I Hate You, I Love You (Rewrite)

Diversion

You opened the conversation as soon as Shadow Freddy finally took up your offer and sat down. "I suppose we should start with how you're here."

"Let me see... I was first introduced to the real world about... oh... thirty years ago now? Perhaps longer. Bonnie and I appeared at the same time, just after the fire that brought this place to the ground." The shade's tone was conversational, his smile friendly. He spoke as if he were telling a story, not answering a question about himself. "It was such a boring three decades, too - no one came to visit and we had long assumed Springtrap to be nothing more than a dead husk."

"Why didn't you try to leave?"

"Oh, we did. Multiple times, in fact." He elaborated further, saying, "to our dismay, it was as if some invisible barrier blocked us at every attempt. We could see the outside world, feel the sun and the rain and the wind... but we could not go past where the walls used to be." Each word was punctuated with a passive emotion, like that of someone recalling a bitter memory. "And when the attraction was built in place of that decaying structure, we lost even what little access we had to the world outside. The walls and roof blocked out the elements, there were no windows to let in the sun or moonlight. Our only glimpses are now what we see through open doors."

A wry smile crossed his face, brilliant white eyes focusing on your own. "Oh, but, it's not all bad. After all, I can socialize during the daytime hours now. And at night... I can find myself alone with one of the most attractive individuals I've been blessed to encounter."

You readjusted yourself on the desk in an attempt to put even more space between yourself and the purple bear in the chair. "For your sake, I'm going to ignore that. Why the animosity with Springtrap?"

Shadow Freddy sighed dramatically. Too dramatically in your opinion. "Are you still trying to get answers about him? I must say, I don't understand your interest."

"The pair of you have done nothing but fight since the night started," you retaliated coolly. "In addition to that, he is my responsibility as long as I work here. It's only natural that I'd be curious as to the nature of your bad relationship."

"I suppose you have a point there." The bear hummed quietly. "To put matters very bluntly, Springtrap is abrasive and violent towards everyone in the attraction. The staff, the phantoms. My partner and I were included in that. And while Bonnie quite enjoys using his hatred against him, the rest of us would prefer he either stay where he belongs or leave."

"Where he belongs?"

He waved a hand-paw dismissively. "A small and closed off room in the back of the attraction. It's where he rotted when the initial structure was still present and it was incorporated in this maze as a jumpscare point. Only accessible via the vents, of course."

You tapped your folder idly. "Very well. Let's move on. You have mentioned your alleged partner a few times now... Bonnie. Are they like you?"

"If by that you mean am I a shadow, then you're right on the money honeybunch!" You turned, coming face to face with a dark-colored rabbit shoving his face through the glass behind you. His body floated horizontally behind him on the other side of the glass. You noted with some amusement that he was kicking his feet like a teenage schoolgirl in an 80's romcom.

"Please don't call me that."

The grin the rabbit sported turned into a playful pout. "Well dollface certainly doesn't work now, does it? Freddy has already laid claim to calling you dear. And I can't exactly call you "love" yet!"

You could feel a headache coming on already. It was only 12:48... you'd have to bring ibuprofen on the shift with you next time. "How about you call me by my name instead?"