Fritz Smith

By the time Jeremy returned, Fritz had made some serious headway on his quest to blend in. After numerous hours of experimentation – which, mercifully, no longer meant excruciating headaches – he was able to create an illusion. Of course, it was far from perfect – the uncanny and distorted visage he was staring at through the mirror was proof enough of that, not to mention the fact that his fox ears stubbornly refused to disappear, or that he could only conjure the illusion for a few seconds before feeling utterly drained.

But that was besides the point, Fritz thought, a grin spreading across his face. Sure, there were some kinks to work out, but with this, he might just be able to go back to some semblance of a normal life. Being a freeloader at Jeremy’s house wasn’t all that bad, but he missed being able to go outside. He missed talking to people. He missed all the things he had taken for granted, all the things that had been stripped away from him on that horrible night. There were some things he would never get back – he knew that – but that wouldn’t stop him from trying anyway.

Suddenly, he was shaken from his thoughts by Jeremy announcing his arrival.

“Alright, gather ‘round! I have good news and some not-so-great news.” Jeremy said, slightly muffled by the wall.

Hearing this, Fritz left the garage and made a bee-line towards the couch, plopping down next to Ben and nearly causing him to drop his book.

“So,” Ben asked, “they fired me?”

“Unfortunately.” Jeremy said. “But!”, he quickly added at Ben’s look at disappointment, “I managed to talk them down to only firing you. They don’t want anything from you. No charges, no money for the broken window, nothing! I blamed it on an intruder that we were able to chase off, and they’re so damn cheap that they don’t even save recordings to verify it.”

Hearing this seemed to cheer Ben up, but only slightly.

“Look, I’m sure you’ll find another job somewhere,” Jeremy reassured him. “In the mean time, we can stop by Freddy’s tonight and try to get some answers about all this bullshit that’s been going on.”

Ben nodded, still slightly glum. “You’re right – that job doesn’t really matter. I just- I can’t believe I got fired. Anyway…” He said, trailing off into an awkward silence.

Seeing the perfect opportunity, Fritz decided to seize the moment. “Check this out!” He exclaimed, shifting into the form he’d spent the entire day practicing. The mixed looks of shock and horror were all the indication he needed to know his illusion worked.

“I- Jesus Christ, Fritz! You look like some sort of, I don’t know…” Jeremy exclaimed.

“Emaciated skinwalker?” Ben offered.

“Yeah. That. I mean, you’ve done a wonderful job getting this working – I can’t even begin to fathom how it’s possible – but you need some practice, man. No offense.”

To that, Fritz gave him a crooked smile, although it only looked crooked because the rest of his face was as well.

“I liked the fox better.” Ben remarked.

“Yeah…” Jeremy said softly, suddenly taking on a dark tone, “speaking of which, I figured out a bit about this whole possession business. I took a closer look at the animatronics, and- well, fuck, there’s no way else to say it; people died in those things.”

Slowly, he raised his head back towards Fritz and Ben, who were suddenly very serious. “Sorry,” Jeremy mumbled, “I probably should have started with that. I’ve been trying not to think about it too much. I just – I haven’t been thinking about any of this shit, really. It’s all felt like some sort of game. But it isn’t, is it?”

Jeremy paused, taking a moment to calm his nerves. “I mean… Fritz died. Fucking horrifically, I might add. But you’re still here, and somehow that makes it not even feel real. Those kids… every single one of the suits had someone inside of it.” Shakily, he brought up his hand and wiped away the few tears that were streaming down his face. “Someone removed the bodies, but when I looked in the gap between the outer shell and the endoskeleton, there was always some dried blood hidden away. Two of them-” Jeremy sighed, a look of utter hopelessness spreading across his face, “two of them had clumps of torn-off skin tucked inside the endoskeleton.”

Jeremy looked back towards the other two, tears readily barreling down. “I just don’t know what to do anymore. I thought- I thought I had it all figured out, that’d we’d chase down the ghosts and I’d get something exciting to do. But this – it’s just fucking horrible, it’s-” Jeremy stopped, interrupted by the feeling of a cold embrace. It was slightly uncomfortable, but he leaned into the hug nonetheless, letting out a muffled sob in the process.

After a long stretch of silence, Fritz spoke up. “I get it. Hah, I probably know as well as anyone how this whole thing works. But those kids are still there – maybe not quite in the flesh, but hey, look at me! And if we can help them, then what other choice do we have?”

“Yeah,” Jeremy sighed, “I know. And your right – everything about this is just awful, but it doesn’t have to end that way.”

Slowly, Fritz got back up and returned to his spot next to Ben. Glancing over, he saw the man wore an expression of uncertainty and appeared deep in thought. “Are you okay, Ben?”

“What? I- yeah, I was just thinking… Cassidy was in one of those suits, wasn’t she?”

Upon hearing that, Jeremy’s face somehow turned even more serious. “Probably…” He said, a deep silence spreading across the room. “I’m sorry Ben. We’ll find her, and then… I don’t know, but we’ll do something.”

[Hey night guard!], a high-pitched voice rang out inside Fritz’s head, causing him to jump. [You all seem real glum about this. William’s killing machine might have ran away, but he’ll get his souls one way or another. Better stop him before it’s too late!]

“Yeah… thanks Bon-Bon. The last thing we want is another tragedy. And… please don’t call me William’s killing machine.”

“What was that?” Ben asked, oblivious to the conversation happening inside of Fritz.

“Bon-Bon just reminded me of something,” Fritz replied. “Oh! He’s one of the animatronics. Not a soul, but one of their AIs. Don’t ask me how – I’m pretty sure it’s all just magic anyway.” He quickly added at Ben’s puzzled look.

“Tonight, we’ll look for Ben’s sister. And then we’ll find William before he can cause another tragedy.”

……

Soon after nightfall, the group set off to Freddy’s. Fritz, still unable to fully blend in, was relegated to the back of the truck, once again covered by a tarp. For some, this night was full of anticipation – Ben couldn’t wait to see Cassidy again – or try to, anyway. Jeremy, on the other hand, was still quite disturbed by his morbid discovery, and found driving a welcome distraction.

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“So,” Fritz asked, trying to break the silence, “how are we going to get in? I guess we could squeeze through the hole in the glass, or…”

Ben let out a stifled laugh, shaking his head. “The first time was more than enough, thank you. Besides, I still have my keys – we can just walk right in.” He said, digging through his pocket to fish them out.

“Perfect!” Jeremy exclaimed, letting out a chuckle. “I’ve gotten so caught up in everything that it slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder, Fritz.” He paused, then continued. “Once we get in there, we’ll need to take a closer look at the animatronics. I’ve never actually been here after dark, so I’ll leave it to the experts.”

“Jeremy,” Fritz said softly, “Ben almost almost died, and I… did. If anyone’s an expert, it isn’t us.”

……

Once Jeremy pulled into the nearly deserted Freddy’s parking lot, they began the process of inconspicuously moving Fritz over to the entrance. The newly ducktaped window was tempting, but Ben unlocking the front door saved Fritz from the trouble of squeezing himself through it. Moving through the dark checkerboard halls was no less creepy than last time, but having his friends by his side was a small comfort. Slowly, Fritz lead them towards the office.

He didn’t get a chance to see it last time, and laying eyes upon it was almost nostalgic. It was a strange feeling to associate with what was quite literally his deathbed, but fighting for his life was, funnily enough, one of the moments he felt the most alive. Shaking his head, Fritz moved onward, shifting his gaze towards the cameras.

After a brief check, all seemed to be in order. The main cast were still on their stage, and Foxy was still in Pirate’s Cove. “Looks like there aren’t any animatronics active yet.” Fritz said, relaying this information to the others. Jeremy gave a suspicious look to the clearly-active animatronic, but suddenly looked the other way at a soft grinding sound coming from the front of the office.

Following his gaze, Fritz turned to see an oddly familiar sight: a golden bear, slightly rotten from age but clearly recognizable as Freddy. And the very same animatronic that had appeared in Fritz’s office all that time ago. Slowly, he took a shaky step backwards, soon finding his back against the wall. It felt like an eternity as he started down the other animatronic, when Ben suddenly broke the silence.

“H-hello? Cassidy, is that you?”

Even without eyes, Golden Freddy’s gaze seemed to bore into the young man as it turned to face him. Its movements were slow and twitchy, and it paused to study Ben before letting out a shrill scream of static.

“Ben!” The animatronic exclaimed, causing Fritz to cover his ears instinctively. He wasn’t certain whether the sound had come from the animatronic at all, as it seemed to emanate from the walls around them. “You ca-came!” It – or rather, she – shouted once again, loud as ever despite his attempts to protect himself.

Hearing that, Ben made to run towards the animatronic, but was stopped by Jeremy, a look of concern plastered across the man’s face. “Of course I did!” He eagerly responded, shooting Jeremy an annoyed glare. “But why- how are you here? I’ve been looking for you, but…” Ben paused, face falling. “It almost got me killed as well.”

“I’m s-sorry, Ben. Be-been here for too lo-long. Our se-senses fade; our minds du-dull. Ca-can barely recognize y-you anymore.” She said, shudders running through the suit in tandem with her stutter. “Th-the others… too ti-tired. Need t-to stop him.”

Fritz felt a pit forming in his stomach at the confirmation that there were others, but Ben seemed focused on Cassidy, taking a slow step towards her – much to Jeremy’s dismay,

“Who? Who did this to you, Cassidy?” Ben asked with concern.

“Do-don’t remember hi-his name. Just pur-purple cloths, purple h-hat, and a knife be-behind my back.”

As Ben rushed towards Cassidy with a look of shock, all Fritz could think about was how Cassidy described the perpetrator. It was suspiciously similar to the uniform Ben had been wearing, and the one Fritz had died in – the guard uniform given to them by Freddy’s. Suddenly, their problems with animatronics made a whole lot more sense. And if William was the guard who murdered those children – which was quite likely – then he was also responsible for Fritz’s death as well. The thought only renewed his growing hatred of William.

“How did you find me?” He heard Ben ask, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Slowly, Cassidy raised a hand towards Fritz. “It wa-was him. He’s like a be-beacon for souls. I ca-can feel him, e-even from far away.”

Hearing that, Fritz was suddenly struck with an exciting thought. “Could I sense souls as well? Maybe I could search for William – the killer, I mean.”

The dark abyss of Cassidy’s eyes seemed to glow a shade brighter, and she let out an excited “Watch!”

Suddenly, Fritz could feel the presence of another mind. It was almost like talking with Bon-Bon, but more personal, in a way. [Can you look inside yourself?] He felt a voice ask. He assumed it was Cassidy, although it sounded nothing like the animatronic.

“Yes – or, I think?” He replied out loud, before plunging into his soul. He was greeted by the familiar sight of particles dancing around like cars in an intricate city.

[Wow], Cassidy said, voice filled with awe. [There’s so much power. You could-] Cassidy paused, her voice turning soft and sour. [You could kill so many with this.]

Fritz was taken aback. He struggled for a response, but the opportunity was taken when Cassidy spoke up again. [Do you see those dots? You need to focus really hard on each of them.]

Fritz tried, dubious of his ability to focus on thousands of things at once, but surprisingly found that he was more than able to. [Good,] Cassidy said, [the trick is to keep them in your head even after they leave your body. Souls give off some sort of… energy, I guess? To feel other souls, you need to sense when your energy hits them, and when their energy hits you.]

Still concentrating, Fritz tried to follow Cassidy’s advice. To his surprise, he noticed some of the particles painlessly leap off his body. Not nearly enough to create illusions, but it would have been nice to know when he’d first been practicing. As they left his soul, he was careful to keep them at the forefront of his mind, and noticed that a few bounced into other things, eerily reminiscent of his own soul, although much larger and less complex. As the picture became clearer, he realized what he was seeing was Cassidy’s soul.

At the same time, he could feel energy leaving her soul and entering his. Probably to let them communicate, if he had to guess. Or maybe she was scanning for others, the same way he was right now. As he began to get a feel for seeking out other souls, he realized that his illusions might be perfect here. All the device that created them did was let him shoot out a lot of particles painlessly, so there was no reason why it wouldn’t work for this as well. And indeed it did. As he began to shoot them out, easily a hundredfold the number that he emitted passively, his “vision” exploded in detail. Not only could he see Cassidy’s soul, as well as four other slightly smaller souls, but also the faint outlines of his companions around him. And, far off in the distance, was a bright blurry smudge.

[Wha- how are you doing that?] Cassidy asked. [You’re glowing like the sun! It’s a good thing you’re talking normally, or else I wouldn’t be able to understand a thing you said.]

“I can see… everything. Every soul here is crystal clear. And… I think it worked. There’s something that way.” Fritz said, pointing his arm in the direction of the smudge. “I can’t say what is is though – it might be William… or something else?”

“Really? Can you tell how far it is?” Jeremy asked.

“Hmm… no, not really. I don’t think it’s that far away, but it could take us anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.” Fritz said, slightly disappointed.

“That’s alright! As long as we have somewhere to look, we’ll be all set.”

And with that, they said their goodbyes. Ben took his car back to home, promising to meet up the next day. Meanwhile Jeremy, drove Fritz and himself back to his house, the pair relishing the opportunity for some well-deserved rest. All-in-all, Fritz considered the day a success, and he said as much to Jeremy on the car ride home.

“So, what do you think that smudge is? Didn’t you say the brightest ones were animatronics?” Jeremy asked.

“I’ve been wondering about that. We know William’s messing with souls, so it’s not a-”

Suddenly, the scenery changed into the familiar surroundings of Jeremy’s garage, light streaming in from the windows. He’d blacked out again, Fritz realized. The idea unsettled him, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. He tried to avoid thinking about it – they had something important to do today, and he wouldn’t let it sour last night’s success.

……

That took a little longer than intended. This chapter had a lot of dialog, which is a part of writing I’ve always struggled at and I tend to avoid it at all costs – which, inevitably, turns into avoiding writing. Hopefully it turned out alright despite that.

Also, I’ve changed ghost talk/telepathy from this to [this], because it’s much easier to distinguish. I’ve gone back and changed the previous chapters to use this, but if I missed any spots, please let me know!