Inked Souls - A BATIM Fanfiction

Chapter 6

"You said you weren't human?"

Kat and I.B were now both in the recording studio, entering what I.B had called a 'sanctuary' that he knew of, that was apparently triggered by the playing of specific instruments in an order.

Kat asked if he was human, since I.B seemed to make such a big deal out of the fact Kat was.

"You. You're a human." The encounter played on repeat in Kat's mind. The surprise and relief in his voice, she could remember it perfectly. She thought it'd take a minute for him to reply like last time, but to no delay, he responded.

"Dunno."

It was better than last time, even if it was still one word. Kat stopped walking, and he did too, seemingly annoyed. She wanted answers; why should she trust this, person? If he even was one. Its intelligence seemed to be lacking, anyway.

"Should I trust you?"
"Probably not." The answer was simple and clear, but definitely suspicious. "What makes you say that?" She pressed, turning to face him, tapping her boot to the floor in a rhythmic pattern. I.B only gave a laugh, unsettlingly. "I don't know who I am anymore!" He yelled, which could easily be mistaken for happiness. "All these things in my head, that I just know, all these people that are supposedly dead because of me," he paused, taking a breath, then sipping from an ink bottle from his pocket, leaving it half full. "All I know surely is that I have a purpose, whether it be good or bad." His laughter died down suddenly and his voice dropped to an eerie whisper. It was frightening.

Kat knew what that felt like, to not know who you're supposed to be. But there's always a force of power, that would give you the iron will to keep pushing on. To keep going. She liked to think of it as spiting everyone who said she couldn't.

"So," he continued. "I am going to find my face. The only protection I have against life's questionable problems." Ink Bottle touched his forehead delicately. Kat didn't know you could find a face, for all she knew was that his face was already there where it should be.

"I should've taken it with me," he muttered, voice suddenly full of regret and loathing. "I didn't know. Didn't expect someone. Thought I'd just keep walking until death swept me in a, I suppose, loving embrace."

"Why do you need your, er, face? For seeing me," Kat questioned.
"Protection," Ink Bottle restated simply. "Can we continue?" He said, tapping his foot impatiently.

Kat didn't reply, just walked towards the sanctuary.