Hermitcraft Ship Oneshots

Secrets

Based on the new Life Series called Secret Life :)
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His hands gripped tighter to the thin piece of paper he held, his limbs shaking with unease. His eyes looked scared, displeased at what the note read. Mumbo looked up at the Secret Keeper statue, staring at the strange pattern made of cobblestone on the hillside.

"I-I can't." He almost spoke in a whisper, as if to himself, shaking his head as he muttered under his breath in disbelief. "I won't do it."

He crumpled the paper into a ball before stuffing it into his pocket, a feeling of uneasy sickness filling the pit of his stomach. He wanted to hurl. To gasp and hyperventilate. It felt like something was wrong.

The way his secret had been written...it felt cold and commanding, not at all friendly or inviting, like it was an order from a leader or an authority. The words sounded so authoritative and strong, it made him sick inside. Mumbo bit his lower lip hard, trying to control his breathing. But the anxiety still filled his body, making him feel nauseous.

Mumbo swallowed thickly, trying to put on a smile as he hid the sense of dread that was beginning to build in his gut. He approached the group of players, most of them were reading their secrets or just talking in the circle. Grian noticed the taller man and waved him over, inviting him into the conversation.

"Hey Mumbo!" He greeted with a happy smile, "What was your task?"

"Hehe, you know I can't tell you..." Said the redstoner in a rather dry tone, his laugh seemingly forced as he avoided locking eyes with Grian.

"Something wrong?" Cleo spoke up, noticing his discomfort. Mumbo quickly pulled himself from his own thoughts as he shook his head, forcing a grin onto his face that seemed more fake than genuine.

"O-oh no! I'm completely fine, no need to worry." He laughed again, waving his hand as if to dismiss the problem. "Just...have a hard task. That's all.."

"Shh! Don't want anyone to find out your secret!" Scar giggled as he playfully nudged the mustached Brit in the ribs. Mumbo flinched, though laughed weakly and nodded.

"I better get to work on it." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he pushed through the group to head home.

Mumbo walked to his base with his hands on his pockets, eyes glued to the grassy terrain below his feet. He felt like he was sweating bullets, like there was a piece of lead in the bottom of his stomach.

When he got inside, Mumbo twisted the lock on his door, ensuring his privacy as he drew the curtains shut. He let out a shuddering breath as he collapsed onto the mattress, curling up in bed, with his knees pulled to his chest.

This was just a game, right? It was meant to be, at least. Though this challenge left a sour taste in the redstoner's mouth. Maybe he should just fail, ignore it completely. No reward was worth this. No amount of hearts was worth this.

He pulled the piece of paper from his pocket, unfolding it carefully to stare at the words. It felt like he was holding back tears. It just felt wrong. So very, very wrong. The weight of his secret fell heavily on his shoulders, weighing him down.

There was a knock at the door, though at first, Mumbo barely heard it. So lost in thought he couldn't register the sound around him. Though the banging didn't stop, eventually it sounded like someone was pounding against the door with a baseball bat. That managed to bring Mumbo back to the present, causing him to leap out of bed to answer the door.

"Hey." Grian hummed, hands in his pockets as he stared up at the taller man. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Mumbo stared at him for a moment, poking his head outside to glance around. "It's night," he pointed out. "I don't think it's the best idea...If we run into a skeleton."