Before the ink

Part 19

It was a most mysterious thing. An old broken down studio by a split off road that was a few miles from the main road.
Police badge tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge, no matter how many times they tried. Construction workers came to demolish the old building. But not even the biggest wreaking ball would even leave a mark.
It was like the studio was magic. Nobody could get inside. There wasn't even windows. The magic studio went in the newspaper.
Henry sat at his table one morning reading it. He choked on his coffee as he saw the photograph of the front door.
It had a sign reading Joey Drew studios over the door. He had often wondered why the Bendy cartoons stopped playing on television not long after he left.
"Guess they never found another animator." Henry shrugged. What pinned his curiosity even further was that he had gotten a letter that morning from Joey.
He was invited to visit the old studio. So he went. He thought Joey would meet him outside as the studio apparently wouldn't open.
After waiting about ten minutes, Henry got bored and wandered over to the door. "I wonder..." he muttered, reaching for the handle.
He gripped the rusting doorknob in his hand, twisting it. To his surprise, the door opened. This confused Henry.
He stared into the dark entrance of the studio. He had fond memories here. He missed Bendy. It had been so long since he'd seen the little devil.
He'd felt hollow inside ever since he left. He missed Bendy's pranks and how he'd watch him draw, he'd missed Norman scolding Sammy any time he was overly negative.
He missed Jack and Wally being idiots. He missed everyone. Except for Joey. Joey had fired him. He hated Joey so much.
When and if he did show up, Henry would punch him square in his face. He gazed into the open doorway of the studio.
It seemed like it was pulling him into the studio. He stepped inside. The door instantly shut behind him. Henry grabbed the handle and twisted it. But it was shut tight.
Henry started panicking. He kicked at the door, slammed his side into it, but the door wouldn't even budge.
After five minutes of kicking and pushing and pulling at the door, Henry sighed in defeat and turned to face the rest of the studio.
Ink dripped from every wall, the floor, and ceiling. The floorboards creaked under his shoes as he walked down the hall. Old battered posters of the toons were hanging against the walls.
Henry stopped and stared at a poster of a smiling demon. Tears brimmed his eyes. He missed Bendy so much.
But it was so unlikely he'd ever see the demon again. He traced the grin on the poster. He finally turned away and kept walking around.

~time skip brought to you by I N K~

The ink machine was boarded up. Weird. Henry stepped closer, wondering if someone else was in here with him.
There had to be, who would've boarded up the machine? Henry took another tentative step forwards.
Something much like a black inky skeleton with a round head and huge grin reached at him from the other side of the boards.
Henry yelped in surprise and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. He got up in a split second and bolted back towards the exit door, praying it would open.
But as he neared it, he fell through the floorboards. Henry plunged into an inky puddle. He spat out ink and shook it out of his hair and off his face.
He found a valve and drained the ink. "What the hell was that?!" Henry whispered to himself. The eerily familiar grin made him think of Bendy.
And when he thought of Bendy he became sad again. But Henry pressed on, determined to find a way out of the studio. He'd wandered around for a while, found the music department, and saw a figure up by the railing in the projector booth.
He didn't recognize the short inky figure. But he ignored it, continuing on his way. After he had gotten back out of Sammy's office, he went towards the now open exit.
Until he felt a bang on the back of his head. Henry felt himself slipping in and out of consciousness. He collapsed onto the floor.
That inky man he saw before was standing above him holding a dustpan. "Rest your head, it's time for bed." He said in almost a whisper.
"S-Sammy?" Henry quietly huffed out, before passing out completely.