Bendy noticed the wolf was slumped over while sitting. The wolf had dull, tired eyes, that were bloodshot as if sleep hadn't been kind to him. The wolf looked depressed, sad, unhappy, yet fearful, awake, and alert!
Bendy didn't understand why the wolf wasn't sleeping more. Nor, did he understand why he seemed alarmed all the time.
The wolf named Boris sighed as he laid his head on the table with his hands covering his head. Bendy… the demon, shrank back into his toon-form. He sat down onto the table and stared at the exhausted wolf.
Boris wasn't snoring, so Bendy assumed he was awake. Just laying his head down for awhile.
Bendy wanted his friend to be happy again. He hated seeing someone very valuable to him, feel like a pile of waste. He could sense conflict within the wolf…
Fear.
Anger.
Sadness.
Exhaustion.
Misery.
Unhappiness.
And Regret.
Each of them battling it out, fear always winning somehow.
To Bendy, these emotions made no sense. The demon was puzzled by why the wolf would feel any of this. Yes, the studio is a dangerous place scattered with monsters and creatures, but in this world Bendy himself was the apex predator. Yet, there's no way he'd ever turn on his best friend, Boris didn't deserve that.
The wolf should feel safe and lucky to have Bendy by his side. No one would ever dare to think twice about striking him with a literal beast as his shield.
Yet somehow, it didn't satisfy the wolf as it looked more like it brought him down more. Bendy kept staring at Boris, wanting to help in anyway he could. The demon became lost in his thoughts as he wondered what would aid the wolf? What would make him happy again?
It was then that a thought came…
Boris had given Bendy his own drawn map of the studio, it wasn't perfect but it was accurate enough to understand where was where.
Bendy was pretty pleased with how Boris was able to memorize such an enormous layout. He was The Ink Demon and sometimes even he would get lost in this absurdly-large building.
Bendy remembering he still had it, brought out the map once more.
The little cartoon demon scanned the crumbly paper with his pie-cutout eyes.
Hoping to find a place Boris cherished.
'The Ink Machine.'
'GENT Corporation Office.'
'Joey Drew Office.'
'Film Vault.'
'Projector Booth.'
'Bendyland.'
'Heavenly Toys.'
'Artist Department.'
'Screen Testing.'
'Theatre Room.'
'Music Department.'
His eyes landed on a place, and an idea popped in his mind. The demon smiled, happily.
He knows where he'll take him.
He knows what'll fix him.
"Oh, Boris~." Bendy said in a somewhat musical tone. The wolf Immediately jolted up with his ears high in the sky, eyes looking more bloodshot than ever.
Bendy wasn't surprised by this, Boris had been giving him startled reactions ever since he found him, alive.
It once again made no sense to him, but the little demon brushed it off.
"Wanna go somewhere?" Bendy asked.
Boris' eyes darted back and forth as if he were being watched from different directions.
"Uh… where?…exactly?" Boris asked, in response. Sounding concerned. His eye twitching, slightly.
"Somewhere you'll love." The demon smiled, brightly. It looked insane.
That answer didn't satisfy Boris. The cords of the wolf's neck grew tight as he feared his fate awaited him.
The machine…
Oh that lovely, perfect machine…
Cheating death, creating life ever since it was built.
The demon would use it to bring his victims back from the dead, just so he could torture them more.
…
Boris… went silent. His pupils shrank. And his heartbeat sped up.
Bendy noticed once more as he examined every little detail about the wolf.
"Don't worry bud, you're gonna love it. It's a place that you used to treasure."
After he said that, flashbacks and memories began scrolling within the demon's mind. He remembered when he showed the wolf how to play The Clarinet, when Boris was only just a few days old.
He remembered when they crashed Sammy's recording process for an episode while playing tag.
He loved that he could probably relive those moments once again.
Boris… felt numb and cold. As he looked at the demon with a sinking feeling.
The wolf honestly didn't wanna go anywhere with him.
"Wh-What's the place?" The wolf asked.
"You'll see…" The demon answered, with a sly smirk.
Bendy, keeping the place secret wasn't helping Boris feel any better.
"Just come with me, and you'll see! It'll be fun!" Bendy said with glee as he stood up on the table and extended his hand to Boris.
'Fun for you…' Boris whispered within his mind.
The tall, cartoon wolf sighed. He knew he couldn't win against Bendy. How could he? Bendy determines whether he lives or dies. His entire life was within the demon's grasp, and he hated it. He'd rip him to shreds right then and there if Bendy wasn't such an eldritch, godly being. How could he say 'no' to someone who has more power than they deserve?
Bendy was literally above him among the ranks, above everything and everyone. You cross him, he'd cross your life!
For Boris, talking to this being was like trying to contain nuclear wastes, if you were not careful… you'd create catastrophic and severe consequences.
If you didn't say what the demon wanted to hear, you'd set a fuse within him and he'd go off like a bomb!
He'll do more than just kill you…
Alas, the wolf slowly nodded his head in a sort of defeated manner.
Bendy's smile lightened up with even more glee as his excitement rose beyond limits.
"Great! Follow me, buddy!"
The demon shouted as he jumped off the table and opened Boris' safe-house door.
The two marched onward throughout the studio. Bendy, still staying in his toon-form had his chest held up high with a very insane-looking grin on his face.
Boris kept his distance from the demon as he walked, slouched.
Wherever Bendy was taking him, he was certain it was going to be The Ink Machine, or some other torture chamber.
Boris had ink dripping down from his face. Exhausted and tired yet trying to stay awake as much as possible was a challenge unlike no other! The cartoon wolf reminded himself of who was leading him.
Stay awake for your own sake!
Bendy hummed some sort of tune while walking. Boris picked up on that tune as his ears lifted up slightly… it sounded familiar. Perhaps, they've played it in an episode before.
It was like listening to an old acquaintance. Music? Familiar music…
Boris did like listening to music. It helped distract him from reality. He could pretend he was somewhere else while still being in his little safe-house. He liked that feeling of being safe.
He wished he could go back.
After some time, Bendy walked through a hallway with Boris still sluggishly following behind. Bendy turned to Boris' right and disappeared behind the wall of the other hallway. While still on Bendy trail, he heard the sound of a lever being pulled and a gate being raised.
Strange. The hallway gave Boris nostalgia, a warm nostalgia. An old companion still here….
A small smile crept onto Boris' lips slowly.
Small, yet there.
Finally, he met Bendy. The demon had his icon, cheeky smile as he looked excited and happier than ever.
He gestured his index for Boris to keep following before zipping off through the now-open gate. Boris obeyed.
Once he entered, a wave of relief, nostalgia, remembrance, and ease slowly seeped and planted within the wolf… this wasn't The Ink Machine or a torture chamber.
It seems Bendy knew Boris too well!
There was a wall with speakers and letters that spelt:
'Music Department.'
'Directed By: Sammy Lawrence.'
Bendy had his arms stretched out into the shape of a sideways V with his legs spread out and his smile as wide as ever.
He looked as if he were saying 'Ta-da!' In his mind.
Boris' face lit up. He remembered the Music Department! He loved it here!
"I knew you'd like to see this place again!"
Bendy exclaimed. "Ya know… they still have the instruments in the recording room~." Bendy then slowly inched his little body over there with excitement.
Boris followed.
Once inside, sure enough. There they were. Old instruments and chairs, collecting dust, alined like people left in a hurry.
Boris remembered. Boris loved.
The wolf smiled with an old type of love he forgot he had.
He remembered when he'd come for free-time. Music was just something that clicked with him, he liked the sound of it. How it could make you feel and think.
He remembered all those times whenever Sammy yelled at him to 'get out!' Or whenever he complained to Joey.
Looking back on that, it made the wolf laugh slightly.
He too remembered when Bendy introduced him to The Clarinet… his favorite instrument.
Boris didn't know how to talk yet, and was still confused about what exactly the world surrounding him was. But Bendy was like the wise older brother that knew everything in existence.
He remembered the technique Bendy showed him, and how he felt when his ears heard The Clarinet's singing for the very first time in his life.
It was a soothing, jazzy feeling of love and comfort for a very abiotic instrument.
But The Clarinet wasn't the only instrument that Boris cherished. He had fond memories of playing the piano as well.
He remembered when The Pianist
Robert James, was kind enough to take time out of his work to teach the wolf how to play it.
It's keys could create a melody like no other. It's so strange how sound could manipulate your mind into believing something that isn't real.
Music could twist and turn throughout your hearing and open another realm of illogical whenever it was heard throughout your ears.
It could produce imagination and let you leave reality for a spilt second. Sometimes, that's what we want.
Sometimes that's what Boris wanted.
To forget about everything. To forget The Ink Machine, to forget Bendy, to forget Joey. Leave his fears and worries behind as the lovely melody of music took over whenever it produced.
Boris walked over to The Piano and took a seat in it's decaying, spiny chair. He stared at the piano as Bendy watched from a distance, curious to what the wolf was thinking.
Boris took a deep breath and stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles as he was getting ready.
…
The wolf's fingers touched a key and an old but romantic sound of a harmony echoed throughout the room.
Boris smiled in a nostalgic way. He continued playing.
Playing his own song.
A song he wrote. A song that took away worries. A song that he made to remind himself it was alright.
He hummed the lyrics as they played throughout his mind.
'I breath in the atmosphere.'
'Let it wash over my fear.'
'Of these heights as I transcend.'
'And become whole again.'
Bendy had never heard the tune that the wolf was playing. It sounded nice though.
He wondered what song carried a tune like that.
'I breath in the atmosphere.'
'Let it take me out of here.'
'I won't live life in the rain.'
'Waiting on the sky to change.'
Although Boris didn't know much about the sky, the rain or the atmosphere. He could pick up common sense for how it was used by the creators.
Bendy began dancing as the tune's song carried throughout the entire room.
Boris had actually forgotten that Bendy was there.
The music had carried him into his own thoughts.
What a nice feeling.
The wolf continued playing his melody.
'I've been frozen since that day.'
'I saw my clear blue skies, as they turned to gray in front of me.'
'It's hard to find my way.'
'Can I rise above?'
'When giving up, is all I know?'
Bendy skipped and hopped along.
'I'm done running towards the eyes of tornadoes.'
'Pretending this is hope
'I breath in the atmosphere.'
'Let it wash over my fear.'
'Of these heights as I transcend.'
'And become whole again.'
'I breath in the atmosphere.'
'Let it take my out of here.'
'I won't live life in the rain.'
'Waiting on the sky to change.'
The wolf slowed his playing a little as the bridge of his song was coming up.
'And the water's rising.'
'Going depth from the sound of rain.'
'And the water's rising.'
'I won't drown in the flood you made.'
Those lyrics repeated. Until they came back to the chorus. The wolf's smile with lit with awe and delight.
Satisfied with his own performance. He almost sounded as good as Robert.
His lyrics were almost as good as Jack's.
And his music was almost as good as Sammy's.
Clapping reverberated within the sense room. Boris turned to his left and saw the demon's applause.
Boris smiled, slightly.
The demon had been pleased with the wolf's performance.
"You have talent my friend!"
Bendy complimented.
Boris nodded. A small, slight smile formed on his lips.
Bendy smiled back.
Perhaps they could spend awhile here. Maybe relive some old memories. Maybe find welcomed treasures. Maybe regain, some happiness.
