My Little Devil Darling

Race Against The Clock

Henry helped Charlotte to her feet once her sudden cough attack was over, and he checked over her closely to be sure she was okay. It was now a race against the clock to get Charlotte out of the hell loop before her soul was trapped inside forever, and her body would die. The studio walls grew darker the longer they travelled down the hall. The Ink Demon was near; Henry could feel it, as he'd memorized the monster's path hundreds of times by now.

"We're getting closer," Henry said, turning his head back to Charlotte, "Just stay behind me, and don't wander off. There isn't much time."

Charlotte tilted her head at his last statement but decided not to question it. Was her recent coughing a serious matter? Was something happening to her? She stayed silent while she followed behind the makeshift soul of her father; the girl was still in awe that she could see her father again, even if he wasn't real. Henry looked how he did when she was young, it was unnerving.

After a few more twists and turns, walking through several halls and doorways, the pair reached a familiar sight: the entrance to the Ink Demon's lair. Charlotte hesitated to get closer. If this was the same scenario as the real studio, she didn't like what was going to happen next, or the possibility that she would have to do the same once she got back. Henry glanced behind and noticed his daughter's worried expression.

"Don't worry about the ink lake," he noted, not knowing why she was hesitant, "We're technically human, so the ink won't consume us, not unless it wants to."

Henry stepped into the lake first, the level reaching just above his stomach, and Charlotte stepped in afterwards with his help. She was a bit shorter, so it was just above her chest. Surprisingly, the ink was easy to walk through. Once they made it to the end, it was an easy climb up some steps before entering another hallway towards a giant metal sliding door blocking the way to the Demon's lair. Henry took no time to stand around before pulling the lever to open the door. Charlotte, however, trailed behind a bit, glancing through the windows at the tiny rooms, although they were all empty. She observed one of the prisons and tapped on the glass, curious if something was hiding inside.

"Come on, Charlotte, it's time to go." Now that's familiar.

The young woman laughed nervously and shrugged, hurrying to catch up with Henry. It was another long journey of similar halls and turns, Charlotte's head turning back and forth, seeing more tiny prisons, complicated machinery, and odd cartoon Bendy statues. Henry, of course, had seen all this too many times to care about his surroundings. His only goal was to reset the loop and get Charlotte out of there.

The Demon lurked in its throne room, growling as he paced around its chair, protecting the key to its demise. The monster knew Henry was here, and it won't fail this time. But almost like magic, Henry seemed to beat the Demon much faster every time he came back. Clearly, the Creator knew something it didn't. Something was different this time. He had a partner, a girl, so it's possible that something could change this time, and the monster could win. The Demon's horns twitched as it heard another one of the doors open; they were getting closer.

"Dad, I don't feel so good," Charlotte groaned, holding her stomach.

Her walking slowed, and she felt like she would collapse again. Henry quickly held her up and kept her walking; if she stopped, she might never be able to stand up again. Henry kept travelling through the halls and was almost surprised that the Ink Demon wasn't wandering around. What was it up to? He pulled the last lever to enter the monster's lair, and as expected, the room was empty, with the lone reel waiting for him on the throne. He rested the girl's body against a few barrels, checking again if she was okay. He could see her paled face and some ink running out of her mouth. He was worried, sure, but he knew it would all be over soon, as long as the last fight with the Demon was like the other 413 times.