EnderOni, Loop One

Chapter Eleven:

4 O'clock

-...-

The group of eight had gotten down to the basement pretty quickly. Jerome and Mitch lead the group to the wooden door, and just for show, Mitch showed them how the door would not break down no matter what. Sure, dust flew everywhere, but what was about to happen seemed promising, and so nobody really cared.

“Hurry up and unlock it!” Bodil pushed forward. Everyone was on edge.

Jerome did as told and a click was heard from the door. With a push, the door flew open, and the smell of the outside world nearly made Jerome pass out. But it wasn't the outside world. A tunnel, a dirt tunnel to be exact. And thought it started dark and took a sharp turn to the right, a hint of light came from the other side.

“Come on!” Mitch grinned and was the first to step forward.

“Be careful, still!” Ian replied.

The group walked forward, some more willing then others to explore. When they turned the corner, it appeared that the light was hidden by one more turn. They went forward and forward.

“Ugh.” Ty nearly tripped on a lone root that was sticking from the ground. He glared at it, but then continued on when Sky pulled him onward.

Finally reaching the end of the tunnel, it stopped with a wide area. There was hole in the ceiling at the top, and a ladder. You could clearly see the outside world. Grass, trees, the beautiful blue sky. Some stood in awe.

“AHHHAHAH!” Bodil laughed. “IT'S FREEDOM!”

“We can escape!” Sky joined in on the happiness.

“I can't believe th-this.” Seto even gazed at the ladder.

“Come on! What are we waiting for!” Ty said, stepping forward, towards the ladder.

“We need to go get Tyler and Brice!” Mitch said.

“Wait! Ty!” Seto gasped.

Ty had begun to climb the ladder already. It was understandable his want to be free, but they still needed to get Brice and Tyler, and if one person escaped, the another would want to leave now, and nobody would be able to look after for the Oni. There was a crack.

“Ty! Be careful!” Jerome shouted, worried by the sound.

“Don worry about it!” Ty shouted back, but then there was another crack.

“TY!” Sky shouted.

Ty took another step, and that was it. The ladder snapped and crumbled apart, and Ty fell to the dirt floor with a thump. He groaned in pain and Ian and Jerome stepped forward to help him up. Seto and Mitch stared at what was left of the ladder, which was too high up for anybody to reach. Nobody could stand on another shoulders to reach it, and it was probably soo weak that if Seto used his magic, it would break too.

“Goddammit!” Sky huffed.

“I-it's okay, we just need to find something to replace the ladder with.” Jerome tried to keep the smile.

“Yeah! W-We need to look! We can't give up now!” Ian agreed.

Seto sighed. “Okay then. Some of us can guard the door and some of us can go look for a ladder.”

“And Ty! Don't do that again!” Sky barked at his friend.

“Sorry!” Ty replied.

“We should have a group guard the ladder and a group guard the door, and then a group go out searching for a replacement.” Jerome sighed.

“That sounds like a plan.” Bodil said.

“Four of us can go out to search for a replacement. Two can wait by the door and two can wait by the ladder. You're both in shouting distance of each other.” Seto said. “Tunnels echo quite a lot, you know.”

“Okay then.” Mitch sighed.

“I'll wait by the ladder!” Bodil announced first.

“So will I.” Jerome nodded his head.

“Okay, now by the door....” Seto paused.

“I'll wait.” Ian said.

Seto waited for another person to step forward, but then realized he'd need to take the last position by the door. “Okay then, I'll wait with Ian.”

“Me, Sub, Ty, and Mitch will go out looking for a replacement for the ladder.” Sky said. “And If we happen to need to go up to the second floor, we'll let Tyler and Brice know what's going on.”

“Sounds good. Thank you.” Seto nodded his head.

“Now let's go.” Mitch said. “We don't have much time to lose! We're so close!”

“Yeah!”

The plan was put in place and they split up, Bodil and Jerome standing by the broken ladder, Seto and Ian outside the wooden door, and Mitch, Sky, Ty, and Sub out searching for a replacement. It was silent, almost to the point where Seto and Ian could just hardly hear Bodil and Jerome talking a bit through the door. It really was a good plan.

“Ugh. I hate standing right here, so close to freedom.” Jerome sighed, staring up out of the hole, into the outside world. It got a bit windy at one point and Jerome felt a bit better when the wind dropped down into the hole and went through his fur.

“Then why'd you suggest waiting here with me?” Bodil asked.

“I like seeing the outside world again.” Jerome frowned. “We've been in here for how long?”

“A few days, if I remember right.” Bodil replied.

“Bodil.” Jerome spoke after a small pause.

“Yes?” Bodil, whom was taking a seat on the dirt floor, turned to Jerome.

“What are we going to do when we get out?” Jerome asked.

“Well....” Bodil looked down at the ground. “We'd need to tell the others we're alright.”

“That's true. I'm sure they're all worried about us.”

“Maybe celebrate?” Bodil suggested.

“Have a feast of all kinds of food to celebrate we're alive?” Jerome added, but then frowned. “Well, that would also mean we'd need to hold f-”

“Y-yeah, I know. It won't all be sunshine and lolly pops.” Bodil looked down.

“But...But we can't let it keep us down, okay?” Jerome tried to smile. “There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, right?”

“Yeah, right.”

Another conversation short lived, overcome by silence. They waited, The outside calling their names, and yet nothing happened. But then, out of nowhere, the two heard the dirt move to the sound of foot steps. Were they that quick? The two looked at each other, hesitating, but then they heard a familiar voice.

“Hey! Some help here!?”

“One moment!” Jerome called, turning to Bodil. “That's Ty! But I didn't hear the door.”

“Neither did I.” Bodil looked frightened.

The two got up and slowly walked over to turn the corner, cautious. They both had some sort of weapon, though hardly threatening at all. Stepping out in view of the rest of the underground hall of dirt, there was nothing. Nobody. Jerome looked back at Bodil.

“Maybe we're going insane.” Bodil commented.

Jerome stepped forward, nearly tripping on a piece of root that stuck out of the ground. He looked around the corner at the end of the stretch of hall and just saw the door, normal as ever. Jerome sighed, his stomach didn't hurt as bad anymore. He relaxed and turned back to Bodil.

“False Alarm, though I do wonde-”

Jerome's breath was caught in his throat, and he nearly choked. His eyes widen, as timed slowed down, and behind Bodil, was the EnderOni.

“LOOK OUT!” Jerome shouted.

Bodil gasped, turned around, and was just in time to meet the eyes of the devil before a swipe of the monster's arm hit Bodil in the side and Bodil hit the wall. Jerome lashed out, using his weapon, which was a sharp ended stick, two and a half feet long, like Sub's. It was hidden in the kitchen cabinets, and wasn't the strongest, but wasn't easy to snap in half. Jerome got between Bodil and the Oni, protecting his friend.

“Bodil!” Jerome shouted, unable to keep his eyes off the Oni, who was turning his attention to Jerome.

“I-I'm okay!” Bodil replied, getting up, and finding that his head was bleeding.

The Oni caughed Jerome off guard, and nearly had Jerome, but Jerome was able to use the weapon as a sheld, blocking the Oni's arm from hitting him. While Bodil regained his strength, Jerome was able to hold of the demon, however having to step back as he did. The oni lashed out with his sharp fingers and strong arms, at one point switching tactics and jumping out at Jerome, it's teeth showing, in attempts to give Jerome a fatal bite to the head. Jerome jumped back, and found himself alined with the door.

With out a second thought, Jerome sprinted for the door, yelling, trying to open it. He yelled for Seto and Ian, only to have nothing. The door wouldn't open, and he looked down finally to find a neon purple glow on the handle. And, distantly, the screams of Seto and Ian on the other side. They have been trying to break in for awhile now. They knew trouble was on the other side. Jerome turned back to see the Oni had paused, and then was looking back down the hallway to see Bodil, still a bit weak. Jerome felt fear as the Oni turned it's attention on Bodil. Bodil40. 4 O'clock, but Jerome had other plans.

“NO!” Jerome shouted, running back after the Oni.

The Oni had Bodil in his grasps, but then Jerome stabbed the beast in the side with the stick, the stick breaking when the Oni gasped and turned roughly to Jerome. The Oni dropped Bodil, and with it's neon blood dripping to the floor, it shot daggers at Jerome. Jerome had no defense, and chills went down his spine. The Oni let out a growl, soundly like any other Endermen out there, and Jerome's heart sank. Bodil's eyes opened slightly through the pain in his head and he saw Jerome go ghostly pale, if someone with such fur could.

And that was it. The Oni grabbed Jerome and crushed his shoulder with his own hand, then shoved Jerome in the wall. There was a crushing sound, and Bodil's body shook when the Oni stepped to the side to reveal is work of art. Jerome, sitting on the ground against the wall, half of his upper body crushed, and blood splattered everywhere. The Oni drew out a 4 on the wall beside Jerome.

Bodil tried to stand up, his whole body in shock. He looked down at the ground, trying to stand up, only to get half way, look up, and the Oni was gone. Bodil stood up, and looked around, seeing the Oni had reappeared behind him. Bodil screeched, and the Oni grinned.

“NO!” Bodil shouted out, running away, only to trip and fall and hit the ground with a thud because of that loose root in the ground.

The Oni didn't follow him, however, and after a few moments, Bodil's head now buzzing, the Oni rammed it's own body against the dirt wall. The underground hall shook, and slowly, the ceiling started to cave in. Bodil closed his eyes, pretty much assuming he was already dead. But nothing happened to him, at least he was sure, and he opened his eyes to see that the other side of the hall, the side with the escape into freedom, was gone. To his side, Bodil saw Jerome, still there. Still dead.

It was 4 O'clock, Jerome was dead, and Bodil was passed out.

-...-

“One more time!” Mitch shouted, and he used all his strength to kick the door down.

Seto and Ian had given up with trying to reverse the magic locking the door and had run to get the other group, which really hadn't made it too far. They returned to the door, and after working fast to try to get past it, Mitch finally decided to go with beating it down or be a sissy. His foot collided with the door, the door breaking, finally. Mitch fell over, but got back up quickly.

Running in, Seto took notice of the Oni's magic gone, and they all took notice of the creepy silence. Mitch ran past the others, and turned the corner, all life as he knew it crashing down on him. In front of him, Bodil, passed out, and in front of him, his best friend, dead.

“JEROME!” Mitch cried out, falling to his friend's side, breaking down.

“Fluffy.” Sky whispered out, his hand over his mouth.

“T-There is only one number! Someone check Bodil!” Seto said, noticing the four on the wall.

Ty ran over to his friend's side and shook him. At first, nothing, but after a bit more hope, Bodil began to wake up.

“Oh thank notch!” Seto said, seeing Ty help Bodil stand up. It seemed Bodil had a twisted ankle, but he was alive.

“Thank notch?” Mitch turned around. “Biggums is dead!”

“The ceiling caved in too! There won't be any escaping.” Ty noted, and Sub pointed to the obviousness.

Mitch turned back to Jerome, tears in his eyes. Why'd he leave Jerome's side? Mitch honestly believed that he had stayed behind instead of Bodil, they would have lived, even though that wasn't true. In fact, Mitch would have probably fought back the Oni, and would have been killed too.

“Bodil? Do you remember what happened?” Sky asked.

Bodil paused, his face showing a rather shocked and yet depressed expression.

“No? You need to keep your breath. He needs rest.” Seto sighed after the silence.

Nobody said anything, and for a moment, they all stood there, mourning in silence to the fallen. Mitch dug his head into Jerome's left shoulder, and for a moment, you could hear him crying. It broke their hearts even more. And yet, time still continued on. At one point, they would need to leave, and meet Tyler and Brice back at the safe room.

-....-

Brice wasn't dumb. Tyler's lie could only stand for so long. He left to the bathroom, but as time wore on, Brice realized it wasn't the bathroom door he had heard, but the iron door. And he wasn't very happy about that. He was sick and tired of just sitting around, and the moment he realized he was abandoned, he realized he had to do something.

And so, he forced himself up. He slowly let his feet touch the floor, sitting on the side of the bed, and hesitated, but stood up, using the wall as a support. His legs were weak, but he was able to do it. And taking a moment, he stepped forward. His balance was a bit off, but it was something he could recover with time. Now, he tried remembering what the room lo- oh. He had forgotten that he had never in fact seen the room. So he was left to find his own way out, reaching for things.

He didn't try to use the memory of being walked through the room from the iron door once, when they all returned from the room with the bloody clock. He made his way until he almost ran into the corner of a wall. Closer, he got, almost tripping on the end of a table. But he continued on. He wasn't going to give up. Not at all.

“He did say, after all.” Brice told himself. “My strength is hope.”

Brice found the steps, and cautiously, he made his way up them. When he got to the door, he opened it, and found himself out of the safe room. Out of safety. And he continued, none the less.  

-...-