"So you're saying we're stuck in a video game." Ami repeated flatly. The three of them; Jack, Ami and Michael, all sat on Michael's bed. Michael had brought up the 'what-kind-of-world-are-we-in' subject again, this time trying to explain his theories to Ami.
"Simply put, yes." Michael nodded slowly. "And if my thinking is correct, then we might have a way to escape this place."
"Escape?" Ami kneaded her brow. "Why would we need to do something like that? It's not like the world itself is being destroyed." She ran her stub over her arm that was illuminated by the flickering light of the torches.
"Think of it this way." Michael crossed his legs. "Don't we all have a memory of somewhere far away from here? Like, otherworldly memories. I can remember the time I spent playing this- it was a game - and other small unrelated things. Jack, you said you remembered your mum and, er..."932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTKlCxdkKL
"A bookstore," he went slightly pink.
"Nerd," Ami grinned. Michael rolled his eyes and continued, "Right. And Ami...actually, come to think of it, I don't think you've ever told me what you remember."
"That's because I don't remember anything, doofus." Michael narrowed his eyes at her. He exhaled and spoke again, "Well, think about it. If Jack's part of a soccer team, then he would certainly know the people on his team, and then he likely has family. The same thing could apply to us. Imagine if there's someone waiting for us on the other side of this alternate universe, if it is such a thing. What if you were them? It just...doesn't feel right to think that this is all the world is. It doesn't explain how we have memories of such a different world and logically speaking this world is smaller than you think. Nothing makes sense here. If we didn't have families, why would we know what a family is in the first place?"
"That's true...but that can't be the only option we're working with." Ami rested her head in her stub, bouncing her knee.
"I suggested the alternate reality business," Jack pitched in.
"Maybe we just have false memories," Ami hypothesized.
"Or we were transported here by aliens," Jack said.
"Or maybe we don't even exist at all -"
"Guys, guys, guys," Michael intervened. "That's a little too much existentialism for one afternoon." He brushed a flap of hair out of his eyes. "Back on topic; my theory is that if we are in a video game, more specifically Minecraft, there should be a final boss."
"Uh, excuse me." Ami raised her stub. Michael sighed and pointed at her. "What's a Minecraft?" Michael buried his face into his stubs. He made several noises that sounded more like a choir of dying animals before continuing in a monotone voice, "It's an immensely popular game that I may or may not have played a lot. You can build anything, from your dream house to a shrine of a cow. There's also Survival and Hardcore mode, which I've already explained about."
Ami fell backwards onto her bed. "Well, someone like me who actually has a life doesn't exactly know about such things." Michael sighed and looked at Jack. "So, if there is a way we can get out of here without being cooked, then the best answer I have is the En -"
"Barbecue and sunflowers!" Ami suddenly exclaimed. She looked to the other two with excitement filling her eyes. "That's what I remember!" The two stared at her for an uncomfortable moment.
"Anyway, the final boss," Michael disregarded what Ami just said, turning to face Jack. "It's known as the Ender Dragon, kind of the 'big guns' of this world."
"So we have to kill it." Jack massaged his cheeks with his stubs. Ami, on the other hand, was in her own little world, fatally wounded from Michael's ignorance. She said various things, trying to defend how a barbecue could be perceived as some sort of wise symbol. Both of the boys decided it would be best to let Ami exhaust herself, which didn't take very long.
"We'll need to go to the Nether, first of all," Michael went on, scratching his head. "Highly dangerous place. Five-star difficulty. It's one hell of a place, you could say. Uh, literally. We'll need to gear up a lot more in the food and weapons department. Weapons shouldn't be a problem, I think we still have a lot of diamonds from the last time I found some."932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokaK6pnPQw
"Oh, we have about ten, at best." Ami had slumped back onto the bed again. Michael nearly fell over. "Ten?! Why didn't you tell me this before!"
"At best, I said. Maybe if you weren't yelling at me for the fantastic decoration I installed I would have remembered to tell you about the stock."
Michael grumbled to himself. "Ugh, then it can't be helped. We'll have to go mining again. That chest should still be there, anyway."
"Guarded by spiders," Jack added. "We're not even sure if there is any diamond in there. We should dig elsewhere."
"Which could take us ages!" Michael exclaimed. "Diamond is the rarest ore in this world, and the most powerful. It's just not a good idea to go to the Nether before we're prepared. Right now, that chest is our best chance."
"How long are you willing to wait to escape from here, then? Months? Years? If your theory is correct, then we all have families out of this world that are waiting for us. We need to go as soon as we can!" Jack felt sweaty, his entire being frowning at this situation.
"It's not that simple, Jack. We need a portal. The only one here who knows how to make that is me. And no, we don't have the materials yet. I'm sorry." Michael sighed. "We're not going until I say so."
Later, Jack sat against the wall with his head in his excuse for a pair of hands. He kept running over what Michael had said in his head. He felt stupid, not thinking of preserving his or his friends' lives. Had it been so long without a near death experience that he had forgotten how easily death could stroll into his midst? But, he knew he had a point. If there were families out there worried sick about them it would only be right to get back to them immediately. Jack cursed under his breath. He rapped his stub against the floor and tried to focus on the beat.
"Jack?" her concerned voice washed over him, a great deal of tension dissolving. He felt a little lighter than he had before.
"I'm here," he responded, lifting his head. She smiled at him as she sunk to the floor with him. "You okay?" she asked.
"Just stressed, I guess." Jack returned the smile.
"I get it," she said, leaning her head against the wall. "The entire death-at-every-corner thing isn't helping our entire 'get outta here' plan." Jack remained silent. "Anyway, I came to get you. Charlotte's back. Guess she liked us, after all. And, uh, she brought others with her."
"Others?" Jack raised his eyebrows. Ami grinned. "Come and see, it'll be a full house with all of us. Michael's already freaking out. So, if you want to see some prime entertainment, I suggest you follow me." Jack breathed a laugh before getting up and following Ami into the entrance hall. He watched as her braided hair swayed back and forth across her hips. Jack took extra care to focus on her shoulders instead.
Sure enough, Charlotte had just come into the door, handing a book back to Michael and chatting with him; her eyes seemed downcast as she talked. The three others that accompanied her were looking around the house with gaping mouths. One, a girl with long, golden blonde hair that curled at the ends gazed around as if in a dreamlike state, humming softly. Her emerald eyes were wide and shining as she hopped about, taking a curious glance at an ivory chest tucked away in the corner.
A boy with a shock of pink hair lurked beside the girl, watching her with the faintest smile. He had a violet lip piercing and rough chocolate eyes. The pants he wore were ripped at the knees and he adjusted the black shirt he wore. What appeared to be a band logo that Jack didn't recognize was spread across the center of his shirt in a punk fashion.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstg7pdHp8F
The last boy seemed to be edging further and further away from the rest of them. He had pitch-black hair just like Jack's, but his had a dark blue streak in the bangs that matched his eyes. He was scowling, which seemed to prove the phrase 'If you keep a face for too long, it'll stay that way.' He was looking very intently at one of the wood knots on the ground.
"Told you I'd be back, now, didn't I?" Charlotte boomed.
"I thought it would take you at least a little longer." Michael failed to conceal a grin. "Seems like you really warmed up to me after all." She hit him on the shoulder. "You kidding? I came back for this angel over here." Charlotte strut over to Ami and pulled her in a tight hug.
"That little 'angel' made a few...alterations while you were gone," Michael said coldly, rubbing his shoulder.
"Well, it is brighter in here," Charlotte commented. "You needed a heater anyway, Mike."
"It also makes for a great conversation starter," Ami added. Charlotte nodded to her and then Michael. Michael gave them both a look before changing the subject. "I didn't think you'd bring more people," he said.
Charlotte shrugged. "Ya think I could just leave 'em? Scotty over there'd probably be dead if I hadn't showed up in time." The boy with the streaked hair scoffed. "I was fine. And don't call me Scott." Charlotte rolled her eyes and continued, "Ya just look like someone I know. Anyhow, I supposed I needed to make a visit and see if you have room for the lot of us."
"Only for you guys," Michael said, gesturing to the living room. "You're always welcome here - and anyone that tags along with you. Uh, go ahead, make yourselves comfortable." The three newcomers shifted around nervously, until the daydreaming girl took initiative and drifted over towards a couch. "I like it," she spoke quietly. "Very homey." She plopped down on the wooden couch, which was more like a bench than anything. But for the sake of it being a living room, we're calling it a couch.
"Thanks?" Michael exchanged glances with Charlotte, who shrugged again and addressed the observer to the scene with her loud voice. "Jack! Don't just stand there, get over here!" The dramatic change in the volume of her voice made Jack flinch, but he walked over to her with a smile all the same.
"Be proud of me, I dragged him out of the bedroom and forced him to be social!" Ami bounced beside her. Charlotte chuckled, patting her head and shooting a challenging look at Jack. "Oh? Antisocial, are we?"
"I was only taking some time to think, which I'm sure you've done before, Ms. I'm-going-to-take-off-for-God-knows-how-long." Jack smirked, as Charlotte bellowed a hearty laugh. "Good to know you've still got your sense of humour about you. It's only good manners. Speaking of good manners, I think there are some certain members of our family that need to introduce themselves." She stared down at the trio of newbies.
"Oh! Pardon me." The dreamy girl rose from her seat like a princess, trotting over to them. "I'm Izzy. It's nice to meet you!" Her smile lit up the whole room. Charlotte nodded, which must have signaled her approval. She then turned stern to the other two boys across the room. The pink-haired boy was the first to crumble under the great Charlotte-stare, nervously walking over and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Aiden." He flushed slightly and avoided any eye contact with the crew, though his eyes flicked up to them a few times. He moved over beside Izzy, leaving the last boy to endure the weight of all their eyes. The boy sighed, stuck his hands in his pockets, and sauntered over to them, tucking his blue-streaked hair behind his ear. It soon fell back onto his face.
"I'm Luke." He half-smiled, flicking his eyes between them all. Everyone else introduced themselves individually, starting with Ami, who was perhaps a little too enthusiastic, Michael, who stuck to formalities, and then to Jack, who shook stubs and gave a friendly welcome.
"How long did it take you to build this, anyway?" Luke asked after introductions were done, running his stub over the wooden walls, examining it closely.
"A day." Michael inhaled deeply, smiling as he observed his creation. "...With added constructions appearing much later," he mumbled to himself. Luke raised an eyebrow. "Still. It's...really well-built. Uh, my dad was a construction worker. I ended up learning a lot from him." He stared at the floor again.
"Really? That's kind of cool, actually. How much do you know?"
"Just tips and tricks, I suppose," Luke shrugged. "Probably not enough to be of much use." Michael took a step towards him. "You'd be surprised," he said. The two then started their own separate conversation, Michael pointing out several small tactics that were used to build this house. Jack caught the word 'improbable' a couple of times.
"He never changes, does he?" Charlotte smiled. Jack couldn't quite place it, but he knew it was a different kind of smile that Charlotte gave him now. And the newcomers she brought seemed to carry about themselves an awkward yet kind manner. There would definitely be a full house with all of them in tow, yet this made a grin creep up across Jack's face.
The septenary of them spent the rest of the eve chatting and joking around. A great feast of mutton and steak followed the darkness, of course accompanied by a cake that took up the entire dining room table. More than once, a certain wolf pup found himself stumbling in sugary sweetness, tail wagging madly as Michael unsuccessfully attempted at cleaning him up. But, as all things, their night of fun came to an end. Seven full beds filled the bedroom now; there were a couple grievances about who would get which spot, but in a short while the group was off to a peaceful, dreamy sleep.
How Jack wished he could sleep like a normal human being. Ami and Charlotte snored loudly behind him, Michael and Izzy were peacefully adrift, Luke was rigid. Jack was left gently tapping the side of his bed, begging for sleep to overtake him. Jack lifted his eyes again to look at everyone, hopeful that maybe someone was in the same predicament. Rather suddenly, Jack's eyes locked with Aiden's, who was staring at him. He tried not to think how long that had been happening without him noticing.
"Can't sleep?" Jack whispered.
Aiden shook his head. "What about you?" Jack sighed. "Sleeping isn't on my mind right now."
"Well, it probably should be. It is night and all and sleep is usually accustomed with nighttime." Aiden smiled for the first time, sitting up and ruffling his hair. "We should get out of here. I'm surprised the others can sleep with those two snoring away." Jack sat up and glanced at the two girls. He smiled and looked back to Aiden. "Agreed,"
The two of them quietly slipped away into the living room, taking residence on the bench couch and reclining. Jack scratched the back of his neck. This was the first time he'd talked to Aiden on his own.
"So can you explain something to me?" Aiden asked rather suddenly.
"Sure," Jack said without thinking. He crossed his nonexistent fingers in the hope that this would play out well.
"Who are you?" It was a simple question. Normally, Jack would simply state his own name and be done with it, but he got the feeling that that wasn't what Aiden was necessarily implying. He gave it some thought and took a breath.
"Jack," he responded. Whoops. Put that one in the record books for stupidest thing done ever. He attempted to make a recovery, "Uh, I mean, that's all I really know. If you're anything like the rest of us, you probably have some weird, out of place memories, right?"
"Go on," Aiden said stiffly. He hadn't moved an inch. Jack cleared his throat. "Well, a book series I was into had a new addition coming out, and I was really excited for it. Er, that's my memory." Jack waited for Aiden to respond with something along the lines of 'That's weird,' or 'That's' a stupid memory,' but he continued to give Jack a stony look. Jack added, "I also remember my mum. Not a lot of specifics, but...I remember her." Finally, Aiden did something. He sighed. Maybe that wasn't as good a sign as Jack hoped.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0e6xCoMM9n
"I have a memory too." He looked away from Jack and gave the floorboards a nasty glare. "Just of one person. I don't know who they are, boy or girl or in between. I just remember that I had someone, though sometimes I have to wonder if they're even real at all."
Jack said nothing, his own mind buzzing. Aiden looked at him again for a moment, then sighed. "Hey, man. Why are you here? You just...seem so out of place, hanging around that nerd and the optimistic chick. I dunno why, but I get the feeling that something's up with you, so what is it? No one can blend in that well to the crowd."
"The nerd and the chick are my friends," Jack said coldly. "How could I leave them? How could I leave her? Besides, even if I did leave, there isn't much out there for me anyway; I'm not anything special." He let the silence come between them for a moment, then exhaled. "Look, Aiden. It's pretty late. We can always talk more about this later, right? I think it's good to get some rest - the moon seems like it's almost done its cycle." Jack offered a smile and gave him a reassuring pat on the back as he stood, facing away from him.
Aiden was rigid. He breathed a laugh. "Oh, I see. Team player. A jack-of-all-trades, if you will. Pun unintended." Jack sighed, pressing his stub to his temples. "What are you on about?"
Aiden grimaced. "You just seem like you could do a lot more if you got a little bit of the spotlight. Leave pigtails alone for a while and grab some of that glory, you know?" Jack turned around to face him.
"Don't bring Ami into this. You might want that 'glory,' but I'm perfectly fine where I am, thanks." Jack swallowed down the cement brick in his throat. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."
"That's what they all say, being content. No one's really that at peace with their lives. There's always a new problem, isn't there? Don't walk away from me, Jack. Face me like a man, not a coward!"
"Like your strong enough to actually pull anything." Jack spat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."
"I can't quote-unquote 'pull anything' if you keep running away from me. What, scared that your girlfriend will flee if you show a little muscle?" A malicious light shone in Aiden's eyes as he cracked the both of his stubs.
"I'm not fighting you, Aiden! Just drop it, already." Jack spun on his heel and started towards the bedroom. Without missing a beat, Aiden came flying towards Jack, stub curling and knocking him hard on the back of the head. Jack had no time to react, much less defend himself as he barely recovered from the hit, his vision black and spotty. He turned to face Aiden, only to find another stub colliding with his face at full force.
Blood leaked from his already askew nose as he held up his arms to protect what little sight he had left. Aiden struck again, but Jack blocked the punch, knocking Aiden back and hitting him squarely in the jaw. Jack could have sworn he heard a sickening crack as Aiden fell to the ground. Aiden was barely down for a second before he came charging right after him again, flailing madly. Both boys were yelling at this point and it was only a couple seconds before several hands grabbed each of them in turn and held them back. A rough, growl came from the boy pushing oak hair out of his face.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHU4D8AST1
"What do you two think you're doing?!" Michael rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He pushed his glasses back on and glared at each of them with viper-like eyes. "Explain yourselves."
"He attacked me out of nowhere," Aiden, held by Charlotte who had a death grip on his waist, started before Jack could get a word in. "I was defending myself!"
"Says the one who hit me from behind!" Jack tried to take a step forward but was forced to remain stationary by Luke and Izzy.
"Jack," Ami pleaded from beside Michael. He glanced over at her, red hair in a tangled mess, tears in her eyes, and stub held over her mouth. Jack's muscles relaxed and he felt the grips loosen on him.
"Look," Michael sighed. "I don't care who started it, just promise me that none of you will ever do something stupid like this again. Remember that we're the only ones we got." He looked to each of them above his black frames. "Now, get yourselves cleaned up so we can try to forget about this. I'm going back to bed for the couple hours or so we have left until daylight." He gave each of them another look and left.
But...he was in the right. For Christ's sake, he was the one attacked from behind! Luke left Jack's side and went to Aiden on the bench couch, gently touching his arm and whispering something to him Jack couldn't hear. Ami tugged on Jack's sleeve. He followed her outside and up the ladder onto the roof. Ami pulled out a cloth and a bucket of water from her pockets, somehow, motioning to the bench a few feet away for him to sit on. Jack sat on the bench, shame rushing through his body like wildfire.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLAFdgRZYA
"Tell me what happened," she said, lowering herself to eye-level and gently dabbing his face with the wet cloth.
"I'm sorry," Jack said.
"Don't be."
"Ami, I saw the look on your face. You can't just forgive me for -"
"Something out of your control." She stopped dabbing, speaking softly. "What did he say?" She resumed her work, rinsing the cloth and smiling. "You're one half of the regular idiot again, by the way."
Jack couldn't help but grin. "Ami, I won't stand for this kindness."
"Tell me the story," she was smiling. Jack breathed a laugh. "Have it your way, then. We both couldn't sleep, so we slipped out and just started talking. I guess one thing lead to another."
"Detail." She smudged something out on his forehead. It seemed like he had no choice. "He insulted you. And Michael."
"Naturally. What sort of nasty nicknames are they calling me these days?"
"It wasn't exactly creative." Jack said. Ami gave him a look. Jack shrugged, "Pigtails."
"It's a braid!" Ami dabbed slightly harder. "Sorry." she apologized after Jack flinched. "I'm hoping this doesn't look too bad..."
"Maybe I'll look like the protagonist of an action movie," Jack smirked. Ami breathed a laugh as she wiped the last of the blood from his face. "There," she said. "Good as new."
"Hey," Jack was looking at her. "Do you believe me? I know I'm nothing special, but -"
"Nothing special? Jack, you..." She exhaled sharply. "You're everything special, Jack. You've saved lives, for one. You...well, just trust me when I say you're special." Her cheeks gleamed a faint magenta. Jack opened his mouth, trying to say the right words, but nothing came out. Ami tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"A-Anyway, we did made a pact, didn't we? We look out for each other, no matter what. I trust you with everything I've got if you do the same. So...of course I believe you. Besides, you're not as bad of a guy as you think you are." She busied herself with plopping the dirtied cloth into the bucket and moving it aside.
"Thanks," Jack said. "For sticking with me." He saw Ami smile. His eyes shifted over to the dripping bucket of bloody water and he felt a jagged lump creep up his throat. "Although...I don't think I'll ever get used to that sight." Jack shuddered, unable to take his eyes off the disgusting sludge.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqE2g3uRX8x
"Oh, really? Well, I guess I'm used to it. My mom was a surgeon, after all. The talk of blood and guts gets pretty old pretty fast, you know." Ami shrugged.
"Wait," Jack's eyes widened as they shifted onto her. "Say that again."
"What?" Ami blinked. "Is it that unusual for a woman to be a surg - oh. Oh." Her brow kneaded together as her arms dropped into her lap. "Guess I remembered more than I thought."
(Yes, Jack is literally a jack-of-all-trades. I'm pretty sure that's just him as a character, so...his entire being is...a pun? I can work with this.)
ns 15.158.61.51da2
