The Shape of Water a Five Nights at Freddy's 4 story

by Kim McFarland







It had been a long five nights.



While Calvin was desperately defending himself, Nightmare and Nightmare Fredbear were busy in a workroom not to be found on the floor plan. They were not paying attention to what the rest of their family was doing; their task was more important, in the long run, than monitoring the routine of the Hunt.



The table had been covered with scraps. Pieces of body shell, lengths of wire, whatever rods and servos and other items could be spared--all of the Nightmares had given parts of themselves. And while the others were on the Hunt, the final two Nightmares had meticulously formed from those scraps, first a miniature endoskeleton, then the completed shell of a small rabbit.



They had done this three times before. They worked quickly and efficiently, the tips of their huge claws carefully piecing together another small animatronic. This one was their best work yet. It looked, by their standards, beautiful and new, its shell complete and unbroken. It even had friendly eyes. Eyes which now stared sightlessly upward as it lay on the table.



Fredbear felt a light tap on the shoulder, and turned around. It was Bonnie. In a voice seasoned by metallic squeaks from a problematic jaw hinge the rabbit said, "It's time. Is it ready?"



"Not yet," Fredbear answered in a low voice, as if not wanting to disturb their creation.



As Fredbear left, the others looked at the rabbit on the table. The three cubs they had made before her stood around it, staring quietly. One said, "Why isn't it moving?"



Another said, "You two were like this once. It'll come to life. Just wait." He was the first of the cubs, and had watched the others being made.



Nightmare picked up the rabbit carefully and said, "It will wake up soon." The mouth in its stomach opened, and Nightmare placed the rabbit inside itself for safekeeping.



**



That Hunt ended soon thereafter. Nightmare Fredbear succeeded where the others had failed, and took no pleasure in completing his task. Now they all could rest, until Calvin called them again.



Nightmare was silent, as usual. It often thought about their collective existence. Nightmare was the one who had come up with the idea of creating helpers for Calvin, beings the size of the dolls he had once loved, to warn him of danger. With the help of the cubs, Calvin usually avoided Freddy's sneak attacks. They had tipped the odds in his favor without violating the integrity of the Hunt.



Nightmare was still holding the lifeless rabbit within itself. It took more than the assembly of a body to make a living being. The spark, the breath of life, had to enter it. It happened on its own, somehow; each time they had made a bear cub, it had started living after a little while. And when each awakened, it was part of their family, able to draw on their memories and thoughts. It knew its role without needing to be taught.



None of the Nightmares had existed before Calvin's injury. They were part of him. Nightmare believed that they were part of his soul, or that their souls had been created from his, like an amoeba splitting. It wasn't certain that that was the exact truth, but it felt that it was on the right track. When they created their 'children,' it took time for them to come to life. Nightmare believed that was because a soul was entering them, filling them like water. And, as water did, taking on the shape of the vessel it occupied.



Perhaps the Nightmares all shared one soul, Nightmare thought. It was a comforting idea. That would make them like the fingers of a hand, independent units that united to function as one whole. If that was the case, then the soul simply had to extend to fill the new body that had been added.



Nightmare's train of thought was broken by the feeling of motion within itself. It was just a twitch, but one it had been waiting for. It stayed still and alert. More motion, purposeful now. Ah!



It opened the mouth in its belly wide and held out a hand, palm upward, in front of it. The small bunny crawled out, looking around itself, eyes wide, taking in its first sight of the dingy basement workshop that was currently its world.



Nightmare lifted its hand. The rabbit turned and looked at red glowing eyes and enormous tusklike fangs against a background of utter blackness. The two stared at each other for a moment. Then Nightmare put its other hand around the rabbit to embrace it with the palm of its hand. "Welcome, Plushtrap," it said in a soft, low voice.



Plushtrap leaned back against the warm hand, unafraid of the huge claws all around itself, and closed its eyes comfortably. "Mama."



**



When the first night of the Hunt ended, Nightmare was in the back passage between the two halls leading to the bedroom. This surprised everyone; Nightmare never came out unless it was required to Hunt. That could only mean one thing! Nightmare opened its hands, revealing a bright-eyed, curious bunny. The others crowded around, excitedly greeting their family's newest member, who reveled in the attention.



After only a few minutes Nightmare gestured for them to stop. "Plushtrap," it said, and the rabbit turned to face it. "You have a job to do now. Are you ready?"



"You betcha!" it answered. "Up in the attic? I know where it is!"



The rabbit jumped out of Nightmare's hands and scampered to the stairs. One of the bear cubs, the youngest, said, "Now I'm not the littlest brother any more. He is!"



Plushtrap stopped, then turned back and said fiercely, "Nuh-uh, I'm not your little brother!"



The cub, surprised, said, "Huh? Why not?"



"I'm your sister, dum-dum!" She laughed at his silliness at ignoring the obvious, and scampered up the stairs.







Five Nights at Freddy's 4, and all of its characters are copyright © Scott Cawthon. Copyrighted materials are used without permission but with a lot of affection and respect. The overall story is copyright © Kim McFarland (Negaduck9@aol.com). Permission is given by the author to copy this story for personal use only.