Hermitcraft Shots

Dark

"I'm not sure about this..."

"It's fine, I'm sure. We just need to get to the breaker room." Iskall reassured.

It had been quiet at Mumbo's base the last couple weeks. He had turned off his phone, cracking down to get some real progress done on his base, so Iskall flying over in a hurry had startled him.

"The lab is a lot scarier with all the lights turned out." Mumbo twisted his tie, glancing down a dark corridor.

"It's just a bit of darkness, are you afraid?" Iskall teased.

"What's that humming noise?"

Iskall didn't respond. They worked their way to the breaker room, feeling along the walls to find their way there. Iskall hurried into the room and began flipping switches quickly.

"Are those levers supposed to turn the power back on? Because it's not working." Mumbo called from the door.

Iskall growled. "Fine. Let's go to Stress' castle, maybe she did something."

Eyes now accustomed to the dark, they padded through the lab, footsteps echoing over the high-pitched buzzing. They made their way to Stress' tunnel, and started down the long corridor.

"Iskall, the buzzing is getting louder." Mumbo whimpered.

"I know." Iskall slowed his step, but continued.

The hum turned into a whine, causing Mumbo's skull to buzz. It jumbled his thoughts, and he couldn't quite see straight.

"Almost there." Iskall whispered.

"I'm scared."

"There's nothing to be afraid of. We're going to see Stress, and she'll tell us she broke the lights in the lab, and we'll fix them together. That's all." Iskall's voice wavered. "...You stay here."

Mumbo watched, shivering, as Iskall was consumed by the darkness. He waited for a few minutes, straining to hear Stress' voice or Iskall's laugh. There was only buzzing.

"Iskall, did you find her?" Mumbo whispered, startled by how loud his voice echoed.

No response.

"Iskall, I'm coming." Mumbo crawled across the floor.

The sudden light blinded him, making his eyes burn and water.

"Iskall, are you there?"

"Yeah! What are you doing here?"

Mumbo's vision slowly cleared, revealing an unexpected scene. Iskall was sat on the floor, face caked in makeup. Stress stood over him bashfully, holding his hair half-way braided down the middle.

"You look ready to go to prom!" Was all Mumbo could say.

"Isn't he stunnin?" Stress giggled.

Iskall sighed, but smiled. "She likes to dress me up in return for favors. Are you almost done, we need to fix the lab!"

"Yeah yeah, just about."

Mumbo sat on the floor, heart still pounding from his terror a moment ago. "This literally felt like a horror film. I thought for sure someone had died!"

"Wha? Now that's silly talk! Ya respawn when ya die, Mum!" Stress took a step back and giggled at Iskall's new look. "Let's go fix the lights!"

—and now, an alternate, more upsetting ending—

The sudden light blinded him, making his eyes burn and water.

He took another step forward and his hand met something cold and sticky. He moved forward again, the substance sticking to his hands and gripping the knees of his suit. He wanted to call for Iskall, but he didn't trust his voice. His vision cleared slowly.

Stress wasn't quite the same as usual. Her eyes were hollow and empty, almost glassy. She sat slouched against the wall, looking utterly exhausted. Mumbo followed the trail of dark red on the floor to Stress' chest. A large icicle protruded from her chest, tinted red by the blood. She had been this way for a long time. The blood was dried, nearly black. Mumbo could feel himself going into shock, although he couldn't quite explain it.

He glanced to the right, noticing where Iskall had collapsed. It seemed an ice spike had impaled him as well, though not as cleanly as Stress. He lay on the floor, shivering, red blood oozing out of him. He spotted Mumbo, and his eyes went wide.

"Mum-" He gasped in pain, vomiting blood and... something else. "Go."

Mumbo didn't move.

Iskall weakly grasped as the spike in his stomach, and slowly pulled it out. His screams echoed, filling Mumbo's brain. Blood was gushing, and some chunks had fallen out of the hole as well.

Iskall glanced at Mumbo one last time, before his head hit the stone bricks with a thud. Blood soaked into his hair. Everything was red.

Mumbo sat. There were no thoughts in his head. Stress was long gone. There were multiple starving chickens who staggered in and out of the room, desperate for food. One started pecking at Stress' hand, until it realized Mumbo was alive, and ran off. Iskall's blood pooled on the floor, flowing in the grooves between bricks. It reached Mumbo, soaking through his pants. It was warm.

Mumbo felt something, almost like his heart was freezing.

And then there were none.

Okay this is a weird one, but the book And Then There Were None is sooooo good

Love you, my little stars!
-RaeTheStar