The labyrinth of monsters (a Hermitcraft and third life AU fanfic)

Chapter 3 - Impulse

I scream. 

Scrambling into a sitting position, yelling out loud enough for everyone to hear, I wake from the nightmare. The same nightmare it always is. The same nightmare of him. 

The other bed across the room is still painfully empty, and I try to ignore it as I calm down. It was just a dream. A nightmare. It's not real. But it was.

'Impy?' Tango bursts into the room, and I look over. 'Are you ok?'

'Nightmare.' He knows enough about it to understand, and nods, leaving the room. I follow after, recovered enough to face whatever's going on outside. 

'I know it's hard for you. Especially after...' Tango trails off, but I know what he means. 'Jimmy's death was hard for everyone.'

My mind goes back to the night before. After Jimmy had been declared dead, the response had been as quick as it always was. Tears. Burial. Flowers. Then back to sleep. 

Scott will still be at the grave. I haven't visited it yet, and I know it will be a while until I do. I don't want to go back to that place until I need to. Hypno was forced into rest and healing potions by Stress. He won't be leaving his home for a while.  As I think, I don't notice Doc coming over. 

'Impulse! You'll be out with Etho and Joe today.' I glare back at the creeper, subduing his cheerful tone quickly.

'I'm not going into the maze with him.' I snarl back. Doc's silent. 

'Etho's done nothing wrong!'

'How would you know that?! It's not like you were there!' I can't stop now. All the emotions of the previous day and my nightmare comes back again, and Doc recoils slightly. 'Send him with someone else! But not me!'

'Impy... calm down...'

'Never!' I snap at Tango, and instantly regret it. He's the only one who's been any help recently. I sigh. 'I'm sorry... I just can't deal with this now. Can I just have today off?'

'We only have 3 runners now that solidarity's dead. We can't risk being too off our guard.'

'Doc, he needs rest. You know he does.' Tango tries to intervene, but Doc shoots him down. 

'No. He's going out. Just get to work. One of the automatic farms is broken.'

Tango walks off obediently, glancing back with a good-luck smile. I fail to smile back, and look up at Doc again, just as Grian walks over. 

'Hey, Impulse!' The newcomer is still quite cheerful - no one's told him about Jimmy yet - and falters slightly at the sight of my grim mood. 'What's going on?'

'Have you seen around yet?'

'Zed showed me everywhere yesterday - also, what was happening last night?'

'Nothing you need to worry about.' Doc interrupts sternly. Grian backs away. 'Impulse was about to obey my instruction and go out into the maze.'

'Can I come?' I stare incredulously at the newcomer. He looks excited, and I look over at Doc.

'I'm not going with Etho, and Grian wants to go...' I pursue my case, and the creeper sighs.

'Fine! Impulse, you can go with Grian and Joe. Tell Joe now and set off as soon as you can.' Doc stalks off, and I gaze over at Grian, who's looking expectantly up at me. 

'Soo... are we going to go now?'

'Yeah.'

'I know that something's wrong. What's up, Impulse?'

'Nothing you need to worry about.'

'Why is everyone saying that?! Just because I'm new, doesn't mean I shouldn't know! What happened? At least tell me what happened last night...'

'Fine. Someone died. That all you need to know. Now, let's go.'

This seemed to shut Grian up, at least until we reached the biggest house in the entire area - the house full of all the maps and information on the monsters in the maze - and we step inside. Joe's in there, adding Jimmy's death to the list of information on the one who'd done it. The same one who'd helped with it before. When... when...

'Howdy Impulse! You want something?'

'You're on patrol today with me and Grian.'

'Grian? He's that new guy right?'

'Yeah. Let's go. And try to avoid Doc.'

'Why?'

'I made him angry.' 

Joe grimaces at me, but shrugs, laying down his book and following me and Grian out. 

'Have you got the weapons yet?'

'I'll grab some stuff now. You normally use a sword, right?' Joe nods, and I rush back down the road, taking my own sword from my house, and quickly finding where False and Xisuma are sword fighting in the training arena. They stop quickly on sight of me. 

'Hey Impulse!' False greets. 'Out again today?'

'Out every day... have you got a knife and a sword?'

'Sure!' The blonde hands me the requested weapons. 'Good luck out there. Especially after Jimmy's death.'

'I always am. See you later!'

I leave again, running over to Grian and Joe. They are deep in conversation, and I shake my head with a smile.

'Come on! We don't have time for this. We need to head off soon if we want to get anything done!'

I hand over the weapons, and we head into the maze.

Instinct takes over once inside, and I keep my sword in my hand at all time. Grian's silent, and I'm trying to keep sight of him at all times. Joe's been rallying off information about all of the monsters, which isn't helping my nerves. Eventually, I get tired of them both and snap.

'Hills, can you just shut up?!' I quickly silence him. 'I'm trying to focus here, and you're not helping!'

'Sorry...'

'Good! Now stay quiet!'

'Impulse, I've only known you for half a day, and I already know you're acting strange.' Grian replies icily. I ignore him. 

'Use the nicknames!' I respond. 

'Sorry.' Grian's clearly unhappy at me, but I don't care. Everything seems to make me grumpy nowadays anyway. Ever since...

'Eyes.' Warns Joe. I look up, scouring for the figure. 'Vine eyes.'

'What?'

'Vine eyes. I'm certain. There's plants growing here.'

I walk over to where Joe is pointing, and see the vines twisting up the wall. He's clearly right, and ice fills my body as I hear the voice. 

'Hello!' 

'Feathers, get back.' I order. The newbie obeys quickly. Joe takes out his sword, nodding at me. 

'We won't let her kill anyone.' I nod back at Joe. Grian's out of sight, but he's safe behind me and Joe.

Until I remember.

She can still move the vines.

'Feathers?' I say his nickname slowly, 'don't panic, and just step towards me.' 

'Feathers?' I repeat his name, heart quickening. 'Feathers?!' 

I turn, just as I hear Grian scream.