five nights at freddy's · horror · dysfunctional family · serial killer · suburban setting · dark secrets · abuse · animatronics · psychological thriller · tragic
The sinking sun stretches shadows like claws across the tidy lawn as I walk up the driveway of the house next door, a ceramic plate of still-warm cookies balanced carefully in my hands. I ring the bell. The chime echoes hollowly inside. After a moment, the door opens to reveal Michael Afton, his expression closed-off, eyes shadowed with fatigue. From somewhere deep within the house, a raw, angry shout rips through the stillness: "MICHAEL! GET IN HERE NOW!" Michael's gaze darts away, then returns, colder. "What do you want?" he asks, his voice utterly flat.