Return To The Machine

Chapter 4

Parker shook his head frantically. "No! I said I was sorry! Please!" he begged. The ink people picked him up, dragging him away. "Now please it's useless to struggle. You'll only make it harder on yourself to accept the inevitable. Take him away! I'll get back to you soon." Bendy ordered as they continued to head out of the place. When they left, Bendy wiped away some of the ink away from one of his eyes.

Heading to the back of the room, Bendy approached two posters on the wall. One of them was Joey Drew who smiled and held a pencil. The other was Henry who had Bendy dancing right next to him.

Henry seemed to be laughing while drawing on a sketchbook and Bendy was pleased to be dancing.

Angrily, he scratched the poster of Joey, leaving slash marks on the face. Then he reached over and started to hit the poster of Henry. But something deep down wouldn't let him. He screeched and threw something across the room before slinking into the darkness. "Our creators lied..." 

Meanwhile, the ink people dragged Parker who screamed and kicked at them as they tried to get him to the next place to collect his soul. "LET ME GO!" he shouted. At one point, he managed to kick one of them hard.

They jolted back and bumped into someone behind him. This formed a path for his getaway. My only chance! He thought. Parker pushed one off the bridge and into the ink where they drowned. Parker dashed into the next room and the ink people gave chase. He went down and tried his best to hide from those creatures. Eventually, he found another room was found a completely different room. There was something like a garage, two different rooms, and other things. But the one thing that caught his attention was something that looked like a booth.

He opened it up and shut himself inside of it. The ink people came rushing into the room. They saw no trace of Parker anywhere. Tired of searching for him, they disappeared leaving him there to look after himself. Somehow he managed to get into his backpack and pulled out his box cutter. It cut through his ropes and he threw them to the ground. Opening the door to his hiding spot, he checked the area. No one was there. "This... This has to be a bad dream! This can't even be happening! I have to be living a nightmare!" he ranted.

"So... What do I do now?" he asked himself. "Going here was a big mistake. I can't let that drag me down though. I've gotta get out of here. Too bad I don't have a way out." he sighed.

There wasn't any other way except into the garage area. "Well... here goes nothing!" he sighed. He ventured inside realizing there was something more to this odd place than what meets the eye. "Parkerrrr... Parrrrkerrrrr..." the voices went again. Parker took in a deep breath and tried to smile in order to get through the maze of hallways. He sped up trying to lose them from everything that was trying to lure him back into danger.

Not looking behind him, he didn't see the Butcher gang member chasing after him. Endlessly searching for an endpoint, Parker stumbled across Joey Drew's old office. It was a huge mess inside. Like someone knowingly destroyed everything in a rage. "Woah... This place is hella scary..." he said to himself. Walking inside, he saw was looked like a cassette player laying on the ground. Picking it up, he saw the player part was broken and no longer usable.

Clicking on one button, it released the actual tape that was inside of it. It was in good condition. "Hm. Maybe this will give me some answers." he said to himself and placed it inside his backpack. Just as he turned to go out the door, he was face to face with the Butcher gang. They hissed and growled at him, waving their weapons in his direction. "AHH!" he shouted. Parker stayed behind the desk, trying to avoid their wrath. They began to circle around him threateningly. Alarmed, Parker hopped on top of the desk to avoid them.

Still waving their weapons around angrily, the Butcher gang tried getting onto the desk. "No no no... I've gotta get out!" Derrick cried. The door was just in front of him. He took a chance and jumped off the desk, making it to the exit. In a rage, the Butcher gang ran after Parker. Parker however didn't stop running. He tried his best to remember the way back but just like before, it felt like a huge maze.

After some time running, he found the exit to the endless maze. He gasped in relief seeing the exit. Except the Butcher gang was too quick. They cut off his exit, walking slowly towards them. Parker fearfully backed down and hit his heel against the wall. Thinking it was over Parker braced himself. Then... an idea. "HEY! RUN!" he shouted, looking to his right side. The Butcher gang who became confused walked a little towards their sides.

Parker took the chance and bolted out to the booth that he knew was out there. He went back inside and took deep breaths. The Butcher gang came out and looked around the place. Frustrated, went out of view. Parker waited a minute before opening the door. "I'm getting tired of running into these guys..." he sighed. Just as he began heading out to the nearest doorway, a Butcher gang member popped out. They growled and waved their pipe in his face. Parker kicked it back and ran back towards the booth.

But the other two members were blocking his path. They circled around him, waving their pipes or gears in his face. Parker fell backward and hit the ground. They began bashing him with everything they had, only having his arms as protection. Kicking and screaming, the Butcher gang did not let up.

There's no way I'm getting out of here alive... I knew it but it still stings. Parker cried as he sat there in one place allowing himself to get beat to death. Yet just as hope was lost, a smoke bomb was dropped in the middle of the brawl, spreading a painful spell on the Butcher gang. They waddled away in pain. Then out from a hole in the roof, someone came down on a rope where someone helped Parker to his feet.

They wore a cloth across the lower part of their face, their clothes were built for adventure, and they wore boots. "Grab on!" they said, holding out their hand. Parker was hesitant at first. The Butcher gang growled at them once more and Parker grabbed onto their arm tightly. "Hang on tight!" they shouted, pressing a button on their waist and hoisted upwards. Together they headed up higher and higher away from the little demons who growled. Parker was out of breath by the time they reached the end.

The secret savior helped him up on the platforms that made a bridge. "We don't have much time. Follow me and stay close!" they ordered. Only now could he tell that the voice was feminine. Still worried, he stopped and stood his ground. "Thank you... But I have to know... Who are you? Why should I trust you? I don't mean to be rude after you saved me. But this whole thing has been a nightmare! I need to be sure I'm going to be okay!" he cried. The mysterious person turned around to face him.

She peeled off her mask and revealed her face that was not based on ink or black and white magic. She was pure human. To his surprise, he felt himself lightly blush.

"Because I'm your only chance."