Let Darkness Come

[Katrielle Layton]

"Bendy, I think we're goin' in circles," Boris commented after a few hours of walking.

"What are you talking about, Bo?"

"Well..." the tall wolf pointed at a dead tree. It had three holes presented in a way that made the tree look as if it had a face. "Haven't we passed this tree before?"

"No no no," Bendy said, crossing his arms, "the tree we saw earlier looked like it was screaming. This one's wailing."

"...Is there even a difference?"

"It's reeeaaaal subtle. You probably couldn't tell."

The canine huffed. "Well then! Since you are apparently better than me, would you mind telling me where we are?"

"Of course I know where we are!" the demon countered. "We're not at the gate to the Nexus."

"And?"

"We're not close to those... beasts."

"And?"

Bendy raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

"You're the smart one," Boris said, turning around, "you figure it out."

The inky monster frowned, trying to understand what his friend was implying. He sighed once he realized. "Fine! I have absolutely no clue where we are! You happy now?"

The wolf stayed silent.

"...Ugh. Alright. Sorry for thinking I'm smarter than you."

"That's better." His voice, while still sounding irritated, relaxed a little.

Suddenly an unknown voice pierced the air. "I think I heard talking over this way." It sounded like whoever was talking was trying to gargle a sack of marbles, but the sentence indicated at least some form of intelligence.

"Finally! Other people!" Bendy beamed at the thought. "Let's go say hi!"

The strangers entered the clearing. One of them was tall and bulky, his blue skin sewn tightly over bulging muscles. A large portion of his neck had been cut out, replaced with a red gem. He wielded a spiked club and only wore a loincloth. His partner barely reached his shoulders, but was just as tall as Bois. She had a large, beige beak and talons. Her hands were feathery, brushing her brown bobcut. Unlike the behemoth of a monster, she wore a blue-and-red-striped dress with long sleeves. She stared down at the devil with bulging, purple eyes.

"Howdy there!" He gave a little wave to the two strangers. "I'm Bendy the Darling Devil. This is Boris the Wolf. Anyway, we've been wandering this place forever and we don't know where we are in the Pale Moors."

The bird monster clasped her hands together and tilted her head. "Aaaren't you cute?" Her tone was one of amusement, maybe derivement. "You're technicaaacaaally nowhere aaat the moment. Whaaat aaare you doing out here in the first plaaace?"

"Oh, some guy named Alphonse said I'd fit right in here. He's probably lying though."

"He's not lying," said the brute, "you're just not looking in the right place."

"Maybe you could point us in the right direction?"

The bird squawked in what had to be a chuckle. "I'm certaaain we can help you aaand Boris here. I'm Torinin. This is Shaaackles."

The wolf glanced down at his friend, frowning. "I'm not so sure about this..."

"Don't worry about it, Bo." Bendy crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. He then turned back to the newcomers. "Where did you have in mind?"

"Haaave you ever heaaard of Draaaculaaa?"

Word count: 1,935/8,000