Chapter Text
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The day started out like any other for Evan. He had had a rough night, plagued by nightmares about the animatronics that kept him awake. Every shadow and noise in the darkness seemed to come to life, fueling his anxiety. With the Fredbear stuffed animal, his little comfort, in hand, he prepared to face another day at school.
As he got ready, he heard the voice of Elizabeth, his sister, calling to him from downstairs. —Come on, Evan! Wake up and come down for breakfast!— Elizabeth had a spirited way of motivating him, though sometimes her enthusiasm was more annoying than helpful.
Evan descended the stairs slowly, his mind still tangled in the fog of sleep deprivation. As he made his way to the breakfast room, his brother’s playful laughter echoed through the house. His instincts told him something was going to happen. Michael found it fun to play pranks on him, and the sound of her laughter was a clear sign that she was preparing to scare him.
Looking around cautiously as he made his way down the stairs, searching for any signs of his brother's presence. When he reached the living room and didn't see him, he thought that perhaps he had missed the moment of the prank. He relaxed a little, letting out a sigh of relief.
But then, suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the living room. —RAAHG!— Evan turned sharply, only to be met with Michael, who had emerged from his hiding place behind the television. The shock and fright made him fall to the floor. The sight of Michael, in his Foxy mask, was enough to make Evan's heart soar.
Evan lay there on the floor, crying, while Michael laughed loudly. His brother's laughter sounded cruel and merciless, as if the scare he had given him was the greatest entertainment of his morning.
Elizabeth, who had seen the scene from the kitchen threshold, ran to Evan to make sure he was okay. She held out a hand to help him up, giving Michael a stern look. —That wasn’t nice, Michael!— she reproached him, clearly upset by the way he had treated her brother.
Evan, still shaking and with tears in his eyes, accepted Elizabeth’s hand, trying to compose himself. Michael’s morning joke had left a mark, and as he got up from the floor, he couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of the day would bring more unpleasant surprises.
William’s scolding of Michael was brief and unconvincing, as was usual in his attempts to discipline his eldest son. —Michael, stop scaring your brother— William said, his tone failing to hide his frustration. Michael, with his usual indifference, simply ignored him. He sat at the table, drinking his coffee with a disinterested attitude.
Elizabeth, still upset by her brother’s behavior, didn’t miss the opportunity to express her displeasure. —Mike, that was too much. Don't you see that you hurt Evan?— She said in a reproachful tone. Michael, unfazed, looked at her briefly before returning to his focus on his food, without giving an answer.
Evan, for his part, sat at the table in silence. Breakfast was the last thing he wanted at that moment. His mind was still agitated by the fear and anguish of the morning encounter with Michael. He ate slowly, trying to regain normality amidst the tension.
When William finished eating, he stood up and called his children. —Come on, it's time to go to school. You have to gather your things and get ready to leave— His tone was firm, and his patience was visibly at its limit.
Mike, however, already had other plans. With a casual movement, he got up from the table and announced, —I'm going to walk with my friends— Without waiting for an answer, he headed to the door, where he got on his skateboard and walked away with a carefree gesture.
William watched Michael leave with a mix of frustration and resignation. There wasn't much he could do to change his eldest son's attitude, and time to take the younger ones to school was running out. —Come on, it's late— William said in a determined tone. —Pick up your things and get in the car—
Elizabeth, with a sigh of resignation, went to pick up her backpack. Evan, still a little dejected by the scare, also prepared to leave. William picked up the pace, making sure they weren't delayed any further, and in no time, everyone was in the car, ready to start their day, leaving the scene of conflict behind.
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William's purple car stopped in front of the school entrance, and Evan looked out the window, looking for any sign of his friends. As soon as he saw Charlie, a small smile spread across his face. Charlie, who was on the sidewalk waiting for them, recognized the car immediately and ran towards them with energy.
Uncle Henry, who had accompanied Charlie, followed a little behind, intending to greet William. As the car stopped, Charlie was
straight to Elizabeth, who had gotten out of the car first. The little girl launched herself into a warm hug, which Elizabeth returned with a smile. —Charlie!— Elizabeth said, hugging her affectionately.
Evan got out of the car right after Elizabeth, and Charlie turned to him with the same joy. She wrapped him in a hug as sincere as the one she had given Elizabeth. Evan, although still a little affected by the morning scare, accepted the hug with gratitude.
Charlie, with his usual energy, looked into the car, looking for Michael. Noticing his absence, he asked curiously —Where is Mike?—
Evan, while picking up his backpack, answered with a mixture of indifference and discouragement —Mike left with his friends—
Before Charlie could say anything else, Elizabeth spoke up, still upset by the morning prank. —Michael scared Evan this morning with a Foxy mask. It was really stupid— she commented, his words laced with annoyance.
Charlie opened his eyes in surprise. —That sounds terrible! Are you okay, Evan?— she asked with concern.
Evan nodded, though he felt a little awkward. —Yeah, I’m fine. It was just a scare. I don’t want to talk about it anymore— he replied, trying to put the incident behind him.
Uncle Henry approached William, and the two exchanged greetings and a brief chat about how they were doing. Meanwhile, Charlie tried to distract Evan and Elizabeth with stories of his own plans for the day. Charlie’s cheerful presence and Elizabeth’s genuine concern helped Evan feel a little better.
Henry, as he leaned over to greet William, also showed his curiosity about Michael’s absence. —What about Mike? Isn’t he coming today?— he asked as he reached out for a friendly handshake.
William, with a wry smile, replied —He went with those gangsters to school—
Henry let out a light laugh, acknowledging William’s constant dislike for his son’s classmates. —Yeah, you’ve always had a critical eye for his friends— Henry said, his tone mixing humor and understanding. —I guess not much has changed since we last talked about it—
Once the boys said goodbye and entered the school building, Henry got into William’s car. They were both on their way to the Fredbear Family Diner, and the car ride was the perfect time to catch up.
As William drove to the diner, Henry decided to bring up a topic that was bothering him. —Will, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about— Henry said, his expression serious. —I’ve noticed that certain things have been disappearing from the restaurant lately, food, clothes, even some utensils And the weird thing is that the security cameras never pick up anything.—
William frowned, his expression reflecting the concern he felt. —Things disappearing? That’s strange. Are you sure the cameras are working properly?—
Henry nodded. —Yes, I’ve reviewed the recordings and the cameras seem to be operational. There are no signs of malfunction. What worries me is that the disappearance of the objects doesn’t follow any clear pattern. Sometimes it’s food, other times the staff’s clothing. It’s like someone is taking things without a trace—
William was silent for a moment, considering the situation. —The last time we saw something similar, it turned out to be a minor problem. But if the cameras aren’t picking up anything, then we’re facing a different problem. Have you talked to the staff about this?—
—Yes, I’ve asked them, but no one has noticed anything out of the ordinary— Henry replied.
—Some people think that maybe someone is taking things without them noticing— But if that's the case, someone is doing it very discreetly
William frowned, thinking of possible explanations. —Maybe we should do a more thorough review of the cameras. Sometimes a different angle can capture what others don't see—
Henry nodded. —That sounds like a good plan. I don't want this to become a bigger problem. And of course, we need to keep this confidential until we have a better idea of what's going on—
Both men continued to discuss the matter as they made their way to the Fredbear Family Diner, each with a growing sense of unease. The disappearance of items from the diner wasn't just a minor annoyance, but something that could indicate deeper problems. The usual tranquility of the diner was starting to be disrupted, and finding a solution had become a priority.