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

Chapter Forty-Eight [The Banjo Playfully Plucks]

You both gaze intensely at the entrance door. It's metal hinges rusty from no use. The Pit. 'Are you ready?' you ask Bendy, now understanding his torment and upset. He looked away and fiddled with his hands nervously. He finally nodded meekly, sticking close to you. 'Alright,' you mutter quietly as you head over to the lever, squinting slightly as you pulled it down. No sparks flew out this time, and the rolling door started to open.

You peer around and look inside, finding a floor made of chain-link grating. Odd choice... Vents lined the walls, and you sniffed the air. It smelt too... clean. Something was off. You slowly step forward with Bendy timidly following alongside you. The door behind you both shut with a loud and thundering thud, and you jolt at the reverberation against your legs. 'Decontamination activated.' A soothing female voice called out from the speakers in the corners of the walls. 'Decontamination?' you question as Bendy latched onto you instinctively.

A strange and rather familiar scent wafted into the air. When recognition hit you, you slouched your shoulders in relaxation at a wonderful memory.

'What's that smell, Ma?' you ran down the stairs from your room and went into the lounge room where you could see your mother sitting down. She had an old book in her hand that you had heard of before. "To Kill A Mockingbird". 'Ah, Y/N!' She placed her book down on her lap and smiled warmly. 'That's a new spray I used to wipe the benches down... smell's nice, doesn't it?' 

You nodded and sniffed intently as you walked into the kitchen. 'It smells like lavender!' you cry in joy. Lavender was such a calming scent to you, it always helped to clear your mind. You returned back to your mother who was watching you. 'Do you want to read this with me? I think you might love this one.' She patted her lap and took the book off of her and held it up and out of the way so you could hop on. You rushed over and jumped onto her lap and waited eagerly for her to start. She flicked through the pages to get to the beginning. 'Ready?'

Your brow furrowed in upset as you thought about your mother. Your mother who... was she your biological mother? Joey lies, but his words as he spoke those words to you about her... they sounded genuine. Was it true? You hoped not. 'Have a nice day.' The woman dragged you out of your state and into reality once more, and you became aware of how loosely Bendy was holing you now. You turn to him, but he gives you a look of content. What was in this gas? 'You okay?' you asked quietly, to which he responds:

It smelt... different. It smelt nice.

You nodded and turned to look back at where you had come from. The door was shut, leaving you two with only one option. You gesture with you hand for Bendy to follow you, and he obliged.

A big room greeted you, with the words Gent on a board as a welcoming sign. 'So, this is the Pit...' You had a look around, intrigued. 'Where are the prisoners do you think, Bendy?' He shook his head. 'Hm... let's have a search then.'

There was a window that was blocked off by a rolling curtain, so you couldn't see what was inside. On the lower hinge of the window, the words "Subject: 418" were written. Subject? Is someone behind there? A faint sound of strained music was playing on the other side, soft and faint, but it unevenly timed stums and plucks. From the raspy sound of the instrument, it seemed to be a banjo. You walk up to it and knock on the glass, hearing the music instantly stop.

'Did I not tell you to leave me alone, my Lord will-' While the harsh but quiet voice spoke, Bendy wandered over to a lever and pulled down the bar. The curtain rolled up, revealing a Lost One sitting down on a wooden chair in stained overalls and wearing what appeared to be a Bendy mask. On his lap was an old looking banjo, which he was playing with. He looked up to see who opened the curtain, only to lower his gaze to see two small ink creatures staring back at him. He looked to be rather surprised of your height, but nothing else. His eyes were mainly trained on Bendy. 'My... my lord? This doesn't make sense...' He jumped out of the chair and threw his banjo to the side, rushing over to the window and peering at Bendy in awe.

'Are you a trick of the brain? I wouldn't be surprised for how long I've been here...' you couldn't tell whether or not "here" was his prison, or the studio. Bendy stepped back with a creased brow, visibly concerned to be stared at so intensely by this man. 'Hello?' you call out to him, but he doesn't look up at you. 'You're a child, aren't you? Of course, Joey was going to work children into this mess...' he mumbled to himself, not really talking to you. 'I uh... Yes I am. I'm Y/-' 'Pleasure,' he cut you off and ripped his piercing gaze form the imp onto you.

'My name isn't important. I want to know what you did to my lord... he was so powerful... I know this is him... I feel it...' He grasped his bare chest as he stared back to the demon in some-what sadness. 'I didn't do anything, I swear... isn't it better when he's not killing people?' The Lost One froze and shot you a glare. 'He was putting those fools in their place! Dare they defy his righteous name...' he shook his head angrily. He seemed rather insane, more than a lot of the Lost Ones you had encountered. 

Bendy didn't wear his iconic smile and he shrunk under the watchful eye of this creature. 'Why do you worship Ben- The Ink Demon?' you asked quietly, and the Lost One chuckled under his breath, standing up from his knees. 'Oh dear child... you no nothing, do you? Nothing of this world! You could be saved, you know... The Ink Demon will free us from this prison...'

'Prison?' you query, and he shakes his hand and crosses his arms in impatience. 'This studio, this hellhole! This place isn't the lighter side of hell, kid. This place is torture. And he-' he gestures to Bendy, who looked confused as ever. 'He is the saviour to all of our sinful souls. He is the messiah.' Using such a religious word made a shiver run down your spine. What sort of cult was this guy trying to get you to join? 'Either way, Bendy can't turn into the Ink Demon here. The Keeper's have made sure of that.' Something in the Lost One's eyes spark, having put two and two together.

'Of course... those imbeciles locked away the King of the Lambs, our Shepard... all because they were afraid of the truth he would bestow upon us... Oh, you poor sheep...' He glided his inky hand along the glass as he stared with pity at Bendy once more. 'A wolf stuck in sheepish clothing... Get out of here, my lord! Get out and fulfill the prophecy! The prophecy of our peace... our demise...'

Bendy stepped back again before running over to you for comfort. He was obviously scaring the poor imp. 'Ah...' The creature said behind the pane, watching as Bendy gripped onto you. 'It appears your emotions have too soften like your body...' He thought for a moment and turned back to you, seriousness in his face. 'My little sheep, you are the black sheep among so many of us... you're different than us. For better or for worse, I can't tell... but I know you're important.' He slammed his fist against the pain, making the both of you yelp.

'I am stuck to rot and decay among my filthy, expanding thoughts... but you are free. As free as a beached dolphin that is.' He gestured to you, pointing at your heart. 'Unable to get back, but can struggle and move as it slowly dies in the heat of the Sun.' He chuckled to himself, while you shuddered at his powerful words. 'But with what little time you have to struggle... do us all a favour. Take the Ink Demon and fulfill our long-awaited prophecy... He will set us free.' You stare at each other for a moment, before you nod. 'You will be free... trust me.' The Lost One nodded, and turned to walk back to their seat.

He stopped in his tracks before turning around to look at you. 'Sammy Lawrence,' he muttered, before plonking down onto the wooden chair and grabbing hold of his banjo, playing some out-of-tune notes.