"So, how are things going for you?" Jeremy asked.
"Same as usual," I said with a shrug. "Nothing exciting. Just… you know, passing the time."
Jeremy chuckled. "Yeah. Sounds about right."
"So," I added, keeping it casual, "what do you usually do as a night guard? Sit in the office all night making sure no one's crazy enough to break in?"
"Yeah, pretty much," he said. "It's boring, but kind of peaceful. Even sitting there for six hours straight gets annoying."
I laughed. "I can imagine." Then I asked, "Have you heard those rumors about Freddy's?"
Jeremy paused, like he wasn't sure how much to say.
"Well… some kids went missing a long time ago," he said finally. "They were never found. But, I mean… it's all rumors. No real proof or anything."
I nodded slowly, "Still… if I were you, I'd probably quit while you can."
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Probably?"
I shrugged. "Unless you really need the money."
He let out a short breath. "Yeah… that's kind of the problem. They pay—even if it's not much—and I can't rely on my brother forever."
There was a brief silence. Then he asked, "So… you busy this weekend? If not, why don't you come over?"
I thought about it. "Sure, why not? I was starting to get bored anyway."
Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway… I should head home and do the chores. My brother's going to get back soon and… well, you know."
He hesitated, then added, "Do you need a ride home?"
"Nah," I said. "I'll stay a bit longer. Some of us like the quiet."
He shook his head with a grin and left.
I sat alone, letting the quiet of the empty restaurant settle around me. My eyes flicked to the puppet. Why didn't I get in touch with Henry? I wondered. Probably because he wouldn't want to see me after… everything.
Eventually, I trudged home, tossed my shoes off, and flopped onto my bed. Sleep came fast. I didn't have anything pressing anyway.
The next few days weren't exciting. I talked to Jeremy now and then, but still no word from whoever ran the place. The animatronics, though—they were weird. Glitches, maybe. They stared at adults for long stretches, but with the kids? Totally fine.
Eventually, Freddy's closed for investigation. Not surprising.
Saturday morning, I got dressed and drove over to Jeremy's place. The sun was just peeking over the rooftops, painting the streets in soft light. Almost enough to make you forget what kind of place Freddy's was… almost.
The drive was long, but it gave me time to think. Sit, talk, maybe watch some dumb movie Jeremy liked. Pretend life was normal for a few hours.
Pulling up, I noticed the lawn still half-asleep in the shadow. Jeremy waved from the porch.
"Hey, you actually made it," he called.
"Wouldn't miss it," I said, hopping out.
Walking up the driveway, I felt a small bubble of… almost human excitement. Just enough to remind me that even after everything, some parts of life still felt normal… or at least pretended to.
We walked inside, and there he was—Jeremy's brother, Jeremiah—getting ready for work.
"Hey, Fritz! How have you been?" he asked, adjusting his security uniform.
"Good," I said. "You?"
"Same old. Mall security keeps me busy. People are… interesting," he said with a shrug.
I smirked. "Watching teenagers steal candy? Must be thrilling."
He laughed. "You have no idea. Anyway, I've gotta head out. Don't cause trouble."
"We'll behave… mostly," I said.
He shook his head and left, the engine fading down the street.
Jeremy turned to me. "Well… that's gone. Now it's just us."
"Say… do you want anything to eat?"
I waved him off with a grin. "Nah, it's fine. I… uh, already ate before coming here. Full as a… well, something really full."
Jeremy tilted his head, skeptical. "Really? You sure? You always seem like you could eat a horse."
I chuckled, scratching the back of my neck. "Yeah, I know. Today's an exception."
He laughed. "Alright, alright. If you say so. But don't blame me if your stomach starts growling in a minute."
I smirked, settling onto the couch. "It'll survive. Trust me."
"Alright then," Jeremy said with a mischievous grin. "How about I beat you in this game?"
"Oh, you're on," I said, leaning forward and grabbing a controller.
We started playing, the screen lighting up our faces as the game whirred to life. Jeremy grinned like he already had a plan to crush me, while I just tried not to embarrass myself.
After a few rounds, I glanced at him. "Hey… did anything interesting happen at Freddy's?"
Jeremy paused, concentrating on the screen. "Well… the place got put on lockdown. Nobody's allowed in or out. Not sure why, but it seems to have something to do with a previous employee." He shrugged. "Oh, and they're moving me to the day shift, too."
I raised an eyebrow. "Day shift? That's… a big change. Must be kind of nice not to sit in the dark all night, though, right?"
Jeremy snorted. "Depends. Less creepy, sure. But I kind of miss the quiet sometimes… and, you know, the 'peaceful' part. Nights have their charm. I just need to get through the last night. Then it will be my replacement's problem."
We lost track of time playing games and watching movies, letting the world outside drift by unnoticed. The hours slipped past, unmarked except by the dimming light through the windows and the occasional hum of the fridge. For a while, at least, the weight of everything—the rumors, the animatronics, the endless nights at Freddy's—was pushed to the background.
"Well, it's getting late, so I'm going to head home now," I said looking at the time.
"Alright, drop by sometime, alright?" He replied.
"Sure," I said.
I got in my car and drove off, the quiet of the evening settling over the streets.
Driving through the forest, I noticed something from the corner of my eye—something that flashed by and disappeared. I didn't think much about it and focused on driving.
Eventually, I reached my house, put my stuff away, and went to my room then went to sleep.