Five Nights at Cashew's

One afternoon, Grandpa John was resting in his recliner looking through some local listings on his tablet. On the couch across from him laid Grandpa George, who was enjoying an afternoon nap all while snoring loudly.

"Hmm," he muttered. "Night shift at Cashew's Pizzeria... I'm retired, so no thanks!"

But then his eyes widened. "Free pizza, doughnuts, and granola bars?"

Grandpa George jolted awake. "WHAT?! Did you say free food?!"

"I said free pizza, doughnuts, and granola bars," Grandpa John chuckled.

Grandpa George's stomach growled. "I'm starving!"

Grandpa John grinned. "Let's go earn our snacks."

Around midnight, the two grandpas made it to Cashew's Pizzeria and were in their office with their purple uniforms. Something about this location seemed off to Grandpa John, but he couldn't quite say what it was.

The phone began ringing. Grandpa John picked it up.

"Good evening! How may I take your order?"

A voice crackled through. "Hello, hello! Welcome to your first night at Cashew's Pizzaria, a magical place for all ages! Just keep an eye on the cameras and... watch out for the animatronics. Cashew the Purple Monkey, Henry the Hare, Ryan Orion the Lion, and Wolfgang the Pirate Wolf. They tend to get... quirky at night... and wander."

Grandpa John looked at the security monitor. "They never said anything about creepy robots. We signed up for a simple gig and munchies!"

The phone guy continued. "Keep an eye on Cashew. He's most active of the quartet. If any of them see you, they will stuff you into a suit. It's something about viewing you as an endoskeleton after hours, so only use the lights and close the doors if absolutely necessary! Gotta conserve power! Have a good night and I will talk to you tomorrow."

Grandpa George squinted. "WHAT?! I'd rather deal with the real purple monkeys than that one! Don't leave us here, you whippersnapper!"

Grandpa John stared with unease. "Me too, Grandpa George. All alone with... those things. A sign that ethics and moral are gone at this point."

Grandpa George held up a doughnut. "Well, at least we have free snacks."

Grandpa John grumbled. "For trying to survive until 6:00 AM, perhaps..."

So Grandpa John ate pizza and granola bars while Grandpa George devoured doughnuts, both staring at the screens like a hawk. One particular showed Ryan Orion holding a cookie tin. Another showed Harry positioned in a way that gave them chills. Wolfgang was nowhere to be seen, most likely behind the stage curtains.

As for Cashew, he looked like he was waiting for the right moment. That tiny bowler hat on his head looked rather odd. The two grandpas looked at each other with worry about what was going to happen.

Nothing for a while, until the screens went static. When the signal returned, they noticed Harry was no longer in his usual place. Grandpa John was anxious, searching through each camera feed.

"Where's Harry?"

On another screen, Cashew was very close to the camera.

"WHAT?!" Grandpa George yelled, slamming the buttons to close both doors. "I don't like that monkey stare!"

Upon doing that, the power meter began to drain drastically.

Grandpa John gasped. "You're using all the power!"

Grandpa George bellowed. "Did you say I fought for hours?!"

"No! The power! You're using too-"

And the building went dark, which the doors slid back up. They heard footsteps, whirring motors, then silence. They sat there frozen with minimal light in their surroundings.

Grandpa John facepalmed. "Next time, bring some hearing aids."

"OOPS! Guess that was a bad idea," Grandpa George said sheepishly.

"You think?! Those animatronics are going to come back here and-"

Suddenly, Cashew appeared illuminated and flickering at the left doorway. A classical tune played from a hidden music box as the two grandpas stared in terror at the towering figure.

Grandpa John gulped, holding out a slice of pizza. "Uh... Cashew, want some pizza?"

"WHAT?! Did you say he wants a piece of me," Grandpa George questioned while shaking.

Grandpa John whispered. "Not now! I'm trying to distract him!"

Cashew did not respond. The music continued until it was abruptly pitch black. A few seconds went by and they were jumpscared by the mechanical monstrosity. A shriek followed, the power returned, and both of them found they were being stuffed into suits.

"Is this the end," Grandpa John thought, trapped beneath the heavy, scratchy fabric.

By some miracle, they were able to escape with a mighty twist and tumble. Dashing towards the snack table, they grabbed every pizza box, doughnut dozen, and granola bar they could carry.

Making it out of there, they scrambled to Grandpa John's waiting golf cart.

Grandpa George panicked. "GO GO GO! THEY'RE COMING!"

And sure enough: Cashew, Harry, Ryan Orion, and Wolfgang came running out the restaurant. Their metal frames clanked against the pavement as they locked sight on their targets. Grandpa John started his vehicle and floored the petal.

Despite their departure, the animatronics continued to chase until they reached the edge of the parking lot. They stopped, turned around, and went back inside Cashew's Pizzeria like nothing had happened.

Miles away, Grandpa John finally pulled aside. "We are NEVER going back to that place ever again! Not even in the day time!"

Grandpa George chomped on another doughnut. "No more free food?!"

"Not if our lives are endangered," Grandpa John replied.

Grandpa John and Grandpa George made their way home, hoping everything would return back to normal. From free snacks to haunted robots going after them, this was one night they wouldn't forget.

However, fate had other plans for Grandpa John.

The next night, he snuggled into bed, exhausted from events prior. It wasn't until sometime early that morning where he awoke and felt off. When he turned, that's when he saw it standing there quietly.

In the doorway was Wolfgang the Pirate Wolf.

What was really strange is that the animal robot was not staring at him directly. His towering frame reached the top of the door, mechanical parts glowed inside him, mouth was left hanging open, and eyepatch was lifted up.

Grandpa John turned away and didn't move until it was light outside. By then, Wolfgang was gone just as he unknowingly appeared earlier.

Later that morning, he found out that there were previous employees at Cashew's Pizzeria who went missing. What happened to them under the dark sky remained a mystery, one that Grandpa John would rather not know. He was thankful that him and his friend made it out of there, but still wondered what the truth was.