The Book Of Bread

Chapter 6

NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS A VERY QUIET DAY. LINK STAYED AWAY FROM EVERYONE FOR THE DAY AND MOURNED, WHILE EVERYONE ELSE SET UP FOR CAMP. THE DARKNESS CAME VERY QUICKLY AS RED SPREAD ACROSS THE SKY. IT WAS CLEAR TO SEE THAT KERMIT'S REIGN WAS SPREADING. JESUS, AMY, AND SHAGGY GRABBED FIREWOOD FROM THE NEARBY WOODED AREA WHILE JAKE, HANK, AND LINK STAYED BY THE FIRE.

JAKE LOOKED AT HANK AND MOTIONED HIM OVER TO TALK TO LINK. AS NERVOUS AS HANK WAS, HE DID WHAT HE WAS SUGGESTED AND MOVED OVER TO TALK TO LINK. AFTER ALL, IT WAS ONLY HIM AND AMY THAT REALLY KNEW WHAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH AND EVERYONE KNOWS THAT AMY WASN'T GOING TO GIVE HIM ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO COPE.

HANK MOVED OVER TO LINK, "HEY, BUDDY, ARE YOU DOING OKAY?"

"GO AWAY" LINK GRUMBLED. HANK LOOKED BACK AT JAKE, WHO MOTIONED HIM TO CONTINUE, SO HANK TURNED BACK AND TRIED AGAIN.

"LISTEN, KIDDO. I KNOW THIS IS REALLY HARD FOR YOU TO DEAL WITH, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, I-"

"NO! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND? SHE DIED IN MY ARMS, HANK. DON'T YOU GET THAT? I WAS TOO LATE, I COULDN'T SAVE HER..."

"LINK, I DEALT WITH THE SAME THING! PEGGY, SHE-"

"DON'T COMPARE ZELDA TO YOUR DEAD WIFE. I DIDN'T KILL ZELDA, WE AREN'T THE SAME." LINK TURNED AWAY AND STORMED OFF, LEAVING HANK HURT AND CONFUSED.

HE FELL TO HIS KNEES AND LOOKED DOWN, STARTING TO TEAR UP. "JAKE, WHAT DID I DO WRONG? WHY DID I DESERVE THIS FATE?"

"NO NO HANK, YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO DESERVE ANY OF THIS. HE DIDN'T MEAN WHAT HE SAID, HE IS JUST UPSET. DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY, HANK" JAKE RUBBED HANKS BACK, TRYING TO HELP CALM HIM DOWN.

HANK LOOKED AT JAKE AND SMILED SADLY. HE ALWAYS SAID THE RIGHT THINGS...HE DIDN'T DESERVE HIM.

"LIKE, HEY GUYS!" SHAGGY CAME BACK WITH HIS HANDS FULL OF WOOD, AMY AND JESUS FOLLOWING HIM FROM OUT OF THE WOODED AREA.

"WHAT'S UP, BRO?" JAKE ASKED, HIS JOULES FORMING INO A SMILE.

"LIKE, THIS MAY BE KIND OF FORWARD OF ME, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH...BUT I ENJOY BEING HERE WITH YOU GUYS. YOU'RE ALL LIKE...THE BEST." SHAGGY SMILED, GIVING A SIDE GLANCE TO AMY, WHO HAD A SMALL SMILE AND BLUSH ON HER CHEEKS.

"I APPRECIATE THAT, SHAGGY. WE'RE ALL A TEAM AND IN THIS TOGETHER. WE DIDN'T DO VERY WELL TODAY, WHICH IS WHY I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY TRY AND GET A PLAN." JESUS PUT DOWN HIS WOOD AND PULLED OUT A MAP, POINTING AT THE SPOT THAT THEY WERE STAYING, "WE KNOW HE IS ALREADY DESTROYING MOST OF THE NORTHERN EAST COAST AS WE SPEAK, SO WE NEED TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP HIM BEFORE HE STARTS MOVING SOUTHWEST. WE CAN'T SAVE EVERYONE BUT WE CAN AT LEAST TRY AND STOP HIM FROM KILLING ANY MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE. "

EVERYONE NODDED AND STARTED THINKING. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THEY WERE PRETTY WEAK AGAINST A GOD, BUT HOW WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO MATCH THAT KIND OF STRENGTH.

"I THINK HANK COULD HELP A LOT, IF WE'RE JUST ABLE TO GET HIM TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN HIMSELF." JAKE STATED, HOLDING HANKS HAND. HANK GAVE AN UNSURE LOOK AROUND TO THE GROUP, LOOKING DOWN AT HIS HANDS THAT WERE SHAKING.

"I JUST CAN'T AFFORD TO HURT ANYONE ELSE. I CAN'T CONTROL IT, I CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE ANOTHER IMPORTANT PERSON FROM MYSELF..." HANK CLENCHED HIS FISTS.

"YOU WON'T, HANK. THAT'S WHAT I KEEP TELLING YOU, YOU'LL BE OKAY."

EVERYONE NODDED IN AGREEMENT, WHILE HANK TURNED AROUND, THINKING TO HIMSELF.

AMY STARTED UP, "I REALLY WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO LAY A HAND ON KERMIT. IT'S LIKE HE HAS SOME STUPID TELEKINESIS POWERS OR SOME DUMB SHIT." SHE GRUMBLED, "MY HAMMER COULDN'T LAY ONE HIT."