Freezer Burn
“End Communication”
Henry’s tired voice rang with a weary resolve throughout the labyrinth. He released his finger from the intercom button, and sat back in his chair. The cold was beginning to reach his office now. He took this to mean the inner labyrinth was frozen solid. The sprinklers should have poured enough water to turn every animatronic into an ice cube by now. He had built this place robust enough for nothing to be able to thaw for a very long time, just in case he was wrong about how to neutralize remnant.
In any case, there really wasn’t much to be done about it now, not on his part. He could feel the blood leaving his extremities, his fingers and toes getting prickly, then completely numb. His breath was condensing in the air in front of him. He was shivering uncontrollably, but didn’t feel panicked. He glanced at a framed photo on his desk, a photo of the Afton and Emily families, together for a summer outing. He hoped the freezing crystals stung his rotted flesh like hellfire.
The cold was ripping at him now. It felt like his eyes were freezing in their sockets. He looked down at his hands, the tips of his fingers black and mottled, and thought of Michael. The numbness had spread up his arms and legs and his chest felt empty save for the cold. After a few minutes of this torture, he felt a warmness coming from within him. Of course, he had known that this would happen; he had done extensive research on cryogenics and extreme temperature in preparation for this. When it came time, however, he had already lost all of his faculties to the biting cold. No longer the methodical, plotting man he was, Henry was now reduced to just a few simple thoughts.
“Warm”
“Charlotte”
“Home”
“Rest”
In those final few thoughts of peace, Henry was frozen, preserved in happiness and serenity.