Different (ReWrite of Insanity?)

•Chapter 28•

Hi there. It's been a while. Actually, it's been over a year. As you can tell, I have put this book on the back burner for quite some time. I've been focusing more on the books that I enjoy writing, such as a watcher AU of mine called 'The Silver Sun' or a ScarDubs book called 'Love is Vexing'. Obviously that isn't an excuse and I'm so sorry for the delay. I'll be working to wrap up this story and once it's finished I'll be going back and editing all the chapters. There's a lot of grammatical errors that I want to fix, so I'll be spending some time doing that in the future. But anyways, please enjoy.

Oh yes, and a special thank-you to RowdyKid04 on TikTok. They made a wonderful animatic/edit of Different on their account, which you should totally check out. That post really pulled me out of the writing slump that I've found myself in lately. So thanks again!

Anyway, that's enough from me. -ThatHermitWeirdo

—

His hands were shaking. The blood that stained his palms had dried to his skin, tainting the pale color with dark crimson that he wouldn't be able to forget. Everything in Mumbo's mind was a wreck, emotions and guilt piling up and overflowing. He wanted to cry, to pull out his hair, to scream and bang his fists against the walls. Yet he stayed seated for the time being, as if he were a husk of his former self.

"Take your time to process things. Cub and the other hermits who have been freed are going to help everyone else, so take a minute to breathe. You've been through a lot." Joe said, his voice barely a whisper. He stood with his arms crossed in the room, as if he were still on edge with the redstoner's sporadic mood swings.

Ex and Hels had done this to him, but maybe they just gave him a little push. Mumbo had been the one to create these traps. He was the one who put the hermit's lives at risk. The two evil hermits had no part in his plan. He was a different man because of what they did to him. He was a broken man now.

There wasn't a way to bring back the dead, Mumbo was aware that many people wouldn't forgive him for what he had done. But there was a way to prevent the death of others. He needed to fix things somehow, even though he knew he could never fix the friendships he had previously. The others would never see him the same way ever again.

"I just—" Mumbo said with a shaking voice, nearing the verge of tears. "—I just can't believe the things I've done. It feels like a dream. I— I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I couldn't control myself, I couldn't s-stop—"

"Hey, it's alright. Just take a few deep breaths." Joe said calmly, kneeling beside the redstoner. "I know this is overwhelming, but you're back to your normal self. Ex and Hels did this to you, they pushed you to your breaking point. We can fix things. I promise, we'll get you the help that you need. But we need to help the others first, okay?"

He wiped the tears that were streaming down his cheeks onto the sleeve of his bloody dress shirt, giving a slight nod of understanding. Joe stood up before reaching out his hand, offering to help Mumbo to his feet. Though, there was hesitation. He looked at the southerner with confusion and fear, his ruby red gaze sparkling with tears.

"Why...why aren't you afraid? I killed our friends. I hurt the only family I have. Everyone else looked at me like a monster, like a freak. And I deserve it.."

"You were a puppet. A toy for the real monsters to cause contention and pain throughout the server. You didn't have a choice." Joe said in an attempt to soothe the broken man, but Mumbo was not convinced.

"Leave me." He begged, "Just let me rot. I can't trust myself when my thoughts are barely my own. I'll hurt the others. Please, just get out."

"You know I'm not going to do that." The poet huffed with a frown. "If you really want to be forgiven, then you gotta show that you mean it. Help us shut off this death trap, before anyone else is hurt."