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

Chapter Seven: Look At What You See

Before you climb the wall, you decided to have a look around for anything useful before you continue. A toolkit lay a strewn on the tabletop, which you quickly took, along with some parts labelled "GENT", and some more batteries. Looking around, you noticed another cabinet on the wall opposite the desk.

You head over to it, throwing the door open carelessly to find anything useful. All you got was a chill up your spine. The words "TURN AROUND" were set out on the back boards, dried to the wood. Standing still and begging nothing to be there, you let out a silent sigh.

You turned around, only to find nothing there. For some reason, that only made it creepier. Turning back to look at the message again, you automatically stepped back at what you saw, your eyes drying up. "WILSON KNOWS" Was written there instead, and it looked wet. Your whole body was tensed at the sudden change of emotion, but you forced yourself to look away and continue.

Alice said to not stay in one place for too long. You climbed up the wall, your mental health starting to deplete at how insane this place is.

It surprised you how many holes in the walls there were here, and you couldn't help but wonder if something was looking back at you whenever you stared into one. '...' You shake your head, trying to rid the thought from your mind, and you keep moving.

Another Bendy cut out was staring at you, but you decided to walk straight past it, only to be mortified by the shrieking cry beside you, making you cry out in shock. What looked to be a deformed Barley with a head attached to a fishing line was banging on a slightly ajar door, trying to get through.

The door closed on him, thank goodness. Your heart was pounding, and you could feel a bead of sweat run down your back. It was surprisingly hot in here. Focus, Y/N. The door that closed must be the way to go, so you felt kind of stumped. However, it only took you a few seconds to notice an area past the Bendy cut out, a ladder that led down. Here we go.

Down the ladder, there was a switch, perfect for opening doors, you could say. When the lever was pulled down by your hands, the sound of a rolling door above you signified your new path.

Back up, you could see some lockers, but no sign of Barley. You took the mental note to be cautious in here, who knows where he is. The lockers contained many things, batteries, parts... food! You reach out to grab the packet of crisps laying there, not caring to check the expiry date. You knew deep down already that it was already going to be stale, but you didn't care.

Yes, it tasted stale. But the comfort of food was just another thing that reminded you that you were human. You are human... right? No. Stop it, just keep going. A key hung absently on a hook, begging for you to pick it up. You wondered what its use was, and there was no harm in grabbing it just in case. You found another bacon coup can, but decided to leave it for later, since you didn't know when Barley, or "the Fisher" as Alice called it, would come out.

You figured it actually made sense to why Charley (the Piper) didn't have any remorse when attacking you. Alice had explained that these things don't have a soul, and those who don't have a soul cannot feel emotions or be rebirthed.

'Do you have a soul?' you had asked Alice, since she hadn't attacked you. '...I honestly don't remember, all I remember is being lost, and a friend finding me. I haven't been rebirthed, so I guess I won't ever really know until that happens.' You nod, before saying. 'I think I have a soul; I remember everything before I came here. I remember... who did this to me.' Alice saw this as a rough topic and didn't prod. 'Either way, even if you have a soul... you can get stuck.'

'What do you mean?' you asked, looking at Alice with intrigue. 'Well, when we die here, our soul gets transported to what we call "The Dark Puddles", and we get reborn there. A soul can get lost, however. Then they are stuck between both realities, a wailing ghost unable to live nor die.' She said these things in a matter-of-fact way, and it scared you. But you needed to know these things if you were to escape.

A sigh heaved out of you as you thought about Alice. Maybe I'll see her again, you sure hoped so. In the corner of your eye, you noticed something glowing, its luminescence dripping onto a table. Curious, you walk over to it. A glass canister of some sort was holding a glowing mass of liquid, it was seeping through its edges.

Y/N... 

A voice called to you, making you jolt.

Y/N, know your purpose...

You had no idea where the voice was coming from. It was everywhere, and yet it was nowhere.

Plunge into our darkness. Break it, Y/N, break it...

A sudden pressure was building up in your body, your lungs... it made you cry out in pain. Following what the voice told you to do, you smashed your hand into its glass, feeling pain as the glass shards tore at your inky hand. The black ink mixed and converged with the glowing substance, and you felt a suction coming from your hand, as if consuming the substance. 'What... what's-' you were cut off by the feeling of strength that overwhelmed you.

You felt like it took less energy to move, so you dropped the canister onto the ground and stepped back. There was no longer the feeling of heaviness of the ink in your body, but you knew it was still there, slushing around in your organs. What is that stuff? You wish you had Alice with you to explain it.