Let us begin
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W- We didn't, n- nothing happe-"
We sat around the large transparent glass dining room table. I looked at Key, worried. Key looked to Raven, terrified. Raven stared vacantly into the steaming mug of coffee that I had prepared for her. The only sound was that of the wind, howling past the windows and predicting a coming storm.
Key was shaken. It was obvious. On the outside she appeared calm and collected, but when I studied her eyes it was impossible to miss the raging battle within. She hadn't moved from my side ever since the incident and that confused me.
I hated every essence of myself as I looked back on what had happened. The only thing I was capable of doing was sacrificing myself as a human meat shield. It was pathetic. Raven, Raven was capable of much more than that it seems. The hatchets that she had used to shed blood had been discarded at the other end of the table, crimson stained on their razor sharp blades.
Each axe was identical. They were both made entirely out of cast alloy steel, strong, but light. Both extended hilts that curved at odd angles, perhaps to optimise for aero-dynamics and precision. And both were coated in a pitch black paint that forced the message of death even further into our minds. I almost missed the inscriptions that were discreetly carved into the hilts. Although I recognised the text as Native American Navajo, I could not decipher it.
Navajo?
"I killed him." Raven whispered under her breath.
"You saved us." I replied, turning to study her.
She nodded, subtly. "But I still..." Her sentence trailed off.
"Stay from the innocent." Raven's eyes locked on the Endergirl as she spoke. Key squirmed at the sudden attention but gestured to the weapons at the end of the table. Something changed in the red haired girl's head, almost like a switch being flicked. She sat up a little straighter and took a sip of her coffee.
Had Key just... Read the line inscribed on the deadly weapons?
Raven spoke to me, but didn't take her eyes from the girl that now continued staring at us as if what she had just said was completely normal. "David. Who is this girl?" A little strength returned to her voice.
I hadn't had time, of course, to tell her how Key and I came to meet, and so I trailed off into a rather shortened version, but a time consuming one all the same.
"Let me get this straight. She's an Enderman, from the End, who is actually an Endergirl, who stole the Ender Dragon egg and is being hunted down by hybrid Endermen."
The amount of 'Ends' that she had managed to pack into the sentence was nullifying. I nodded. "Yes."
Raven took a minute to process the overload of information, I remembered having a similar reaction. "And why did she steal the egg?"
"Well..." I turned to look at Key, who was still sitting quietly beside me. It was only then that I realized I actually didn't know the answer to Raven's inquiry.
She continued to stare into her lap as she spoke her single word reply. "Wither..."
The red haired girl on the other side of the table shifted uncomfortably. "They were going to release it?"
Key nodded.
"Does somebody want to explain what's going on?" I asked, oblivious to the horror they were referencing.
Raven stared up at me. "The Wither boss. An endgame enemy in Minecraft that is almost impossible to kill. The Ender Dragon egg is required to summon it."
We sat in silence, contemplating the dilemma.
"Where were they going to release it?"
Key looked up at me, her beautiful eyes staring far into mine, two colourful canvases that contained only fear. "Everywhere."
The room dropped into silence once more. Was the Wither boss really that terrifying that it could drive distress into both Raven and Key?
I shook my head. "I feel like we've forgotten to be amazed at the fact that Minecraft is linked with Earth. How? Why? Since when?" Nobody responded to my queries. Today had been pretty tough on all of us and I sighed as the first pelts of rain began to fall outside, their dull patter seeming to make the situation all the more depressing. Key sunk a little lower into her chair, somewhat concerned about the harmless water. "We can talk about this another time, I suppose."
Raven nodded subtly, still unsure of herself. Eventually she acknowledge the growing storm outside. Her lips pursed at what I guessed was the thought of walking home in such a downfall. "I'm staying here tonight." The harsh personality of Raven stated. A moment passed before the almost friendly personality of Siren appeared. "I- If that's okay with you."
I smiled. She still didn't know how to act around me. "Sure. You can take one of the spare rooms." My focus changed to Key. "And you might as well take the other one."
She returned my smile, a bit of colour returning to her cheeks.
Raven had disappeared soon after she had selected a place to sleep. I didn't blame her, she obviously had a lot to think about. Mutually the whole day had done nothing but extend my list of unanswered questions. How had the world of a game mixed with ours? What were hybrid Endermen? How could Key read Navajo? And how in hell do those hatchets fit under Ravens skirt?
I let go a frustrated groan as I sat down behind my desk. The screen of my monitor flickered on to show that my folder of anime had been opened. The corner of my mouth crept upwards. At least that explains one question. It seems someone had spent the majority of the day watching episode after episode.
I was wondering what she'd get up to while I was gone.
Minimizing the folder, I opened Chrome and began researching. If I wanted to protect Key, I needed to know more, some of these questions needed to be answered.
It was an hour or so later that I heard a quiet knock on my door. At first it didn't quite register, but the second time it came loud enough to notice. I swivelled in my chair. "Come in."
A small gap allowed the shy gaze of Key to stare in at me. I couldn't do anything but smile warmly. As I did, the door parted a bit further so that she could slip inside. She still wore the same baggy black jumper that was far too big for her, the hood drawn up to cover her bright violet hair. And as always, she was still as adorable as ever. Her arms tightened around the pillow that she hugged to her chest and her cheeks reddened slightly.
"Hey." She spoke.
"Hey." I replied.
As she stood against the door, I noticed the bandage that was still wrapped around her arm. I kicked myself for not remembering sooner. "Let me take another look at that."
She tilted her head in question, but soon found what it was I was referring too and looked around the room for another chair. Knowing that she wouldn't find one, I removed myself from my throne and sat down on the carpeted floor, before long she joined me and held out her arm for me to examine.
I began unwrapping the stained white fabric softly, so as not to hurt her. It was a shock, to say the least, when all I found beneath the wrapping was fair and unscathed skin. I looked up at her in amazement.
The mob shifted awkwardly. "What?"
"It healed! In two days!"
She raised an eyebrow, an expression that only briefly allowed her strong intelligence to take precedence over her cuteness. "Is that not normal?"
"Endermen, it seems, have a much quicker healing process than humans." I thought aloud.
When I had finally pushed down my awe at her almost instant recovery, a period of silence enveloped the room. I watched her, out of the corner of my eye. She wanted to say something, that much was obvious. I waited for her to build up the confidence.
"D- David. Can I ask you something?"
My curiosity was sparked. "Of course. What's up?"
She paused, as if she was reconsidering, but continued anyway. "Today, when my brother appeared... You stood between him and me." Her eyes pierced mine, as if they could instantly distinguish the truth. "Why?"
I flinched at the answer. Why? Because... I tried to put the reason into words, but I couldn't. I still wasn't too sure myself. The Endergirl stared straight at me, unwavering. The seconds that followed were some of the longest in my life. Finally, I gave up and told her the truth. "I don't know."
She studied me for a moment, before giggling. It was no ordinary giggle. It was a heart yielding melody, one created by the gods themselves. It was adorable, there was no other word for it. She blushed when she saw me staring.
Although she seemed to have fulfilled her primary goal, she was still somewhat hesitant to leave. "Do... Do you think we could..." She trailed off, unsure herself, of what she was saying. "C- Can we talk?"
I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Of course we can."
And so we sat on the accommodating floor and talked. The conversation itself never held any importance, we were happy just discussing small matters. She would tell me about the End, and the few friends that she had, and I would tell her everything I could think of about Earth. She seemed to be fixated on the verities of food that the world contained, and I had to promise to let her try them all one day. I became completely absorbed in her cute little giggle and the way her eyes would flicker downwards every time our gazes crossed paths. She was beautiful, in more than just looks, and yet she seemed oblivious...
Perspective Change: Key
I was awake, but I didn't want to open my eyes. I felt comfortable. There had been no nightmares, no horrors. It was the first time I had slept properly in years... And I was warm... I could feel the corners of my mouth turn upwards into a small smile. That's right, I was on Earth, safe, with David and Raven. I even had my own room, with my own bed and pillow...
Pillow.
My head did not rest on a pillow. It was warm and comfy, but I could feel my pillow gripped in my arms, and last time I checked, pillows did not have heartbeats. My eyes snapped open. Where was I? What had happened? My brain, still not quite awake, shared no answers.
David shifted slightly underneath me. David! I bolted upright. I could feel my skin burning, turning as red as it would go. I had... Fallen asleep, with David... To be more precise, I had fallen asleep, on David. Oh god this was embarrassing. I didn't mean for it to happen, did I? My skin flushed a little more at the thought. Did I?
His eyes flickered open, lazily wandering around the room before landing on me. I froze. What was he going to think? A moment of silence passed as he stared vacantly at me, but suddenly, without warning, his eyes widened in shock. His face was instantly highlighted with a graze of embarrassment and he shifted awkwardly, we both looked towards the window, uncomfortable.
"Well good morning love birds." My head snapped to the door, where a red haired girl stood watching, a cup of what I had been told was coffee, in her hand, and a giant grin spread across her face.
"W- We didn't, n- nothing happe-" I gave up on my stuttering excuse and slammed my eyes shut, reaching deep inside my mind for a place to hide.
Pop.
Perspective Change: David
The flustered Endergirl vanished, leaving only myself and a smug looking redhead in the room. I was still trying to get my head around what had happened. Key knocked on my door... We talked... We started to become drowsy... We must have fallen asleep almost simultaneously. I could still feel the spot where she had rested her head on my chest for the night. The thought made me swallow nervously.
Finally, I regained some type of composure and looked up at the silent observer. "Shut up."
She laughed before turning to leave. "I'm taking her out today to get some more clothes."
Today? Saturday. Of course. I sighed in defeat. When either Siren or Raven said she was going to do something, there was no stopping her. I suppose she was right though, Key couldn't exactly go out in public wearing just a hoodie.
I guess that left me with the question of what to do while they were gone? I still didn't know much about the place that Key had come from, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try and see it for myself.
Raven was playing a very memorable game of hide and seek with the mob of the house as I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. I flicked the kettle on, as I always did, and waited for the water to come to a boil.
Key appeared before me suddenly, almost falling, but thankfully regaining her footing. Our eyes met, sending us both into a new fit of reddened embarrassment. She was gone a moment later, leaving me alone with the steady whine of the impatient kettle. I shook myself out of thought and quickly brewed myself a mug of dark coffee, returning upstairs with haste.
If it had not occurred to you already, I was horrible with intimacy. I could talk to girls, and understand them. But when there was any type of... Chemistry. I was useless.
I took repetitive sips of my still steaming drink until I heard Raven capture the girl downstairs and drag her out the door. It slammed behind them, it seemed that for once, Raven had her hands full.
I smiled as I sat down and started up Minecraft. My goal was simply to get to the End and see what I could learn from it. I played for an hour. And then another. It was addictive, mining, building, crafting. I enjoyed building the most, and I often got side tracked with improving my house. But before long I was back on track, searching for diamonds.
If I hadn't been so absorbed in the game, I might have heard the faint pop echo from downstairs. If I hadn't been focusing on avoiding the deadly pools of lava, I might have heard the creaking of the wooden floorboards underneath each step, as someone crept towards my room. And if it weren't for the annoying spot of glare on my monitor, I would have completely missed the shining metal scythe that was raised high above my head.
I stood up and kicked my chair backwards, sending it flying into the unwanted guest that was a hybrid Enderman. The terrifyingly handsome replication kicked the useless projectile away and took another step towards me. I looked around the room for something to use. I grabbed my bulky metal camera tripod and gripped it like a makeshift sword.
Jutting forward, I slammed the sad excuse of a weapon into his rib cage. My attack was so weak, he barely flinched. Holding his horrific scythe in one hand, he grabbed onto my collar with the other and began to push me towards my desk, planning to smash me into my computer and after that, the wall. I winced. Not my computer... But no matter how much I sought to avoid it, our difference in strength was far too vast.
And for the second time that week, I resigned myself to my fate.
My feet left the ground as I sailed through the air, guided by a cold and callous hand. This is the end. I closed my eyes as I waited for the crunching sound of my bones against my most precious possession.
But it never came.
Instead what followed was a searing light, one that I had only felt once before. It pierced my eyelids and tore through my mind, rearranging my entire existence. A deep and echoing pop resonated through the air.
Darkness followed...
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LET THERE BE DARKNESS
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Chapter completed again, stay tune for the next one
(: