An Inkwell's Stain //BATDR Fanfiction\\ [Female Reader]

Chapter Eleven: Guilt and Epiphanies

'Where are you?~' the Lost One cooed from the other room, stalking slowly. It was as if this was a game to him, that this was the only fun he'll ever have. 

This is it, isn't it? This is how I die.

Adrenaline from fear burst through you, kicking away your upset to make room for determination. 

No. 

You heaved with all of your might, and the GENT Pipe came loose. You fell to the ground with a thud. Maniacal laughter filled the room as the Lost One entered and charged at you, flailing his bat left to right. You rolled underneath him in quick fashion before granting a swift hit of your pipe on his back, making him falter and drop to the ground.

'Leave me alone!' Your yell stiffened the atmosphere as the pipe in your hands stabbed into the Lost One's skull. 

No noise except the squelch of ink sounded through the air. Everything went quiet as you realised what you had done. 

Oh no. 

'No... no no no!' 

Oh god, what have I done? 

You heaved the gent Pipe out of his cranium and threw it across the room in desperation. 

I killed him, I'm... 

You turned him over, looking into his no-longer glowing eyes.

Your face hardened in astonishment at what you had done. 'I... I didn't mean to! I really... he attacked me first!' You tried your hardest to come up with some childish excuse to make yourself feel better. But an epiphany struck you. Down here, excuses won't cut it. 

"Don't be afraid of who you are. Fear only what you may become, and banish it away."

You slowed your breathing, thinking about the first note you had found. 'It was necessary. It was necessary.' 

Alice's voice came into your mind. "Down here, things are going to try and hurt you, and kindness just won't cut it. Be kind to yourself, knowing you did all you could to co-operate."

'I'm sorry...' you murmured under your breath, looking at the inky body with dismay. 

You noticed a battery in the Lost One's left hand, and you had a thought. 'No. No, that was his. Have some respect.' Burying your head in your hands before harshly dragging your palms up across your forehead, you try to rid yourself of the idea.

The boards beneath you creaked as your legs lifted your shaking body vertical, standing still momentarily before walking over to your murder weapon. 

I wonder why Alice wanted me to get this instead of a sharp weapon...

While it shocked you how easily you had taken someone's life, it still had been a minor challenge to shove the thick walls of the pipe into the Lost One's cranium. Perhaps adrenaline in the moment helped as well...

You turned back around to the table, seeing many useful things you could take instead of looting the body. Battery casings, toolkits, Gent parts and a single battery. 

Perfect. 

Some messy scrawls were left on the table, which made you freeze and your eyes dry. "The Dark Puddles are Calling" The words were almost desperate, causing a pit in your stomach. Alice had said that the Dark Puddles is where souls go to be reincarnated... or get stuck in between. So, you wondered if they meant death was calling you. 

Calling you...?

'Relax,' you told yourself, grasping hold of your weapon. 'You can defend yourself now.' The iron grip you had on the pipe was prevalent in your mind, feeling that your hand was growing weary from the intensity. You shrug it off.