Look me in the Eyes

My Family, my Blood

The next day brought a sunrise that tinged the clouds gold, crimson and pink with its light. Rolburn and I stayed indoors and hoped the Player I'd stolen from yesterday would not find us. No one appeared throughout the day and the only change was in Rolburn and our rations. Our sleep was fitful that night, for the young Piglin woke often, crying with pain and covering his face with both hands in a pathetic attempt to soothe the dying flesh. I eventually had to hold his hands to keep him from scratching the skin off.

Our second day in the cave went rather the same, only somewhat worse. I knew my young friend's eye was going to be coming out either today or tomorrow and I needed something to ease the pain. Reluctantly I left him and set out for the only place I knew that could help: the Player's house. It had to hold supplies or tools that I could use.

I arrived at the house around noon. This time, however, I did not wait before teleporting inside. Rolburn had been curled up and biting his hands to distract himself from the agony in his eye when I'd gone. He was not going to have to wait longer than was absolutely necessary.

When I appeared in the main room, it was once again empty. Everything was exactly the same as it had been, including the strange tapping that came from below. Hastily I rummaged through the chests. Potions, spider eyes, wool bundles, packages of wood...where were healing materials? I saw sticks and cut stone, moss patches and strings upon strings upon strings. Emeralds and diamonds crowded one chest, iron and gold another. Leaves from numerous trees were jumbled together in several piles and and there was so much dirt. But nowhere could I find a potion of healing or golden apple anywhere. I cursed the Player, slamming the lid of the last chest in anger. Did they have nothing here?

As I glanced around, my eyes lit on the small hole in the floor I'd noticed last time. Maybe the valuables were down below. Without a moment's hesitation I zipped downstairs and into the basement. It was rather bare, with only a few chests and some ivy speckling the walls. A massive wall of stone, half of which was chipped away, stood in the back of the underground room and it was from there that the tapping sound came.

I stopped, suddenly realizing what that sound meant. A Player was down here. Digging. That was why I hadn't seen them before. I took a step forward, towards the chests. If I was quick...I could be in and out without them seeing me. Again, I knelt and searched hurriedly. This time, my search was rewarded. Several golden apples were stored here, as were three potions of healing. I grabbed them all and stood up.

The Player was standing only four feet away, a pickaxe in his hand. His eyes were on the floor, but I could tell by the angle of his head he was still observing me. Just how long had he been standing there...? I froze, holding the potions, purple particles sparking around my trembling body. The sharp edges of the pickaxe seemed to gleam before my eyes.

<Don't worry, I'm not looking at you.> The Player slung his pickaxe over his back, letting it slide into some kind of sheath. <Never seen an Enderman take stuff before. Kinda wish he wouldn't take all that; I worked hard to put that stuff together.>

I couldn't move. In the time I'd been in this world, I'd seen Players, heard their strange voices and the words that trickled from their mouths. But I'd never come face to face with one. My eyes burned as I stared at him, willing him to look up just once, to kindle that rage I already felt growing within me. "Look me in the eyes and I'll kill you." I said, my own voice cracking with terror even as I spoke.

The Player just stood there, head cocked on one side, watching the ground with his eyes and me with his vision. I took a quick glance at the ladder that led up into the main area again. I could get up there before he had the chance to strike. I could get back to Rolburn before this monster had the time to even emerge from his hole. My breathing eased a little.