Ink Demonth 2024 Short Stories - Bendy : The Untrusted AU

Day 8 : Line

Alan Gray pressed on a small button, allowing a minuscule amount of light to just about flood into the workshop. The dilapidated yet orderly room became somewhat lively again as the light reflected the colors on each object.

Alan softly took off his hat, caressed it, before placing it on a small hook by the entrance. He didn't do the same for his black coat, instead using his hands to pull back any off his loose, messy brown hair out of habit.

The man of a tall build approached a board divided into segments at the far end of the room. Each segment clearly drew out theories, hypothesis, and the like. The failed ones were pushed behind the improved ones in a neat fashion.

Alan stared blankly at it for a while, before an exhilarated smile formed on his face.

He reached his brightly-colored bandaged hand to grab out the piles of paper pinned to the board, stuffing them into folders of various colors, until there was only a single pile remaining.

He stretched out a little to spread out those papers. In contrast to the other documents filled with writings and corrections, these papers only had a few things on it.

The most prominent feature being a long line.

He spread out the papers with a single line accompanied by little notes, as if creating a timeline on his board. He then took out a few more papers from a nearby table, forming another long sheet of paper beneath it. He quickly drew out another line across the sheets of paper, adding a few anecdotes to them as well.

Just as the line was about to reach the end of the board, he suddenly swerved up, causing the two lines to intertwine with each other.

Alan backed off, quietly observing those papers with extreme fascination.

He clasped his hands together in satisfaction.

"Yes, of course." The man wandered over to one of the folders, pulling out a couple more documents. "Why didn't I consider this before? It is.. it's extremely clear."

His huge, curious eyes glistened in the light.

"If we look at it this way, then.." his tone gradually grew more and more excited.

"Then, it's completely sensible for fiction and reality to have intertwined at any point in time."

His eyes slowly casted its gaze on a small object in the corner of the room.

It was a dusty reel. A reel that was simply labeled "The End".

Bendy : The Untrusted AU - Act 3 (3/5)