A Chaotic Camping Trip! (Hermitcraft 8 Highschool AU)

Chapter 19 - Bioluminescent Beauty

The melodramatic hum of the crickets surrounding them, paired with the rhythmic crunching of leaves below gave them both something to focus on as Keralis walked and Bdubs held up the flashlight. There wasn't much else to do, because talking only winded Keralis more, and he was graciously carrying Bdubs, and there wasn't much to talk about.

The weather was nice?

The warmth from Keralis mixed with how late it was had Bdubs struggling a little to stay awake. He had to of course, with the super-duper important job of holding the flashlight, but the exhaustion settling into his bones was making it hard. It would be rude to fall asleep on Keralis. Not that he would hold it over Bdubs's head ever, but it was rude nonetheless.

Bdubs was about to close his eyes, just to let them rest for a second of course! But a blinking light in front of them had the shoot back open. Keralis noticed it too, slowing his pace a little.

"Bubbles..."

"What was that?" Bdubs asked, looking into the distance to try to find it again.

It happened again, but it wasn't actually a blinking light in the distance that caught their attention. The flashlight flickered in front of them. Keralis stopped moving.

"No, n-n-no no!" Bdubs chuckled hollowly. It flickered again, more violently and stayed out for a few seconds longer before Bdubs hit the side of it quickly, getting it to turn back on.

"Bubbles..." Keralis's voice wavered, mixed with his tired breathing. His bravery was wearing thin. It had been a while since they started walking, and there was still no sign of either camp or the trail.

"It's fine! See it's fine!" Bdubs said, waving it on a tree with totally not shaky hands.

The flashlight flickered again and Bdubs hit it again, but nothing happened. "You stupid-"

Bdubs hit it one last time and it shone more brightly than it had ever, before going out with a spark, causing Bdubs to drop it in a panic.

"aH!"

"Oh no." Keralis whispered.

It was really dark.

They thought it was dark before, in the woods at night without the moon or stars, but now they didn't have a flashlight, and it was so so so dark.

It didn't help that the clouds covered the sliver of moon left either, or that the trees covered the remaining stars. They could see the tiniest bit of night sky above, but it only made the pitch blackness around them feel even darker.

"Bubbles," Keralis said in a broken whisper. "What do we do?"

Bdubs looked around, and could barely make out his hand waving to the side of his face. He started to move around.

"Put me down for a second."

"But your foot-"

"I'll balance on one leg."

"Hold onto my hand. It's so dark." Keralis said as he let Bdubs down carefully.

"Ok. Don't turn around, ok? Otherwise we won't know what direction we came from."

Bdubs grabbed Keralis as he slid off and used it to balance better as he held his bad foot up. He started to let go as he bent down, to which Keralis squeezed tighter.

"I'm just trying to find the flashlight Ker."

Keralis bent down with him so Bdubs didn't have to let go to scour the ground with his other hand. He hadn't thrown it or anything, so it was pretty easy to find feeling around the area near Keralis's feet.