Return To The Machine

Chapter 22

Everyone inside remained silent as they tried to regain the knowledge they just received. "You're what now?!" Buddy cried out. Sammy huffed and shifted around to look away. "Great. Now we have someone who's going to defend a family member over her own team's life."

Parker looked at her with surprised eyes. "So... So that's why you came down here... You're down here looking for your family..." he gasped.

Buddy also thought for a moment. "Wait for a second... If you're family... Does that mean you're his..?" Rosa nodded her head.

"I'm his granddaughter. My mom knew very little about him because he disappeared when she was a kid. But when I discovered a journal that belonged to him, I knew it couldn't be a coincidence. I've heard stories about Joey Drew Studios and what happened to the people who went in that never came out. When I learned that he worked here through his journal, I knew I had to come. I found an opening somewhere and managed to crawl inside. I explored until I thought I would leave. Except as everyone knows... once you come in... there's no getting out of here. I ran around scared for my life up until I met Allison. Eventually, I found a tape that my grandpa left behind. Only to find out he had been turned into a freak... I had to find a way to bring him back... If I couldn't get out of here, I'd try to turn him back at least."

The others in the booth looked at one another in surprise. Parker placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we'll find a way," Then he looked at Buddy and Sammy. "We'll find a way for everyone." Buddy grinned but Sammy crossed his arms. "As if we could. It's been years! At this point, I've already accepted my fate. There's nothing weirder than this." Sammy replied.

"Look, one way or another we've gotta get out of this place. I suggest we leave this issue alone for now. We've gotta get out of here first. It's way too barren down here to stay. If Bendy or Alice find out we're down here, we'll be hunted down for good. We've gotta get out of here without that thing pissing off the Demons." Buddy noted. The group came to the conclusion that they could move on without any further conflict between each other. They peeked through the small slit in the door. The Projectionist had gone the other way leaving them alone. Buddy opened the allowing them to leave and head out into the open. Sammy took the lead, taking them off to another section.

There were a few close calls for them on the way to the exit. At one point, they hid behind a projection background to hide from his light which came very close to finding them. They thought it wouldn't be possible to get out through the maze. Parker was the first to see the door and made a rush out of it. He was soon followed by Buddy who dashed right behind him. Sammy quickly chased after the duo who made it to the top of the stairs. Rosa followed quickly but looked behind her briefly. The Projectionist's light flickered in the distance. It was coming closer to their view. "ROSA! COME ON!" Sammy shouted. Rosa sighed before running up the stairs.

Pressing a button on the lift's panel, they then went much lower into the building. They weren't sure where they were going. Either way, it was a way out of their unfortunate situation. No sounds of Bendy or any other homicidal creature in sight that would take them. Parker let out a sigh of relief, sinking down to the ground, and ruffled his hair. "When will this end?" he asked them. Sammy adjusted his mask. "When our savior decides to let us go and set us free... But sadly... I doubt that'll ever happen."

Getting it together, they tried to manage themselves in the lift. When it stopped again, the doors opened up allowing them to exit. "Where to now? We've got nowhere else to go! I haven't even been down this far before!" Rosa questioned. "Well, there's clearly not many places we've got left. We've gotta find something before those demons come back to find us. If anything we don't need to be sitting ducks out in the open." Sammy noted. Buddy bumped his arm before nodding in a direction outside of the lift. They headed down the hall where Buddy headed down the wall where it was labeled Level S. Buddy noted the other words on there too. Parker and Rosa looked at it closer where it was labeled Accounting and Finance. Buddy pointed to the name Grant Cohen which labeled that his office was on their right.

"Grant Cohen? He's the guy who did finances." Sammy questioned. "Geez Sammy, ya think!? It says finances! Do you think he does finances?!" Parker mocked as he kept motioning to the words accounting and financing. "Don't be smart." Sammy snapped as he pushed past Parker. Rosa and Buddy took the lead. They looked around the corner to find a set of two doors.

Inside the room that had a sign labeled MANAGEMENT, Buddy almost gasped seeing the chaotic scribbles on the walls. Rosa's jaw dropped upon seeing everything in front of her. There was a wall busted open in the room as well. Parker and Sammy joined them and couldn't believe what they were seeing. Touching the ink with her bare hand, Rosa felt a shiver go up her spine and Buddy pulled her back. Parker observed every single word written. "Money... Taxes... Time... Dues... Was this guy insane or something? I mean what does this even mean?" Parker questioned startled. Sammy found the answer in the form of a tape recorder.

Buddy approached his friend and adjusted the machine to work. When they played the recording, it was haunting. It was cries of panic, they heard glass breaking in the background, the sounds of struggles, and someone trying to cry out for help but couldn't. Buddy's legs began to shake as he backed away. Rosa backed into Parker where he hugged her, trying to comfort the two of them. Sammy dropped the tape as it continued to play. Panic and fear. That's all they could hear. "I know those sounds... I know what that means..." Sammy exclaimed.

He took them down the hall into another area. Rosa and Parker were very confused but it didn't stop Buddy from following. Together they watched as Sammy used all his strength to open up a new section of the studio. He opened up the door and hoisted himself over a step, the others following behind him. Slowly they entered the room.

Eerie silence surrounded them. Just as Sammy stepped into the next area, a light flickered on. Then another. And another. It illuminated a small stage with ink statues of people on their knees in terror or in praise. All of them were in front of a Bendy stone statue that sat in the middle. All of them were confused until Sammy spoke, motioning to the words above the twisted artwork in front of them.

"He Will Set Us Free."