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“You know, I could’ve just lockpicked us in,” Jordan said.
“Yeah,” Terra said, “but this was much faster.” She pulled her foot out of the window she’d just shattered, trying to avoid the broken glass but managing to get a bit caught in it anyway. “Plus, I needed the stress relief.”
“I mean, it’s not like anyone’s going to care. Nobody’s been to Fazbear’s for years, so I highly doubt anyone’s going to notice a broken window in an already rotting building,” Avery said, crouching down to break some remaining pieces of glass off of the bottom of the metal frame.
Jordan sighed. “You guys are the reason urbexing is prohibited. Do you need a band-aid, Terra?” he asked, turning his flashlight to the hole and carefully breaking glass off the sides of the frame.
“Um,” Terra mumbled, looking down at her foot. “No, but I’ll probably need to replace these shoes.”
“That I can’t help you with,” Jordan said, glancing at her newly tattered sneaker.
It only took a few moments for the trio to finish with the window. Once there was enough space that they could safely step through it, Terra slipped on her mask and led the way into the building.
“Do you remember when James had his birthday party here?” Avery said as they passed the ticket booth.
“Oh, I remember,” Jordan said, vaulting over a counter into the arcade. “The pizza was terrible.”
“I thought the pizza was good,” Avery said, climbing over the counter clumsily.
“Well, you were seven, so you thought any pizza was good,” Jordan retorted.
“Jordan, you were seven, too,” Terra interjected.
“I was a seven-year-old with taste,” Jordan said, flourishing his hands.
Avery snickered. “Yeah, so much taste. That’s why you wore a tie and a cape to the party.”
“Hey, I looked great in my tie and cape, thank you very much,” Jordan said, ignoring Terra’s laughter.
The three made their way through the arcade, occasionally stopping at a machine that Jordan wanted to talk about. It was strange to see the arcade without its usual flashing lights, Terra thought. It had been so vibrant just a few years ago. She’d spent so much time here when she was a kid, and seeing the games shut down like this was more sad than spooky.
“No way!” Avery shouted, pulling Terra out of her thoughts.
“What?” Jordan called back, turning away from a Pac-Man machine.
“The ball pit is still here!” Avery shouted back.
“Really?” Terra asked, jogging over to her friend. Right beside her was, in fact, the ball pit, just as full of colorful plastic as the last time she’d seen it.
“Oh my gosh,” Jordan said with a laugh as he came over.
“You should jump in,” Avery said to him.
“No, I think you should,” Jordan replied.
“Guys,” Terra interrupted, “as much as I’d love to see you push each other in, we should probably steer clear of it. I’m willing to bet it’s full of mold.”
The two paused, looking at the pit. After a moment, Jordan sighed.
“You just had to study microbiology, didn’t you?” He asked.
“Hey, I had to do something to make college fun,” Terra replied. “Seriously, though, I would not recommend swimming in the ball pit. There could be all sorts of stuff down there.”
The two hesitated for another second before Avery groaned. “I hate it when you’re right,” she said, backing away from the pit. “Come on, then. Let’s go find something else.”
The three made their way to the prize counter, which was surprisingly full. They decided that they should each take a souvenir, and, despite her disappointment at not finding more Bonnie merchandise, Terra ended up with a little Freddy plushie - Freddle, as she decided to call it - in her bag. Maybe, she told herself, her childhood could survive, just like Freddle had, despite the mess surrounding him.
“Do you think the mascots are still here?” Avery asked as the three made their way through the private party rooms.
“They might’ve been moved to other locations,” Jordan said, “but who knows? I think we should try to find them!”
“Heck yeah!” Terra agreed. “Let's go find our childhood!”
After some discussion, the three decided that their best bet for finding the mascots would be to check the stage. The fastest way, according to Jordan, would be through the gift shop, so they soon found themselves surrounded and distracted by Fazbear memorabilia.
“Okay, but why is half the stuff in here still intact?” Terra asked, looking around at the T-shirts, hats, and candy bars.
“I guess nobody ever wanted to steal a Bonnie T-shirt or whatever,” Avery replied, looking through a rack of pink and white sweaters.
“But Bonnie's the best one to get a T-shirt of!” Terra exclaimed, feigning offense.
“No, Terra, we've had this talk. Foxy is clearly the best,” Jordan replied.
“It's literally Bonnie. He is objectively the best,” Terra argued with a smile.
“No, guys,” Avery interjected. “It's obviously Chica.”
“You guys are crazy,” Terra replied. “Literally blind and uncultured.”
The three continued arguing light-heartedly as they dug through shirts, plushies, and action figures. Terra had managed to find a Bonnie plushie - which she appropriately named Bonathon, of course - and was looking for a Chica plushie to complete the trio when Jordan loudly gasped.
“You guys!” Jordan called, “check this out!”
Avery hurried over while Terra finished searching through another layer of boxes.
“Alright, Jordan, what treasure have you unearthed?” Terra asked, coming up to Avery's side and folding her arms.
Jordan excitedly pulled a flat plastic bag off of a rack.
“Oh my gosh, it's horrendous!” Avery said, laughing.
“Let me see that,” Terra said, reaching for the bag. Jordan obliged, handing her the bag.
“The best thing you've seen, right?” He said with a cackle.
Terra pointed her flashlight at the bag and immediately recoiled as she burst into laughter. On the package was a picture of a cheap Freddy Fazbear morph-suit. The “costume” also came with gloves and a paper mask, both of which seemed to barely fit the model in the picture.
“Who made this thing?” Terra asked when she caught her breath.
“A genius, obviously,” Jordan replied, sitting down on a nearby display table.
“Who would even wear this?” Avery asked, leaning against the clothing rack to catch her breath.
“Is there only one because not many were made, or is there only one because the others sold out?” Jordan asked, making the group burst into laughter anew.
“You know what? I think I'm gonna try it on,” Terra joked after a moment.
“Terra, no!” Avery replied.
“Terra, yes!” Jordan contradicted. “Do it! Do it, you won't.”
“Oh, we're doing this,” Terra said, opening the bag. “Let me go find a changing room or something.”
Jordan cheered as she jogged away to find a place to dress. Around ten minutes later, Terra poked her head into the room.
“Avery, can you help me with the zipper real quick?” She asked.
Around ten minutes after that, the two girls walked back into the room, Avery complaining that the costume was harder to zip up than a prom dress as she came to Jordan’s side.
“Alright, Terra, big reveal!” Jordan called as Terra made her way around the snow globe shelf. “I gotta see the suit!”
“I may have taken a few creative liberties here,” Terra said, pulling the brown gloves on.
“Terra may have made a new character,” She heard Avery whisper.
“Oh, now I really need to see it!” Jordan cheered.
“Alright, alright,” Terra said, hiding behind a Foxy’s Cove T-shirt rack. “Get ready for this.”
As soon as Jordan and Avery quieted, the young woman strutted into the open, sporting her new outfit. Lit by her friends’ flashlights, she posed, showing off the Freddy costume with her crop top and shorts over it. The suit was clearly plastic, and it clung to her like wet paper. As for the fur design, it looked like it had been sloppily drawn on with a black marker. Besides that, the gloves were slightly too long for her fingers, and the flat, paper mask was so poorly printed that one could scarcely tell it was meant to be the face of Fazbear at all.
Naturally, Terra struck another pose.
“Terra, you’re a legend!” Jordan said, hollering with laughter.
“What even is this costume?” Avery laughed, doubling over on herself.
“It’s The Unknown,” Terra said dramatically, eliciting more laughter from her friends.
“Oh gosh, this thing was worth it,” Avery said once she regained her composure.
It took Jordan a bit longer to recover, but once he did, he said, “Let’s head over to the stage.”
“Yeah, we should do that,” Avery replied.
“Terra, you should keep the costume on,” Jordan said, patting his friend on the shoulder.
“Alright, but I’m not keeping the mask or gloves. It’s too stuffy with those on,” Terra said.
“Fair enough,” Jordan said. “The mask really adds to it, though.”
“I know, but I can barely see out of this thing,” Terra said, ripping the mask off and moving on to the gloves. “Maybe Freddy will like it,” She joked.
“I think he’ll love it,” Avery responded.
Soon enough, the trio had found the stage. Curtains covered it, obscuring anything onstage from view, but it didn’t take Jordan long to find a way to open them.
There, positioned on the stage as if they would start singing, were the three animatronics.
“Freddy!” Avery called to the robotic bear.
“They’re still here,” Terra said, awed.
“Yeah. You’d think they’d move them or scrap them or something,” Jordan said, “but they’re still here like Fazbear’s is opening again in the morning.”
Terra reached out and gently placed her hand on Bonnie’s foot. He’d always been her favorite, but she didn’t realize that she’d missed him. Thinking about it, she hadn’t seen the bunny for years, not since she was in junior high.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered to the bunny, climbing onto the stage to get a better look at him.
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“We should head back,” Avery said, shining her flashlight onto her watch.
“What time is it?” Terra asked, keeping her eyes on the game Jordan was playing. She was still awed that he’d managed to get Galaga up and running.
“4:18 AM,” Avery said.
“Oh crap,” Terra said.
“What?” Jordan asked, shooting down another alien ship.
“I have an opening shift tomorrow- er- later,” Terra said.
“Oh,” Avery said. “Yeah, we definitely need to go home, then.”
“Okay. Jordan, finish your game. I’m gonna go get this suit off,” Terra said.
“Deal,” Jordan said as the game played triumphant music.
However, once Terra was in the bathroom trying to unzip the suit, she couldn’t pull it off. The zipper was stuck, it seemed, and it pulled at her skin the more she tugged.
“Screw it,” Terra said, “I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
When she got home, she went straight to bed, hoping that a few hours of sleep would get her through the workday.
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Terra shivered in the dark, watching the door. She could barely breathe through the hand she used to cover her mouth, but she kept it clamped in place anyway. She couldn’t make a sound. If she did, he might find her. She did not want him to find her.
She flinched as she heard footsteps outside the door. He was coming. She knew it. She didn’t want that door to open, but she knew it would. It was just a matter of time before he found her. She closed her eyes, hoping that he would pass this room.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEE-
Terra slammed her fist onto the alarm clock, cutting off its beeping. She groaned as she pulled herself out of bed.
“I don’t want to go to work,” she grumbled to herself, looking at the time. “They do not pay me enough for this.”
She made her way to her bathroom and cringed when she saw herself in the mirror. She’d forgotten; she was still wearing the stupid suit.
“Freaking suit,” she mumbled, reaching for the zipper. Still, it stuck, and the young woman growled.
Fine, she thought. I’ll rip it off.
She pinched at her sleeve, wincing as she caught her skin, and tried to get a finger under the plastic. She managed to, but as she pulled the material up, it only stretched, pulling her skin along with it and refusing to tear. She glared at the sleeve, pulling more until it slipped out of her grip and slapped her arm.
“Ow! Flipping-” Terra looked at the watch she kept in her bathroom. “I don’t have time for this!”
Fueled by annoyance, she ate breakfast and brushed her teeth in record time and managed to be in uniform ten minutes earlier than she usually was. As she fixed her hair up into a ponytail for work, she realized that, as is to be expected, the short-sleeved polo didn’t cover up her marker-drawn fur. She rolled her eyes at her reflection, finished securing her hair, and went back to her room. She’d have to wear long sleeves today. It was either that or go to work in the awful costume, exposing where she’d been the night before.
Yeah right.
Based on the sun coming through her blinds, it was going to be a hot summer’s day.
This was going to be miserable.
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“Are you sure you’re alright?” Cheryl asked, looking Terra in the eyes.
Terra turned her head away, looking at the empty keep-warm rack. “I told you I’m fine,” Terra lied. She was definitely not fine. She was cooking alive in her winter uniform, and the Freddy suit was starting to itch. Badly.
“But you’re wearing a sweater. In summer.”
“I told you I was cold,” Terra replied, looking back at her manager as a car pulled up to the drive-thru window. Just as she finished speaking, a drop of sweat dripped off of her nose and onto the floor. Cheryl raised an eyebrow.
“Do you have a fever, Terra?” The woman asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Terra said.
“Okay, well, I’m going to take your temperature. Your story’s not lining up here,” Cheryl replied, walking away and gesturing for her to follow.
“I’m not sick,” Terra protested. “I wouldn’t come to work if I was sick.”
“You’ve done it before,” Cheryl said.
“That was two years ago!”
“Yeah,” Cheryl responded, pulling a thermometer out of her office. “Knowing you, you’d do it again, especially now that you have a loan to pay off.”
Terra didn’t have anything to say to that. She let Cheryl run the little machine across her forehead and waited.
Cheryl’s eyes widened. “Terra, you’re burning up!”
“I am?” Terra asked, surprised.
The manager turned the thermometer around to show Terra the temperature. The young woman gawked.
“Okay, you need to go home or to the hospital,” Cheryl said.
“But I feel fine,” Terra said.
“Terra, look at me,” Her manager said, gently grabbing her shoulders. “No amount of money is worth your health. No amount of college debt justifies dying on the job. Especially not this job.”
Terra looked at the floor and nodded.
“Go home, Terra. I’ll call someone in to cover the rest of your shift.”
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Back at home, Terra tried again to take the suit off. For around an hour, she pulled at it, but it just would not come off. Not even her pocket knife could pierce the plastic, no matter how far she made the material stretch as she pushed the blade and suit up and away from her arm. Of course, her pocket knife could be dull. She had used it to whittle only a few days before.
She folded the knife back up and tossed it onto her desk. There was no way she was getting this suit off on her own. She considered taking herself to a hospital to try to get it off, but that wouldn’t do. Then they’d know that she’d been in the abandoned restaurant. It wasn’t a big deal, but she knew it could be blown out of proportion and reported to the cops, and it’d be bye-bye to college for her.
No, she’d keep trying.
Terra went into her living room, happy for once that she was the only one living in her apartment for the summer. Her roommates, the saints that they were, would pay monthly rent anyway, but she’d barely be seeing them until the next semester started. She walked over to the telephone next to the TV and started dialing Avery.
After a brief call tone, Avery picked up.
“Hello?” Her friend said.
“Avery, can you come over?” Terra asked.
“I’m about to go out with Jordan,” Avery replied. “Why? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Terra reassured her friend. “I just need your help. I, uh, I can’t get the costume off.”
“You’re still wearing it?” Avery asked.
“Yeah,” Terra replied. “It’s stuck. I hate it, and I can’t get it off.”
“Okay, um…” Avery trailed off. “Can this wait until tomorrow? Jordan’s been planning this for a few weeks, and I don’t want to stand him up.”
“Yeah, I can wait,” Terra replied, heart sinking as she said it.
“Okay. I’ll be there around 10 tomorrow morning, okay?”
“That works, yeah,” Terra said. “Do you still have that pocket knife I gave you?”
“Yeah,” Avery said. “Why?”
“Bring it tomorrow. We might need to cut up the costume to get it off.”
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Terra was on a stage, holding a guitar in her shiny, plastic blue hands. In front of her was a group of children, gathered around one table with a cake in the middle. To her left stood the newer version of Freddy, shining in the spotlight as he sang “Happy Birthday” to the kid wearing a crown. She strummed along on the guitar, smiling at the child.
Things changed. She was lying down on a metal table in a dimly lit room, looking at herself down to her feet. The bright red color of her bow tie was fading, just like the blue paint that covered the rest of her shell. There was rust on her knee, and her toes looked worn. She thought she’d been taking better care of herself.
From above her, a circular saw came down, spinning rapidly. She watched in terror as it came closer to her leg, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t even flinch. All she could do was watch it get closer.
The moment it made contact, pain shot through her. As the saw cut through plastic and metal, it made a horrible screeching sound, but she couldn’t even cover her ears. She screamed, but not a sound came out. Unable to turn her head, she watched herself get cut into pieces, helpless at the mercy of a saw.
Hours later, Terra lay in pieces. One by one, they were picked up, the hands that were lifting obscured by a pair of thick, rubber gloves and the person they belonged to completely obscured by darkness. She watched as the dismembered pieces of her body, arms, legs, and long bunny ears were thrown into a fire. She’d thought she’d be dead by now, but the pain she felt as the fire licked her discarded pieces indicated otherwise. She was too tired to scream now, so instead she clenched her teeth against the pain and watched in horror as what was once her animatronic body melted. Once finished, the remnants were taken out of the furnace and laid on another metal table.
She shouldn’t be alive. She was literally dust. The pain was over, but it made no sense. How was she still seeing this?
The furnace turned on again.
No!
BEEP! BEEP! BE-
Terra flailed in her bed, trying to run but only managing to kick the air. She smacked her alarm clock off her desk and sat up, trying to catch her breath. She’d had nightmares before, but not like that.
It wasn’t real, she told herself, attempting and failing to take a deep breath. It wasn’t real. I’m alive, here, in one piece.
Half an hour later, Terra was finally able to breathe normally again. She was still shaking from the dream, but she got out of bed anyway and went to the kitchen to make herself breakfast.
It was 8:30. As she cooked herself some bacon, she scratched her arm. Gosh, this thing was itchy. Actually, now that she thought about it, it probably smelled bad by now, too. She decided that after breakfast she’d take a shower, even if she had to scrub the suit itself. Who knew? Maybe it would help get the accursed thing off.
After an uncomfortable shower, Terra sat in her living room with Bonathon in her lap, anxiously waiting for Avery to arrive. Her friend had a bad habit of being late, and she really hoped that today would be one of the rare days when she showed up early. She needed to get this skin trap off of her.
At 9:57, a knock came to her door. She startled, having been thinking of her nightmare again, but quickly answered.
“Hi, Avery,” Terra said, summoning all the happiness she could muster.
“Hey, Terra,” Avery replied. “You ready to get the suit off?”
“Yeah,” Terra said. “You have no idea.”
Terra led her friend inside, gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch.
“So how was your date with Jordan?” Terra asked, sitting down in front of her and picking Bonathon back up.
“It was pretty great,” Avery replied. Terra winced as her friend pulled on the zipper, but kept quiet about it. The discomfort was worth it if it meant getting this thing off. “We went to that nice Italian restaurant off of Main and then hit an arcade. I know that Jordan usually beats me at all the games, but it’s nice to see him smile.”
“His ego’s just going to keep growing if you two keep going to arcades,” Terra said, scrunching her face up as her friend pulled on the zipper again.
“You’re right, but here’s the thing,” Avery said, letting go of the zipper for a moment. “I beat him at Pac-Man last night.”
“You did?”
“I did.”
Terra put her arms up in celebration. “You dethroned the king!”
“Yeah,” Avery said, giggling. “I think I did.”
“He’ll be feeling that one for a while,” Terra noted.
“I know. I think it’ll be good for him to live with defeat for a bit,” Avery said.
“True,” Terra replied, bracing herself as Avery grabbed the zipper again.
After a few more tugs, Avery let go of the zipper again. “I don’t know what we did, but this thing is not budging,” the girl said.
“I had a feeling it would do that,” Terra said. “You were right. It is worse than a prom dress.”
“Way worse,” Avery agreed. “Do you have a plan B?”
“I have a couple of ideas,” Terra said, setting her plushie down beside her and turning around to face her friend.
“Okay. Tell me what you have in mind.”
Terra clawed at the end of her sleeve, trying to get a grip on it and a fingernail under it. “If we can get something under it, we might be able to tear it off.”
“Is that why you wanted me to bring the pocket knife?” Avery asked, watching the girl struggle.
“Exactly. We might be able to rip it like a plastic bag,” Terra explained. “I just need to get something under it.”
Terra struggled for a moment longer before letting go of the plastic.
“I can’t get my fingernail under it for some reason,” she said.
“Were you able to before?” Avery asked.
“I could yesterday!” Terra exclaimed, making Avery flinch. “Sorry. I could yesterday. Can I borrow your knife?”
Avery hesitated.
“I’m just going to try to slip it under the sleeve, I promise,” Terra said.
Avery handed Terra her pocket knife, and she got to work. As she struggled to get the blade under the suit, she said to Avery, “See if you can get under the zipper. It might be easier.”
The two worked for a few moments, Avery pulling at the zipper and trying to get her finger under it until Terra flinched.
“Are you okay?” Avery asked, letting go of the costume.
“Yeah,” Terra said, bringing her wrist up to her mouth. “I just cut myself, that’s all.”
“Okay, I think that’s enough knife time for you,” Avery said, taking the pocket knife out of Terra’s hands.
“Any luck with the zipper?” Terra asked.
“None,” Avery said with a sigh. “It’s like I zipped up your skin or something. They’re inseparable.”
“Try getting the knife under there,” Terra instructed.
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Avery replied.
“I trust you, Avery. I know you’re not going to cut me.”
“Terra, I’d do it if I thought it would work, but I’m serious. It’s like the suit has melded with your skin.”
Terra turned to face her friend. Just looking at Avery’s face, she knew her friend was serious. Her heart dropped.
“Terra, I think you need to take yourself to the hospital. I’m sure a good surgeon can get this thing off of you in no time, little to no damage done,” Avery said, leaning forward to level with her friend.
“I can’t do that,” Terra said.
“Why not?”
“If I do, they’ll know that I stole a suit from Fazbear’s,” Terra explained. “I can’t lose my scholarship over a stupid costume.”
“You can’t lose your sanity over a stupid costume either, Terra,” Avery said, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“I know. I just… Let me keep trying, okay?” Terra said.
“Okay,” Avery said. “I’ll brainstorm some ideas. Maybe if we put our heads together, we can get this thing off of you.”
“Thanks,” Terra said.
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Terra was in Fazbear’s again. She was in the gift shop, watching people buy candy bars and T-shirts, completely unaware of her presence. That was alright, though. She wasn’t keen on being seen.
“Can you hear me?” A masculine voice asked.
“Yes,” she tried to say, but not a sound came out.
“I can help you,” the voice said again. Had he heard her respond?
A feeling of dread washed over her. Something told her she shouldn’t trust this unknown person.
Within seconds, Terra was in front of Fazbear’s, which was once again abandoned and broken down. As if floating, she moved away from the building and towards a little path cutting through the field of overgrown weeds surrounding the parking lot. Soon enough, she was floating down a quiet street, void of cars and flanked by small houses. Finally, she came to a stop in front of a larger house with a purple and yellow Easter-themed wreath on the front door.
“Come find me,” the voice said.
Terra bolted upright in bed. It was dark in her room, so it was probably the middle of the night. She leaned forward and held her head in her hands.
What did I just dream? She asked herself, closing her eyes again. When she did, she saw the restaurant again, along with the path through the field and the quiet street. The images were so clear that they could have been pictures or memories, but she had never seen this path before.
Then again, this was the first dream she’d had in the past few days that wasn’t terrifying. Maybe she should be thankful for it.
As Terra looked around her room for her alarm clock, the itching sensation came back. She scratched at the suit, but it only intensified the feeling. As she got up to turn on her light, she could barely walk as the feeling made her twitch and flinch. Once the light was on, she made her way back to her bed slowly, picking up the alarm clock as she did. It was 3:21 AM. She should go back to bed. She had work at 11 and didn’t want to fall asleep at the register.
Terra sat down on her bed, but she couldn’t relax. The suit was just so irritating. Was she allergic to it, maybe? She scratched and pinched at the plastic, but just like before, she couldn’t get through.
Enough of this, Terra thought, getting to her feet again. She made her way to her desk and picked up her pocket knife. Maybe I can peel it off.
She sat down on the floor, her back leaned against the wall, and unfolded the knife. Taking a deep breath, she put the blade to her arm and rested her thumb on the back.
Pretend you’re peeling a potato, she told herself as her knuckles turned white from squeezing the knife. You can do this.
Biting her lip, Terra pressed the blade into her arm and shakily slid it down towards her hand. She dropped the knife as it cleared the end of the sleeve.
She hissed as the wound stung, keeping her gaze away from her arm until she was ready to see what she’d done to herself. She finally turned to look at it after a few moments, hoping she wasn’t gushing blood, and froze.
That wasn’t blood.
Out of her wound pooled a thick, black substance. It made its way down her arm, collecting into a large mass before dripping onto the floor.
Terra’s breaths came short and fast as she tried to process what was going on. Instinctively, she got to her feet and made her way into the kitchen. Shakily, she grabbed the first-aid kit from the pantry door and struggled with the latches before finally popping it open. From there, she removed a large strip of gauze and pressed it to her wound, gritting her teeth as the pressure made it hurt worse. She added another strip of the thick material before grabbing a roll of medical tape from the box and wrapping it around her arm. Then she sat there on the kitchen floor, collecting herself.
When Terra finally stopped shaking enough to be able to stand, she looked at the clock on her stove. It was 4:27 now. She needed to get back to sleep. Maybe if she did, she’d wake up later and find that this was just part of a dream. It couldn’t be real, after all. Nobody had black blood.
The young woman walked over to the couch in her living room, not daring to look at her arm again. She sat down heavily, leaned back, and closed her eyes. When she woke up again, she assured herself, she would find that it was all just a bad dream.
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Terra awoke to the sensation of burning. She rolled over, thinking that maybe she'd fallen asleep on her balcony again and was getting sunburned.
The phone rang, forcing Terra to open her eyes. She blinked at the sight of her living room, trying to figure out how she could be burning if she was inside. It took her a moment before she remembered what had happened hours before. She groaned and got to her feet as the phone rang a third time.
The answering machine managed to answer the phone before Terra did. The message tone beeped, and Avery's voice came through the line.
“Terra, I'm worried about you. I can't think of any other way to get that costume off of you, and I'm worried that if you wait too long, it'll give you a skin condition or something. Terra, please take yourself to the hospital. I'll even give you a ride over and pay for part of it. I know you're worried about your scholarship, but Terra, you can't hide that thing forever.” Avery paused for a moment. “Please, go get help, Terra. I know you hate asking for help, but please. If not for you, then for me. Call me back, okay?”
Terra stared at the telephone as Avery hung up on the other end. Her skin seethed under the suit, and she knew that her friend was right. Something was clearly wrong with the costume, and there was no telling what wearing it long-term could do to her. It was pretty bad already. Who knew what would happen if it got worse?
Terra walked to the kitchen counter and picked up her keys, happy that she'd at least had the sense to ditch the gloves early on. Dressed in her clothes from the day before, she made her way down to the 1st floor of the building and walked across the parking lot to her car.
As she turned the key in the ignition, she considered again. There had to be another way.
She put her hands on the steering wheel as she thought, and her gaze was brought to her bandaged arm. She scarcely remembered bandaging it at all. What she did remember, though, was the dream she’d had before.
There was no way there was a path off of Fazbear’s parking lot like that. She would have noticed it before. Then again, she’d never really looked for it. The image was so clear in her mind, after all, that maybe she had seen it before. The neighborhood she’d seen in her dream seemed familiar, too. She’d been offered help in that dream, right?
She knew it was irrational. It was just a dream. There was no way someone had actually spoken to her.
But then again, the subconscious mind was a powerful thing. Maybe she did remember this place, and maybe there was some kind of help there.
“This is stupid,” Terra said to herself as she backed out of her parking space. Even so, she started driving to Fazbear’s.
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Okay. We’re going to look for the path, and when it’s not there, we’re going to the hospital, she told herself as she turned into the parking lot.
With shaky hands, she turned her car into one of the many empty spots and shifted the gear into Park. Trying to ignore the burning sensation engulfing her, she shakily stepped out of her car, walked to the nearest curb on the outer edge of the lot, and started following it around.
She’d almost walked the entire perimeter of the lot when she noticed a narrow dirt trail cutting through the overgrown plants. She hesitated for a moment, staring at the trail while her mind wandered back to the dream she’d had, then stepped up onto the curb.
One foot in front of the other, she slowly made her way along the trail, looking all around and half expecting to hear the voice from her dream again. However, the field was quiet, the only interruptions being her own footsteps and the occasional cricket. She’d never known peace like this before. She almost wanted to stay here. However, her irritated skin moved her forward, hoping that the next piece of her dream would be real too.
Eventually, a chain-link fence came into view. Terra stared at it for a moment; that hadn’t been in her dream. Even so, she continued along the trail toward it. Luckily, the path led her right to a gap in the fence. On the other side was a familiar street, the same one she’d floated down the night before. The woman quickly squeezed herself through the gap and ran down the street, looking left and right at the houses she passed.
And then it was there. The large house with the Easter wreath. Terra stopped in front of it, catching her breath and trying to decide what to do next. She’d found the house from her dream, yes, but what exactly was she supposed to do now? Knock on the door and explain to whoever answered that she’d visited the place in her sleep? Ask them for help with her little wardrobe malfunction?
Just as she was thinking that maybe she shouldn’t have come here, the door opened. She panicked, thinking that she’d been caught staring down the house for too long, but her fear quickly vanished as a man stepped out.
“It’s you,” He said. “I’m glad you came.”
His voice was the same one she’d heard in her dream. She stood slack-jawed, staring at him as he waited for a reply. Realizing that he wasn’t going to get one just yet, he shifted his position and stretched out a hand to her.
“Come inside, my friend. Let me help you.”
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“I’m sorry,” Terra said, “but who are you?”
The two were sitting across from each other in the man’s living room. Between them was a round coffee table with a cup of coffee on his side and a bottle of water on hers.
“Oh goodness, I almost forgot to introduce myself!” The man said. “I’m William, but you can call me Will.” He extended his hand across the table and Terra gingerly leaned forward to shake it.
“I’m Terra,” She replied as they finished shaking. “You were expecting me?”
Will nodded. “I did send you a message, didn’t I? I was afraid you wouldn’t get it.”
“You talked to me in a dream?” Terra asked. Will nodded, and she asked, bewildered, “how?”
“Well, Terra, it seems that you and I are… connected,” Will replied.
“What do you mean? I’ve never met you before.”
“It’s strange,” Will said, shifting in his seat. “But it has to do with that costume you’re wearing. You see, I wore a costume like that once, too.”
Terra absent-mindedly started rubbing her bandaged arm.
“If I may ask, Terra, what has the suit done to you?” Will asked. “It doesn’t look like you’ve exactly been enjoying it.”
Terra hesitated before responding. “I can’t get it off,” she said. “I’ve tried everything. I can’t unzip it, I can’t tear it off, and I can’t even get under it anymore. It’s like it’s welded to my skin.”
Will nodded. “It did the same to me.”
“It did?”
“Yes. I was much younger when I tried on one of these costumes. I was stuck in it for weeks, Terra. I figured out how to get it off, obviously, but it left scars.” At this, Will rolled up one of his sleeves to show her various deep, curling marks on his arm. Terra grimaced.
“I think it left more than scars, though,” Will said, pulling his sleeve back down. “I think it left a piece with me, and it connected us.”
“How does that even work?” Terra asked.
“I don’t know,” Will said. “But I know that I started seeing and hearing you in my dreams. It took me a bit to figure out why you were there, and what was going on at all, really, but then I realized that maybe you were afflicted with the same issue I once had. Once that was confirmed, I reached out. Terra, I know how to get the suit off, and I want to help you. I think that if we get it off soon enough, it won’t even leave a mark.”
“Yes,” Terra said more enthusiastically than she meant to. “Please.”
Will nodded and got to his feet. “Do you mind if I get a closer look at it? I want to see how bad your situation is.”
“Go for it,” Terra replied, reaching her good arm out to him.
Will stood next to her, squinting at the suit. “When did you put it on?” He asked.
“Just a couple of days ago,” Terra said, trying not to wince as he grabbed her wrist and tried to roll the sleeve back.
“Has it done anything more than stick to you?” Will asked, letting go of her arm as she flinched.
“It itches like crazy,” Terra replied. “It started burning today. I’m afraid it’s reacting with my skin.”
Will nodded. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “That must have been agonizing.”
“I’ve dealt with worse,” Terra said instinctively.
“I’m guessing you tried to cut it off?” He asked, indicating her bandaged arm.
Terra nodded grimly.
“How’d that go?” He asked.
“Not well,” Terra replied.
“I’d imagine. I know exactly how to get you out of this costume, and we’re going to get it off of you today. Just wait here for a second, okay? I need to go grab something.”
Terra nodded, hope stirring within her. As he left the room, she settled back in the chair, relaxing for the first time in days.
“Is he gone?” Someone said as the door closed behind Will. Terra sat straight up again and scanned the room, but she was alone.
“Who’s there?” Terra asked.
Images flashed through Terra’s mind in a burst. She was in the dark room again, staring at the door. Less than a second later, she was on the metal table again, watching her animatronic body be cut to pieces. She was a cup of dust, sitting on a table by a furnace. She was liquified plastic being poured into a human-shaped mold. She was hanging on a rack in a Fazbear gift shop. Then, finally, she was in front of the house, coming toward the door.
“You need to leave,” the voice said again before Terra could respond.
“Who are you?” Terra whispered, still not understanding.
In response, the images flashed through her mind again, one after another.
“You’re the one who brought me here?” She asked, trying to make sense of it all.
“No,” the voice responded. “At least I didn’t try to. I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to see any of that, and he wasn’t supposed to hear you through me. That doesn’t matter, though. You need to get out of here.”
“Why?” Terra asked. “I’m finally going to get out of this suit!”
“He’s lying to you,” the voice replied. “You need to get out of here! Now!”
“Prove it,” Terra challenged. She couldn’t leave now. Not when she was so close to getting the suit off.
“Fine.”
Terra was in the dark room again. She stared at the door anxiously, as footsteps approached. Suddenly, the door opened, and light spilled in. She gasped.
“There you are,” a younger Will said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. As the light faded, he pulled a knife out from behind his back.
She was in a dark room again. Footsteps echoed above her.
Terra came back to herself in an instant, bumping the coffee table with her knee as she did. As she tuned back in to her surroundings, she heard Will’s footsteps getting farther away.
“Do you see now?” The voice said.
Terra’s eyes widened as she pieced it all together. Somehow, she’d connected with this person through the suit, and she’d been seeing bits and pieces of their memories. Through their connection, Terra could see that the stranger was scared of Will. He’d hurt them before, and the stranger was scared that it would happen again.
The stranger knew that Will was coming. He was close. Once she could hear the footsteps and pinpoint where they were coming from, the final pieces clicked into place.
This house had a basement, and the person talking to her was in it. They were trapped.
William had trapped them.
“How long have you been down there?” Terra asked.
“He’s getting closer. You need to run,” the voice replied, ignoring her question.
“I can’t leave you here!” Terra told them.
Terra was in the dark again as footsteps came closer. Across the room, light spilled in as Will opened the door. He walked across the room toward her and picked her up.
“Let’s try something, shall we?” He asked.
Terra was seeing through this person. She understood that now. But why weren’t they struggling against Will?
“Run!” The voice shouted at her. “Please, run!”
“I can’t leave you here!” Terra shouted back, hearing her muffled voice through the prisoner’s ears.
A furnace came into view as the voice spoke one final time.
“I’m already dead! Get out before you are, too!”
Will threw them into the fire. Terra screamed as the flames engulfed her, making the burning sensation from before seem like it had barely been an itch. Will looked at the ceiling as the sound echoed through the house, then back into the furnace at them.
“What a useful piece of plastic you are,” he said, smiling to himself.
Terra came back to herself just in time to hit the ground. She wanted to curl up on the floor, but she forced herself to stand, even as an invisible fire roared in her ears. Pushing through the pain, she stumbled to the door and fumbled with the knob until she could push it open. Nearly tripping over herself, she ran out of the room and down the short hallway.
Hoping that her memory was correct, she took a left when the hallway split into two directions. She ran past two doors and took a right, picking up speed as the front door came into view.
She was almost there when she was tackled to the ground.
“He told you about me, didn’t he?” Will asked, pinning the woman under his weight.
“Let go of me!” Terra yelled, trying to pull herself out of his grapple. Above her, William chuckled.
“You’re more gullible than a child,” he said as Terra tried to throw him off of her.
Realizing that she wouldn’t be able to muscle her way out, Terra decided to try a different approach. She sent her elbow flying back, managing to hit her attacker. In the moment that he let his guard down, she managed to pull herself away from him. She crawled toward the front door and was about to stand when a fist came crashing into her temple, knocking her sideways onto her back.
Disoriented, she looked up at William and tried to kick him. To her horror, he caught her foot, and in one swift move, he slammed his heel into her leg. Terra heard a sickening crack as her attacker broke through the bone, and a scream tore out from her as her nerves communicated the injury to the rest of her body. He dropped her leg as she pulled away, a smile darkening his face.
“HELP!” Terra yelled, hoping maybe a neighbor would hear her.
“Oh, Terra,” William said, stepping forward to crouch beside her. “Nobody’s coming for you. It’s just you, me, and the plastic glove you befriended.”
“Please,” Terra said, looking into the man’s face. “I won’t tell anyone about this. Please, just let me go.”
William stood up and turned his back to her. She screamed again as he picked up her broken leg and pulled, sending pain shooting through her as if it was breaking all over again. She clawed at the ground, trying to hold onto it and stop William from dragging her away, but to no avail; he was much stronger than her.
“The funny thing is that it really wasn’t that hard to get you here,” he said, stopping for a second to watch her struggle. “Once I heard the glove screaming, all I had to do was put it on, lie to you, and go for a walk.” He twisted her leg, forcing her to let go of the table leg she’d managed to grab while he’d spoken.
Terra bit down on her lip so hard that she tasted blood. She struggled to pull herself out of William’s grip, but the pain every movement caused was too much for her.
“Don’t worry,” William said, opening a door that led down into darkness. She tried to kick him, but he easily dodged to the side, squeezing her leg as he did. “I said I’d get the suit off of you, didn’t I?”
Terra caught hold of the door frame as William pulled her down the stairs. She held on for just a moment, but the attempt died with a simple slap to her injury.
“I’ll get the suit off of you alright,” Will said, dragging her away from the door.
The light faded out of Terra’s view, just as William finished his sentence.
“Piece by piece.”