Chapter Text
She almost didn’t recognize the studio in the dark like this. All the familiar hallways and rooms appeared alien in the dim light, everything seeming to twist and warp as she limped down the halls. She knew what the way out was, but she just couldn’t seem to find it with everything looking so unfamiliar. Her heart pounded in her ears, her lungs burned, and her ankle throbbed, but she knew she couldn’t stop. Not until she was safely out of the studio.
She couldn’t let him catch her.
“Little lamb…” Sammy’s voice drifted toward her. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from, which only made her heart beat even faster. “Little lamb… come out. I have such wonders to show you.”
She could hear the unsteady thumping of his steps growing closer, along with the scraping of the ax he was dragging along. She looked frantically around. He was close. She needed to hide or he’d find her and… An involuntary shiver ripped through her body at the memory of the Ink Machine. The acrid smell of ink still filled her nostrils.
Come now, my dear. Won’t you be a good girl for me?
She tried to stifle a sob as she ducked into one of the nearby offices, tucking herself under one of the desks. She couldn’t let this be the end for her. She couldn’t let Joey win.
“Little lamb…” Sammy’s voice was almost at the door. “Where have you gone?”
Slowly, his footsteps and the scraping of his ax drew closer and closer. Until he stopped right outside the door to the office.
She covered her mouth, holding her breath and praying he wouldn’t look inside.
“Cordelia?” Suddenly, his voice sounded almost normal. It was almost enough to make her leave her hiding spot.
Almost.
“Cordelia… please.” A pleading note entered his voice. “Please come out. I just want us to be together again. The way it used to be. I miss you so much. I’ve been by myself here for so long…”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she curled herself into an even tighter ball. She wanted things to go back to the way they used to be too. She missed him too. But this wasn’t him anymore. This wasn’t her friend. Whatever Joey had done to him… the old Sammy Lawrence was long gone.
She jumped a bit as there was a loud bang and a frustrated yell.
“LITTLE LAMB!” Sammy roared, evidently frustrated that his emotional appeal hadn’t worked. “I AM LOSING MY PATIENCE!”
She let out a quiet whimper.
For a moment, everything was silent and still.
Then two glowing eyes appeared in her field of vision.
“I found you~”
She screamed and kicked as he dragged her out from her hiding place.
“You’ve been very naughty, little lamb~” He sang. “But don’t worry. I forgive you. I will always forgive my darling acolyte.”
“Let go of me!” She tried to shove him away, but his grip held strong.
“We’re going to be together again, my sweet disciple,” Sammy said, pulling her out of the office. “As it was always meant to be.”
As he dragged her, she stumbled, causing her to put weight on her ankle. She yelped in pain, finding herself crashing to the ground as she was unable to hold her weight. Sammy paused, looking down at her.
“My my, do I need to carry you to your baptism, my dear?” He chided her gently.
She didn’t reply. She couldn’t keep doing this. She was too tired and her ankle hurt too much to keep fighting. This was it. This was how it was going to end for her.
…She hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to Roy. He would never know what happened to her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her brother all alone in their house, wondering for the rest of his life where his little sister had gone. He would never get any answers if she fell here, he was sure of it.
However, as she lay there, she noticed Sammy’s grip on his ax was particularly loose. He even looked about ready to put it down. This was her chance.
As Sammy began to put the ax down, she surged forward and grabbed it, pushing him away from her as she stumbled to her feet. Her ankle was screaming, but she pushed through the pain, striking Sammy with the ax before taking off again. She could hear Sammy screaming behind her, but she didn’t stop.
She was going to get out.