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

Chapter 15 - Tango

I follow the trail of blood through the darkness. 

With every step the terror grows. There's no other noise, but I know Etho's just died. I've heard it a million times before. It doesn't take long for me to find the right place, where the body and writing are. 

I KILLED ETHO.

The words are still dripping, red crawling down the wall. Written in blood. HUMAN blood. ETHO'S blood. 

I try to run away, but hit what seems to be a mirror. I look up and see EX's body. It's horrifyingly identical to Etho's. There's no way out. Nowhere to run from the dead. I can't move my eyes from the corpse as it lies there, spotlighted and turned silver by the hole in the ceiling. 

I blink. Someone's walking towards me, chest torn open and eyes crazed. Impulse. No. Not him. Why's he here too? Surely... surely the rest is enough.

'Why did you do this?!' I snarl. 'Why did you kill him!?'

'He deserved it. He f*****g deserved it.'

'Impulse... please... You've not been ok since Skizz died.'

'DON'T TALK ABOUT SKIZZ'S DEATH LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND IT!'

'IMPULSE! THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN DEATH!'

He turns to go. 

'FINE! LEAVE! IF THAT'S GONNA MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!'

He doesn't speak, collapsing against the wall. 

'LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK!'

I know what's going to happen now, even before he pulls out the knife, speaks the words. I run forwards, as late as always, as he stabs himself in the chest and slowly dies, leaving me alone with three corpses in a room I can't escape. 

I scream. 

Limbs flailing, gasping for breath, I scream, My eyes flash open, and I fall out of my bed, onto the ground, huddled up and crying. 

'Tango?!' Zedaph's there, crouched by my side. 'Are you ok?'

I can't reply. I can't get the images out of my head. Etho. EX. Impulse. They're all dead. I saw them all dead. 

'Was it another nightmare?'

My hands are covered in blood, staining the floor and refusing to go. I don't try to, as Zed repeats my name, as I lie there on the cold stone of the maze. 

'Tango, talk to me. It's never been this bad before.' 

'I... I...' I try to force out normal words. 'I... told him to go...'

'It'll be ok. You're not in the maze any more. You're in your room. Safe. There aren't any dead bodies.' 

'There's blood everywhere...'

'That's probably just sweat.' Zedaph reasons. I finally accept that he's right, and peer pathetically up at him. 

'EX was there too this time.' I tell him. He freezes for a moment. 'He was dead too. Etho, EX, and... Impulse.' 

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

'Why? Did you kill him?!'

'No!'

'Then why are you sorry?! What happened? Who killed him?'

'I don't know! Tango, there's nothing to be scared of.' He helps me to my feet, and I reluctantly let him. 

'Let's go and eat, and forget about any creepy dreams we've had.'

We do. Skizz and Grian both ask what's wrong when we arrive. Zedaph explains for me as I pick at my food, not hungry or interested enough to eat it, feeling like it's going to come straight back out again when I do. Grian notices.

'Do you want some pancakes?'

I look up. 

'Pancakes?'

'Yeah. There's some over there.' 

'I like pancakes.' 

'Will you cheer up if I get you some pancakes?'

'Yes.' 

All nausea and lack-of hunger disappear as soon as the plate is placed in front of me. Grian laughs. 

'Knew that would work...' 

'Grian, you're a genius.' Skizz grins. 'You doing better, buddy?'

I nod back, smiling.

'Thanks...'

'Nightmares suck.' Grian sympathizes. 'And pancakes are delicious.'

'Very.' I agree with a mouthful of pancake. We all continue eating, until we're all full and I've stopped thinking about my dream constantly. I try not to look over at where the remaining NHO are all giving each other the silent treatment. Especially not at Etho. 

'So, is anything exciting happening today?' Zedaph asks. 

'Must be, since the authors decided to make this a chapter. And it's the 15th chapter. Something always happens in that one,' replies a casually passing Helsknight. 

'Wow. Thanks for that, Hels.' 

'You're welcome!' He calls over, before turning back into Wels. 

'Anyway, now that Hels has predicted that everything is going to be chaos, I wanna work on redstone stuff. Tango? Want to join me?'

'Sure!'

'I'll come too!' Grian offered,

'Grian, no offence, but the last time you tried to help us with redstone, you broke everything.' Skizz kindly declined the offer. The winged hermit hmphed back.

'Fine! I'll do building stuff with Bdubs...'

'Let's go!'

We all set off. Most other people are still eating as we traipse through the hallway between the eating area and the other room. Suddenly, Zedaph freezes.

'Blood.' He states. Everyone looks over. I try not to freak out. Blood. Death. Who's died?

'It looks like a trail...' Grian adds. 'We should follow it.'

'Noo...' I quickly step away. 'I'm not following any more random trails of blood!'

'Tango, if you want to stay behind that's fine. But someone might be hurt.' 

'Won't be the first time someone's almost died over here...' Skizz mutters darkly. I breathe deeply. 

'Fine. I'll come.' 

We all head off, and I'm happy for the company. At least I'm not doing it alone. But still...

I follow the trail of blood through the darkness. My dream returns to me, and I try and shake it away, unconsciously beginning to walk quicker, a sense of urgency filling me. 

'Tango, Slow down!' Skizz catches up with me. Grian and Zedaph are still just behind as we turn a corner, and I look up.

Someone's there. 

They're crouched in the corner, wearing only a pair of burnt shorts. There's a knife clutched in their hand, as they stare distrustfully at me. I don't speak. I can't. I know exactly who it is. Even without their signature top, and with scars and gaping wounds covering their body. 

Impulse.

Woo! Halfway plot twist! Like I always seem to do!