As Jeremy walks though the abandoned pizzeria only accompanied by the hollowed footsteps and the memories of the forgotten place, he pause to stare at the empty stage of where they once were. So full of joys, such fond memories. Suddenly there was a gust of wind slamming the doors to the entrance shut. Jeremy rush to the front of the pizzeria. Locked. His spine tingling as if someone, something was staring at him. The stage behind the teen didn’t feel so empty anymore. -- Anon Guest
[AN: I am not doing fanficcy stuff so I can legitimately put a suggested price tag on my annual anthology. You know, so I can pay the bills. Also, I only know about FNAF via osmosis, so this will be inspired by everything you put into this prompt]
This used to be his playground. This used to be his childhood dreams. Now that he was on the night shift patrolling this place, the perspective was damn near dizzying. Also... mildly terrifying.
Places like this should be full of people. Full of kids, certainly, with their guardians in the coffeehouse next door as the kids screamed their lungs out in the play centre. During the night shift, after a tired staffer had cleaned out the ball pits, it was eerily empty and seemingly haunted.
Jer' had to walk through it all, checking the plastic labyrinths, just in case some kid thought they could have an endless playtime by hiding in one of the niches somewhere. Fortunately for him, he had the keys that made it easier for him to check those niches. Good news, no kids were trying that shit. Better news, no guardians would be meeting with Child Protection Services because of that shit.
What he didn't need was the doors slamming just as he started locking all those hatches again.
Probably fucking Lucy. Goddamn it. "Jesus Christ, Lucy, I told you to stop that shit. Someone's gonna stove in your skull with a mag light." The beam of which swept around the colourful and liminal space of Bobby Bunny's Fun House Playland.
No Lucy.
Just the vacant, soulless, empty stare of the plastic effigy of Bobby Bunny, shaped like a chair. It was there so hyper-image-conscious guardians could take photos of their brats on Bobby Bunny's lap. The ones who were way too little always cracked a screaming fit about being there.
It took him three blinks to recognise there was a kid sitting there.
Not Lucy.
They were skinny. Pale. Dressed in a hospital gown and looking out over the darkened playground with dark, shadowed eyes.
It was the hospital gown, more than anything, that made Jer' say, "You okay, kid?"
"It's dark," they complained. "There's s'posed'a be a party. Mom promised."
"Yeah, your mom's also s'posed'a make a booking and all that. You know. When the mall's open?" Jer' directed his beam to help the kid find their way towards the door out. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere so we can call your mom. She's probably worried sick." And probably a lot of other people as well as their mom.
"I was sick," said the kid, sliding off of Bobby Bunny and starting to walk with Jer'. "Mom said we'd have a party when I stopped being sick."
"That's nice of her," said Jer'. "This place is scary after it's closed. You can hold my hand if you're frightened. Hey. How did you get into here anyway? They don't let you out of hospital so easy."
"I fell asleep and floated away," said the kid. They reached out for Jer's hand.
It was freezing cold, and their fingers slid literally through Jer's hand.
He turned just in time to watch the kid fade from view. With zero proof that she had ever been there.
Maybe he should lay off the Top Markz(tm) Student's Special Pep Pills.
Lucy was waiting around the corner for him as he left Bobby Bunny's. She was not coiled in anticipation for one of her bullshit pranks. She looked... scared.
"You saw her too, right? Hospital kid?"
"I will neither confirm nor deny," drawled Jer'. "I'm only gonna ask how the fuck you managed to pull that off."
"I didn't do nothing," said Lucy. "Near as I know, she's been coming here for her party for ten years."
[Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash]
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