The Children's POV12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU1fmNlTM7
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcIDCwYjBA
The lights flickered in warm pastel colors, the walls covered in posters of dancing animatronics and glittery streamers. Pizza aroma filled the air, the clatter of tokens and arcade beeps echoing from the game corner.
Susie sat quietly at their usual table. Her pink dress was as neat as ever, white collar pressed like she was going to church—but her curls drooped a little, and her normally bright eyes were glued to the table.
Fritz plopped down across from her, immediately stealing a breadstick off her plate. “Suuusieee. You’re not mad at me, right? 'Cause if you are, it was Jeremy’s fault.”
“Hey!” Jeremy said, sliding in beside him. “Rude. I didn’t even do anything yet.”
Gabriel, who had been trailing behind like a shadow, slid into a seat quietly, hands in his lap. He said nothing but kept glancing at Susie with concern.
Cassidy arrived last—arms crossed, eyes narrowed. “Who upset her? Tell me right now or I’m kicking them in the shins.”
Susie blinked, lips trembling slightly. “It’s not you guys… It’s… it’s Bandit.”
The table fell silent.
“He—He passed away last night,” Susie murmured, voice thin as paper. “My mom said he didn’t wake up this morning.”
There was a pause. Jeremy’s big smile faltered. Fritz stopped mid-chew. Even Cassidy’s bossy armor cracked a little.
“Oh, Susie…” Jeremy said gently, scooting around the booth to sit beside her. “I’m so sorry.”
Fritz looked awkward for a second, then quickly shoved the breadstick back onto her plate. “Uhhh… I-I didn’t lick it yet. You can have it.”
Cassidy huffed and reached over to pat Susie’s arm. “If I see death walking around, I’m punching it. Dead dogs aren’t allowed. That’s a dumb rule.”
Gabriel finally piped up, his voice soft as a whisper. “He was a good dog… right?”
Susie nodded slowly. “The best.”
As the others talked, trying their best to cheer her up with jokes, pizza bribes, and competitive chugging of soda (Jeremy vs. Fritz, naturally), Susie quietly slipped away.
No one noticed right away. Maybe they thought she went to the bathroom. Maybe they figured she needed a moment.
But instead, she wandered past the ball pit, past the dining area, toward the arcade. Drawn in like a moth to neon.
She found it near the back wall: Fruity Maze. The screen was bright, with pixelated fruit scattered across a lush green maze and a little cartoon girl ready to run. The game had a cheerful jingle, almost out of place with the sadness in her chest.
She inserted a token, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and whispered to herself, “Okay… Just a quick game.”
The pixels lit up.
=====
A few minutes later, something shifted behind her in the reflection of the arcade glass. Tall. Yellow. Still.
She turned, and there he was. A bunny suit. A smiling face that wasn’t really smiling. Too still. Too quiet.
“Your dog isn’t dead,” the Yellow Rabbit said. "I know where he is. *Follow me.*"
Susie hesitated for a moment. She took the rabbit’s hand.
It was fuzzy.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1VaH1owAq
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wVxPDL9Tp
It was cold.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIREnGjBGX
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTVHc1AzHr
It was leading her away.
The arcade’s lights flickered behind her as the two of them stepped deeper into the back halls. Each step made the hum of the pizzeria feel a little more distant. A little more wrong.
But his grip was gentle. Reassuring.
Susie tilted her head up at him, her small fingers curled around his.
“How did you know about my dog? Did my mom tell you?”
The Yellow Rabbit’s smile didn’t move, but his voice—low, calm, oddly warm—responded without pause.
“Why, of course. He was a perfect dog.”
Susie smiled faintly. Her feet padded quietly on the checkerboard tiles.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “He was.”
A pause. Then—
“Did you pet him?” she asked. “He loved belly rubs. But only from people he liked.”
The Yellow Rabbit chuckled, a dry sound that echoed strangely down the hallway.
“He liked me very much. He told me he missed you.”
Her breath hitched. Hope flickered in her chest like a birthday candle fighting to stay lit.
“Is… is he here? Is he okay?”
“Oh, he’s just through this door,” the Yellow Rabbit said, nodding to a small maintenance hallway that curved off the main path.
It was darker there. Quieter. The kind of quiet that made your ears ring.
Susie hesitated. “I’ve never been in this part before…”
“That’s okay,” the Rabbit said. “You’re special. Not everyone gets to come back here.”
Susie stepped into the room and turned on the lights. It was creepy in here. And the dim lighting didnt help. It was also dusty. She looked around. "Where's my dog?"
"Oh I'm sure he's here somewhere," the rabbit said sweetly, quietly closing the door.
Susie checked under the table. "Bandit? Where are you, boy?"
Susie crawled under the shelves on her hands and knees, her dress collecting dust, her curls brushing the floor. “Bandit?” she called again, a hopeful little trill in her voice. “C’mon, silly. It’s me. I’m here.”
Nothing.
Just the low hum of a flickering light above her, buzzing like a dying fly.
She sat back on her heels, frowning. “I… I don’t see him.”
Behind her, there was a soft click.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkyjq5MLWd
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jmhOk6eVH
The sound of a lock.
Susie turned her head. The Yellow Rabbit was still standing by the door, one paw pressed gently against it, his head slightly cocked to the side.
“…Why’d you lock it?” she asked, standing up slowly.
The Rabbit’s smile didn’t move. “So he doesn’t get away again.”
Susie blinked. “…He wouldn’t run. He always comes when I call him.”
The Rabbit stepped forward. Slow. Deliberate.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXsKFqXnYO
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLDukWwz3M
His feet made no sound on the floor.
“Oh, but you didn’t call loud enough, sweetheart.”
Something shifted. The air felt heavier, colder.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6iPVnrz6R
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfk4OWyFXze
Susie backed up a step, bumping into the metal shelf behind her.
“I—I don’t think he’s in here…”
“You’re right,” the Rabbit said, almost cheerfully now.
And then—he dropped the voice.
The calm, sweet tone vanished. Replaced by a low, gravelly growl.
“But you are.”
Susie opened her mouth to scream.
She didn’t get the chance.
In one swift movement, the Rabbit lunged—cold fur turned steel, kindness warped into claws. The suit creaked and groaned as if something monstrous inside was stretching.
He struck fast. Too fast. One hand slammed over her mouth, the other clutching something heavy, metal, sharp.
The room was no longer quiet.
It was filled with the sound of metal hitting flesh. The clatter of kicked shelving. The high-pitched scream of a child muffled by a monster’s palm.
William's POV12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeGUAPxhNN
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmVQZBw2gr
The storage room door clicked shut with a soft snick, sealing away the dust… and something far worse.
Out walked William Afton.
His purple guard uniform was crisp, neatly pressed, like it had been freshly laundered in a washing machine powered by lies. The name tag on his chest gleamed—WILLIAM—catching the flicker of the hallway’s busted light like it wanted to be noticed. But no one did. Not a single head turned. Because who cared where the day guard came from?
The storage room? Pfft. Boring. Tools. Cleaning supplies. Spare metal heads with dead eyes and out-of-place wires. No child would ever go in there.
Which was exactly the point.
William adjusted his collar, eyes scanning the hallway. Not for witnesses. Just making sure his shift was still boring and easy. No one screaming. No one looking.
He turned around and—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRZqs45TCU
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFDl70M4pP
Chica.
She was standing there. Holding a tray of pizza. Just a few feet down the hall. Silent, unmoving. Bright yellow fuzz glowing faintly under the flickering light. Her head gave a soft little *tilt,* and for a moment, it almost looked like she was smiling.
William raised a brow. “Aren’t you supposed to be serving pizza to the kids or something?”
Chica blinked once, slowly. “Would you like some pizza?” Her voice was sing-song and chipper, like a commercial jingle come to life. “Pizza is a good source of calcium! Calcium helps bones grow big and strong!”
William sighed, brushing a speck of dust off his sleeve. “Fine. I’ll take a slice.”
William took the slice, the cheese still bubbling, steam curling upward into the stale air. He bit into it, chewed. Didn’t even flinch at the heat.
Chica remained still, the tray balanced perfectly in her mechanical hands. Her magenta eyes locked on his face.
*Whirrr.* A servo shifted. Her head tilted the opposite direction now.
William swallowed.
“You gonna say something else, or are we just staring at each other now?”
Chica blinked again. “Freddy says always wash your hands after using the restroom!”
William huffed. "Yeah, yeah. Tell that to the kids running around with sticky hands."
Chica nodded then turned away.
clunk, clunk, clunk
She walked down the hall back to the party room.
Suddenly—thump-thump-thump—the sound of hurried footsteps pounded down the hallway tiles like a frantic heartbeat.
Maggie rounded the corner too fast and *smacked* straight into William’s side.
“Agh—oh my gosh, I am so sorry!” she gasped, stumbling back a step. Her brown curls bounced from underneath her bandana, and her tray of unused napkins went fluttering to the ground like panicked doves.
William didn’t budge. He smiled, small and calm.
“No worries,” he said smoothly, brushing off his uniform sleeve. “Now...what seems to be the problem?”
Maggie looked up at him with wide, anxious eyes. Her hands flapped at her sides, and she started talking way too fast, words tripping over each other like scared kids in a hallway.
“Okay—okay so I just saw her, I swear, she was right there at the table, I turned around for literally two seconds to grab napkins for Fritz and then she was just gone, she didn’t say anything, and I checked the bathrooms and under the party tables and—Susie’s missing.”
Her voice cracked. Just a little.
That awful, sharp edge of panic trying to stay calm.
William’s expression didn’t change. Not even a twitch.
If anything, his eyes softened—like the news was tragic, but not unfamiliar.
“Don’t worry,” he said gently. Almost soothing. “I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for her.”
Maggie blinked hard, breathing in through her nose like she was trying not to cry. Then, without even thinking, she hugged him. Threw her arms around the one adult who didn’t dismiss her. Who didn’t say, “She’s probably playing hide-and-seek,” or “She’ll turn up.”
William hugged her back.
Warm. Steady. One hand gently resting on her back, the other still holding a napkin that had floated into his fingers.
He didn’t even flinch.
“I’ve got it covered,” he murmured.
=====
William strolled through the pizzeria like a man on a mission.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iQfJ1oeyj
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpMMPsqGA4
His shoes made no sound on the greasy tile floor. He walked like he belonged there. Like the neon lights and crusty carpets were an extension of his soul. His eyes flicked casually around the room, always moving—always searching.
For appearances, of course.
At one of the tables near the arcade cabinets, a group of kids huddled close, their half-eaten pizzas forgotten. The flickering lights from “Bonnie Bash” cast strange shadows across their faces. Voices low. Serious.
“…I hope Susie’s okay,” Gabriel said softly, tracing a fingertip along the condensation of his soda cup. His eyes stayed down, as if scared to look up and say it again.
Fritz, who had been creating a cursed tower of pepperoni slices on his plate, rolled his eyes and tossed one at Jeremy’s forehead. “Bro. Relax. She’s fine. Probably in the bathroom or off talking to that dumb game again.”
“You mean Fruity Maze?” Jeremy asked, brushing the pepperoni off with a dramatic bleghhh. “Dude, that thing’s so weird."
Gabriel finally looked up. “But Susie always tells us where she’s going,” he said. His voice wobbled. “She always says goodbye.”
There was a pause.
Fritz sat back, frowning. “…Yeah. She does.”
Cassidy huffed, the pigtails on her head bouncing as she crossed her arms. “She’s probably trying to prank us. I *told* you not to let her drink that second soda. Now she’s hyper and hiding somewhere being annoying.”
But her foot bounced under the table. She didn’t believe it either.
Throat clear. A low, polite cough interrupted them.
“Excuse me, children,” William said smoothly, stepping into their circle like a friendly shadow. His smile was gentle. Professional. He bent slightly at the waist, just enough to be at their level. “Mind if I ask you a few questions?”
The kids looked up, surprised.
“Oh, hello, sir,” Jeremy chirped. “You seen Susie?”
“That’s actually why I’m here,” William replied, tilting his head just a fraction. His hazel eyes scanned each of their faces like he was cataloging them—memorizing their quirks. “I heard she was last seen with you all. I’d just like to know when you saw her last, and where she might’ve gone.”
Fritz blinked. “Uhhh… she was here, like, not even an hour ago?”
“Less,” Jeremy added. “We were trying our best to cheer her up with jokes."
Gabriel nodded, his voice small. “Then she said something about Fruity Maze. And then… she didn’t come back.”
Cassidy squinted suspiciously. “Why do you wanna know? Aren’t you the day guard?”
William chuckled lightly, folding his hands behind his back. “That’s true. But I care about all the kids here. And when someone’s missing, well…”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ60OW25usa
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rPvGmMUFF
He gave a warm smile that didn't reach his eyes.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjcdoNlGhj
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NrZltQm97
“It's all hands on deck, right?”
That seemed to satisfy Cassidy, even if her glare lingered a second longer than the others.
Jeremy gave a thumbs up. “You’re awesome.”
William ruffled Jeremy’s hair, just enough to earn a giggle.
“Let me know if you remember anything else. Anything at all. We’ll find her.” He turned and walked away, still smiling. Still composed.
As soon as he passed the kitchen doors and slipped into the shadows—
The smile dropped.
His back straightened. Eyes hardened.
There was nothing in the kitchen. No witnesses. The camera was broken.
He turned on his heel, quietly moving toward the hallway that led to the storage room.
No one followed.
No one suspected.
And deep down, William felt that familiar thrill rising again. The power of being unseen, trusted, even when his hands were still metaphorically—no, literally—tainted.
Susie was already gone.
Now, it was only a matter of time before the others joined her.
ns216.73.216.176da2
