My entry for the third Nayialovecat competition for chidren's day : Karma is still a bitch!
- There are a lot of people... I didn't think the idea of Fifteen would be so successful, whispers the massive Lost One standing at the back of the room to the little one next to him, arms crossed.
- It's true that, bitter as he is, it's surprising! replies the other a little too loudly, her look fixed on the small crowd of Lost ones sitting or standing in groups chatting, a can of soup in their hands.
- Jane... Be comprehensive. He spends his days with Sammy. ALL of his days.
- I don't like what he's become, Jane grumbles, looking away.
G nods, almost in spite of himself. He doesn't like to recognize sadness in others.
- I know. Maybe this Club will make him smile again? he says in a slightly too cheerful voice.
- G. When he told me about it, he was so tense with rage that if I had kicked him, he would have shattered into little black, hateful splinters.
- This is an Anti-Bendy Club, G. How do you expect it to appease him?
G prefers to divert - slightly - the conversation.
- Hm. Besides, I'm surprised he hasn't made an Anti-Sammy Club.
Jane shrugs her shoulders.
- He's smart enough to know that even if we can get rid of Sammy, Bendy will exterminate every last one of us.
- Uh, yes, but isn't that also the case if we get rid of Bendy? If his Lord and lover is ever killed... There'll be bits of the culprit all over the Studio. Bits that Sammy will then pick up, paste back into the ink, reform the guy and start again.
G can't help but shudder as he imagines the scene.
- Again and again and again. And again.
- I don't know. I don't think Fifteen is in any shape to think any further, Jane replies.
- 'Poor thing. He should have let Bendy eat him.
- He says so every day. That's why I can't understand why you encouraged him to set up this Club! This is stupid! We should be taking his mind off his anger, not letting him wallow in it!
- I just want to support Fifteen. If we have to spend an hour every three-quarters of a cycles to meet for imagining unworkable plans to kill a super-fast demon surely immortal with an overdeveloped sense of smell... I'll do it. And then I tell myself that if he realises that it's unfeasible, he'll stop fantasising and accept his fate a little better...
- Or we can try to hit Sammy on the head until he forgets about Fifteen. That sounds just as plausible to me.
G rubs his forehead as he closes his eyes, feeling a slightly guilty annoyance rising.
- Jane... Are you his friend or not?
- Why am I here and not over a cup of ink, eh?
But she promises herself she'll stop by afterwards. She'll need it.
- So stop being unpleasant. We will have to do this first meeting without Fifteen, he has not finished his "service" with Sammy. This is good. It's a great opportunity to get things moving in the right direction
- ... You're very, very optimistic.
Her tone suggests that this is far from a compliment.
- It has to be. If you give up hope, you give up living! G replies cheerfully, ignoring the sarcasm.
- Spare me your positive slogans. It makes me want to throw up.
- I know you don't mean it.
Jane rolls her eyes without answering. G wraps an arm around her shoulders and leads her to the middle of the room. She suspects that he will call out to the other Lost Ones to start the meeting. She can't help but resist a little, digging her heels into the floor to slow G down. Her friend simply tightens his embrace without losing his big friendly smile.
She will not escape.
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- AND THIS IS THE ONLY SOLUTION YOU HAVE FOUND? TOYS? I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET YOU RUN THIS MEETING!
- Calm down, Fifteen. There's no point in shouting like that, G told him in a soft voice.
- YOU'RE A FUCKING CARE BEAR AND NOW, YOU'VE CONTAMINATED THE OTHERS!
- People won't come back, sighs G.
He decided not to take the insult. In any case, for him, being a Care Bear was not a fault. He liked to be a gentle person, caring for others and always optimistic. Why on earth would anyone want him to be bitter and sullen?
But Fifteen doesn't even blink and opens his mouth to bellow again.
- I'M SURE IT WAS YOUR IDEA!
Jane, a little way off, just listens with one ear while sipping her ink, sitting comfortably in one of the only chairs still standing. She knew that this was not at all what Fifteen meant by "finding a way to have a peaceful life". But left to his own devices, G had done as he pleased. She hadn't even tried to intervene. What was the point? The others had seemed as willing as G. to find a gentle way to avoid being eaten. The idea of killing Bendy (which was much more definitive, admittedly ) hadn't occurred to them. Fifteen would have been mad if he had heard them...
- Well... It's a joint proposal. We all voted, you know? We had to find out exactly what would suit them. They're so different, we couldn't do the same thing... mumbles G, a little embarrassed.
- FIFTEEN! Jane finally shouts, as a headache begins to pound her temples. QUIET!
Fifteen turns to her, looking as if he wants to shout at her too. A glare dissuades him. He grunts, but turns back to his more conciliatory friend, tacitly accepting his defeat.
Satisfied, Jane takes a sip. At least he'll stop bawling. If she is far from having G's patience, she understands Fifteen. If she were in his place, the Club's crazy proposal would have pissed her off.
- I don't understand how you got to... To this!
- You know I prefer non-violent solutions, but...
- ... you would have been surprised to find out that almost everyone did. Nobody thought of anything aggressive. Finally, we decided together that attempting to soften him would be a better idea. When you think about it, Bendy's not that bad...
That's one for Fifteen, thinks Jane, hiding her smile in her glass.
- But he has no choice! And he's doing it very quickly now, with a lot of understanding...
- For God's sake, G! Do you hear yourself?
G suddenly frowns. Which is a bad sign. Slowly, he straightens up to his full height, stepping between the candle's halo and his friend, casting his massive shadow over Fifteen's slightly worried face.
Jane tucks her head into her shoulders. G is an extremely positive and gentle Lost One who can take a lot. In fact, he is so gentle that it is easy to forget that, like everyone else, he has limits. Limits that must not be exceeded...
- Now you will calm down and listen to me carefully. I know perfectly well how pedantic, exalted and annoying Sammy can be. I know that having to spend most of your time doing things you don't like must seem like hell, especially in a place that already looks a lot like Purgatory. But let me remind you of two really important things, my friend.
G's calm tone is extremely firm. Fifteen therefore cautiously keeps his mouth shut. Satisfied by what he takes to be attentive listening, G continues.
- The first is that, painful as it is, Sammy has changed a lot since he... Um. Been seeing Bendy. And even more so now that he has the triplets. If you bothered to talk to him, I'm sure he'd understand and accept your resignation.
Fifteen must be showing his dismay in his eyes because Jane hears G's tone turn to annoyance.
- Or lie, you fool! You could just tell him you'd rather preach to the Lost Ones below. No one will denounce you, and John Dot spends most of his time with them and the little ones...
G's voice then becomes dangerously low.
- And the second... I don't want you to forget that under any circumstances, I could never plan, cause or allow another person's death, do you hear me? NEVER!
With that last word, G's tone is so intense that Fifteen shrivels up in front of him.
- Even Joey's? he asks anyway in a tiny voice.
G shakes his head as he straightens up. If he'd been wearing a suit like he did when he was human, he'd probably have smoothed his shirt or absentmindedly tightened his tie.
- It's not the same. In his case, it would almost be like doing a good deed. But don't change the subject!
- You will accept the Club's decision WITHOUT grumbling and you will take an ACTIVE part in it. We will need your sewing skills. That way you'll be able to see that even the worst situations can be solved with a positive attitude.
G stands up without paying attention to this feeble attempt at protest. It's no use trying to be right anyway when G takes that tone. Jane tilts her head back to finish her ink, convinced that G is going to take Fifteen with him, willingly or not.
- You'll see, it'll be quick. All we need is three of Bendy's cuddy toy and three tape recorders.
She vaguely hears Fifteen grumbling as she greedily licks the last of her ink. Lowering her arm, she finds G standing in front of her.
- Oh no, she says, backing up in her chair, clutching her empty glass to her chest.
- Oh yes, replies the Lost One in a quiet tone, holding out a hand as big as a pot lid towards her.
A second later, G, glowing, walks out of the room. He carries a dishevelled Jane over his shoulder, who spits out every swear word in her vocabulary, gesticulating in vain. Fifteen follows, shuffling along, arms crossed and face sullen.
- Everything is going to work out for the best, you'll see! says G in an energetic tone, both to convince the other two and himself.
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-MUUUUUMYYY! DAAAADYYYY!!!
There is a sound of wet running in the hallway and almost immediately the door swings open.
Sammy stands up on one elbow and gropes for his mask, while Bendy doesn't even move. The light splashes on his dark face and he blinks, disturbed. He manages to make out Bendy Jr's small face raised towards him. He smiles at once and puts down his mask to reach out and caress his cheek.
Curiously, his son seems to be holding something, but Sammy is still too sleepy to pay attention.
-Shh, kids. What's going on? Is everything okay? he asks in a low voice.
Henry Jr. puts the candle on the floor and the light stops dancing, allowing him to see better. Sammy wonders vaguely what time it is, as his triplets trample their blanket bed to join him. It's early, of course. But it's always too early when your little ones wake you up screaming.
Sam is the first to arrive and snuggle up to his father. Henry Jr. sits on his lap smiling broadly and Ben, after kissing him on the cheek, nestles against Bendy's back a little ways away.
They all have a cardboard box in their hands.
- What is it? asks Sammy, his eyebrows already furrowed.
- We found them outside the door! exclaims Henry Jr. in a high-pitched voice, wiggling around, clearly full of energy and overexcited. We heard a noise this morning and went to see. There was no one left, it was all dark and empty, but there were these things. It's got our names on it, Dad!
- Gift! exclaims Sam in delight as he shoves his box under his father's nose.
Sammy gently pushes his son's little hand away so he can examine what he's so vigorously handing him. It's a simple cardboard box, one of those that held paper, cut to form a cube that closes. And on one of the sides it says "For Sammy Jr, from the B.F.C". The box is light, but when you shake it a bit, it makes a soft, squishy sound. It seems completely innocent, but Sammy is wary. Their little family doesn't have only friends. His throat tightens because he hates to hurt their feelings, he tilts his shoulders a little - as if that will help him when his babies cry - and begins in what he hopes is an authoritative tone:
- I don't know what it is about, kids. Maybe it's not safe to...
- There's nothing dangerous in it.
As always, Bendy's deep voice sends a soft warmth through his empty chest. The demon continues without turning around, only reaching back with one arm to briefly caress Ben's head.
- I would have smell it. They can open it.
-YEAAH! the little ones scream.
The carton almost disappears as the children eagerly tear it apart. There are still pieces falling down when Sam gets up shouting:
- Cuddly toy! Cuddly toy mummy!
- What? says the aforementioned mother. Machinically, he lifts Ben up so as he not to crush him when he turns around. He settles him against his stomach to be able to see the presents. The little one hugged the cuddly toy enthusiastically.
Sam is also happy, but Henry Jr. looks a little disappointed.
- I would have preferred a little pirate ship, he mumbles as he looks at hiscuddly toy . He finally drops it to sulk in his father's arms. But when the cuddly toy hits the ground, a voice exclaims with a constrained air:
Sammy tilts his head to one side.
- The voice sounds familiar.
The fact that the cuddly toy can talk is instantly appealing, and to all three this time. Henry Jr hurries to pick up his, while Sam stares at it, delighted, and Ben frantically searches for the switch in his cuddly toy Bendy .
The real Bendy is the only one who doesn't seem thrilled by the presents.
- I don't know how I'm supposed to take it, he says thoughtfully, looking at the little replicas of the character that he was supposed to embody.
- I don't think it's an insult or a bad joke, my lord. They weren't going to send us an ugly B.I.T.C.H. cuddly toy, or the canine abomination that lives near the music department. Those are the only ones suitable for children of a Go...
Bendy glares at him and Sammy doesn't finish his sentence. He shrugs contritely, as if to say, "Sorry. It's the usual. ".
- They like them a lot. That's all that matters, he says with a smile.
- If you say so. We'll still have to find out where they come from...
- Yes, but I'm sure that... Wait a minute. Ah! I knew I knew that voice! exclaims Sammy, making his lover flinch.
He grabs Sam's cuddly toy, which starts to whine. After pulling his son into his arms and whispering a " Wait, Daddy's watching something " to soothe him, Sammy pulls the little Bendy close to his face and starts the recording again, listening carefully.
- It's the voice of Fifteen!
- The second Lost One to join our chur... Discussion group. The one who always seems to have something bitter in his mouth.
- Ah, yes, that one... answers the demon without having any idea who it is.
Sammy gives the cuddly toy back to his son and then looks at his children with tender eyes.
- These gifts are obviously from him. It's so nice of him!
- Humf, say Bendy, happy to see his children so pleased, but can't bring himself to call anyone "nice".
Sammy seems so delighted by his disciple's devotion that he almost claps his hands.
- I think to reward him, I'm going to give him more responsibility. It will be a lot more work for him, of course, but I'm sure he'll be very happy. What could these gifts be, apart from an unquestionable mark of faith?
And Sammy turns away to play with his children. As he looks down, Bendy notices a small piece of paper folded in half. When he opens it, he finds it written: "Gift from The Bendy Friends Club , a new Lost association. Our motto: We're so nice, so don't eat us! Hope you enjoyed it, sincerely, B.F.C".
- They're getting clever, aren't they... he whispers to himself while his eternal smile widened further.
