Banished: Resistance is Futile

[12]

Maybe I shouldn't close my eyes next time.

Mumbo looked at the knife in his hands. It was just a simple kitchen knife he had grabbed.

He touched the site on his arm one more time, sighing in relief as pain radiated from the pressure point.

It was grounding, having something like this under his control, when nothing else was in the world.

He took a deep breath, gripping onto the knife. The blood on the blade had slipped down onto his hands. Hadn't he been helpful this year? Why did he deserve to suffer?

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning against the closest wall. His head felt empty; he felt devoid of feeling.

Why was it getting harder?

Where was the karma?

Minutes later, or maybe hours, he didn't know, the sound of rockets shook him from his current state. Panicking at the noise, he tossed the knife into the nearest chest, grabbing a conveniently placed bucket of water and pouring it over his hands, trying to wash the blood off.

It semi-worked.

Grabbing his coat from the closet near by, he hissed through clenched teeth as pain—a grounding, thrilling pain—radiated from his arm and up his elbow. He threw on the jacket in the nick of time-

"Hallo?" He heard Iskall's voice echo down into the lower levels of his base. "You there Mumbo?"

"Down here!" he called to his friend.

"You ok?" Iskall asked as he glided down to where Mumbo was. "You haven't answered your messages in a while and we were getting worried."

Mentally slapping himself, he pulled his communicator from his pocket and checked it. 78 unread messages.

<Xisuma> Has anyone seen Mumbo lately?

<Stressmonster101> last I saw him he was on the top of his base <3

<Iskall85> I can go check on him if you want

<Xisuma> That would be great, Iskall. :-)

<Xisuma> Logs say he is still there.

<Grian> i'm... busy, so idk

Why are they asking if I'm ok? Why would they care-

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand, putting away the communicator with the other. "I just got carried away with a project and forgot to check. Sorry man."

"You sure?" Iskall seemed to partially accept the lie; it wasn't unlike Mumbo to get caught up in a project and not respond to his communicator.

"Oh no, everything's fine, I promise." He smiled wide, squinting his eyes shut over-dramatically.

Iskall grabbed the back of his neck, satisfied with the answer. "Gave us all a little scare, bro. I know with Grian and all-"

"Look," Mumbo started, "I didn't ask for you to come and talk to me about this, so can you JUST DROP IT?" He didn't seem to notice his voice rising over the course of the sentence.

Iskall took a step backwards, growing concerned. "Mumbo- I-"

Mumbo equipped his elytra, running past the Swede and launching through the opening of his base, spamming rockets.

Is his normal? Am I normal? Is this reaction normal? Am I... crazy?

He answered his own questions in his mind. No, this isn't normal. No, I'm not normal. This reaction... well, it depends. And... He stopped.

"I've done everything right, and this is what I get?"

Patience, a voice whispered to him.

"But I've lost my patience." Mumbo spammed more rockets, not caring for where he flew. "I've been working so hard this year, but why am I so... so- lonely..."

There. He said the word aloud.

"And stressed."

"I just want it to end."

I'm going to run out of time.

"But..." Mumbo slowed in mid-air, looking back over his shoulder. "I don't wanna say bye." If only I could keep you in my pocket, Grian.

To give me some diagnosis of why I'm so hollow.

Please give me instructions I promise I'll follow.

Losing himself in thought, Mumbo didn't see the towering jungle tree coming up to meet his face.

Crash.

As he tumbled to the ground, he thought to himself more. But if I told them, wouldn't I sound like I'm complaining?

The Universe works in mysterious ways, but I'm starting to think it ain't working for me-

With a thud, Mumbo hit the jungle floor. He curled in on himself, welcoming the pain.

"Should I be good....... should I be good... thi..." His eyes fluttered closed.

-year.

^*^

Iskall didn't know what had just happened.

But the one thing he knew for certain... "Mumbo needs help."

^*^

Grian walked out of his mansion, Jellie floating beside him, when the sound of spammed rockets reached his ears. He looked up, but couldn't see anything. "You heard that, Jellie?"

'Yes.'

Grian shrugged, trying to cat off the pot forming in his stomach. "Then I guess we're off."

Taking to the sky, cat and Watcher didn't have a clue what was happening down on the world below.

^*^

UwU

Maya (and Joy, they started the chapter off) <3