The Year Of Rain

Born of Ink. Part 4. Meeting the Ink Demon

"(Y/N), are you ok?"

You opened your eyes, sunlight flowing in the car through the large windows. You were lying on back seat, your head resting on one of the bags. The music player was on, the song "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men playing in the background, your father tapping his hands on the stirring wheel on the rhythm of the melody, your mother looking straight ahead, their faces hidden from view. You got up, feeling your entire body ache from the uncomfortable position you slept in.

"Are you ok, (Y/N)? Did you have a bad dream?" she asked you.

A bad dream? Y-Yeah. It...it...kind of felt like that. How strange. W-What were you doing? ...Oh, yeah. The picnic. You went to buy groceries with your parents and...and you had to make sure that you got everything...yes. That was what you had to do. You turned your head towards the bag, blinking when you saw the stuff besides you. A small cutout of a cartoon character with black skin and a white face, a large smile resting on his lips and mischievous eyes was staring at you, the bags with groceries being buried beneath cans of ink and stained papers. W-What was going on?

"M-Mom" you said, looking at your mother.

Something was wrong. Som-...you froze.

"DAD! LOOK..."

Too late.

✠♦✠

You opened your eyes, vision blurry from the tears rolling down your cheeks and your entire body hurting, but that didn't even compare to how your head was throbbing. The recent events unfolded in your mind, Bendy, the ink machine, the fall...the dream.

"There, there, don't cry now my dear." a male voice came, and you immediately perched up, only then to notice something that made your heart still.

You were tied on a chair, unable to move. Fear took over you and with it, came the voices.

"What have you got us into now?"

"I don't like this."

"We're going to die, aren't we?"

"You idiot! What have you done now?!"

"There's no escape."

You struggled to free yourself, the ropes rubbing against your skin and causing you pain, as the rough material scratched your already aching arm.

"Now, now, dear. The struggle is pointless. We wouldn't want our sheep running away now, would we?"

You looked up to see who was talking, your eyes meeting a tall figure, male judging from the tone of his voice, his body covered in a dark substance, dripping off his hands onto the floor. He was wearing a pair of pants with suspensers the color of snow, and his head was covered by a mask of Bendy with the mouth cut out. He was holding an axe, in his hands, the clean blade sending shivers down your spine. You stared at him, afraid, your voice stuck in your throat.

"I must admit I am honored you came all the way down here. It almost makes what I'm about to do seem cruel. But the believers must honor their savior. I must have him notice me." he continued, dread building up inside you with each word he spoke.

Sheep? Savior? What on earth was he rambling on about?

"The time of sacrifice is at hand!" he said going to place the axe somewhere near, the handle leaning against a wooden pillar-like structure and then returned to face you. "And then, I will finally be freed from this... prison. This inky... dark... abyss I call a body. Shhhhh! Quiet! Listen! I can hear him. Crawling above. Crawling! Let us begin. The ritual must be completed! Soon he will hear me... he will set us free." he said, and you listened in fear, sweat rolling off your body as strange noises came from above.