Minecraft Hardcore

Chapter 21: Old Friends Gone Bad

Ami woke with a start. It took her a minute to gather her basic human intelligence to figure out what startled her awake, but the sound came again. Izzy was screaming. Plus, Ami wasn't the only one who was awake. Doing a quick scan of the room she was able to see that everyone else was in the same boat as her. She watched as Michael got up, stumbled a little, and ran outside to where Izzy was. Ami followed suit, confused when she saw Izzy on her knees, sobbing.

"Izzy? What happened?" she asked, concerned. Izzy said nothing, shaking and covering her face.

"Guys," Michael said absently. "You might want to come and see this." Ami looked at Izzy, giving her a reassuring pat before she got up and joined the others. A collection of signs, fifteen in all, stood behind a deep hole. When Ami glanced inside the hole, she felt her stomach cringe. A pool of lava sat at the very bottom, and this was only made worse by the signs.

"Dear everyone," Michael read. "If I've put up these signs already...I'm dead. How cliche. I couldn't take it. It was going to end like this anyways. A last note for you guys: Ami - you're a doll. Thanks for trying. Michael - Keep the group together. Charlotte - Lead them. I know you can do it. Luke - You're a no good piece of - ." Michael paused. "He scratched out the last word. I'll keep going." He cleared his throat. "And finally, Izzy. You're the one who helped me keep my cool. You stood up for me when no one else would. You saved my life. You brought me joy. I love you. But I've made up my mind, this is goodbye. Goodbye. -Aiden." There was no sound, other than Izzy's constant sobbing which escalated in volume after Michael finished reading. No one talked or moved an inch. Ami could barely wrap the situation around her head. Aiden committed suicide? But...he never looked like the type that would. Had she been wrong about him all this time? With heavy hearts and a lack of motivation, the group set out once again, marking their destination as the sky house.

"I really like your hair, by the way. How did you get it to be so bright?" Izzy played with Aiden's hair, which shone a vibrant pink.

"Well, it was only dyed a couple days before the incident. I dunno how long it'll last though; I'm hoping at least a few weeks."

"Either way it really suits you. Who knew that pink was a boy's colour?" She giggled, crashing back into the leather couch. Aiden smiled, getting up and sitting beside her.

"Now that I think of it, thanks for letting me stay over at your house. It's great over here. You even have a plasma TV!" She smiled, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.

"No worries. Don't you have a house, too? Maybe next time I can come over to your house." Aiden's grin faded.

"No," he said firmly. "You can't come to my house."

"Why not?"

"It's not safe." he gulped. Izzy's eyes widened.

"Oh," she said. Aiden sighed, crawling over to her and pulling her in his arms. "I just don't want to see you get hurt because of me."

"Funny," Izzy chuckled. "You're one of the best things that's happened to me." He smiled again, holding her close. Aiden didn't know much about this girl, but he knew one thing for sure. He would rather die than see her in the same situation as he was.

"...mi. Ami. Ami!" A voice called to her. Ami opened her eyes. She was back in the sky house, sleeping in her bed. A hand motioned for her to follow it.

"Hey!" Ami called, getting up and following it. "Who are you?" No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make out the face of who was leading her. It climbed up the vine ladder leading up to the roof, opening the trapdoor and vanishing.