A Fault in the Code

Chapter 10

My eyes slowly open and I realize I am under a tree. I turn my head, pain exploding from it, and see Jeff sitting on the ground doodling in my book. And then I realize I am laying on a bed.

"Jeff?" I manage to push out of my mouth.

He looks up, and relief fills his face. He starts writing under his doodle and gave it back. Under his scribbles, it says:

That teleport knocked you out. I guess you've never done it before, huh.

After reading it, I ask if he's okay, and he writes back that he's fine and that he's just a little scratched up.

His eyes still have tiredness to him, and deep inside them I can see sadness and pain.

"What's wrong?" I ask as I start to hand him the book. But he doesn't take it, and he shakes his head. But I insist. "We're friends now, remember? We can tell each other stuff. And I'm concerned about you. Can you please tell me what's bothering you?"

He closed his eyes and makes a sigh-like sound, then takes the book I am still holding out to him. And he started writing. His hand is shaking and he is still writing a lot slower than usual. But eventually he gives it back.

My brother disappeared years ago and we never knew where he went. We figured he just ran away to live his own life. But when we were in that place, whatever that place was, I found out that the man with the white eyes was holding another enderman hostage. But now he's dead. And as I got a closer look, I saw what used to be my little bro. He's gone.

I sniffed, and realized I was crying. How did I start to cry in such a short time?

I touch my head, and there is what feels like a cloth wrapped around my forehead. I must've been bleeding real bad.

"I'm so sorry," I say to Jeff. He looks down, but reaches for the book again.

Oh, one thing I forgot... you might wanna look in a mirror.

What?

He hands me a block that looks like glass but reflects clear images. I look in it, and a terrifying sight awaits me.

I have no pupils. My eyes are white voids just like White-eyed.

I instantly drop the glass, causing it to shatter. And I see fear in Jeff's eyes.

The man didn't finish the operation before I broke out of that cell and attacked him, so that's the reason you aren't dead. I was forced to watch the whole thing. He cut your head open and used the machinery to work on stuff in your brain, I guess. And as time passed, your pupils just started to fade away (your eyes were open during the whole thing). I don't know what he was doing to you, but I assume it wasn't anything good. But I was able to wrap your head up so it wouldn't bleed as much. He writes.

I stare at the page in disbelief. I don't want to know what White-eyed was doing to me back at that place.

I feel woozy and lay back down, and soon my eyes drift closed and I sleep under the safe watch of my best friend.

+++

"Rocky!" I hear.

I want to wake up, but my eyes won't open. The sound is not coming from anywhere in particular except my head, which I am pretty sure was where I heard it the last time this voice spoke to me.

I compose a message in my mind. Can you please tell me who you are? This is getting creepy and I've just been almost killed by a man with no pupils. Can't I please know?

I hear a laugh, then, "Maybe someday when you complete my quest for you."

What quest?

"First of all, to clarify, you are in a world that I created, and it's practically made completely of code. But that man you saw... he's a man I created to be my brother so I wouldn't have to be alone on here. He helped me create this place. But recently he was acting very strangely and one of the guys on my team caught him trying to destroy everything. So I deleted his code. But he somehow survived, and he's trying to kill everyone and everything that crosses his path, his path being the whole world.

"But just a couple weeks ago I installed a portal that no one else, in ago hundred years of mining, would ever be able to find. But for some reason you're special. You came in here not even knowing why. Most people come here by choice, but not you. You woke up here like it was destiny, not even knowing where you were. I just know you'll be able to do this.

"The portal goes to a different dimension where the code can be messed with. My brother's code can only be deleted from the inside, where you are. If you travel to the code dimension, you'll be able to find his code and get rid of it. Oh, and don't trust anyone except your friend Jeff and me. I know Jeff. He's special. Trustworthy. I'll wake you up and if you're wondering about directions, they'll come to you, don't worry."

And before I can respond, I suddenly find myself sitting up on my bed, watching the tip of Jeff's pencil dragging across the paper, although I don't remember waking and sitting up.

Jeff looks up at me, and soon starts to write underneath his drawing again.

What's wrong?

"I'll tell you on the way. Just follow me," I reply.

We get up from our sitting positions, and I wonder where to go first. I look around for a few seconds, and then, just like the voice in my head had said, it comes to me. A word pops into my head, it is literally not there one second and appeared the next. And I know that this is the first place we need to go.

I don't know exactly how I know what the place is, but I do, and I know exactly how to get there.

Jeff and I start to walk, him following me, and I following the picture of the map in my head.

We're going to the Nether.