Chapter Text
I watched Bendy disappear to pursue my sacrifice, taking my love for him away. In its place...sadness. Perhaps disappointment in myself. I had captured that man for Bendy. That human had been wandering around, trying to escape. But I stopped him first so Bendy could have a new henchman. I thought he would appreciate the gesture. That man had injured many of the Searchers with his axe, but I was the one who captured him. The one who had bested him. Yet, Bendy didn't like it. Had I done something wrong?
I wondered this as I continued playing dead. Bendy still searched for the sacrifice (my mind continued insisting that he was familiar...had he been a coworker in my past life?). After a while, it was safe. I forced myself to pick up my mask, put it on, move and hide in the cracks of the wall. I didn't want to go any further, so I just relaxed as a pool of ink to wait until Bendy calmed down. That...was a mistake.
"Shoot. Henry ran away again. At least I can recycle that idiotic Sammy Lawrence's body- Where did it go?" I heard Bendy wonder. He was right in front of me. Could he sense my presence? My hurt? My confusion? My sadness? Did he even care?
"I guess someone else already got to it. Not that it's even any use to them," Bendy laughed. "Still, it's curious why someone would want it. And who? A friend? No, he had none. Always locking himself away. Everyone knew to not interact with him. He was a loner who wouldn't let anyone in."
I stiffened. It was strange to hear a cartoon talk about your life and get every detail correct.
Bendy continued to guess. "A lover? Ha! If he had no friends, why would he have a lover? Why would any girl want him? Or any boy for that matter? Although...he did love one person. Or shall we say...demon?"
The demon cackled. "Ah, Sammy Lawrence. The man who locked himself away and wouldn't give anyone the time of day, except for the ink demon who lured him with lies so now that heartbroken inky musician cries. I still find it ridiculous that he believed it all. His faith and love for me led to his downfall."
The ink devil cackled once again. Not the mirthful one I had enjoyed. One that pierced needles into my nonexistent heart. Did he not understand how I felt? Had he been playing my emotions? Was the word "love" not in his vocabulary?
"Don't be silly, Sammy. He said he loved me," I told myself. "And didn't he have Alice Angel as his girlfriend? He loved her. You're just being silly."
"Well, well, ink well. Looks like I found my missing body- a little more alive than I left it," I heard Bendy muse, and chills ran down my entire body. He had noticed me at the wrong time.
Bendy had turned to face my direction while grinning like the maniac he was, staring at the ink puddle that was my body. "Nice to see you, Sammy Lawrence. How long have you been here, hiding in the wall like a coward? A foolish one too, for speaking out loud while you knew I was here."
"Um-" I started, but the demon just waved his hand at me.
"I don't want to hear it. It seems I neglected to make sure I finished my job. That Henry continually distracts me. Perhaps it's the fact he looks pretty good for being his 50's. Yes, Sammy, I know you were thinking that. Well, I can't read your mind, but I bet you were thinking that."
If I were still fully human, my face would've been burning. "Y- you know that's not true."
Bendy's grin grew. "Aw, poor Sammy. Did I offend you?"
"N- no. Um, about neglecting to finish your job-"
"Liar. Remember, you told me you'd never lie to me."
"I'm sorry, my lord, but I don't like you making nasty remarks about me. Please don't take that as an insult. I would never do that."
Bendy sighed, a hint of disbelief and frustration hidden within it. "Look here, Sammy. You want to be free, right? I promised I would set you free."
"But you didn't."
"No, I just haven't finished my end. I tried to, but obviously...I failed. So, I will set you free right now. Just get out of the wall."
I had two choices; obey, or do something I thought I'd never do. Disobey. If I obeyed, I would be free. I would no longer be trapped. But...more might fall for Bendy's act. For the way he ran in to save you. For the charming grin he had. For the promises he made. And it all would happen because I wasn't my own person (or ink monster, or whatever I was) and I let him control me. Because of my cowardice.
If I disobeyed, I had a chance to stop him. I could fight against him like the man I had chosen for the sacrifice...Henry. That was his name. The right-hand man for Joey Drew. I could try to help Henry stop Bendy.
But would he really trust me? Of course not. To expect so was a fools' thought. Bendy had been the only one to accept me before. And maybe he wouldn't hurt me again. He really would set me free. Perhaps he really did love me and he didn't lie...
"Tick tock, Sammy," Bendy interrupted my thoughts.
I began to step out, but something triggered in my mind; an old memory. Before I became what I was today. It was a time before Bendy had been around...a blissful time. Henry, Joey...Susie? Was that who the girl was? Those three along with a few of my other coworkers. Norman was there, even Wally wasn't currently getting in a fight with me. Everyone was there, and I was...happy. I was less stressed, working hard to pursue my dreams and help everyone with theirs'. We were small back then, but we believed we could become big. I was more chipper, friendly, open...the opposite of what I was today.
"You don't have to end like this," my mind whispered. "Think about what you lost."
"But you'll lose Bendy!" My heart pointed out.
"But is that worth losing the happiness you had- and could get back?" My mind countered.
"C'mon, Sammy. Get out of here right this instant!" Bendy ordered.
My mind won for now. I slipped back into the wall and began to quickly flow away.
There was a moment of pause, and then Bendy realized what I had done. A screech of fury thundered through the workshop.
"Sammy Lawrence! Get your donkey- Ugh, stupid censors. GET BACK HERE!" Bendy roared as I slid through the walls.
After a while, I rested. I was in the upper parts of the workshop where the animation happened. I could be safe here; ink wouldn't be considered out of the ordinary.
"What had I done?" I asked myself. "Well, Sammy, you obviously figured out something that made you decide to leave. But what? And why did it make me go?"
My brain soon answered.
Bendy had been such a kind soul when he first appeared. He seemed genuinely concerned for my wellbeing and how I felt. It was like he...loved me. But I knew the truth now.
Bendy wasn't a savior. He was a destroyer. He killed whatever touched him. He needed to be destroyed before he could destroy everything else. Before he could trap everyone else like he trapped us. Before he broke anyone else. Before he broke everyone like he broke me. He needed to be stopped.
At least that's what I thought before I felt my consciousness slip away. It was time to sleep- or try to. I could find Henry later, when I had a bit more energy.