Chapter Text
"We can't just walk in through the entrance." Oscar says as he walks behind the guys towards the restaurant. The night is cold and windy, making the skin on his cheeks cold, dry and red. One hand in the pocket of his jacket while he holds a flashlight with his other hand.
"Why not?" Zane asks, not bothering himself to turn his head back. He wears old, white Nike Air Forces instead of New Rock boots. The dried leaves crushes under his steps.
"Because it's probably locked." Oscar says, pointing at the double door with his flashlight.
The glass windows are dusty and broken at some places. Faint stains of old glue sticks on the window, already dark yellow from the time and dust. Soda cans, burger wrappers are on the ground in front of the doors.
"It's not." Wren says as he pushes the doors open. They creak loudly and rattle as the bottom of the doors scratches the black and white chequered stone on the ground. The smell of dust and abandonment hits Wren's nose familiar.
They enter the building, and Colm closes the door behind them. Everything is dark in front of them. The lights from their flashlights makes the atmosphere eriee. Wren reaches his arm out towards the wall. His elbow brushes against Oscar's shoulders who jumps and looks at Wren scared.
"Fuck man, you scared me." Oscar laughs nervously. He sees Wren's green eyes in the dark through the lights reflect from the walls, and his stomach tightens uncomfortable.
With one finger movement, Wren switches the lights on.
"How did you know there's electricity here?" Oscar asks quietly from Wren. They stand just two of them at the entrance, the others already started to explore the building.
"Intuition."
Wren follows his friends into the dining area.The big, wooden tables has long, thin, white and red chequered table clothes cover them. They're set up like they were made for a party never held. Some of the beige and green chairs are knocked on the ground while some of them still next to the tables. Ella switches on the lamps on the walls, coated in yellowish shade the brick printed walls. The shutters are closed outside of the huge windows.
"It doesn't look too happy." Colm claims and turns towards the show stage. It's empty. "Where are the animatronics?"
"I don't know." Oscar says as he steps next to Colm.
"This restaurant is huge. We need more days than one to explore everything." Ella says as she examines the big map board on the wall.
"Then split up." Wren suggests and hops up onto the corner of one of the table. The table creaks softly under his weight.
"We still need to stay for more day." Ella argues.
"Then stay. What stops us?" Wren asks, swinging his legs.
"Nothing, actually." Zane shrugs and leans against the table next to Wren.
"I'm going with Wren." Ella says.
"I'm going with Zane." Oscar says, maybe a little too fast. Wren looks at him through the soft locks of his brown hair for a moment then turns his gaze back to Ella. She traces a way with her fingers on the ma board while standing there in black, flared yoga pants and a black jacket.
"Trevon? Come with us?" Wren asks.
"Sure man."
"That's settled. Where we go first?" Zane asks. No other words are needed, it's obvious Colm will stay with Oscar.
"We check the north hallways at the right. There's the kitchen and the bathrooms and the prize room." Wren says and jumps off the table. He lands on the dusty ground softly. Small amount of dust flies up and covers his black Nike Air Forces.
"Okay. We're gonna go straigh and check the central hallway." Zane nods.
"Check the Kid's cave too. It's worth to see." Wren says.
"Where will we meet?" Colm asks while he takes a photo of the map board with his phone.
"Art Wall." Wren says.
Colm and Oscar walks to Zane while Ella and Trevon gather around Wren. They head towards to different direction: Wren, Ella and Trevon goes right towards the north hallway, and Zane, Colm and Oscar walks towards the central hallway.
Wren switches on the lights on the wall. Shabby posters hang on the wall. The corners of the papers are hang freely, the glue let them go. Ella steps closer to the wall to examine a poster of three animatronic. A brown bear, yellow chicken and blue bunny.
"Freddie, Chica and Bonnie." Wren says quietly from behind Ella. He stands so close to her that the zipper of his hoodie tickles the back of Ella's neck.
"Poor guy."
Wren turns his head towards Trevon, curious of what made him to say that. Trevon looks at a poster of a pink and white animatronic which looks rather a creature than an animal.
"That's Mangle. He should look like a fox."
Ella walks next to them, lifting up her thin eyebrows.
"A fox?"
"Yeah. It was a task for the kids. They had to build an animatronic from pieces." Wren answers, looking at the old, almost colorless poster. "Some people say kids wanted to build him ugly and then laugh on him. Kids are cruel sometimes, huh?"
Trevor whispers amazed at the story of Mangle. He walks away on the hallway, cheking the other posters too. Ella stays next to Wren, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows and wrinkled forehead.
"How do you know so much about this place?" She asks.
"Do you think I didn't do research after we decided to visit this place?"
"Research??"
"We don't wanna die, do we?" Wren chuckles.
"Dude," Trevon starts, breaking the soft tension between Wren and Ella. "Who's this?"
"Oh, he's my favorite. Foxy, the pirate fox." Wren looks at the posters with a red fox on it. He has everything what a pirate need: hat, blindfold with a skull and a silver hook.
"He's definitely one of the coolest robot. Tho, Freddie is my favorite."
They walk past the female and male bathroom.
"Good to know at least we don't have to pee onto the ground in the corners." Ella jokes. The boys laugh.
"We should go to the Art Wall. We can explore the kitchen and the prize store tomorrow." Wren suggests, checking the time on his phone.
The central hallway's walls are covered in posters too. Pictures of animated birthday parties, drawings from kids about the animatronics. The black and white chequered stone reaches up to the first quarter of the wall. The white squares look almost grey from the dust. Empty soda cans are thrown around the ground, spider webs hanging down from the ceiling.
Colm peaks into a room at the right. The sign on the opened door says 'WEST PARTY ROOM'.
Colm, Oscar and Zane enter the room. The smell of moldy food and sugary drinks fill the air. Accidentally, Zane kicks and empty aluminium can which hits the leg of one of the table loudly.
"Sorry."
The colofrul birthday hats rests on the table in regulated rows. Every seat has their own hat and clean paper plate. The same posters hang on the wall as outside. Some of them are half glued and the other half swings freely while other half rests on the ground peacefully, and somehow sad.
"Did you guys find something?" Zane asks after kicking the tenth empty aluminium can.
"No." Colm answers, and sneezes three times in a row. "Can I get a paper tissue?"
Oscar digs into the pocket of his brown jeans and pulls out a clean papertissue.
"Here."
"Thanks."
While Colm blows his nose, Oscar suddenly hugs him clumsily. Zane sees its.
"Uhm... I'm gonna check the East party room." He says and walks out of the room.
Col hesitantly, but places his arms around Oscar's torso. Their hoodies practically blend into one, Colm's white hoodie and Oscar's grey one.
Oscar pulls away and takes off a thin, black bracelet to Colm.
"What's this?" Colm whispers.
"I've been wanted to give it for you for a while.. It's just... something that means a lot to me."
Colm rolls up the sleeve of his hoodie, letting Oscar to put the bracelet onto his wrist.
They walk into the other party room, finding Zane sitting on one of the tables.
"What are you reading?" Colm asks. He feels the fabric of the bracelet.
"Just some birthday wishes. They're patterns, no real emotions." He jumps off the table loudly. "We should go back.
"What is with Kid's Cove?" Oscar asks.
"We can explore it tomorrow with the others." Zane shrugs and walks out of the room. Oscar and Colm follows him.
Oscar can't bring his thoughts away from Colm. Should he admit it now? In an abandoned pizzeria? Covered in dust and smelling like mold? Which room he should even do it? A creepy birthday party room? On a hallway? In the bathroom? On the top of a dusty table?
He finally snaps out of his thought. Zane and Colm walks metres in front of him. Oscar fastens his steps.
Oscar gags quietly as the hood of his hoodie is pulled backwards. He falls onto thecold and dusty stone, hitting his bottom painfully. Before he could stand up he's being pulled into a dark room.
He wants to scream but two long fingers are shoved into his mouth and push his tongue down. The last thing he sees before everything goes dark is the back of Colm, the way his blue jeans hang on his thin frame.