Chapter Text
“I’m telling you, that dude’s creepy as hell.” A voice from the other side of the wall started. Gregory sat with his back against the brick, silently listening in on the breakroom conversations. A greasy slice of pizza sagged in his hand, half chewed on and almost fully cold.
“I liked Bill more. He at least tried to act like he cared about us.”
Gregory bit into the pizza, ignoring how the cheese had already started to harden. God, why are adults so boring? If you’re going to gossip, make it interesting. Gregory, as unlikely as it seems, has become bored with the pizzaplex. A kid can only do so much before eventually becoming tired of repeating the same day. Wake up, walk around, talk to some rando kids, steal their pizza, evade the adults, and crawl back into the wall to find a place to sleep. And now he’s listening to the ramblings of an aggravated minimum-wage worker in an attempt to stop being bored. Classy.
“I have to agree,” spoke a woman’s voice. “Bill was always around before he retired. I haven’t seen that new guy’s face, not once.” Murmurs of agreement broke out between the workers.
Gregory heard it all before. Boss troubles, issues with management. The details change, but the story is always the same, and God was it mind-numbing to listen to. When the last of the pizza was finally scarfed down, he quietly stood –no longer paying attention to the conversation behind the wall– and walked through the tight squeeze of the backroom corridors.
The Pizzaplex was always full. So full of kids that even the hundreds of employees would never come to recognize his face, Gregory was sure of that. There were so many people, but still no one knew of the things hidden behind the walls. It was a tight squeeze, even for him, so it made sense that no adults ever came through. It didn’t explain why the other kids never hid here, but the quiet is nice, especially compared to the never-ending parties.
Gregory left the quiet of the back corridors and ended up in an empty party room. Plates of pizza were left on the table, all half eaten, and large bottles of sodas were placed on the opposite side of the room. He quickly snagged a half-empty bottle and drank as much as he could before burping. It was actual soda, one from outside. Not fizzy-faz or water from the “Faz-fountain” that was lukewarm and always tasted like metal. As bored and tired of the place as he was, Gregory knew that the pizzaplex was the best place to stay as a homeless kid in Hurricane, Utah. He saw the missing posters. Besides, the pizzaplex has food, shelter, and fun! What more could a kid need?
He quickly slipped out of the room and made his way to the Atrium. Metal clamoring echoed throughout the large room as a large crowd formed around the stairs. Gregory slipped behind a large potted plant as the footsteps got louder. It was clear that the Glamrocks had just finished their big show and were being escorted to their showrooms, with kids and parents taking photos with them along the way. He wanted to see the animatronics, but it was too risky. They were always being followed by handlers and guards. Get seen too often by them and you’ll be caught. Instead, Gregory stayed hidden behind the plant, sitting on the floor and closing his eyes, hoping the crowd would just move on already.
“I’m telling you, it’s been months and no one has seen him!” hushed whispers drifted from just beyond the plant.
“Dude, I don’t really care.” Another voice huffed. “Hey, I liked Bill. But the new guy running this joint ain’t that bad. Besides, he’s probably busy with headquarters or something.”
“It’s just unsettling, I guess…” the first voice trailed off.
Gregory was picking at the stained carpet, eavesdropping in on the conversation behind the plant. The voices got quieter as the crowd and animatronics moved away. The staff, now busy helping a little girl take a photo with Monty, were distracted enough for Gregory to get up and leave.
He flopped down on the pile of pillows and bedding in the corner of his make-shift room. Pulling the blankets over tightly, Gregory curled into himself readying to sleep. He was back inside the quiet walls of the pizzaplex. He mulled over what he did today. Ate pizza. Played Gator Golf with those weird kids. Ate more pizza. Oh! Drank actual soda! Definitely a highlight. Gregory’s eyes opened slightly, squinting at nothing in particular. A lot of talk about “Not-Bill”. What’s so creepy about wanting to be alone? The thought lulled Gregory into sleep. Thoughts about living alone in a quiet place with no adults or kids or guards ruining the peace.
.oO0Oo.
Good afternoon Faz-Team,
Good work on another wonderful week! Due to the hard work all of you have put into running Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex, upper management has agreed to host a “Bring your kid to work”-day! Free food vouchers are available for every employee and up to 3 guests. This event is closed off to anyone without a ticket, which can be picked up in room 146C. Enjoy spending time with your family and loved ones.
Keep being FAZ-tastic,
***********
.oO0Oo.
The next day was the same as the one before, and the one before that, and the one right before that. The days have clouded together. How long has it been since he came here? Weeks? Months? Something in his gut tells him it’s been way more than just months. Gregory doesn’t know why exactly he was so drawn to the pizzaplex. He could leave whenever he wants, and he really should. But the thought of being out there made him queasy. Out there, he had no one. He already had no one, but he would really have more than no one. He would have nothing. Even worse is if he was found he would be taken and forced into a place he couldn’t care less about. And those posters. They were enough of a warning. Gregory wouldn’t end up on those posters or news clippings.
Gregory was sitting on a bench, next to the daycare. He was watching the little kids run around screaming as they chased each other. A snotty boy wiped his nose on his hand and immediately swiped it across the foam floor. Some of the larger kids were climbing inside the playsets and giggling down the slides. Somehow, Gregory sensed that they felt free. Like they had all the freedom in the world, even though they were the ones trapped behind a fence. They could be who they want to be, do what they want to do, and not worry about playing a never-ending game of hide and seek.
The lights dimmed and a few daycare workers brought out nicely folded blankets. He knew the cycle. Play for two hours, sleep for one. Gregory couldn’t help but wish he was in there too, sleeping his worries away, close to his friends. Watching Moon tuck in a crying kid gave a light spark of an idea, one that could help clear his boredom. It was too risky before, but now Gregory knows every corner of the pizzaplex. Tomorrow he will get up early and play until he’s tired. Then he’ll take a nice long nap until the pizzaplex closes. When he has the place all to himself, that’s when the real fun will begin!