So,... I kind of left y'all on a cliff hanger for a year.... my bad.. (jokes, I love you guys, and I really appreciate all of the support, even in my prolonged absence.🥺 I'm hoping to finally bring this story to an end with some more chapters, so look out for updates. I hope you guys had an amazing New Years.❤️I hope y'all can still enjoy this story despite the many plot holes😭)

You jog down the glossy floor of the colossal, empty entry room of the Pizzaplex. You grip Maribelle's hand tightly, pulling her along with you, noting how she's evidently holding her tears in better than you. Though you know she isn't far from crying. You need to find somewhere safe for her.

Freddy's room wouldn't be safe, considering the vent in it connects to all of the other animatronic's rooms. Plus, they're probably able to open the door anyways. You could easily rule that out as a dangerous space to be in. But where would you go now?

You hesitate, looking left and right wildly, trying to find somewhere, anywhere to escape to, a place safe for Maribelle. Her grip on your hand tightens, and she looks up at you expectantly. It should be comforting to know that she trusts you, but it's only slightly more pressuring to know that this little girl's life is in your hands. You don't get paid enough for this.

Keeping Maribelle close to you, you turn and start hastily walking towards the arcade. Given the arcade is usually dark, even during the daytime hours, you figure it'd be easy to hide away in the shadows. It doesn't take long, and you find the entrance easily; a row of electronic turnstiles with Freddy's smiling face on them, beckoning you to come closer. Oh how much easier this would be if Freddy hadn't run off to help his dismembered friend, only to be knocked out cold by the one monster he was protecting you from. But then again, Freddy would likely be useful as nothing more than a morally supportive, metal shield.

Reaching the small gates that mark the entrance of the arcade, you quickly grab Maribelle and lift her up and over its short frame. "Ooh!" she giggles, "Are we breaking in? This is so exciting, what if we get caught?" You smile down at her enthusiam, appreciative of her ability to lighten the mood even while on the run from murderous moonmen.

You step quickly over the gate and grab her hand again, leading her into the unlit, expansive space of the arcade. It isn't completely dark though, and despite being the dead of night it still seems to have a dim, ambient glow, even regardless of the lack of lights. Though it seems cool for most younger kids, the current circumstances just add it to the creepiness factor. Moon could be anywhere. Watching. Waiting. You shiver at the thought of his eyes on you.

After wandering around the arcade in random directions for a while, Maribelle finally asks, "Where are we going?" You hesitate to respond. Truthfully, you don't know. Anywhere away from him, is what you want to say. But before you can tell her the only plan you have is walking in endless circles, something catches your eye. In the dark you almost miss it, but you can see it more clearly now; a thin hallway, only a small break in the wall, but still there, a place you might be able to retreat to and hide away in without Moon being able to sniff you out, like the chihuahua he is.

"Don't worry, I've got it," You reassure her, quickly changing your direction and moving towards the inky hall. Once you're inside the hallway, it's impossible to make anything out. You can still see the rest of the arcade slightly when you turn around- the faint glow reflecting off of the glass of various arcade machines- but otherwise it's pitch black. Perfect.

Maribelle holds onto your hand tighter, and you squeeze it back in reassurance. Traversing down the corridor a little, keeping your free hand along the wall, you find that the hallway ends in a dead end. Strange, but at least it means nobody can surprise you from a second entrance. And the deep shadows should be able to hide the two of you until opening time. Even Sunny isn't that good at hide and seek.

You sit on the hard carpeted floor, guiding Maribelle down carefully with you. After a couple of quiet moments of nothing but light rustling, you whisper to her, not daring to speak any louder, "Why are you here at night? Won't your parents be worried about you?"

She shifts, her hand moving slightly in your grasp, and you imagine her tiny shoulders giving off a shrug. "My dad didn't come back for me today. Sometimes he doesn't. I think he just forgets."

The words hit you harder than you would have expected them to."What?" You ask, raising your voice a little, "'Forgets? About his own child?"

Maribelle doesn't say anything for a moment, and then, "Yeah. I'm used to it, though. So is Sunny. He's usually really nice and understanding about it, and normally calls Nessa to contact my dad. Sometimes she can't get him though, and then I'll stay in her office. But I don't really mind, I prefer the Pizzaplex more than home." It's a lot of information at once, especially from such a young girl. You sit in silence for a while, stunned. Then you finally register the name she used.

"Nessa?"

"Yeah," Maribelle replies, "The security guard lady, she's so nice to me. She usually gives me candy and lets me play with my rocks on her desk."

Something clicks in your brain. Blonde bitch. "Vanessa?"

She's quiet for a second. "I don't know. She told me I could call her Nessa."

Something warms in your chest at that. Sometimes it's hard to grasp how different people can be just around someone that isn't yourself. For better, or for worse. Maybe Vanessa isn't as bad as you thought. She might not be perfect to you, but she is to someone else. Before you can stop yourself, you wonder if Moon has anybody like that, to see him as anything less than someone to fear. But you quickly shove the thought into the back of your brain where you can pretend it never happened and just forget about it.

As if just the thought of her is enough to summon her, you hear sudden footsteps nearby, coming from the direction you and Maribelle wandered from. Maribelle gasps, hearing them at the same time as you. The footsteps stop. You worredly exchange glances with where you assume Maribelle's face is.

The footsteps pick up again. But they're slower. And now you realize they're tinged with the sound of jingling bells. Oh, fuck.

Maribelle must hear it too, because suddenly she grabs onto your arm with both hands, pulling herself close to you, enough that you can tell she's trembling. Still, she's the bravest girl you've ever met, and you refuse to let any harm come to her. You silently curse her family for 'forgetting' to pick her up. You wonder if they'd even be sad if something were to happen to her tonight.

The footsteps become louder, and you hold your breath as a bitch-shaped shadow passes by the entrance of the small hallway. And stops. It barely moves, but you can hear slight whirring as its head tilts slightly. And, just barely, you can see its eyes, drilling into the darkness of the hallway, red as death as it stares into the deepest craters of the shadows. You and Maribelle hold each other so tight that you worry you may crush her, but again, she's much stronger than she looks.

You can't even breath as Moon just stands there, watching. And then, unexpectedly, he turns. And leaves. Shock runs through you, and you sit completely frozen, waiting a couple of moments before silently releasing your breath. Your grip on Maribelle relaxes as relief washes over you. Until suddenly she's wrenched out of your grasp.

You cry out as she screams, her voice dragging away from you a couple of steps before you notice the blood-red flash of two, searing pupils.

That bastard. You're going to kill him.

His startling laugh cuts through the silence before you can even start threatening his well-being, the sound he makes reverberating through your body, crawling under your skin in all of the wrong ways. You grind your teeth together as a small, dusty light on the wall suddenly flickers on, and Maribelle's terrifyingly fragile expression is luminated.

"So, we meet again," Moon coos. Your hands curl into fists at the sudden reaction his voice gives your body, which you tell yourself is just disgust. "You couldn't have actually have thought you'd get away from me again, little thing." Your mouth drops open at the pet name.

"Don't call me that."

His grin turns sly at your simmering anger. "Make me."

The two of you stare each other down for a moment, the snarl on your face mirrored to the smirk on his, only finally drawn out of your war when Maribelle whines. Your eyes snap down to see Moon's hand wrapped tightly against her arm, her usually pale skin looking much more flushed and red where his fingers are clamped.

"Let her go," You growl, forcing yourself to take a step forward, despite the fear he ellicits in your body. Through your rage, you almost feel a thrill in being near him, one you hadn't really felt since you last escaped him. One you hadn't even realized was there, until it completely consumed you again.

"Mmm, so full of demands tonight," He purrs, mimicing you by taking a matching step back. His head slowly cocks to the side. "Why don't we try asking nicely, first, hm? Lets see where that gets us."

You nearly spit at him. "Fine," you bite out, "May I please have Maribelle back?"

His grin widens.

"No."

You almost lunge at him right there, seething. But your anger suddenly turns to something else as he leans his face towards you, your mind going fuzzy as his words envelop you. "I'm willing to make you a deal, though."

"Oh?" You ask, trying not to sound to eager at the chance to get Maribelle back, free of violence. Hopefully. "What do you want? What could you possibly want from me?"

He lets out an awfully horrible giggle, a glitch splitting into his voice in a way that makes the hair on your arms raise. His face draws back slowly, and his next words come out with a bit of a punch. "Oh, little thing, I want you."

Your mouth gapes open at this, your brain not entirely computing as his grinning face looks at you expectantly.

"Yes or no?" He asks enthusiastically, his grin becoming more expectant with each word, as if he's excited for something. "I'll give you one chance, or we can do this the hard way." His smile stretches across his face, his gaze locked on you, pressuring you for an answer that you don't need to think very hard to find.

"No!" You cry out, without a moments hesitation. What could he possibly want with you? Nothing good, that's for sure. Supposedly just something to fufil his creepy fantasies, whatever those might be. Like kidnapping you and keeping you in a dark room.

He shrugs casually. "Very well, then. Just know, Y/n, this is on your consience." Before you can question him, you hear a loud snap. And a scream. Maribelle drops to the floor before you can register anything else.

You don't even recognize the sound that comes out of your throat as you drop right after her, crouched at her side, grabbing her shoulder, her arm, anything. It's not real, it's not real, it's not real. She's as pale as ever, and you sob as you look at her tiny, frail body. She's only a child. Was, only a child. How dare he do this to her. How dare he do any of the things he's done to you, as if he's the only being that matters. As if you don't have feelings too. Actually, you're not sure he does.

You glance up through tear streaked eyes to look at Moon, at his vile face. You find him simply staring at you, assessing, showing no remorse for the poor girl he just sent dropping to the floor. All the while he's still smiling. Maybe he likes your pain.

Your limbs are weak and unresponsive as his hands reach down and wrap around your upper arms, your body limp as he picks you up and pulls you to his chest. His fingers are cool against your skin, and disgust pools in your veins at the heat it leaves trailing up your arms. He smooths your hair and pulls you close to him, whispering something that your ears can't hear. How dare he try to comfort you for something he just did? As if he's sorry? And before you know what's happening, he's lifting you up, pulling you away, away from her.

You can't even physically respond or fight back, and you're left helpless as you watch her body disappear into the shadows. The girl who tried to save you, and this is how you repay her.

You should have just accepting Moon's fucking offer. You should have known he was going to get it either way, like the cheat he is. But you can't feel enough rage to squirm or yell at him as his whispers continue to fill your ears, until your eyes fall shut and your mind goes numb. And you fall asleep.