Drip.

    Drip.

    I woke up to the sound of something dripping. I opened my eyes, seeing a black substance leaking from the ceiling. It was almost pitch-black in the room, so it could have been anything. I sat up, wanting to get a better look at my surroundings.

    Wait, haven’t I been here before?

    I looked around, and realised, I had been here before. I looked down, and saw the ropes. I heard footsteps, and looked up. I saw a cartoon wolf. I smiled. “Hello, Buddy. Took you long enough.”

    The wolf stopped. He looked at me. He continued, then untied me. I got up, then walked to the safehouse where I first met Henry.

    I pounded on the door of the room he was sleeping in. Nothing. I started banging on the door again. I heard things fall down in the room, then the door opened. He stepped back in surprise.

    Henry stared at me. 

    “Who the heck are you?” He asked.

    I was confused. Why didn’t he remember me? I wrote down my question.

    “Listen, clearly something is wrong, so I would appreciate it if you didn’t joke around with me. We need to leave, now.”

    “I don’t know who you are, but you can’t just barge in here and demand things from me. That’s not how that works. So, if you don’t mind, get out.”

    His tone was threatening, but I could hear the fear in his voice. I barged in here, a complete stranger to him, writing things as if I knew him. But I did know him. So why didn’t he remember me.

    Okay. I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll just be on my way.

    I turned around and walked out the door. What is happening?

    I waited until the day when Henry and I had originally left the safehouse, and sure enough, he came out the door, and headed on his way. He even gave Buddy a bone. Wait, he didn’t do that last time. I just shrugged it off as some kind of butterfly effect from what I did the other day. Whatever. 

    This time, I would save Buddy. I wouldn’t let Alice take him. This time, they took the Angel path. For whatever reason, this time, as they made their way towards Alice, a couple of searchers popped up randomly behind them. I just dropped some of my ink on them, and they dissolved. Nice.

    Henry and Buddy made their way through the Heavenly Toys workshop, me watching them from the ceiling. Wait, how did I get up here? As soon as I thought that, I fell. Stupid cartoon logic. Heny didn’t seem to notice, but Buddy turned around. I touched a puddle of ink, and dissolved into it.

    As soon as I did that, I could hear voices, whispers so quiet and distorted I couldn’t understand them. My mind and body felt like it was dissolving. I had to pull out, or else it wouldn’t survive.

    I struggled to form my inky arm and reached it out of the puddle. It took the majority of my strength to pull myself out of that small little puddle. Seriously, it was about the size of a children’s book. Geez. 

    Henry and Buddy were nowhere to be seen. Crap, I lost them.

    I heard roaring from a couple floors above, then a crashing sound. Bendy?

    I looked back at the ink puddle. Maybe… Sammy used to say something about using the ink as a mode of transportation from one puddle to another. I just passed it off as his insanity. But that would explain how he always appeared out of nowhere…

    But how? Just that small amount of exposure to the ink puddles had left me almost nonexistent. Should I just risk it?

    No, the rational part of my brain said. That’s too dangerous. What if you fade away? 

    I don’t have a choice, the other part of my brain said. If it works, then it’s the fastest way. 

    My rational side said nothing. Dangit, I was hoping someone would talk me out of this. I sighed, then touched the ink again.

    The voices started again, this time somewhat quieter. I closed my eyes, and forced the ink to bend to my will, similar to most creatures made of ink. I forced it to take me to the source of the noise, and when I opened my eyes, the ink had formed a tunnel, with an orangish light at the end of it. 

    I waded my way through the ink, and hoisted my way out of the ink puddle. I felt ink falling on top of me, and looked up. I saw an open ribcage, and a giant, gloved hand holding that ribcage. I jumped back, and got a good look at it. No!

    It was Buddy, in his brutish form, after Alice got to him. I was too late. How long was I in that puddle? It shouldn’t have been that long. 

    What if time works differently in the ink than in reality?

    Well, if that’s the case, then I can’t use them too often. 

    He charged at me, and I dodged. I couldn’t see Henry, that is, until Buddy was stunned. He leapt out from behind one of the cars, and scooped up a glob, made a wrench, then smacked him in the ribcage. I must have been gone for a while, because that one hit K.O.ed him. 

    Henry looked at me, then turned around, hearing Alice screaming and running towards him. I just flung my ink at her, with it solidifying into a sharp object just before it hit her. It got stuck in her, and she fell, dead. Behind her was Allison and Tom, shocked. 

    I waved, then fell into an ink puddle, and pictured their hideout in my mind. I went through the tunnel again, and this time, came out of a bucket, making Allison scream. She dropped the bucket, and Tom came running in. Henry was staring out of the space between the boards. 

    I bowed, and clapped my hands. How’s that for a dramatic entrance? I looked around the room, and saw some very confused looks. 

    Allison was the first to speak. “What are you, and what do you want?” I looked down and saw her sword in her hand.

    I pointed at the words on the wall: Steven Beck is here to help. She looked at me, then looked at Tom. Tom lowered his axe, and walked away. Allison walked out of the room in the same direction as Tom, and I started to hear Allison talk.

    I walked over to Henry, and waved hello. “How you doing?” I wrote.

    Henry just ignored me and walked back to his bed. I looked at the drawings on the wall. It was almost time. I made the weird device, and held it up to my face. I saw something new this time: Don’t leave him this time.

I sat in the safe house for a couple of hours. Henry was sleeping, Allison and Tom were doing their thing, and I was watching from a corner. 

    I looked over and slowly saw ink covering the walls. Allison and Tom didn’t seem to notice, so I clapped to get their attention. 

    They just looked at me in confusion. I pointed at the ink, and they literally couldn’t have stood up any faster. Seriously, I’d hate to think about the headrush they must have had.

    Allison went over to Henry, and started to try and open his makeshift cage. I walked over and grabbed her shoulder. I pointed at the door. She nodded, and started to leave. I made an axe and broke down the boards. I gestured for Henry to follow me.

    I handed him the axe, and we started to run. We just barely made it to Allison and Tom’s boat in time. I heard a roar behind us, and shifted the boat into high gear. I thought I saw a giant gloved hand in the river, but it must have been my imagination.

    Soon we made it to the village. I looked around and saw nothing unusual. I looked at the blocked off path and pointed at it. “We need to go that way.”

    No one argued, they just followed me. When we got to the board that broke, I stopped them. “Wait, hold on.” I picked up a nearby rock and tossed it onto the board. As expected, it broke. I looked back at everyone. “Anyone got a rope?”

    I looked up at the giant Ink Machine. Alice and Tom were talking to Henry. I looked at the massive expanse of ink. Henry walked up next to me. “So, I assume you aren’t leaving without me, right?” He looked at me, and shook his head. 

    “I feel like this is something I have to do alone.” Henry said.

    I nodded my head. “Yeah, that makes sense. But Henry, keep one thing in mind.” Henry looked over at me curiously. Found a piece of paper on the ground, wrote on it, and handed it to Henry. “This has all happened before.” I leaned back, and clapped him on the back.

    Henry didn’t even look at me after that. He just trudged onward through the ink, to face that Beast Bendy.

    I turned around and looked at my friends. “Anyone have any cards?”

    We played Go-fish for a while, until we felt the tremors. They were originating from the giant Ink Machine. I stood up, and took the cards. A bright light shone from the center of the Ink Machine, and spread outwards. I sat there, and let it envelop me.

Alright, this is a little late, but oh well! It's still (technically) Friday for me, so I'm on time! Quick note, just assume whenever you see Steven talking from now on, he's either writing it, or another surprise I have for next chapter. Hope you enjoyed!