Just a Happy Ending

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"Oh, I hate leaving work unfinished! Fortunately, I have you to pick up the pieces. But you'll have to go even deeper. Down, down, down into the abyss. Take the lift down. Say hello to an old friend."

Even though Alice offered the gun, Henry walked away from it. Now that he knew for sure the Projectionist was in fact his old friend Norman, the thought of shooting him down made Henry sick.

All the way down the elevator shaft, Henry tried to think of ways in past cycles he was able to talk or get a sane action or word from Norman.

He couldn't think of anything. Just directions around ink-flooded mazes and painful times he was caught. The Projectionist always went for the heart.

Well, the directions would be helpful to navigate without being seen.

The elevator stopped and its gates opened. Henry took two steps, startled when Buddy grabbed his shoulder. He looked the wolf in the pie-cut eyes. "I'll be okay, Buddy. I know my way around."

Buddy let out a whine.

Henry patted his hand, "Really, Buddy, I'll be all right. Norman won't come up here, so you'll be safe."

No, Henry had it all wrong. Buddy wasn't concerned about him, he wanted to know if he and Sammy would be okay. Sammy seemed really mad about... the blip. And Henry seemed upset about it too.

The toon just watched Henry descend the stairs and heard his feet sloshing into the ink. He'll be fine, Buddy assured the wolf in his head more than himself, Henry knows how to do this. Even if he didn't, he could blip back, right? The wolf in his head curled up, hating the thought of Henry, or any of his only friends, dying. Buddy fought to keep his back straight. Every time the scared wolf acted in fear, Buddy's delicate hold over the body became strained.

He hated it. He hated having to share his thoughts with this terrified cartoon. He hated not having full command over his actions. He hated being afraid all the time.

Sometimes, he just wanted Boris gone. That wolf had been nothing but a handicap. He didn't try to hide his anger toward the toon; he couldn't have if he wanted to.

It had been almost thirty minutes since Henry left when the Projectionist shrieked in the distance. The eerie sound echoed from the dark tunnels and made Buddy's ink run cold. His keen ears picked up some splashing footsteps. They lasted a tense few seconds, then stopped. The Projectionist screamed again.

Buddy stepped to the edge of the elevator. Was that a good sound? Or had Henry been caught? Should he go check? Buddy managed to get himself out of the elevator and to the top of the stairs, but Boris stopped him as soon as he tried to step down them.

The ink was too deep, the halls too dark, the Projectionist too dangerous-

Shut up!  Buddy's mental order leaked out, making his fists clench and his lips curl back in a growl.

Buddy tried to move. Boris held back. This frustrating tug-of-war went on for a good minute.

"Buddy!"

Henry's voice sounded distant and panicked. "Buddy!" he called again.

Boris went into a flurry of frightened pulling; whatever had Henry scared couldn't have been safe.

"Buddy!"

Closer this time. Buddy started hearing two pairs of running footsteps.

Boris still wouldn't let him move.

"Buddy! Get in the lift!" 

Light shone from one of the hallways, a human-shaped shadow running away from it.