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“Okay, that’s the last of ‘em,” Audrey concluded, setting the last cardboard box atop her dresser with a huff of exertion.
Bendy was right by her side, shoving one of the boxes along the carpet. His little feet rotated like a spinning clock as he tried to progress forward. “There! Got it!” He claimed and promptly collapsed atop the box.
"I do not understand why you declined my help,” the Ink Demon rumbled from her other side. He leaned down to sniff one of the boxes, his breathing coming out in gentle gurgles.
"Hey, hey,” Audrey quickly moved to gently bat him away, a grin perking up the edges of her lips. “Claws off the goods. You’ll find out what it is soon enough.”
Audrey’s heart fluttered in her chest. These boxes, as insignificant as they may seem, housed a special gift. One Audrey and Bendy were practically bursting at the seams to show off. No, not yet… She needed to be patient.
Bendy poked at the duct tape sealing the cardboard flaps. Him too.
The Ink Demon muttered something under his breath and sat back on his haunches, his horns gently grazing the colorful lanterns hanging up on her bedroom ceiling. Hues of purples, blues, and blacks produced a makeshift galaxy above their heads. Just another gift from her brothers.
"Secrets are not becoming of an angel,” Ink replied shortly.
"Good thing I’m not one, hmm?” Audrey asked, reaching out to scratch him on the side of the head. He leaned into her touch despite himself. Obviously, he was making it a point to pout. Audrey thought it made him very puppy-like, which was definitely not at all what he was going for.
"Hey! Me too!” Bendy was suddenly right by her side, pulling on her pant leg. He looked up with pleading eyes.
Audrey pat him between the horns. “Okay, okay. You both want attention.”
"I do,” Ink purred, holding his chin high. “I am a king.”
"So how about I whip us up something to eat? Befitting of a king, of course,” Audrey suggested. Truth be told, it was dinner time… but Ink kept giving the boxes a second glance. She just hoped she’d be able to keep them from him until tomorrow.
~
“How long do you think this will take?”
"An hour at most, if we’re quick.”
“Won’t he wake up?”
"After the feast we had for breakfast? He might as well be in a food coma.” Audrey couldn’t help but laugh. She hoisted the box off the dresser and tore off the duct tape. Several miniature ducks shone like hidden treasure inside, each with their own unique accessories and colors. Bendy opened up his own box with the same result.
"Aww, look at them,” He picked one up and gave it a gentle squeeze. A shrill squeak pierced the still air.
"Shh, quiet, remember?” Audrey put a finger to her lips.
Bendy dropped the duck back into the box and gave her a military salute. “Aye aye, Captain!”
Audrey hitched the box back into her arms. What were they to do with a thousand or so miniature ducks? There wasn’t a swimming pool sized bathtub around, that was for sure…
Audrey and Bendy found their older brother in his usual napping spot. The living room curtains had been drawn back to let a shaft of sunlight wash over the slumbering demon. Satin, plush pillows poked out from beneath his enlarged talons. A quilted blanket had been snuggly wrapped around him— courtesy of Audrey. It gently rose and fell in time with his breathing. Good. He was still asleep.
Time to get to work.
Audrey quietly set down the box and proffered Bendy a curt nod. The little imp smiled. That was his cue.
One by one, the ducks were placed on the carpet. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as she placed a few of them in a closer proximity to Ink. Please please please don’t wake up. She bit her lip as she chanced putting one a few inches from his hands. It was minute in comparison, with an even more adorable cowboy hat and bright billed smile.
Bendy added more ducks to the outskirts of the ever growing circle. Soon, the boxes were empty… and Ink was surrounded in about 200 of the waterfowl, like a shrine to be admired.
The little imp beside her looked about ready to implode. “He’s gonna be soooooo stoked!”
"I sure hope so. This practically cost a whole month’s rent!” Audrey light heartedly whispered back. Her eyes drifted toward the hallway. “Ready for round two?”
The kitchen was the next subject of interest for Audrey. Bendy took to lining up the ducks in the hall, a not so discrete hint on where Ink needed to go next.
Two ducks sat together on the counter. Another used her radio as a nesting spot. Audrey opened the wooden cupboards and hid a handful inside. How long would it take for them to clean all this up? We’ll be finding them for months, Audrey answered herself as she set a duck wearing a pink sweater and scarf into the refrigerator.
She leaned over and her hand met empty air. Glancing down, she found the box had been emptied. Third box down.
Bendy came into the kitchen, only his horns poking up over the edge of his package. Make that four.
"It’s all set, Rey,” Bendy concluded. She still couldn’t see his face, but she could practically feel the enthusiasm pouring out of him like an active volcano. “What next?”
Audrey picked up the box and set it against her hip. “Now? Now, we wait.”
~
The Ink Demon stirred, his mind slipping from his jumbled dream and back into reality. Pity, it was just getting good. A glowing sun warming his skin, the cool grass beneath his talons, a wide open plain; all for him to roam and explore. Luxuries like this were never affordable in the ink realm.
His jaws involuntarily opened as a yawn escaped him. He could feel the quilt on his back, sheltering him like a little cocoon. Perhaps he should settle back down? If he was lucky, he could slip back into his dreams.
His fingers grazed something unfamiliar.
Lifting his head from the pillow, the Ink Demon found a duck sitting in the gap between his hands. It smiled with soulless eyes, almost in admirance… if it wasn’t an inanimate object.
Wait a minute. There were twenty more. Scratch that, he was surrounded by the little things. Mallards, wigeons, golden eyes, pintails; they were all easily recognizable. His head whipped about, confusion overtaking his exhaustion. They were everywhere, like an infestation had suddenly crawled out of the woodworks.
With a groan, he stood and shook off his quilt. His fingers inadvertently cradled the cowboy duck as he made his way into the kitchen. He shouldn’t be too surprised to find ducks lounging about the kitchen.
"I wonder whose bright idea this was…” Ink grumbled lowly to himself. It wasn’t that it was annoying, no, he frankly just didn’t deem the new decor to be sensical. Were his siblings pranking him? Hmm, he did turn the shower water pink last week. Audrey hadn’t been quite fond of the gesture, but Bendy had gotten a good kick out of it after seeing Audrey’s hair temporarily dyed. Perhaps she was attempting to get back at him?
"You’ll have to try harder than that, sister,” He purred triumphantly and opened the fridge door. Several ducks lay hidden inside, either nesting amongst apples, hiding behind condiments, or residing atop last night’s leftovers. What was Audrey making, a duck cult?
He elected to grab last night’s leftovers and stepped back. His hoof squashed rubber. A loud, high pitched squeak pierced his eardrums. The ink rose along his spine as he recoiled. Another duck shrieked in protest.
“Little nuisances…” The Ink Demon muttered lowly, finally sidestepping the other ducks sitting on the tiled floor. How had such insignificant creatures confounded him? They weren’t real!
Flustered, he abandoned his lunch in the kitchen and headed in a flurry for Audrey’s room. The cowboy duck was still grasped in his oversized claws, like a caterpillar snug inside a cocoon.
He grabbed the handle and tossed the door open. Bendy was on the floor, kicking his legs back and forth as he played with an assembly of dinosaur figurines. Audrey sat atop her purple satin sheets, cradled in pillows with a book in hand. The two looked up at his grand entrance.
A catish grin sprouted across Audrey’s cheeks. “About time you woke up, sleepyhead.”
”We thought you were in a food coma,” Bendy added with a series of high pitched squeaks. Ink never realized he sounded an awful lot like a squeaky toy until now.
Shoving the thought to the back of his mind, he thrust the rubber duck into view. “What is the meaning of this?”
”Ah, so you noticed our new roommates? I hope they settle in just fine,” Audrey answered, bookmarking her page and setting it down as she stood up.
”They already promised to play dinosaurs with me later,” Bendy claimed, waving a Stegosaurus in the air.
The Ink Demon looked between them with a faint growl. What was he missing here?
“I already crushed one for getting under my feet,” He retorted.
“What?!” Bendy shrieked and dropped the figure. He struggled to grab it before it hit the ground, then pulled it close to his chest as if it were his prized possession.
Audrey snorted in amusement. “In all actuality, do you like them?” She picked a princess duck up off the nightstand and held it out with open palms. “We figured it would be a nice present.”
“Present?” Ink echoed faintly. “This is not a prank of vengeance?”
Audrey raised an eyebrow. “No, not at all. We did this for you.”
He tilted his head with a thoughtful rumble. Audrey was a terrible liar, only coming second to Bendy. Maybe she was saying that just to trick him? No, that didn’t sound like it. “Why?” was all he asked.
“Because it’s your—“
“Birthday! It’s your birthday!” Bendy interrupted, energy exploding out of him like a rocket.
”Birth… day?” He repeated the foreign phrase.
“Well, a birthday is a commemoration of when you were born. We celebrate how much you’ve grown, your accomplishments, and who you are as a person.” She was standing before him now, looking up with a soft smile. It seemed like just yesterday he was pursuing her through the studio. Audrey panicked at the mere echo of his footsteps, and he could still remember the smell of fear in the air. Now? Now she looked at him quite differently.
He turned his head and mulled over those words. “The day I was made is not one to need recognition,” He firmly growled.
Audrey and Bendy gave one another a shared glance. What were they saying to one another? Curiosity and indignation stoked a fire in his chest. Secrets, always secrets. And there were no Dark Puddles loitering about to fill him in.
”We would like to recognize it,” Audrey eventually clarified. “With you. We figured we could do something special for you, no matter how small it may be.”
”Mhmm! An entire day to celebrate you! Isn’t it wonderful?” Bendy rocked back and forth on his heels.
The Ink Demon faltered and angled his gaze toward the duck lying in his palms. Celebrating him? Years ago he was nothing but a burden to those who created him. Even worse, he was a beast roaming the studio; forever bound to this realm as a prisoner. One he ruled over, sure, but never a place where he could share in the company of others.
”Why? Why bother?” He asked, sounding distant. His finger gently grazed the plastic duck’s hat.
”You’re our kin,” Audrey answered, her features softening. “I know how Joey treated you before. Unlike my father… I want to set things right. You deserve peace. You deserve recognition. And you deserve to be happy.”
”Even if that happiness is exhibited through hundreds of tiny rubber duckies,” Bendy added. His grin didn’t seem like it could stretch any further, but somehow the little imp managed.
Finally, his gaze pulled away from the gift and over to his siblings. His emotions were tangled like an overgrown bramble thicket, a common occurrence when it came to Audrey and Bendy. Despite himself, he felt at peace. Had he ever quite felt this before? Why were things so complicated?
”Thank you,” Ink finally choked out, the phrase sounding exotic on his tongue.
Audrey held out her arms. Ink nodded, allowing the coming gesture permission to unfold. The woman stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Ink copied her action, feeling a little out of his element in partaking in such a tender moment.
”Love you, Ink. Happy Birthday,” Audrey smiled.
Bendy happily squeaked and clung to his leg like a stubborn koala. “Love you, big brother!”
Embarrassment flooded him, causing him to inadvertently blurt out, “Love you too.” It was so quiet, he was certain a mouse couldn’t have overheard it.
Both his siblings looked at him as if he had suddenly sprouted an extra head. Flustered, he grumbled, “Do not relay this moment to a single soul.”
Audrey revealed another catish grin. He couldn’t tell whether he should be impressed or worried at the now frequent look.
“Sorry? What was that? Did you say you love us, dear brother?” She snickered.
”He did, he did!” Bendy chirped.
The Ink Demon scooped Bendy off the ground and ruffled Audrey’s hair until it looked like a frazzled bird’s nest. Bendy reached for the duck and gave it a squeeze. “I did no such thing,” Ink said, his voice halfway drowned out by the shrill squeak.
”Daw, you definitely said it. What a gentleman.” Audrey was suddenly scooped up into Ink’s other arm. She yelped in surprise. Bendy remained happy as a lark.
”What was this about admirance again?” Ink changed the subject out of embarrassment rather than irritation. The aspect of this day was becoming more fascinating by the minute. If they wanted to share in this ceremony, what was the harm in letting them? It felt… nice.
”Well, the ducks were your main gift. Though, I stashed a cake under my bed. Red velvet,” Audrey revealed.
”My favorite. You remembered?” He asked in brief astonishment.
”You’re not the only one in the family with a touch of clairvoyance,” Audrey replied, voice laced with humor. She pat the Ink Demon on the side of the head.
”Audrey said you light candles on your birthday. And when you blow them out, you make a wish,” Bendy piped up, languidly kicking his legs back and forth.
“Afterwards, I figured we could take a trip down to the pond. See the sights, maybe feed some ducks,” Audrey offered.
”I would like to see some geese,” Ink rumbled thoughtfully. It wasn’t every day he could see the world outside Audrey’s apartment— not outside the pages of The Illusion of Living, at least.
”Geese? The ones around here hate people… and chase them if they deem necessary,” Audrey murmured and shuddered, as if reliving that particular moment.
“Precisely why I would like to see them. We have much in common. They have spunk.”
Bendy squeaked the cowboy duck again. “C’mon then! Let’s get a move on! Isn’t that right, Sheriff Quackerson?” He held the duck up to his face and stared at it intently. “Quack!”
The Ink Demon sighed. Looks like his little brother had taken a liking to the ducks. He didn’t need the duck at the moment… not all of them at least. Perhaps he could get away with stashing a handful in his lair. That would be nice. They were oddly adorable, after all. Not that he would openly admit it.
”Cake it is.” Ink set his siblings back on the ground.
Bendy smiled up at Audrey and kept squeezing the duck. Audrey lightly giggled and turned to Ink before replying, “Quack!”
He cocked his head in confusion. Okay, now they were just pulling his leg. “I will not participate in such activities.”
Audrey poked him on the snout and stuck out her tongue. “Quack?”
”Quack quack,” Bendy nodded earnestly.
Ink sighed once more and drew his hand down his face. “… May we eat? … Uh… Quack?”
Audrey and Bendy clapped, like they had just witnessed a Broadway performance. Oh, the frivolous things he did for these two. And yet, somehow, he really wouldn’t have it any other way.