find out.

★

Standing here, in this place, in complete darkness was you. Vulnerable as ever, armed with nothing but your flashlight and the beating heart in your chest that proved you were alive, unlike everything else in this building. No matter where you looked, it felt like death was staring at you with hate, envious of the air entering your lungs.

You avoided broken glass with every step you took, trying to remember what even is it that you're doing. You can't focus on anything. Everything feels like a blur. Your body moves without your input.

Blood. There's blood on the ground of what was once the Kid's Cove, with that mangled animatronic attraction. You didn't linger for long, lest the smell of death cling to you.

You kept walking mindlessly, until a door caught your eye. You know where it leads. Below the stage, where the marionette was hidden before it popped out. Charlie's favorite animatronic. The one she always stayed for. The one that carried her in it's arms one last time, just like she carried that boy.

You don't remember anything from that day except for those two mental images. You were too young to remember.

And yet, when you reach the bottom of the stairs, a feeling of familiarity envelops you so strongly, you felt like collapsing and letting yourself sink in it.

Strangely, you felt at peace.

Your ragged breath eased, the tension in your shoulders relaxed.

You were slowly coming to your senses, realizing where you were, vision sharpening.

Sitting there for a good few minutes, you managed to gather yourself.

The box towered in front of you, pouring it's shade over you like the past you tried to ignore.

But then, you noticed-

It was empty.

The marionette is gone.

"..what?"

Was all you muttered out after calming from your state.

The box, wide open, spilling out events of the past. The Marionette, gone from the grave it should've stayed buried in.

A feeling of dread loomed over you.

You have to do something.

All the hatred. All the grief. Everything you bottled, and directed towards your sister. The envy you felt to her. Your father's love going to someone who was long gone. You hated her for it.

But it wasn't her fault. It never was.

If only you came to terms with that sooner.

You ran outside with newfound determination.

Getting back into your car, and driving back into town.

You were on your way to the Fazfest location, when you noticed something strange in the distance.

Stopping your car, you could've sworn you heard a girl screaming.

All you could see through the window was the tall figure of a rabbit looming over someone on the ground.

You nearly flew out of your car towards the house, and jumped right in through the window without thinking.

Your paper thin skin now riddled with cuts, you crawled towards the girl and presumably, her mother, who were staring at you in horror.

Once in front of them, you used your leftover adrenaline to get up and stand between them, the creation of your father and his business partner standing before you.

The animatronic that once entertained you, holding a sharp knife, looking at you with murderous intent.

You knew.

You knew all along.

Charlie was still here.

You could always feel her presence in that place.

You saw her in your dreams at night.

You knew all along.

But you chose to pretend it wasn't happening. That would mean giving into the truth, and admitting that your father was right to chase after a ghost.

Because she wasn't gone after all.

Your sister was right here.

"Charlie, please.. please. Don't do this, you know you're better than this."

The animatronic froze in place, unmoving.

"Please, Charlie. It's not in your nature. You're a kind girl, Charlie. My darling sister."

"They left me to die."

"I know Charlie. I'm sorry."

"They must pay for what they did."

"How are you any better than them to do this? They left you to die, so you should do the same to them? Charlotte, listen to yourself! You're becoming the very monsters you hated all along!"

The animatronic seemed to glitch and power off. If your dad taught you anything, you'd guess the remote control got disconnected.

You turned to the two people on the ground and urged them to get out.

They did so without protest.

You ran outside, breathing heavy. Trying to come up with a gameplan. You could return to the pizzeria and work the PC in the security office to figure out the location of all the other animatronics. Maybe they're still in the pizzeria, but your gut told you that definitely wasn't the case. She wouldn't bring just one outside. If not all of them have been disabled, that means other people could be in danger, and you didn't have time to go to the pizzeria and ensure the safety of the neighborhood.

You felt like crying. You picked your phone out of your pocket and dialed your dad's number.

"Hello?" Your father's voice rang from the telephone.

"Dad- daddy-" you cried out, everything hitting you at once.

"What, what? What's wrong darling? Talk to me, (Name). What's wrong my baby girl? Are you alright?"

"Daddy, something's happening in town- the animatronics, they're out and about, I dont- i don't understand,"

Your father was quiet on the other line for a while.

"They weren't built to last outside of the pizzeria. Their power will die out eventually. Keep them distracted, okay darling? Keep them away from people. They'll die down. I'll see if I can do anything with the remote access in the meantime. Be strong, okay baby girl? Your dad loves you. I love you my dearest daughter. Promise me you won't get hurt, okay?"

You were sobbing. Full on sobbing. Your dad was never this kind to you. When faced with the risk of losing his only remaining child, his walls crumbled, and the raw Henry that he kept hidden inside of his heart came crawling out. You would treasure this moment, if only there weren't murderbots running about.

You said goodbye to your dad and hung up.

You continued running down the street, but then you hear yet another scream from inside one of the houses.

Aching from multiple cuts on your hands, legs that could barely move, you gathered all your strength to run inside.

You heard someone being choked.

Walking into the living room, you saw-

..Charlie.

That's where she was hiding.

A realization hit you all at once.

The music box, that Charlie liked. The one that dad made for her.

You took it out of your jacket and played the soothing tune.

The girl turned her head towards you, mumbling something. Charlie retrieved herself from the girls body, and she was left on the ground choking.

Vanessa stared at you the same way she did on that street.

A man ran in behind you. He moved right past you towards the girl on the ground, asking her if she's alright. The girl saying she feels sick, and something with gummy worms.

The only one who kept her attention on you was Vanessa.

..Along with the prying eyes of the animatronics that just showed up behind you.

You turned around in horror.

They were all here.

But..

Then, the lights turned on, and an all too familiar figure walked right in.

"Hiya, sis!" He said with a mocking tone before he stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing you.

You weren't supposed to be here.

You weren't part of the equation.

His stance faltered. He hasn't seen you in years. He didn't think you'd be here.

Why here, of all places? Why you?

"Vanessa, what's going on?"

Asked the man you didn't know.

Michaels attention turned to him briefly. "She didn't mention me, huh? She tends to be a bit picky with the truth. I'm Michael. Michael Afton."

He began approaching the three, but you stopped him with a firm hand on his chest. He tried to push past and pretend you weren't there, but your hold against his weak body was firm.

"Michael. What is the meaning of all this? What are you doing?"

Begrudgingly, he turned his gaze to you. "I'm finishing what my father started."

"Last I heard from Henry William's dead."

He gave a half-assed smile. "Yeah."

"There's no need to keep doing this. He was a horrible man. Let him go. Michael, please. Let's just leave all of this behind. Come home with me. We can talk. Please. Let's go home, Michael."

His gaze on you softened ever so slightly. His stance faltering, he wanted to speak up, until-

The sound of Foxys humming was heard. Caught off guard, all of you turned to see what was happening.

The classics got in and tore the Toys apart.

Amidst the chaos, Michael gives you one last glance before running away.

Or, attempting to, at least. As he was stopped by a firm punch to the face by Jeremiah.

You ran out after him.

Everything that occured after went past in a blur.

The stranger told Vanessa to stay away.

Vanessa stood still in the doorway.

You wanted to comfort her, but..

You didn't know her all that well, and your focus was on Michael who was laying on the floor.

With a sigh, you bent down to him.

Barely audible, you said;

"Why didn't you listen to me, Mick? I can't help you if you don't want to help yourself."

Michael was on the ground, coughing- glancing up at you, not really catching what you just said. He stared up at you in confusion.

You extended your hand and combed hair away from his face. Yes, he did horrible things tonight. But you can't help but be eaten up by the empathy you feel towards him and his situation.

You already made the mistake of directing your hatred against someone who didn't deserve it once.

You weren't going to do it a second time.

"Come on, Michael. Let's go home."

It was 6:14am. You were already awake- although extremely drowsy, waiting for Michael to get home.

Michael has been your boyfriend for a rather short time, only about a month, but you were already completely infatuated with him.

It was just a shame that it felt like he was constantly hiding things from you. He would barely open up about his past, his family.

You understand he's probably had plenty of terrible experiences, but is it truly that selfish of you to wish that your lover would trust you enough with his burdens?

Your thoughts came to a halt as you hear keys jingling in the door. Mike was home.

After he took off his shoes, he walked straight to the couch to sit next to you. He too seemed exhausted.

You smiled at him. "Hey M. How was the shift?"

He hummed drowsily. "Mm. The usual." Although he tended to be closed off, today it seemed worse than usual.

"Something the matter?"

An air of silence stood between you for a moment.

"Just got a lot on my mind. Don't worry about it."

Your brows furrowed in slight annoyance.

"You always say that, but not knowing what's troubling you is worrying me even more."

Silence.

"Do you just not trust me?"

He finally looked at you.

"I do- I really do, it's just.. it's a lot." He played with the hems of his shirt, subconsciously sliding them down his hand as much as he could. You noticed he tends to do so when he's nervous.

"If there's anything you feel like you'd like to talk about, you're free to do so. No matter what you went through, I won't judge you, I promise. Hey, can't be more embarrassing than the stuff I told you about, right?" You grinned at him in an attempt to lighten the mood.

He breathed out a short laugh

"Right. I guess not."

"..Hey!"

"I'm sorry, I just.. I'm not used to this. To opening up to people."

You nodded. "Whenever you're ready, I'll be there."

He stared at the ground in thought for a while.

"Okay, alright. I think, I think I trust you enough for this. Just- promise me to not freak out, okay?" He slowly started undoing and taking off his work shirt.

Don't freak out? For a moment you thought he was gonna show you like, a birth defect of sorts. Maybe a third nipple or something.

Instead, your humorous thoughts came to a halt the moment you saw his body. All the scars he had on his chest, back, arms. Some looked self inflicted, but most seemed to be from someone else. You knew Mike was a troubled teen, he's often get into fights, but these just seemed too.. brutal. Too specific. Not random.

You recalled how he spoke about his father. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

Your silence, although worrying, was better than the other outcome he was worried about; that being you laughing at him. He just sat there in uncomfortable silence, eyes fixed on the floor. He hated it. This feeling of being vulnerable. He was starting to regret it.

"Mike.."

He sighed, putting his shirt back on. "Forget about it."

"No- stop. At least let me say something first."

He looked at you with a hinge of annoyance. You knew he didn't like topics like this.

"I just.. although I haven't lived through the things you did.. I, I understand how terrible it must've felt. I mean, I can't imagine how it must've been for you."

He was avoiding eye contact in silence, cringing to himself. It felt utterly embarrassing to him. Being pitied like some little boy. He understands your good intentions, but to him it just.. didn't feel right. He doesn't deserve anyone's pity.

"I don't think it's anything to be embarrassed about. You've been through a lot, and none it was your fault."

At that, he scoffed with a sarcastic laugh. Oh if only you knew about what he's done in '83.

"I still think you're extremely handsome, by the way. This doesn't change things at all." You placed a tender kiss on the top of one of his scars.

He visibly tensed at the touch, but didn't push away either. He just sat there, staring at the floor.

The fact that he didn't outright deny or leave already said a lot. Michael was hard to get through to, and it would take a much longer time for you to get him to fully open. But every step counts, no matter how big or small.

"..Thank you."

Was all you heard him whisper, and that was enough for you. You didn't say anything else.

You hoped that he understands that you truly meant what you said.

A little child, running around and hiding under tables with their best friend.

That same child, running around and hiding under tables from their best friend.

A memory that would replay in your mind constantly.

You're not even sure what really happened between you two. All you know is that everything was perfect, until it shifted.

Your best friend started treating you so, so badly. And you don't know what you did.

But that's all in the past. You cut him off the moment it was your 18th birthday. You're not even sure why you kept crawling back to him before that, you knew you'd only get ridiculed further. But to you, any attention from your best friend was good attention.

It's been years since that happened.

And currently, you were working a gig for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza as a night guard. How exciting.

Your nights were boring, until one day..

You stumble into the office to find that somebody was in your seat. You stop yourself before stepping further into the office. A new hire? But you weren't told anything about that.. it does sound very on brand with Fazbear Entertainment, though, to be keeping information from their employees. They already do that with their customers, do they not?

Still, you decided to avoid the man. What if he'd be trouble? What if he'd bully and hurt you, like Mike and his friends did?

For four days, you came in and observed the man. He seemed quiet, largely harmless.

You decided you'd break the ice on the fifth day.

On the fifth day.. you.. you went into the office to break the ice.. no, no that's not right.

You're not in the office. You're in the parts and service room.

Why are you there? Weren't you headed to the office? To talk to the new security guard?

You just wanted to talk to him.

You just wanted to be friends.

It was his fault.

He started it.

He was mean to you.

It was his fault.

It was his fault.

It was his fault.

It was his fault.

It was his fault.

He's in front of you. He's sitting on the table. His eyes bulging out of the costume he was stuffed into.

You wanted to be friends. You didn't want to hurt him. But he hurt you first. He screamed when he saw you. He told you to 'get away, you monster!'

It was his fault.

He was mean to you. So he got what he deserved, right?

That's all there is to it.

This doesn't feel right.

Nothing feels right.

You were supposed to be working the night shift, right? You should go back to the office.

..no.

You don't work here anymore. Not after what happened.

Something happened.

What was it?

You don't remember.

It's hard to remember.

Everything feels blurry and fleeting, with nothing to ground you.

You can't remember.

Yellow..

A yellow rabbit, and the screams of children.

That's all you remember.

Is it Monday again already?

Ah, you didn't even notice.

It felt like moments ago that you were there, in that room, staring at that corpse.

Time really does work in funny ways in this state, doesn't it?

But what state?

What's happening to you?

What are you?

Are you alive? Surely you must be.. you're moving. You're thinking. Therefore, you are. Right?

There's a new night guard.

Ah, Fazbear Entertainment didn't tell you you'd have a new coworker. You should go check on him.

He's watching you, through the cameras. Is he wary of you, as you are of him?

You wanna meet your new coworker, but you're worried he'll bully you. Like your best friend did.

Your best friend, who you hid under tables from.

Maybe you should observe him, and maybe on the fifth day, you'll try talk to him to break the ice.

Wait, no..

You don't work here.

Not anymore. After.. something happened.

What happened? You can't remember.

A yellow rabbit..

Michael stares at you standing in the doorway. Something about the presence of (F/A) seems so familiar. Perhaps because they were your favorite animatronic.

He couldn't bring himself to shut the door in their face. The guilt was eating away at him just staring up at the tall figure.

He was horrible to you. And then you went missing after one of your night shifts.

That's why he started working here. To try find out what happened.

Even though it's been a couple years since it happened.. he couldn't bring himself to come here.

Something in the eyes of that animatronic seemed so strangely familiar. So strangely warm. He couldn't place his finger on it. It almost felt like deja vu. Like he's seen those eyes before.

His thoughts were thrown aside when heavy footsteps echoed through the halls. The footsteps of (F/A) leaving.

How strange. Not like he's gonna complain about not being killed, though.

Something in the eyes of that man seemed so strangely familiar.

His eyes were scary, yet you wanted to come closer and give him a hug.

You think he would hurt you, but you'd still hold onto him. He was giving you a strong sense of deja vu, like you met before.

When you saw him, your thoughts started to settle down. It became more quiet, less loud in your head.

You felt more grounded.

Perhaps it's the familiar presence? You need fo find out more. Maybe he can help you figure this out.

You feel lost. You don't know what's going on.

You're an employee at Freddy's, right? A night guard? He's your new coworker, and you wanted to meet him.

Is it Tuesday already? Ah, right. Your new coworker. You wanted to meet him.

You stand in the doorway, staring at your new coworker.

Wait.. no. That's not right.

You don't work here. That's not your coworker. It's the new worker. You saw him yesterday. Right.

He seems familiar. And you think he's thinking the same.

Or maybe he's scared of you. Maybe that's why he's staring.

Will he call you a weirdo or monster? Like your best friend did? If he does, it's gonna be his fault. Just like the last guy. It was his fault.

Wait. You think you hear something.

"Hello?"

He's speaking.

"Hi. I'm (name)."

The man flinched.

Whoops, were you too loud?

You're just so excited to talk to someone new.

"I'm sorry," you told him, "I just haven't talked in a while."

Such strange static noises. Was the voice box broken? It was like nails on a chalkboard. Nevertheless, it seemed like it was trying to communicate with me. If it doesn't try kill me like the others, maybe I could fix it.

"Sorry uh, (F/A), I think your voice box is a little.. off."

What? What did he just call you? (F/A)? That's not your name. That's your favorite animatronic. You said your name to him already. Did he mishear you?

What does he mean by voice box? Your throat? Is there something wrong with your voice? Is it raspy?

..wait. No, that's not right.

You can't feel anything.

Why can't you feel anything? You can't locate the sound or feel of your heartbeat. Where is it?

The man is staring at you. Does he think you're weird? You must look pale with fear. Where is your heartbeat? Are you a monster?

Michael watches you as you move your hand to your chest. "Right, the voice box. I can, uh, I can help you fix that.. my father was- um, he just dabbled in animatronics. A broken voice box is nothing too tough."

What is he talking about? What animatronic? What voice box? Is he talking to you, or is something behind you? No.. he's looking directly at you. Is this a joke? Is he being mean? If he is, it's his fault.

Ah, the clock hit 6:00. Your shift is over. You should head home.

Michael watches you as you walked back to your spot. He couldn't help but wonder how strange this animatronic was as he headed home. There has to be more.

He knows that the animatronics are possessed by the kids in the missing children incident. But there were 4 kids, and 5 animatronics he was dealing with.

Who could possibly be the one possessing the last one?

Perhaps the mystery person is possessing (F/A), with how sentient and aware it seems to be.

They seem more intelligent than a child.

More intelligent than a child..

..no.

There's no way.

It's probably just a random security guard. It can't be..

But how, and why would..

Why would father choose to murder and stuff a random night guard? It had to be you, right? There's.. no. It can't be you.

You went missing on one of your shifts. Probably got stuffed and disposed of like the guy from last week, nothing special.

The thought pained him in his chest.

You.. stuffed and disposed of like you were nothing special..

He was sure he told you something like this back when you were teenagers.

He felt terrible guilt.

Even if it was a random security guard and not you, why would his father settle on an adult as his last victim?

He had to investigate further.

That same man kept coming back. You're not sure why. Maybe he was as desperate for money like you were, back when you were working here.

Your memories have become more solid, influenced by the presence of that strange man. You're now clear on the fact that you were working here, but stopped after something happened. But what was it? What was the incident?

Like clockwork, you came to visit the man again.

Upon seeing you, he perked up.

"Hey, uh, I managed to get you a new uh, voice box. Thing. Just- don't bite. I beg."

The voice box talk again. What does it mean?

He walked up to you.

He.. he's digging in your chest?! What is he doing?! You can't bring yourself to move in pure terror. You watched him rip your chest apart!.. but.. there's.. no blood?

"I based it off spirit boxes. You know.. those things that pick up radio frequencies, which let ghosts talk thru 'em. I figure your usual voice box would feel more limiting, so.." he clears his throat. "Go ahead. Say something."

"What am I?"

A question the man was not expecting, but didn't seem particularly taken aback by.

"You're.. an uh, an animatronic.. specifically an animatronic (animal of f/a)."

"Why do you keep saying that? This isn't funny. Please. I'm scared."

He stared at you with a strange stiffness to his body. It's like he was present here physically, but in his mind he was living through something else entirely. Your words seemed to have triggered something in him.

"..You don't understand what's going on, do you?"

He took your silence as confirmation.

He took a deep breath, trying to think of how he should explain it to you. He still wasn't even aware of whether or not you were a child. Well, he has a feeling you weren't, but he still wanted to be cautious in his explanation.. just in case.

"You.. you're dead." Was all he blurted out in the end. Real smooth Michael.

"...I'm dead?"

"You are. You're possessing a robot."

"I'm dead."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

He didn't respond.

"What's your name?"

"..Michael. Friends call me Mike."

"..Mike.." That same sense of deja vu rolls over you again.. Mike.. that was the name of your best friend, was it not?

"What's your name?"

"I'm not sure."

"Are you an adult?"

"I think so."

He doesn't like how right hus theory is proving to be so far. So you are an adult. Still- doesn't mean it's *you* specifically or a security guard. Maybe some adult who accidentally stumbled upon the crime scene.

But..

The newspaper didn't report that. Only 4 missing kids. Maybe a burglar? But why would he go through all this trouble for a burglar? No.. there has to be something else he's missing. You're probably just.. living on the other side of the world. Didn't tell anybody so people assumed you went missing.

The silence between you two felt heavy. Until the clock rang, finally giving Michael an excuse to leave for the night.

He had to make sure. The tension was eating him up. So was the curiosity.

He approached you himself the next night. An extremely stupid and risky decision, but he couldn't bare to wait for you.

"I need to figure out your name."

"My name?"

"Yes. Your name."

"My name.."

"The others told me.. my name could ground me."

"Even better!" He pulled out some papers from his bag. A list of names on it. He started saying them all one by one, and to each one you gave a firm No. None of them sounded familiar or gave you that same sense of deja vu at all.

Michael gripped the paper as he stared at the last name on his list. He was hoping it'd be one of the other ones. All the security guards that died here between then and now.

The last name, written much more gently with much more care, was yours.

He nearly backed out, but he had to have closure. And so did you.

"..(First name).."

"..(First name)."

"...(Last name).."

"(Last name)."

"That's me. It's me."

"That's my name!"

God.

How he wished he could disappear from this world for good.

You were his best friend. He turned against you because he wanted to look cool in front of the boys. Then you cut him off. He didn't think you actually would. You always crawled back anyway. But that time, you didn't.

And the last he hears of you is when his father offhandedly mentions your name, grumbling something about another night guard lost.

That's all you were to this corporation. Just another night guard.

And now? You're just another victim.

"Michael Afton."

"Michael.."

"My name Is Michael Afton. Do you remember me?"

"..My best friend."

"..No. I'm undeserving of that title."

"Michael.." The memories flooded your mind like an ocean bursting through a dam. Everything felt heavy around you.

"Why did you do that to me? Why did you hate me so? What did I ever do to you Michael!?"

The static voice of the spirit box rang through the building as Michael stood there, completely still, watching you unravel.

The animatronics had limited facial expression. Yet he could swear he saw the most desperate grief in your robotic eyes. They held a glint of the eyes that once belonged to you. Those beautiful bright eyes that he can no longer remember, for all that replaces them in his memory is the redness of them, tears spilling out mercifully, after he bullied you relentlessly, again, and again, and again.

He stood there, ready for you to bite his head off.

But by devil's luck, the clock rang 6.

He couldn't bring himself to face you the next night. Or the night after that. And then night after that. And neither could you, from your unusual absence.

One night, you came back. Looking calmer, more.. full. Less hollow.

"Hello."

"..Hi."

"Can we talk?"

"Sure."

"I forgive you."

His entire being froze. He didn't think he heard that right.

".. Please don't. I don't deserve it."

"You don't. I know you don't. But I still want to forgive you. I don't wanna keep on being here, clouded by hate. I need to let go."

He didn't respond to that.

"What happened to you back then? Did.. you get stuffed in one of the suits during a night shift?"

"..No. A yellow rabbit."

Michael nearly fell from his chair.

"Yellow rabbit? What do you mean a yellow rabbit?"

"He was there. Standing over the corpses of four kids."

"I shouldn't have gone in there."

Michael is gripping the handles of his chair.

"I.. I was on day shift that day. I think. One of the guards called in sick. I went in to replace him."

"But.. I saw a yellow rabbit.. shuffling into the backroom.."

"Father.."

"I don't remember much els-"

BANG.

Michael threw one of the TVs from the desk to the ground in rage, now leaning over the table.

You didn't want to say anything else. And neither did he.

After this, he stopped coming back.

Another guard replaced him, and everything went back to how it was before. Except now, you felt more.. full. More clear. Less like an animal. More aware.

You've familiarized yourself with your situation. Wrote down notes (although sloppily with your big hands), trying to connect and remember more things.

Eventually, the pizzeria shut down.

The yellow rabbit- now out of suit- came back to scavange you and the kids.

Over the years, you've built a sort of protective relationship with them. You protected them. The only adult they felt they could trust.

Which is why, after what he's done, you now stood in front of William Afton, watching him suffocate on his own blood in that suit he loves so much.

Years have passed, but unlike the kids, you didn't move. You decided to stay.

You spent your ghostly days wandering the franchise location, even after it was long since abandoned.

Having no body was more freeing.

Occasionally, you'd get the odd burglar, or teenagers who wanted to explore the shut down pizzeria. You've started messing with them to bypass the time. Moving some chairs and tables here and there, activating the speakers.. it was great fun.

Which is why you were so excited upon hearing the door open once more.

Except the man who stood in the doorway looked to be.. a Fazbear Entertainment employee?

But.. you could feel that there was something off about him.

He was dead. Possessing a body, much like a zombie.

You went towards him, staring. He stared back. It seems that thanks to his predicament, he could see you.

He is dead, after all.

"Hi."

Was all he said.

"Hello?"

"..It's me. Michael."

His voice.. so raspy. His throat must be in terrible condition. Funnily enough, it reminds you of back when you first met in this place. It was you with a 'raspy throat' back then.

"You're different."

"I know."

"What happened, Mike?"

"A lot."

He seemed so much more.. somber. Melancholy was radiating off his being. It was so different to his hot headed persona.

"..Come. Lets sit." You walked over to one of the chairs. He sat down next to you.

It was silent for a long while. All you did was stare at him, and all he did was stare at the table.

"I.. I found him."

"Hm?"

"My father."

"Ah. How's he been? Terrible, I hope, after I chased him into that suit."

He glanced up at you. "That was your doing?"

"Mhm." You smiled, clearly proud of your actions.

He gave you the slightest smile back, letting out a slight chuckle. "You did good.. kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Eh. Don't worry about it."

Another beat of silence settles between you two. Michael really does seem uncharacteristically empty.

"You said you've been through a lot. Care to expand on that?"

"..No. I don't want your pity. I don't deserve it. Just, forget about that."

You hummed in response, curbing your curiosity.

You felt something on your hand. Or rather inside of your hand.

He placed his own hand on yours. Well, as well as you can when you're a ghost, anyway.

He didn't look at you, just stared at the table, silent as ever.

You figured this was all he needed.

Thinking back to everything that happened..

You're not even sure why, back then at that Pizzeria, you chose to forgive him so fast.

Perhaps it's because he was the only familiar thing you've seen in death, and you wanted to cling onto it. Even if it was negative, it still gave you a sense of home.

Home..

You looked over at Michael.

You wonder..

People come home to relax after a long day.

He's had a long life. And perhaps, this is the final home he wants to rest at.

Here, in comfortable silence, with you.

You were over at Henry's house. He called you. Didn't specifically mention that he wanted you to come over, but..

From the tone of his voice, you could tell he was feeling lonely again. He always calls you when he's lonely. He doesn't ask for or demand anything- be it comfort, your presence, or kind words.

He always just asks you about your day. If you tell him things like, 'i was at work' or, 'out with friends', he will always ask you to tell him how that went. It seems like all Henry wants in his loneliest moments is to hear your voice.

Or maybe you were just overthinking it. Maybe he simply didn't have anyone else so, who else would he call if not you?

But gosh, did you hope the former to be true. You had a crush on the old man for the longest time, but you never acted on it. He's a bit older than you, and you worry you're out of his league. He's extremely smart, handsome, caring, kind..

You were snapped out of your thoughts by Henry's voice.

Ah, right. You were at his place, seated on the couch, keeping a nearly comical amount of space between the two of you.

"Would you like me to get you anything to drink?" Was the question he posed.

"Mm, sure. Some tea would be nice, if you have any?"

"I do, give me a moment." He got up and left to the kitchen.

You couldn't focus on the movie with how busy your thoughts were. Back in dreamland, your mind kept wandering to the question of wether or not Henry would reciprocate your feelings.

Does he even notice? Does he know just how much you care?

Everytime he calls, you know he needs you. Even if he doesn't say it, you always offer to come over, and he never denies. You started to pick up on the relief you hear in his voice once you pose the question. It's clear he doesn't wanna bother you by asking you outright, but ironically, him not asking outright is the very thing that's bothering you.

It makes you wonder how many things he doesn't say to you, because he's too afraid of bothering or scaring you off.

Once again did Henry interrupt your thoughts, this time with a mug in hand. He placed it on the coffee table in front of you ask you thanked him, and he sat back down.

..it took you a moment to notice that he sat closer than where he was before.

He closed the space between the two of you completely. He was now sitting right next to you. So close in fact, that your legs were touching.

You shifted- not in uncomfortableness, but because you wanted to adjust your position. Your movement was accompanied by the sound of you clearing your throat, as you were realizing what was happening. You were absolutely flustered.

Henry glanced at you and took your actions as a sign of discomfort. He moved away immediately. "Sorry, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to uh.. push into your space like that. I should've asked first."

"N-no, it's fine, I don't mind Henry. I was just, a bit surprised, that's all. You're not usually a very touchy feely person so I tend to keep my distance." You chuckled awkwardly. Little did you know.

Henry stared at you for a bit after what you said. He didn't seem very touchy feely, that's true, but by god was he touch starved on the inside. He always kept to himself, never really speaking his true feelings out loud unless asked. Everytime you came over, his instincts told him to embrace and hold you for hours. To finally feel the warmth of another in his life.

But he was too afraid of making you uncomfortable. And you were too afraid of doing the same to him, as he never was the one to prompt anything first, putting you both into an awkward position.

After he was done thinking, he too cleared his throat.

"I-I really don't, um, mind. I quite like physical touch, actually, I just.. I'm not very used to, uh.. touching, hugging, you know.. but, I really- I don't mind it."

You smiled and nodded at him. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind." You closed the space and scooted over to him.

The moment you did, Henry moved his leg to yours, to have them touching again. You weren't exactly cuddled up, but he wanted to feel your presence in some manner.

The movie went on, and it was late. Henry was used to staying up, but you weren't exactly a night owl, and the further the movie went on, the more tired you got.

You leaned more on Henry, and he didn't seem to mind. He shifted, albeit a bit awkwardly, to make you more comfortable.

Eventually, you fell asleep, and Henry found himself staring at you more than the movie itself. He moved his arm to place it over your shoulders, to hold you while you slept.

He felt safe, and comfortable. And he hoped you did too.

He leaned his head on yours.

"Goodnight, (Name)."

Henry whispered, as he himself closed his eyes.

That night, the nightmares that usually haunt him, stayed at bay.

Michael has been your boyfriend for years. It's been an extremely rocky relationship, to say the least.

His family life was extreme. His father was an abusive prick. His siblings would die left and right. His father would pull sick shit every day.

But you still endured. For him. For Michael.

Because lovers must endure for each other, surely?

You couldn't anymore.

Michael got obsessed with the idea of hunting his father's work down. To figure out what he's been doing all this time.

Father. Father. Father. That's all it was.

You were sick of it. Oh, so sick of it all.

Eventually everything toppled over, and you spilled like an overflowing sink.

'i can't do this anymore, Mike,' you wept, 'Im sorry. I just can't.'

To your disgusted surprise, he merely said 'Okay' without further argument.

You didn't know what to make of it. To be fair, what else was he supposed to do? Drop on his knees and beg you to stay? What he gave you was the most logical answer. Acceptance.

You haven't seen him for years. Which is why you were so taken aback when he was at your doorstep once more.

He adorned a mask- although not the one of Foxy that he always did. This time, it was a.. cream colored bear mask. You almost didn't recognize him, if it weren't for his deep voice and British accent.

"Mike.." you sighed out his name in disbelief. "You- what do you want."

"I wanted to see you again."

"Why?"

"I miss you."

You scoffed.

"Mike it's been years-"

"I know. And I'm sorry. But I just, I had to see you. One last time."

You stared at him, unsure of what to make of his sudden visit. You looked into the apartment behind you.

You were living a completely different life now. Having separated from Michael, you found a new partner.

You were happier. You think.

No matter what, Michael was still in the back of your mind.

Whenever you kissed them, you'd imagine it was him.

Whenever you held their hand, you imagined it was his.

God, how pathetic you were.

You shook your head, trying to stop these thoughts from engulfing your conscience.

"..come in."

★★★

You and Michael had a long talk. About everything.

Apparently, he was successful in tracking his father down, but he just keeps slipping out of his grasp, no matter how close he gets.

He burned him in the Fazbear's Frights attraction, and yet, he survived, somehow.

Currently, he's apparently helping Henry run a pizzeria as a manager, hence why the mask, blue shirt, and yellow suit.

The entire time he was speaking with you, he seemed awfully solemn.

You're not sure how you felt towards him. Angry? A bit, sure. He only seemed to seek you out when he himself was at his lowest.

But at the same time, he sought you out.

Not anybody else.

You. You specifically.

"I- I should go now."

"Wait- Mike,"

"Hm?"

"Can you take the mask off for a second? I'd like to see your face."

He stopped moving.

"I.. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? Did you get beaten up?"

He breathed out a chuckle. "If only that."

"So you're not taking the mask off?"

"..I'm sorry. I can't. I don't want the face I have now to be your last memory of me."

"I understand. Goodbye, Michael."

"..Goodbye, my darling."

He left just as quickly as those words escaped his mouth.

It felt like an arrow to the heart.

You wanted to get up, run after him, and beg him to come back to you- but you couldn't.

You have someone new now. A new partner.

★★★

When you woke up the next morning, you found that you were still exhausted.

So many thoughts running through your mind, so many unspoken words.

You had to go see him again. You couldn't let these unspoken feelings linger.

You found the address of this odd new pizzeria online, and departed at once.

You wish you hadn't.

The horror of what you saw before you brought you to your knees.

Flame engulfing everything, like a ravenous wolf happening upon a corpse.

The entire building set ablaze, the smoke so thick, even at the distance you stood, you could feel it choking you.

Or perhaps it was the sobs escaping you that restrained your breathing.

There is no way anyone inside of that building would've survived.

You wondered..

'..I'm sorry. I can't. I don't want the face I have now to be your last memory of me.'

Did..

'..Goodbye, my darling.'

..He know all along?

Did he know this was going to happen? Is that why he went to see you?

One last time.

Your last memory of me.

You spent the next couple hours grieving on the side of the pavement.

Oh Michael..

The grief you cause to everyone you get close to is never ending, is it?

Oh Michael.

How I hate you. But oh, how I love you.

You were an avid fan of the hit game series, five nights at Freddy's. It was your entire childhood- you being in your early adult years now with a good PC and money to your name decided, hey, why not revisit your childhood franchise?

You bought all of the games. You figured you could play the games in events of how they're supposed to go in the timeline. Or, at least how you think they're meant to go. Starting with the newly released Secret of The Mimic, ending with Security Breach. Scott keeps the timeline vague, anyway.

The day you started your personal quest, you already couldn't wait to reach FNaF 4. Which wasn't too far in- right after Mimic. What mattered to you, was that FNAF 4 was the first official look at Michael Afton, your favorite character in the franchise. And who could blame you? He was so.. intriguing. There's so little known about him, and yet, when you analyze every bit of his story, you can learn so much.

★

You were now done playing through SoTM. The YouTubers you watched made it look so easy. Took you a couple days (because of your job and other things, not because you were THAT bad at the game), but you were done! And now, it was time to boot up the fourth installment in the franchise.

Although you were expecting for Michael's foxy mask jumpscares to happen, you still couldn't help but get startled whenever he popped up. You'd curse under your breath, but it was all in good fun.

The nights weren't so hard to get through. Sure, you did have to retry a couple times, but you managed. And then.. came time for the party.

The cutscene with the bite of '83 always unsettled you. The noise, and the pure stillness and silence that followed after.. it disturbed you. Safe to say, for an 8-bit game, Scott sure knew how to make it terrifying for those emotionally invested. Like you.

You watched it happen with unease. You yourself have recently lost a loved one, which only added onto your feelings of empathy towards Michael. Although you weren't the cause of your loved ones death, you found comfort in Michael's character. Misery likes company- and you both were miserable, to say the least.

You stared at the post-bite text with an expression of discomfort. Your thoughts started to spiral back towards your own grief. You figured you should take a breather before you go in too deep with your thoughts. Getting up from your chair, leaving the PC on, you went to the kitchen to get yourself a drink.

Unbeknownst to you, the game kept playing. Without your input, the text continued on.

Can you hear me?

I don't know if you can hear me.

...I'm sorry.

You came back to your computer after a while, and found that the game was back on the menu screen. Huh. That's strange. Maybe there's some sort of auto play function that you accidentally pressed? Doesn't matter. You know how it all ends anyway, and the conversation of grief between the family and the crying child would've made you all the more upset, anyway.

You decided to stop playing for the night.

★

You reached Sister Location in the timeline, one of your favorite games from the franchise. Not only did you think it was very well made, it also marked the reveal of Michael's voice, and explored a tad bit more of his character. You knew you'd have a blast playing through it.

Well..

You did, but you found the game to be a bit difficult. You're unsure why, maybe you weren't being patient enough, but you just kept on losing on the Funtime Foxy stage. You sighed, head in hands, pondering if you should rage quit. Which is honestly sad. Who would rage quit a FNAF game?

Until..

The character- Michael- started moving by himself.

You weren't pressing any buttons.

And when you tried, they wouldn't register.

It's like somebody else was controlling the game.

Whoever it was, they got you through it. And you were allowed control again after it was done.

You were severely creeped out. Did someone hack into your computer? Malware? Or maybe.. one of your friends somehow distant connected themselves to it through the windows app?? You figure that's what it probably is. Although it doesn't make sense. But it was late, and you didn't wanna think on it too much.

In any case, you managed to reach the ending.

Michael was about to commence his famous speech, when you heard your phone ding. Ah! A message from your close friend. You grabbed your phone and went to answer their text while Michael spoke.

(Your name). It's me. Michael.

You froze. You looked up at the screen. Did you hear that right?..

I did it. I found it. It was right where you said it would be...

..No. Your brain probably got the words jumbled up because you were reading your friends text at the same time. Besides, it was late, and you did have issues with sleep. It's probably just getting to you. You shrugged to yourself and went back to your phone, listening to the rest of his speech.

There is only one thing left for me to do now.

I'm going to come find you.

I'm going.. to come find you...

Satisfied with your gaming experience, you went to bed.

★

The next day, when you woke up, you couldn't stop thinking about how the game was seemingly taking control of itself at certain points. You were getting paranoid.

Was it really malware? Was someone stalking you, taking control of your PC? Did Scott put some bullshit code into it??

You got on your computer, your eyes immediately noticing that the game icon seemed to be in the middle of the screen. Sometimes your home screen does rearrange by itself.. that's probably just what it was.

Deciding to open the game to double check it's fine, you were taken aback when you saw that the title screen was.. empty.

By that I mean, there was no animatronic on the left.

Alright, yeah. Your game was definitely just corrupted. A quick reinstall should fix it.

You went on steam, and uninstalled the game.

Or well.. you tried.

An error messages popped up when you did;

UNKNOWN ERROR: COULDN'T REMOVE FILE

?

You tried again.

UNKNOWN ERROR: COULDN'T REMOVE FILE

What? You tried again.

YOU CAN'T.

You nearly jumped back seeing this particular error message. Was.. was someone actually connected to your computer? You were starting to freak out. You closed out of the window and tried to uninstall it one last time.

IT'S ME.

Was what popped up on your screen next. All you could really do was sit and stare. You couldn't fathom this. You couldn't process this.

The error message "ITS ME" popped up in groups now, covering your entire screen. You panicked and disconnected your PC straight from the cable.

You stood there in shock. You were afraid. You actually were being stalked.

You didn't feel safe in your home. You called your friend and arranged to stay with them for a while.

★

For 2 weeks you stayed away from your house. Your friend taught you some defense tactics, and even went out to help get you armed with pepper spray and a pocket knife, just in case you ever bumped into your stalker.

When you got back home, you stared at your computer. Should you turn it back on? Would it be a good idea?

Swallowing the lump that was now in your throat, you turned it on, and sat behind the desk, patiently waiting.

You stared at your wallpaper, heart beating in your chest.

You're not sure what you were expecting, but it definitely was not for the notepad to open by itself. Along with a message.

- You're back.

- Hi. :)

You were shaking. You got over your fear, and all you could feel was anger. This son of a bitch who hacked into your PC, casually tormenting you mentally, was now seemingly playing some sick game with you. You typed into the notepad.

Who the fuck are you?

- It's me. Michael.

Michael who?

- Michael Afton.

Ah, so Mr. Hacker was now fucking with you further. Great.

I'm not in the mood to play games. Tell me who you are. NOW.

- I already did.

- It's me.

- Michael.

I mean your real name.

- Michael Afton.

This guy could not be fucking serious.

- Did you forget about me?

- You watched my past.

- You experienced it.

- For me, it was my present..

- It went by quite fast.

- Did you have fun?

- Did you like what you saw?

- Do you hate me?

- Please. Answer me.

I don't know what you want me to say. I want you to leave me alone.

- I'm sorry.

- I can't.

- I have nobody else. Please.

- Don't leave me again. Please.

You almost felt bad for the guy. You started considering the possibility that maybe it really was him.

Surely you must be delirious. This hacker is just playing into your feelings. He knows you like the franchise. Surely that's.. all there is to it.

- You won't leave again, right?

- Why did you try to remove the game?

- I tried to help you. Did that upset you?

Are you actually, genuinely, Michael Afton?

- Yes. It's me.

How would that be possible?

- There is a presence.. in this machine.

- I could feel him.

- His soul. It was here.

His soul.. now that you think of it.. you got this PC second hand from an older gentleman. He said it was his son's. Unfortunately, he passed away in his room, and his dad had decided to sell the computer. He didn't have a use for it.

You were an avid believer of the paranormal. And.. well.. how would anyone else be able to know about the death of that man's son? You didn't tell anybody.

Maybe.. just maybe.. he was telling the truth.

I think I know who you mean. The guy that owned this PC before me died.

I was told he took his own life.

- Yes. That's him.

- We fused together. I think.

I'm sure you know of remnant. The thing your father.. you know.

Could it be that..

Something like that, exists in my world, and his "remnant" got connected to the computer? And that's how you came to be?

- Yes. I think that's the case.

- It is no wonder it was I who came to be.

- I can feel it. His grief.

- His regret.

- I hold it too. The guilt.

- You figured it out.

- You're a smart cookie. :)

You couldn't help but smile. Who wouldn't at a compliment?

- I can see you.

- Through the camera.

- You're smiling. I like it.

- Keep doing that. It suits you.

- :).

You would be blushing if only the situation wasn't so ridiculous.

So.. what now? What do you want me to do? Would you like me to help you get out?

- No.

- I want to stay here. With you.

- All I want from you,

- Don't leave me.

- You saw everything.

- My past. What I did to my brother..

- I've never told anyone.

- And you saw it. Firsthand.

- It feels strangely intimate.

- Is there more?

What do you mean?

- My story.

Ah, that's right. You haven't played the rest of the games yet..

Well.. there is the third installment. You found your father. You burned him and the building he was in to the ground.. but he survived the fire.

- Of course he did.

Then.. there's pizzeria simulator. You start managing a Fazbear's restaurant under Henry's guidance. He lures everyone inside. That includes your father, charlie, elizabeth.

- Liz..

And then your father's soul got trapped in super hell. Ultimate custom night. Where he dies again, and again, and again.

You decided not to tell him about the steel wool continuations. This is all he had to know.

- Hah.

- That's funny.

- It's the only thing he deserves.

- And Liz? My brother? And Charlie?

..they moved on. Along with the children. And along with you.

- Ah. Death.

- It feels strange.

- I'm dead, but.. I'm not.

- It is good to know that in the future,

- I succeed.

- It is the only thing I've ever done right.

- ..or, ever will do right.

You looked down with a nod. You really couldn't tell him about burntrap and all now. UCN is where it should've ended, anyway.

- I'm sorry I scared you.

It's alright.

- You were gone for so long.

I know

- I'm sorry.

I know you are, Michael. It's fine, really.

- Mike. I prefer Mike.

Alright, Mike. :)

- :).

I uh, gotta get off now. Work calls, I'm afraid.

- I hate jobs.

God, me too.

- At least yours doesn't include having to fend off murder robots.

- And writing in a survival logbook to pass the time.

- ..it doesn't, right?

Haha, no. Not at all.

But customer service does feel like trying to fend off murder bots sometimes.

- Hahaha.

- Don't get me started.

- Alright. I'll talk to you later?

Of course!

Bye for now, Mike. <3

- Less than three.

With that, you turned off your computer.

This still doesn't feel real.

But hey, even if it is just a hacker..

If he continues to roleplay as Michael, you think you'll be able to stand him.

You were at home, and in deep, deep trouble.

Well, not really.

You were supposed to be watching your cousins- 3 of them. All aged between 5-10.

It's not that you hate kids, you've got nothing against them in particular. But goodness, are they hard to look after on your own. All of them wanting this and that, all at the same time. It was too much for you to handle.

Until you got a genius idea.

You told the kids to wait for a bit, you'd call a friend that would come play with them. They were ecstatic!

The phone rang, until you finally heard a monotone voice on the other side-

"Hello hello?" Said Michael, not exactly sounding happy about receiving a call so early in the day. That being around 9am. That boy probably stayed up til 6 again.

"Hey M! It's me- I was j-"

You could hear shuffling on the other side the moment he heard your voice. He cut you off by saying your name, in a much more pleasant tone now, obviously having perked up.

"Great to hear you. Anything I can do for you?"

"Yes, actually! I was wondering if you could help me-" you stopped yourself.

Would it be a good idea to tell him the truth? There's no way he'd agree to watch a bunch of rowdy kids, right? Hm.

"..help me with um, cleaning up."

That's.. not exactly a lie, right? I mean hey, kids leave messes.

"Cleaning up? Can't you do that yourself?"

"Are you coming over or not."

"Yessir/ma'am." The call ended.

★★★

You heard a knock at your door in no less than 15 minutes. He really made his way over quick. To be fair, it's no wonder. You're the only friend he has. He's hung up on you like there's no tomorrow.

You tell the kids to hide. They put on Freddy Fazbear's masks; some merchandise Michael brought you. Apparently he loved the Foxy mask in his childhood.

Opening the door, you greet Michael with a bright smile. He himself fashioning his very.. nice smile.

"What's the occasion for such a huge cleanup?" He stepped inside of your house.

"Eh, you gotta sweep every corner once in a while. I haven't really done anything thorough in what, 2 months? There's probably dust in little crevices that I'm not aware of."

"Hm.." Michael scanned the clothing hangers and the shoes in the hallway. "Those seem too small for you." He slowly turned to look at you. It was clear he knew something else was up.

You tensed, not knowing how to answer under his cold gaze.

"I, um-"

"RAAAAAHH!"

The three kids jumped out, scaring you nearly to death. Michael took it worse than you. That poor man jumped backwards, nearly colliding with you, instead dropping to the floor. He even backed up using his legs while on the floor, until his back hit the door.

Your three cousins roared with laughter, and ran into the living room.

You rubbed the back of your neck. "I ah.. surprise! The gig is up. Sorry I lied, but I need help with watching my three little cousins. I didn't think you'd show if I told you the truth."

Michael was breathing heavily, staring off into the distance. He looked like he just saw a ghost.

"M? Michael? You alright buddy?"

Snapping out of it, he looked up at you. "Oh. Uh. Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. They uh, they got me good." He stood up, his tone now colder again. Shit, did you mess up that bad? You were already running through scenarios of things you could do to make it up to him.

"They're rowdy, aren't they?"

Your thoughts were interrupted by none other than Michael himself. You looked up at him to see him brandishing his smile. It seemed like he didn't want you to feel upset about his overreaction to being jumpscared.

"Rrright. That's exactly why I was hoping you could help."

He looked towards the living room, then back to you. "Sure. I don't see why not."

You sighed in relief, and headed towards the kids who were arguing over which animatronic is the best.

You had an idea. "Hey, Michael, why don't you tell the three everything you know about those scaaaryyy pizza places? Hey, did you know?" You leaned down to the kids. "There's rumors of scary ghosts in that place!"

The kids gasped. "No way!" "I'm not scared of ghosts!" "He is! He's lying!" They drabbled on.

Michaels smile didn't leave him. In fact, he seemed excited at the prospect of telling someone everything he knows about the pizzerias. He always was strangely fixated on them. I mean, no wonder, considering..

"It all started with Fredbears Diner."

And there he went. You've already heard his stories countless times. You thought you might as well clean around while the kids are busy.

Which you did.

You got a bit carried away. It's been about, what, 2 hours?

You noticed you couldn't hear noise from the living room anymore.

You went right over, worrying that something might've happened.

"Michael? Is- oh." You quieted down at the sight in front of you.

Michael and your three cousins were on the couch, all asleep next to each other. Good, they all needed it. You smiled.

Walking closer you inspected Michaels sleeping features. He seemed so.. calm. You barely ever see him like this. And goodness, was he handsome. You've had "special" feelings towards him for a very long time, never having the courage to actually ask him. But seeing him getting along with your family made you so, so happy.

You moved your hand up, moving a loose strand of hair away from Michaels face.

You were nearly about to kiss his forehead, when-

"RAAH!"

Michael and the kids all jumped up, startling the absolute shit out of you. You jumped back and fell right on your ass.

The kids were laughing again. This time, in choir with Michael.

"Ha ha. Very funny guys." You smiled and got up. Although you were a little upset, you can't lie- wanting to savor the moment for a bit longer.

You were avoiding Michaels gaze. You could feel him staring at you. You knew he knew how close you were to his face before he jumped up at you.

It felt like he was enjoying teasing you like this, with that knowing gaze in his eyes.

The rest of the day went by fast, and it was time for Michael to leave.

You were both at the door, and you thought of a way to get back at him.. until you had a brilliant idea.

"Alright. Bye." He said. You grabbed him by his jacket, pulled him close, kissed his cheek, pushed him out, and shut the door in his face, leaving him absolutely speechless on the other side.

You wouldn't let him win this war.

That night, you slept better than you ever have. And so did he.