It's been a while. I don't know if I'll turn this into a full works, I might. I just had the idea and thought it'd be nice to write something up. Hope you enjoy!

.

.

.

.

.

With a flip of a switch, the dining room illuminated.

"Now, I know it doesn't look like much," the man said as he pried open the electrical box, "but once a buyer is found, this place will get the makeover it needs. Until then, the current owners just need someone to look after the place at night. Sometimes we get vandals… angsty, little teens trying to scare their friends, you know how it goes."

The man flipped the breaker for the security room before turning to face the newest hire. She stood in the doorway with the worn pages of the security manual pinched between her fingers. Her eyes flickered back and forth, line after line, as she skimmed the expansive list of rules and warnings all new hires had to read before accepting the job. Luckily, he was just the maintenance worker kept around to make sure this place did not fall to complete ruin. The only training he got was a quick tour and a push-broom. His eyes rose to the cobwebs strung from the corners of the rooms like the streamers that collected dust. A deep breath puffed his chest before he gave off a sigh.

"… death and dismemberment?"

The maintenance worker turned his attention to the girl who had since lowered the manual. Looks like she reached the clause everyone hesitated at.

"It's just a precaution," he told her as he pinched together his shoulders. "Just like every pack of peanuts has a warning for containing nuts. The owners just want to make sure their bases are covered. The animatronics have got quite a few jutting parts. I've been restricted from tampering with them until the new buyer sees them. So long as you don't decide to wind up the old boys, you'll be fine."

Her lips pursed in thought before she continued reading.

"Mike said your name was… Martha?"

"Magdalena," she corrected him. "Len is fine."

"Well, Len," the man said. "I'm glad all the stories of this place haven't scared you off. And, it's only for a week, you know. Unless you want to sign up for more time. College kid like you could probably use the extra cash."

Len snorted a laugh. "I think I'd have to work here the rest of my life to get the money I need."

"Never say never," the man said with a broadening smile. "Who knows? You may like it here."

As he continued his work with the breakers, Len moved further into the dining hall. The chairs were lined against the long and narrow tables. Party hats scattered the length of the table covers an fell into the same disarray the rest of the room had. Before she could further her curious wondering, Len stopped before the stairs of the stage and stared up at three of the possessions she was charged with overseeing.

"Ah," the maintenance worker called from the side of the breaker. "First time seeing them, huh?"

Len gave a silent nod as her attention was focused on mattered fur and frozen, electric smiles. A mess of wires wove through the holes in the animatronics' suits like thriving weeds and the sight of gaping, hollow eyes brought a chill to course down her spine.

With her curiosity sated, she quickly returned to the safety of the diner's foyer.

.

.

.

.

.

The maintenance worker took her room to room and showed her the layout of the cameras and audio feeds. The tour only stopped once as he took out a stool to check the camera mounted in the kitchen.

"Damn rats keep messing with the wires," he mumbled before hopping off the stool. He wiped off the dust from his hands and heaved a sigh. "I guess for the time being, you'll only have the audio for the kitchen."

"One less thing to worry about, huh?" Len crooked a smile.

"Pffst, maybe for you," he returned.

He took her down a long and narrow hallway littered with old posters and fallen streamers. With careful steps, Len danced around the discarded memorabilia from times since gone as the maintenance worker told her more about the diner that once was.

The fond words he spoke of it could not brighten the wallpaper that had dulled and curled from the walls just as it could not bring her to imagine this place housing any amount of happiness. The air was thick and stale as though she crept now through the crypts of childhood longing. A sourness of mildew stained the carpet beneath the soles of her sneakers. It took everything in her not to imagine what sort of bugs and vermin infested the nooks, crannies, and dark corners that the lack of light did not allow her to see.

"Here we are," the man said, calling her from the depths of her disgust. "Your throne awaits."

His hand patted the peeling leather of the security room chair.

Len took a deep breath and sat down in the chair while the worker booted up the computer screens.

"We've got a few training tapes for you to listen to, if you want. Mike should have shown up to give you the run down. I'm… not exactly sure why he didn't."

"Eh, it's all right. I think I've got the jist of it," Len said before glancing down to the manual laying open on her lap and thoughtlessly skimming over the words the creased paper held.

"In any case, it would have been nice for him to tell you about the inner workings of the office. I don't come in here much." The man scratched into the gruff on his cheek. "I think I've got my number written down here somewhere. If you ever need me, just give me a call."

"Will do, boss," Len said as she folded the manual and placed it on the computer desktop.

With a nod, the maintenance worker began walking down the hallway before quickly turning back around to peek into the security room. "Oh, and this place is a little weak with power. If you've got too many things running, the whole system shuts down. In the event that happens, just call me up and I'll get it all going again. You sure you're going to be all right by yourself tonight?"

"I'll be fine," Len assured him. "I'll go over the tapes and figure out the rest."

"You seem like a smart girl, I'm sure you'll be just fine." He gave her a kind smile before taking his leave. "I'll lock up behind me; you have a good night, Maggie. I'll see you first thing in the morning."

Len glanced out the security room and listened to the echo of the worker's boots against the dining room floor. A sigh passed out her nose and she turned her sight to the blinking, green-tinted monitors where she watched the man head for the door.

"It's Len," she breathed.

She glanced up to the clock on the wall.

Midnight.

Only six hours to go.

.

.

.

.

.

Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!