Year 1973...
Children's POV12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1FauhiULG
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXOF6OFACH
Susie jumped out of the car and race into the Freddy's Pizzeria for another day of fun. Against the walls were a bunch of arcade games. On stage was Freddy, Bonnie and Chica. Near by was Pirate's Cove, where Foxy stood, entertaining children with stories.
"Susie! Over here!" A voice called. Susie looked around. At one of the tables, she could see her three friends; Jeremy, Gabriel, and Fritz. Jeremy waved her over.
Susie's eyes lit up as she spotted her friends. She darted past the other tables, the bright lights and sounds buzzing all around her. Her friends were seated at a table near the stage, where Freddy, Bonnie and Chica were performing a lively tune.
She reached the table, breathless and grinning. "Hey, guys!" she exclaimed, plopping down in the seat next to Gabriel.
You missed it!" Fritz said with excitement.
Susie tilted her head. "Missed what?"
Jeremy leaned forward, practically bouncing in his seat. "Fritz was so close to beating the high score on Bonnie's Bass Blast-but then he choked at the last second!"
Fritz groaned, flopping back in his chair. "I did not choke! The buttons stuck! That machine is rigged!"
Gabriel, who had been quietly sipping his soda, gave a small shrug. "From what I heard it was another kid who raged after failing the last level."
Maggie walked up to the table, holding her notepad in her hand and giving Fritz a playful scowl.
"It was his fault!" Fritz blurted, pointing at Jeremy.
Maggie raised an eyebrow, tapping her notepad against her hip. "Oh? Jeremy, you sabotaging Fritz's gaming career now?"
Jeremy smirked, holding up his hands in defense. "Hey, I didn't do anything! Fritz just can't handle the pressure!"
Fritz gasped dramatically, clutching his chest like he'd been mortally wounded. "I CAN handle the pressure! The game was rigged! Tell her, Gabriel!"
Gabriel, still calmly sipping his soda, just shrugged again. "I dunno. Looked like a choke to me."
Susie giggled as Fritz threw his arms in the air in exasperation. Maggie shook her head, scribbling in her notepad. "Alright, sore loser, what are you eating today? Lemme guess-whole pizza, two minutes flat?"
Fritz grinned. "You know it!"
Maggie sighed in mock defeat. "One of these days, you're gonna give yourself a stomachache, and I am not letting you blame me."
She turned to the others. "Susie-extra pepperoni, right?"
Susie beamed. "Yep!"
Maggie jotted it down before glancing at Jeremy and Gabriel. "And for you two?"
Jeremy stretched his arms behind his head. "I'll take the usual-extra cheese, and a soda."
Gabriel hesitated for a second before quietly saying, "Just... a small pizza. Pepperoni...I guess."
Maggie nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "You got it, kiddo." She flipped her notepad shut. "Alright, I'll be back in a few! And Fritz-pace yourself this time."
Maggie walked off toward the kitchen. The four friends looked at each other.
"Soo...what do we wanna do?" Susie asked.
"We can see if Foxy is telling any new stories today," Fritz suggested, already turning toward Pirate's Cove.
Jeremy shrugged. "When does he not?"
The group stood up and wove their way through the maze of tables, the familiar hum of the arcade games and chatter filling the air.
Fritz, already in the lead, started humming a pirate song, making exaggerated swashbuckling gestures with his arms. Jeremy followed, throwing in his own dramatic voice. "Arr matey, ye best watch out for the scurvy crew!" he said, doing his best pirate impression.
Gabriel trailed behind, a small smile tugging at his lips, though he was quiet as always. He was probably more interested in hearing the story than acting out one.
As they reached Pirate's Cove, Foxy stood by the curtain, his bright red fur a stark contrast against the dimly lit corner. He stood tall, almost looming, with his one visible eye glinting in the light from the stage. His hook gleamed as if it were a part of the story he was about to tell.
"Ahoy there, ye scallywags!" Foxy's voice boomed, startling a couple of nearby kids. He grinned, a wide, toothy smile that almost looked mischievous. "Ye come to hear tales of the high seas, eh?"
Fritz didn't hesitate, practically leaping toward the stage. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Foxy chuckled, adjusting his hook. "Aye, ye scallywags! Gather 'round, gather 'round! Let ol' Foxy tell ye a tale of the high seas!"
He cleared his throat dramatically, his lone eye twinkling mischievously. "There once was a ship-a grand, fine ship-called the Sea Serpent. Now, this ship wasn't your ordinary vessel. She had an appetite, you see. Not for food or drink, but for sailors."
The kids gathered around, wide-eyed and intrigued, as Foxy's voice dropped low, pulling them into the story.
"Every time the ship set sail, the crew would hear strange sounds coming from the depths of the ocean. Rumors spread-whispers of a monster that lurked beneath the waves, a beast whose hunger could not be satisfied. Some said it was a serpent so huge, it could swallow a man whole. Others said it was the ship herself, hungry for the souls of those who sailed her."
Fritz leaned in, hanging on every word. "Did the crew ever escape?"
Foxy rubs his chin. "Aye, but when the captain finally laid eyes on the beast... turns out, it weren't no serpent at all! It was... a giant sea chicken!"
The kids burst into laughter. Chica turned her head, her eyes squinting at Foxy.
Foxy nods, serious as ever. "Aye, an' ye know what happened next? The ship's cook-Ol' Salty Sam-offered it some crackers. An' wouldn't ye believe it? The beast gobbled 'em up an' started dancin'!"
Chica blinked, facing the crowd again.
"From that day on, the ship had a pet sea chicken, an' the crew never went hungry again!"
The children clapped, applauding Foxy's storytelling.
Maggie then walked up to the group. "Pizza's ready kiddos. Go eat it before the sea monster gets it."
The kids looked back at their tables, where hot plates of pizza were sitting.
Fritz gasped. "MY PIZZA!"
Without hesitation, he bolted toward the table, nearly knocking over a kid on his way. "Outta my way, landlubbers!" he shouted, making a dramatic leap into his chair.
By the time the rest of the group made it back to the table, Fritz was already halfway through his pizza, scarfing it down like he hadn't eaten in days.
Jeremy plopped into his seat and gawked at him. "Dude. Breathe."
Susie giggled as she picked up a slice of her own. "You eat like Foxy's sea monster is actually after you."
Jeremy snorted. "At this rate, you're gonna turn into the sea monster."
Fritz, still chewing, pointed at him. "Better than bein' sea chicken food."
Maggie strolled up, arms crossed, giving Fritz a look. "You better not be inhaling that pizza in two minutes flat again."
Fritz swallowed dramatically. "No, no, this time I'm goin' for one minute flat."
Maggie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I am not calling an ambulance for you, Fritz."
Gabriel, quietly nibbling his slice, mumbled, "At least let him finish first."
Susie grinned. "Or we can tell Foxy to save him for the sea chicken."
After stuffing themselves with pizza, the kids head straight for the arcade. Fritz, still seething from his loss earlier, slams a token into Bonnie’s Bass Blast. "This time, I’m gonna win. No distractions. No sabotage. No rigged buttons.”
Jeremy smirks. "You mean no choking again?”
Fritz gasps dramatically. “I DIDN’T CHOKE!”
Susie giggles. Gabriel just takes a sip of his soda.
Fritz starts the game, laser-focused. His fingers fly over the buttons. His score climbs higher and higher. The others actually start cheering. Could this be it? Is he finally gonna do it?!
Fritz hits the last note… but the button sticks again.
“No, no, NO!”
The screen flashes—GAME OVER.
A single ticket comes out. One.
Fritz stared silently at the single ticket.
Jeremy immediately loses it. “PFFT—”
Susie tries to hold in her laugh but fails miserably.
Gabriel takes another sip of his soda. “Tough break.”
Maggie, who just happens to walk by at that moment, stops and sees the one ticket, then pats Fritz on the back. “Hey, at least you can buy, like… half a Tootsie Roll.”
After a few more games, the kids gather their tickets. Jeremy dumps his onto the counter. “Alright, let’s see what we got.”
Susie plops hers on top. Fritz dramatically throws his single ticket onto the pile.
Gabriel silently drops a massive stack of tickets.
Everyone stares.
Fritz shook his head. “…Where were you getting all of those?!”
"Skee-Ball.” Gabriel replies. "Can I have the Freddy Plush?"
The employee nodded with a smile, reaching for one of the large Freddy plushies on the top shelf.
Fritz stares at Gabriel’s towering stack of tickets, eyes wide. "Skee-Ball? Skee-Ball?! You’re just sitting there throwing balls into the hole for HOURS?!"
Gabriel, totally unbothered, shrugs. “It’s the best game.”
Jeremy laughs. “Dude, you could’ve literally won the arcade if you’d used those tickets for something cool, like a slingshot or one of those glowing rings. But nooo, you’re going for the big plush.”
Gabriel doesn’t even flinch. “I like Freddy.”
Fritz groans, rubbing his forehead. "I’m stuck with this one ticket, and you’re getting a Freddy plushie?"
The employee, who’s clearly heard this before from multiple kids, just smiles and grabs the plushie down from the shelf, handing it over to Gabriel like it’s no big deal.
Meanwhile, Susie was already plotting to spend her own tickets. “I’m getting the little puzzle.”
Jeremy’s busy eyeing up the little prizes. "I want something cool, like a toy sword or sunglasses."
Fritz, still pouting over his single ticket, raised a brow as Gabriel pushed his left over tickets towards him.
"I just wanted the Freddy plushie. You can have these." said Gabriel.
Fritz blinked, completely caught off guard. He stared at the pile of tickets Gabriel had just pushed toward him like they were golden treasures, as if they'd somehow become magical in that instant.
Fritz squinted at the glorious pile of tickets before him, then turned to the prize wall. So many choices. So much power. He could get something practical, something cool…
He slammed his hands on the counter. “I want the biggest thing you got.”
The employee raised an eyebrow. “Uh… you sure?”
Jeremy and Susie exchanged looks. Gabriel cuddled his Freddy Plush.
Fritz nodded, dead serious. “Give me the Gator.”
The employee hesitated, then turned and pointed to the prize.
Sitting on the highest shelf was a five-foot-long plush alligator. Bright green, slightly lopsided, and utterly majestic.
Jeremy’s jaw dropped. “Dude. There is no way you’re carrying that thing around.”
Fritz grinned. “Watch me.”
The employee passed down the massive gator plush. Fritz immediately hoisted it over his shoulders like some kind of warrior carrying a legendary weapon.
Jeremy smirked. "Happy now?"
Fritz nodded.
