Chapter 2

*The Mangle was alone.*

But it didn't mind. It was usually alone, hanging there on the ceiling or laying in a heap on the floor. Even though there were others, it didn't really interact with them. It like a little peaceful solitude. It swung down into the old office. The guard used to work here. He was annoying. That's why it attacked him, even though it had been supposed to play nice during the day. It didn't care that the restaurant had been shut down. It had the whole place to itself.

*Creeeak...* The Mangle heard the sound. It hadn't heard that sound in years, not since that day in 1987. That was the sound of the door. That was the sound of a nightguard. That was the sound... Of a new victim. It slunk off into the shadows to tell the others.

*Allie was alone.*

She became aware of this as soon as she entered the abandoned pizzeria, the door creaking behind her. She clicked on her flashlight and looked onward into the gloom. She saw balloons, still floating there as though they could never lose their helium, gift boxes strewn about the room haphazardly, a spinning carousel, and, above it all, a banner reading "Happy Birthday!" *Whose birthday even was it?*, she thought. Speaking aloud, she answered. "Mine."

As she wandered through the room, she became aware of a noise, a few feet away from her. It sounded like... Laughing. The laughter of a child. "Hi!", the unseen child proclaimed. His voice sounded... *Wrong* somehow, but Allie couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Stay where you are," she called. "I'll come find you. But you shouldn't be here. This place is dange-" She stopped as she spotted the source of the voice. It was the little animatronic, the one with the balloon. His balloon and the arm that held it were perfectly like she remembered them, but his body was full of holes. His face was completely missing, except for one eye. His sign was shattered, and where his right leg should be was only a metal beam. "Hi!", he said in his trippy voice. Allie drew in a breath to scream for help, but something hit her across the back of her head, and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.

*Jason was alone.*

Or, at least, that's what he'd hoped for when he'd entered the abandoned pizzeria. As soon as he walked into his father's old restaurant, though, he spotted two figures- the old Balloon Boy mascot, and a girl around his age, who was turning to look at the little fiend. *What would Dad do?* He thought. *Aha! Take out the girl first, she 's probably less easy to predict, then hijack the balloon boy to get it to help me out. Easier said than done, but it's a start.* He crept slowly behind the girl, careful to not be spotted by either her or the animatronic. Raising his crowbar, he smacked it over her head. He heard a gasp of surprise, and then Balloon Boy turned to look at him. "Hi!", he parroted. "Back off!", Jason shouted. "My dad built you, and he taught me a thing or two about how you work. I know how to take you back apart!" It seemed to work. "You're the boss," spoke Balloon Boy in a glitched voice. "Good," Jason replied. "Keep watch over this girl. Bring her to the old security office, the two of you should be safe there. As for me... I'll see you soon. I'm looking for somebody. Oh! And keep a watch for that Foxy thing for me. Always hated it. Well, I'm off!" He set off down the hall, taking Allie's flashlight with him. "Geez, this guy's like William Junior...", the balloon boy muttered.