An Ask/RP blog for the BATIM AU, "Searching the Depths." Welcome to The Depths, the world beneath the surface of the ink, where searchers roam and humans meet their demise. Follow the adventures of Isabella Ewe as she uncovers the secrets of this place, learning the truth about what it means to be a monster.
From the latest chapter of Searching the Depths, I bring you a wonderful scene between Sammy Lawrence (AJ) and the Ink (me) as they try to settle their differences of beliefs as to what to do about the most recent um...predicament. Thank you so much AJ, you were a fantastic help, and this was a wonderful experience. Credits are under the Read More!
Sammy Lawrence is voiced by @ahjones94
The Ink is voiced boy me, @inkabelledesigns
Bendy and the Ink Machine and Little Devil Darling Remastered belong to theMeatly Games
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Searching the Depths Chapter 6: Bound to Only You is finally finished and uploaded! Are you curious as to who that mysterious dream invader was in the last chapter? Well get ready, it looks like they’re after our favorite prophet next!
((Super excited! I just got done with the latest chapter, once I’ve gone through another round of editing and revising, it should be ready to post, probably later tonight if I can get through my other obligations first. Sorry to have kept you waiting, but this chapter is so worth it! You’re gonna be in for one heck of a ride.))
I haven’t touched my tablet in a good month, but it felt so good to pull it out and try Bella’s updated Searcher design. I have a hard time drawing her hat still, but I’ve gotten better since December. Just need to keep practicing. In about four to five more chapters, we’re finally gonna get to the point where this happens. ^^’’’
It seems like a lifetime since we last told this story together, hmm? Why don’t you stop by the old blog in the next few days? There’s something I’d like to show you.
Your Best Pal,
Mod Kat Alyst
That’s right folks, I made a lot of progress on the latest chapter of Searching the Depths, and now the plot is gonna get kicked into high gear! In addition to the new chapter of the fanfic coming out, I also have a special surprise for you that’s currently being edited. A big thanks to my friend @ahjones94 for his tremendous help with that. Keep an eye on the blog for the next few days.
(And as a side note, you do know this blog is okay to roleplay on, right? If you’re interested in joining me on some adventures with Bella Ewe, Sammy Lawrence, and other characters from this AU, please, feel free to stop by and start a conversation! My private messaging and ask box are open to you!)
I've had lots of people asking about the back and sides of our characters for there fan art. Character I created for Bendy and the Ink Machine Ch1-4 as 3D Ar...
Pascal is once again an amazing person, and I’m so grateful to him for posting this. This is some great art reference for the searchers, definitely gonna make my life easier for this blog.
(So today I learned I can reblog something from this sideblog if I so choose, just by tapping the dropdown arrow. Why did I not notice this before? Gosh I am such a tumblr noob. XD
Anyways, hi guys! Gonna be trying to get this blog back up and running soon. I just graduated from college a week and a half ago, and since I’ve been home, I’ve been sick, dealing with a job searching and cleaning the attic. It’s a mess. But no worries, I’m gonna get back to the next chapter of Searching the Depths soon, along with finishing an audio sequence just for you guys that goes with the newest chapter. Until then, take care, and remember to tip your waitresses!)
So now that I finally have these scanned in, I think it’s about time I show you some of the sketch work for Searching the Depths. These definitely aren’t final, but I’ve been toying around with a few ideas for human variations of Sammy Lawrence and Bella Ewe. These just happen to be the cleanest current sketches I have. My thought with Sammy is that I wanted him to be vaguely composer-esce, he takes a little inspiration from the likes of Mozart with how he carries himself, while still maintaining the typical office attire. With Bella, I’m still trying to balance out her design, knowing that she’s coming of age in the 60′s, but the harder part is working out her Searcher design. Keeping it close to the game while also making her identifiable isn’t easy, but I do have a plot point to help me with this coming up.
Speaking of which, I have a very special surprise for you coming with the next chapter of the story, the trouble is, I have to finish writing it first, otherwise it will be a very short chapter, which isn’t bad, but I feel like it’s not at a good stopping point yet.
I finally figured out what I’m gonna do for the remaining Toon Searchers in Searching the Depths. They’ve all been decided in terms of their concepts and names, I just need to draw them. This is gonna be fun. Faye has been one of my favorite characters for Depths the farther I’ve gone with it, and her fellow toons are just as lovable as she is. In particular, I’m very excited to work on a steampunk harp. This will make a lot more sense when we get to introducing them, I swear. XD Speaking of though, when I have a little more time on my hands, I really need to do some art for this, don’t I?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
First new chapter being pasted as a link on A03. Bendy’s Journal has accidentally become a great spot for me to test some of the foreshadowing, and it provides a nice break for whenever I get stuck on the main story, like I am right now. There’s another chapter in the works for the main story of Searchin the Depths, but it’s proven to be quite difficult to really nail Sammy’s character. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this one!
There will never be a day where Sammy Lawrence isn’t my equivalent of Morgan Freeman. His voice is to die for, I could listen to his voice actor read the phone book and it’d still be interesting. He’s just so calm, always on the verge of losing his chill, and yet so proper about things.
Didn’t know this existed until now, we’ll have to keep this in mind as we add new chapters to this story. Not gonna lie, I was both laughing and slightly horrified when hearing some of these tracks.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Super excited to announce that Searching the Depths is starting to be posted on AO3! I know tumblr isn’t phenomenal when it comes to written works like this, so to have it on a platform built for such a thing is crucial towards it getting better down the line. Thank you all for your continued support of my story!
The studio may be a place of nightmares, but that’s not the only place were dreams are being tested. In the seclusion of his home, a certain devil darlin’ writes in his journal to try and make sense of the world he’s living in, about a month before this story began.
From the Desk of Bendy
What a week it’s been. I’ll tell ya, never been busier here in Toon Town. Feels like I was stuck in a million meetings, wish I had a gag reel or something ta play for ya, but alas, there’s no need for that when I’m just writin’ ‘bout it.
Anywho, it’s gettin’ to be closer to that time. In about a month and a half, it’ll be SillyVision’s big anniversary, the day they released my first cartoon. I should be excited, I mean every toon loves their own version of this day, it’s better than any birthday party, wedding, and all the holidays put together. A day to celebrate your origins and take pride in all you’ve accomplished, now that’s somethin’ special, for everyone else at least.
For me though? Not so much. Things aren’t so good up on the home turf, and I have a feeling they’re about to get a hell of a lot worse. That’s comin’ from a demon for goodness sake! It’s just, what was it, maybe fifteen years ago? Yeah, that sounds right, it’s been that long since Drew got his nose in business that it didn’t belong in. I love Joey, honest to goodness, he’s not a bad man. But rippin’ my friends from here and into his world? Now that’s crossin’ more than a few lines. First Faye, then Sprocket, Porkbelly, Harmonellie, and a lot more, all just forced through the realms like nobody’s business. And Boris…gosh, I’ll tell ya, I miss Boris most of all. They’re all good, those toons are my family, but Boris is practically my brother. Sure, sometimes we didn’t get along on-screen, but no pup was more loyal than that ol’ wolf. I fear for how he’s doin’ up there in that horror flick.
My gosh, it’s gotten so faded and broken. My windows are dwindlin’, if those old posters and plushies take any more of a beating, I won’t be able to keep an eye on them anymore. I’d try and use the cutouts, they’re practically everywhere, but I can’t risk my vision getting mixed up with that monster’s. Just imagine, if he found me, he’d surely draw me outta here, and lemme tell ya, I can’t let that happen. It’s just Alice and I left of our original crew, and I can’t leave her alone. Heck, even she ain’t all there, part of her got taken in this mess too.
I went out to meet a friend for coffee at Grinder’s today, fella I hadn’t seen in a while. Fiero’s a good guy, really glad we met each other before the rest of the SillyVision crew got taken. He’s been one of the few toons that’s tried to keep me company for more than just business or demonic deals. And lemme tell ya, that candle is the warmest fella you’ll ever meet, gives the nicest hugs too. Still, such a weird design choice to give him two sets of arms and no hands. Wish I could talk to his creator and get that guy some hands and legs, he’d be a lot happier if he didn’t have to worry about burning people at a handshake.
But hey, it’s not like that’ll ever happen, we toons aren’t meant to interact with the folks that made us. And don’t think it’s just because of a dimensional difference, I mean most of us just don’t get humans. We live a different life that’s a heck of a lot more optimistic, even when they put us through hell and back, we still survive. We live, and we laugh it all off and go through it all over again. Though I won’t lie, what I wouldn’t give to have a chat with Henry, talk ‘shop about the good ol’ days. After working with him for so long, I’d really love to know him from more than watching through the pages. But there’s no way that’s happening, he’s been away from the pen and paper for years. Sure, I’ll get a doodle now and again, but I can’t see his face through the paper anymore, it’s just been too long, and he needs to de-rust.
At any rate, I’d better get to my next appointment. I had that ol’ tailor make my next suit special this time, wanted to have a piece of my friends here with me in my coattails. I know, it’s silly, but whaddaya want from me? I’m a cartoon. One day guys, one day I’ll find a way to bring you home, then we can celebrate our birthday together. But until then, hold on for me. I swear, you’ll be set free if I have anything to say about it. For now though, I’ll save a dance for you.
With Love,
Bendy, the Dancing Demon
From the Author:
What, you thought Bella was the only focus of this story? Not by a long shot. Welcome to the secondary plot! Yeah, Bendy’s gonna be exploring his feelings through some journal writing, which also gives us some exposition as to what the heck’s going on, pieces of the puzzle that our dear printmaker can’t quite fill in yet. I’m excited, this gave me some great practice with tone and diction, and Bendy, the way I’ve envisioned him, is a joy to explore as a character. As stated at the beginning, this entry takes place before Henry and Bella end up at the studio. As I stated when Bella entered the studio, it’s the start of the new year, meaning it’s January, and the date Bendy is referring to is February 10th, which in our real world just passed two days ago. I wanted to have this up for his birthday, but I was hesitant to post this given it’s out of left field. Keep in mind that the passage of time is going to be important for later. So yeah, this is me having too much fun with foreshadowing, hope you enjoyed it!
With Sammy in need of some time in preparing for the ritual, Faye and Bella take a trip down memory lane through Bella’s dreamscape. But alas, it doesn’t take much for a dream to become a nightmare.
From the Desk of F.K.E.
Faye kept Bella in the dream for a long time. After such an emotional talk, they needed to get their minds away from the harsh reality of things. Faye’s dreamscape was a fantastic place. Everything was brimming with life. It was an incredible spectacle, Bella couldn’t help but wonder how it worked the further she explored it.
She stood in the flower field, taking in the fresh scent of the orchids. It was sweet, untamed and natural. Bella couldn’t help but feel like this was familiar. Something hiding deep in the recesses of her memory made this place feel alive. Where had she seen this before? Had she been here?
Faye sat amongst the blooms, which towered over her tiny frame, and ran her fingers through the soft dirt. Her pie-cut eyes shined with her bright smile, radiating a warmth that rivaled the sun. She motioned for her human companion to sit with her, stroking the petals of the flowers.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they? I hope one day, I’ll get to see real ones,” she said.
Bella kneeled next to her and patted her head. “I’m sure one day you will. Though I doubt they’ll be as nice as these.”
Faye looked perplexed. “But these are from your world. Aren’t they all wonderful up there?”
The artist chuckled, “The real world isn’t quite this fantastic I’m afraid, but that’s all a matter of perspective. There are a lot of places I’ve been that are full of wonder like this, but it’s not like I saw these wonders every day.”
Faye rolled onto her stomach and squished her cheeks in her hands. “What’s it like up there? Everyone here has tried to explain it to me, but it doesn’t make a lick of sense.”
“It’s a bit difficult to describe. I wish I had a way to just show you.” Bella replied.
“Bell-bell, this is a dream! There’s nothing stopping you from turning this into anything you want!” Faye yelled. She perked up, rather excited at the notion.
Bella gave a mischievous smirk, “Alright honey, let’s see what we can do. Where should I start?”
“I wanna see where you’re from!”
“Alright, we’ll do our best Faye. So um…does this work like any other dream?”
“Yep, just gotta believe it to see it!”
Bella closed her eyes, holding her arms out in front of her. She held her dominant hand in the position of holding a pencil, gently scrawling on an invisible wall to warm up. Switching positions, she transitioned to holding an invisible paintbrush, making quick strokes all around. Faye raised an eyebrow, confused as to what her friend was up to. She stood up and noticed that Bella was standing on her tip-toes, carefully moving them with a strange sense of grace. The printmaker’s eyes were still shut as she began to take longer strides, moving about like a ballerina as she whipped her brush around.
In a flurry of sparkles, the brush materialized in her hands, with similar glittering lights trailing behind her feet as she danced about. A sashay or two carried her further, with the paint strokes melting their current reality to unveil a new one. A small house formed around them, with a delightful smell coming from a tiny kitchen. There was a worn couch with a broken armrest, and a recliner that had been well loved, perched in front of a small box. A little girl, no more than five years old, sat before the moving pictures, enjoying another episode from the glory days of Bendy and the gang. An arm held her tightly, playing with her long, brown pigtails, an older gentleman that was as skinny as a twig, with shining brown eyes. His hair was dark and curly, his beard and moustache well cared for, and he smelled like Old Spice. His tanned skin was rather hairy, amidst some moles and freckles. They looked so content together, just sitting there in silence as the cartoons ran.
Faye was almost afraid to speak. This had to be a memory, but who was that man? And what smelled so delicious? Faye turned to see another figure in the kitchen. He looked a lot like the man, but he was decidedly shorter, with a lot less hair on his head. His eyes were as blue as a lake in the winter, full of depth and wisdom. His scraggly beard was much lighter than the first man’s. He whistled as he cooked, stirring some onions and adding sugar to caramelize them.
“Ey Mark, you want cheese in your omlette?” the man in the kitchen yelled over.
“Only a little Ernie, gotta make sure we have enough for dinner tomorrow,” the man in the living room replied.
Faye looked around, not sure what to look at, until she saw Bella sitting on the couch beside them. Faye scurried over to join her, latching onto her arm.
“Bella, what is this place?” she asked.
“You asked to see where I’m from, right?” the artist chuckled, “Welcome to my old hometown.”
She pointed to the man and the little girl. “That’s my father and I from back when we lived in a small town. We moved to the city once Dad got back on his feet, but before that, we lived with my uncle Ernest, the guy in the kitchen.”
Faye looked up at her in awe. “Whoa, really? You lived here?”
“Yep,” the printmaker replied, “went to school just down the road too. It was a good life we had, I’d never been happier.”
“Daddy?”
Faye jerked her head over to look at the girl and the father. The younger Bella pulled at his sleeve a little.
“Daddy, why are they always so mean to Bendy?” the tyke asked.
“I don’t know honey, I suppose you’d have to ask them yourself,” the man replied. He chuckled, ruffling her hair a bit.
“But it’s not nice! They shouldn’t pick on him so much, he didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, crossing her arms with a huff.
The father patted her head. “Oh Bella, some folks are just plain old nasty. They don’t take the time to get to know people before jumping to conclusions. I’m sure if they sat down and just talked to Bendy, things would change.”
“Well I’d wanna get to know ‘im! He’s amazing, and no matter how much people hurt him, he never hurts them back. He’s tough!” She jumped up and held her hands in little balled fists, starting a futile assault against her father’s arm. The man laughed and pretended to be affected, as parents so often do to humor their children.
“Ey, ey, take it easy Isabella,” he said. He carefully scooped her up and blew a raspberry on her tummy, letting his daughter erupt in a fit of giggles.
“Heehee, one day I’m gonna be just a cool as Bendy, just you wait Daddy! And we’ll make a lot of friends together! I’ll show ‘em!”
The father placed her upside down on the couch, both still laughing. “I’m sure you will sweetheart. Just remember to always be kind, that’s what will make you friends.”
“Of course! We’ll always be kind, Bendy, Fiero and me!”
The father cocked his head to the side. “Fiero?”
“Yeah! I’ll show you,” she said excitedly. The tyke rolled off the couch and ran to the kitchen counter. Faye could see that there was a pile of papers scattered with a load of crayons. The tiny girl hurried back with one of the papers in hand. On it there was a crudely drawn candelabra, with a cheeky smiley face on the flame to make its head. She handed it to her father, jumping up and down in pure joy.
“He’s a new character I made as a friend for Bendy! Whaddaya think?”
“Aw honey, he looks fantastic. I think they’d get along great if they met,” he replied. He picked her up and tickled her tummy, holding the drawing tightly as she pointed to various parts of it.
“Yeah! And Bendy would never get cold again, ‘cause Fiero would keep him warm with his flame head. And his metal parts there, they’re arms, so he’s extra good at hugs! And he’s got a bowtie too, all made out of wax, so they can match!”
“You’ve got a lot of great ideas, ya clever kid. We oughtta put this in a plastic sleeve so it doesn’t get damaged. I have a feeling he’s a special fella, just like you,” he said, beeping her nose. The duo laughed as he took her into the kitchen to eat with Uncle Ernie.
Faye looked over at her Bella, who seemed to be lost in thought, holding her sketchbook tightly in her hands. She noticed it was open to the inside cover, where yes, there was a plastic sleeve holding that old scrap of paper taped inside. It had faced some wear and tear over the years, but all things considered, it was in decent shape.
“You kept him for all this time?” she asked.
Bella nodded, rubbing at her eyes. “I drew him a lot growing up. While I may have forgotten how he started, I always kept working on what he would become.”
She flipped through the pages of her sketchbook, showing dozens of drawings, old studies and gestures, character designs, and throughout them all, that little candelabra was shining through. The most recent sketch was his portrait, titled ‘My Flame of Hope.’
“Once Dad passed away, Uncle Ernie wasn’t living here anymore, and I couldn’t reach him no matter how hard I tried. We had lived in the city for a while in a cramped apartment, where I stayed as I tried to find work. Fiero was all I had when the day was over, well, aside from my friend Carmen. But even then, we’d send letters to each other, and I’d doodle Fiero on every one I sent him.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the front door. Ernie went to answer it, unveiling an attractive young woman and a little boy.
“Hey Ernie, Mark, who’s hungry?” the woman asked. She held up a grocery bag proudly, as the little boy beside her ran inside.
“Bella!”
“Carmen!”
Quick to jump from her father’s arm, the younger Bella rushed to the boy and pounced on him, starting a rough housing match on the carpet. The adults couldn’t help but laugh before going back to their usual talk.
Faye cocked her head to the side. “That’s your best friend?”
“Yep,” Bella replied, “He’s stuck with me for years, a good man. He’s found a lot of success over in Syracuse I’ve heard.” Her head hung low for a moment. “Just wish he’d drop a line every once in a while, I miss ‘im.”
“I’m sure he still wants to talk to you Bell-bell, maybe he’s just busy,” Faye said. She did her best to be reassuring, wrapping herself around the printmaker, but Bella still looked down.
She did her best to smile. “Thanks Faye. It’s okay though, if he’s moved on from me, I’ll just have to accept it. Besides, I’ve got you guys now, what more do I need?”
“You’re not upset?” Faye asked.
“Upset? No. Disappointed, eh, a little bit. But that’s the thing about people, they come in seasons. Not everyone you meet will stay with you all your life, and that’s okay. People change, so do places. Everything is but a memory here, I’m sure it’s changed a lot since I was last there.”
Bella closed her sketchbook and walked to the back door, opening it to step into the sunshine. The scene changed, a shimmering dust gliding over everything as the backyard became a small park near the woods. There was a nice set of swings, old and creaky sure, but the little Bella and Carmen seemed to be having the time of their lives on them, as their guardians watched from a picnic table not too far off. The printmaker let the memory play, while she sat herself underneath the shade of a golden oak tree, watching patiently.
Faye looked at her artist friend before turning back to the scene. The children were competing to see who could go the highest, laughing and chatting about the craziest things. Faye noted that they looked a few years older now, maybe approaching ten years old.
“I’m tellin’ ya Bella,” Carmen started, “Wait until Ms. Bonfonte gets a load of our next projects. She’s gonna be so surprised!”
The younger Bella nodded in agreement, still pumping her legs as they shook the old metal frame. “I know, she’s gonna love our comic! I still can’t believe we got partnered up for this group assignment, teachers never put us together normally.”
“Yeah, but you know Ms. B,” Carmen replied. He had a smug smirk on his face as he went to jump off the swings, landing in a Tarzan stance on the grass. “She knows we’re not gonna cause trouble. Besides, when the class gets a load of our newest piece, they’re gonna go nuts for it.”
Bella hopped down and landed next to him. She bounced excitedly on the backs of her shoes. “They’re gonna be blown away, we’re gonna be known as the best artists in the whole fourth grade!”
The two continued to scheme, planning further on the elaborate details for their comic. Faye cocked her head to the side and looked up at her Bella.
“What’s the fourth grade?” She asked.
Bella chuckled and smiled at her. “It’s a level of schooling. Kids go to school to learn a lot of different things, and the grades are made up of different age groups. Fourth graders are generally nine to ten years old.”
“Oh, I think I get it now. So what were you learning in the fourth grade?” Faye asked curiously.
“Well, a lot of things, but I’ve forgotten a lot of it,” Bella admitted, “But I do recall this comic. We were learning about Greek mythology, and our class was asked to tell one of the stories in whatever format we wanted. So Carmen and I decided to tell the story of Persephone and the pomegranate in a comic strip.”
“Not sure I know that one, how does it go?” Faye asked.
“Well, why don’t I have them show you.”
The scene changed yet again to the two kids a few years later, redoing their original comic in the comfort of a treehouse. Faye could see all kinds of drawings and posters on its walls, showing a lot of famous toons that she recognized. The kids were huddled over their drawings on some orange crates in the corner, going at it with ink pens and the lightest pencils they could find. Faye looked over their shoulders, totally unnoticed, as the story unveiled itself. She was fairly impressed, for kids, they did a good job at art. Bella went and pointed to the panels Carmen was working on.
“Persephone was the beautiful daughter of the Goddess Demeter. The myth behind her explains why the seasons change. Persephone was captured by Hades, the God of the Underworld. She was forced to stay there after eating a pomegranate, the legendary fruit of the Underworld. Demeter was full of grief for her daughter, so much so that no crops on the surface would bloom. The world was cast into an eternal winter, and the humans would not have survived if Persephone hadn’t struck a deal. She arranged it so she could live on the surface for what would become spring and summer, and for fall and winter, she’d live in the Underworld with Hades, her now beloved husband.”
Faye scratched her head. “That sounds a little weird. They fell in love while she was captured?”
“I know, we thought it was a little strange too,” Bella said. She gestured towards the art being produced. “But we decided that there had to be a reason why, stuff that wasn’t specifically mentioned in class. Our comic focused on their relationship, and it told a story of how Hades was really lonely and just wanted a friend. Silly I know, but we were kids, we didn’t know any better.”
“Well hey, I think that’s a nice idea,” Faye replied, “And the style looks pretty good. I almost feel like I’ve seen these two walking around Toon Town before.”
“Wait, what?” It was Bella’s turn to be confused.
Faye pointed at the drawing of Hades, where he was laughing at a joke Persephone had just told him. “Yeah, they look a lot like some toons I know from back home.”
“Where exactly is home for you?” Bella asked.
“Well that’s the trouble, I can’t quite recall, but it’s a grand old place, full of cartoons walking the streets. We all lived there, doing all the things you’d see on the silver screen. Aw Bell, it was the bee’s knees, if I can ever get back there, I’d love to take you with me.”
Bella nodded, a gentle smile on her face. “I’d like that.”
A sneeze from Carmen brought their attention back to the memory.
“Bless you!” the little girl said, as she handed him a tissue.
He sounded like a baby elephant as he blew his nose. “Thanks Bella. Man, I really hope I don’t get sick again, don’t wanna delay the comic any further.”
“I hear ya bud, but it’s fine. Doesn’t need to be finished anytime soon,” Bella replied.
“But you’re leaving in a few months, and we won’t see each other for a while. I wanna make sure we have good progress before that happens, can’t just leave the story hanging!” said Carmen.
The younger Bella laughed and hugged him tightly, to which he blushed the slightest shade of tickle-me-pink. “Oh Carmen, don’t you worry. No matter how far apart we are, we’ll make it work, I promise.”
Faye looked behind her after hearing a small sob. The image of the two children holding each other close hit Bella right in the gut. She held her sketchbook close to her chest, silently crying.
“I miss him so much…”
The world around them began to melt and falter, its surface turning watery, like fresh tears. As it washed itself away in a panic, Bella felt herself lock up. Frozen, she couldn’t move, like something had suddenly left her paralyzed. Her throat was clogged too, she felt herself struggling to breath under an invisible weight. Faye looked at her in fear, the panic rising in her pie-cut eyes. But that panic was quick to turn to anger.
“Hey, leave her alone!” the fairy yelled, “Wait your turn, you’re not supposed to be here!”
A low rumbling filled the vanishing world, with a subtle echo of cackling bouncing off the walls, as tendrils of ink rose quickly from the darkness. Faye backed up into Bella and held her arms up in a defensive stance, guarding the human for all it was worth.
“Lay off! S-she’s not ready for you!”
The tendrils made quick work of poor Faye. The girl hardly stood a chance the minute they lashed out, grabbing her like squid tentacles and pulling her into the darkness, screaming all the way. Bella could only watch in horror as the protector of her dreams was taken away by a horrible nightmare. Something soft and whispery hissed in the darkness, barely audible over the little fairy’s screams. The sound of her tinkling voice faded further and further, until Bella could hear her companion no more.
“What’s the matter dear, cat got your tongue?”
A strange voice, that’s what it was. Much older, rather feminine, maybe even a little…seductive? It was luring, something phishing for her. Bella found herself panicking internally. She had no control, the dream had become a nightmare, and whatever lurked in the darkness was hungry for her.
“A shame dear, you won’t even put up a fight? I’m disappointed. No matter. It won’t be long before this is the permanent reality.”
The shadows closed in on her, surrounding her like a thick smog. The printmaker was desperate, she struggled, but she was unable to force her body to move. Eyes darting around frantically, she noticed her arm, the inky veins within it spreading further. From her forearm to her elbow was completely blackened, dark as midnight with no stars shining. It didn’t stop there though, oh no. The veins trickled, trying to overtake the entirely of her left arm. Hyperventilating, shortness of breath, feeling faint, breaking apart, everything was blurring.
“It won’t be long my child. You belong to me now. Prepare yourself, in four days time you shall become one of them. Use your last hours wisely.”
She couldn’t remember if anything else happened, all she knew when the tears stopped was that she was held tightly in Faye’s arms, with Sammy wrapped around the both of them. Bella was too broken to talk. The only noises to escape her were sobs and choking on tears, with her heart pounding at a ridiculous rate.
“W…w…wha…….”
“Shhh, calm yourself my little sheep. It was only a nightmare, I promise,” Sammy rubbed her back gently, holding the girl and the fairy protectively. “It can’t hurt you two, you’re awake.”
Faye shivered, hiding her inky face in his torso. “But Sammy, why was it there? I-I...I couldn’t stop it…”
“I don’t know Faye…but it seems this is only the beginning. Seems the ink has decided to take matters into its own hands.”
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