Thinking about Gregory and how the events leading up to him being stuck in the Pizzaplex were most likely the most traumatizing of all and very much justifies his panicked and semi-hostile attitude toward the animatronics (sans Freddy) and Vanessa.
Like,,,, ok, Gregory is a homeless kid. We know this. This boy has no home, no parents to answer to (or so it seems) and lives in the streets.
Imagine you’re this kid, everyday a question of “now what?” “Where do I get food?” “What if something happens to me today?”. These aren’t questions a young child around 9 or 10 years old should be pondering, but it’s Gregory’s world for sure. We see this through his innate and surprisingly elaborate (and coherent) thought process regarding him taking (aplicable and successful) measures for his survival in the game.
So you’re this kid, and one day you hear of this place that’s supposed to be tons of fun and a wondrous utopia for children everywhere. There’s games! Slides! Prizes!! Music!! And pizza!! So you decide to trek your way over and have a look, maybe even enjoy yourself.
Imagine you’re this homeless kid walking inside this huge world of lights and music and you feel the same joy a child— any normal child— would, eager to divulge in everything the Pizzaplex has to offer.
Except some adults are starting to look your way now, and you have to do your best to appear like you belong. Like you’re somebody’s son just checking a store out real quick before running back into your parents’ outstretched arms. Like you weren’t lost.
You ignore them for now and decide to try out some games.
You find out you need certain passes to access and play. And to get those passes, you need money.
You don’t have money.
Adults in uniforms start whisper between themselves and now you’re fidgeting, nerves on a high and hightailing out of store after store once you know they’re watching you. You know they know you don’t belong here. You know they know they’re gonna kick you out.
In the end, the only thing you’re able to actually enjoy is the show at the main stage. Blended in with the bustling crowd, you sneak your way to the very front and marvel at the music and the animatronics on stage. The iconic bear at the very center, along with his band of friends, jamming out to tunes that have your heart racing and you realize that, hey, you’re actually really happy right now
Then the bear’s eyes land on you and your excitement only spikes.
Until his face slacks and, all at once, the animatronic fizzles and collapses on the ground— wrenching horrified gasps and screams from parents and children alike. There’s a roar of alarm within the crowd, uniformed adults are rushing toward the stage, and you’re standing there— shell shocked, with the intimate knowledge that whatever just happened was your fault. You know it was.
And you know that they know it too. And they’re going to come for you.
So naturally, as a child ought to do in the face of fear, you flee into one of the rooms and keep quiet.
As the crowd disperses and the animatronic band retreats to their respective dressing areas, you jump at the chance and hide inside one of them.
Much later, an automatic voice announces the building is no longer open. Right after, another announcement notifies all active staff about your presence in the Pizzaplex and demand your immediate retrieval.
And all of a sudden, everything sucks.
You didn’t mean to stay until the building closed. You didn’t mean to become a “problem child”. All you want is to get out, return to your awful life on the streets and forget you ever stepped foot in this place.
Except now you have creatures stalking you down, calling you by name and insisting you hand yourself over to them. You can’t do that. You know you can’t. They know it’s your fault and you can’t face it. You don’t want to deal with this. You didn’t mean it.
You just want to leave.