Chapter 32: Confrontation
This wasn't good.
Lindale froze in place as she watched the Ink Demon change before her very eyes. The sound of squelching and expanding ink filled the room as his hands doubled in size; the Ink Demon groaned, making Lindale believe the process was painful when he gripped on to his head and cowered behind the throne. Two long inky black horns poked out above the chair followed by a monstrous, gurgling growl.
Henry held out his arm in front of Linda as he calmly backed away, silently warning her not to go any close once two large, horrifically clawed hands gripped on the throne and a large beast hoisted itself into the chair.
The beast's head was completely black with dripping ink and its large chest heaved up and down as it breathed. Its short weak legs would've been comical if it weren't for the beast's terrifying maw full of big, sharp, jagged teeth and blackened gums.
It was the monster from Linda's nightmare. the nightmare where she helplessly watched her husband die while Joey taunted her from the side.
The Ink Demon snarled at them before a roar ripped out from his throat, pulling his long arm back to backhand them. Acting fast, Henry got in front of Linda and wrapped his arms protectively around her, tightening his grip as they were sent flying and smashed through the wall.
Linda grimaced from the pain and shock, even if she didn't receive most of the blow. Panic filled her as she noticed Henry wasn't moving and his hold on her was slack.
"Henry, you need to get up!" She yelped, now sitting up at his side and shaking him to wake him up; only pausing as the Ink Demon's roars echoed down the large metal corridors.
The floor shook beneath them as he went on a rampage. It was only a matter of time before he would start heading the couple's way, and Linda wasn't too sure there would be anything she could do to stop the beast.
"Please Henry, don't give in now!" She urged.
Fortunately, Henry started to regain conciousness, trying to lift himself up as he winced. Linda was relieved and got on her feet to help him stand.
"There are four doors that need to be opened by the four levers scattered about the corridors." Henry grunted as he took out the looking glass and handed it to Linda. "The hidden arrows will show the way to each one. Think you can handle it?"
"I-I can do that." Linda replied as she spotted the Ink Demon appear down at the end of their corridor.
"I'm going to distract Bendy." Henry said.
The Ink Demon began to charge towards them on his large fists, letting out a loud roar.
Henry ran towards the beast, holding up the film reel of "THE END" up before taking a sharp turn in a different direction.
"Hey, big guy! This way!"
Linda watched as the Ink Demon snarled and began to pursue her husband. She hoped Henry knew what he was doing. Looking through the glass, Linda could see the glowing arrows pointing in various directions and began to follow them.
As she pulled down the first lever, she saw a figure being drenched in ink behind a pane of glass. It was exactly like her nightmare, only there was no young Joey Drew. She was thankful for that; she was tired of putting up with his crap.
Nearly jumping out of her skin from the sound of the Ink Demon's roar, Linda looked to see that he had skidded to a halt to focus his aggression on her. Her heart was pounding as the Ink Demon growled at her and threatened to give chase when she started to back away, but then he perked up as Henry shouted more taunts from afar and went to chase after the man once again. Linda didn't stick around any longer in that corridor after that.
She had to keep moving and be more aware of her surroundings.
Linda threw down the second lever once she found it and hid behind the corner as she saw Henry rub by; he was huffing loudly as he pushed himself to stay ahead of the enraged beast hunting him down. Inching close to him, the Ink Demon swiped his long sharp claws at Henry's back. Henry cried out in pain, the back of his shirt now ruined by four gaping slash marks. He stumbled a bit, but he did not let the pain stop him and kept his pace.
There wasn't much time before Henry would lose his adrenaline rush, and Linda knew that as she bolted for the last two levers.
After managing to find the last two levers, Lind followed another set of glowing arrows that lead her to a hidden message.
OPEN THESE DOORS
She figured these were the doors Henry mentioned.
"Henry! The doors are open!" Linda called out, hoping he would hear her over the Ink Demon's outbursts. She stood by the newly opened corridor and was filled with anxiety while waiting for Henry.
Finally her husband rounded the corner and pushed himself harder as he ran down the pathway.
"Don't stop running!" He shouted as Linda ran along with him.
Linda dared not to look back over her shoulder; she could hear the Ink Demon closing in behind them as his large inky fists banged against the metal floor.
Reaching the end of the hall, the metal doors closed behind the human couple. They were now separated from the Ink Demon. Henry took this moment to try to catch his breath while Linda stood on edge, feeling sick to her stomach.
"It's not over yet." Henry huffed in warning.
Another set of metal doors opened to the side of them, revealing a large room with four large glass tube near the corners, connecting from the floor to the ceiling.
It was eerily quiet as two Bendy cartoons played on two separate screens with a message written in ink between them.
WHO'S LAUGHING NOW
Henry was the first to step into the room and Linda followed close behind, her wandering eyes catching sight of a valve off to the side on the wall. She watched as Henry approached the valve and turned it with a look of regret; four lights lit up on the panel next to the valve and ink began to gush and flow through the glass tubes.
HHearing a monstrous growl break the silence, Henry and Linda turned to see the Ink Demon emerging from the wall across from them.
Henry went to take a step forward but let out a pain-filled cry as his legs buckled beneath his. Linda knelt down beside him to see ink oozing from his wounds on his back where there should've been blood.
A thought the trickled into Linda's mind:
Would she bleed out ink too?
Was it already too late for them to ever have a chance of escaping this hellish studio?
Was there ever a chance to begin with?
Being taken out of her intrusive thoughts, Linda watched as the Ink Demon began to stalk towards them like the large predatory beast he was. She desperately tried to think of what to do, but she was too terrified of what the Ink Demon might do to them as his gaping mouth dripped with inky saliva. Sure, her and Henry had died before in other time loops only to come back at some point in the loop, but that never meant the experience was a pleasant one.
Dying here had its tolls.
Who was to say they would continue to reemerge from the ink? What if this was going to be the last time?
What if they joined the lost voices that swirled and bubbled in the wells of ink?
Linda wrapped her arms around Henry's weakened form and braced herself for whatever would come next.
If they were going to die, they were going to die together.
A/N: Due to my laptop deciding not to have Internet connection at the moment, I retyped what I had type down on my laptop with my phone with a few changes here and there.
I hope you found this chapter bearable. Thanks for reading this far. :)
