The entrance to Joey Drew Studios creaked open; its rusted hinges screeching, like they hadn't been moved in years. Dust stirred lazily in the rays of the afternoon sun, disturbed by the fresh air.
Will stepped inside, his dress shoes clacking on the wooden floorboards, and let the old door swing shut behind him. He blinked trying to quicken his eyes' adjustment to the darkness that stretched out before him.
"Hello?" Will called out, absently studying the posters that lined the entrance hall as he passed them, "Mr. Drew?" Managing to make out what looked like a bar in the middle of the room Will approached it. Gently he laid his folded jacket on top of the surface, leaving behind a slip of paper and a set of keys along with it. "Mr. Drew we got your letter!" he called out again, moving around the bar and deeper into the building. "The one you sent to my father?"
Only the ever grinding gears disturbed the thick silence that enevloped the studio.
Will's brow furrowed. What little he could make out in the studio's dim light bothered him. Mr. Drew had invited his father back to this place, it even had the studio's address marked as the return. ...So why.
Why were there giant holes splitting the walls apart. Why were the boards coming up, ones that had been long since removed or seemed to even just be extra piled haphazardly. Why were there cobwebs in every corner and gap. More importantly... What was with all of this ink! It was almost like the place had been abandoned...
Will chewed on his lower lip and shook his head. No, that was impossible. Joey Drew had loved this place as much as his father had, he would have never let it get like this... He would have kept it just how Henry had left it.
...Yet, for some reason Will couldn't fight the feeling of something sinister crawling down his skin as he watched the ink bleed from the walls. Drip, drip, dripping down. To join the rest in thick, disgusting puddles.
Will shook it off, and continued on his way. He had to find Mr. Drew, perhaps he could get some answers when he did.
"Mr. Drew! I'm afraid I have some grave news-!" Will yelped and jumped back as a plank fell from the ceiling. Landing with an echoing bang just in front of him. He stood still as stone for a long moment, heart beating wildly in his chest. Will took a deep breath and released it, settling his glasses back on his nose, "That was a close one..." The young man fell silent again as he looked up. Intending to investigate the place where the board had fallen from, but bold black letters stenciled above a door frame caught his eye instead.
"The... Ink Machine?"
Will swallowed and crossed the hall into the room.
In the middle a giant, blocky, frankenstein of a machine sat. Lit up like the head actor on a stage. Or perhaps... More like some sort of perverse ode to some ungodly abomination.
"This is... The Ink Machine?" Will rested a hand on the trunk-like appendage that protruded from the machine. "...Maybe if I can get this thing running, I might be able to figure out just what happened here."