Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Ballad – Chapter I

It’s a marvel how the road remains cloaked in darkness at the tender hour of 5 in the morning. I’ve never anticipated my day of work as much as today. Today will be a special day for myself, for sure, I can feel it constantly looming in the air. I’ve never been this thrilled going to work before… the thrill is similar to that of hunting animals, hunting bears. You never know when they’re going to suddenly emerge, but, once they appear, it becomes thrilling. Not scary, but thrilling. The thrill of hunting.

Nights such as these, shrouded in darkness, are tailor-made for the pursuit of elusive prey. The very essence of hunting down creatures in the dawn is a symphony of excitement, it’s much more thrilling than hopping on the most extreme roller coaster you could ever think of.

The best animals to hunt down are bears. Bears are unpredictable. You never know if they are really planning on killing you, or if they’re just friendly towards you. Either way, the screams and yelps of the defenseless bear are satisfying. The same goes with hunting humans. You never know a human’s true intentions, and you never know how much they are willing to survive. However, their screams are still very much satisfying to listen to.

Today, however, secrecy is paramount.. I have it all calculated, I know the guards’ place at the exact hour… I just need them to stick to it. I can’t afford for anything to happen for a change of plans.

I slowly park my car on the lot outside the building. I step out, and take a look back at my car… I parked slightly tilted to the left. I’m sorry for whoever will have to park next to me, I hope they’re able to properly park there. I slowly approach the building, as the lights twilight and twink in the area… the sign is big, bright, colorful, cartoony… Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. The sign is too bright, maybe. I might complain to Kevin about this.

A soft echo of footsteps draws my attention, and I turn to behold the silhouette of a woman approaching, holding a cap. The light illuminates her, and i’m able to make out who she is… Olivia. Olivia puts on her cap, hiding her dazzling, red hair. She looks at me, and waves. “Hi, Will!” She yawns. “Hello.”

She looks tired. She always does, though. It’s part of her teenage angst, I assume… it’s the typical attitude that a 18 year old girl would share… but I never was an 18 year old girl, so I may be wrong. I open the door for her… you know, the typical gentleman’s action. She tips her cap, and enters the place. I need to continue acting like this the entire day… that way, nobody will suspect a thing about me.

Once I enter the building, various flashes of light blast upon me. Within the confines of the building, a cacophony of sounds assaults my senses. The frenetic energy, the frenzied activity, threatens to drown out the rhythm of my thoughts.

Up on the stage are two animatronics… Freddy, the lovable brown bear, and the titular character of the restaurant. And Bonnie, the rocking purple bunny, Freddy’s best friend. Oddly enough, Chica, the hungry, obese yellow chicken, is missing from the stage… maybe she’s backstage, being repaired due to some asshole that forgot to connect her wires on time.

My gaze is fixed towards Kevin Drew, not just my manager but the embodiment of leadership in our chaotic business. He’s standing up on a chair, holding a megaphone, screaming to everyone through it… “Get back to work, you buffoons!”…he never was the kindest. But, I will admit, his stance is… quite comical. His way to grab attention works, yes, but it makes HIM look like a buffoon in this situation, not vice versa.

Mr. Drew, a paradox of humor and sternness, personifies the quintessential everyman. He’s what I envision a perfect human to be… he knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t fail to spat out plainly comedic at times, to cheer people up… but he’s still very serious and strict about his work, and his business. Even in his appearance, he is perfect. 

He’s black skinned, black with red, spaghetti-like hair. Unlike many people, who constantly state that whites are supreme, I actually think it’s the other way around. There’s true beauty and ebony among black men and women, one that I constantly find myself constantly attracted to, no matter the gender… i’m unhappy with my own skin color because I don’t look beautiful, I look ugly as a white, pale-ish man, with basic, black hair.

“Hello, boss!” I say, enthusiastically. He turns to look at me, briefly putting down his megaphone to speak to me personally. “What’s up, boss?” I chuckle. He always calls me boss due to my attitude. Soon, others stand among us in a circle… Olivia and Johnathan, the current day shift security guard… his uniform is purple. That’s odd, I remember them usually having orange uniforms instead of purple… but such details fade in the face of urgency.

With a simple wave, I depart. I know what must be done today… it must be done, as quickly and as efficiently as possible. I head over to the left hallway… right, actually, to this angle i’m staring at right now, slowly walking abound towards the Supply Closet. My eyes take close inspection to a knife, sitting on a shelf. I pick up the knife, and grab a card… I did this one yesterday, had to do it when Mr. Drew was out of his computer… to create the illusion of a private birthday party.

This time, I head out of the West Hallway, and walk towards the Pirate’s Cove. I step inside the Pirate’s Cove area… it’s like a small theater. Within its confines, Foxy the red pirate fox awaits his moment on the stage, scheduled for the afternoon’s spectacle. There’s still plenty of time before his performance truly begins. My eyes glaze around, as I spot a solitary figure… a child, sitting down, on a chair on the cove. The child is female, wearing a pink dress with a skirt and short sleeves, a red bow tie, and seems to be blond. She’s tiny, and seems to be around six to seven years old… the perfect age for hunting.

Approaching her seat, I meet her gaze, a fleeting confusion dancing in her eyes. I simply try doing the friendliest, honest and earnest smile I can make to a child her age. “Morning, kid!” I say. She smiles, but still seems very confused. I hand her over the card… the card is that of Freddy, with some bubble text, telling the designated child a very welcoming invitation to a private party for the “best of the best”. 

“Today unfolds a tapestry of delights, a private birthday party for those deemed the ‘best of the best’ among our loyal patrons!” I try talking in a whimsical way, to get her attention easier. Her smile fades away, as she simply looks at me. She lets out, in a way where I can tell she’s deeply saddened inside… “I miss my dog.” A pang of remorse tugs at my facade. I should have delved deeper into my targets.  “Oh… i’m sorry, kid. If you still want to come, though, you can come over to the room at the left of Pirate’s Cove… i’ll be there, waiting for you!”

She nods. I can still tell there’s a hint of sadness to her… she really does miss her dog. Whatever, I don’t care what happened to her damn dog. I don’t have time for that, i’d kill it for all I care. But, I still need to sound convincing, so I just blurted out… “Perhaps, in time, you’ll see him again… I promise.” She lets out no response. I turn back, she’s facing the front, maybe she’s about to start to cry.

Suddenly, I begin hearing footsteps approaching me. I look over to the entrance of Pirate’s Cove, and i’m able to see him… it’s Johnathan. If there was a definition of the ugliest human on earth, it’s him. He’s white, plainly white, whiter than anyone i’ve met. Bald, skinny, black irises… any chance I get, i’d strangle him. “Hey, Will.” He calls it. “So… what is it, Johnathan?” He looks behind me. I can tell he noticed the little girl behind me, crying.

“Uhm, I just happened to be around the place… and I spotted a disturbance. I saw some kids messing around with some of the animatronics.” I’m curious why he’d tell me this specifically, as a sense of duty continues divulging through his words. “Why tell me?” He responds… “Well, Mr. Drew asked to tell you.” I shrug off my suspicions. “Alright, thanks for letting me know.” Jonathan walks away from the cove… well, that conversation just seemed like a waste of time. However, even still, his reasoning to reach out to contact me about this left me intrigued.

Leaving behind the enigmatic confines of Pirate’s Cove, I had to search for some way for time to pass by way quicker… and I knew exactly the spot to visit. Kevin’s office. I walk over through the West Hallway, and, at the very end of the hall, to my right, is the door to Kevin’s Office. I knock on the door, and I can hear him saying “Come in!” 

I entered this warm, cozy, almost heavenly and relaxing room. The walls, adorned in a hue of yellow-brown reminiscent of autumn’s embrace, seemed to emanate a tranquil aura. A bulletin board adorned with blueprints and historical accounts chronicled the restaurant’s evolution, a testament to Kevin’s unwavering dedication.

For example, a photograph, frozen in time, captured Kevin and his team beside the iconic Bonnie the Bunny animatronic, marking a milestone in technological history. Kevin’s signature is alongside it, and the date the photo was taken.. February 6th, 1972. The placard beside it reads… “In 1972, the first, fully finished animatronic character was created, which you may see standing on the stage right now… Bonnie the Bunny. Fabricated by our wonderful men from LSTV Shipments, the endoskeleton’s Artificial Intelligence was revolutionary for the history of technology, as, for the first time in human history, robots had artificial consciousness of their own.”

To the far right was Kevin’s desk. Kevin was sitting down, seemingly signing some paperwork on the spot, right before I came in. He smiled, and gestured as I sat down on the chair in front of him. And so I do, cautiously approaching the chair, and sitting down, facing Kevin directly.

“So… what do you need, boss?” Kevin would say, calmly looking over the papers. “Oh, no, nothing much… just checking in..” Kevin chuckles. “Well, William, nothing too interesting here… just some payments i’ve got to do to our higher up friends.” He smiles at me for a brief moment, before looking back at the paperwork.

A sudden intrusion shattered the tranquility… it’s Olivia. Olivia is clearly pissed off about something… I can’t quite put my finger on what, but she’s the typical angsty teenager, so something was to be expected here today. “WHERE. IS. MY. PAYCHECK.” Olivia yells. Kevin looks at her, almost offended. “What the fuck? It’s still only Wednesday, Olivia! I can’t give you your paycheck yet.”

Olivia looks Kevin dead in the eye, giving him the literal death stare, yelling through her pupils that she’s about to throw him off a building. “Look… my mother needs the rent for TODAY, and I need to pay it, or she’ll kick me out of the damn house, understood?” Kevin blinks rapidly, before looking back down at the paperwork, clearly overworked. “Olivia… you mind if we settle this later, man? I’m busy.”

I decide to discreetly withdraw towards the door, fully knowing in my head that this argument was only just getting started. “Oh, yeah? Well, then give me my damn money, already!” I quietly close the door, as I can hear Kevin beginning to raise his voice at her… glad I got out of there in time.

As I move on, I check my watch… it’s still barely just 10:47 in the morning. There’s still plenty of time to kill. As I look around, I check with the other guests, to see if they’re all having the time of their lives… obvious lies made to only further motivate us to continue working on the establishment.

The clock gracefully ticks towards 10:50, as Freddy now turns on its roaming mode… it’s a marvelous feature. It’s all a testament to the team’s unwavering commitment to infusing fantasy and delight into every moment, sets us apart from our competitors, positioning us as pioneers in the realm of immersive entertainment.

As Freddy continues his movements throughout the dining area, a beacon of joy and wonder for the young patrons gathered around tables adorned with laughter and merriment. His animated gestures and endearing remarks, woven with whimsical phrases like…

 “Hey, kids! Are you having a blast? I sure know I am!” And, “How’s the pizza! I hope it’s delicious… coming straight out of Chica’s oven!” Freddy and his whimsical friends, and their almost impossible mechanical movements only seemed to further bring on to the convincing ever looming fantasy, being brought to life by Freddy and his anthropomorphic band of his friends.

As I walk forward, a curious spectacle unfolds before my eyes. A figure, cloaked in the iconic Freddy Fazbear mascot costume, moves with an eerie stealth toward the bathroom. I slowly walk towards the bathrooms, as I think to myself… why would someone go to the bathroom with a Freddy Fazbear costume on? As I slowly walk to the Bathroom’s hallway, I notice that the man inside walks towards the female’s restroom.

My curiosity piqued by the peculiar actions unfolding. My senses alert to the subtle shift in ambiance, foretelling a disturbance in the tranquil fabric of the establishment. Just as I did so, I listened to a scream, of that of a woman, out of the shock and adrenaline of fear. I step inside, as I see the man inside the Freddy Fazbear costume, neatly pushing the woman to the wall, before standing right behind her, putting his filthy hands all over her as he continues to get too up close and personal to her. He was trying to sexually assault her. His audacity, a vile intrusion upon the sanctity of another’s space.

“Hey!” I yelled. The man in the costume soon turned to me, realizing the horrible mistake he had made by not coming inside whilst checking his surroundings. If I hadn’t noticed, then the poor woman would have been condemned to a torture at the hands of this very man. The man lets go of the woman, as she runs off.

I approach him, enraged by the waste of time I put into saving a woman from a sexual predator instead of doing something productive, and push him towards the Backstage. He doesn’t retaliate, as he continues forth, cooperatively walking towards the backstage with me. I opened the door for the man, before I locked the door behind me.

“Get that filthy thing off of you, you punk!” I told him. I grab the Freddy mask, and take it off… as Johnathan’s face is revealed, having been the predator behind the incident. “You son of a-” I stop myself, breathing steadily. “What the hell, Johnathan?!” Johnathan looked down, ashamed by his action. “Do you have any idea how disappointed I am with you? You do realize that I told this to Kevin, and you are immediately fired, right?”

Johnathan now looks up at me. “Why the hell did you even think of doing that?” My voice resonates with a mixture of disbelief and indignation, demanding an explanation for his terrible behavior. Johnathan’s response, a terrible excuse cloaked in near satisfaction, only serves to deepen the rift of disappointment. “There aren’t many blondes in town.” He blurts out. I take a deep breath, before telling him, in the calmest way I can, “Please, take that thing off, and don’t ever do that again, understood?” He nods, still very much ashamed. I look at my clock… 12 PM. It was time for the hunt to begin.

I retraced my steps, finding myself once more in the vicinity of Pirate’s Cove, anticipation coursing through me like a symphony of whispers, and waited outside the Backstage room. There she was again, walking closer to me. I smiled at her. “You ready?” She reluctantly nodded. “Great! Let’s go.” We march away towards a room, one hidden near the bathrooms. This room is hidden behind a wall, away from the customer’s view. It’s a safe room, as we call it, designed in case certain incidents happen… you know, like a shooter, or something among the likes of that.

Entering its confines, the room unfolded in its austere simplicity. There’s just a few arcade games, some tomato sauce on the floor, a few posters, a table, two lockers, and a box sitting on the corner… a metal, rusty one, with decaying green and brown straps being held by two locks. The girl, eager yet apprehensive, waited by the table as I retrieved a crimson confection. I approached some shelfs, where I kept a crimson and white birthday cake… red velvet. It’s my favorite… it almost creates the simulation of eating flesh due to its vibrant and disgusting red color.

I place the cake on the table. She asks… “Where are the others?” Luckily, I had an explanation in mind already. “They’re coming… soon! You want a slice, though? I can cut you a slice.” She nods and smiles. I grab a knife, made specifically to cut cakes, to cut her a slice. I give it to her in a plastic, Freddy Fazbear themed plate. She eats a slice.

“Come close, kid! I’ve got a surprise.” She gets closer, and closer, and closer. My heart is racing, beating… I feel the excitement pouncing through my blood. I want this. I need this. I quickly move behind her, and hold her hair, gripping it with my hands. I pull it back, for her to look at me, look at my face… the face of her hunter. I pull out my kitchen knife, the one I got ahold of earlier, and stab her once in the stomach. She lets out a weak and dirty cry… but it doesn’t mean anything to me. No matter how hard she cries, no one will hear her. That’s why this is a safe room, no one can hear you outside.

Afterwards, I hold her again, from the hair, and begin hitting her to the wall. My heart is pumping faster and faster… I can begin to feel the adrenaline pumping into my veins. I bang her again, and again, and again. This? This is what I live for. The thrill of hunting humans. The thrill of seeing them helplessly beg for their mercy, begging for me to stop. It’s what makes it so thrilling, my victim’s reaction is worth it.

I stabbed her two more times. Once, in the cheek. A small stab, admittedly, meant to hurt her more rather than kill her. I didn’t want this to end… but if I continued on, someone would find me. And thus, in a saddening finale to this thrill, I stab her inside her mouth, pushing forward more and more, until life leaves her body. My heart begins beating normally again… and all i’m thinking about is my anticipation to do that again.

In the safe room, aside from the decorations made to entertain the children, I placed a costume yesterday… one of Chica, the yellow chicken. I let out a sigh, before shelving her body inside the costume. No one will really think to look inside… the police are too idiotic waving their guns around, trying to see who manages to catch the criminal instead of really looking for their evidence, their clues.

I had a bag, hidden behind an arcade cabinet. I pull out a lot of cleaning equipment, mostly to clean up the mess her blood left behind… I might have pushed a little too much, you know? On that last stabbing, specifically. Should’ve ended the job quicker, that way, not much blood comes pouring out… but yet again, it wouldn’t have made the experience all the more thrilling.

After cleaning everything up, and putting a little lotion in there, because… you know, it’ll stink, I exit the safe room, checking my surroundings… no one is around. No one ever knew I was here. I head over to the men’s bathroom, to wash my hands off of this blood all over. No one saw me…

Just as I immersed my hands in the cleansing flow of water, Ted, the night watchman, emerged from a nearby stall. And all I can think about is myself cursing over fucking Ted looking at my hands to see the blood on them… thankfully, he doesn’t. Ted is too idiotic to see it. His dysfunction… dyslexia, as I remember it’s called, probably affects him more than his reading… again, it’s part of being an ugly human.

“Ah, Will!” I briefly look at him, making sure to make eye contact. He must know it’s me. “Hello.” I turn back, as I continue washing my hands off of the blood. Thankfully, he hasn’t noticed… yet. “Guess what, Will?” I remain silent. I know he expects me to say “What?”, but I never do. He shrugs it off, and continues talking. “Mr. Drew is making me work during my time off… I only work during the night shift, not the day shift.” He scoffs. As Ted divulged in his grievances, a wry smile crept across my lips

“I’ll talk to him about it, don’t worry.” I say. Believe it or not, I have much more influence and control in this damn building than Kevin. I’m an influence to Kevin… whatever I suggest he do for the better of the restaurant, he does. He’s easy to manipulate, which acts as something for my advantage, thankfully.

“Hey, any idea what this is?” I turn around, while drying my hands with the towels. A discarded needle, a relic of darker indulgences, lay forgotten on the tiled floor.… probably injected by some heroin addict, I assume. Heroins would make good prey. “This? I’ve got no idea, probably some heroin addict, I suppose.” Ted responds… “I don’t either.” Part of my plan is to make me look innocent, almost making myself impossible to be guilty of committing this hunt… so I ask him…

“Hey, there was a kid that sneaked up backstage. Mind if you look for her?” Ted simply says… “Oh, sure, of course.” He walks away from the bathroom, to find this supposed child that sneaked up backstage. It won’t be long before they realize that this child has in fact gone missing… that’s when the thrill of the hunt, cloaked in shadows and whispered secrets, awaited its inevitable sunrise.

(FNaF, William Afton and Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria by Scott Cawthon)

(Co-Written by Radio Pontoons and RefEhiy)

(More to come…)