The Skeleton in my Closet: a Grian VS NPC Grian Fanfiction

Chapter 14, Mumbo

I slunk back under the covers of my bed. My fist stung, and blood trickled down the length of my finger.

The minutes passed. The bleeding stopped, and the stinging dulled to a mild throb. Yet the tears would not cease.

I tried breathing deeply, but as I did so I felt no calm. Only a burning rage that could not be sated. I clenched my fist, digging my nails deep into my palm.

Yet the pain could not distract me from my thoughts. Not for a moment.

Then came a light tapping sound. It was slow, and even. Footsteps. He was back. The fire in my chest only roared hotter at the thought.

Controlling myself as best I could, I spoke.

"I told you to go away."

I could hear the pain in my own voice. It trembled and oozed with anger. Yet he did not, he only began to step closer.

I threw off the covers, and bolted to my feet.

"GRIAN I-"

But I stopped. It..... wasn't Grian.

Instead I was greeted by a face I thought I'd never see again. His scars were contorted on a face filled with shock, and his hat slipped backwards on his head as he flinched.

"Mumbo. It's me, Scar." He spoke, gently.

In his voice I could hear levels of worry and concern, and his kind green eyes shimmered in the dim torchlight. I slumped backwards onto the bed, gripping the mattress tightly to keep myself upright.

I felt the bed sink down as Scar sat next to me. His presence was comforting.

I felt his arm over my shoulder, and I flinched back, pulling away. I looked up at him, and his expression was one of shock. He was trying to make me feel better, but I couldn't bear to be touched that way again.

His eyebrows drew close and the corners of his mouth turned upwards in a way that broke my very heart.

And in a soft, quiet tone, he asked, "Mumbo, what happened?"

I bit my lip. Turning away, I felt hot tears rise in my eyes once again, and I gripped the bed ever tighter. He laid his hand on mine. I looked, and my knuckles were ghost white. I forced myself to take a breath, and loosen my grip upon the mattress.

Scar stayed silent. His gentle warmth soothed me to a point where I could speak.

"It- It was Grian. Yesterday he- he came over and said you guys were- were done for the day. We fixed up my h- my house and sat down to watch the sunset."

Scar's face seemed confused for a minute, before he looked back up. "Oh, sorry. Please, go on."

"I was feeling really tired, and I was about to go to bed, before my bed was pulled away by a piston and I fell down a hole. THIS hole."

Scar looked up at the high ceiling, and nodded.

"I had half a heart left, and Grian then stood over there," I gestured towards the hole,"when it was covered with iron bars. He-"

And I stopped. I closed my eyes and more tears flowed down my face. I couldn't bring myself to say it. Taking another breath, I continued.

"He said some stuff, then smiled really weird and left. Then, just a few minutes ago, he came back, acting like nothing happened, like he was looking for me, and I yelled at him and punched him and..."

Scar grasped my hand in his, and I looked up. His face wes darkened with concern.

"Mumbo, I was with Grian yesterday. ALL day. We never left my place until after sunset, when both of us came looking for you. We couldn't find you, and Grian was so worried about you he couldn't stop crying!" Scar gripped my shoulder, and this time I did not pull away.

"Grian couldn't have done that to you! I'm certain of it! Whoever was there with you last night, wasn't Grian."

I stared into his eyes in shock. There was no way.

"Wasn't- wasn't Grian? But- no this doesn't make sense! Who else- what else could it have been?"

Scar paused for a moment, seemingly attempting to remember something.

"He said something about-" he muttered, before shaking his head, scattering the thought away.

"Said something about what, Scar?"

He looked up at me and smiled slightly. "Oh, it's nothing. Last night Grian mentioned something about some NPC thing."

For a split second I was still confused, until the realization hit me like an arrow to the chest.

"NPC Grian? Five years, that's what he meant by five years! No! No he can't be back!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder, snapping me back to reality. I had stood up and been pacing around the room, muttering to myself with my hands gripping the longer parts of my hair.

Scar looked at me with concern, but smiled when I seemed to calm down. "It's alright, Mumbo, Take it easy. It's alright."

I let him guide me down the obsidian hallway, and he showed me the way up by the ladder. When we'd reached the top, he led me to a place we could sit down. It seemed to be a living room area, except the carpets were torn up and nearly everything was moved or knocked over. I helped him set the couch upright, and we sat.

"Okay Mumbo, now tell me, what's going on?"

His expression was deeper, much more serious than usual. His smile replaced by a stony, attentive gaze. Scar was always the one to set a mood. I took a breath.

"It was just a little while after Grian and I had become friends, and long before you two had ever met." I began, looking up at Scar.

"Before then I'd never gone into his house, it wasn't like he had kept me out, just that we never got around to it. But that day I had decided to surprise him with a gift. I hardly remember what it was, it doesn't matter." I add, shaking my head.

When I'd arrived, I could hear some shuffling around inside. I figured he was going through some chests or something, but when I opened the door I saw him fighting to get himself into the hall closet."

"Him- himself?" Scar interjected, clearly confused."If he wanted in the closet wouldn't he just.... walk in?"

"It wasn't quite like that, it was like- like there was two of him. He managed to get the other him into the closet, and finally saw me. I was sure he was going to be furious, but instead he just sat me down and explained the whole thing. I gave him my gift and we parted ways, and we never spoke of it again."

I shifted my position on the couch. Scar was still looking at me attentively. "And what did Grian say?"

"He'd told me that, a few months before, he'd created NPC Grian, or rather summoned him, using a strange circle, five rustic houses, and three drops of his own blood. He said the reason he did it was to create the perfect rustic house, but couldn't make it himself."

I looked up and met Scar's gase,"So instead he created the perfect rustic house builder. NPC Grian was so obsessed with his only life goal that he enslaved those around him and forced them to become as 'perfect' as him. Grian eventually captured him and locked him in his closet, as for some reason, he couldn't open doors. And that was the end of it."

"So, he's been trapped in that closet.... for five years?"

Scar looked down at the floor. It was obvious he felt some sort of pity for NPC Grian. I sighed aloud, Scar always had a heart even for the cruelest of things. And this was certainly one of them.

"So, Scar.... do you know where Grian is now?" I asked.

I already knew the answer. "No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen him since last night." He replied, sitting up into a more focused posture. "So we need to go find him."

He turned and gave me a bright, comforting smile. "Because I don't want him to worry about you."