Chapter Text
When you saw your students march into the gym one by one you squealed internally at how adorable they looked. Each child was dressed in blue jeans and a bright green T-shirt bearing the school’s logo and they grinned as they walked to where you stood waiting for them on stage. It had been a long year, but you had finally done it. Your Pre-K class was graduating.
As you called their names, your students climbed the stairs to the stage and shook your hand as you handed them the tiny diploma that you had prepared before you both turned to smile at the photographer waiting nearby. You then gently guided them to stand in front of their designated seats. After all twenty of your children had received their diploma, you stepped back to let the next teacher introduce their class.
You stood next to your class and smiled out at the gathered parents and grandparents. Each of your students were on their best behavior though you noticed that several were vibrating with excitement. Pride washed over you. This had been your first year as a teacher and you couldn’t be happier at the knowledge of how much your students had grown.
At the sound of the final student’s name, you stepped forward and faced your class as the opening notes for the song ‘Five Little Ducks’ began. Unfortunately, two classes of twenty children aged four to five singing all at once did not make for the most pleasant music. However, you gave the kids points for enthusiasm. You mouthed the words and mirrored the little dance movements that you had been practicing with your kids for the last week and held back a giggle at the looks of intense concentration on their faces. The program continued with the children singing ‘Skidamarink’ and ‘Wheels on the Bus’ before ending with ‘You are my Sunshine’ and the gathered family members broke out into cheers.
The Pre-K turned Kindergarten students took a bow and you began guiding them off of the stage. Many of them broke into a run the moment their feet hit the gym floor and you couldn’t help laughing though it was tinged with sadness. This was the last time that you would be seeing many of your students. The little private school that you had been working at for the past five years was shutting down.
You had started out as a part time teacher’s assistant, moving from room to room tutoring children who needed additional assistance and helping with lessons. When one of the Pre-K teacher’s assistants retired at the end of that year, you were offered that position. At first you had been hesitant. You were fresh out of high school and had little to no experience with small children but, despite your misgivings, you accepted. tt was the best decision you had ever made.
Within your first week, you had fallen in love with the job and within your first month you were certain that it was what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. You applied for college that fall, determined to get a degree in early childhood education.
The sound of your name shook you out of your thoughts and you turned just in time for a small figure to barrel into you. You laughed and hugged the excited little girl before turning to her parents with a smile. “We’re so happy that you were Lily’s teacher this year.” Her mother exclaimed. “She’s learned so much!”
“She was a delight to teach.” You replied. “I’m going to miss having her in my class.”
“And we are going to miss having you as her7 teacher!” Lily’s mother, Monique, replied. “Do you have any idea where you’re going to be next year?”
You shook your head and shrugged helplessly. “I really don’t. Neither of the public schools in the area are looking for a preschool teacher and the only other private school around doesn’t offer Pre-K. It’s looking like I’m going to have to start applying in the next town over.”
“What about Mrs. Knoxx? Has she found a new school?” Monique’s husband, Garrette Carter, asked.
“She chose to retire instead. She had originally wanted to continue teaching for a few more years but ultimately decided that job hunting wouldn’t be worth the stress.” You understood your co-worker’s sentiment, though you would miss her advice. After all, she had been teaching for over twenty years.
“I see…” Murmured Monique. “What about a private practice? You’re a wonderful teacher, surely you could find a place at a local daycare?”
You shook your head. “I thought of that too. All of the professional daycare centers in the area want at least five years of teaching experience. Unfortunately, my years as a teaching assistant don’t qualify.”
By this point the gym had mostly cleared of people and the custodians were beginning to tear down the decorations. Not wanting to continue your conversation in a demolition zone, you turned and led the Carters down the hall to your classroom. You opened the door and flicked on the lights before chuckling as Lily pushed past you and made a beeline for the block center in the corner.
“When you’re done playing, put the blocks into the box next to you instead of the shelf. It would be a big help if you did!” You told her as you and her parents settled down in chairs nearby. You tried not to be embarrassed by the messy state of your classroom. Boxes were scattered about, filled with toys or books and your desk was covered with various papers. You knew that you wouldn’t be able to keep all of it, there wasn’t nearly enough room in your tiny apartment, but you found yourself struggling to decide what to get rid of.
Garrette seemed surprised by the chaotic state of the room. “When did you start packing? Lily’s last day was Friday and I doubt that you could have gotten this much done in the hour or so that you had before the graduation.”
“You’re right about that.” You replied with a sigh. “The school’s administrators have already sold the building. The new owners are being kind enough to let us finish the school year, however they’ve only given the teachers one week to clear out their classrooms after the students leave. Most of the upper grades have their students to help them pack but it’s just me in here.” You gesture at the half packed boxes and haphazardly sorted toys. “This is the product of spending all day Saturday and Sunday at the school.”
“Well, since we’re here would you like some help?” Asked Monique. “Lily seems perfectly content with those blocks and Garrette took the day off for the graduation.”
“Oh, I appreciate the offer but-”
“Wonderful!” The woman cheerfully cut you off. “You start sorting while Garrette and I pack!”
You tried to protest, but Monique waved you off and practically shoved you towards one of your half emptied cabinets before beginning to carefully pack books into one of the many boxes. Her husband chuckled at your futile efforts to protest before joining his wife.
Packing your classroom was much easier with more than one pair of hands and soon both of your vehicles were filled with boxes destined for your living room floor. Your friendly teacher/parent relationship quickly transformed into a budding friendship as you found yourself laughing at Monique’s witty remarks and sharing amusement at the woman’s exuberance with her husband.
Somehow delivering packed boxes to your apartment evolved into going out to eat with the small family, much to Lily’s excitement. Dinner was a happy affair and you learned that Garrette was a public relations manager for a large entertainment conglomerate while Monique was a stay at home mom. Stories of Lily’s antics, both at home and at school, were swapped despite the little girl’s protests and you found yourself laughing till tears formed in your eyes at the mischief that she got up to.
Later that night, when you were home once more and staring at the boxes stacked neatly in your living room, you quietly reflected on the fact that you hadn’t laughed that hard or that freely since you found out that your school was shutting down. The distraction had been a welcome one but now, in the quiet of your home, you felt your doubts creeping back in.
Getting your position at your former school had been a combination of luck and personal relations. The teacher that you had worked under as a teacher’s assistant had been planning to retire the year before you received your degree, however she chose to stay on for an extra year and allow you to complete your student teaching under her. The school, impressed by the glowing reviews received from parents during your time as a student teacher, agreed to hire you as the new preschool teacher when your mentor retired.
The hiring process had been incredibly simple as the school already had your credentials on file and you were able to simply start the next school year as a teacher rather than an assistant. Unfortunately, you knew for a fact that finding and getting hired by a new school wouldn’t be that easy. A fact that was supported by your unsuccessful job hunting efforts.
You shook yourself out of your thoughts with a sigh before checking the locks on your front door and turning out the light. You completed your evening routine in silence rather than listening to music in your typical fashion and climbed into bed. At first you tossed and turned in an effort to get comfortable before you resolved yourself to yet another sleepless night.
As you laid there staring at the ceiling and listening to the roar of the air conditioner, you worried for the future. You wondered what would happen if you found a new school and what would happen if you couldn’t. You didn’t have any real skills aside from teaching and while you supposed that you could go into retail, you had heard about the horrors of working in that industry. Lost in thought, you never noticed your eyes slowly slipping shut and soon your breathing deepened as you drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
The final two weeks of the school year went by quickly. You were still required to come into work despite the fact that your students had already graduated and you took advantage of the lack of children to finish packing up your classroom. The living room of your apartment was now a maze of boxes stacked to the ceiling with tiny paths to and from your bedroom and kitchen.
Ending the school year with a potluck was a tradition for your school’s faculty. However, this year’s party was bittersweet. The knowledge that this would be the last time you would see many of your former coworkers hung over the group like a melancholy cloud. Many had chosen to retire rather than search for a new job and others were seeking opportunities out of town, you amongst them.
Although you didn’t want to leave the area you grew up in, you still hadn’t been able to find any schools that would be willing to hire you. You had started to scout for apartments in some of the nearby towns in an attempt to find somewhere affordable to rent. So far most locations were far out of your price range and the stress of not having a job lined up for the next year was starting to get to you.
The Monday after school let out you were woken at eight in the morning by your phone ringing. Groaning, you pulled it towards yourself and peered at the screen tiredly. It was an unknown number and you briefly entertained the thought of hanging up and going back to sleep. However, your curiosity got the better of you and you sat up before answering the call and pressing the phone to your ear.
“H-Hello?” You stifled a yawn.
“Good morning, am I speaking to Ms. L/n?” The voice was male with a pleasant, yet politely distant tone.
“This is she. May I ask who is calling?” Your voice was cautious as you answered. Most of the schools that you had applied to work at used an email response system, so you had no clue what this call was about.
The reply was prompt and seemed rather rehearsed. “Of course. My name is Justin Dowling, I am a hiring manager for the Freddy Fazbear Family Entertainment Corporation. I’ve called you to schedule an interview for noon tomorrow at the Freddy Fazbear Mega Pizzaplex.”
“I... What?” You were now fully awake and quite confused. “I never applied to work for the Fazbear Corporation though?” Of course, you recognized the name. Your chosen career made it impossible not to. Though you had still been a child at the time of the initial disappearances, you had heard quite a bit about the controversy that surrounded the newest edition to the franchise.
The man on the line sighed, obviously annoyed yet trying to hide it. “It’s not our policy to disclose job details prior to an interview, however I can tell that my call has surprised you. We are looking to begin offering preschool classes at the Superstar Daycare located in the Mega Pizzaplex. The company is currently in the process of interviewing potential teachers for the class and you were highly recommended by one of our employees.”
“Um… I, uh, yeah. I-I mean, yes! I’d love to come in for an interview.” Shock was evident in your voice as you stuttered out your acceptance. You couldn’t believe your luck! The Pizzaplex was less than ten minutes away from your apartment and the Fazbear Corporation was rumored to have incredible employee benefits despite the high turnover rate. You didn’t have much personal experience with the company but you remembered how excited your students were after spending a Saturday at the Pizzaplex. While it wasn’t truly a school , it was still better than having to move to a town hours away just to find a job.
“Excellent.” Dowling sounded pleased. “As I said previously, the interview is at noon tomorrow. When you arrive at the Pizzaplex, simply tell the attendant in the ticket booth your name and that you are there for an interview. They will tell you where to go.”
You nodded absently as you quickly wrote the time and place of the interview down on a nearby notepad before remembering that you were on the phone. “Yes sir! Thank you so much and I apologize for my previous confusion, I wasn’t expecting your call.”
“That’s quite alright. I understand that this came as a surprise. Have a nice day and I will see you at the interview tomorrow.”
He ended the call before you could respond and you slowly lowered the phone in a state of stunned disbelief. This was either the luckiest day of your life or an incredibly cruel prank. Rather than dwelling on that depressing thought, you rolled out of your bed and began dressing rapidly. You threw on a pair of shorts and a simple t-shirt, not bothering with a bra, and made your way into your extremely cramped living room.
As you had no idea what you would be questioned on during the interview, you figured that it would be a good idea to bring the binder where you had stored your lesson plans for the previous year. Since it had been one of the last to be packed, the box containing your desk materials was near the top of one of the stacks of boxes and you found yourself balancing precariously on the arm of your couch as you carefully pulled it down.
The box was heavy and you grunted and swayed dangerously as the full weight settled in your arms. You pursed your lips at the lack of floor space in your living room before turning and carrying the box into your bedroom. Plopping it onto the bed, you flopped onto the mattress beside it and ripped open the tape sealing it shut. Inside was everything that had rested on or been stored inside your desk. A pair of desk organizers containing an assortment of pens, highlighters, and paperclips rattled as you pulled them out and set them on your nightstand.
Beneath the organizers was an assortment of binders containing the various resources and printables that you had used throughout the previous year. You pulled out the largest, a navy blue monstrosity that your students had covered with glow in the dark stars, which was labeled “Lesson Plans”. Inside was a week by week, and in some cases day by day, recording of every lesson and activity that you had done with your students during the school year. Setting that binder aside, you pulled out a slightly smaller green binder. This binder contained samples of your student’s work as well as some pictures of group activities that included the entire class.
You set the second binder beside the first and began to place the desk organizers back into the box before hesitating. Biting your lip uncertainty, you reached back into the box and pulled out a third binder. This binder was significantly smaller than the other two and was a simple matte black. It contained all of the projects and plans that you had been unable to do previously due to your school’s lack of budget. You weren’t sure if Mr. Dowling would be interested in them but you figured that it couldn’t hurt to bring them.
Interview materials secured, you quickly re-packed the box before shoving it into a corner of your bedroom. You weren’t about to try to lift it back to the top of the boxes in your living room. You then dug through your closet and let out a quiet “Ah-hah!” when you found the item you were looking for and pulled it out.
The bag wasn’t the most attractive thing on the planet, however it was large and easy to carry. Made out of a sturdy brown canvas, this shoulder bag had been with you since your freshman year of highschool. The three binders fit easily and you zipped it before placing it alongside your purse near the front door to ensure that you wouldn’t forget it. You then set about picking out an outfit for the interview.
Wanting to seem professional while still looking like a preschool teacher, you pulled out a simple knee-length black skirt and pale yellow blouse and hung them on a hook next to the door. You inspected your shoes briefly before choosing comfort over style and setting a pair of black flats next to the outfit. Laying out your clothes and prepping your materials for tomorrow had helped your nerves somewhat, however you groaned when you looked at the time and saw that it was just past ten-thirty in the morning.
You resolved yourself to a day of anxiety before searching for a bra amongst the clothes scattered about the room. Since you were up, you figured that you should act like a functional adult and run some of the errands that you had been putting off. At the very least it would pass some time.
The large building loomed over you and you couldn’t help feeling intimidated. This was your first time at the infamous Mega Pizzaplex and it turned out to be much larger than you were expecting. Sighing, you climbed out of your car and scooped up the bag containing your binders and swung it over your shoulder before locking your vehicle. You hurried across the parking lot while casting a suspicious eye up at the overcast sky. It wasn’t supposed to rain that day but knowing your luck it would start to pour the moment you left the building.
As you stepped through the sliding glass doors you were abruptly bombarded by smells of pizza and popcorn and the sound of children laughing and screaming with joy. You couldn’t help gazing around in awe as you slowly approached the ticket booth. An enormous golden statue of who you assumed to be Freddy Fazbear stood in the middle of the room and the shine from the neon lights made it seem almost alive. Your flats squeaked slightly on the highly polished checkered floor and you briefly wondered just how many janitors it took to clean this place.
A throat clears next to you and you flinch, startled by the sound. You turned to see the ticket attendant looking at you in slight annoyance and you abruptly realized that you had been staring open-mouthed at the scenery for several minutes. Flushing slightly in embarrassment, you quickly explained your presence.
“I’m here for an interview with Mr. Dowling at noon?” The words came out as more of a question and you scolded yourself internally. Confidence was what you needed right now.
The attendant checked his computer and nodded. “You’re a little early but that’s fine. Dowling’s office is on the other side of the building and it’ll take you a few minutes to walk there.” He pulled out a badge on a purple lanyard and pushed it through the ticket window. “That’s a visitor’s badge marking you as a potential employee. It’ll get you through the turnstiles.”
You accepted the badge and awkwardly looped the lanyard around your neck. “Um….” The attendant looked at you expectantly. “I have absolutely no idea where I’m supposed to go. This place is huge.”
He laughed. “Yeah, it took me a couple of weeks to figure out where everything was. Don’t worry, I called a S.T.A.F.F. Bot to guide you to Mr. Dowling’s office.”
“A S.T.A.F.F. B-” You turned around and shrieked at the sight of an animatronic head less than a foot away from your face.
The ticket attendant burst out laughing. “Shit, I’m sorry! I forgot that they tend to do that.” The apology seemed genuine, despite his wild laughter, and you took a few deep breaths to calm yourself after your fright.
Once you had gotten your heart rate back under control, you inspected the robot in front of you curiously. The animatronic was about five-foot-five and consisted of a humanoid torso fixed to a motorized base. Two soft rubber wheels provided mobility and its arms and head seemed capable of free movement. The S.T.A.F.F. Bot seemed to be inspecting you just as closely and you shifted, its stare making you slightly uncomfortable.
“Why is it staring at me?” You asked the attendant, not taking your eyes off of the robot.
He shrugged. “They do that sometimes but, if I had to guess, it probably recognized the badge I gave you and is creating a profile for you in the employee registry while running a background check.”
You whipped around to look at him, shocked. “They can do that?!”
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. FazCorp went all out on the animatronics for the Pizzaplex. All of them are hooked into the national law enforcement database so they can watch for child predators or something. They’ve got some seriously sophisticated A.I. too and that’s just the S.T.A.F.F. Bots. The actual characters are even better.” The attendant sees your amused look and flushes. “I, uh, may be a bit of a geek when it comes to this sort of thing. It’s actually the reason I decided to work here.”
“I really can’t blame you. This is incredible.” You chuckled.
He smiled before turning to greet the family that had just walked in. You stepped to the side and looked at the S.T.A.F.F. Bot waiting next to you silently. “Um… Could you take me to Mr. Dowling’s office please?”
The animatronic beeped at you before rolling towards the turnstiles. You hurried after it and waved at the friendly ticket attendant who waved back. “Good Luck!” He called.
Turning back to your robotic guide, you see that it has rolled through the turnstiles and turned to look at you. It pointed to the scanner and you awkwardly bent over and scanned your badge. The machine chirped and played a pre-recorded message welcoming you to the Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex before opening the small metal gate.
You quickly stepped through and, the moment you did so, the S.T.A.F.F. Bot zipped away towards an elevator at the back of the atrium. You had planned to take advantage of your early arrival and see what the Pizzaplex had to offer but you found yourself struggling to keep up with your guide as it led you down hallways and around corners. You were now hopelessly lost and knew that you would have to ask for another guide to lead you back out of the building.
After a few rushed minutes the S.T.A.F.F. Bot stopped abruptly and chimed at you. You looked at it, breathing heavily, and it spoke in a cheerful tone. “You have reached your destination! Have a Faztastic day!”
Before you can respond, the animatronic has sped away to wherever it was previously and you are left standing in the hallway alone. Glancing at the door in front of you, you see that the S.T.A.F.F. Bot has done what you asked and led you to the office of Justin Dowling. After giving yourself an internal pep talk, you stepped forward and knocked on the door firmly. A voice called out for you to enter, and you opened the door and stepped inside.
The office was spacious and decorated in an 80’s theme that was similar to the rest of the Pizzaplex. There were a few personal touches, consisting mostly of some family photos and a small flowering plant on the corner of the desk, but they were few and far between. Dowling seemed slightly surprised to see you and you resisted the urge to fidget. “I apologize for being early, the S.T.A.F.F Bot that was guiding me seemed to be in a rush.”
Understanding dawned on the man’s face and he chuckled. “I see. You don’t have to apologize for being early, it’s much better than being late. I’m honestly surprised that you were able to keep up with it.”
You grinned wryly as you sat down in the chair across from him and placed your bag next to your feet. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy.”
The room fell silent as Dowling opened one of his desk drawers and thumbed through its contents. After a moment, he pulled out a thick sheaf of papers and placed them on the desk before a voice recorder next to them. Spotting your questioning look, he explained. “It’s company policy to record employee interviews. FazCorp has faced one too many lawsuits from employees claiming not to have been given the proper contract or waivers.”
You nodded and sat quietly as he prepared the rest of his materials for your interview. After a few more seconds he switched on the recorder and placed it off to the side after he was sure that it was recording properly. “This is an initial hiring interview for the position of Preschool Teacher for the Superstar Daycare located in the Freddy Fazbear Mega Pizzaplex. Please state your name for the record.”
You took a deep breath to steady yourself before speaking clearly and prayed that you wouldn’t stutter. “Y/N L/N.”
He picked up the recorder and glanced at the screen before nodding and you relaxed slightly at the knowledge that it seemed to be working. “As this interview is due to recommendation from a company employee, we did not have a resume on file. However, we were able to get in contact with your former school and they gave us your employment record.” He indicated one of the folders spread out on the desk. “Despite your lack of experience, you received glowing reviews from the parents of the children you taught and top marks for each of your teacher evaluations.”
Dowling leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk before pinning you in place with a piercing stare. “That being said, we have already interviewed other interested teachers who have several years of experience behind them. Why should we pick you over one of them?”
You didn’t falter under the man’s intense gaze and answered without hesitation. “Because I would be a better fit for your company.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Explain.”
“You said that the teachers you interviewed had several years of experience, right?” You paused and he nodded in response, silently indicating for you to continue. “Teachers who have taught for several years are very… fixed in their ways. They have developed a teaching method that suits them and tend to stick to that method even if they change schools. From what I can tell, FazCorp is a very modern company. Older teachers would have a difficult time acclimating.”
Impressed approval flashed across Dowling’s face. “You have a valid point there. I assume that you wouldn’t have this problem?”
You shrugged. “Like you said, I lack experience. I’m still learning what works best and I’m open to trying new methods as needed. I think that I’d be able to adapt.”
He nodded before making a note on a few of the papers in front of him. “Excellent. Now, what would your plans for the school year be? What do you plan to teach and how?”
Reaching down, you picked up your shoulder bag and placed it in the seat next to you. Noting Mr. Dowling’s curious look, you explained. “I brought my lesson plans from the previous year as well as some examples of my students’ work. I thought that you would ask something like that and felt that it would be better to show you. I’ll likely modify them a bit before the new school year but they should be fairly similar.”
He seemed to be pleasantly surprised. “Oh, that’s fantastic! Most of the other teachers simply explained or gave me an example of a lesson.” He gestured to a clear portion of his desk and you gently placed the heavy binder where he indicated. Standing, he made his way around the desk and began to flip through the binder.
Mr. Dowling paused on a page and you glanced at it before grinning and opening your binder of student work to the pages featuring that particular lesson. “Here.”
He looked at the binder and burst out laughing at the pictures that you showed him. This particular lesson had been about combining primary colors. Rather than teaching it indoors, you had taken advantage of the warm day and held the lesson outside. You demonstrated how the colors mixed by flinging sponges soaked in colored water at a large piece of white butcher paper. You had then dressed your students in white t-shirts and handed them the sponges. The ensuing water fight had created quite the mess but your students had a blast and you had several pictures of the initial lesson as well as your students in their colorfully soaked shirts. That had been a good day.
The next several minutes were spent going over some of your various lessons from the previous year. Dowling seemed quite pleased with your simple, yet effective, lesson plans and was very happy with the positive results shown in your students’ work. After a time, he shut the binders before returning to his seat and you carefully tucked them back into your bag.
As you settled back in your chair you saw that Mr. Dowling was writing furiously in his interview notes. You honestly didn’t know if that was a good thing or not but he had seemed impressed before so you were feeling fairly confident. Setting his pen down, he looked back up at you. “I only have two more topics to discuss with you. As you said before, the Fazbear Corporation is a very forward and modern thinking company. I can tell that you enjoy providing innovative, hands-on learning for your students and that is exactly what we are looking for.”
“Really?” You exclaimed before blushing furiously. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Mr. Dowling laughed and you looked at him in surprise. “Yes, really.” He chuckled a bit more before clearing his throat and continuing with a smile. “As I said, FazCorp values creative learning and has quite the budget. If we hired you, how would you make use of the resources that the Fazbear Corporation could make available to you?”
Taking a deep breath, you pulled out your third binder and offered it to him. He took it with a raised eyebrow and you quietly explained. “This binder contains all of the ideas, plans, and projects I thought of that I was unable to do last year. The reasons vary, however the primary issue was always either costs or a lack of resources.”
Humming quietly, he began to flip through the binder. He occasionally paused to read a page in greater detail and you resisted the urge to fidget during his careful perusal of the contents. After several tense minutes, he closed the binder and handed it back to you with a thoughtful look. “Several of those projects are quite ambitious but I could definitely see many of them getting approved with a few tweaks.”
You blinked in surprise before drowning in confusion. “Um… The way you phrased that…” Your voice trailed off.
“Sounded like I had already hired you?” He finished.
You nodded hesitantly.
Dowling chuckled. “If I’m being completely honest, I wanted to hire you the moment you showed me those pictures of your lesson on colors. Not only was it a creative teaching method, your students were obviously invested in the lesson.” He grew serious again. “However, there is one last thing that we need to discuss before we can make it official.”
He rummaged through some of the papers on his desk before pulling one out and handing it to you. It was a flyer for the Superstar Daycare and you inspected it curiously. There were several colorful pictures of the various areas in the daycare as well as a general schedule and list of activities. You flipped the paper over and your eyes widened at the images of a large animatronic playing and interacting with the children in the daycare. You looked up at Dowling with wide eyes. “There’s an animatronic in the daycare?” You asked, obviously shocked.
“Yes. That,” He gestured at the flyer. “is the Daycare Attendant. They have two modes, one for when the kids are awake and one for when they’re asleep.” Seeing that he had your undivided attention, he continued. “As the preschool teacher, you would also be serving as an overseer for the general daycare whenever you weren’t actively teaching. This would require you to interact with the Attendant on a daily basis.”
You looked back down at the flyer in your hands, inspecting the animatronic in the picture. “What are they like?” You asked.
Dowling shrugged. “It depends on which mode they’re in. Sun and Moon have drastically different personalities.”
“Sun and Moon?”
“Their names. Sun is in charge of the children’s general activities and Moon oversees storytime and naptime.”
You hummed in response. “Are there any additional workers in the daycare? Surely they aren’t the only one.”
“The daycare has its own team of S.T.A.F.F. Bots that are separate from the main facility. They’re programmed for general first aid and are used to help monitor the children when the daycare is open.” He explained. “There are also at least two human attendants in the daycare at all times.”
You nodded and handed the flyer back to Dowling. He raised an eyebrow at you. “Well? Would you be comfortable working with animatronics on a daily basis?” He asked.
There was zero hesitation in your voice when you responded. “Yes.”
The next two hours were spent going over your hiring paperwork with Dowling. The rumors of incredible employee benefits hadn’t been exaggerated and you were soon set up with the company’s insurance bundle combining health, life, and dental insurance. Your salary ended up being nearly double what you had been making at your former school and, when you questioned him on it, Dowling explained.
“As the resident teacher, you will technically be the area manager for the daycare.” Noticing your alarmed look, he hurriedly continued. “Don’t worry! You aren’t going to be expected to do much more than teach and oversee the schedules of the daycare’s human attendants. The S.T.A.F.F. Bots and the Daycare Attendant take care of most of the day to day functions.”
You relaxed slightly at his words. “Okay, that’s a relief. I have zero managerial experience.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re hiring you to teach then!” The both of you shared a laugh at that before he continued. “In all seriousness though, the only real benefits are a pay raise and access to the override codes for the daycare animatronics.”
“Why would I need the override codes?” You asked with a frown.
“It's mostly precautionary, you shouldn’t need to use them at all, but you’ll occasionally have to order the Attendant to go to their maintenance checks. They don’t like parts and services.” He responded.
You made a noise of understanding and the pair of you resumed going over your paperwork. From that point, most of the papers were non-disclosure agreements regarding the animatronics' behaviors and functions. You weren’t certain why the company needed so many , but you didn’t complain and dutifully signed them all.
The final paper was an agreement to attend a summer training about the usage and general maintenance of the animatronics. After signing it, you sat back in your chair with an exhausted sigh while massaging your aching hand. Dowling picked up the form and inspected it briefly before tucking it into a folder with the rest. “Well, it’s official. Welcome to the Freddy Fazbear Family!”
“Thanks.” You chuckled. “This honestly came as a surprise, but I think I’ll like it here.”
He smiled. “I think that you’ll fit in well. Now, would you like to see your classroom?”
You looked at him in surprise. “Today? I didn’t think that it would be ready.”
“The room itself is ready, however the furniture and materials haven't been ordered yet. We wanted to get the teacher’s opinion before making any purchases.” He said while tapping a few buttons on his watch.
“Oh!” You exclaimed. “In that case I’d love to see it.”
“Excellent! I’ve called someone to show you where to go. Don’t worry!” He laughed, seeing your alarmed look. “I didn’t call a S.T.A.F.F. Bot.”
A relieved sigh escaped you upon hearing that. A few seconds later, you were startled by a knock on the door and Dowling waved you off. “Go on and take a look around. I’ll get this filed and put in an order for your employee badge. You can keep the visitor’s badge for now, but it won't let you pass any security gates without verification from another employee or a S.T.A.F.F. Bot. You also have to turn it in when you receive your official ID, so be careful not to lose it.”
You stood and swung your bag over your shoulder before making your way to the door. When you pull it open, you are stunned to see a familiar face grinning at you mischievously. Garrette Carter chuckled at your shocked expression. “Don’t just stand there gaping, you’re letting all of the air conditioning escape!”
By the time you snap out of your stupor, Garrette has tugged you out of the doorway and begun ushering you down the hall. You looked at him accusingly. “You’re the one who recommended me!”
He shrugged. “I won't lie, it was purely by chance. I didn’t know that the company was planning to start offering preschool classes until about a week ago when I was asked to put together an advertising campaign for them. I immediately asked Justin if they had found a teacher yet and, when he said no, I recommended you.”
You sighed and shook your head fondly. “You didn’t have to do this, but I truly appreciate it. Getting this job means that I won’t have to leave town and the pay and benefits are far better than what I would have gotten at a school.”
“Yeah. When it comes to their employees, FazCorp goes all out.” The pair of you came to a security gate and Garrette pressed his watch to the scanner. The scanner beeped and turned green before the door swung open.
You looked at the watch curiously as he held the door for you. Dowling was wearing a similar one and you could vaguely recall seeing one around the ticket attendant’s wrist. “What are those? Both you and Dowling have one and I think that the ticket attendant I talked to had one as well.”
“These?” He pointed to the watch and you nodded. “They’re called Fazwatches. They’re basically smartwatches that are hooked into the Pizzaplex’s wireless network. Guests can buy them and they’ll work as interactive maps and an electronic record for all of their passes and tickets. Parents can also use them to track their children if they get separated while in the Pizzaplex.”
You passed through another security door and stepped out into the main area of the Pizzaplex. Children were running back and forth excitedly and, when you looked carefully, you spotted several wearing brightly colored watches. You turned back to Garrette as he shut the door and made sure it locked. “I’m assuming that they’re different for employees?” You asked.
“That’s right.” He began leading you through the brightly lit halls. “Employee Fazwatches are hooked into the building’s security systems. They work as your employee ID and you can use them to access the camera systems, flag problematic guests, and even call S.T.A.F.F. Bots. They’re themed biased on the area the employee works in. Mine is pretty plain since I’m not usually in the public areas but yours will probably have a space theme since you’ll be in the daycare.”
Turning a corner, a large sign came into view. “Speaking of the daycare, here we are!” Garrette exclaimed. He tugged open one of the large doors and bowed dramatically. “M’lady.”
You snorted and walked through. “Save the chivalry for your wife, Carter.”
The daycare was dark with quiet music playing over the speakers and you abruptly realized that it must be naptime. Garrette seemed to realize this as well and soundlessly shut the door before indicating for you to follow him. The pair of you silently walked across the play area and you couldn’t help but marvel at the room despite the darkness.
The ceiling was patterned with gently glowing stars that depicted actual constellations and in the dim light you could see several large play structures. An enormous ball pit served as a moat for the castle that decorated the room’s north wall and you could see what looked like a craft area on the far side of the room. An attendant was quietly dozing at the security desk and you snorted. You understood the unique exhaustion that came from dealing with large groups of children far too well.
As Garrette led you past a large tent-like structure, you paused to peek inside. This was obviously the napnook as the still forms of several small children were scattered amongst the pillows and blankets that lined the soft floor. You stifled a giggle at the various sounds of snoring before smiling softly and ducking back out of the nap area.
You never noticed the red eyes watching you carefully from the rafters of the tent.