Ask Goldie Anything - A Continued Interpretation (AU)

Chapter 10 Pt. 1

Fredbear looked confident, and soon their hands were linked again. He gave the smaller bear a final affirming nod, agreeing to his obligation. With that, he pushed the door open, taking Goldie inside.

***

Flashes of light. A spur of voices, then the two bears were caught in a sea of company board members, mechanical engineers, day-to-day supervisors, security guards and the like. Loud surges of chattering argument, hectic cries, and concerned pleading chorused through the crowd of purple-uniformed men and women.

It was pure chaos, unlike anything Goldie had ever seen of the workers. Once thought of to be calm and negotiable, reinstated by hurried retellings of "the night before." He caught the words amongst the horde, spilling out as young and midlife adults pushed past him, and though he couldn't feel it, the reasoning was beyond his comprehension. Suddenly it clicked, the knowledge circling through his head at once: They were in Fredbear's Family Diner, 1986, and the grown ups were questioning each other about what had occurred mere hours before opening.

"Why weren't you watching?!" came from one side of the room. "What will we tell the public?!" was yelled from another. The golden bear watched people loosen their ties before rushing out the building into whatever laid beyond the memory—and were those emergency sirens outside?—faces pale and eyes ridden with mingled fright, disgust and horror. It was the same look he'd been given by parents and their children, (by Freddy, who had stood farther than ever as Goldie cried out for help, his pleading coming out as muffled sobs of distress) as he fought to remove the suffocating feeling of a bloodied head-full of hair in his mouth. He lost himself in the guilt and anguish, ears falling flat and letting adults drag him farther away as they bustled past. That was, until Fredbear came back into view, steadily reaching for his arm, pulling Goldie out of his haze and back into the past scenery.

"It's alright," lulled the softening, yet powerful voice. "Make sure to stay close. We wouldn't want you getting lost, would we now?" Fredbear said, guiding the younger bear away from the threatening mob of confused voices. Goldie shook his head, words unable to form in his mind as the mass of grown ups grew farther, the older bear steering him towards a different, more dim and dusty hall than his most recent findings.

Why was this happening? And, also, how was this happening? Those grown ups don't even know what could've done this, Goldie pondered, long hall growing narrower as he followed in tow of the other bear. Only one thought was clear. Whatever happened now, Goldie was sure he'd already seen play out in his own time. He thought over what little he knew of how the grown ups worked, lost in thought, until silence ended and he heard talking again. He looked up at the sound of low voices, thankfully much fewer than before, and realized they'd come upon a moderately spacious work office. Entrance ajar, Fredbear looked back and smiled reassuringly at Goldie's curious worry, heading into the secluded space with Goldie at his side.

"—much too soon for a new start. We should let it die down a bit, don't you think?" Was just what they caught stepping in, quickly regarding two middle-aged men that stood in the center of the dark office. One of them, Goldie recognized with newly-lit eyes, was Henry, same brown hair, glasses and mustache he'd seen out in the rain. The one they'd heard speak, the other man, placed himself in darkened shadows, features hidden. His distinct voice was grave and raspy, a comparison to Henry's smooth and composed as the man responded in disagreement.

"You know what people will say. We have to initiate this now—it's better than waiting it out for far too long." The manager shook his head, much to the shadow-obscured man's dissent as he replied.
"But think of it this way," the other started, "We make 'em all think the diner's reputation is completely over. And then, we surprise them, and we're back in business. Even better than before."