They played happily in their favorite closet.
It was a Parts and Service room, but they had learned to ignore the hanging costumes and robot parts on the shelves that lined the walls. It was their space only now. The room they’d go to every day while their father worked. They would play until it was the diner’s closing time.
Sammy moved his toy truck back and forth on the ground, his sister watching. Suddenly, something grabbed him and he saw his sister’s eyes widen in shock. His toy truck dropped onto the ground as he was lifted into the air. He looked up at the one who was taking hold of him, an animatronic he loved: Spring Bonnie. Then he realized the hands that grabbed him were not cold, robotic hands, they were human hands. Someone was inside the suit.
“Sammy!” His sister cried. He wanted to scream a response but he was too scared and confused. As he was taken away, the last thing he saw was his sister crying and reaching out for him.
“We can’t close the restaurant. We’ll have to start everything over.” Henry said to his friend, Mr.Afton. Afton looked at him slightly annoyed. “Yes, we’ve worked so hard for this. But do you really think people would want to come back after what happened?” He responded. “Yes, people love this place, that’s why we need to continue! We’ll make new animatronics. Safer ones.” Henry argued. Afton sighed.
“I know you lost your kid, Henry. I lost mine too, but that has to be a sign to stop all of this. To tear everything down and scrap the animatronics. They are dangerous and out of control.” Afton saw tears begin to form in Henry’s eyes once he said this, but they were quickly wiped away. Henry was always weak and sensitive, it was no surprise that he was emotional at the slightest mention of his only child who disappeared not long ago.
“You made your animatronics dangerous, that’s why Elizabeth and Chris died. That’s why yours should be scrapped. I even warned you! I made mine to make people happy but they malfunctioned. That’s it. It wasn’t my fault your kids died!” Henry said in a shaky voice. “I told her to stay away! I told them to stop! It was your fault because everything was your idea! And what did you do to help? Nothing!” Afton yelled. “You never cared about them!” Henry shouted back.
Afton rose from his seat, his small metal chair scraping along the floor. He threw it to the side, and it hit the wall to their right. “Our company is being bought, sign the papers if you dare, but don’t expect me to keep our company alive,” Afton said harshly. Without waiting for a response, he walked away and left the empty restaurant.
Henry watched, still seated and shaken to his very soul. He’d never seen Afton so angry before. Then again, maybe he took everything a little too far. Afton was right though, the company should just shut down and they should find real jobs, but Henry was determined to keep going. He’d make the animatronics better, smarter, and more kid-friendly.
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