I forced myself this morning to get up and go to Bendy's newest meeting despite my guilt and insecurities. Once I got there, I immediately felt the atmosphere to be tense, as everyone was mumbling amongst each other, which worried me. I scanned through the crowd and eventually found Gary, and I went to approach him.
"Ah, Gary, there you are!" I said to him. "So, what's happening with everyone? They seem tense." Gary stared at me.
"Hello, Sammy." He started. "So, what's going on is I told someone about something I saw, and probably shouldn't have. The word spread really fast, and now it seems that everyone knows."
"Everyone knows what? I've been in my sanctuary for most of this day, so I don't know."
"I'll tell you then." He started. "So, I was walking around the studio, trying to get the layout of it all more clear in my mind, but I noticed that I was hearing something quite strange. As I was trying to find out where the noise was coming from, I recognised it to be crying. But when I did find where it was coming from, to my surprise..." He looked away, seeming to check his surroundings. "...It was our lord. He was curled up in a ball, quietly sobbing like he was in some sort of pain."
"In pain?!" I shouted, horrifically concerned. "What do you mean in p-" He quickly covered my mouth and looked ahead of everyone, as I followed his gaze. Just then Bendy lumbered in, looking extremely upset. He turned to face us, but the manner was much different than the norm. Bendy did not look like the confident and assertive leader that he is, he was instead a demon of misery.
"Everyone. I have dreadful news." He started. "We've lost three people. I'd like to have a moment to acknowledge the poor souls that we have lost, Norman, Susie, and..." He paused his words, looking like he was using all of his willpower to not break down. "...Boris." I looked around to all of the faces in the crowd, noticing that I was the only one who didn't look shocked. "...And to make matters worse, we've been betrayed by Tom and Allison, who are now on Henry's side..." Bendy looked down and growled slightly. "...My plans have changed. I no longer want to take it easy on this man. If he can kill someone as sweet and innocent as Boris, he can and will kill everyone here without hesitation. I care for each and every one of you, so you must follow these orders. If you don't, you will die. You will NOT go after Henry, unless he is completely alone. The same goes for Tom and Allison. If you fight them as a group, no matter how strong you are or how many are with you, you all will inevitably die. It should at least be a one on one, or a sneak attack on ONE person. I REALLY CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!" He stared at us for a second, breathing hard. "...Sorry. Just do as I said. Goodbye." He left the room as we all began to head to spots in the village. I went into a building near the center and Gary followed me in. I leaned against the wall in frustration and Gary sat down on the floor.
"Ugh. I would have never suspected that someone would be cocky as to disgrace us as those imbeciles have." I groaned, and rolled my eyes. "I didn't suspect them to be this stupid, I suppose." I looked to Gary. He looked shocked, like he was trying to take a lot in at once, which he was.
"...Sammy?" Gary started. "We're all going to die, aren't we?"
"Huh? Now why would you say something like that?" I began boarding up the doorway. I felt it was necessary to protect my best friend. He didn't see what Henry is capable of.
"So many strong people have already died. Us lost ones aren't as strong as people like our lord, or Susie, or you..." He looked at the wall. I smiled at him.
"Gary, you know you're my best friend. I literally boarded the entrance so he couldn't get to you, and I have the last axe that's around this area!" I picked it up, but as clumsy as I am, I immediately dropped it. Gary laughed lightly at my foolishness.
"Oh boy, good thing I have the all powerful Sammy Lawrence here to protect me." He said sarcastically, batting his eyes. "Who knows what could possibly happen if I was left all by my lonesome??"
"Okay, now you're just making fun of me." I said. "But I'm glad I could lift your spirits." I gave Gary a hug, and then sat down with him. After waiting for a while, it seemed that nothing was going to happen. I sighed with relief. "See, Gary, we're fine, nothing's gone wro-" I stopped. I heard something moving through the ink river. I looked out the window cautiously, only to see Henry enter the village. I slowly backed away from the window and quietly squeaked out to Gary. "Never mind, he's here."
"Henry? Great. The party just started. Death party." He mumbled to himself, seemingly trying to calm down. I looked to my axe, which was propped against the wall. I then had an immensely stupid idea.
"...I'm going after him, Gary." I whispered to him, getting up and grabbing the axe. I walked towards the entrance, but Gary grabbed me by the arm.
"Sammy, are you insane??" He whisper-shouted at me. "You're going to get hurt! You might get yourself killed!"
"It's better me than anyone else." I looked through a crack between the boards, raising the axe slowly as I watched Henry approach us unknowingly. Suddenly, it seemed as if I lost control of myself as I screamed in rage and tore apart the boards with the axe. I ran after Henry, screaming and violently swinging my axe at him. I was doing a number on the old man, until he suddenly hit me over the head with a pipe so hard that my mask flew off my face. "No! D-Don't look at me!" I shrieked, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. I covered my face in embarrassment as Henry slowly approached me. My embarrassment and shame flooded to fury and hatred as I grabbed the man and threw him to the ground. I raised my axe to his head, ready to strike, but at that moment, I was called out to.
"SAMMY, LOOK OUT!" Gary screamed as I suddenly came to my senses. Before I even had time to react, I suddenly had a horrible pain in my head. I realized that I had been struck with an axe as I fell to the ground, almost completely unable to get up out of the sheer pain. I heard Gary scream in fury and distress as I watched all the lost ones and searchers come out of the shacks and surround Henry, who was now accompanied by Tom (who was rude enough to rip the axe out of my head as I was already lying in pain) and Allison. Gary suddenly ran over to me and carried me behind the shacks and stand me up. "Sammy, you need to get something to help your head NOW. GO."
"B-But Gary, I need to help you all fight them!" I stuttered, beginning to feel lightheaded. "You're all unarmed, and-"
"GO. NOW. DON'T WORRY ABOUT US." He shoved me away as I ran to find something for my head. After a while of searching for anything, I found some cloth to wrap my head with. I wrapped my wound as fast and efficiently as I possibly could, and sprinted back to the village. I peered to where everyone was from behind a building, only to see that there was no one there. Instead of anyone, there were puddles of ink that were melting into the floor. I felt as if I was stabbed through the heart, thinking the situation couldn't get much worse. But of course, I was mistaken, as always.
At that moment, Bendy walked into the village, only to freeze at the emptiness of it all. He looked around nervously, but he suddenly saw something and stared at it with a look of horror. I looked to where he was looking, only to see my mask lying on the ground. He shakily walked towards it, got on his knees, and picked it up. He stared at my mask as he started to tremble. He pressed his forehead against it, whimpering like a sad dog.
Bendy then began sobbing insanely, which honestly startled me horribly. I felt the need to help him, so I tried to walk towards him. After only one step, I suddenly felt extremely dizzy, as the room started to feel as if it was spinning. Ink dripped from the wound in my head as my vision blurred, and I fell to the ground. Feeling too weak to move, I passed out.
I woke up again a while afterwards. I got up slowly, and looked to the front of the shacks. Bendy was no longer there, but he left my mask on the ground. I walked over, picked it up, and put it back on. My mind began running with many questions.
"Where is everyone?" I thought. "Are they all dead? Bendy was only just here, where is he now-" My thoughts were soon interrupted by a demonic roaring coming from far away. I began to run towards the shrieks, slowly realizing where they were coming from. The ink machine. I went towards it, only to freeze in terror. Tom and Allison were both waiting outside of it. "You have got to be kidding me." I mumbled faintly, as I slowly and quietly snuck past. I walked through the ink to get to the inside of the machine. Once I got inside, I immediately saw Henry. "Wait, why is he by himself? Did those jerks really use him? And why is he here?" But then I saw Bendy, and my heart dropped.
Bendy had turned into a huge beast, and was chasing Henry around. He looked... Immensely powerful, and if I had to be honest, I was extremely attracted to him at that moment. Instead of doing anything to help, I found myself swooning over the beast that he had become, feeling like an obsessive teenager. I hid behind a few pipes, stalking them and fantasizing about my one and only. But I suddenly snapped back to reality, and realized what was happening. My heart stopped as I froze in shock and horror.
Before I knew what was happening, he was gone. Bendy met his end, and Henry left the machine. Feeling absolutely numb, I got up and began to follow him from a distance. He met up with Tom and Allison, and they began making their way back to the first floor. Henry opened their door to freedom, and they all left the studio behind, slamming the door behind them. I then realized the situation I found myself in. I wandered around the studio, calling out and trying to find someone.
"Hello?" I shouted. "Is someone out there? Anybody? Please?"
But after a thorough search of the entire studio, I found that I was completely alone. Everyone else was dead. I walked back to the ink machine, and stared. Stared at absolutely nothing. Suddenly, the numbness was flooded with anger and distress, so much that I had an absolute meltdown. It almost felt as if I lost control of my body, as I slammed my fists against the walls, screaming in rage.
I stared at the wall of the machine, which was now stained with imprints of my fists. I slammed my head against the wall, and slid downwards until I was curled up in a pathetic ball. Then I began sobbing harder than I ever have before.
I wish there was someone here to end this pain of mine...