Walking up to the two steps leading up to the doors, Saphira gazed up at the sign above with a smile. She really could not believe she was about to step inside the restaurant again after ten years. She knew it was silly to feel nervous at the moment, but she was also excited. She wanted to see what changes there were since she did not return. Breathing in the aroma of the pizza, she walked up the stairs and approached the automatic doors, that had transparent black and white checkers across the middle, which was the same colour as some of the tiles of the floor in the pizzeria. She looked at her own reflection before the doors would slide open.
Feeling the cool air of the air conditioner, Saphira stepped through into the front of the attraction. It was the lobby. When the restaurant first opened, it did not have a lobby. However, when the Toy Plaza began getting small attractions, like a mini carousel, large playground, jumping castle and a small room with tiny canons that shoot soft, foam balls at people, and the main dining area also gained a small pirate ship playground, the lobby became necessary. Plus, there was the small arcade as well. That was the favorite for most people.
Saphira looked around as she felt a huge sense of nostalgia flooding back. The floor had black and white tiles leading from the front door, to an arch doorway with a white, LED light around the rim of the doorway. That was definitely new. It did not have that the last time she was here. And on either side of the door were the cartoon version of the original animatronics, Fredbear and the toy animatronics waving to invite guests into the main pizzeria. Saphira smiled, as they definitely were there when she was here last. And the paint has faded over the years it seemed.
On either side of the lobby, there was purple carpet covered in bright, red Freddy faces all over, along with blue and yellow party streamers and party hats. It was new carpet, as the original carpet used to be dark red. And the carpet was more coarse and rough on the feet, but this new carpet was soft. Saphira remembered the many kids who got carpet burns on their knees from tripping or sliding on the carpet. Now it wouldn't be as easy.
There were a few bright, orange lounges around, along with some gumball machines, a toy claw machine filled with animatronic plushies and a drink vending machine. Fake plants were also placed around to give a bit of decoration to the room. To the right, there was a doorway leading from the attraction's gift shop. It was only a one-way door, so people have to enter the actual pizzeria to get to it. It was an automatic door too, whereas it used to be an open door with a couple people standing guard.
In front of the door of the merchandise exit, there were four solid, stands with glass casings on top, showing some of the most expensive souvenirs anyone could buy. Saphira was surprised, because that definitely was new. However, she saw one held a large ornament of a pirate ship, with Foxy manning the wheel. And the reason why it was expensive, because it was a crystal piece. Saphira shook her head with a smile, knowing people would buy it. If she had the money, she herself probably would too.
But she wasn't here to buy souvenirs. She was hear for an interview. She looked over at the customer service desk to the left to the entry into the restaurant. No one could get in without paying for a ticket. It was a ticket that would pay for the full experience here, or if someone has a birthday party to book. Saphira wondered if they still had the private birthdays rooms, as she remembered there were four. There might be more now.
Saphira moved to make sure she was not in the way of any of the customers who were here. Though she saw that there was no line up at the customer service counter, which also had some white, neon lights above that were new, and Saphira saw there was a brunette, middle-aged woman seated at the counter. She has not seen Saphira, though she seemed to be busy with something at the computer, so Saphira quietly approached the counter, knowing she would need to have Mike informed she was here.
"Um...excuse me," Saphira spoke in a gentle tone, making the woman flinch in surprise. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I could tell you were busy, so I feel bad for coming over."
The woman sighed deeply and she smiled politely at Saphira. "It is fine. I was just doing something that can be done later anyway." She took a deep breath, and stood up as she thought Saphira was going to make a payment. "Okay, so which package are you after for today, young lady?"
"Oh, uh, no package." The woman frowned a little and raised an eyebrow at Saphira. "I'm actually here to be interviewed by Michael Schmidt." The woman relaxed her frown as soon as Saphira told her what she was here for. "He called earlier, and said I could come in a one. I know it is about ten minutes before, but I am here. I am not here to stay the day or anything."
"Ah, Saphira Dawn. Yes, I was informed you would be coming." The woman sat back down and picked up a phone. "Give me two seconds." She dialled a number before placing the phone to her ear to wait. "Hey, Mike! It's Mandy. I'm just letting you know..." The woman frowned a little as it seemed she was cut off. "I am sorry if you were in the middle of something, Mike, but you have a young lady here to see you." She waited again as she listened before nodding. "Yep. Saphira Dawn is here and available to speak...okay..." Mandy frowned a little as she listened. "I see. Okay, I'll let her in while you finish what you are doing. Alright, thanks, Mike." Saphira was surprised as she listened, as that meant she would be allowed into the pizzeria. Mandy put the phone down and looked at Saphira. "Alright, Mike said he might be another ten minutes or more before he is ready. He said something came up that he needed to finish, but he will talk to you shortly. In the meantime, he has invited you go through..." Mandy gestured to the doorway, and Saphira glanced at it in disbelief. "And to just give you the time to look around a little. I am sure he will give you a personal tour if you are successful."
Saphira stared at the doorway for a moment and looked at Mandy with a smile. "Thanks...that is very generous. I will make sure to not go too far." Saphira stepped back from the counter and walked towards the doorway. "Oh, and thanks."
"No problem. Good luck!" Mandy gives Saphira a thumbs up, and the girl appreciated that.
Saphira bit her lower lip as she stood before the archway before walking through the small tunnel. She glanced around as there were small, mirror tiles layering the walls of the tunnel, giving an interesting feel as one enters the pizzeria. Saphira remembered the mirrors, so this has not changed at all. On the other side of the tunnel, she found herself standing near the wide, open-door entrance in the main souvenir shop on her right. Saphira smiled as she could hear there were a lot of people in the store, liking looking around.
Though the entrance did open up to a large, rectangle room that would lead into various directions. It was kind of like a massive crossroads, though the room did have things in there. A couple of air hockey tables, several claw machines and a large, flatscreen TV on the wall playing the advertisements of the pizzeria. Saphira smiled, remembering when there used to be statues of Freddy and Fredbear in here. They were heavy, stone statues. She didn't know if they were moved somewhere else, but they were not here.
There were bright, purple and red neon lights lining the wall, and she smiled. She looked ahead at the large, open doorway that would leading into the main pizzeria. She could hear music playing, and she knew that the animatronics were playing the music currently. She looked to her right as there was a hallway leading towards the Toy Plaza, and to her left, was a short hallway leading to the doorway leading into Fredbear's dining room, and towards the staff doorway. Saphira thought about exploring, but she felt like she should not.
So she walked to the left, and she lifted her hand to touch the pendent again. She was feeling so many emotions from being here right now. She was happy to be here, but she was also feeling anxious. She had not taken the chance to see the animatronics, but she felt that she would do that if she got the job. The only animatronic she would likely see is Fredbear. His dining room was the one closest to the staff door, so it made sense. But Saphira knew she was unlikely to walk around the pizzeria unless she did get the job, and was shown around.
I still can't believe I am in here. It still has that unique smell. I can never work out what that smell is, but it is always there, lingering in the air.
It was a smell that always seemed to be in the air at the pizzeria. Even at the original Fredbear's Family Diner. Saphira never knew what the smell was, but it was unique and always felt comforting to her, even if it was hard to describe. Even now, while almost an adult, she couldn't figure out what the smell was. There was never anything else that would have been similar to the scent, and she knew it.
Walking towards the large doorway into Fredbear's dining room, Saphira looked at her left and smiled to see the original, Fredbear's Family Diner picture of a cartoon version of Fredbear holding a plate with a pizza slice on it. The picture was worn, and hasn't been repainted, but Saphira remembered it. She glanced at the yellow, neon letters above the doorway, smiling and looking at some red curtains that were always pulled back, giving a sense of entering an exclusive show. Which, in a way, it was.
Peering into the room, Saphira smiled as she saw the twelve dining tables inside the room. She remembers it always had twelve tables with bench seats, even as a child. There were white table cloths over the tables, and there was two, large standing buffets with hot food and a salad bar. There was an ice cream machine and a soda machine nearby as well. It was almost mostly the same, but there was a retro, disco dancefloor in front of Fredbear's stage. And the light tiles on the floor were colours of the rainbow, and there were currently kids dancing with their parents while the animatronic was singing.
Speaking of Fredbear, Saphira stared at Fredbear. He was a large, yellow animatronic with bright, green eyes, a purple top hat and tie, and three, black buttons down the center of his chest. He was a larger animatronic than Freddy. His head was larger with wider jaws, and a lot more teeth, giving him a toothy grin. A lot of people were often intimidated by him, which was why Freddy was generally more popular. But Saphira never was afraid this animatronic. She loved him.
She smiled as she watched him sing along to Billie Jean, even though Michael Jackson's voice was singing through the speakers. There was not a lot of upgrades to this room, aside from new lights on the wooden stage and above the stage, but there probably was no need to upgrade it. It was just perfect as it was. And Saphira was happy that not much has changed to this room. And she couldn't believe she was seeing Fredbear again after all this time.
Though, she was surprised when Fredbear's eyes seemed to glance in her direction for a split second. Saphira was a little startled, but she guessed that he looks in the direction of the door every now and then. There wasn't anything about that, that meant anything, so Saphira brushed that aside. Saphira thought about stepping into the dining room, but decided against it. She caressed the pendent a little more before hiding it under her shirt, deciding to give herself a bit of time to think.
Though she would only have about five minutes before the door of the staff door would open. Saphira looked to her left to see a man, who looked to be in his late twenties, walk out with a smile. He was wearing a pair of jeans, clean shoes and a brown t-shirt with a silver watch. His hair was light brown and his eyes were hazel, and he seemed to be quite nice as he walked towards her with a genuine smile. And Saphira smiled politely back at him.
"You must be Saphira." The girl nodded and the man extended his hand to shake hers. And Saphira took his hand politely. "Nice to finally meet you. I imagine it must feel quite different walking into this building as an adult."
"Not quite an adult yet, but yes," Saphira responded with an affirmative nod. She glanced towards Fredbear again and chuckled a little, knowing she was overwhelmed with so many emotions right now. "It has been...strange. After so many years, my inner child is so happy to be back. But...it also brings up...the very last day I was here."
"I imagine it would not be so good." She shook her head and looked at Mike to give him her full attention. "Well, I am very happy to welcome you back. No one has been able to take your place since you left, so this could be very." He then gestured for her to follow him. "Come with me. I'll take you to my office so we can talk. It is always so loud and noisy out here, even on the quieter days."
Saphira chuckled softly, not disagreeing with him. "I know. And the different music from the different places of the building probably echoes a lot." He nodded as he opened the door and stood aside for her to walk in. Saphira widened her eyes a little, as the hallway behind the wooden door was very different to the rest of the building. "But I get to see some of the staff areas. I haven't been behind the scenes at all."
Mike chuckled lightly as Saphira walked by him and he stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. "Well, even the regular guests aren't allowed here. But since you could be working here, you get the honour of seeing it. Though, I am sure you can already tell, it isn't as colourful as the rest of the restaurant."
Saphira nodded as she looked around the hallway. She was actually quite surprised by how dull the hallway was. The tiles were not black and white like the restaurant. They were a pale, yellowish green and it almost looked like the floor has not been cleaned for a long time. But there was no smell of mould here, so she assumed that it was just the colour. Especially as the walls were also a brownish green, and the plain, white lights made it seem even duller. And the hallway wasn't too long, thankfully, though it was still quite dull.
Saphira looked to her right to see several doors. One led into a locker room, while the other two were restrooms for staff. To her left, she was surprised to see a long window, that kind of looked like it was smudged with dirt and dust, as there were strange marks on the glass. And the window was looking into the actual office. Saphira had not expected that, and she guessed it was just to make the office feel more open.
Especially as the office wasn't terribly large. It had two desks, multiple filing cabinets, shelving and a bathroom. Saphira was surprised, given that there was two bathrooms in the hallway, but guessed the office bathroom was Mike's. That made sense, since he would not have to share with any of the staff. Though she still thought it was a little strange, but it certainly was not something she would complain about when she would need to go.
"I did not expect to get a window looking into the office," Saphira commented with a raised eyebrow. "Though I guess with the colour choice of this place, you probably felt confined in there. It makes sense." Mike turned to the left into a small hallway, that led to the doorway of the office, and a very heavy door that seemed to be the staff exit. And to the right of this office, was a doorway leading into a small staffroom with the basic amenities, like a fridge, microwave and sink. "It seems like you got everything you need here."
"Yeah, it is quite dull." Mike walked over to the wooden desk facing towards the door, and he gestured to the seat sitting in front of the desk in front of the window. "Please sit." Saphira walked over and sat on the chair, surprised that it was quite comfortable, and held her bag in her lap. "It is honestly very rare that I get to meet any of the past guests of the restaurant. I took over about five years ago and have been the manager since then. But I got to know all about your time here when you were much smaller." Saphira nodded as she listened while Mike grabbed a file and sat down to look through it. "You started going to the Fazbear's Family Diner when you were just a baby, right?"
Saphira nodded. "Yeah, my parents started it for me. My mother kind of regretted after some time, but they still brought me here regularly. And as I got older, I was brought here more often. It became a second home to me, I guess. I really felt like I had bonded with the animatronics." She chuckled a little as she thought back to when she was a child. "For a while, Fredbear was my favorite, and then Bonnie when he arrived on the scene. But none of them were Springtrap, because he became the number one favorite of mine."
"I heard about that. No one has ever made him there favorite since. Which is a shame." Saphira nodded in agreement, as that was not a surprise to her. Mike hummed as he wrote down some notes and looked at Saphira. "So I am curious about what made you apply for the position. I know you had a deep connection with the place, but I am still curious. You said you weren't an adult yet, so I am going to guess you are seventeen, correct?"
She nodded affirmatively. "Yeah. I know that being a security guard at night isn't the most...attractive thing for a girl my age. Most people are getting ready for college, but I am not at this stage. I might just take an online course anyway. But as for wanting to apply..." Saphira smiled as she thought about it. "It does have a lot to do with my connections to this place. I do really want to come back, because I think it would be a good job. I know I might have to deal with some unsavoury people, but I can handle myself when I need to. And I still remember my way, mostly, around the place."
"Uh, well, there have been some new additions to this place. I am not sure if you are aware of Chica's Chapel..." Saphira shook her head and the man's smile widened. "It is an adult only section." Saphira raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Don't worry, people aren't allowed to sleepover. But those rooms were designed after each animatronic. And there is a bar there as well, with more finer dining. It's surprisingly popular, as I only opened it last year, and people love coming here just for that."
Saphira was certainly not expecting that at all. And she already knew what the area would be for, based on the vague description. "I haven't heard of it...um...I guess I will just have to wait until it is cleared out before checking it, right?"
"Pretty much. But that is not the only place that we expanded, we also expanded the Haunted Classroom." Saphira smiled a little, as that was the place she was interested to see the most. "There are now attractions there that people seem to like. Such as a small, haunted house ride based on Springtrap. Surprisingly, people actually enjoy that one. And another small carousel, and a motion simulator, which we shaped after train. And the simulation is basically a horror train ride, with realistic motion, air and such. People love it a lot."
"That actually sounds like a lot of fun!" Saphira commented with a chuckle. "I remember when it was just a small area with four classrooms, an art room and the principal's office."
Mike chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. Now it has its own buffet, the Phantom Mess Hall, with food that is served only there, including special pizzas and desserts. And the Phantom animatronics have their own stage, singing songs that have been modified to suite the environment of the area. Only Phantom Mangle isn't on the stage, and Phantom Foxy has his own room." Saphira wondered about Springtrap, because he was the original animatronic of that area. "And we are about to expand again, with the Bedroom of Nightmares. That is currently under construction, and it will be leading off the long walk between the Toy Plaza and Bedroom of Nightmares. That space has always seemed strange to me to be empty, so we are adding that new space."
Saphira felt a sense of excitement that she has not felt in a long time. "So...does that mean there are new animatronics coming?" Mike just shrugged, though he did not deny it. "Wow...I cannot believe how much has changed. It started as a very small restaurant, but my goodness, it has changed so much. And coming back after ten years to see the changes...I can't believe it!" Saphira smile was wide as she thought about it. "And I am surprised I still have the passion and excitement about this place. That is probably what has drawn me back to Fazbear Horror and Pizziera...because I still love the place."
Mike seemed very happy with that answer. "I can tell that you do. And I think you will be good at your job." He tapped his pencil on the desk for a moment. "So I'll give you a little bit of a rundown of the position." She nodded as she waited for him to tell her. "This office is not just mine. This desk..." He gestured to the PC and filing cabinets beside the desk. "Is my desk, but that desk beside you is where the night guard will work." Saphira turned the chair slightly to look at the desk. It had a monitor, and a tablet on the desk. The monitor was clearly the camera monitor, and she was fine with that. She was not sure what the tablet was for. "You will be here most of the time, and the shift starts from nine at night to six in the morning." Saphira was surprised because that is a long shift. "Twelve is when the other staff leave, and you will be on your own for six hours. And to be perfectly honest, you will certainly find that it will be quite different here at night compared to the day."
"I imagine it will be. It is meant to be a horror attraction, mixed in with the fantasy and fun of the original restaurant," Saphira said with a chuckle. "I have no idea what it will be like to see the place so dark and lifeless, but I am not afraid of the dark. It tends to be better for me."
"That's good. A lot of people usually do not last more than a week here because of that." She raised an eyebrow at Mike's comment, because she did not know that. "That really is the main reason why we don't have a security guard for more than a week. This place can get to you at night." She guessed she understood, but Saphira doubted it would bother her. "Though dealing with drunks and and vagrants is mostly what you might get in here, and the teenagers who are wanting to put their next big stunt on social media. And the security systems are a little bit dated, but functional..."
"Really?" Saphira looked at the tablet for a moment and looked back at Mike. "Then what is the tablet for?"
Mike chuckled a little as he knew that the girl would notice. "The systems are still dated, because we have primarily focused on updating what the guests can see. For example, the camera system is as old as this place. I haven't had the money to replace the whole thing, but I have got new cameras through out the newer areas and are on the same line as the older cameras, so that is still really good. We got a couple of cameras on the outside, but not that many." Saphira was still curious about the tablet, as the man did not answer her about it. "As for the tablet, we have had to modify a few of the systems. You see..." Mike leaned forward a little with a smile as he spoke. "The tablet is connected to the power, ventilation, audio and camera systems, because when the place is closed at night, the building is programmed to reduce power. I am not sure how my boss has worked it out, but this has resulted in things like the power, ventilation, audio and cameras systems to go offline during the night. So your job will include rebooting them. And that is what that tablet is for."
"I see..." Saphira had no idea that is what occurred during the night. That was kind of unsettling, but Saphira doubted that there would be little trouble about it. "And what about the automatic doors at the front?"
"Ah, don't worry about them!" Mike waved his hand casually, as though that was normal. "They are locked when the place closes at night, Saphira. It will be part of your job to check the different points of entry into the building anyway, so you will be able to double check to make sure that the staff have locked the place down correctly."
"That is good. Makes things easier that way," Saphira said with confidence after listening to him. "Are there any other things that I need to do? Aside from keeping the place tidy, as well, though I imagine cleaners do that anyway."
Mike chuckled a little. "No, that is pretty much it. Just check the doors, keep an eye on the cameras and be quick on rebooting the system. That is pretty much it." Saphira nodded slowly as she still seemed to be quite interested in what she was hearing. "So...what do you think? Would it be something you could do on your own? Normally, we don't hire anyone under seventeen, but I know there are many who are mature and responsible at that age. You aren't going to be sneaking parties in here, are you?"
"Absolutely not! I..." Saphira's expression changed quickly for a moment and she gave him a sad expression. "I lost my friend after the accident. She turned into a bully. So...no parties from me at all. Just a girl who wants...something to do. And I'm a night owl, so this works for me, and I can see I can fit some school in as well."
"And would you be able to start tonight?" Her face immediately turned to shock, because she was not expecting it. "I know it is very sudden, but we have no one to do nightshift. I have uniforms ready, so you don't need to worry about that. But if you could be here at eight-thirty so I can give you your uniform and badge, and a rundown on how to clock into the system, that will be good. It will give us the time we need to tour the place so you know where things are."
Saphira had no idea how to respond, but the fact he was offering her to start tonight made her feel excited. And she smiled as she thought about it. "Well...yes. I have nothing on, but sleep tonight. Though I'll have to have a nap before coming here. I will certainly be here tonight...that is, if you have no other interviews."
"Honestly, you were the only one to apply today." That was not a surprise, as not everyone wants to work a night shift. Mike extended his hand to her and Saphira flinched in surprise. "Congratulations, Saphira. I want to officially welcome you back, and joining the official team here at Fazbear's."
Saphira giggled a little as she shook his hand, feeling overwhelmed at the moment. "Thank you, so much. This means a lot to me..." She took a deep breath and pulled herself together. "I will not let you down, Michael. I promise that I will do a good job."
"Oh, I know you will." Mike stood up from his chair, and so did Saphira. "When you get here tonight, come through the front door, and be sure to let the front desk guys know who you were. Mandy won't be here when you arrive, just to let you know." She nodded as she understood as Mike gestured for her to leave the office before him, and she walked out of the door quickly. "Feel free to walk around before you head home if you want. I know you might remember some of the places, but it's been a while..."
"I think I will wait until you give the grand tour tonight, Mike," Saphira responded to him politely as they walk down the hallway. "I am kind of overwhelmed with excitement and anxiety right now, so I kind of need a bit of time to unwind before coming back."
Mike chuckled lightly as he seemed to understand. "I understand. Giving yourself time to get yourself into the right mindset is a good idea. I completely understand, but if you change your mind, you are free to walk around."
"Thank you." Saphira did consider taking up the offer, as she did want to walk around to take it all in.
But she felt that she wanted to wait until night. She knew seeing the place alive and colourful would be nice, but Saphira did want to walk around and look around at the pizzeria on her own when she did get the chance. It was certainly something she could not wait to do. And she knew one of the things she wanted to do was to find Springtrap. Mike never mentioned if anything new was done for him in their conversation, so she assumed there was none. And she felt bad for him.
When Mike led Saphira out back into the hallway, she could not help but walk to the door of Fredbear's dining room to look inside. She was surprised to find the room was empty at the moment. She guessed that the kids and adults in here have gone to do something else. It was after lunch now. The only one left alone was Fredbear. And he was still on stage. But his eyes were looking right at her. And Saphira guessed he was waiting for someone to come in.
She smiled a little, knowing she had missed him. Though as she glanced around the room again, and looked back at Fredbear, she noticed he seemed to have a confused expression. That seemed odd, but she just shrugged and walked away from the doorway to make her way out. Though she took her time to do that, because she looked towards the main dining room, and considered going to see Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy. But she decided not to.
I will see them tonight. They aren't going anywhere, so I know I'll see them. And Springtrap too.
Standing in the large room, gazing at the doorway towards the main dining room, before looking in the direction of the Toy Plaza. She did know that most of the hallways were connected. There was a long pathway from the main dining room that curved around the back of the building back to the Haunted Classroom. Though, people generally would go the Toy Plaza direction to get to the Haunted Classroom. She smiled, knowing she would get to see everything soon. She sighed and turned to walk back towards the archway to make her way out of the restaurant. She was excited, but she was also worried. She would have to tell her parents about it. And she knew that they were going to flip out on her.