"What is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it." – Jiddu Krishnamurti
…
A gentle breeze brushed her hair as Macarona exited the house and sauntered down the path to the road in front of her, stopping briefly to admire the pretty flowers she had planted beside it just the day before with her friends. Her little garden was established quite nicely, a surprise in of itself since Rawberry wanted to eat some of them and sleep on others too. The angel chuckled at the memory of yesterday, her whining to the pink haired demon about how she should get off the tulips and daisies and stop eating the sunflowers. Yosafire wanted to make some flower crowns, but Froze simply told her she could do that in the other garden on the outskirts of the Grey Garden.
It was a favorite place Yosafire and Macarona liked to visit, sometimes with Froze and Rawberry too unless the other angel was working in Blancblack Castle while Rawberry was busy eating or sleeping. Occasionally it was either her and Yosafire together, or sometimes just one of them alone. It was a peaceful spot in the Grey Garden, and Macarona wanted to recreate some of its splendor and beauty by buying seeds at the florist's shop Rawberry's sister, Raspbel, worked at and planting them in the ground. It would've taken weeks for the flowers to grow, sometimes not always successfully since they didn't develop fully all the time, but Ms. Etihw passed by on a stroll and took notice of the group's little project. The Goddess came over to personally bless the flowers Macarona and her friends planted, and within seconds they all grew perfectly to allow the girls an opportunity to marvel over Etihw' magic.
It was a shame Etihw couldn't enjoy it for too long as Mr. Wodahs and Mr. Kcalb showed up to bring her back to the castle since she was just finding a way to escape work and be lazy. Not that there was anything wrong with wanting to relax, though Ms. Etihw really had to get back to work even though she preferred to avoid it entirely. Being one of the two primary people in charge of the Grey Garden meant she had to take her responsibilities seriously and do her work.
After having knelt down by the flowers to smell each of them while basking in that memory as the sun shone down upon her and the rest of the village, Macarona slowly stood up and strolled down the road. She stretched her arms high in the air and crossed them behind her head as she took in the sights of watching fellow angels play with demons and converse with them, thankful for the peace Ms. Etihw and Mr. Kcalb established for the Grey Garden so they wouldn't have to fight each other anymore. Life was not always like this, however; there was the war before the two of them settled down and constructed the Grey Garden, plus Ivlis' invasion the previous year. And yet everybody and the Grey Garden itself fully recovered from those conflicts because here, in the Grey Garden, peace was everlasting. There were no interior conflicts aside from playful spats and everyone got along very well. Exterior conflicts posed a problem, though Ms. Etihw's protective stones were located around the Grey Garden's borders, keeping this place safe from outside harm.
Macarona closed her eyes briefly to take in the scent of the peaceful atmosphere, opening them as younger children ran by and waved hello to her. She returned the wave and continued on her way to her favorite café, one of two eating establishments in the Grey Garden, the other being an ordinary restaurant. Spring break had already begun earlier that morning—technically on Saturday—so Macarona and her friends agreed to meet for lunch that day and discuss what everyone was doing so far. From their conversation last Friday, they were all going to get part time jobs over the break to raise money for a fundraising charity project they wanted to do at school.
Froze was the only exception since her work would be full time temporarily because she already worked at Blancblack Castle, so Yosafire opted to be her assistant. Rawberry would work at the florist's with Raspbel and two other angels her sister was friends with. Dialo and Chelan had found work at the local library near Froze's house. That left Macarona because she didn't find one for herself yet, though a recent ad in today's paper gave her an idea she had to take; not because it was something she wanted to do, it was due to the fact that there weren't any positions anywhere else, leaving her with one part time job she couldn't refuse for that reason.
Coming up to the café now, Macarona already saw Yosafire and Chelan at a table outside on the patio in front of the establishment. Chelan noticed her first and tapped Yosafire to indicate the other angel's arrival, uttering a small hum to welcome their friend. "Macarona," the demon stood up and waved to her, "over here!"
"Chelan, Yosafire," Macarona replied with a smile as she came by to sit down next to the latter, "it's good to see you. Are you both doing well?"
Chelan nodded happily in response as Yosafire answered her. "Yep!" she said cheerfully with her eyes closed for a moment. "We're doing great. The others went inside to see what they'll get, but we already know what we want." Yosafire held up a menu and opened it to a page showing a picture of cheesy pasta. "I'm getting macaroni and cheese!" she exclaimed with a huge grin on her face while Chelan opened her menu to a picture of stuffed shells.
"You sure know your stomach well, Yosafire," Macarona chuckled, the joke also making the demon laugh happily as they both sat down while the other girls came back out.
"You bet! It's one of my closest friends besides you girls!"
"Oh," Dialo quipped, sitting down while taking a napkin to hang it from her collar so it covered her neck to prevent food from falling onto it. "I wasn't aware you sent another invitation without our knowledge of it. Though we are well acquainted with your stomach, why did you not think to introduce us until now?" she inquired, somewhat sarcastically which made Yosafire and Rawberry laugh. "Or did you think to smuggle it here with us unaware?"
"Yeah, sorry about that!" Yosafire laughed.
"At least I'm honest with my food!" Rawberry clapped her hands together, laughing while daydreaming of her own fantasy meal. Everyone knew she was referring to meat of some kind, but luckily for them—and unfortunately for Rawberry—the café did not serve meat like the restaurant.
"You both could stand to go on a diet," Froze remarked, making Yosafire cringe slightly.
"But Froze!" the demon protested in an attempt to persuade her friend that macaroni was good food, even shoving the picture of it in the menu in the angel's face. "It tastes so good!" She turned to other pages and showed her the food on those pages too. "They're all delicious! How can you even suggest that when there's so much scrumptious food to eat?!"
Froze simply pushed the menu away gently, being careful not to knock anything over on the table after Yosafire almost did. "I didn't say you had to diet now; it was a suggestion."
"So I can still savor the joys of food?!"
"Yes, but still be sure to handle it all in moderation," Froze said with a small smile which Yosafire returned with one of her own grins.
"I can agree to that."
"At least I don't need to diet unless big sis says so," Rawberry remarked as she and Yosafire laughed at her comment while Chelan hummed as Dialo, Macarona, and Froze chuckled.
"Yes, I'm sure she'll be quite upset if you gain a little too much weight," Macarona joked as a demon waiter came over to the table for their orders.
Yosafire piped up cheerfully with her macaroni and cheese as Froze ordered a simple plate of ravioli. Dialo ordered stuffed shells for herself and Chelan. Rawberry wanted some pizza, and Macarona, after looking through the menu, went for a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. All six of them decided to have green tea in addition to the meals they ordered. It wasn't much of a variety, but it didn't matter because that wasn't important.
"So," Yosafire began the conversation as everyone settled down after placing their orders, "how is everybody doing at their jobs?"
Dialo nodded in response as she spoke up first. "Chelan and I enjoy the library. It is a quiet place so we can focus on the work we do, plus the solitude sometimes makes for good reading as we only have to organize the books alphabetically by author and subject and check them out when customers come in to rent them for a while," she explained. "We have dealt with a few customers so far this morning, and the manager is pleased with our first impression on them."
"My job at the florist's is surprisingly peaceful as well," Rawberry spoke up next. "I get to work alongside big sis as we tend to the flowers in the nursery with her friends and sell them too. I would have preferred something more exciting, but I'm glad to be with big sis. I only wish you were there too, Macarona, but sadly we don't have another position available."
"That's quite alright, Rawberry," Macarona said with a polite smile while closing her eyes. "To be honest, I haven't found anything until this morning, so it's not like I really have a choice in the matter whether the job I found is one I want to do or not."
"Why's that?" Froze inquired out of curiosity. "I would have thought there were more jobs available for students looking to do part time work over the break like you girls."
"I know," Macarona nodded in agreement, "but there really weren't any this time. I made calls while reading today's paper to find that plenty of the part time jobs advertised were taken by other people, except for one job in particular which does not seem like something I would normally do. But what can I do? Like I said, I don't have much of a choice; it's either that or nothing."
"Tell us about it," Yosafire requested as she rested her arms on the table. "Do not omit any details. Let's hear what this particular job of yours."
"It's something of a surprise," Macarona answered sheepishly.
"Aw, you won't tell us?" Rawberry asked, her facial expression suggesting she was not too happy with her best friend's odd secrecy. "Rawberry won't laugh."
"N-no, nothing like that, Rawberry," the angel said to try and put her friend at ease. "I just think it would be better for the moment to tell you girls about it after you've all finished with your accounts, that's all. And I appreciate the show of support."
"Is that so, huh?" Froze commented as the waiter arrived with their food and handed their meals to each of them. "Well, I guess I might as well describe my job in Blancblack Castle, though you already know what I do. To reiterate, my job is largely similar to the work Dialo and Chelan do at the library, but I also handle paperwork as well. It can be difficult at times, but I'm fine with my job. Surprisingly enough, Yosaf has been a great assistant," she ended her explanation with a compliment to her best friend and a small smile as she took a sip of her green tea. "Since she had taken the job a couple days ago on Saturday, the work has gone by at a quicker pace so we can get more done. I'm actually amazed at how diligent she is; even Ms. Greif said so too when she noticed Yosaf working hard at her job, but she hopes Yosafire would show that same attitude in school."
"Well, what can I say, Froze?" Yosafire inquired happily. "You and I, we're a team! We can do anything whenever we're together!" Although Froze didn't verbally respond to that, she expressed her gratitude with a small smile and a nod of approval before Yosafire turned her focus back to Macarona. "Alright, now that you've heard about our jobs, let's hear yours, Macarona. Do speak up and tell us all the little details too."
Macarona took a deep breath and prepared to give her friends the news. It was definitely a surprise, and it was going to come at them as such. She knew they wouldn't have expected it from their reactions which would surface as facial expressions after hearing her talk about the job. The most unexpected job she could have taken. "Alright," she finally spoke up after a few moments of silence, steeling herself for the big reveal. "You all know Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts near the food store, right?" she inquired, starting her surprise with a question to lead into her part of the discussion. "The place that displays artwork, sculptures, pottery, things like that?"
"Go on," Dialo encouraged her to continue as she and the other girls nodded to confirm the rhetorical inquiry the angel was making.
"Wait, let me guess," Yosafire spoke up. "You got a job working as a tour guide there, did you? Does that mean you can give us free tours?"
"Don't spoil the surprise, Yosaf," Froze remarked, "let Macarona relate it for us. She is the one telling this story, not us, so it is only fair that she does the explaining as we did with our own accounts." She turned back to the angel. "You may continue, Macarona."
"Thanks Froze, and you are wrong Yosafire. In fact, you're not even close," Macarona said as she was almost done with her sandwich. "You are correct that I am going to work in the museum as heavily implied by my questions, but the position available is—how do I put it?—off the record, if you will. As a matter of fact, it's not a position I would normally go for like I just said minutes ago, but circumstances left me with only that specific job offering."
"Then what is it?" Rawberry inquired, leaning forward as she anticipated Macarona's big reveal. "Just get straight to the point, Macarona; don't leave us hanging here any longer."
Macarona sighed and took another deep breath. "Very well, as you wish." Rawberry leaned in further as did Chelan and Yosafire, the three of them eager to hear what the job was. "The job I took…" she began as they inched closer.
"The job that was available…"
She could feel their anticipation growing.
"The job I had to take…"
It looked as if they were going to froth at the mouths at any moment. While Macarona did want to let them savor it, she felt she'd skirted around the subject long enough. It was a little fun while it lasted, though she took a sip of her green tea and took a quick glance at her watch before she sighed. "Alright," she finally said as a matter-of-factly, "this approach won't do. I'll just come right out and say it since I'm almost running out of time."
"You have to get back to work?" Dialo asked, much to the disappointment of two demons and one angel who were obviously looking forward to the big reveal.
"No, I am going in to speak with the curator about the job which is why I ordered a lighter lunch than you girls, but I still have a bit of time to describe the job as best I can," Macarona said as she finished her sandwich and wiped the crumbs of her mouth with a napkin. She put her arms on the table and looked around the table at her friends, deciding it was either now or later as she took a third deep breath. "For the next seven nights, including tonight as a matter of fact, I will be working as the museum's night guard," she finally said as she got that off her chest.
She expected it, but their silence was still slightly unnerving. Macarona clearly knew the news of her job shocked everyone there. Even Rawberry, who was usually unfazed by pretty much anything, just stared at the angel in utter disbelief. Chelan was always silent, but this sudden turn in the discussion actually left her mouth hanging agape. They all didn't say anything until Yosafire spoke up to parrot the last bit from Macarona's declaration. "The museum's night guard?"
Macarona nodded. "That's right."
"I don't know what should surprise me more," Froze stated as she took time to let it sink in, "the job, or your weird stoicism at seeing our reactions."
"Yeah, about that…" Macarona chuckled sheepishly, "I was surprised myself after talking to the curator on the phone earlier this morning. He said we'd talk about what I shall be doing as the night guard once I arrive and then ask if I still wanted to go through with it or not. I figured it would come as a surprise to you girls too, so I was a little prepared for that."
"Wait, why would you even want to work at such a place during the night?" Yosafire asked with a nervous look on her face. "Have you not heard the rumors about the museum?"
This caught Macarona's attention as the demon's inquiry now made her afraid and rather curious. Perhaps it was because of how eerie Yosafire sounded, but it was likely the fact that she didn't know what rumors she was talking about. "What rumors?" she asked for clarification.
"The rumors about how those animatronics they use at the museum are really monsters out for the blood of angels and demons!" Rawberry exclaimed menacingly, perhaps hoping her tactic would scare the angel into not taking the job. Unfortunately, Macarona was used to her behavior and knew Rawberry's tricks quite well. Needless to say, the mischievous demon's plan failed.
"Right…" she said somewhat sheepishly with a hint of blatant sarcasm. "Yeah, I'm quite sure that is just a rumor meant to scare kids like us."
"But it's true!" Yosafire protested as Dialo held her hand out in front of her to motion for the other demon to sit back down. "It's really true! They really are monsters!"
"A rumor is just a rumor," she said calmly. "It does not have proof to support it unless there is solid evidence backing up whatever the assertion is. If I said there were blue pears, I'd need to prove it by finding a blue pear. I cannot paint it because that would be lying to trick others into the belief that the pear is blue. Now you two stop scaring Macarona so she doesn't enter a fit of fright."
"Well said, Dialo," Macarona complimented her, "and thanks for the support." She stood up as she pulled out her wallet to pay for her meal, having memorized the cost of her sandwich and the tea. "Sorry for leaving so soon, but I really have to get going now. I don't want to be late for a part time job I wasn't even hired for yet."
"Good luck!" Froze called out as their friend began to leave.
"You'll need it!" Rawberry also called out to the angel in a mischievous voice.
"Yes, I certainly will!" Macarona turned around to wave at them. "Goodbye!"
…
The establishment before her was everything Macarona had seen in the ad from the paper. She had also noticed this place from time to time whenever she went to the food store as well, and the angel always felt a sense of pure beauty emanating from this place. It now felt stronger as she stood in front of it and gazed up at its exquisitely shaped Gothic walls with gargoyles perched atop various spots along the roof. The building was two stories high with a large porch at the head of several stairs leading up to the main doors. An overhead roof hung above it with Gothic pillars on it to hold the roof in place. Beautiful stained glass windows dotted the building, and Macarona saw at least twelve of them on the front wall, six on each side of the doors, three per floor. Above the structure was a large sign that read "Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts." This was the place she would be working at for the week, specifically seven nights at Clarabella's.
Other angels and demons came and went to and from the museum as Macarona walked up the stairs to the double doors and opened them. Stepping through the threshold inside, her awe increased as she marveled at all of the exhibits in the lobby. In the very center of the first floor was a massive tree constructed from clay with decorative paper as its leaves and the name of the museum carved into the front of it. Display cases with works of pottery, jewelry, and several other forms of artwork lined the wall as did paintings and drawings that hung above them. To her left was a wing devoted entirely to pottery, to the right another wing dedicated to paintings. A map on the wall near her pointed out that two additional wings were upstairs on the second floor. They were the wings for sculptures and jewelry. It was not a big museum, but it had almost everything.
Heading over to the reception desk where an angel and demon were chatting amicably, she picked up a brochure for the museum and looked through it to get an idea of what the exhibits were like. Macarona had never been to Clarabella's before, so she wanted to get acclimated to the place she would hopefully be working for part time over spring break. As she finished reading it, the attendants noticed her after their conversation and turned to speak with her. "Excuse me," the angel inquired as she got Macarona's attention, "may we help you Miss?"
"Oh, yes, hi," Macarona spoke up as she closed the brochure and held her hand out to shake their hands. "My name's Macarona. I called earlier about the position of being a night guard."
"Oh, you're the new girl," the demon commented as she shook Macarona's hand. "The one coming here for part time work, correct?" she inquired to which Macarona nodded. "Yes, we heard about you from Xerxes. He told us to let you know he'll be waiting for you up on the second floor." She pointed up to where Xerxes office was, indicating that it was near the center of the back wall.
"Ah, thanks," Macarona bowed to show her gratitude as she began to head towards one of the nearby elevators to go up. "Have a good day."
"You too," the angel said as Macarona turned to leave. "Oh, and by the way," she called after her, "you're pretty brave for taking that job. I sure wouldn't want to be here late at night with those animatronics we've got here running around!"
"Yeah, thanks again," Macarona replied, noting the comment about the animatronics. That was the second time she heard about them, the first being when Rawberry and Yosafire brought it up at the café. Perhaps that rumor may have had some truth to it after all, but Macarona brushed it off as nothing more than that. This place might have used animatronics, but that in of itself didn't mean they were dangerous unless the animatronics malfunctioned and possibly went haywire.
As Macarona stepped in front of the elevator and pressed the call button while waiting for the elevator to come down, she spied a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye and turned in the direction it came from. An animatronic, one of the several this place appeared to have, walked over to a group of children with balloons and a box of handmade crafts for each of them. It looked like an ordinary construct, nothing too serious because it came across as quite friendly. Impressions could be deceiving, but she wasn't fazed in the slightest since the animatronic didn't look strong. Macarona was actually very strong for a shy, timid angel like her, so if an animatronic came after her she could crush it easily in her grip; though the museum probably wouldn't allow it and she'd be in a lot of trouble for destroying it even though it would've been in self-defense.
The animatronic was in the form of an angelic warrior decked out in heavy armor with a plastic sword attached to its belt. Its bright colored armor was painted gold and blue, while the sword was green. It didn't make much sense why it would be built like that, so that was a question Macarona could ask Xerxes when she met with him upstairs.
The elevator door opened and she stepped inside after the people inside came out. Pressing the button for the second floor, Macarona rode it up there and walked out onto the floor as two men stepped out of the office she was pointed to. One of them was an angel attired in a blue t-shirt, jeans, and regular shoes. He appeared to be an average visitor to the museum, but a nametag on his shirt read "Marcus, Head of Sculptures," indicating that he was one of the executive employees. The other man, a demon with a black ponytailed style haircut, was dressed in a light green jacket over a red t-shirt, jeans, and brown boots. His nametag read "Xerxes, Museum Curator."
They were conversing about a possible addition to the museum as Macarona approached them when they finished speaking. "Excuse me, sir," she asked as he turned to face her while the other angel he was talking with went in the other direction, "would you happen to be Mr. Xerxes?" Although she had read his nametag clearly, Macarona still wanted to confirm if it was him.
He nodded in response as he then spoke up. "Why yes, young lady. How might I help you?"
"Hi, I'm Macarona," she introduced herself and held her hand to shake his. "We spoke over the phone earlier about my application for part time work as a night guard."
"Ah, Macarona," he said as he allowed her to enter his office. "Come right in. I've been expecting you. You've come a bit earlier than I expected."
"I have, yes," she admitted. "I wanted to see what this place was like before the job so I can determine what I'm required to do."
"Excellent," Xerxes complimented her diligence. "You look like a great candidate for the job. I'm impressed you're considering the position over something else that might be available."
"To be honest, I have been looking at other job offerings. I called several other places, but any positions were all taken," Macarona said as Xerxes sat down behind his desk and nodded.
"So it's not like you had much of a choice in the matter, I see."
"You could say that," Macarona responded as she too sat down across from him after she had a good look around his office. There were file cabinets against one wall and a bookshelf across from them on the other side. Shelves were lined up neatly and hung over the floor with various works of craftsmanship sitting in respective spots. Xerxes' desk looked very neat with a calendar mat on top of it, a pencil holder with several pencils in it at one corner, a stack of documents over by another corner, and a picture of his family as well.
"Well, in any case I'm glad you arrived," Xerxes said as he brought out a contract for her to sign. "You can hold onto this for a bit. Don't sign it yet until after the interview in case you change your mind. First I want to ask about the basics, the kind of questions an employer asks to form an impression of the applicant, that kind of stuff. Then I'd like to show you around the wings of this museum to point out where the cameras are and then take you down to where your station will be. Does that sound alright to you, Macarona?"
"Yes, that's fine, Mr. Xerxes," she answered as she took the contract and looked it over carefully. Some parts of it were pretty simple to understand, but one last part caught her eye. That last bit down at the bottom talked about death under any circumstances would be investigated and thoroughly looked through to determine whether the museum was responsible. "What does this bit here mean?" she inquired about it and showed him the contract again, pointing to that section.
It wasn't that she was all that fearful of what the statement implied, but Macarona had to admit it did make her feel nervous to have read something indicating that the museum was hiding something sinister. A dark secret it wished to keep buried beneath the façade of a peaceful museum where admirers could behold stunning works of art and decorative crafts. Perhaps that rumor did have an element of truth to it after all, though it didn't hurt to confirm its validity.
"Ah, that," Xerxes took the contract back and skimmed the specific part she pointed out to him. "The previous curator put that in and with good reason. It's actually one of the last things I'm required to inform you of at the end of the interview meeting. Like I said, sign the contract if you want to after the meeting; this bit will be a key decisive factor determining whether you'll take the job or not. Are you okay with that, Macarona?"
Macarona nodded in agreement in spite of herself, though she was feeling pretty brave right now. She was scared when Ivlis invaded, but that eventually raised her spirits and gave the angel much confidence to face down Ivlis and his forces to help save the Grey Garden. The moment in particular when she finally found her courage was after an awful, idiotic flame demon wearing a pair of stupid looking shades almost killed Froze and shoved her off a cliff, making Yosafire jump off to save her. She didn't care who that jerk was, nor did she even bother to think about him; he was quite mean, but he was also a total loser for the most part. "Yes," she said to answer Xerxes' question, "I'm fine with it. I'd like to get all the facts first before I make a decision. One should never jump to any conclusions straight away without understanding everything first."
Xerxes closed his eyes and grinned. "You're a lot more thoughtful and perceptive than I'd expected. I'm sure you'll do fine if you accept. You are one of the best applicants I've spoken to, especially since you're willing to hear all about the job first."
"Thank you, sir," Macarona also closed her eyes and smiled.
"Now then," Xerxes got right down to business, "since I've already got a good impression of you from our conversation, I just need to ask you what your skills are."
"Well," Macarona began, "I am pretty strong even though I have a weak constitution. Lady Etihw herself over in Blancblack Castle even examined my strength and found my grip strength to be about five hundred. Aside from that, I'm very well organized and neat as I like everything to be in its proper place. I'm also a diligent student at school and I make sure to get all of my work done on time while inquiring for other assignments if there is more for me to do."
"Interesting," Xerxes said after nodding several times while she spoke. "You sound like an excellent candidate for the position, especially with that impressive grip strength of yours. I'm surprised you haven't considered a position in helping to move heavy objects." He joked to make her laugh. She giggled as he chuckled for a moment before resuming the conversation. "Alright, now with that out of the way, I'll show you around to acclimate you to the museum and point out where each of the cameras in the wings and the lobby are."
He stood up to head over to the door and opened it as she followed him out. Xerxes took her to the several wings in the museum, starting with the two on the second floor and finishing with the ones on the first floor. Cameras, he showed her, were located on the ceiling in each wing in each corner, one per wing. He also pointed out all of the animatronics to her, including the one animatronic Macarona had seen before. The other three included an archer clad in light blue cloth armor holding a bow; a healer wearing a brown robe and a black mask wielding a staff; and a mage shrouded in red robes with a large, plastic book in its hands. One thing Macarona noticed was that they were all angels; none of them were demons.
"Excuse me, Mr. Xerxes?" she inquired while eyeing the archer in the painting wing from where she was in the lobby as she and Xerxes returned to the elevator for one last stop on the tour.
"What's up?" he asked, pressing the button on the elevator to call it to the floor.
"Why do all of the animatronics look like angels?" Macarona asked she turned to face him. "Are there also demon animatronics as well?"
Xerxes shook his head. "No, there's not, but the answer to your first question shall make sense once I go over the history behind them after I take you to where you'll be working at night. It has to do with that one statement in the contract, but I'd rather not talk about it in public. I don't want to scare the visitors even though they're likely aware of it," he explained, raising an inquiry in Macarona's mind concerning what secrets the history held while also possibly alluding to the rumor that they were violent. Though she couldn't be sure since the two theories didn't seem to be connected, so Macarona dropped the subject for now while still allowing it acknowledgement.
The elevator came up and the doors opened as Xerxes and Macarona stepped inside it. He pushed one of the buttons on the panel that was marked to indicate they were heading down into a basement level of the establishment. "Here we are," Xerxes remarked as he presented the basement to her, "the workshops where we produce various works of arts and crafts for the museum and the gift shop on the first floor. It is a large place with the four main workshops and additional space to store seasonal pieces until the proper season comes around. Right now everything you've seen up in the museum correlates to spring, so the next works to come out are suited to summer. We also set up cameras down here as well in each of the workshops and corridors."
"I take it I'll be working somewhere down here, correct?" Macarona asked as Xerxes led her down a couple of corridors to a security office.
"Indeed, you are right," he answered as they entered the office. "For the duration of your part time job, you'll be taking over the position of the museum's night guard as we discussed. You will be working seven nights this week. The office has two doors," he pointed to each of the doors including the one they came in, "and lights outside each door with windows by them so you can see what's outside. The camera feed is here at the front of the room, one television for each set of cameras on the first and second floors and the basement. Two automatic doors are set up to close at the push of these buttons here," he pointed to the red buttons underneath the light switches, "and the camera feed will show anything going on at night in the museum. Any questions on that?"
"Just one, yes," she nodded. "Why are there automatic doors?"
"It's to keep the animatronics out," Xerxes answered her as-a-matter-of-factly.
"The animatronics?" Macarona was slightly confused, but perhaps this would validate the truth in that rumor about the animatronics attacking people.
"Yes, they're heavily involved in that one statement you read in the contract," Xerxes said as he began to explain. "You see, Macarona, these animatronics are no ordinary machines; they're actually former weapons from the war prior to when the Grey Garden was constructed."
This took Macarona by surprise. "They were…former weapons?" She allowed the last two words to roll off her tongue as she said them, taking in the realization that the animatronics were in fact built to kill. "But aren't they supposed to be safe now?"
"During the day at least," Xerxes commented as his face darkened while he continued, but he was not angry. If anything, he was now getting into one of the more serious issues with the job. "The history behind them is certainly one of bloodshed; I make no secret of that and have even put the story out in public. Arts and crafts weren't Clarabella's only specialty; she was also an engineer for the angels during the war and created the animatronics to fight against demons like myself."
Macarona put her finger to her chin as she considered that. "That explains why they look like fighters, but they have been reconfigured to be friendly, right?"
"Like I just said, they behave well only during the day," Xerxes said. "At night their servos switch back to their old programming. We tried to fix that by removing software in them to prevent the animatronics from harming people. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to."
"Why?"
"Simply put," Xerxes continued, "the previous curator who still owns the museum will not allow us to repair the animatronics unless he personally supervises maintenance. His family owns the animatronics; they are his property to use as he pleases. Updating them or doing anything else that might change their programming or damage them in some way would accrue a serious case against the museum and its staff in which we would be sued for anything done to the animatronics. I and the other executives have spoken with him about this numerous times, but he does not budge because he says these animatronics are important to his ancestor."
"So he is a descendent of Clarabella, I assume," Macarona remarked as Xerxes shrugged.
"Beats me. He never really did talk about his family often aside from very few comments. Still, the legal ramifications are in place, so there is nothing we can do about the animatronics in the way of altering their programing. All we could do is provide you the same protection policies we've offered to others in the same position as night guards."
"And these doors are your only protection policy?" Macarona inquired. "I do not mean to come across as rude and ungrateful, but it seems like the doors alone might not cut it."
"It's quite alright, Macarona," Xerxes said reassuringly, "I understand your concern. True, the doors alone are not enough. That's why we have installed sensors in the elevator to prevent the animatronics from coming down here on their own when active. We also have a separate generator running at night to keep the basement fully powered, and it is also connected to the cameras too so you can keep a close watch on the animatronics. Their behavior as weapons functions at night, as part of the original software the previous curator kept so the animatronics could function just as they did back when the war was still active and our respective people were fighting."
"I guess you might also want to consider paying them for helping to guard the museum," Macarona joked lightheartedly, hoping it would ease the tension of this conversation.
Xerxes laughed at Macarona's idea. "Yeah, the other employees and I have thought about that as well. But in all seriousness," he resumed the topic so he could finish informing her about the animatronics, "one of the reasons why we need a night guard is to prevent them from escaping the museum and wreaking havoc on the Grey Garden. We have keys to lock the doors, but there is a switch in this office to keep the doors strong and firm so they don't get broken down. It's on this panel right here on the desk," he said while pointing to the switch.
"In other words," Macarona said as she realized the significance of this job she would be taking if she decided on it, "the night guard not only protects the museum and himself or herself, but also the Grey Garden as a whole." It was an incredible weight on the shoulders of just a single individual, but Macarona had participated in the defense against Ivlis and even fought against him with her friends. His forces were legion, but there were only four animatronics here. It was actually a great deal easier than the assault, but the job still had its difficulties like getting in trouble if the animatronics were damaged in self-defense, so Macarona couldn't take up arms to protect herself.
"Exactly," Xerxes nodded. "You've hit the nail on the head, Macarona. Are there any more questions concerning the work and safety procedures?"
"A couple," Macarona replied. "First, are other night guards working with me? Second, do the safety procedures function properly so that the animatronics don't descend to the basement?"
"No, you'll be by yourself at night," Xerxes said. "The safety procedures…" Here his voice died away somewhat as he closed his hand and put it to his chin. "How shall I put this?" he asked himself while considering how best to word his answer. This gave Macarona cause for some alarm because it sounded like the safety procedures really weren't that safe as Xerxes began to explain.
"Another night guard before you complained about that. She said the animatronics actually rode the elevator down despite the sensors in place to prevent it from going to any of the floors in this museum. They can use the stairs up in in the main sections of the museum, but not the elevator. The sensors worked fine when we checked them, but somehow the animatronics still came down here even though the sensors were supposed to stop them. The previous night guard also said they even tried to tamper with the generator, but were unsuccessful. The other executives and I looked at the footage and confirmed her story, so we put extra safeguards in place so they won't tamper with it. The sensors in the elevators are also checked daily and maintained on a regular basis, so hopefully they'll work properly to keep the animatronics out. That said, something fishy must be going on around here to cause the strange malfunction in the sensors enabling them to come down."
"I see…" Macarona merely nodded to show she fully understood the pros and cons of being a night guard. It was a potentially dangerous job, one that left her incapable of fighting back not because of a handicap, but because of the legality concerning the animatronics' welfare. They were not allowed to harm or kill her even though they could somehow break that law, yet she could not do the same in self-defense. The peace and laws of the Grey Garden forbid her from protecting her life, just as this museum was meant to protect the lives of its inhabitants from animatronics while still maintaining its day to day activities and letting visitors gaze upon works of art.
"So what'll it be?" Xerxes inquired as he held the contract in his hand. "Are you sure you want the job? It's fine if you don't. I understand it can be scary to handle four animatronics alone at night, so don't force yourself into signing the contract if you really don't want to."
But Macarona already made her decision. "I'll take it," she said with a firm voice, ready to serve as the night guard for Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts. It was risky, but somebody needed to do it. If not her, someone else might come along and refuse the job entirely and possibly ward others away from the museum which would be bad for business because then the place would have to close down permanently. Macarona realized this, and knew she had to do the job for the safety of the Grey Garden. Though Xerxes said she didn't have to force herself, Macarona had no choice in the matter if she wanted to protect her home and the friends she cherished, as well as everyone else who called the Grey Garden home, angels and demons alike.
"You're very brave," Xerxes complimented her as she took the contract to sign her name to it and put her cellphone number down as well. "I really admire your courage to undergo this."
"Thanks," Macarona said simply as she finished signing and handed it back to him. "If I can help keep the Grey Garden safe, I'll do all I can in any way possible. Besides, a couple of my friends have referred to the animatronics as being deadly at lunch, and the receptionists brought it up too, so I was already somewhat familiar with the concept."
"Things like that are bound to become public knowledge at some point," Xerxes agreed. "I am glad to have let it circulate in public when I acquired the curatorship so people will know that the job can be dangerous. There are probably some secrets here, and I'm more than willing to have them disclosed to the public. Though it is possible that can drive away visitors, I like to think the truth helps portray this place favorably since people will recognize the integrity of our workforce."
"Indeed, I too strive for integrity as well," Macarona nodded. "Now tell me, sir, when do the animatronics activate during the night? Is there a specific time their old software turns on? I'd like to be well prepared by the time they become dangerous."
It never hurt to be ready for anything, especially in a place like this as the night guard.
"Certainly, the animatronics revert to their former programming from the war after eight at night. They always become active following that point, so you should come in earlier than that if you want to get ready and be prepared for them."
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Xerxes," Macarona said as she shook his hand as part of the start of their business relationship from employer to employee.
"Please, just call me Xerxes," he said as he then turned to leave the room with her. "We're an informal group of associates and friends, so we prefer referring to each other by our first names. Our attire is also casual as you may have noticed, so your current attire is just fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to head into a workshop to discuss a project with some other employees. I trust you'll be able to see yourself out on your own, I take it?"
"Yes, thank you," Macarona said as they split up to head their respective ways. She would be alone tonight and the subsequent six nights as well, on her own against four deadly animatronics capable of causing some serious harm to the Grey Garden if unleashed from their prison known to many as the museum. Once again, the fate of the Grey Garden and now Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts rested firmly upon her shoulders.
As Macarona left the museum and looked at it before going on her way, someone from up above on the second floor watched her depart and then turned to enter Xerxes' office.
…
Alright, this concludes the very first chapter of Seven Nights at Clarabella's. I have been working diligently on this for the past several days to commemorate the confirmation of Five Nights at Freddy's 3, the third installment of a great horror video game franchise. I alluded to this in Work is Never Done, and now here it is for you to read.
To be honest, I have never played Five Nights at Freddy's and its sequel, and the same goes for the Grey Garden (as some of you who have read my previous Grey Garden stories, Sick Day on the Night Shift and Work is Never Done, may know). However, I have watched let's plays of these games, so I'm quite familiar with them and what they are about.
I made several alterations to how the story flows in accordance with the Grey Garden and Five Nights at Freddy's. First, I extended the number of nights from five to seven because I felt it would be good to expand upon the story by adding in more places where I can touch upon the lore behind this specific story. It will be different from Five Nights at Freddy's lore, but shall still be similar while fitting into the lore of the Grey Garden. However, a downside is that I have to determine the content of each night so that they're all different from one another. Second, I added four hours of more time for each night to try and include more content if I can, so it will be quite a challenge to put content into chapters covering the nights. Third is the location which is original so as to fit in with the Grey Garden while still retaining the feel of Five Nights at Freddy's. It is a museum as the chapter states, and the establishment is much larger and has more cameras to focus on for each floor of the museum. Fourth, characters both in canon and original were included to capture the feel of the Grey Garden and make the story more engaging than to simply use Macarona, the animatronics, and the person over the phone. In my opinion, these ideas were necessary because they improve the story while blending the Grey Garden and Five Nights at Freddy's together into one story to form something that brings the best of both worlds together.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this as I enjoy writing it.
Disclaimers: I don't own the Grey Garden; it is owned by Mogeko. I also don't own Five Nights at Freddy's; it is own by Scott Cawthon.