Stay with Me

1

word count: 2,379

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Dawn felt a chill travel down her spine as she scrubbed away at a stain. One of her trembling hands made its way to her face, pushing aside a strand of hair that kept blocking her eyes.

How much longer could she work like this? With a shaky inhale, she turned slightly to look over her shoulder. The man who had been staring at her for the past half hour did nothing but smirk. Dread filled her entire body. She felt as if she would completely shut down.

It hadn't even been two weeks since she'd begun working at Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex and there was already a person dead-set on making her as uncomfortable as possible.

She had originally applied for the Daycare Assistant position. Dawn loved kids and felt happy when she was around them. Sure they could be a handful- she'd pulled gum out of her hair more times than she could count- but it was always better than the average fast food joint.

The company called soon after she'd applied, but apparently the position was already taken. Which wasn't surprising to Dawn. Any person would die to have a job that paid thirty dollars an hour to watch children. The skills required were basic, with no required field of training or diploma.

Disappointment quietly turned into hope when the man on the phone offered a different position. It hadn't been her first choice, but Dawn was happy enough to know that she wouldn't have to speak with customers. She was basically a janitor- cleaning after guests in different parts of the Pizza plex.

It didn't bother her any. The pay was the same and all she had to do was put some elbow grease into a few pizza stains. At least, that's what she had thought.

John approached her on the first day. He was a mechanic- smart, charming, and seemingly infatuated with Dawn. Growing up, Dawn found very little interest in dating. Her parents always pushed a few boys her direction but they never peaked her interest. The idea of giving time and affection toward another person she barely knew sounded exhausting.

She made this fact very clear to John when he attempted to flirt with her. Dawn knew she had a timid personality but never failed to voice her desires in important situations.

John hadn't seemed upset when she turned him down. If anything, he was amused. The chuckle he let escape afterward made her frown. She didn't find it amusing at all. He, on the other hand, made a point of talking with her every chance he got.

The first few days were annoying. Now, at week two, Dawn felt uncomfortable. His eyes never left her when she was in his presence. Sometimes he would simply watch her without saying anything. She wondered if he was intentionally trying to make her squirm.

No, she thought stubbornly as she stared at her shaking hands, Don't let him win. Dawn was going to scrub that stupid carpet until it looked better than before, and John wasn't going to stop her.

Tightening her grip on the cleaning tools, she braced herself and focused on her work. Soon the trembling began to fade. As the time passed she began to hum softly, hips swaying gently as she stood and wiped sweat from her brow.

There were only a few more spots for her to clean before closing. She continued humming as she moved areas, pausing only to place her hair into a loose ponytail.

It was an hour before closing by the time she finished. Feeling satisfied, Dawn smiled and stretched. Feeling more calm than before, she glanced around to find that John was nowhere to be found. Good, she thought triumphantly. Maybe he finally got the hint after she blatantly ignored him all night. She could only hope.