Discord

Chapter ??? - Pa?

Chapter ??? - Pa?

Derren and I ran through the streets and eventually through a garden and up a foggy hill, away from the street and deep into the graveyard. I didn't know where we were going, or why Derren chose to head this way. But I trusted him.

Mostly because I was too focused on not being chopped up by skeletons, ripped apart by other teens or tripping over gravestones on our way up the steep rocky hill. Once up there we collapsed, panting, on the top of the broken stone stairs: ones that are just large stones placed carefully in a stair-like formation. Derren reassured me that this was a safe zone. No skeletons could get past the stairs, because this was a house that everyone has to get to, and in the game, it would've been a checkpoint.

Too bad that when we die, we don't respawn.

"We left Chris again." I breathed, fiddling with the hole in my hoodie that the bolt had left and fetching a flask of water from my bag. Or as Derren calls it, a canteen. He simply shrugged, unable to say much through ragged breaths.

"Well... We said that if we ever got lost... we'd meet here. Safe zone, ya know?" He said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

"You don't do a lot of running, do you?" I said, taking a sip of cool, clean water. If there wasn't an abundance of this stuff I think I'd die.

"Nuh uh." He shook his head, leaning back on his elbows and looking at the sky. "I'm not really... supposed to."

"Huh? Why not?" I watched the path for any sign of Chris. It'd be bad if he died now. It would mean my losing streak just continued.

"Health issues." Was all he answered. After that we fell silent. I could almost feel him wishing Chris to be here. They really are close, huh?

"So what's the deal with you and Chris? I haven't seen a friendship quite like yours." I said quietly, preoccupying myself with mundane tasks such as cleaning my axe and refilling my favourite metal tin of water using a different one.

"Eh, we've always been pretty close. He's like a brother to me. Stuff like that gets really important in this sort of situation. I don't think I'd be here if it wasn't for him." He shrugged, plucking at the tall unruly grass beside him.

"Ah, I had someone like that. Then he sliced my cheek open." My voice had a tinge of bitterness to it, like just saying I was close to that a*shole at one point is just a bad taste in my mouth.

"Damn." He replied, with a slightly amused tone. "At least he didn't kill you, I guess."

"Nearly did though. I have no idea where my other friends are, though. I hope they're all right." I said, gnawing on my lower lip and fiddling with my fingers.

"They're probably fine."

"Mm."

Somehow, I didn't quite believe him.