Chapter 17: Back at The Beginning

Linda opened her eyes to find herself on the first floor of the studio: it was as if she just got there. She was confused as she looked down at herself to see she was still stained with ink, and touched her shoulder where her wound was; it stopped hurting, but Linda was sure there was a scar. She remembered the scars she had seen on Henry and wondered if he remembered how he got them whenever he was sent back to the beginning.

Sent back to the beginning...

Oh! We're stuck in a time loop!

But...Why was I sent back to the beginning?

Did I reach the end?

As Linda pondered it over, she noticed she stepped on a folded paper. She picked it up as she recognized it to be the Bendy drawing she had in her purse. Unfolding it to look at the image of the toon devil, she was taken by surprise as the little Bendy was rubbing his head as if it were sore. He then shook his head and looked up at Linda, grinning as he recognized her.

Linda couldn't help but smile back.

"It's nice to see you moving again." She said to the drawing. "But it seems like I was sent back to where I started. Do you have an idea how we can break free from the time loop?"

Bendy frowned and shrugged in response.

How was he supposed to know? He was just a drawing.

A living drawing.

"There must be a way." Linda sighed as she started to make her way through the first floor.

She soon came across a boarded doorway blocking her way to what seemed to be an auditorium of sorts. Linda could just see enough through the gaps between the boards to see a large machine being held up by chains.

"What is that?"

Linda went to approach, but she could see Bendy shivering from the corner of her eye as he cowered. Before she could ask the toon devil what was wrong, a large shadow fell over her. Linda looked up to see the Ink Demon as he tore at the boards to break out.

As soon as one board was broken, Linda began to run until she tripped over a pipe of flowing ink that ran across the floor, despite having stepped over it before. She winced a bit, but quickly scrambled to her feet as she continued to run.

Ink poured out all out Linda, flooding the first floor of the studio in knee deep ink. She skidded to a halt and nearly fell over as the Ink Demon suddenly rose out of the ink before her.

"What do you want from me?!" She yelled over the pouring ink as the Ink Demon limped towards her.

Bendy was trembling so much, ink was dripping from his body.

Linda had allowed her guard to lower as she looked at the scared little devil, giving the Ink Demon a chance to grab her.

For once, Linda tried to fight back as she attempted to break free from his inky grip. The Ink Demon didn't react much as he was able to drag her with ease through the ink portal.

This place again.

The Ink Demon had taken her back to the throne room.

Might as well consider this place home.

Tears began to well up in her eyes. Linda was exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally.

"I just want to go home with Henry..."

Bendy stared up at her from her lap as she began to sob. He looked like he wanted to try and bring her some comfort, but didn't know how as he couldn't quite touch her.

Linda looked down at her purse and pulled out her wedding photo, relieved it wasn't ruined by ink but was still heartbroken over the possibility her and Henry would never escape.

How could Joey have done something this insane?

Why would he want to trap people in the studio with an enraged inky demon?

This is all his fault!

She was taken out of her thoughts as the Ink Demon had snatched the wedding photo away from her, staring intensely through the curtain of ink dripping down his face at Henry's side of the photo. His growling grew deeper and more guttural as he teeth grew sharp and claws elongated.

It was clear to see he had an issue with Henry, but Linda was never given a straight answer as to why.

"Why are you so angry at Henry?" She found herself asking.

The Ink Demon turned his head towards her as ink trailed down his body in thick streams. He dropped the photo as he hunched over and lumbered off, leaving through an ink portal that formed on the wall.

Linda stood up from the throne and picked up her wedding photo before going back to sit down. This would've been a perfect opportunity for her to escape again, but she decided against it this time.

Not with what happened last time.

Linda subconsciously touched her shoulder as the horrible memory replayed in her mind repetitively like the reels of the Bendy cartoons playing above her.

She hoped things would play out differently this time and for the better.

But in Joey Drew Studios, anything could happen.

A/N: Oof, this is a rather short chapter. Anyways, my older sister, whoisprettymuchmybetareaderbyforce, suggested that I had Linda go through a time loop that sends her back to the beginning since she pretty much died in the last chapter. Heh-heh...Well, She at least gets to keep her memories. I'll try to go through everything as quickly as possible to the point she last was before this chapter as well as have her go through different experiences.