Year 1987
Markiplier(Mark)'s POV
Mark arrived at Freddy's Pizzeria for his night shift, and took a deep breath preparing himself for a long night of monitoring security cameras. The pizzeria looked calm and quiet from the outside, bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights.
Mark settled into the dimly lit security office, the soft hum of old machinery filling the silence. The desk fan buzzed, the sound more annoying than not being able to get past level one-wait no that's more annoying.
The monitors flickered as he cycled through each camera feed, observing the still and silent animatronics.
"So far, so good," Mark muttered to himself, flipping through the camera views. The cameras showed the stage area with Toy Freddy, Toy Chica, and Toy Bonnie standing still, the Kids' Cove with Mangle still laying on the floor, and the prize corner with the Marionette's box closed and playing music.
Mark stared at the prize corner camera for a moment, nodding to the music.
The phone began ringing. Mark stared at the phone for a moment before he picked it up.
"Uh, hello?"
"Hello?"
"Oh...it's you..." Said the voice on the other end.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't... uh... The Disembodied Phone Gremlin." said Mark.
"I have a name!" Said the voice on the other end.
"Right...what was it again?" Mark asked.
"Lixian. It's Lixian!" Lixian barked.
"Anyways, I'm here to talk you through some of the things you can expect to see during your first week here and to help you get started down this new and exciting career path," Lixian started.
"Yeah! Exciting!" Mark said sarcastically.
Lixian sighed. "Now listen, apparently, the animatronics are all tied into some kind of criminal database, so they can detect a predator a mile away. Heck, we should be paying them to guard you."
Mark scoffed. "Right?"
"The first guy finished his week but complained about... conditions. We switched him over to the day shift. He said something about certain characters that seemed to move around at night and even attempted to get into his office. And the, uh, fan... was making him uncomfortable. But from what we know, that should be impossible. That restaurant should be the safest place on Earth." said Lixian.
Mark spun around in his chair. "Uh-huh."
"Anyways there's a music box over by the Prize Counter, and it has to be wound up remotely. So just, every once in a while, switch over to the Prize Counter video feed and wind it up for a few seconds. It doesn't seem to affect all of the animatronics, but it does affect one of them."
Mark couldn't help but tease. "So, if I understand this correctly, my job is basically to play babysitter with some creepy animatronics?"
Lixian's exasperation was almost audible. "Mark, just focus, okay? I'm trying to help you here. If you keep the music box wound up and use the mask when needed, you'll be fine. It's only a few nights."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," Mark replied, spinning around in his chair again. "I'll be just fine. Besides, I've got you on the other end of the line, right? You'll keep me company when things get spooky."
Lixian sighed again. "I'll call you again tomorrow night to check in. Just... don't do anything stupid, alright?"
"No promises," Mark said with a grin.
"Goodnight, Mark," said Lixian
With the call over, Mark returned his focus to the monitors. The pizzeria was still quiet, the animatronics unmoving on the stage. He exhaled slowly, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. This might not be the most glamorous job, but it sure was interesting.
Mark turned his attention to the monitors. The Show Stage was normal with Toy Freddy, Toy Chica, and Toy Bonnie standing still. The Prize Corner camera showed the Puppet's box closed and playing its usual calming music. Although the lack of doors and the open vents kept him on edge.
As he flipped between the camera feeds, he noticed something peculiar. The camera in the Game Area flickered briefly, a momentary distortion that quickly corrected itself. Mark frowned and switched to the feed for the left vent, checking for any signs of movement. Nothing seemed out of place.
Mark's eyes shifted from the camera feed to the left vent. "Why do we even need cameras for the vents? It's not like anyone is going to crawl through those dusty things!"
A soft, almost inaudible creak echoed through the security office, causing Mark to glance around nervously.
He took a deep breath and refocused on the monitors. The night was still young, and Mark needed to stay alert. He checked the Prize Corner camera again, and wound up Puppet's box.
"Someone remind me again why I have to keep this thing wound up?"
After a few hours of absolutely nothing happening, Mark spun in his chair, more bored than he was before.
"That day shift guy should get himself checked for schizophrenia," Mark muttered. "I have been here for three hours and nothing has happened!" Mark shouted.
Mark dropped his head on his desk with a deep sigh. The hum of the old fan was the only thing breaking the silence. "This place is dead," he grumbled, rubbing his temples.
He sat back up, giving the monitors a half-hearted glance. Everything was still in place: Toy Freddy and the others were standing stiff on the stage and the cameras were showing the usual empty hallways and rooms. He checked Prize Corner and wound up the music box. It was so routine, it was almost painfully dull.
He spun around in his chair again, trying to shake off the boredom. The minutes dragged on, and even the caffeine from his energy drink was starting to wear off.
Mark was about to close his eyes for just a minute when something caught his attention. On one of the cameras-the one pointed at the stage-Toy Bonnie's head was tilted slightly. Almost as if it were staring at the camera.
"Huh." Mark muttered
ns18.118.32.150da2
