Return To The Machine

Chapter 28

"BORIS!" Parker shouted from on top of the ledge. They looked down and saw that he had just woken up from the shock of the fall and rubbed his head. Just as he stood up, he fell back down again. "Oh crap. He's probably injured. Well, no time to dillydally. If we plan to get anywhere, we have to do it now. I refuse to leave that stupid wolf behind for someone to pick up themselves." Everyone was surprised by this but helped Sammy get down the hole using a spare rope Brant brought with them. Slowly each one got down. Bill, Brant, and Constance just jumped from the ledge.

Sammy was already tending to his friend and observed him. He gave a breath of relief. "I've got you, Buddy... I've got you..." he sighed. He rocked his friend back and forth in his hold. "I swear... Joey is lucky we don't have our hands on him. Or else I would've torn him apart myself... I'm tired of risking being corrupted once again. It's the fact that nobody even cared about any of us! He just used us! The entire time I knew I could've stopped his suspicious antics but I didn't! I was right there!" he cried. "How could I have not known what this would've become... I don't understand... this is all my fault..."

There he stayed silently trembling while holding the cartoonish wolf. Rosa sat on her knees next to Sammy as Constance joined him. "He's not gone, Sammy. We're all still here," she reassured the musician. "That's just it, Constance! We're still here, aren't we? I wanted to run away from this place! That's all I wanted... Isn't that what everyone wanted..? Isn't that what the growing corruption of this miserable place told us to do?" he whispered.

Brant put a hand on his shoulder and guided the rest of them to another section where it looked like a different music room. It was very different than Sammy's original room. It was definitely more open. Not to say it didn't have his touch to it. "Woah,  I don't remember this place!" Rosa exclaimed as she peeked around the place. "That's because I've hidden it from the rest of the world. To make sure I stayed away from those who wanted to try to be greedy about my music... We can rest here... I'll get us to a new place soon..." he sighed, going to another side of the room. The single room cut off from the rest of the studio out there so they decided to take a break from the situation. Some of them tended to Boris, some spread out their materials, and some decided to layout their strategy of getting around the studio. In the meantime, Sammy became very distracted by something else in the room.

Whatever it was, it was covered by a huge cloth. Carefully, he traced his hand along the rag. There was hesitation in taking it off. As the others began to relax inside the new place, Parker couldn't help but notice his friend's demeanor. He stood up and walked over to Sammy who continued to hold onto the rag. "I can't be helped... I will always remain as a part of insanity..." Sammy muttered. He was so focused on what he was looking at, he jumped in surprise when Parker tapped his shoulder. "Uh... sorry... I just... I couldn't help but notice... You look angrier than usual... I would be too if I'd been trapped here forever... But I haven't... I can only empathize with you guys. I can't relate. I just... I guess what I'm trying to say is... I don't want you to feel like you can't share anything with us... Or that you have to suffer alone. We're in this together as far as I'm concerned. We're all here for you Sam." Parker promised Sammy.

There was a slight pause in the Long Lost One who paused to stare at this stranger that literally walked into his internal hell. Unlike several of those in the past, he wasn't obnoxious or ignorant. He was just lonely. Like him. With no one to go to. Sammy sighed and pulled up a mini bench to his side. "Parker, remind me, what kind of art do you do?"

Parker paused confused about the question. 

"Uh... by art you mean..?"

"Music, design, architecture, machinery, acting, drawing, writing, scripting... What are you?"

"I'm an artist... I draw... Just like a lot of people here..."

"Why did you decide to start drawing? What was the passion? What was the creation? What was the spark?!"

Another pause between the two passed as the whole room's attention was turned to these two artists. Parker swallowed the lump in his throat trying to figure out why Sammy was so intent on this. Alas, he knew he had nothing to hide.

"I... I was lonely... A long time ago, I used to have it all! Great life, great family, great friends! Life was... normal. Whatever normal means to you guys at least. All I've ever wanted in life was to enjoy a passion and have great people to go along with it! Then my dad got his big promotion... We moved away here... Nothing's the same anymore! I have no friends except for a guy named Billy and a dog named Hudson! I have no one to relate to at all! And on top of that, my parents don't even bother to look me in the eye! It makes me so mad. Before all this, I used to get tons of family time and attention... Now I have to fight them just to get them to say hi! So, I bought a sketchbook and a pack of pens and just played around a bit. Then... I actually created something... Something just for me. It felt so right! I knew after weeks and then months went by that I finally knew that I was meant to follow art! Not that anyone cares... Besides, art is what got most of you down here to behind with..."

When Parker concluded his speech, Constance approached him, putting hands on his shoulders. "Oh, Parker... Trust us when we say... we understand. I felt the pressure of being much different from the rest of my family growing up until now. Nothing I did would ever match up to their expectations. I felt... like an Outcast. Yet I came here and found my place! If you can even call it a place." she scoffed. "Yeah! I have to agree. I wanted to learn about filmmaking rather than being a businessman like my father, mainly because I wanted to be nothing like him. Knowing that I can make creations with my own skills, makes me smile!" Bill replied.

"I have to agree, I wanted to learn my passions and strive towards my own future. There's nothing wrong with that. Honestly, you followed your own path before any of us figure out ours. Not too bad for the new kid." Brant told him proudly. Parker smiled seeing that there were some that accepted him as he is.

Rosa also smiled seeing her new friends getting along with one another. She looked down at the knocked-out Buddy who seemed to be sleeping.

"Not a bad backstory, Parker," Sammy began him. He then sat on the bench and adjusted himself on the seat. He motioned for everyone to gather around him, but told Parker to sit next to him.

"After everything I've been through... Here's an encore to the broken souls..." 

 He leaned over to reach the record player and set it up so it would play the record that he carried around. One of the totems. The blanket covering the item was then removed and tossed to the side as he settled down again. It revealed a once beautiful white piano that now had several stains on it from the endless ink. He cleared his throat and touched the keys.