Like a True Friend (Grian x MumboJumbo)

Chapter 7 : Cold

Mumbo tried to open his eyes. As he tried to do so, he realized his face was all wet and felt a vivid pain in his forehead and his left leg. His whole body was shaking, as he was just wearing a T-shirt in the cold night. Mumbo slowly got out of his confusion, and realized he was lying, his face against the ground. As he slowly regained consciousness, he rotated. He finally managed to open his eyes and as the starred sky unfolded to his view he started to panic. He didn't know where he was, why he was lying on the ground in the middle of nowhere, and then it all came back to him. His dream, running away from the con, Grian. His panic intensified as he looked around and saw only trees, and not much else in this dark night. He started to stand up, but as soon as he put some weight on his left leg, he instantly collapsed in a scream of pain. He realized he was alone in an unknown forest, he was cold, hungry, tired, hurt and couldn't stand up on his leg. All of this together with the pain he was experiencing was too much for Mumbo. He started to cry silently, and he recalled the events that led him here. Him kissing Grian especially. Mumbo was still confused in his feelings, and the mess he got himself into didn't help him.

"What time was it again ?"

He reached out to his pocket, feeling the warmth invading his frozen hand, and grabbed his phone.

The device displayed 01:46.

As he saw how late it was, he felt like he wanted to cry. Which he did. He lied there in despair, tears invading his troubled face. His hands reached out to cover his face, as if he wanted to hide himself and disappear.

"Disappear", he thought. "That would be nice right now". And just as his thought concluded, he felt something wet on his bare forearm.

"Of course", he thought. And with a sad smile, he said very quietly "so now even you are mocking me ?", raising his head to the raining sky.

Mumbo was lost. Lost in his thoughts, his feelings. In fact he was also really lost in these scary woods, but he couldn't manage to think about that right now. He just felt lonely and in pain.

And after this moment of despair, the adrenaline rushed in Mumbo's system. He suddenly realized he was not going to let himself down just because of whatever. He tried to rise again, and with the help of a tree next to him, managed to stand on one leg. He took his phone to use as a torchlight and used it to do a quick scan of his surroundings. He was deep in the forest he thought, since he was not able to make out the con building, or any other building for that matter. Damn it, why is the con in the middle of nowhere, he angered in his thoughts. At this moment, he felt a strong wind rushing in, he felt as if his bones were freezing. When he was looking at the surroundings, he did see a huge rock. He headed towards there, and sat right behind it, to at least avoid the wind.

He sat there for a moment, and tried to warm himself up by curling up.

And then he realized. "The phone. Why did I not think of the fucking phone, stupid." He quickly reached out to his phone, and dialed the last number.

It rang once, and then someone answered.

- Mumbo is that you ? Oh my god are you okay ? Where are you ? said a panicked voice.

- I need...help. I'm.. m stuck in the m...middle of now...where, he answered, the cold and shivers making him stumble on his words.

- Have you got any idea where you are ? Are you okay ?

- I'm... Please c...come fast. The w...woods near the c...con. I...cannot move, my leg... hurt...stuck.

- We're coming right now, send me your GPS coordinates, I'll be right there, answered Grian in a rush, almost shouting, showing his overwhelming anxiousness and worry.

- Fast... Please... Cold...

- Okay, don't hang up, I'm gonna call the emergency service okay ? Stay online please.

Silence.

- Mumbo ?... hey Mumbo ? MUMBO YOU STILL THERE ?

- Just sent... you the G...GPS.

- Perfect, we're coming. Please keep on and talk to me Mumbo, okay ?

- O...kay.

- Can you tell me what happened ? Did you hurt yourself ?

Silence.

- Mumbo, c'mon talk to me, keep talking dude.

Silence.

- Mumbo, answer now. Mumbo ? MUMBO ?

Silence. Grian had a bad feeling. Really bad.

- Please, please answer me Mumbo.

Silence.

- MUMBO ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE I NEED YOU WELL DAMMIT !

And as he cried on the phone, all he was answered with was the uttermost silence, the scariest silence of his whole life.

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AAAH I'm so late for posting this, damn, I think I'll never be on time...

I'm sorry for the really short chapter, but that last line just felt like the end of a chapter. I was feeling so anxious writing this, I have the bad habit of making my characters' feelings too real in my imagination and seeing Mumbo all broken down just pierced my heart. I'm sorry if this is becoming too dramatic and if you are really empathic with the characters like me, I just write the story as the instinct comes.

Hope you liked it,

Mysaat

PS: For those of you wondering, the bit in italic is the introduction of the story. When I wrote it I did not think at all it would happen like this, but in the end, managed to make it stick :)