Return To The Machine

Chapter 9

"Coast is clear!" Parker whispered peeking over the ledge. Rosa then threw him over the ledge making him cry out in surprise. Rosa then followed up after him getting her hook together again on her belt. She looked around and sighed. "Great, we're back near the old recording studio that we've managed to find. Gosh, I don't know too much about this area. I've only heard a little bit about someone who used to work here... But I don't know too much." Rosa told him. Parker stood up, brushing the dust off his pants.

"So what about it do you remember about it?" he asked. "Well, Tom knows someone by the name of Sammy who apparently worked in the music department. I don't know anything about them though. People keep telling me they've never seen him before. That they didn't even know if he was still wandering around the studio after Tom killed him."

"Wait, if he killed him, Sammy's clearly dead, how would he then be wandering around the studio without anyone knowing?"

"Okay, so... gosh how do I explain this? So real quick, Joey and Henry used to draw together. I don't know too much, but I know Henry quit a long time ago. Joey meanwhile lost a lot of profit and eventually went bankrupt from the amount of money that went by after he got sued for copyright. Pretty bad. I don't know anything about the facts, Tom and Allison are too stubborn to tell anyone who's knew anything about it. But... all I know is that it wasn't good. Everyone ultimately left this place in ruins. Unfortunately, Joey lured them all back. He gathered them around, sacrificing them to this Ink Machine. The only one who wasn't truly soulless... Henry... I suppose for years we've been looking for him."

"How come you can't find any of them?"

"Well, Alice and Tom are worried about finding more trouble by looking deeper into the studio. I think that's what it is. Although, I can't blame them for that. We've had enough problems between the ink people breaching every place we can think of. Anyways, I know there are other passageways throughout this part of the building. We can try to follow the paths down here. Thankfully Tom taught me a few things about this place."

They moved on into the recording area where there were mics, instruments, music sheets, chairs, and a projection room that was visible in the upper corner. Some of the supplies were scattered across the room making it messy. Rosa noticed there was an area within the small space that was closed off with the door looking like a garage door. "I don't think we can just walk into this area. We've gotta find a way in. But how?" Rosa realized as she stared at it. "Why don't we look around. After all, it's been a minute since you've been here." Parker suggested.

She shrugged her shoulders and they left the room to head out into their new area. Throughout the studio, Parker could've sworn he heard the soft notes of faded music. He wasn't sure how to put his finger on it, but it was echoing throughout the halls.

His name we won't sing
We're hanging on by a string
This isn't our end!
My name is Henry, my friend!
On my own
Yet never truly alone
He sits on the throne
I've got to run from death
Won't draw my last breath
Hear me now while my voice is loud
I'll come back and make you proud!

Parker almost gasped out loud hearing those beautiful notes from an unknown voice. Rosa heard his faint gasp and turned around to check on him. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I'm... I'm fine. But... I swear, I heard someone singing. It's so beautiful." he said. "Sing? Hah! You must be hearing things! No one sings here anything anymore. Not after..." she began, trailing off. "Never mind. Anywho, c'mon, we've got to find a way to get out of here!"

Both of them used their flashlights to look around the building. There was a room in the very back that had a closet and a room with a pump inside of it. Yet they weren't able to access either place with the doors being locked. "Oh well, might as well keep moving." she said and they moved on. Parker spotted a stairwell that was blocked up by ink. "Well, I've found a path..." he said. Rosa peaked and saw what he was seeing.

"There's no way either of us can get through that. How are we gonna drain this ink? I mean this is the only path we have so far." she wondered. "Maybe it has something to do with that pipe?" he thought. "Only one way to find out! I'm breaking that door down!" she said before running back to their area. "Wait!"

Both picked up the speed in order to make it to the locked door. Rosa used her ax against the door. It took forever to break it down but it did the trick. It collapsed giving them an entryway to the area. What had once clearly been an office but was now destroyed had the pump that they used to pull down. It was jammed so both Parker and Rosa had to work together to get it to go down all the way.

Rosa wiped her forehead from the sweat on her forehead as Parker shook himself out from all the pressure. "That should do the trick. We need to get out of here though. This place is not the kind of place I want to be trapped in forever... I've heard too many rumors about this part of the studio. I'm just mad no one informs me anything about this area." she said flustered. "Sounds good to me! Let's get out of here!"

As they walked out of there, the two looked at each other before glancing away shyly. "I'm... I'm sorry you've been trapped here all your life. I've barely been here and I can already tell it's no place that anyone really deserves to be." he said. "It's okay... I guess I'm just stunned that it's been so long... I had only planned to journey around for about a day. Then I was running for my life from these Ink Creatures. I traveled far into the factory. In this section where no one usually goes. Alice told me it's where she used to work before she got Susie's job. A dressing area. I found old recordings of her around there. Sadly, those creatures found me. But... she saved me."

Parker watched the sparkle barely return in her eye. "I was so happy to know that I wasn't alone down here. Others have been sacrificed... Other humans were unlucky to get stuck down here after trying to break it down... Then there's you... someone who was crazy enough to come. Out of everyone, I never would've thought I'd meet someone like you." she said. Parker bit his lip wondering if that was a good or bad thing.

The stairs were right around the corner. Rosa barely walked ahead of Parker who wasn't sure if he should continue on his journey. Suddenly, he watched her drop to the ground with a loud thud. She groaned before lying there still. "ROSA!" Parker shouted. He raced down to his knees and held her in his lap. He barely touched her head and felt the blood barely drip down from the back. He gasped and looked up hearing footsteps.

"Sheep Sheep Sheep... It's time for sleep."