Chapter 5

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Once the door shattered, Henry stepped forward. Bendy led him down a staircase and into a winding corridor. He will set us free, was scrawled on the wall. The human took a glance at the small demon beside him, his body twitching every now and again. Henry turned and walked towards a small shrine, a Bendy sticker placed on it. A tape recorder was set on it and he pressed play.

"He appears from the shadows to rain his sweet blessings upon me-" Before the voice could continue, Bendy took the recorder and had slammed it on the ground. Ripping the axe from Henry's grip, he swung with the blade splintering the wires and tape.

"You don't need to know that," he spoke, handing the axe back to Henry. He walked forward, Henry at his heels, and came upon a cutout of him in front of a Pentagram.

"What is going on down here, Bendy?" The cartoon shook slightly, not wanting to explain. Floorboards creaked and they flinched. Whirling around, Bendy started to search for anything. No one was seen, sending him into a state of unease.

"I said, 'Can i get an amen?'" A voice snapped from the shadows, a shudder slithering up Henry's spine. The small demon grabbed onto the creators arm, dragging him down the hall. They turned corners and slushed through an ink flooded hall. A figure moved across the doorway, disappearing around the bend. Bendy bounced forward, trying to catch sight of them.

"Hello? Excuse me? Can you help us get out of here? Hello?" Henry called out, jogging after the cartoon. He had reached the doorway when he saw Bendy come back, his shoulders slumped. "No luck?"

"There was no one there when I reached the corner. All that was there was a cutout of me." The demon's voice was laced with sadness, a pang sharpening in Henry's heart. A shelf of cans was set against the wall and another Bendy cutout with a Pentagram was set adjacent to it. He heard movement and, upon looking down, he saw that Bendy had moved to the other end of the hall. He was staring at a switch and a closed gate. "I know what to do."

Henry stared at the tiny cartoon as he bolted down the hall, through the Ink slush. He raced back to where the tape recorder was, a small button placed on the wall. He pressed his finger against it, a small ding coming out. He spun around, a weird machine staring back at him. He slid over and pushed another button, another ding meeting him. He jogged back to Henry, an idea forming in his head. He doused his legs in the Ink mess and bounced through, appearing next to Henry. He pushed some of the cans, which were Bendy Brand Bacon Soup, out of the way and pressed the third button. A can rattled, sitting in Henry's hand.

"When did we make a Bacon Soup? I only thought we made cartoons…" Henry muttered, the demon heading towards the sealed gate. He trailed behind, not wanting to continue yet not wanting to risk dying down here. Bendy pulled the switch and the gate rose, revealing a trashed up room. On the wall Music Department could be seen. Henry went to the left and, curious as to what this place was, Bendy went right. His legs lead him up some stairs and he reached a projector. He saw Henry in the orchestra room beneath him.

"Hey! Henry! Come here, I wanna show you something!" The human turned around and left, Bendy disappearing down the stairs. When Henry's foot was visible around the corner, he leapt out with his hands in a claw-like position. "Boo!" He jumped a foot in the air before realizing it was just Bendy.

"Bendy! Don't do that!" He shouted, an innocent grin plastered on the cartoon's face. A cute giggle escaped Bendy, before spinning around and leading Henry up the steps. He looked around, spotting a Bendy cutout in the otherwise empty orchestra room, a tape recorder rested next to the projector. He stood behind the human and, when the play button was pushed, slipped down to the second set of steps. He knew they lead to the exit however, ink had flooded the entire thing. A power lever sat on the wall next to him, so he pulled it. He turned around, more ink splatters drizzled across the floor than before. Upon approaching one, an ink like torso jumped out at him. He twitched out of surprise before kicking the creature, the ink exploding outward before settling on the wooden floor. He raced back to Henry, nearly getting tackled. His feet thudded on the steps, his face just about to hit the stairs. When his foot finally touched the landing, his head collided with Henry.

"Whoa! Henry! We need the axe! I figured out what to do, but there are these weird ink blots that want to kill us!" Bendy spoke fast, tearing the axe out of Henry's hands. He lead the way back down the steps, the human confused but still following, and hacked away at the first ink torso that tried to eat his toes. They made their way back to the music room but stopped, a hallway opening up out of nowhere. The demon shrugged and headed down, ignoring all rooms, halting only upon reaching the end of the hall. A Bendy cutout sat leaning against the door frame, a large ink puddle swishing along the floor. Bendy froze for a second, or maybe it was a minute, to ensure his thoughts were in check and he wasn't insane. So far, so good. It is amazing I haven't faltered under the pressure. A snap brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced at Henry who had played the tape on the wall.

"So we are just looking for his keys? That shouldn't be too hard," they changed direction and headed back, their heels clipping with every step. The small demon glanced up at Henry, holding the axe close, to see if he knew what he was walking into. Bendy organized most of the traps in this building however, there were some places he was unsure of. This entire section was a surprise to him, contributing to the uneasy feeling curling in his gut. He did his best to ignore it, but a voice in the back of his mind kept calling out to him. You will fail, it whined. Just kill him and be done with it. He shook his head, sending the voice to a different corner of his mind. "If his keys were last seen when he was taking rounds, how about we split up and look in all the trash cans?"

"Are you serious? What about the Ink blots? Those could kill you if you aren't careful," Bendy spoke his words cautiously, trying not to worry the human. Henry stopped walking and looked at him, causing Bendy to do the same. Under the intense stare he began to fidget, becoming nervous of what was about to be said.

"Well, then. I guess we will just have to be careful. Don't worry, Bendy. Nothing bad is going to happen," Henry's words did little to calm him but he didn't let it show. He gave a nod, handing the axe to the human, and heading back down the hall. He took a left and made his way to the music room, a few trash cans littered throughout the room. Only now did he actually decide to look at the room rather than just seeing the room. A set of drums was in one corner and, in the opposite corner, a bass rested as well. A banjo was against the wall adjacent to the drums and a violin lay on a chair. Music stands and sheets were scattered all over the room, a piano blending into the coloring of the walls.

"Trashcans, that shouldn't be too hard to find," Bendy spoke, his legs dragging him towards the closest can. He peeked inside, only being met with papers, and walked off. He went around in the same loop; look in, see papers only, leave, head to the next one. Upon reaching the last bin, a small metal object reflected the light, he extended his arm and pulled out the object. A small key chain with two keys dangling off of it was looped on his finger. "Henry! I found the keys!" His voice echoed around the studio, footsteps heading his way. At this point, he regretted calling out. You seriously walked into that one. And weren't you supposed to be the smart one? He chastised himself and hid behind the piano.

"Bendy? Are you in here, buddy?" Henry's voice called out, being heard from the doorway of the room. He poked his head out and stared at the human, their eyes meeting. Henry smiled and waved him over, Bendy speed walking towards him. I hate having to rely on others but Henry seems to be more of a shield for me. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a small push on the small of his back.

"Whoa! Hands off!" He snapped, his pac-man eyes glaring daggers at Henry. A tiny chuckle escaped the human as he turned and walked off, leading the way down the hall. "H-Hey! Wait for me!" He raced after him, trying to keep up with his tiny legs. Silence rang out between them, their heels clicking being the only noise. The air was warm with some random cold breezes flowing down the halls. They turned and unlocked the closet, Henry playing the recorder. Bendy covered his ears, wherever those are, before racing back to the orchestra room. He played the instruments in order and stood in front of the newly opened gate, Henry finally appearing by the time the tiny demon finished.

"You work fast, huh?" He inquired, gaining a nod out of the toon before being drug down the new hall. Bendy jumped up, landing on the lever, and his weight brought the lever down. He slipped off and face planted into the wooden floorboards. He got up quickly and dusted himself off.

"That smarts," he muttered as ink puddles made their way into the room. He slowly inched forward, Henry in tow, before launching a flying kick at one of them. The Ink splattered everywhere, a leg and an axe being swung at every creature that attacked them. They finally reached the orchestra room and, for some odd reason, Bendy looked up at the balconies. A inky figure stood in one of them, causing the ink demon to gulp and cling to Henry.

Once again they were heading down the musty hall way, a different destination in mind. How many times must they walk down this specific hall before they were free? Bendy couldn't say for sure, getting hints from the human, and Henry definitely didn't know a thing. As they walked in silence, the temperature dropped and it sent the demon into shiver fits. Henry gave him a small pet on the head before stopping at the end of the hall. The Ink in the way of Sammy's office was gone, leaving small puddles, and the door had been opened. Henry stared at the doorway while Bendy shrugged it off and waddled his way in. He ignored everything in the room and flicked the switch, the roar of machinery enacting from the walls.

"Time for us to head on, I guess," Bendy lead the way to the staircase, weaving through the hall. He was about two feet in front of Henry and he didn't bother to look back.

Smack

A grunt followed as well as a thud, causing the little cartoon demon to turn around. Henry was face down on the ground, some ink creature in overalls staring down at him. Sammy. He thought bitterly as he hid around a corner. Sammy grabbed Henry's arm and dragged him away, Bendy following after. He watched as this strange creature tied Henry to a Pentagram, a weird Bendy mask covering his face.

"There we go, nice and tight. We wouldn't want our sheep roaming off now, would we? No, we wouldn't," Sammy had answered his own question, his voice gruff. "I must admit I am honored you came all the way down here to visit me. It almost makes what I am about to do seem...cruel,"

Henry began to struggle and Bendy leapt to the wooden beams supporting the ceiling. He clung on and watched the scene take place, ready to jump in should Sammy hurt his human companion (cube). His gloved fingers grasped the beams, his legs dangling off it completely.

"But the believers must honor their savior. I must have him notice me," he sounded entirely insane at this point. Stalker much? Bendy thought as the scene unfurled itself even further. "Wait, you look familiar to me...that face… Not now. For our lord calling to us, my little sheep. The time of sacrifice is at hand."

Henry flinched at the word sacrifice, the thought of him dying playing in his mind. The small demon on the ceiling was trembling slightly, the room filled with sheep and their mindless "baa's." He tried his best to ignore the useless animals but one stared back at him, it's eyes gray and soulless.

"And then, I will finally be freed from this….prison. This inky...dark...abyss I call a body," Bendy kicked the ceiling a couple times as he tried to adjust his grip. "Shhhh….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," with those being his final words, his heels clicked as he walked to a door. He disappeared as the door squeaked shut.

"Sheep, sheep, sheep. It's time for sleep. Rest your head. It's time for bed. In the morning, you may wake. Or in the morning, you'll be dead," a gate began to open, shaking the ground and causing the ink demon to fall to the ground. "Hear me, Bendy! Arise from the darkness! Arise and claim my offering! Free me! I beg you!" Bendy turned into an ink puddle and slithered under the door. He saw Sammy in front of a microphone, wires covering the room.

"I summon you, ink demon! Show your face and take this tender sheep!" Bendy stepped forward, a snark breaking free from his throat. "No! My lord! Stay back! I am your prophet! I am your-AHHH!!!" His words got cut off by a scream, Bendy having ripped off one of his ink arms. He snarled and started tearing off more pieces, his insanity taking over.

"Bendy?" Henry's voice snapped him out of it, his ink puddle sliding back under the door. The human was free and he held the axe. He had been tapping his foot, waiting for the tiny demon to come back. Motioning for the gate, he started the new adventure and killed any ink torsos that got in the way.