Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Welcome to another new story of mine! Well, new to this site at least. This is my story, "Bendy and the Ink Machine: Drowned in Ink," based off of my fancomic of the same name! This is basically my take on the story of Bendy and the Ink Machine, with some twists and turns to make it my own! I will follow some of the canon of the true story, but also add in some stuff of my own.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy and if you want to see the comic, check it out on my DeviantART!

Enjoy!

It was a beautiful sunny day within a small town. A few puffy clouds drifted across the sky and birds flew about, tweeting their little songs. Cars zoomed through the roads lined with trees and shops. The residential area was fairly quiet since most adults were at work and kids were in school. The smell of freshly mowed grass lingered and most of the houses had splendid yards and lovely plants.

Within one house, a man walked into the living room of his home, the walls painted a pale purple and the fresh white carpet flattening under his feet. The man was tall, his hair brown with hints of gray and bright blue eyes. His skin was fair, he wore a crisp white dress shirt, a black belt, tan pants, and shiny black shoes. He smiled as he walked into his living room, his eyes closed and his face reading peacefulness.

Henry took soft steps, before stopping and opening his eyes. He turned his head to look at a small table next to his chair. There rested a dark yellow envelope with a red seal keeping it closed. The former animator turned on his heels. He had received this letter just this morning, but had forgotten to open it and read it after he started talking with his wife, Linda. Henry took steps to the table and reached down to pick it up. Pulling the flap free from the seal, he spoke to himself. "Let's see, who's this letter from?"

His eyelids went halfway over his eyes as he read the letter.

"Dear Henry,

It seems like a lifetime since we worked on cartoons together. 30 years really slips away, doesn't it?

If you're back in town, come visit the old workshop. There's something I need to show you.

Your best pal, Joey Drew."

Henry's eyes widened and he looked at the letter with surprise. "Joey?" He looked over the letter again. The handwriting did, indeed, match the handwriting of his old friend, Joey Drew.

Before he had his current job, Henry started an animation studio with his best friend, Joey. They decided to name the studio after Joey and began making animations. Henry was the one who came up with most of their characters and Joey was a man of ideas, and only ideas. He and Henry had eventually had a falling out and Henry left the studio for better things.

However, in the 30 years they had been apart, he had dearly missed his old friend. They hadn't talked for ages. Getting this letter gave him some comfort at knowing that Joey still remembered him.

A smile crossed Henry's face. "Well, my old pal Joey wrote to me!" He chuckled and closed his eyes at remembering the old workshop where they had made their animations. "The old workshop? Man, I haven't been there in years. The old place must be falling apart by now." He looked down at the letter again, his brows curving inward and his face looking more reminiscent now. He hadn't talked to Joey for ages and he really did miss the guy. "Man, I haven't seen Joey in years either." Maybe them meeting at the old workshop would be the perfect way to catch up? He didn't know why the studio out of all places, but he figured Joey just couldn't let go of the old place.

"Maybe… maybe stopping by the workshop won't be so bad," Henry voiced. His grin got a little wider as he set the envelope back on the table. As he turned to walk out of the living room, he put his arms up a bit and closed his eyes. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Joey performed a satanic ritual?" The former animator laughed. "Ha, nah."

About that, Henry…

Henry stared in horror at the pentagram drawn in ink on the floor in front of him. A few candles dimly lit the area. The flames gave off enough of their glow to reveal that the pentagram wasn't the only thing in the room. A few chairs were scattered to his left and two large coffins lay to his right. There was also one leaning against the wall in front of him.

The older man, covered in ink and clutching onto his axe, found his eyes widening and his jaw dropping open. If he wasn't so winded from the fall he had taken after trying to escape the studio, he would have screamed. Henry was only joking when he said Joey had done a ritual. He didn't actually expect for that to have happened.

Finally finding his voice, the former animator said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Dear God… Joey actually performed a satanic ritual." After standing in the entrance to the room for so long, he managed to move a foot forward, then his other, then his first again, until he was walking towards the pentagram. "Lord almighty," Henry uttered, despite his shock at finding the place and nearly being caught by some kind of monster. "Joey, what on Earth were you doing?"

The man finally reached the symbols drawn on the wooden floorboards and he stared in disbelief and denial. He didn't want to believe that Joey had done this, but that was the only person he could think of the have pulled such a ludicrous stunt. Joey had always been a little… out there, but this? Was this what Joey wanted to show Henry? Had he summoned some kind of monster or demon? Henry never believe in such things, but now he had to face facts: Joey had summoned something and now, it was after him.

"HENRRRYYYY…"

The former animator's eyes went wide and a chill ran down his spine. That voice was dark and sinister and had a childish tone to it. It was horrifying and he knew exactly where it was coming from.

Right down the hall he had walked down.

"Oh, hell no," Henry pleaded. His tone went to panic as he looked around. "I gotta get out of here!" He looked to the wall where a coffin was leaning and noticed a door to the left of it. Dropping his axe, he gripped the knob and desperately tried to turn it. However, it seemed to be locked because the knob didn't budge. That didn't deter the man though. "C'mon, c'mon, open!" he demanded.

Slow, loud steps began to echo down the hallway as the best drew closer to his target. He had wanted this for so long, for so many years and now, there was no escape for his prey. He would enjoy this, oh yes, he would savor every moment of this.

Henry felt beads of sweat roll down the side of his face. Whether from fear or the strain on his body he wasn't sure. He did know that the door wasn't opening but he had to get out. He couldn't let that monster get him. "C'mon-open!" he shouted again.

A hand was held up and white claws began to run along the walls, tearing to wallpaper and leaving long, crooked black marks in their wake. Was the old man really trying to escape through that door? That door had been locked for years now. There was no hope for him, he was dead where he stood.

Henry squeezed his eyes shut and grunted as he pulled on the doorknob again. "OPEN, DAMN IT!" he screeched.

"OH, HENRY…"

His eyes snapped open and his blood ran cold. The voice had spoke to him again, but this time, it was right behind him. His mind immediately went into fight, flight or freeze mode and he stood in his place, fear taking a tight grip on him. He wanted to deny that… that thing was behind him, but he knew that it was there. Henry didn't know what this monster was, but he knew that he was in deep trouble now. "No," he muttered. He so badly didn't want to turn around, but a voice in the back of his mind told him to do so. Slowly turning his head, he gulped and looked over his shoulder… only to be met with the face of an ink demon.

"Boo."

Henry screamed in a high pitched voice and brought his hands close to his chest, balling them up in a defensive way. If his eyes could have gone any wider, they would have, because before him stood a tall black creature. He had a cartoony looking bow tie on his chest, white gloves dripping with rivulets of black, and a sinister smile plastered on his face. He towered over the man and gazed down at him despite the lack of visible eyes. The smile on his face… it should have been cute but instead it was horrifying.

A gargled laugh came from the creature as he stared down at Henry, a long, inky tail swinging back and forth. Henry shook in his place and this only made the monster laugh more. "Well, well, well, Henry," came that dark and impish voice. "Seems like you're in a bit of a…" he put his hands together, before moving them apart, trails of black and white breaking apart between his hands. "Sticky situation." He chuckled again.

Henry's breaths came in short, rapid ones and his whole body quivered from terror. He would have said something if he wasn't scared out of his was it, this was how he was going to die. He was going to be choked to death or eaten by this… this… this inky black monster. He looked up with half closed eyes, tiny whimpers coming from his lips.

The demon frowned. "Huh, tough crowd," came his guttural voice again. His scowl turned back into a grin and he shook his head. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I've got you right where I want you."

Henry's mind screamed at him to look at the floor as he remembered something. Didn't he have an axe just a second ago? He looked down and, sure enough, there lay his weapon. He couldn't go down without a fight. No, he wasn't completely helpless. He could fight, if could just… The man slowly got onto one knee and reached down.

The demon would have raised a brow if he had any. What was he-he saw the axe on the floor and he let out a sharp snarl of anger. "HEY!" He raised a claws hand and roared an unnatural, garbled roar.

Henry's mind went into panic mode again and he quickly grabbed the sharp object, clutching it with both hands. He held it up like a sword and bared his teeth in response to another growl from the monster. He knew he very well couldn't fight this thing, it had to be three or four times his size. Henry could, however, distract him. A hand swung and with adrenaline kicking in, Henry ducked under it. He pulled his axe back and took a deep breath, before swinging and landing a hit directly on the creature's arm.

"AHHHHHHHH!" The monster roared in agony and stumbled back a few steps. Now was his chance. Henry took off in a sprint, right past the pained monster and out the door. He needed to get away and this was his only chance. So he didn't stop running. Henry took off as the monster ripped the axe from his arm and held his wound. He didn't look back after that.

Heavy footsteps came from down a nearby hall, and the former animator slowed his rapid pace as he came to a small room. He stopped and looked at the hall he had just run down. Henry panted with sweat rolling down the sides of his face. He took a moment to look around the room. Several splotches of ink were splattered on the walls. Written in the same substance were the words, "THE CREATOR LIED TO US." Henry looked back at the hall after finally catching his breath. "Okay," he said to no one but himself. "That should keep him busy for a bit." He looked around the room once more, before he noticed something he hadn't before.

There was another door leading away from the hallway that led to the pentagram room. He hadn't even seen it after coming down the stairs from the room he fell into. Cocking his head to the side, Henry muttered, "...I didn't try that door yet…" He took slow steps as he approached the door. At this point, he didn't know what the expect from this place. Joey had done something to the studio and now… now he was in more danger than he ever knew.

Henry finally reached to door and and gripped the knob. This was it, he had to be prepared for whatever came his way. He turned the handle and pulled the door open…

Only to be grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled into the entrance. "WHAT THE-" came his shout, and after that was said, the door slammed shut.

Little did Henry know what would await him within the walls of this studio and on the other side of that door...

Author's Note: So, who was that monster? What awaits Henry on the other side of that door? Find out in the next chapter!

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