PROLOGUE: WELCOME TO THE STUDIO

On a cold, dark rainy night on June 18 th, 1973, a young female animator
named Audrey was working on animation frames for a Bendy cartoon yet
to be released.
“There you go, little guy, & only eight hundred frames to go!”
Audrey sat straight & looked at her art.
No way I’m getting through tonight without some coffee. Probably some
downstairs. She then put her brush down, stood up and ventured off to the
elevator.
After leaving her desk, Audrey trailed down the dark lit hallways & passed
a self-portrait of Nathan Arch, the CEO of Archgate Films/Pictures. He
was a good friend of CEO Joey Drew, the original “creator” of the Bendy
franchise before it went bankrupt. Audrey reached a locked door; Really?
They locked me in? Good thing I brought my own key today. Audrey
started to head back to her office until…
A cutout of the famous cartoon demon had appeared out of nowhere. Who
put this here?... Audrey said as she returned to her desk. She picked up the
key before unlocking the locked door with it. Audrey was met with an eerie,
spooky hallway as the thunder and lightning struck violently outside. Not
the most welcoming hallway I’ve ever seen.. A little bucket with a mop
inside, slid across into view.
Audrey pressed the button on the elevator & waited for it to come. After a
few seconds, it opened & she stepped inside. She waited, until an old man
with a blind eye & scar stopped the elevator & gave Audrey a scare.
“Audrey.” said the man, in a high-pitched, gravelly & almost wheezy voice.
“Wilson!” she said in shock.
“You scared me to death!”
“I’m sorry, my dear, didn’t mean to frighten you..”
Wilson took a deep breath.
“You’re working late tonight. A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be wondering
around all by yourself.” “Mind if I… step in?” Wilson asked Audrey.
“No, of course not” Audrey responded to his question as he stepped in.
“Thank you, Audrey! You could use a little… company.” he said as the
elevator went down.
Wilson started coughing, due to feeling sick from an unknown disease. “
“Sooooo, it’s been pretty nice this past week.” Audrey said. Trying to break
the awkward silence. “Just beautiful. gorgeous.” Wilson answered back, as
the elevator broke down.
“What was that?! Please tell me we’re not trapped in here…” Audrey said
in a panic.

“Don’t you worry, my dear. It’s just a little short in the system. Happening
a lot these days. No need to fret.”
Wilson opened the elevator doors & stepped out, fixing the power.
“Let’s see what we can find. Come along now… Old Wilson will protect
you.”
The lights turned on to reveal an exhibit of Joey Drew Studios. The
company that inspires Archgate Pictures & the master behind the company,
Joey Drew.
“Ah, there we are! Just a few more switches to throw. Follow me.” Wilson
said as they walked through the exhibit, filled with merchandise & trivia,
revealing that Joey Drew passed away 2 years prior. Nathan Arch
continued Mr. Drew’s legacy. Wilson opened the door on the end of the
exhibit to show 6 pedestals & a curious looking machine at the back on
display.
“Looks like somebody’s been messing with the exhibits…” Wilson said,
frustratingly.
“There should be something on each of these pedestals. Audreeeey. Sweet
Audrey. Do an old man a favour & find them? I’ll tend to the power.”
Audrey walked off & collected six objects: a wrench, a gear, an inkwell, a
vinyl record, a Bendy plushie & a copy of Joey Drew’s book ‘The Illusion
Of Living’.
Wilson finished with the power & said; “Only one thing left to do. Pull that
switch!”
Audrey did so & the room turned dark.
It is done!!! Wilson was now next to Audrey, locking the door. “
Oh, Audrey, the things you’ve seen in motion.”
The room started to flood with ink from the golden machine.
“What’s happening? Asked Audrey.
“The ink is calling us, my dear. Can’t you heat it?” Yelled Wilson.
Audrey was worried & confused. she stepped back.
“Shhhhhh, don’t fret. We’re going home!” He said.
Audrey stepped back more, “
“Stay back! Listen to me, Audrey! Pay attention to these last words.
Because very soon you will forget everything.” Said Wilson as he grabbed
her shoulder.
“Let go!” Audrey yelled as she tried to break free. But Wilson held his grip
on her.
“Come find me, Audrey. Come find me & I’ll show you your purpose. I’ll
show you… the truth.” Yelled Wilson.
Audrey was now panicking. This can’t be real! she thought. And now we
die. Wilson closed his eyes & took a deep breath while, Audrey was
struggling to break free.
Oh No! Wilson, then dropped down & dragged Audrey with him into the
Cycle.
“NO!” she screamed as she was now part of the machine.
After a while, Audrey came to, in a yellow, aging studio. She was blinded by
the bright light. She saw her hands, which were now covered in ink. One
hand was now monstrous. “What’s wrong with my hands?”
Audrey started to panic, “WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY HANDS!?”
She calmed down & sat up. “Oh Audrey… What happened to you?” She
got up & looked around.
Her adventure was truly about to begin.

Audrey picked some pieces of a broken ladder & a strange memo which
read: “Every great story begins in a mystery. Although things may be dark
at the start, the truth will illuminate your way. Don’t be afraid of who you
are. Fear only what you have become, and banish it away. -Your Best Pal”
Audrey fixed up the ladder and climbed up.

Suddenly, the intercoms turned on & Wilson’s voice echoed through the
halls. “Attention! Children of the Machine! This is Wilson. Your friend,
your protecter.. For two hundred and eleven days, you’ve lived without the
Ink Demon haunting your steps. I banished him away, tore his body in
two… In return, I ask just a little favour: Among you, there is a stranger, a
young lady. Bring.. Her… To… Me.” Wilson turned on the intercom &
Audrey got scared by a dead creature, dropping its lifeless corpse from the
vents.

Before moving on, Audrey noticed an audio log on a desk from her boss,
Mr. Arch & played it: “I just received the call. Joey Drew is… dead. What a
quiet end to an extraordinary life. Last I heard, he was staying in some
cramped apartment downtown. You could practically hear the rats through
the telephone when he called me last April. Despite that, old Joey sounded
quite happy what last we spoke. More like the excited, hopeful young man I
knew once upon a time. Ah well, farewell my friend. What will become of
your creations now?”

Audrey walked down the decaying halls, while seeing a glimpse of a

familiar wolf walking by before disappearing & before she knew it, she was
in the “Heavenly Toys” workshop. Audrey moved on before, getting
attacked by a small monkey-like creature, fell down and ran away in panic.
She safely hid inside a “Little Miracle Station”, one of the few safe havens
in the Cycle, while the creature slammed on the door, trying to break it
open forcefully.

It only stopped after hearing a woman’s humming and it walked away,

letting Audrey out. She was a bit injured after that encounter and drank
some Bacon Soup until… “I wouldn’t drink too much if I were you.”
Audrey dropped the can and turned her head to see an angelic lady next to
her. “It helps patches you up, but the aftertaste, it’s not so good.” Audrey
backed away in concern. “Easy now, I’m not going to hurt you.” The lady
felt Audrey’s now mutated arm. “Looked like you could use some help.”

Audrey pulled her hand away, “Don’t touch me! What are you? Ugh! What
is this horrible place?”

“Yeah, I remember my first day down here. I know it’s scary, but you’re
actually pretty lucky. The Machine could have turned you into a
“Searcher”.

“You know that thing that attacked me?”

“No, that’s a Piper. And he’s part of a gang, so be careful.”

“I don’t understand any of this. I can’t think… It hurts.”

“You’ll catch on pretty quickly, if you can stay alive.” The lady gave some
advice to Audrey, “Lesson One: Searchers don’t have legs and they tend to
swarm. Look, it’s not good to stay in one place for too long around here.
Keep moving and stay close to the shadows. Take my advice, head to the
upper levels. It’s… safer there.”

Audrey asked if she could come with her, “Can I come with you?”

“You can’t, I’m sorry. I have a.. wolf. He doesn’t care for strangers.”

“A wolf?!” Audrey answered in confusion.

“Like I said, you’ll catch on. Good luck, I hope we meet again.”
She started to walk back but, went back to give Audrey one more piece of
advice, “Oh! And one more thing! Above everything else, stay away from
the Ink Demon.”

“What’s an “Ink Demon”?”, Audrey questioned her.

“Oh, you’ll know him when you see him. He likes to… smile, and he kills
anything that moves.”

“Wait!” Audrey called out. “What’s your name?”

“They call me Alice.. I’m not very fond of it.”

“I’m Audrey.” Audrey told her.

“Well Audrey, welcome to the studio!” Alice said before disappearing when
Audrey followed the sound of something nearby.

CHAPTER 1: DRAWN TO DARKNESS