Michael Afton

As Michael patrolled the dim hallways of Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental, his footsteps echoed softly against the metal floors. Each corridor seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with the eerie silence that was characteristic of the abandoned facility. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, Michael knew he needed to get familiar with his surroundings. With a sigh, he cast a wary glance around, both curious and alert of his surroundings. As he rounded a corner, his light illuminated an unexplored room tucked away in the shadows. Huh? He doesn't recall seeing that on the map. Curiosity piqued, Michael cautiously approached the door, its paint chipped and worn with age. He reached out and pushed it open, the creak of the hinges echoing loudly in the stillness.

Inside, he found what appeared to be an old storage closet, long forgotten and neglected over time. The air was thick with dust, swirling lazily in the dim light, causing him to cough as he inhaled. The cluttered space was filled with an assortment of animatronic parts—arms, legs, torsos—strewn haphazardly across the floor and shelves. It was a chaotic mess, a graveyard of discarded components. Michael's eyes roamed over the clutter until they settled on something peculiar. Against the far wall lay a motionless animatronic, partially obscured by shadows. "Hm..." he hummed, narrowing his eyes in curiosity. With measured steps, he approached the figure, and upon closer inspection, he noted the distinct signs of wear and tear etched into the animatronic's surface. Rust had formed along its joints, and its paint was chipped and faded. It was clear that this figure had been abandoned and left to decay, its purpose long forgotten. Yet, what puzzled Michael the most was its unfamiliar design. It bore no resemblance to any of the animatronics he had encountered before.

A sense of unease began to gnaw at him. The longer he stared at the animatronic, the more unsettling it became. It felt as though the lifeless eyes were watching him, even though he knew that was impossible. Right. It was just his imagination, the result of being in a creepy, abandoned facility in the dead of night. Nevertheless, Michael's instincts screamed at him to leave it alone, to put some distance between himself and the disturbing discovery. He reminded himself of the cardinal rule in places like this—never touch anything you don't understand. With a shiver running down his spine, he turned on his heel, deciding to leave the animatronic undisturbed. However, just as he began to take a step towards the door, he heard faint whirring and mechanical stirring emanating from behind him.

Michael's blood ran cold in that moment.