The Devil’s Music
The Invisible speakers around Joey Drew Studio's Music Department finally finished its creepy song as you entered the hallway a metal gate was previously concealing, the entire building had this eerie silence since the moment you stepped foot into it but at the time it was better than the insults that were being thrown at you outside hours ago, maybe a day? You had passed out on the floor before descending down further into the studio so time was at all lost, no telling of the time in this place, cell phone dead and damaged from the unwanted fall so no outside help either. Another Wally Franks Audiotape finished. Keys. Keys. Keys. How do you lose keys in a trash bin and now noticed? OK, so acting as Hobo for the day, you savage through the dusty bins littered randomly in the studio but failed short (even went back up the way you came). You question why you were doing this. Keys for the closet? for the office? Keys for the EXIT? Damn, was it important! You take your luck with the few unopened doors, a small office space with two desks, one with a sheet of Bendy's face with the same expression but different words, emotions actually. Sadness, Anger, Happy... An unpleasant shiver rides up your spine. Another room, Organ piano. Well, why not. Nothing tried to kill you so far. Your fingers feathery touches the keys, the sound is awful. You try again, blocking out the wail oh agony coming from behind the instrument. You pause the second time. "NOoo..." The voice dies down as if whoever it was, it pained them to use their vocals, you think it was your mind playing tricks on you. You press another key, the note ends, the wailing began again "..nnnnoooo..." You back away from the keyboard and out the room. Keys. You open the last closed door of the department, the recording studio, and another bin. The keys are there. You run to the Music Director's office and try your luck but neither keys fit, then you try the closet. Easy entry. Another audio. Sammy Lawrence, the same person with the other two tapes. The creepy one set off bells, especially when you heard the tape stop but his voice didn't, that unsettling whisper that was a question forced you to physically keep yourself from falling apart. The other one, he was just annoyed by the ink in the doorbell... Oh right, you need to get into his office to leave the building, you need to turn off the ink. Now, this audio was just him talking about a SANCTUARY, he's keeping out instructions. Piano, Violin, Violin, and Drum Odd song, that one is. You run to the larger room in what you would call 'the back of the room'. You run to the piano, the violin is resting on a chair at the end, you pluck it twice, then you smack your hand on the drum. Nothing happened. "What am I forgetting?" You were at a lost. Taking one of the many empty chairs near you, you pull out your instrument, Harmonica. You lick your dry lips- fearful as to not touch the ink with your tongue, inhaled deeply and played. It was a simple song, one that your Great-Granddad played to your Grandma that she played for you, it's pretty much traditional at this point, the song was something you have never heard, at least one you weren't able to find online but the lessons were forever engraved into your mind. It was a calming song, simple but it held a stronghold over your soul, it relaxed you. Even as you were going through this unwanted experience the song drowned your worries and pain away for the short time, your song ended abruptly with a choked sob. You missed your Grandma, you missed your parents and your pet. Why was your classmates so determined to make you feel worthless, so far as to follow you home and verbally assault you as if you couldn't hear all the words they said, you know what they were doing but it didn't stop the ache that took hold and caused your body to get away from the insults, right into a building just off into the woods, they didn't dare chase after you but you didn't bother to stop and check. Now, those insults seem like a pebble to this giant inky boulder. You try the audio again, you did it right, so what was missing. You look around the room, oh yeah! You round the music room and around the sign to the upper floor, you forgot to listen to this audio tape. "Everything's the same old thing... Sammy Lawrence...shutting the whole thing down... turn on the projector... Sammy comes running like the little devil... ...he doesn't come out for a long time..." Oh! You search the projector by the audio tape for the power button, you find it, flip it and it turns on, you run out the booth, blind to the three cutouts resting on chairs. You fail to realize that three cutouts are just above the piano staring at you, you hit the key, pluck the string and hit the drum. The ground shakes, another door is opening. OK, you hope you NEVER have to do that again, you just collected the valve from a thick ink thing in a hat and was turning the cog, that should do it. Hopefully no more fights, after leaving the secret room that was Sammy's sanctuary, plus bathroom it was smooth sailing from there. You play your song again, it's like a drug by this point. Maybe if you played it during that moment, you wouldn't have been here. A part of you thought. They would have taken it from you. A different voice said, as if saying what is happening now was worth it. Last time you checked, bullies over demons was a no brainier but OK brain. Have it your way. Sammy's office was clear, you stopped your song again to free your hand while the other had the ax close by. You pull down the lever. Home free. You cautiously walk towards the staircase going down the building which should be the...exit?... now you're questioning everything, why would the staircase leading to the exit be FURTHER DOWN THE STUDIO! You stop midway to rub your temple, a sudden headache taking over your nerves. You groan softly as to not give out your location any longer. You feel dizzy as you take your next step, your head really hurts down, the room is spinning, your body feels heavy and sinks to the floor on your back, you look up, its a dark figure looming over you, they say nothing. You black out. You awake to voices talking around you, well just one voice anything, it's really close. Your moving but you aren't walking, you squeeze your eyes tighter as if trying to regain lost memory, someone is carrying you. Are you finally out of the studio? "T-thank...you..." You whisper to your savior. The savior seems to be shocked by your compliment for they stopped walking to look over you, you were staring down at the ground because the angle was tolerable for your neck, you can't see the mask staring at you, you can barely make out the shadow. They move again, you fall asleep, their skin is really cold but welcoming in such a humid temperature of the building. "My lord, I have a gift." ...That... voice... "I hope it pleases you, Bendy." ...Why is it so familiar?... Did he say... Bendy. Fight of Flight, you force yourself off of the man carrying you, not expecting you to act as you did, didn't have a hold strong enough keep you on him. You land on the floor, you're in a different location now. In an oval room with T.V. screens hanging from the walls, replaying the same fifteen second clip over and over again on each monitor, the only other thing in the center was a mountain of ink, huge bears, projectors and The Demon, set on top it all, sitting in an huge tan leather chair with horns of it's own decorated by metal circles, chains, maybe? That 'Thing' doesn't move a muscle, you can't tell if he's staring at you or...Sammy? or even paying attention at all. You hope for the second opinion, you scoot away from Sammy and roll onto your feet, you try to leave but the only exit door slam shuts just as you hit the metal. You're trapped. You panic, you try to pry them apart to perhaps squeeze through the crack, it didn't budge. See another door just to the side, nothing. You bang out of frustration. Sammy grabs you by the arm, he jerks you to the center of the room, a lot closer than you want to be to this deform Bendy. You dare to look at his ink covered face, his mouth, the only visible facial feature vibrates in place as he growls, you can't face him anymore. "My Lord. I have found a songbird for you. They play such wonderful music. Allow me to show you... My Lord..." Sammy gets up close and personal to your body, you fight him off but with enough determination, he takes your harmonica from your pant pocket and shoves your instrument in your gaping mouth, you choke off the metal instrument and the ink from his grabby hands. You spit out the small item and glared at you, he releases your arm. "Now...Play." Sammy orders his hands move in a way that reminds you of that one character Bugs Bunny when he was acting as a director for a choir. "If I do, Can I leave?" "If that is what Bendy wants." Sammy answers, he moves off the gears and back on solid, not ink ground. Leaving you just at Bendy's reach, Bendy still has not moved from his spot but his head does turn and tilt to be eye level with you. OK, play a song and home free. Weird but ...no just weird. You lick your lips as you clean off your harmonica, with shaky hands you play, it's terrible. "What are you doing?! Don't dare insult Bendy with that! Play like before!" Sammy is shouting at you now, you shake even more. "I DON'T PLAY IN FRONT OF PEOPLE OK!" You shout back, you're just at your peak with this whole mess. "Play right or else." "I can't" ROAR - GROWL In the heat of the moment, you have forgotten Bendy was behind you. You take a step forward, which is a step further from the angry Demon. You dare look behind you, Bendy is reaching for you. "OK! OK! I'll play! Just..." His action halts but he doesn't pull back. "I need to turn my back." His mouth vibrates again as he relaxes his body back to the chair. You stare at the wall, you take a deep breath. Harmonica lifts to your lips, inhale. Now Play It's your song, the song you have learned from previous generations, two lines in. It's a simple song, one that is dear to your soul. You play note after note, your worry soon fading, your anger, sadness, pain; everything is leaving your body. You are peace, you are numb to all things back as your song fills the quiet, blocks the gears and machinery just outside the walls around you. You feel weightless, the room disappearing under your feet leaving you in a black void. It's quiet, the welcoming kind. Your song is at its end when you drop the harmonica and open your eyes Sammy and Bendy are at a standstill. Bendy doesn't seem in bad spirits like he was moments before. "Can I leave now?" You ask, turn to Sammy, you gasp when you find he was gone, he was just here! You don't remember the doors opening, you didn't hear it! In the once occupied space that Sammy took were his mask and a new smaller pile of ink. "The only way out is Death, My songbird or a trade." You turn to Bendy, halfway backing away too far off the ink pile of gears and projectors at his voice. His long lengthy arm grabbing you, keeping you from falling back to the ground by the shirt. "I haven't heard that song is so long, Why not play another." Your unable to speak as his arm seems to take a mind of its own and rush over your body, claiming your neck, the once liquid black substance solidify around you, Bendy's arm is pulled back, thinning out in the process until his hand reappears and is holding the thin string connecting the thing around your neck, he drops the thin string and it melts into the gears at your feet, your mind finish the process of what just happened, you pull at the string attaching you but it's formed with the gear, it doesn't budge, it doesn't tear, it doesn't break! He's trapped you. But why? "I am feeling rather tired, so play it again but slow down the tune after all,..." Bendy makes a comfortable position on his huge chair, "Sheep Songs was made to put me to sleep quicker that way." He chuckles, his laughter distorting in your mind, echoing, darkening, taunting you. "Yes, Bendy..." You put it to your lips, you inhale and play You feel so numb as the world fades around you, leaving only you and Bendy.
