Pencil Lined Love (A Batim Fanfic)

Ink

All night you worked. One episode, one night, over 150 frames of cartoons. You sighed, you were about 30 frames in and you needed a break. You got up from your desk and decided to check on the rest of the animators there. They were all working, some had already left. You went down to the break room and began making coffee for everyone. They must be exhausted. About thirty minutes later, you had about five cups of coffee ready. You took two at a time to each person, each thanked you kindly. After giving everyone coffee, you made some for yourself. A short, yet relaxing hour went by as you sipped your coffee. As you finished your drink, you sighed and went back to work. Getting back to your desk, you noticed your ink well had spilled again. Thankfully, it hadn't gotten on your work, so you just got another one and kept working. Everything was silent, you felt an unease consume you as a cold breeze hit the back of your neck. You looked back to the machine looming over you, it was still and silent, but you couldn't help the feeling as if something was going to happen. Then, it happened. The lights flickered and you heard a machines whirr and the clank of gears moving. Ink poured out of the spout of the machine, covering the floor. You gasped and grabbed your unfinished work and quickly made a way around the growing ink puddle and went into one of the other rooms with a desk. You sat your work on a table and went to go check on the others. They were all gathered in one room, talking about the sudden rumble of the workshop. You went up to one of them and listened in on the conversation.
"I don't know what it is! But I know it's Mr.Drew's doing! He's always the one doing this shit!"
"Language! But... they're right..... Mr.Drew must know what going on." This is when you jumped in on the talk.
"Joey said they're building something down there! He said it's new levels of the workshop!" They all looked to you.
"Really? I thought this place was big enough....." You shook your head.
"Apparently not.... He's adding a new sound studio and more animators desks..... I just don't know what this.... Ink Is for...." You lied. You had to. No one could know.
"Ink? What in-.... oh my..." They all saw the puddle seep from your animation room and into the room they were currently in. "That's a lot of ink!" This worried everyone.
"I think we should leave. To hell with staying over night for this! We don't deserve this kind of treatment from Joey! I'm leaving." Another animator nodded and left with them. You looked to the three left and you all stared at each other in silence, then one left. After that, the other two left as well. You didn't know what to do, so you stayed put and worked on the episode for the rest of the night, falling asleep half way through.
"Oh my goodness.... again....." You began to wake up to a familiar voice. You lazily lifted your head and saw Sammy standing by you.
"Ss...ssammyy....?"
"Late night shift again I see....... Did everyone else leave already..?" You looked to the ink puddle to see it had stopped and there were caution and wet floor signs around the black puddle. You looked up at Sammy and nodded.
"Ink....."
"I can see that. Good thing we have things to put around it..... Wally will not be happy once he clocks in..... neither will Joey....." he looked to you and sighed. "You should head home. You've been here for two days." You nodded and sat up and rubbed your eyes. There was ink all over your shirt and pants, looks like you spilled it again. You groaned.
"Again....."
"Having ink troubles?"
"Yeah....." You thought back to when Joey showed you his secret, you shivered and pushed the thought back. Why ink of all things?
"Hm.... maybe you could ask Joey tomorrow when you get into work. But you should leave before Joey gets here....." You nodded and got up from the desk you were sitting at and clocked out, going back home. You walked back home, the cold made you run. By the time you actually made it home, you were panting, out of breath, and sweating surprisingly, your hands were shaky from running so much. You grabbed your keys from your pocket and shakily unlocked and opened your door. Your house was dusty, yet clean. Nothing had changed thankfully. You sighed and sat on your couch and slid down until you were lying on your side, looking out at your window. It looked so sunny out, it should be warm. You sighed and looked down at your clothes, still covered in sticky black ink. You decided to wash your clothes later and turned over on the couch to take a nap, you were exhausted. As you laid there, waiting to fall asleep, you talked to yourself.
"What the hell happened last night......? Is this what Joey is planning....?" You sighed again. "And why ink..... always ink........" You then drifted to sleep, beginning to dream.
"Ink."