Tales of Minecraft: The Curse (Remake)

8: Trusted?

Luke's POV
My eyes were locked on the place where I saw Jade fall. His screams still echoed in my ears long after they had finished. I dimly heard Zip and Tim calling Jade's name, but I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't feel.

I felt Zip gently shaking my shoulder, and I dimly heard her words asking if I was okay. No, I wasn't okay. I would never be okay. I felt hot tears start to roll down my cheeks. I wanted to go to the edge of the tree and look for him, I wanted to scream and yell and throw things, I wanted to sit down and cry but I couldn't. I couldn't move.

"Where's Fury?"

Alex's voice brought me out of my shock. I looked up to where Fury had been standing, but she was gone, disappearing into the night.

"Damn her to the Nether," Tim swore. "She must have taken off the moment Jade...."

"We never should have trusted her." My voice was quiet. "If we hadn't listened to her, if we had gone back to the cave, then Jade would be alive." It was all Fury's fault. She led us up here. She told us it would be safe. She told us to jump from tree to tree. She doomed Jade. Vines creaked below us, echoing the faint groans of zombies and clicking of skeletons far below.

"What should we do?" Tim asked.

I looked up at Zip. She hesitated, thinking of our options. "Our best option would be to wait here until morning. When the mobs are gone, we can climb down using vines, then.... We'll see when we get there."

Vines creaked again below us. They were louder than before, and sounded like they were mocking Jade's death. I'll kill Fury. If I ever see her again, I'll kill her and throw her off the trees, like she did to Jade. (Geez mate, you been eating red meat?)

"Luke! Help?"

My head jerked up at Jade's voice and I saw his hands gripping the edge of the tree. "Jade!" I ran forward and held onto Jade's hands, pulling him up. Tim came over and together, we pulled Jade up on top of the tree. His face was pale, his hands were red like he had been climbing and his ankle was twisted, but he was alive. I hugged him tight, and he hugged me back.

"You're alive!" I said, almost unable to believe it.

"Yeah, I know," Jade said, sounding like he couldn't believe it either. "Fury saved me."

I let go of him. "Fury?"

The girl climbed up on top of the tree easily, flicking her plait out of the way. She knelt next to Jade's ankle. "Could have been a lot worse. The vine that grabbed you was long, but it must have snagged somewhere and made you fall. If you had reached the end of it, it probably would have taken off your ankle and snapped. Right now, it's probably broken. I think I've got something for it at home, but for now, you won't be able to jump. Be right back." She stepped back and flipped off the edge of the tree.

Alex and Zip ran over to the edge and looked for her, while Tim and I stayed with Jade. "What happened?" I asked Jade.

"I don't exactly remember," Jade said. "I was falling, and then I felt something wrap around my chest and slow me down. Then Fury was there and she helped me climb back up using more vines. I think we were wrong about her. I think she can be trusted."

"I don't know Jade," I said hesitantly.

"She saved me Luke. She didn't need to and she risked her own life to do it."

Fury climbed back up on top of the tree, holding some blocks of wood in her hand. "Okay, here's the plan. Tim and Luke, you guys help Jade walk. I'll build bridges from tree to tree. Zip goes first, then you three, then Alex at the rear."