I had a simple sword with me. It was made of wood, but it was all I could afford at the time. Punchy, Sparklez, and I were walking to my house after work and I was cautious to make sure neither of them saw it. I realized I would have looked mad if anyone else saw me- my eyes darting everywhere, paranoid that every step deeper into the woods would be my last, all the while keeping a hidden long sword concealed from my friend and a stranger, both of whom I'd invited. If I died, it was entirely my fault. Accepting that was the easy part of the quest.
I turned us around the wrong tree for the third time, hoping that even if I didn't make it out, Herobrine wouldn't be able to find Rufus. A diminishing hope with every second Sparklez didn't attack me.
"Okay, okay. What the heck is up, Steve?" Punchy stopped in his tracks and crossed his arms, staring at me expectantly.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"We've been around this place at least twice already. I recognize that tree we just passed."
"I got a little lost- I think I see where we are now," I quickly explained. I still didn't intend to take them to my house.
"I remember the way and I don't even live there! Here, it's this way," he said, pointing and walking in the correct direction. I tried not to wince as Sparklez followed. Only a few minutes passed before Punchy had led us into the clearing with my house in the middle of it. I followed him into it reluctantly. I had invited Punchy because it would look weird inviting a guy I don't know fishing and ignoring a guy I did; it hadn't occurred to me that Punchy could hinder my progress.
When we got inside, Punchy reached into my chest and pulled out two fishing rods and the ingredients to craft a third. He handed the ingredients to Sparklez, who went to the other side of the room to make it.
"Punchy!" I hissed, punching his arm as hard as I could justify.
"Ow! What?" He rubbed his shoulder sorely.
"He wasn't supposed to come to my house! I think he's-"
"Got it, guys!" Sparklez interrupted, turning away from the crafting table and holding up the new fishing rod. "Ready to go?"
On the boat (which creaked with every breath under the weight of three,) we each cast our lines repeatedly. Rufus, who refused to wait at home this time, waited just beside the lake. The sun was threatening to dip below the horizon when Punchy finally yawned and signaled the end of our fishing trip.
"That wasn't a bad day," I said casually. "I got twenty fish- and you, Punchy?"
"Twenty-two." He sighed tiredly. "I've done worse."
"I got… Eight." Sparklez sighed as Punchy and I muffled our laughter. "I'm new!" We continued snickering and packed up the supplies, parked the boat, and walked the forest. I whistled for Rufus and he trotted by my side.
"We have to do that again!" Sparklez said, finally able to laugh at himself as he stumbled around in the dark.
"Next time, bring torches," Punchy said, irritated. I heard him bump into a tree and laughed.
"It is pretty dark, isn't it?" I replied between chuckles. Suddenly, a light came from behind me and made the path visible again. "Thanks, Sparklez. So you brought tor-" I turned to look him in the eye and saw that it was him making the light. His eyes were glowing- no, shining- the dangerous-looking white beams that illuminated the path.
The light washed over me and I suddenly felt numb all over, struggling to move. Punchy turned to see why I cut off my sentence and he froze in the light, too- as did Rufus, who was in mid-leap at Sparklez when the light cut him off and he crashed to the ground. That was the last thing I saw before the light faded, my eyes lost focus, and the world faded to black.
