Author Note:

I was trying to think of something funny to write here, but I could only come up with a single joke.

My future.

HAHAhaAhAhahahahaahahaaaaahaaaa... Haaa... Ahem.

Enjoy.

"Only tonight."

It was impressive how much progress had been made since I left. A large wooden wall was nearing its final stages of construction within the centre of the clearing, curving around to create an almost perfect circle. It was fashioned out of sharpened logs, which stuck out of the ground menacingly. A small group of rocks and boulders had been rolled up against the base of the structure, supporting it further. It appeared sturdy, well made. The monument only proved how effective good leadership was.

"Christ, what happened to you?" Our leader asked as I approached.

I could understand his concern. Dried blood was caked down one side of my chest, my makeshift bandage now sopping with the crimson substance. As usual, my back and shoulders were still covered in bruises, although their pain had subsided a little since that morning.

"A girl from another nation shot him!" One of the kids, who had followed me all the way back to the clearing, announced.

Jake seemed shocked. I rolled my eyes. "That's not what happened."

Shooing the kids away, he turned to me, his gaze narrowing. "You met someone from another nation?" I nodded once before he continued. "Did you…" He dragged a finger across his throat, implying the rest of the sentence.

I tilted my head at him, unsure of which answer he would be more pleased by. "Of course I didn't."

He pursed his lips, then smiled. "Good, good. We don't want to be too hasty after all." Trying to escape from the topic, he quickly started a new one. "And what about the cave?"

Still a little caught on his reaction, it took me a moment to respond. "It's big enough. A skeleton had spawned down there, but there should be enough light to stop that from happening again."

His eyes widened a bit in surprise. "You killed a skeleton?" I simply nodded, still not at all proud of striking down the creature. Jake seemed to notice my reaction and decided to bring the conversation to a close. "There's a girl around here somewhere, she's the daughter of a nurse. Get her to take a look at that wound."

Departing, I scanned the people as I passed. My first observations still held true, with most of them being teenagers or kids, the occasional young adult thrown into the mix. Again, a fair amount of them were pale, as if they had been sitting inside for the majority of their lives. I suppose those were the types to be playing Minecraft.

It didn't take me long to notice the small crowd that was gathered near the tree line. Some lay on the ground, while others stood in a haphazard line before a single girl, who knelt before the patients. She seemed pleasant enough. Long brown hair falling to just above her waist, a few solitary tangles amongst it. Green eyes, weak with exhaustion, studied whoever stood before her. Her jeans were already torn in places, as was her branded black t-shirt. But most noticeable was the plain white hoodie that was draped across her shoulders, a few specks of blood strewn across it.

The people who surrounded her were mostly kids, all bearing small cuts or scrapes. The ones that lay on the grass held their stomachs as if suffering from the plague. It was obvious that they were just sick of working though. Patiently, I took a place at the back of the line.

I could hear the kind discussion that went along with every diagnosis. The responses varied, but they mostly concluded the same way. "Another stomach ache?" Or, "I'm sorry, I don't have any medicine." And, "Go ahead and lie down."

I felt a little sorry for her, to be dealing with all of this when she couldn't really do much to help. The kid in front of me held out his arm, a small scratch disturbing the otherwise smooth skin. She examined the small line of blood as if it were a mortal injury.

"Wow, that's pretty bad huh?" She said, looking up into the child's eyes. A wooden bucket, containing water, sat next to her. She dipped her hand into it and ladled some of the substance onto the scratch. The child winced loudly, complaining whilst trying to hold back tears. "Sorry." She mumbled, whipping the blood off. She patted the water down with the sleeve of her hoodie and sat back with a smile. "There, all better."

She watched the child nod, and walk off to find his own section of grass to lie on. It was obvious how tired she was. It made me wonder what had happened over the day to exhaust her so. Turning back to the line, it took her a moment to adjust her gaze, gasping as she noticed at my injuries. She pushed to her feet and stepped closer to me, her eyes flickering over the trail of blood. I watched her scan the bruises on my shoulders and the makeshift bandage that I had already applied.

Her reaction had already gained notice from all of her patients, who stared at me in shock, their hurts suddenly forgotten. I smirked at them before returning my gaze to the girl, who now looked up at me.

Her voice came out nervous and light. "W- What happened?"

"Shot by a skeleton." She seemed horrified before glancing at the wooden staff in my grasp. I had forgotten I was even carrying the weapon. "It looks worse than I do." I assured her.

She nodded quickly, but the action did nothing to convince me that her nervousness had dissipated. "Is it… Is it still bleeding?"

"You've never dealt with something like this, have you?" I asked, unsurprised. She glanced up at me, a little guiltily. I laughed. "It's alright, just see if you can get the bandage off. Don't worry about the bruises."

She nodded, and walked around me, her fingers hesitating for a moment before tugging at the knot. I stifled a wince as pain shot through my shoulder. "Sorry." She mumbled, apparently well versed with the phrase.

Slowly, she unwrapped the cloth. It was stiff with dried blood, meaning it stuck to the skin in some places. Eventually, with a bit of struggle, she dropped the crimson garment to the ground, revealing the wound. "Is the arrow head still in there?" Her voice had become more stable now, recovered from the initial shock.

"I dug it out."

The corner of her mouth tilted upwards a bit. "Can you even feel pain?"

I laughed a little. "Don't get me wrong, it hurt like a bitch."

She sighed, examining the amount of blood that coated my chest and abs. "It needs to be washed…"

It was clear enough that the small amount of water contained within her bucket was not going to suffice. Briefly I recalled my plummet from the sky that morning. This clearing bordered on a small cove, which opened onto a vast ocean.

"Could you spare a moment?"

She glanced around at the dozen or so kids, who now hid their minor injuries in shame. She pursed her lips before smiling a little. "Sure."

It didn't take us long to traverse the small amount of forest that separated the grasslands and the cove. We stood on the border between the forest greenery and the soft beach sand, staring out at the subtle waves. The water was an alluring blue, reflecting the dwindling light to create a brilliant mosaic of colour.

I couldn't help but feel as if I had seen the sight before… This mix of a pure navy and speckled gold… The thought was pushed from my head as the girl beside me took a tentative step forwards. She seemed transfixed on the view before her, staring in awe at its beauty.

"I've never seen the ocean before." She explained.

I smiled before following her onto the golden dune. "Know how to swim?"

Her head turned back to me. "Well enough. But I don't have any…" Her sentence trailed off as I started undoing my belt. She became alarmed instantly. "What are you doing?"

I could only laugh as I realised what it must have looked like. Within the day, I had sky dived without a parachute, conversed with a god, elected a leader, foiled an ambush, been shot with an arrow, and fought a monster that shouldn't exist. If anything, there had been too many near death experiences to care about embarrassment.

I dropped my jeans to the ground, my black briefs being the only thing that remained. "Salt water is good for a wound, or so I've heard."

And with that, I strode towards the water, wading in a distance before diving underneath its surface. The echoing silence of the vast depths surrounded me. It was cold, refreshing. I felt the gentle current wash through my hair, sweeping it backwards. The hole between my shoulder and my chest stung as the liquid brushed against it. I pushed back to the surface, taking a breath and floating onto my back.

"You coming in?" I asked, staring up at the darkening sky.

I heard her shift nervously from the shoreline. "Don't look."

"I'm not."

The sound of fabric sliding from skin was just barely audible over the ebb and flow of the ocean. I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to look at her, but I kept my gaze fixed on the few clouds above.

I started a conversation in an attempt to put her at ease. "What's your name?"

"Julia." She answered after a time.

A small splash not so far away announced her entry. I righted myself to see her bob up a few feet away. The water was clear enough to show her exposed shoulders, but nothing more. She shied away a little, but spoke up nonetheless. "What's yours?"

"Eli."

She smiled before continuing. "So, why did you drag me out here?"

I smirked. "It looked like you could use a break. Not to mention, I thought it might help if you could examine the injury once the blood was cleared away."

Nodding, she brushed her hair from her face, pushing it behind her ear. "Thanks…"

I waded for a time, just enjoying the sensation of being submerged. Eventually, I shifted towards the shore until I found it easy enough to stand. The water rose gently just above my waist. I cupped a handful and brushed at the caked blood that hadn't already been washed away. It was easy enough to reach the parts that ran down my side, but my back and shoulders…

Hesitant fingertips brushed against my skin. I stiffened a little and glanced over my shoulder. Julia stood behind me, looking over my injuries once more. I only had a chance to see a glimpse of black before she noticed me, her face turning bright red.

"No looking."

I snapped my gaze forwards, guiltily. "S- Sorry."

Her fingers traced the bumps and ridges softly. "How did you get these?"

I sighed. "There are some pretty terrifying seniors at my school."

She flinched a little. "You've had these all day?" I remained quite while she continued her examination. "You must be strong…"

My mind flashed back to all of the fights I had been caught in, all of the beatings I had taken. I had learnt how to defend myself from serious injury… But pain was unavoidable. "Only through being weak."

I could feel her gaze upon me as she listened to my words. "Turn around. But c- close your eyes!"

A small chuckle escaped me as I followed her orders. A moment passed before she moved, but eventually, she traced the wound with her fingertips. The pain had dulled substantially since the arrow had pierced my skin, but it was hard to stop myself from wincing when she grazed the torn flesh.

"Sorry." She mumbled once more. I heard her exhale slightly. "Injuries heal quicker here."

I was a little taken aback at her words. "How quickly?"

"Well, based on what I've seen, minor damages only last a few hours. But something this bad… I've got no idea."

"Any chance of infection?"

She paused for a moment, thinking. "The salt should help, although I'm not sure how effective it will be. But, a few days of rest and you should be fine." Her hand splayed across my chest, pushing me backwards into the water.

The ocean surrounded me. I stumbled before pushing back to the surface. I grinned at the girl, who stared back at me playfully. My eyes wavered slightly, before traveling downwards. A black push up bra covered her chest, which was… Substantially large for a girl her age. Her sides curved inwards slightly before broadening around her waist, where another hint of black was just visible beneath the surface.

When my gaze returned to where it should have stayed, I was met with wide eyes and an unparalleled blush. "Y- y- y- you l- looked!"

I bit my tongue, trying to stifle a laugh. It was no use. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

She covered the distance between us in a few short strides before pushing me down into the water once more. I rose back to the surface quickly, and lightly tackled her into the waves, prompting a small yelp of surprise. She laughed as we resurfaced, although her cheeks had not paled by a single shade.

The girl separated from my grasp, letting my hands slide from her waist as she splashed water at me. Her eyes had brightened slightly since I first saw her, the exhaustion at leave for the moment. It was refreshing to see her having fun, even if I hadn't known her for more than an hour or so. She turned in the water, floating on its surface and staring into the sky. There was just something about her energy that made her enjoyable to watch…

My senses snapped to alert as I watched her body become ridged, the playful attitude gone in an instant. "Eli…" I watched her carefully as she spoke. "How long has it been this dark?"

My eyes flickered to the sky above. A foreign constellation gazed down upon us. Under normal circumstances I might have considered the stars beautiful, but tonight they could be nothing other than maleficent. I pushed gently over to the girl, trying to minimize the amount of noise I made. "We have to leave, now."

Her expression had dropped, she was scared, but still managed to nod before righting herself in the water. My vision swept over to the shoreline, now shrouded in darkness. Everything was quiet… Too quiet. There was no constant buzz of unknown insects, nor drowsy calls of hunting night birds. Just…

Silence.

Julia took my hand beneath the water. Being just as scared as she was, I dared not let go. Taking a hesitant step forwards, I pulled her along with me. It was a terrifying few moments before we stood firmly on the sand, which stuck to our skin like glue. I looked over at Julia, nodding to her.

She returned the gesture, despite being afraid. We separated quickly while we pulled on our clothes. Briefly, I noted that if I survived, I'd have to do something about my lack of shirt. I took my staff firmly in hand and turned to find my companion slipping into her hoodie. She trembled slightly, which was understandable. If you've been safe your entire life, being plunged into a scenario where you could easily die was sure to put you on edge.

I took her hand once more, causing her to look up at me. Exploiting all the fake confidence I could muster, I generated a reassuring smile. "We're going to make it."

She stared for a moment, before smiling back, allowing herself to be fooled. "O- Okay."

The once peaceful oaks that populated the woodlands now glared down at us with an unmistakable evil. Their branches gnarled and knotted, the leaves tattered and worn. In reality, they were the same as they had been a few hours ago, the vast shadow was the only thing that morphed them.

A hollow groan echoed from up ahead, snapping my gaze to the threat. A sickly green flesh hung insecurely from a brittle frame, swaying with the monster's every movement. Clothing scratched and torn gathered in heaps across the figure's gashes and wounds. Despite all of this, it was surprisingly agile, moving towards us at a steady speed.

I parted from Julia's grasp as we neared, taking my weapon in both hands. With a heavy impact, I slammed the butt of the staff into its chest, flinging the horror upwards before bringing it crashing back to the ground. I slammed the hardwood against its skull, finishing its struggle.

Julia stood rooted to the ground a few feet away. Her gaze flickered to the creature, and then back to me, unsure of who she should be more afraid of. Unable to wait for her decision, I closed the distance between us and took her hand, pulling her after me.

We ran through the remainder of the forest, dodging around the sounds of footsteps that littered every corner. Eventually, we stumbled out into the clearing. Our destination was obvious. The small fortress that stood within the grassland's centre was illuminated by torchlight, standing out against the darkened background.

I held the girl a little tighter as we broke into a sprint. It wasn't hard to see the twisted forms that roamed the plains. If you looked closely, it was obvious that they didn't belong. Creepers, skeletons, zombies, spiders… They were all there. I could feel their malicious gaze upon us, staring us down as we ran for our lives.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, pushing me faster and faster. I heard a series of shouts from up ahead, a few figures peered over the wall, standing on parapets that must have been raised after I left. They pointed at us and yelled out in support. A section of the fortress began to shift, sliding to the side to create a large opening. A crowd of people stood behind it, terrified and frightened by their sudden lack of protection. A select few shouted at us to run faster. The makeshift gateway was our only chance at survival.

We were so close now, only a hundred or so yards away. My blood ran cold as three lonely shadows cut off our path. Two zombies, their rotting flesh making me grimace in disgust. And the last… Forest green skin, riddled with small holes that were clogged with a familiar black substance. Four small legs made up for its lack of arms, propelling it forwards silently. But its most horrifying feature was its face. It wasn't deformed or mangled, nor was it unkind. It was simply…

The essence of despair.

"Get inside." I ordered Julia, pushing her in front of me.

She narrowly swerved through the gap between the two zombies, who went to give chase. I slammed my staff into the back of one, returning their attention to me. I swung the opposite end of my weapon upwards, hitting my opponent hard in the jaw.

His mutated companion swiped at me. I ducked under the attack as it split the air above me with incredible strength. I struck at the beast's ankles, sending him crashing the ground, immobilized but not for long. A faint hiss echoed from behind me, setting my instincts alight.

Run. Run anywhere. Anywhere but here.

I turned just in time to stare back at the longing creature before me. What it longed for, I did not know. But I saw its hollow black eyes spark with flame. And without warning, the beast exploded. Time seemed to come to a halt as I was flung backwards. I saw a million things at once. From the subtle movement of every individual blade of grass, to the tiniest detail on every tree. The endless drone of light from the moon above, to the string of emotions that cascaded from every person behind me.

Was this what it was like to die?

I smirked, accelerating time back to its usual tick tock rhythm. I hit the ground hard, rolling over my shoulders and landing crouched as I skidded backwards a few feet. I stared up at the two zombies that had righted themselves a small distance away.

Fuck that.

I sprinted forwards, spinning my staff in front of me. With a quick pounce upwards, I slammed the weapon down on the first competitor, toppling him over with a sickening crack. I spun one eighty, smashing into the ribs of the other. It stumbled backwards, before glaring up at me. Dodging to the side of a rage fuelled charge, I let my enemy stumble past. Seething for a moment, it pushed forwards once more, hazy eyes filled with anger. As it reached for me, I wielded my staff as sword. Packing as much force as I could, I sent the hardwood pummelling straight into the figures head, crushing the bone underneath.

The body slumped to the ground, motionless. My breathing was uneven, coming out in heavy succession. I stared down at the two crumpled figures. Kill or be killed…

No. If we had just come back sooner, I wouldn't have had to kill anything. I sighed, before turning back to the opening. Hundreds of eyes were pinned on me, watching my every move. I gazed back at them. There was no escaping what I had done. Some, particularly the little ones, looked at me with admiration. Others… With disgust.

Julia took a few steps forwards, her long hair swaying slightly with her steps. She came to a stop before me, staring at my chest before meeting my eyes. "Eli..."

I looked down at myself. Severe burn marks tortured my skin, running across my left arm and chest, undoubtedly coiling up around my neck. It was now, as my adrenaline faded, that the pain began. I winced, beginning to feel light headed. She studied me, worried, unsure of what to do.

She entwined her fingers within mine. "Just focus on me."

I closed my eyes, trying to do as she said, trying to ignore the pain. It wasn't working. I felt as if I were being stabbed a million times over, my skin cleaved from the muscle with a rusty knife. She pressed closer to me, her body up against mine. My thoughts froze.

She was warm…

The pain was still there, she couldn't fix that, but she could distract me from it. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a gentle embrace. I could have stayed like that forever. But the night breeze only reminded me of the danger we were still in. I sighed, placing my hands on her waist and putting a few inches between us.

I smiled at her. "Thanks." She stared up at me for a moment before nodding, looking to the ground in an effort to hide her blush. "Come on."

We walked through the gateway, which was quickly closed behind us. The crowd parted as we entered, making way as we looked for a place to rest. They stared as we passed, assessing us, watching us. I saw Jake wave us over from the other side of the enclosed space. Leaning on my staff fairly heavily by this point, we made our way over to him.

"Quite an entrance you made there." He noted, looking over my injuries before briefly sweeping his gaze across Julia. She shifted a little closer to me, to which Jake responded with a smile. "Well, all that matters is you're alive."

My words came out slowly and sharply. "I don't mean to cut you short, but we're both tired."

The boy stiffened a little. "Of course, my bad. There's some space leftover under the parapets, go ahead and take it."

I nodded my thanks and turned from him, making for the designated area. Julia hung by me, which made me feel a little less uneasy about the relentless glares that were directed my way. I almost collapsed onto the grass once we had secured a small spot beneath the rampant. I lay comfortably on my uninjured side, finally being able to relax. My eyes flickered open to find Julia staring awkwardly at the space next to me. There really wasn't much room for both of us…

I closed my eyes and waited for her to make a decision. Eventually, she lay down, her back to me. I smiled and stretched an arm around her waist.

She flinched, but soon returned to a relaxed state. "What are you doing?"

"You're soft."

"And that means you get to touch me?" Despite her words, she didn't sound uncomfortable, almost playful.

I smiled innocently, despite her not being able to see it. "I'm in pain, leave me alone."

She let go a small giggle, allowing me to pull her a little closer. "Only tonight."

It was strange how close we had become. After all, I had only met her that day. Then again, I had also been trapped inside a cruel mimic of my favourite game, fought for my life more than once, and suffered numerous injuries. I suppose looking at it like that, there wasn't anything wrong with enjoying her company.

I felt the exhaustion begin to overtake me. It fought back and forth with my reeling thoughts, until it finally stood victorious. Sending me into the abyss.

Author Note:

Now, you may be wondering why I split off from the general storyline here, however! You will notice that this story is listed in the romance genera, and as such, I thought it fitting to incorporate said romance. Oh, and you needn't worry about the darkness of the plot... Has anybody read 100 Days to Mine? It's a Minecraft fan fiction classic. In fact, it featured on a few phone apps and hundreds of forums.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Reviews!

OSR fanatic: Thanks for the support, I will! :)
The Bet Guest: Your suggestions and encouragement push me onwards, as always. A fault with the wall you say? Well... Let's see.
Thamiir Davis: Hahahaha, well, it wouldn't be rated 'M' if I was going to sugar-coat everything. Especially later on... And hell yeah I want your OC! Get it in quickly! Also, hint acknowledged.
WiseguyJaco: Young minds are susceptible to adult suggestion. But I totally get where you're coming from, maybe I did lay that down a bit too quickly. Thanks for correcting me, I'll try not to make similar mistakes in the future.
Techhy: TECHHYYYYYYYYYY! I missed you! Also, I'm fearful for my life... But I missed you! Welcome back. :D

We are doing OCs! That is a thing that we are doing. However, most of them will be background or filler characters. Then again, my stories have a tendency to be so unpredictable that your submission might just end up ruling the world. Who knows? Be warned, any characters that you submit may end up tortured, experimented on, hooked up, gruesomely murdered, or... Meet other, unsavoury ends. Try not to make them too detailed, but don't make them extremely vague either.

Anyway, 'till next time.

- Sylent