BatIM Five Trials

Chapter Two

Jade coasted up to the studio, to where three menacing forms waited in the darkness. The fact that the trio looked so intimidating gave her the chills as she automatically dismounted her bike, and put up the kickstand. No words were exchanged between anyone as the teen approached the door, took a deep breath, and attempted to open it. It seemed to be stuck, so she had to lean more of her weight on it to get it to budge. Finally, it did, revealing a wall of pitch black darkness in front of her. If she weren't scared of the studio before, she most definitely was now. With a final glance behind her, and up at the night sky still full of stars, she entered the darkness ahead of her. From her lack of visibility, she could already feel the place giving her the chills, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

After she had taken a few hesitant steps in, she heard the heavy door moving behind her! She turned around quickly to see the trio closing the door behind her, cutting her only dim light source from the outside. Quickly, as if her life depended on it, she grabbed the handle of the door and tried to resist having the door close.
"Agh! Trysten, Sasha, she's putting up a fight, help me!" Tyler's voice spoke up in an urgent, yet harsh tone.

No! Don't shut me in! Jade thought with a panic. She thought it had been lucky she was able to put up a decent resistance against Tyler alone, but with the other two helping, it was hopeless.

Despite the fight she put up, three always was stronger than one in this case, and the door was closed, leaving Jade in pitch black darkness. She felt herself begin to panic, flattening herself against the door, or was it a wall? She couldn't quite tell, all she knew was that this was a dangerous place and she couldn't see. She couldn't even see the zipper on her book bag to dig her flashlight out, so she was stuck in the darkness until she calmed down a bit and had the courage to try and feel for the zipper. Something that didn't really help, but she noticed a smell. A very strong smell which made her think of an ink pen for one reason for another. Either way, it wasn't pleasant.

Her predicament soon resolved itself when lights began to flicker on, as well as the click of a projector as it started up, adding to the new light.

Jade flinched, being used to the darkness outside, and the previous blackness of the inside of the building didn't help.

The lights revealed she was in a short hall leading to some kind of lobby-like place, which actually didn't look as run down as she had imagined it. In fact, it almost looked like a step back in time to the past, but there was no one here working to make it as authentic as it could be.

As much as the place looked nice, it still had a chilling atmosphere in the air, which Jade assumed was most likely the fact that there were so many rumors of this place being dangerous.

A welcome sign loomed above in the hall, leading into the rest of the studio. Well at least this place wants me to feel welcome, she thought sarcastically as she walked down the hall. What is this place even called, anyways?

Her question was soon answered by the three reels turning in the lobby, a banner across them reading Joey Drew Studios.

Interesting, i've never heard of this place before. Maybe looking around would ring some bells?

She proceeded on her way to looking around, next approaching a projector, which whirred quietly as it emitted a bright light. Next to it was a chair with a speaker on top of it, and within the lights of the projector was some kind of demon figure. The cut out wore a snazzy bow tie, white gloves, and had a mischievous grin. It was as if the projector could sense a human presence by it, as it started to play a bit of music when she approached it.

Quickly, the teen was able to find the beat, and tapped her foot out of habit, a skill she had developed from band class. Though, the music rung no bells, she still found it quite nice.

Maybe this place isn't so bad? But then why would something around 30 children go missing in here? I'll just have to keep looking. I hope I can find some answers, or maybe someone else here. Nothing killed them, right?

The music soon ended, and Jade walked away. Along her way to a hallway leading off from the lobby, she saw perhaps a reminder that this place wasn't exactly new. A poorly covered hole in the wall, with boards covering it, and the pitch blackness of it preventing her from seeing inside. She shrugged, figuring she'd save using her flashlight for later, and walked by it to the hall's entrance. The first thing that caught her eyes was a poster of some sort.

She approached it curiously to see some kind of figure, similar to that of the cutout, wearing a tutu and missing it's head, where it would have been were the words Bendy in: The Dancing Demon.

Oh, so this was an animation studio of some sort? Cool! How come I never saw any of the cartoons? Jade then took a look to the left, and was quite surprised by the sight. A large sign loomed above some kind of desk with a few sketches left over on it, as well as a shiny label. The sign read Trial One in big bold writing, and had some kind of symbol on it's top above the writing, which looked alot like Bendy's head. Next to the desk was yet another Bendy cutout, which was about as tall as she was. Approaching the desk, Jade read the name on the shiny label. Henry Halliday.

I wonder who he was, I assume one of the animators here, but other than that. . .

She turned to leave the desk, seeing no further purpose in staying, though she was still confused by that. . . Trial One sign. What was it for?