Chapter 0 - BatIM Fanfic

5 years?

I must have passed out or something. When I blinked open my eye, I was laying on the floor of the Miracle Worker. I sat up. Wait... How was this happening... I didn't have a lower body to begin with...

I used my eye to see myself. I gasped and noticed that I had... Legs again? Then I had forgotten about who had done this to me in the first place. When I got up and used the wall to guide me, I found a poster that said "Sammy Lawrence" on it. Then it clicked, and I remembered that monster had done this to me. I remember pain but I don't remember who had touched me on the face. I just sighed. I didn't know how I became myself again. I just remember lurking around this place and being glum all the time, avoiding having a single flashback. But now... I was here, with my body back! My normal thoughts and actions! This pain I remember as a burden was gone! I rubbed my hands over my face. I had a nose, a mouth, real cheeks, TWO eyeballs, my hair, my ears, everything! I was human!

After looking around the place, I found some type of vent cage in the sacrifice room. I opened it up and crawled around. It was so weird, being able to do this as... Something would. My brain hurt as I tried to remember what would crawl through here. I remember it being traumatic, so I figured that I might be having some form of amnesia. I found the end to the vents. Busting it open, I realized I was in an office somewhere. There was a fresh cup of coffee, along with papers on a desk. There was also a wooden chair and a radio. The planks didn't seem inky. I hopped down, and looked through the papers. Boring things like taxes being overdue and all that. I opened the door and closed it behind me. I tried opening it again, but it was locked. I shrugged and looked around where I was. I was at a familiar hallway... I found an "exit" door, which struck memories of falling. I noticed that the floor below it was broken apart. I shrugged, confused, and continued around the hallway. I found a closet. It was locked, though. Somewhere I had found some keys. I tried it on the closet, and it worked! I locked myself in the closet, remembering my first day here and how Joey Drew could be anywhere. I lived in the closet for what felt like a long time...

****

I've been thinking about Henry for a long time. I wondered if/when he would ever make it to the top level... It would have to be soon for sure. He had survived Joey Drew, (years ago,) Sammy Lawrence, the Ink Demon, and other foes worth mentioning.

I've become so used to Bacon Soup that sometimes I don't even think about how bad it tastes as I crack one open and gulp it down. It is so tasteless by now. Or maybe this soup is about 5 years old? Yes, I had been keeping track, even as a Searcher. It didn't taste spoiled so I drank them anyway.

I would wait for Henry, I decided, to come to me. I would reveal myself and... Maybe he would forgive me. Maybe my mother would forgive me, when I follow Henry to the surface. Maybe Sammy Lawrence would forgive me for letting him trick me. Maybe the Ink Demon would be shown that this place is not all fun and games; killing for sport. Maybe... Just maybe... The chances of all of that happening was slim.

All it takes is hope with a vision and action.

Just hope, believing it so, and act upon it rightfully.

It will become reality.

I hope that Henry will come to the Top Level and forgive me so that I might see my mother again.