Chapter 2: The Old Song

It is unknown how much time has passed since Sonic and his friends lost consciousness. An hour? Two? Maybe it's been a day? They continued to lie on the floor like rag dolls, unable to even open their eyes. Finally, Sonic woke up, barely opening his eyelids, he stared at the old cracked wooden ceiling with black spots. Everything was quiet, except for the faint sound of liquid pouring from somewhere outside the door. And there was a terrible bell ringing in my head.

- A-a-augh... my...head - Sonic groaned, putting his palm to his forehead, he began to rub his head with all his might, the pain gradually subsided, but the head continued to be heavy - what happened? And why am I lying on the floor?

Continuing to rub his head, Sonic carefully got to his feet, it was difficult to stand, his head was buzzing and spinning, legs would not obey. Looking around the room, and trying to remember what had happened, he saw his unconscious friends lying next to him and a huge pentagram almost covering the entire floor with burning candles around the edges. His memory began to come back to him.

He remembered that after the tunnel that led them to this room was blocked, cutting off their path to the room where there was a trapdoor to the top floor, where they fell into the basement. And they themselves entered this room and tried to approach the door, but suddenly he... and apparently his friends, including, had a headache. That's why they fell unconscious on the floor. At the same time, something flashed before his eyes...pictures? A vision... or something like that. Images?

- Oh, right...of course… - Sonic, shaking his head, approached Tails uncertainly.

Crouching down in front of him, he gently shook him by the shoulders, hoping that he would wake up. It didn't take long, Tails opened his eyes almost immediately. His head was still buzzing, but he quickly regained consciousness. Blinking his eyes, he stared at his friend.

- S-Sonic?... - he stammered with difficulty, starting to look around – where…where are we?

- In the basement of this damned studio, where else would we be? - he replied, and getting up, he approached Amy and also began to bring her to her senses by shaking her by the shoulders. And as soon as she showed signs of life, the hedgehog approached the rabbit, slowing her down just as easily.

Finally, the girls recovered, and when they woke up, they began to get up carefully.

- Mmmmm, – moaned Amy, starting to massage her temples with her index and middle fingers in a measured manner to banish the pain - guys... I have ... some pictures in my eyes…

- Me too - Sonic replied, sitting down on a chair against the wall, he began scratching his head with his finger, staring at the ceiling with his eyes - like...I saw... this machine...some kind of wheelchair...And... this creepy demon-like thing.

- Did you see that too? - Amy asked, looking at the hedgehog.

- Yes – replied Sonic to her.

- I saw it too - Tails said, getting to his feet.

- And... me - Cream replied uncertainly, holding her head and looking at the floor.

Looking up and seeing two large coffins, she turned pale and trembled, raised her hand and pointed at the coffins.

- Wha-what…is this…or..what in there…?

The others shifted their gaze to the coffins and decided to immediately take their eyes anywhere to avoid seeing them. Their presence caused more excitement. And there is no desire to ask "what is in them" at all.

- It's better for us not to know - Tails replied, approaching Cream and leading her away from the coffins. Looking at them with apprehension - Guys, let's get out of here as soon as possible.

- I agree - said Sonic, approaching the door - I don't feel comfortable standing in a room with a pentagram and these coffins. And then suddenly some more corpses will come out.

Upon hearing this, Cream pressed her hands to her mouth. She hid behind Tails, looking at those coffins with fear. Sonic turned to the door, but to everyone's surprise, it was boarded up from the inside.

- Who boarded up the door and why? - Amy asked - as the whole way was almost blocked up with boards. It's like they wanted to lock someone up here.

- What if that's where they tried to lock that monster up? - Tails suggested - if the doors were boarded up from the back, most likely they wanted to restrain someone.

- Do you think they summoned that demon, it raged, and they tried to lock it down here? - Sonic asked him again.

- Maybe – replied Tails - but if he happened to be at the top...so the boards didn't hold him back. Apparently he found another way.

- In that case, this is the only place we need to go - Sonic said, nodding towards the boarded-up door - I hope there is a back door here, I'm already tired of all this madness. And I don't want to be here any longer.

Raising his axe, Tails went to the door, and with a few blows cut through the boards that did not allow passage. Opening it, the friends saw a staircase leading down to an even lower room. Darker, more dilapidated, and more creepy. The only thing that shone there were lighted candles on the shelf. And some kind of dim blinking lamp above the door. The room is not the most pleasant to the eye. Causing only a shiver down my spine and a nervous tic. Above the middle of the stairs hung a sign with the inscription "Utility Shaft 9".

Our crew started walking down the stairs. There was a crash and a loud *BANG*! Right in front of Sonic, the fragments of the board fell on the steps, cracking in half with a loud crash. The second time is already on their way. Cream suddenly screamed again and clung to Tails, who ran his hand over her head a couple of times, and after a minute she calmed down and came to her senses.

After descending the stairs, a wall stood in front of them, to the right of which there was a passage to a large hall. On the wall itself, there were several shelves filled with burning wax candles, and some plates with eggs or other food, as well as a mini cardboard Bendy. Such a small, but just as brazenly smiling imp. And there are a couple of sealed cans of bacon soup lying nearby. And finally, the old dusty banjo.

There was also a pipe sticking out of the wall right under the ceiling, like in a theater, in which ink was clearly flowing, and dripping black slime could be seen from the junction of the pipes.

But most of all, this wall attracted attention due to another large ink-smeared inscription that read: "He will set us free."

- "He will set us free" - Amy read the inscription aloud - what is it about? Is there anyone in captivity here?

- As far as I'm concerned, there's no one here except that monster - Sonic replied, looking around the corridor with his hand - We didn't meet anyone.

- But what if... well...Theoretically - Tails began - there's still someone left...only very, very deep?

- Tails, but this place can't be as deep as you're describing it - Sonic replied.

- But look, this studio is huge! - Tails said, walking into the middle of the hall and spreading his arms - it's already going to the devil knows what depth. Maybe it goes even lower.

Sonic looked skeptically at the audience and his friend. He still held the idea that the studio was small. Well... even if we take into account this lower floor.

Suddenly, his gaze was attracted by two more large coffins against the wall, with a pictogram drawn on the floor. This caused him to interrupt the discussion about the size of the studio and become agitated. Tails, not understanding why Sonic stopped talking, turned around and, seeing more coffins, also fell silent.

- They didn't really kill anyone here!? – Tails cried out.

- I want to believe not… - Amy replied - it's already very dark and scary place, and we obviously don't need any extra blood here.

Upon entering the hall, the company dispersed and began to inspect everything that was bad and not bad. This place was not very special, unlike the same hall with a large sign with the studio's logo. It was darker, dirty, and covered in ink, and it was dripping continuously from one pipe. Just above some wall-mounted electronics. There were also some iron boxes with zippers, but the guys didn't want to get into them.

There were also panels behind bars made of counters, light bulbs, press tubes, and other things.

Train noticed another faded poster on the wall with the premiere of a new cartoon series, it read: Bendy in "Train Troubles." She was wearing a locomotive driven by Bendy in a machinist's cap.

"Bendy in Train Trouble - she read softly – ''troubles''? Were cartoons always about accidents in the 30s? Is it really impossible to tell a story in which there are no troubles?

On the other wall, opposite the dripping pipe, with an overturned trash can and a stool, there were more candles on the shelf, another small Bendy cutout, and surprisingly another voice recorder with a cassette.

- Hmm... another recording - Tails noticed and went to the shelf and reached for the recorder - I wonder what's on it.

Tails pressed the record playback button, and a man's voice rang out, speaking as if he was afraid that someone would hear him. But with such joy, in such an upbeat tone, and most importantly, he talked about very strange things.

"He appears from the shadows to pour his sweet rain of blessings on me."

''The figure of ink that shines in the dark…I see you, my savior. I pray you hear me…
Those old songs? Yes…I still sing them. For I know you are coming to save me, and ill will be swept
into your loving embrace.''

''But, love requires sacrifice.
Can I get and amen?''

- I said it! - suddenly, to the shock of everyone, a voice similar to the one that spoke in the recording was heard, only more sonorous and a little rude - Can I get an amen?!