Chapter Text
Charlotte sighed once more as the large puppet animatronic scooped her up, the other kids laughed and ran around but she wanted nothing more than to find a moment of silence. The parents didn’t even bat an eye as her small body was carried by the mound of metal and plastic. She noticed a blonde head of hair following her movement, Vanessa, the brunette preteen would not have been remotely surprised to learn it was her own friend who directed the Marionette towards her.
She was set down at the far end of the play area, long robotic arms motioned towards the stage where the other animatronics performed the same song and dance Charlotte basically memorized, not by choice. The animatronic slinked away and Vanessa came to her side, giving her an understanding glance though she kept her arms to herself. The two of them sat in silence, after so much time together in the pizzeria, it was hard to do much else.
The young brunette hummed the tune of her wind up box at home, perhaps hoping the melody would mentally bring her there. She watched the other kids run about, the parents chatting with each other as the friendly characters entertained. Charlotte was unsure if her father was in the back working on blueprints or out for parts, either way she wouldn’t be able to be with him. Mr. Afton was likely in the back, he never seemed to leave the place. But that didn’t offer much comfort to her, he wasn’t mean per say, but something about him just made the young girl uncomfortable. It didn’t help that his son, Vanessa’s older brother, was just a bully. If she were to look in the corner of the room at that very moment, Charlotte was confident she would see Michael tormenting his little brother.
The bright lights gave her a headache, the vibrancy of everything in the playful prison was slowly becoming a trigger for annoyance. She fidgetted with the sleeve of her black long-sleeved T as she watched the Chica animatronic start playing with a lone young boy. Probably around the same age as the youngest Afton. A sick sense twisted itself in Charlotte's stomach once more, the same feeling she got every time she had to walk through the doors of the pizzeria, increasing in strength every time. She stood abruptly, Vanessa was quick to react and gently grabbed her wrist causing the brunette to look back.
“Dont. Please” Her blue eyes looked at Charlotte's brown pleadingly, the seriousness in her tone evident. For a moment she considered obliging to the wishes of her friend, seemingly the only person who understood the disturbing feelings their fathers project elicited from her. But Chica was leaving fast, and something inside of her could not deal with the mystery of her unease any longer. She followed anyway. Vanessa stayed put, her gaze following the path of her friend until she was out of sight.
Chica led the child into the empty and dim main hall, even as Charlotte passed the tables of parents in a curious panic, none of the adults noticed the girl let alone the singled out boy. Chica did not notice the extra kid tagging along, putting her shiny hand on the back of the young boy to continue her gentle leading. Even having seldom wandered beyond the designated entertainment areas, Charlotte knew the character was leading the child to a storage area of sorts she had seen once before. Retired outfits and animatronics slumped in the corners, their parts strewn across the floor, taken out as needed. A feeling akin to what she felt when Mr. Afton got too close bloomed across her body. The door they had just gone through from the game area seemingly closed on its own, shutting with a loud bang, yet the two she followed did not turn their heads and no questioning voices could be heard on the other side.
The large bird twisted her limbs slowly as she began to open the door. The still movement allowed Charlotte to get even closer while the loud mechanical sounds of her movement covered the pattering of the girl’s feet. The door opened to reveal the familiar sight of Mr. Afton, his smile impossibly wide, both hands behind his back, towering over the child. His deep voice encouraged the now hesitant boy to enter, promising the presence of more friends just like chica. The glint of a knife caught Charlotte's eyes, a gasp left her mouth against her better judgment. Large blue LED eyes locked onto her almost as fast as the deranged gaze of the knife-wielding man.
Courage fueled by panic surged through her body, Charlotte closed the distance between her and the boy, grabbing and leading him back to the game area. Acting fast enough to cross considerable distance before the adult and his robotic companion began to act. While the door was shut, it was not locked, the cheap wood door swung easily under the force of Charlotte, she was able to push the little boy out the door, about to leave herself but tripping from panic. A piercing scream left her throat, all eyes shifted to her, the little boy had run from her and to his parent. The pounding of metal footsteps behind her stopped, but the click of slacks did not.
“Sorry about that folks, it looks like those two snuck off somewhere they were not supposed to and got spooked by the darkness.” Mr. Afton chuckled lightly, picking up Charlotte who did not move out of shock. “Now let’s get you back to your dad, I’m sure he’d be able to calm you down.” The door shut behind them immediately after his act was over, the girl's brain finally catching up and she began to fight his hold.
“Shit, shit, shit!” A calloused hand covered her mouth as whispered obscenities left the mouth of her captor. The next thing she knew her head was slammed against a wall.
Pain howled in her head, slowly her eyes began to open. Everything was cold, slowly she recognized it as wetness against the bricks of the restaurant's back patio. She couldn't move, only watching as the rain hit the ground and the smell of wet trash, rust, and blood flooded her nose.
Eventually, the sound of scraping metal approached her, she couldn't find the strength to move–or even feel–her neck. But eventually the face of the marionette stared back at her. Its body twitched under the rain. It found her, it always had found her. Even in its now broken state it tried to gently grab her. But its hand became limp against her shoulder after a pathetic attempt. Both of them shut down together.