To Twist the Script

Fidgeting with dismay he jumped up, smacking both of his cheeks to steel his nerves before he grabbed onto Henry's thumb. Come on, Henry! Joey's right there and you got nothing..? What's going on? Hey!

"I wasn't expecting you for another hour yet. Now you're just trying to impress me." Joey slumped, sighing.

Bendy kept tugging at Henry's thumb, getting it to move but only succeeding in having the man drop him instead. "Wh-- Henry!!" He gasped, hands pressed to the front of his paper cage as he stared up at him, fluttering helplessly to the tile. "Henry!!"

"But I know... I know... you have questions. You always do!"

Of course he does, so do I! Bendy mentally screamed, stomping on his little line on the page as he looked up at Henry. His hands slid down the paper, eyes widening at the expression he could see on his friend's face. "Henry...?"

"The only important question is this.... Who are we, Henry?"

Henry's expression was blank, face almost relaxed as he stared at the man across the counter. Eyes were more than just tired, they seemed to be missing their glow entirely -- dull and gray, almost as gray as... What? Bendy glanced back towards Joey's voice. Just through the rungs of the wheelchair he could see the bathrobe, Joey's slippers...

"I thought I knew who I was... but... the success starved me. Nothing left but lines on a page."

The confusion and worry started muddling out the rising panic and Bendy's mouth twisted, glancing frequently between what he could see of Joey and Henry, mind frantically pulling at their link, their bond...

"In the end, we followed two different roads of our own making. You, a loving family. Me..." A laugh rang out, and Joey waved his hand, placing a dish into the rack. "Well, you saw them, right?"

Bendy kept pulling, pulling, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to ward against the encroaching static and the numbness threatening to consume his mind...

"I let my creations become my life. I want people to love them, to care for them like they can their children, like they could other people. Sadly... I could never quite get that to happen."

Something snapped inside Bendy. It was hard not to notice it under such scrutiny, but the ache that followed in its wake was more blinding then the static that had preceded it by miles. Inky tears stained his cheeks as he blinked and something felt... wrong. Very, very wrong. He felt a tight squeezing in his chest. It only made the ache worse.

Joey huffed, turning towards the counter at last. His eyes very briefly darted down to the piece of paper on the floor. Pie cut eyes met the tightly lined face of an elderly Joey Drew.

"You used to be so good at pushing, old friend.... To do the right thing." Joey gave a dry laugh at the end, his glare returning to Henry as he used the tabletop as a crutch.

Bendy's mind started sorting through his memories, almost against his will, in reverse. Trepidation crept up on him as ink started dripping down his face and now he knew what had happened.

Somehow, because of everything that was occurring, his connection to Henry had been forcibly cut off, possibly permanently. He shuddered -- That shouldn't have been possible -- Not with them both still being alive .

"You need to try a little harder. You know what to do at this juncture by now, don't you Henry?" His disappointed glare eased into a smile, a hand waving at the door as Henry turned.

No.. Bendy's eyes followed him as he opened the door. This bright place filled with sunlight was nothing but a ruse, he could see it now. The sepia tones burned into his eyes just as Henry and that place disappeared from view.