The Other Survivor 2

Phobia Kicks In

"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide!" Naeus's voice cackled somewhere behind me. I stumbled forward. I wore my denim jacket, a purple t-shirt, black jeans, and blue sneakers.

"W-what?" I skidded to a halt to my running when I see a familiar face in front of me. Abigail's. I glanced behind me frantically. A squadron of wither skeletons is approaching. I can probably take them. Anything but killing my friend.

I ran to take them head-on, but they are soon replaced by the people from my village who are turned, their dead eyes staring at me, arms outstretched. I screamed as I saw them. I don't want to fight any of them.

My hands grew sweaty on my sword. I took a look behind me, Abigail's still there, waiting. I let out a desperate, hopeless cry as I charge into my old friends, slashing and slicing at them. I cried the whole time.

My eyes shot open.

Just a dream, just a dream, I thought, breathing hard. Cold sweat beaded my forehead as I clutched at the thin roll of wool I'm sleeping on. My body shook from the fear and panic I felt.

"You okay?" A voice asked. I forced my body to still and settle.

"Yeah," I said with my raspy, hoarse throat.

"I heard you scream," Rain said, concerned.

"It's nothing, just a nightmare," I said, my voice caught on the word just. I hate to admit it, it's not just a nightmare, it's a phobia.

"Your whole body was shaking and you were crying," Rain noted.

"I'm fine!" I snapped at him, "You get nightmares too."

"I don't wake up in the middle of the night screaming and shaking," he said, "I wake in the morning. And yes, I brought a modified clock." I hugged myself as I sat up, shivering and gaze downcast.

"The nightmares are better in the overworld," I mumbled, "At least I always have my armor on, which means I can teleport away. Here, I don't. I get stuck in whatever situation the nightmare throw at me."

"What's that nightmare just now about?" Rain asked. I looked away and ignored him. Not yet, I don't want to recount it just yet.

"Sorry," Rain said. An awkward silence followed.

"You want to watch...?" Rain asked. I nodded gratefully. I don't want to sleep yet, at least not here.

"Yeah," I said. It feels strange without my wolves, so they don't teleport through dimensions. I wished they do, it would've made my nightmares a lot less intense.

We're still in the Netherrack fields and moving east, according to the compass. I leaned on two block high netherracks jutting out from the floor that we made. I took out one of my arrows and inspected it out of boredom.

There's no pigmen or wither skeletons nearby, so Naeus must not have known about the Netherrack Fields, or he just chose to ignore it.

I took out a book and quill. I smile as I remember the good old days where I'd work on this. I worked on it for years, and just when I'm closing into an end, the undead came and occupied my time. After that, I never had time to continue.

It's a story about a girl named Scarlet who's parents were honest farmers in a village. They wanted her to be safe, so her father trained her in combat. But then one day a group of undead attacked her village.

The beginning of the story sounded dangerously close to my real one. The undead were just stories that are used to scare kids into behaving, and I wrote a story based on that myth. Now, I know it's not just a myth.

I chuckled at my handwriting and drawing of Scarlet. Emerald green eyes with fiery red hair and a serious, grim expression. If only things ended up like the happy ending I planned this story to have.

Maybe I'll get to end it one day... I thought, smiling. That would be nice for a change, sitting back in my hut, finishing up my book with my wolves by my side, Jet grazing within eyesight...... It seems nice and peaceful, unlike what situation I am in now.

I sighed as I put away my book and quill and took out a new and empty one. I tapped the quill against my chin.

Now how do I start? I thought. Then I thought of an opening paragraph:

I fled the camp. I remember the horrors I saw, down to the last detail. I ran and ran. My arrows running out. I only survived because I slept in, my tent collapsed on me.

I smiled. I began to write, branching off my story from there.

___________________________________________

So I gave Iris the nightmares/phobia because I realized she's getting too overpowered. She can fight well with a sword, aim really really well with a bow, agile and resourceful. So she's kinda too powerful and needed a weakness. Since physical ones don't match the storyline and generally don't last, I gave her a mental one. (She's not only based on me but  also who I want to be)

Also, I need a vote on this so I can develop the storyline. Remember, your choice impacts the story!

(Voting is now closed)

Choice A: Iris will have to face her fear again, and she overcomes it.

Choice B: Iris will have to face her fear again, but she didn't overcome it.

Choice C: Iris never visits the Nether again.

She doesn't overcome it on this trip, and I'm kinda conflicted on which one should I do. Comment on the above choices to vote!

~Iris