Five Nights at Freddy's

The doors of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria had been closed for nearly five years, a relic of a forgotten era of family entertainment. The once-thriving institution, where children could laugh and play in the shadow of its beloved animatronic mascots, had been overrun by a series of tragic events. Mike's desperation for a job got the best of him when he stumbled upon the long-abandoned pizzeria's employment ad, tucked away among a sea of Help Wanted and Now Hiring signs scattered across town. Taking a chance, Mike agreed to meet with the property owner's representative, a suited man named Mark, for an interview. At first, Mark seemed like a no-nonsense businessman, yet there was a faint hint of desperation behind his eyes, as if the prospect of selling the property was nothing short of a last resort. He presented Mike with a security uniform, explained the nighttime routine, and provided an elaborate lock-down schedule. The pay was fair, and Mike was sold on the prospect of steady income. Mike soon discovered that the security room doubled as an office space, equipped with two dusty televisions and an all-but-functioning computer. The windows were covered with boarded-up plywood, obstructing any view from the outside world. Beyond that, the suite was cramped and quiet, lit only by the soft hum of fluorescent lights overhead. Rules were issued as if by rote: he was to monitor the security cameras during each of the five nights, ensuring that no intruder breached the premises. Simple enough. Nights one and two passed without incident, save for a few brief glimpses of shadowy movement around the periphery of the cameras' view. By then, Mike began to grow accustomed to his new post, attempting to combat boredom by perusing newspaper archives and web-surfing the dark corners of the internet. It was during these interludes that Mike learned the histories behind Freddy Fazbear's, where its animatronic mascots had reigned supreme. They included Freddy Fazbear himself, a golden-colored bear in a red and white stripped hat; Bonnie the Bunny, a rabbit sports hat atop his oversized head; Chica the Chicken; and Foxy the Pirate Fox. However, during the "Happy Endings" segment he watched, coupled with what felt like decades of eerie silence, followed an unsettling image of vandalism that, after further vigilance, bore the markings of a brutal and dark past at Freddy's own halls. At night three, an air of fear started creeping in. These were far from ordinary nighttime occurrences. Every time the ventilation system would lurch on, accompanied by whispers which bore the faint signature of creaks in the ductwork, it became as if something deeper lurked in those shadows watching Mike. Pouncing nights, suddenly, instead required anticipation of animatronic bandits ready to wreak their horror. Bizarre audio snippets played back on the TVs, coupled with dimmer flickering lights that seemed triggered more by Mike's every shift in state, illuminated exactly an anxious struggle that now dominated his every waking waking thought. These irregular sounds were reminiscent of but louder, even more ominous to listen, also eerily similar to events from the distant history of the Pizzeria documented in the newspaper archives he read. Night four witnessed eerie appearances of the animatronics - foreshadowing much as more than just mere static intrusion that had up to this point been present on the cameras – in very real sightings and the sense of it. That instant created dread that until now was only present during mere suppositions. This marked a personal climax within Mike's world as it symbolized possible imbalances at heart that his profession sought to secure and maintain. By the evening of five nights, a point of reversal where Mike expected he would cross a point where night time vigil started slipping into that period of time beyond his safety margins - Mike has turned up entirely conscious – and is entirely aware – still frightened. Now back home in Mike's room, Mike woke up to what the sun broke through, Mike turned to the windows only to see both hands from behind him are attached with a bear or perhaps the bear comes more accurately to be Freddy. Fazbear the animatronic mascot that seemed to take on some life left during to follow Mike into his current flat in broad day light.