End

Chapter 2

Steph dreamt of nothing but walking in the tundra, cold ground crackling under her feet. She looked up, expecting to see the Jungle, but there was nothing but tundra as far as the eye can see. She ran, ran for who knows what. The ground was crackling faster, louder, more intensity, and she smelled.... pork chops?

"Wake up sleepy head!" said a voice. Steph openined her eyes to see End over a burning, crackling oven, pork chops inside.

"Here's breakfast!" End said as he tossed her a pork chop.

"Thanks." She said in a sleep-slurred voice.

She ate it, grateful for food. Realization hit her as this was the first morsel of food that she had eaten since she had arrived. She completely forgot about food after End showed up. She would've starved soon if it weren't for him.

"So what are we doing today?" End said, tossing her the other pork chop.

That took her by surprise. Steph had figured that after End brought her to the Jungle, he would leave soon after. She no longer needed his help. I'll tell him later.

"Maybe I can start a giant farm, so I can keep eating bread. I'll collect wood for fences, and you can till the land."

Steph went over to the crafting table and crafted a few wooden hoes, and gave one to End.

"Let me know when that one breaks." Steph instructed.

End nodded and went to work.

It'll be hard telling him to go... I hope he doesn't take it personally. I just can't keep an Enderman around me. Steph thought, while cutting trees nearby with a wooden axe.

Feeling a deep pit of dread and anxiety in her stomach Steph went through 13 axes, and collected around two 64 stacks of wood, barely making a dent to the trees around her. End was still carefully tilling land, slowly but neatly , when the hoe broke.

"Here" Steph said, tossing him another.

"Thanks." he replied, and went back to work.

They hadn't said much while they did their jobs, Steph now collecting seeds to fill all the plots. The 2 seeds she collected in the tundra would not be enough. It's now or never.

"End." Steph said, clearing her throught as it had gotten really dry.

"Yeah?"

Steph hesitated, she haven't thought she was going to say next. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"I-I don't think I need your help here anymore. I mean, you've brought me some trees, and that's all I really needed from you...trees."

End said nothing. He kept carefully tilling the plot he was working on. Not saying a word.

"End?"

He put up a hand, in a "wait" gesture. He kept tilling slowly, putting up an awkward atmosphere for Steph as she waited for his answer. When End finally finished tilling the land 2 minutes later, he put the hoe down, and stared directly at Steph, took a deep breath and said...

"I thought you were different."

"Wha-"

"I thought you were different! I thought you accepted me, that I'm an Enderman, and I don't want to hurt you!" End said, voice raised, not yelling, just raised, in complete control.

"No I just don't need your hel-"

"No. I'm not stupid, Stephanie." he said, using her real name, "The reason you want me gone is because you believe I will kill you in your sleep, not even realizing it. Why would I do that? Bring you all the way here, help you survive, just to kill you?!"

"You are just like the rest. If they didn't try to kill me at first, they want me gone the next day. I'm angry. I'm disgusted. I'm disappointed. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Guilt swelled up in Steph like blood on a wound. She just wanted to take her words back and pretend nothing happened.

"Do you have any idea how it's like to be hated and feared, just because your race did things, not you? No! You don't! I'm not like the rest! I want to help humans! Not enslave and torture them!"

End paused to take a breath, then opened his mouth again to continue his rant, but before he could, Steph asked wearily, "E-enslave and torture?"

End closed his mouth. And Steph thought, her eyes could've tricked her but, did End's eyes possibly  widen?

"Goodbye Stephanie."

"No wait! I'm sor-" she stopped as End teleported.away, leaving the famous purple trail behind him.

Alone. Again. He's gone. Numb, Steph maneuvered to her cherry-wood shelter, and sat down on her dirt bed. She didn't want End to leave like this. Angry, disappointed and hurt. Steph put her hands to her eyes as tears began to well in them. I'm sorry!

Grief and Guilt was so strong in Steph that she almost choked. End was gone, and it was all her fault. She drove him away, But one thing continued to ring in her head.

Enslaved and tortured?