Severed - Sequel to Corrupted, an MCYT fanfiction

29: Pearl

I sit, alone, at the top of the highest tower, where I always sat and 'looked' out at the vast wastelands of sculk. Tilly's with me, her head resting against my legs. My only friend. My only real friend. With Martyn constantly guarding the place, and Scar scared of me after what I did, I'm still left alone, bored, bitter...

'Pearl?'

I jump at Scar's voice, too distracted by my thoughts to sense he was here.

'What?' I turn, scowling.

'This is my room.'

'You got the wrong place.' I return to my thoughts. Scar doesn't leave.

'No. No I didn't. Can you get out.'

'No.'

A dagger of sculk slips into my hand. Scar steps back.

'The Sculk gave me this tower to live in. It's mine.'

'I don't care.' I focus on my knife again. I'm sure Scar does too as he speaks again.

'The Sculk would kill you.'

'And? I've been here an awfully long time, Scar. I've got a little bit crazy. Who knows what I'd do?' I turn as I stand, stepping closer. He backs away. 'But what I know is that this is my place. This is where I go. You don't get to be here.' I easily trip him with sculk and he crashes to the ground. For a moment, it's like we're back in the dungeon. I get to hurt him and take control again for once in my life. 'Now, you can go back to moping about Cub in the dungeons.'

'Cub's gone.'

'...or you can stay and see what happens when you face an angry Pearl.' 

Scar hisses. A low, hostile, vexing, hiss before he lunges. I shove him away, one hand pinning him, the other holding my knife against his neck about to-

Pearl.

The Sculk. Of course. I pause, taking a deep, furious breath to hide my annoyance and shame. 

'What?' Scar speaks, his cockiness and overconfidence returned as his punishment is prevented. I can imagine his stupid little smirk, gloating as his new best friend arrives to defend him. 'Has someone just discovered there's a new favourite.' 

'What did you just say?' I growl.

'You know what you are, Pearl?' Scar stands. I'm left hastily standing, trying to regain dominance. But he's taller than me. 'You're like a dog, one of those aggressive, bad-tempered service dogs. But you've been abandoned because your owner no longer needs or cares about you. The sculk doesn't care about you. It's got new friends. It doesn't need you.'

'You B****!' I slash his face. The Sculk wrestles me away as Scar falls back, blood splattering the floor. I point my knife at him with shaking hands. 'You shut the f*** up, or I'll cut your face apart!' I threaten, fighting against the Sculk and the tears threatening to fall.

'Oh, go back to your kennel and kill yourself!'

'At least the Sculk didn't abandon me like your 'friends' did!' I snarl back. 'Even before you trapped him down in my dungeon and hurt him, Cub didn't care about you. He didn't want to come back and rescue a little b**** like you! He doesn't love you, Scar! And- and the SCULK you believe will protect you? It DOESN'T CARE! YOU kill yourself because NO ONE LOVES YOU!'

GET OUT! NOW!

I screech with fury again, the Sculk dragging me to the exit.

'If you think the Sculk cares about you why did you steal the flint and steel?' Scar challenges, his smugness undefeated.

'You F***ING LIAR!' I try to escape the Sculk, kill Scar, but I'm forced away, out of the room, before I can. The Sculk deposits me on the ground.

What was that, Pearl?

'I was provoked,' I snap, standing and returning to my room. I slump down on my bed, focusing on the sculk knife in my hand as I lie there on my side.  'And I was bored because you never let me do anything...'

You have space to build whatever you want.

'That's not DOING STUFF!' I stab the bed 'That's me just BEING HERE! Useless.' Scar's words repeat themselves, branded, in my mind. 'Abandoned.'

Pearl, I'll never abandon you. The Sculk rises, tenderly, to wipe the tears I can't fight.  I shift away, unable to hide my discomfort.

'Then why aren't I allowed to do anything?'

The Sculk falls back, but wraps tighter around my chest and neck.

There's no need for the attitude Pearl. The secrecy.

'Why would there be any secrecy? I've got nothing to do. What secret would I even have?'

It tightens further.

Scar said you took the flint and steel.

I stop, my urge to hurt Scar until he's sobbing for me to kill him rising. My fingers itch with the desire for violence.

'Why would you believe Scar?'

Did you take it?

'Why would I take it?'

DID YOU TAKE IT?

I can barely breathe from the Sculk, but still manage to spit out a reply.

'No! Of course not!'

Then why would Scar say you do?

'To hide the fact that he took it? You KNOW Scar could easily hide something from you! He's not even POSSESSED!'

So?

'So he's untrustworthy! And you're still believing HIM over ME!' I struggle to free myself from the Sculk strangling me. 'Why would you believe HIM?!

Why would I believe YOU?

I stop struggling.

'F***,' I swear. 'F***. You.'

What? You've disobeyed my orders lots of times before. I wouldn't put it past you to take the flint and steel Martyn left on the table. You wouldn't use it, of course. But you'd still take it. Just in case.

'Scar's tricking you, I reply, as calm as I can be though fury burns inside 'Scar's taken the flint and steel because he's a pyromaniac who was forced to hurt his best friend for you.'

You didn't see them meeting up.

'You don't know Scar.'

The sculk relents. Somewhat.

Scar understands perfectly well that if I'm gone, he'll bleed to death from all the injuries you caused him in seconds. He wouldn't live long enough to regret it.

'Then he's taken the flint and steel so he can take you down with him.'

And if you've stolen it, I'll make you understand what me abandoning you would really be like. Do you understand?

I nod.

'I do.'

Good. A pause. The Sculk's aggression fades and it hugs me, tender and gentle. I love you, Pearl. Never forget that, ok? I love you, and need you, forever.

'Ok.'