Prison of the dead (Labyrinth of Monsters' sequel) A hermitcraft/3rd life fanfic

Chapter 7 - Impulse

The camp is coming along well. It's a few days since we arrived here, and a few houses have been erected for us to sleep in. I've ended up in one with Mumbo and Scott. None of us are friends. It's not like anyone here was.

 Skizz, Tango and Zedaph are all still not here.

I'm lying on my bed in the earliest hours of the day, having been woken up by another nightmare, knowing again that I could've, and should've, saved my brother. Now I'm never going to see him again. 

And it's all my fault. 

Scott and Mumbo are both asleep. Good. I don't want to talk to anyone right now. But I'm still jealous of how much better their lives are if they can sleep without getting woken by memories of their best friend's death. 

I continue to lie there until Xisuma calls everyone to come out. I roll wordlessly off my bed and walk out, not bothering to wake the other two. Soon, everyone's gathered, and our self-assigned leader speaks. 

'So. Now that we've got our base looking alright, we need to explore what's around this area. Basically, we need what I put in place within the maze. Who wants to volunteer? 

No one does. I glance around. Others are doing the same, and I look quickly away as I meet Cub's gaze. Xisuma sighs.

'Impulse, you did a good job last time. Can't you do it?'

'NO!' I realise a moment to late that I've shouted. 'If you hadn't noticed, being forced to go outside a safe area didn't go very well for me last time. I might or might not've got my brother killed that way. And then still forced to go out. So, no thanks. Even though it's not like I've got anyone left here that I might lose.' 

'I'll go.' False raises her hand slightly.

'Thank you, False.' Xisuma stares at me pointedly as he says it. I clench my fists.

'Why do you want me to go?! Is it wrong to not actually want to risk my life for a group of s*** people I've never talked to before?'

'I remember you really wanting to do it before, when I was picking people the first time.'

'Well that was before Skizz died. You know, my f***ing BROTHER?!'

'IMPULSE, NO ONE CARES.'

'That's the whole f*****g point, isn't it? No one cares! I could've literally lost a leg and Doc still would've made me hop about in that place. No one cares about me! I'm just someone you can send out to die. Well, not any more. I won't give a f*** if all of you died. Maybe THEN I could have some peace for a moment.' I storm off. Someone follows. I don't look back. It's probably Cleo. 

'F*** OFF!' I yell when they don't back down. I can't tell if they have or not as I leave the camp, hoping to find somewhere quiet where no one will disturb me. As soon as I'm out of sight, I run. I know I'm faster than all of them. 

Well, I thought I was. 

'Impulse! Come on!' I hear Cub's voice and skid to a stop, turning. Cleo's panting several blocks back, walking the rest of the way. 

'Why do YOU care?'

'Because I lost Scar.' He replies simply. 

'So?'

'He was as close to me as Skizz was to you. I understand how you feel.'

'Scar wasn't your brother though, was he? He was just your friend. I mean, sure, you two were close I guess, but just friends. Skizz was my brother!'

'You don't get it do you?'

'Get what?'

'That there are other people in this world who are also in pain. You're not the only person here with a bad life, Impulse.' 

'Well maybe I'll start to care about your problems when you care about mine.' I walk away again, hoping that maybe everyone will actually let me get over everything in my own time, and stop forcing me into being their friend. Unfortunately, they don't take the hint.

'Impulse! Come back!'

'I want to be alone.' 

'Why?'

'Because you're all annoying and don't let me do what I want.' 

'Impulse...'

'Just let me do what I want!'

I hold out my hand, feeling a drop of rain. It gets heavier, until we're all in a downpour. I shiver in my torn t-shirt, but try to hide it. Lightning streaks across the sky. 

'Thunderstorm.' Cub states the obvious by saying. 'We should get back to the others.'

'Scared of the rain?'

'No. Scared you'll get too cold.'

'I'm fine.' I lie. Cleo screams.

'ZOMBIES!' She screeches. I look over, drawing the knife I always keep on me. A silver sword flickers into view in Cub's hand, as the undead begin to appear. I yell out as an arrow hits my arm, looking over to see a skeleton shooting at me. I run at it, quickly killing it, and it disappears in a flash of smoke, leaving behind a half-broken bow and a few arrows. I begin shooting, even though I'm not very good at it. Cleo's killed the first zombie she saw, and Cub's busy dealing with another two. The rain's really pouring down, making it almost impossible to see more than a couple of blocks away. 

'Impulse?' Cleo calls my name, just as thunder crashes above again. 

'Yeah?' I holler back.

'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine!' 

I squint to actually see her, and as I do I feel claws in my back and turn to see another zombie. My ruined top falls to the ground, and warm blood joins the rain down my back, I yell out, slicing wildly at them. Another joins in, and I swipe them both away, backing quickly towards the other. I trip, falling into the mud. 

'Impulse?!' Cub helps me to my feet, standing in between me and the undead monsters attacking, quickly killing them. He turns back to me. 'Are you ok?'

'I've... been better...' 

Suddenly, a scream shatters the moment, and Cleo runs blindly towards where she heard it. Me and Cub follow behind, as we search for the cause of the noise, quickly finding another player. I don't recognise them - black hair, a tattered blue top, braces, and headphones. 

'Who are you?!' Cleo asks. 

'Oh Yeah, because that's the best thing to ask in the middle of an attack!' I retort, trying to stop another zombie from killing me. But the guy still replies.

'I'm... Taurtis.' 

Yes. Taurtis is here.