Chapter 15: The Lost Prophet

Linda sat in a fetal position in the leather chair of the makeshift throne, tears dampening her cheeks as she continued to mourn for Boris. The plush of the toon wolf was nestled between her lap and her stomach.

She didn't bother looking up as she heard the Ink Demon approach, at least not until she felt him tugging at her purse. Linda wipe her eyes to see what he was so interested in.

Just as she adjusted herself, the Ink Demon stuck his inky hand into the purse and pulled out the folded piece of paper of the Bendy drawing.

"It's not polite to go through a woman's purse without permission." Linda scolded as she sniffled, but the Ink Demon ignored her as he looked at the paper with curious tilt of his head.

As the Ink Demon began to unfold the paper, Linda started to worry he would rip it and sat up in a more proper position. Fortunately, it seemed the Ink Demon was being gentle as he had the full view of the image. He stared at the drawing and then looked up at one of the Bendy cartoons above them.

Linda could've sworn his grin grew wider.

"Yes, it's you." She confirmed as she wiped away more tears. "I found it on the first floor."

The Ink Demon went back to studying the drawing before looking down at his own inky body, letting out a soft, yet pain-filled, whine. He put his gloved hand to his ink covered forehead and ink began to excessively drip from his body.

Not know what was happening nor what to do, Linda only sat there and watched. She watched as the Ink Demon suddenly grew enraged as he let out a loud roar, and cowered in fear of being torn to shreds. However, the Ink Demon didn't lay one inky claw on her. Linda looked to see him quickly limp into an ink portal.

She was alone again.

Linda didn't know how much time had passed, but it felt like hours.

The Ink Demon still hadn't returned.

She stood up and picked up the Bendy drawing as she noticed he had dropped it. Linda folded it up and carefully tucked it into her claw marked purse. She let out a sigh as that was yet another item added to the list of things to replace once her and Henry got out of the studio.

If we ever get out of this studio...

Linda tried to get rid of the negative thoughts as she shook her head. She wasn't going to give up.

She started to pace a bit as she thought how she would leave the throne room; her only options were to either wait for someone to open the doors and let her out, if there was a way out, or use an ink portal. Linda thought about the lucid dream she had being tortured by Alice and how the ink her body freed her and presumably put an end to the Twisted Angel.

She wondered if she could try to manipulate it somehow to free her from the room. It was a crazy thought, but something in her mind coaxed her to try it.

Linda looked down at the Boris plush that had fallen out of her lap and put it in her purse.

You're coming with me.

As she approached the metal doors, Linda placed her hand on the metal surface and focused on the spot.

Nothing happened at first, but to her surprise, she felt something snake along her arm to her her hand.

Ink.

The ink slipped underneath her palm and began to spread as it formed the portal. She was stunned to see that it worked, but didn't dare question the possibility of it or where the portal would take her. Linda figured she wouldn't have much time before the Ink Demon would return from his rounds.

Stepping into the familiar well of ink, ink swirled around her as the light up ahead shone brightly, drawing her towards it. She ignored the voices filling her head as she passed through.

Once at the end, she was brought to a stone statue of Bendy that had been placed in specific areas of the studio. Linda looked around to see she was now in a small underground village of some sort.

She walked towards the open center of the village and stare towards a boarded doorway littered with images of black hand prints around it. Candles sat below the images, creating an eerie glow. Above the doorway was a sign:

NOT MONSTERS

Linda slowly approached and placed her hand over one of the hand prints as she felt sorry for the tortured souls that still lurked in the studio.

"Has the Harbinger come to tell me our lord has forsaken me?"

Linda jumped a bit as she looked to see the Prophet peering out at her from the boards.

Sammy.

"There's no need to deliver his message." He continued on full of spite. "He had made it quite clear when he abandoned me!"

Sammy began to chop down the boards with an axe and began to approach Linda.

Knowing he was intending on harming her, Linda began to back away. Her heart pounded in her chest as he appeared more threatening than when they first met, and even then he was dangerous.

"However, I could use your head to deliver him a message!" Sammy yelled as he raised his axe in the air, threatening to chop her into bits.

Linda let out a shriek as she moved to avoid the blow, feeling the force of the swing. It barely missed her.

"Sammy, Please! Don't do this!" Linda begged, using his name as she remembered Henry telling her who the Prophet was.

She hoped it would somehow stop him, make something in that ink filled mind click.

But it didn't.

Her plea was left unheard.

"The Ink Demon has betrayed us!" Sammy hissed as he continued to swing at her. "His Harbinger failed us!"

Linda couldn't back away any further as she nearly fell back into a river of ink, now realizing she was on a dock. Sammy's axe swung down from above her head and ink rose from her body to catch the weapon's blade.

Just like in her dream with Alice.

Was it a dream?

Or was it a different ti-

Sammy tried to fight with the ink to get it to release his axe, but the ink continued to consume it until it was nothing, causing the mad former Prophet to fall back.

The ink snaked its way towards Sammy as he tried to get away.

"No! No! Stay away!" He cried out.

The ink snatched on to Sammy's legs and continued upwards.

"No! Forgive me! NOOO!"

Linda forced her eyes shut as she heard the sickening squelching sounds. Feeling the ink return to rest on her, she opened her eyes to find ink splattered on the ground and a broken Bendy mask in Sammy's place.

Her legs shook underneath her as a horde of 'searchers' and 'lost ones' rose from black puddles.

They all had their sight set on her.

"Don't come any closer!" Linda warned. "I don't want to hurt you!"

A/N: Whoo, this chapter was kind of fun to write. Kinda.

Hope you enjoyed.