Five Nights at Freddy's: Awake and Alive

~The First Night~


The car pulled up to the face of the decrepit building. The years of abandonment along with the fact it had gone unkempt and unused was apparent. Mother Nature had nearly reclaimed the land, but had been forced to stop since the repairs on the building’s interior had begun.

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza had officially been reopened for business.

Stepping out of the car, and watching as her ride drove away, Layla looked towards the door of the pizzeria. Even though she had grown up knowing about all the bad that had gone wrong at Freddy’s, she was still willing to respond to the help wanted ad that the new owners had printed in the local newspapers. She was still willing to become the new night watch.

She took a glance at her wrist watch and noticed that the time was 11:50 PM. There were only ten short minutes until her shift began. With a sigh, and clenching her right hand into a fist at her side, she said firmly, “Time to get to work.” Pulling in as much air into her lungs as she could manage, she exhaled loudly and made her way towards the building.

Inside of the pizzeria the floor had been designed to reflect the appearance of a checker board. The black and white tiles that had been placed were the original flooring. The construction crew had been ordered to leave it be. The off white walls had remained untouched as well. Posters from the original Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza decorated the halls of the building. The only thing that the crew was allowed to touch had been the wooden stage that could be found in the pizzeria’s main room. The stage, which over time had slowly fallen to ruins, was the former and current home for the main attractions within the pizzeria.

Freddy and the other two main animatronics, Bonnie and Chica.

The only other area that had been requested for minor repairs had been Pirate’s Cove, which had always been the home to Foxy.

At that moment, Freddy and the others were silent and unmoving, since the pizzeria was now closed for the evening.

As Layla made her way to the security office she couldn't help but to stare at all the posters that adorned the walls. Endearing phrases like “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza is where family fun is made!” were printed on all of the posters. And each poster had one of the four animatronics featured in bright colors.

Finally in the security office, Layla sat down in the swivel chair that had been placed at a desk inside the office. On the desk a pair of monitors periodically switched between the feeds from the cameras that had been placed throughout the building. Next to the monitors there was a small, metal fan that was already whirring loudly. Watching one of the monitors, Layla leaned back in her chair, as the footage from the camera that had been focused onto the main stage popped up onto the screen.

This was the first time that she had seen Freddy and the other animatronics. They looked so simple.

How could the stories that she had heard as a kid be true? How had that child truly died inside of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza?

She didn’t want to think of that. Especially not on her first night on the job. So tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear, she decided to shut her eyes for a brief second. But the instant they shut, a phone that she had failed to notice began ringing within the office.

The unexpected call, and the overall knowing of where she currently was made Layla jump in her seat. Yet taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves, she answered the phone on its third ring. “Hello Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. This is the night watch, Layla, speaking. How may I assist you?”

It took a second before the caller responded, “Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night.”

Layla instantly relaxed a bit the moment she realized she was listening to a prerecorded message.

“So I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you there’s nothing to worry about. Uh, let’s see, first there’s an introductory greeting from the company that I’m supposed to read. Uh, it’s kind of a legal thing, you know? Um,” the man paused and cleared his throat before he resumed speaking, “Welcome to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person’s report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.”

When a short silence had fallen, Layla couldn't help but to shudder as a wave of terror overtook her mind. She honestly didn’t want to hear anymore.

Yet the man would continue talking. “Blah, blah, blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there’s really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them?”

Layla quietly began to look out of the corners of her eyes, and a sense of unease washed over her.

“So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they’re left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh…something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was the ‘Bite of ‘87’. Yeah, it’s amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?”

That was it. The ‘Bite of ‘87’ had been the story she had heard as a child. And hearing it now, from someone who had previously worked at the pizzeria, meant that it had to be true.

Also…had he honestly said that Freddy and the others roam around the building? How was it possible? Why would that ever be allowed? Especially after what had happened! It just didn’t make any sense…why was Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza even allowed to be reopened in the first place?

When the man began to talk again, Layla had nearly forgotten that she was on the phone listening to a recording. “Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won’t recognize you as a person. They’ll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that’s against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, they’ll probably try to…forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now that wouldn’t be so bad if the suits themselves weren’t filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those would cause a bit of discomfort…and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask.” He quietly laughed, as if what he said was even the slightest bit funny.

If Layla had wanted the man to shut up before, she only wanted him to shut up even more now. She had slowly began to realize that when she had answered the help wanted ad, not only had she agreed to work for the Freddy Fazbear Company, but it would seem that she had also agreed to sell her soul and life away for a few measly dollars. And while all of these thoughts were running rampantly through her mind, the man who had kindled the fire behind her fears seemed to know exactly what she had been thinking.

“Yeah, they don’t tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I’ll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close those does only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night.”

Everything went silent.

Layla was now alone, and the only other presences that she was guaranteed to encounter would be the very things that would be after her life.