Chapter Text
It wasn't a flower laying. Although what was happening somewhat resembled it, on this monument one wanted to see only weeds — weeds that had grown through the dead man, hiding an ugly, corrupted soul behind them. It was a grave of the remains of an old iron suit from the eighties and rotten human flesh.
Golden Freddy turned away. He suddenly felt a desire for revenge permeate him, a desire that an unquiet entity had harbored for many years. Old memories surfaced in his mind, where the laughter of Afton, hidden in the suit, suddenly cut off and turned into a terrifying scream. Spirits circled around, hoping for liberation after the death of their killer. And then two figures appeared in the room. Charlie said it was the end, while Cassidy, in a terrible rage, screamed that he had been deceived by her. He swore that he would not let Afton die until he felt the same as they had.
“If he doesn't die, the souls will never be freed. Stop thinking only of revenge. We need to take care of the children.”
But Cassidy wasn't listening to her. There wasn't a single point in his plan where he was supposed to give up and obediently accept his fate.
“Then, for now, come up with something to contain their anger. We've only just begun, and I won't let him get away. I won't give him any peace.”
Something touched his back, and, flinching, Golden's eyes snapped open.
“Are you okay?” asked Marionette, holding him by the shoulders.
“I'm really scared,” Golden whispered. “I don't want Cassidy to possess my body. I don't know how, but he's still connected to me. I definitely don't want him to come back. Any of them. Let's... Let's break him!” He pointed at the mangled, dirty-yellow rabbit suit.
“Nothing will come of it.” Marionette shook his head. “My fault is that I didn't think of it sooner.”
“No. We couldn't have predicted that he would actually rise from the dead. We must find a way to get rid of him once and for all.”
His unusually stern voice echoed off the walls of the empty room. Marionette looked at him with surprise.
“I'm afraid of becoming your enemy again. But I will do everything I can to ensure Cassidy doesn't interfere with you.”
Marionette nodded silently, agreeing with him.
The dark blue sky, with its drifting misty clouds, was lit by a bright moon. It was quiet outside, except for the rustling grass and the loud crickets in it. The fresh, clean wind cleared away the last of the anxiety and invisible dirt.
Puppet
Marionette turned, his eyes blazing brightly in the night's gloom.
“He definitely can't get out of here, can he?” Golden asked with concern, closing the doors of the enormous building, beneath the very floor of which was an old restaurant.
Puppet silently shrugged, pulling the hood over his head. He didn't wait for Golden and walked straight down the road. Watching him leave with a sad gaze, Golden wondered if Marionette truly never expected the killer's return. Or did he know? Was he just trying to shield the other children from the impending danger? It seemed to Golden that he was hiding something, but he couldn't blame him for it. Besides Marionette, they had no one else who could protect them.
Long ago, Charlie found a way to free souls from torment and allow them to live peacefully. She voluntarily decided to disappear, transforming into another person. The children followed her, and the thirst for blood no longer haunted them. Was it reincarnation or something akin to growing up? And what about Golden? Who did he become when Cassidy left the body to create endless nightmares in someone else's inflamed mind? Puppet had many theories on the subject, but not a single piece of evidence. Only one thing they both knew for sure: when the vengeful spirit returns to escort its victim, it will get its body back.
Golden's restless thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car. He jumped to the roadside, letting the vehicle pass, and looked into the distance where darkness was gathering on the horizon, slowly obscuring the silhouette of the Marionette.
WELCOME TO HURRICANE, UTAH
In the darkness, the headlights of a white car appeared, passing by a large sign standing at the entrance to the city. The driver was moving unhurriedly, relaxed by the monotonous hum of the engine. The warm wind smelled sweet. It was filled with that peculiar charm of summer nights, when the world suddenly became very cozy, and a good premonition began to stir in the chest.
Inside the car, only the phone's display glowed, showing the route. Anticipating the new day, the man behind the wheel was slightly distracted and didn't immediately notice the shadow of a person on the road. As he approached, he realized there were two of them and honked. The first one immediately jumped aside. The second one slowly moved away only when the car came very close, watching it with a grim gaze.
For the next few minutes, a questioning grimace remained on the driver's face, and he couldn't quite grasp what he had just seen: in the stranger's empty black eye sockets, there was nothing but two small, burning lights. What the hell was that? The man shook his head, trying to push all thoughts of it away. Dawn was not close. He needed to check into a motel and get some sleep.
In the morning, he, a tall, handsome young man with red curly hair, checked out of room, handed over the keys, and left. Upon reaching the city center, he went into a flower shop and asked for a bouquet of peonies to be arranged, after which he drove to an address he had known for a long time.
Parking his car by the small house, he took out the gift and flowers. This wonderful day was the birthday of his best friend, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, and he had arrived unannounced to surprise her. Going up to the porch, he knocked loudly and waited for a while. When the door opened, light fell upon a round, girlish face framed by tousled hair, reddened by the sun.
“Happy birthday, Gwen!”
For the first two seconds, she blinked uncomprehendingly with sleepy eyes, and then her lips stretched into a wide smile:
“Merry!” she squealed joyfully, throwing herself around his neck. “What are you doing here?! Oh my God! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She began to hug him tightly and pull him into the house. “Come on, come on quickly!”
Gwendoline pulled back the curtains in the house, letting in the soft, pink glow of the morning. Still expressing her astonishment, she began to move around the kitchen with a host's energy.
“You never cease to amaze me!” she cried. “You know, we were just thinking about you recently. When did you arrive?”
Looking at his friend with a smile, Meriadoc suddenly realized he had missed her far more than he had thought. He was very glad to be at her home. Everything here was so simple and untidy, but it was precisely this that created that very living ideal, one that didn't need to be strived for. In Gwen's hands, it was achieved all by itself.
Merry's gaze swept across the kitchen, spotting two crystal vases on the countertop near the window. A beautiful bouquet of delicate white hydrangeas, Merry presumed, was a gift from Stian, Gwen's boyfriend. Nearby were lush peonies, filling the room with a sweet fragrance. The friends waited for the coffee to brew, enthusiastically telling each other about what had happened to them recently, as if they had never spoken on the phone. Taking a break after almost every sentence, Gwen happily bounced and squealed with emotion, like a child. Whether it was an unexpected visit or a birthday that was the source of her joy didn't matter. The day was so wonderful that everyone wanted to rejoice without a reason.
“So you're saying that project you've been slaving away on for so long was shut down?” the girl asked, bewildered.
“Yeah, and I got fired,” Merry offered a sheepish smile.
“Oh, how awful,” Gwen drawled. “You'll have to find a new job.”
“I'm thinking of going into my field,” he said.
“Well, maybe that's not such a bad idea. After all, you have experience.”
The conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Stian, who brought with him the hot steam of a refreshing morning shower. He greeted Merry, hugged him, and then, pulling the towel from his shoulders, plopped down onto the chair next to Gwen.
“You never cease to amaze us. Is it your hobby to arrange surprises?”
“Can you imagine, yes? I'd barely gotten out of bed and he!” Gwen nodded in confirmation.
“Are you driving?” Stian inquired, and Merry nodded.
“By the way, I booked a room at the motel for one night,” he said. “But I'd like to find something else. Maybe you could recommend something?”
“Oh, come on!” Gwen contradicted him. “Stay with us.”
The holiday, which had fallen on the weekend, came to an end, leaving behind a slight weariness. Early in the morning, Stian breaking sensitive sleep with the loud clatter of dishes, he left for work. After his departure, Merry fell asleep again. Waking up later, he took a shower and went to the kitchen, where he met Gwen. Upon seeing her, Merry did not hesitate to offer her a ride to work.
“Are you still working at the same place as before?” he asked, settling into the driver's seat.
“No.” Gwen replied. “I forgot to tell you. I got a job at a place that's a museum piece. It's probably the best place I've ever worked.”
“Really? And where is it?” Merry inquired.
“A children's pizzeria. Its main feature is the animatronic robots. The whole town is investigating right now: whether they're actually alive or not.”
“And do you think they're alive?” Merry asked with a chuckle, guessing her answer.
“I think yes,” Gwen furrowed brows. “I mean, Merry, if you interact with them, you'll think so too. They really do have souls.” She hopped into the front seat, gently closing the door. “Actually, this restaurant was built a long time ago, it's just that a while back the company decided to reconstruct the old robots, and now they look like humans. There are many different rumors about this pizzeria. I can tell you their story. Do you want to hear it?”
“Of course.”
“Okay.” it was obvious that Gwen really wanted to share something interesting, but she herself seemed to be a little worried, “But there is one condition: you will have to throw away all logic and common sense. That's what they told me to do when they told me this story.”
“They? Robots, you mean? Are they talking?” Merry asked.
“They’re alive.” Gwen said firmly, her voice growing more serious. “Many don’t believe it, but I do. Everyone who works there believes it. Otherwise, it would simply be impossible to be there.” she took a deep breath. “So, the pizzeria was founded by two people. The first one was the owner. The second was his assistant. Back then, robots were huge, looked like animals, but were still the pinnacle of engineering. They were also used as costumes for entertainers. One day, the assistant, wearing such a costume during a celebration, lured in several children and killed them.”
A ringing silence suddenly fell over the car. Merry looked at her questioningly.
Gwen shrugged and said “He was probably a real psychopath.” she speculated. “It so happened that the souls of those children, finding no rest, possessed the animatronics. For a while, they searched for their killer, wanting revenge. Then the pizzeria was sold to other people. That's how 'Fazbear Entertainment' came to be.” She suddenly smiled quietly, then continued in a more casual tone. “And that's how they became what they are now. The pizzeria runs almost independently; it only partially depends on the company.” Gwen explained. “And, by the way, the boss of the pizzeria is also an animatronic.”
“What? How did this even happen?”
Of course, all of this was strange, yet the story hardly stirred any emotions in Merry. Perhaps it was because he simply couldn’t believe in real magic unfolding right before his friend’s eyes.
“It’s really fun there.” she said. “You should go there!”
They were driving along a wide road lined with a dense forest. Sunlight filtered through the thick foliage. Suddenly, the trees began to thin, revealing a bright, eye-catching building. Gwen wordlessly pointed with her finger in the opposite direction, indicating the parking lot.
After parking his car, Merry heard children's voices. As soon as he got out, they became louder. He glanced down the street and saw a pizzeria sign across the road. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he squinted against the glaring sun.
Heavy branches from old trees nearby hung down onto the roof of the tall building. On the roof itself stood a huge sign flashing red lights. The inscription read: “Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria.” Just below it was a motto in italics: “A magical place for children and their parents, where dreams and fun come to life.” The walls of the building were painted in a warm golden hue. Along the base was a panel laid out in black and white tiles in a checkerboard pattern. The restaurant's glass doors swung open every now and then, letting in new visitors. Children were running around everywhere, their loud, excited squeals could be heard from all directions.
Gwen got out of the car, stretched, and turned to Merry with a broad smile.
“Thanks for the ride. You could come with me and... just hang out.”
“Hang out? Here?” Merry raised an eyebrow skeptically. His gaze slid over the glowing sign, where the pizzeria's main talents stared at him with cheerful smiles. His girlfriend's supernatural story or the word “children's” in the restaurant's name — something about it definitely confused him.
“Come on! Just order a pizza. It's really good!” It didn't take Gwen long to persuade her friend; he agreed almost immediately.
The walls of the lobby were also painted a sunny yellow. Almost no light came in through the windows, so the room was mainly lit by lamps. Merry smiled involuntarily, noting how harmonious and beautiful everything was decorated. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked pizza. Near the entrance to the hall was the reception desk, where a girl stood behind the cash register. On the wall behind her were shelves with toys made in the shape of the pizzeria's mascots. Merry's gaze was immediately drawn to the black and white tile path leading to the entrance. Above it, the round letters “Welcome” shone brightly.
Beyond the doorway was a view of the bustling hall, where soft sofas and tables were filled with children. The little ones were running around their seats, their shrill voices barely drowned out by the music.
Merry leaned toward Gwen and whispered,
“All right.” he finally gave in. “I wouldn't mind joining in this childish commotion myself.”
“See!” Gwen exclaimed with a triumphant smile. “I told you it was amazing here!”
When they entered the hall, Gwen immediately disappeared through the door leading to the kitchen. Merry made his way through the crowd of children playing. Reaching a free table, he plopped down with relief into a soft armchair.
The hall made a pleasant impression on him. Small lights and spotlights flickered all around. A screen displaying orders hung above the bar. In the center of the room was a large stage, covered by a velvet red curtain.
After a while, Gwen found him. She was now wearing a waitress uniform. She approached Merry with a tray of pizza and cocktails.
“No need to thank. From the chef to our guest.” She placed the food on the table and sat down opposite her friend.
“So, what time does your shift start?” Merry asked.
“I usually come in at ten.” Gwen smiled. “Our kitchen is also pretty much self-sufficient.”
“What else here works on the same principle?” Merry couldn't help asking.
“Well, our head chef is also an animatronic, by the way,” Gwen continued, ignoring Merry's heavy sigh. “She believes that the kitchen is completely under her control. It has its own rules. In fact, I obey them more than I obey the rules of the entire pizzeria.”
Meanwhile, children began to gather around them. A girl of about ten leaned her back against the edge of their table. Breathing heavily, she watched the other children playing tag.
“Hi, Paisley!” Gwendolyn called out cheerfully. The girl turned around, said hello, and ran away. “She's our manager's daughter.”
Later, leaving her friend behind, Gwen got down to work. After finishing his snack, Merry looked around and noticed that the children who had been playing tag had also sat down at the tables and were eagerly eating pizza. Merry suddenly felt an irresistible urge to take a closer look at everything in the building. When Gwen told him about this place, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic. But when he saw the bright colors and colorful garlands, he realized that he liked it as much as Gwen did. Meriadoc decided he should take a walk.
He got up from the table and slowly walked along the hall, looking around carefully. The walls of the pizzeria were decorated with paper crafts and drawings. They depicted children together with animatronics, whose faces he had seen on the sign at the entrance. At the end of the hall, he noticed a wide passage leading to another part of the pizzeria.
There, Merry enjoyed looking around the slot machine hall. Tokens were required to play, but he decided not to buy any. He headed to the right corridor, where there was a ball pool of the room. Above it were climbing frames and a children's slide.
Walking through the corridor, Merry found himself in another hall. Here, the furniture was decorated in different colors. There were fewer people here, with families sitting at some of the tables. It felt like a completely different world.
On the other side was a children's corner. There was a soft carpet on the floor and several sandals nearby. There were two low tables, surrounded by cushions instead of chairs. A young man with pale blue hair was sitting on the floor behind one of the tables. He had rabbit ears on his head. Merry immediately realized that it was an animatronic. Several little girls sitting next to him were drawing.
Meriadoc walked past several empty tables and stopped, looking around. His attention was drawn to the far end of the hall, where there was another stage. Nearby, two massive doors leading to a new location were wide open.
It turned out to be a small, bright room. There was a counter in the center, and along the walls were shelves lined with stuffed animals and themed souvenirs. On the wall behind the counter hung a poster with bold lettering: “ROCK”, “EAT!”, “PARTY!”, “PLAY!”. Next to it were drawings made by a child's unsteady hand.
Looking at them more closely, Merry noticed that each one depicted the same strange black-and-white little man holding a gift in his hands. Some of the drawings had angular letters written on them. Trying to decipher the handwriting, Merry was finally able to make out one word in his head.
Marionette
He snorted, seeing no point in it. He noticed that there was a corner door behind the counter. It was open. Merry decided that since there was no one around, why not take a look. He found himself in a small hallway where narrow steps led down somewhere. Even from here, he could see that there was something large at the back of the room. Merry decided that it was probably another attraction.
He entered the room where a music box was playing slowly.
Huge gears were built into the walls. They were part of some sinister construction. Above his head, in the ceiling, there was an unreliably locked hole. In the center of the hall stood a large box covered with a metal lid. A quiet melody slowly beat out a clear rhythm, like the hands of a clock, causing the largest gear to rotate in time. Merry realized that this place was hardly intended for children's games. The whole structure seemed too dangerous.
He moved closer. The lid of the box, consisting of two halves, was slightly ajar. Merry peered into the gap, but couldn't see anything. Suddenly, his heart beat too hard, sending a wave of momentary stupor through his body. Merry blinked. Two white lights flickered in the narrow gap between the flaps.
“Did you come to help me?”
The words hung in the air, not dissolving into silence. Meriadoc felt his heart beat in time with the melody playing. He couldn't make out the face of the person inside, only a black silhouette shrouded in darkness. However, he understood clearly: when the white lights in the cracks suddenly dimmed, the person sitting inside closed their eyes with a heavy sigh.
Suddenly, a memory of the previous night surfaced in Merry's mind. A vague shadow on the road, a piercing gaze from glowing eyes – the images overlapped, merging into a single entity. Could it have been the same one? It then became clear that there was definitely something inhuman inside. The silence seemed like a viscous mire, and Merry suddenly felt an acute desire to break it. He quietly said hello.
“Be nice and open the box,” a muffled male voice said.
He didn't even notice his hands reaching for the lid. But as he slid his fingers under one of the panels, intending to lift it, a disgruntled grumble suddenly came from inside. Merry recoiled from the box, afraid he had done something wrong.
“Stop the music,” the eyes disappeared, and instead, a hand emerged from the slit, pointing a finger somewhere to the left.
In the wall, where a huge gear clicked, filling the room with melody, a lever was installed with the inscription “Music Box”. Merry hesitantly approached it, doubting the correctness of his actions. He wondered if the one inside was locked up for a reason. After all, he knew almost nothing about this strange establishment and its rules. At one point, he wanted to find Gwen and ask her about everything. But instead, he slowly pulled the stiff lever, watching as the gear stopped and the music faded.
He turned around. His hearing caught a sharp, unpleasant clang of metal. Something heavy grated inside the box. The two halves of steel began to slowly slide apart. But as soon as they reached the middle, the movement suddenly froze.
“I'll take it from here,” a voice said. Merry was too disturbed by everything that was happening to ask questions. Without further ado, he moved towards the exit. There, by the door, he turned around again. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” he said uncertainly, feeling an invisible gaze upon him.
Merry returned to the hall, filled with the hum of children's laughter. The celebration continued, though a sense of unease did not leave him. Nothing had changed here, except that someone, locked in a box, was now free. He felt like a cartoon character who constantly messes things up and gets into trouble. The thought that he had done something he shouldn't have lodged in his head.
Approaching the counter, Merry noticed Gwen. She was standing next to a pretty girl in a white lace apron, whose blonde hair was tied into two pigtails and eyes glowed with a lilac light. Merry immediately realized who she was, and for some reason, it made him uneasy.
“This is Chica, our head chef,” Gwen introduced her, grabbing Merry's arm. “Come on, I'll show you the staff room.”
Merry didn't tell his friend about all the details that were bothering him. He preferred to forget about it for a while, and the new surroundings completely captivated his attention.
At first, he was silent, but then he realized that he was surrounded by strange, but seemingly benevolent creatures
In the center of the room stood a large table and a sofa. Next to it, in a homey style, was a small writing desk with a laptop and a stack of papers. Several people had gathered on the sofa, and someone, leaning against the wall, was observing the scene. Gwen pointed a finger, and Merry followed it with his gaze. Chica, who had come to round up the slacking employees, held a frying pan and menacingly waved it at a young man with rabbit ears. He, clearly frightened, was hiding behind another guy.
Freddy, Bonnie and Chica
The most recognizable faces in the pizzeria. An inseparable trio, constantly at the epicenter of all events. Eloquent storytellers and eternal debaters. Any commotion usually begins with their appearance.
In the doorway where Merry and Gwen stood, there was a noise, and two girls burst into the room, nearly knocking them over. They hurried to Chica to deliver a message.
“Sumya asks: need to cut the pineapples?” they shouted.
“I asked she to buy canning pineapples!” Chica replied irritably, heading for the kitchen.
“And this is the accountant's daughter, as far as I know,” Gwen whispered.
Merry felt his lips stretch into a smile. It was so unfamiliar to him, as if he couldn't believe that such a home-like atmosphere could prevail in any workplace. But he certainly liked it very much.
Merry sat down at the table. An animated conversation with the pizzeria staff quickly developed around him. Nearby, little Paisley, whom he already knew from a previous meeting, spun around like a cheerful top. The girl was probably passing the time while her parents were busy. She kept reaching for candies until Freddy picked her up. Then, without much fuss, he asked everyone present to immediately return to work.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Merry's mind. He turned to Gwen and quietly shared his thoughts: why not try to get a part-time job here? He understood that he didn't have a permanent position at the moment, and frequent moves had already become a habit. The strange atmosphere of this place didn't scare him; on the contrary, it made him desire a deeper immersion in what was happening. Gwen, hearing his suggestion, smiled and happily replied that it reminded her of her student years, when friends studied and worked together.
Later, when Merry shared his idea with Stian, the latter just smirked, as if he had known all along where things were heading. He ironically remarked that it was no wonder the two were best friends, and didn't miss the opportunity to say that Gwen had made Merry join the cult.