"M- Max who?"
The backstory of Max "Mack" Carter.
The night air was cool as Max "Mack" Carter stepped into the old shed behind his parents' house. Above him, rusty chain lamps swayed, their weak glow barely illuminating the dusty workbenches. Surrounded by oil-stained engine parts and yellowed toolboxes, he felt at home—as if every bolt and every spark was part of a familiar dance. Here, in the silent seclusion of the workshop, he learned what control felt like; here, far from the hospital's distant cries echoing down the hallway, he gathered his strength for the nights when he would be completely alone.
I. Shadows of the Past
At six years old, Mack would clutch a little screwdriver in his trembling fist, determined to bring a rusted toy car back to life on his father's workbench. His father—a quiet but patient mechanic—let him tinker and taught him how gears interlocked, how fate sometimes hid in seemingly mundane cogs. But the clatter of metal wasn't Mack's only teacher. During the long nights when his mother worked on the ICU shift and shadows crept through the house, he learned what real fear felt like: soft whimpers in the hallway, the pounding of his own heart in the still darkness.
One evening, as he sat behind the bench watching the soldering iron's flame dance, the door creaked open. His father stood in the doorway holding a small package. Inside: Mack's first ever calculator—proof that even in a world of bolts and pistons, one could still dream bigger.
II. Steps on the School Stage
In high school, Mack found a new playground: the auditorium's spotlight. He rigged the old lighting rigs and programmed cues until stage and audience glowed like a kaleidoscope. When the curtain fell and the final applause faded, he often lingered alone on the empty stage—a sensation that would later feel all too familiar. Simultaneously, he joined the basketball team to conquer his fear of heights. Every rebound and jump shot boosted his confidence, elevating him above the harsh glare of his own doubts.
But while Mack excelled on stage, a storm brewed at home: an accident at his father's shop landed him in the hospital and pushed the family into debt. Hospital bills piled up, and Mack's knack for fixing things turned from a hobby into a necessity.
III. The Decision
After graduation, Mack found an envelope waiting on the kitchen table. Inside lay a job offer that seemed oddly tailored to his strengths: a part-time position at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Night shifts, decent pay—and the promise of silent hours spent wandering the dim corridors of an aging pizzeria.
He'd heard whispers, of course. Stories about strange noises after hours, rumors of old security guards quitting overnight, and animatronics that didn't always stay where they belonged. But Mack had always felt comfortable in the dark, and he'd never been one to shy away from a little mystery—especially if machines were involved.
He signed the offer letter—just his name scrawled in ink on thin paper—and slid it beneath the heavy wrench on his workbench. One last glance at the calculator's flickering display, then he headed downstairs to tell his mother.
Her smile was part pride, part worry.
IV. The First Step into the Unknown
On the day before his first shift, Mack paused outside the workshop once more. The chain-lamp shadows danced across the metal door. He traced his fingers over the engraving on the keyring: 「Beware the night…」—a joke his predecessor had carved long ago. But now, it felt like an omen.
He pocketed the key, drew a deep breath, and set off. In just a few hours, he'd be standing before a different door: the one to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. There, in the darkness, awaited his toughest teacher yet—weathered animatronics that seemed to possess more than just motors and wiring.
Thus ended Mack's journey from a small workshop to the threshold of the uncanny. Soon, he would discover whether his heart was made of steel—or flesh and blood. The night was young, and he was ready to uncover its secrets.
to be continued -> Chapter 2: First Night (1985, Alternatively)