Chapter 5 - Restless Night

Chapter written by FanfictionalWarrior
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The light was starting to fade outside, a faint golden glow still peeking over the horizon. Stars slowly beginning to emerge, the twinkling lights dotted about the dark night sky.

There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence among the three friends inside the Order Hall. Everybody were silently puzzling over something in their head, unaware of what was going on in the mind of the person next to them. While Jesse's thoughts were mostly the usual, Lukas and Petra were both still pondering over the odd events that had been occurring ever since the night they went out mob hunting.

Lukas was thoughtfully tapping his foot on the floor, fingering the rim of the mug he held in his hands. The distant look in his eyes proving that his mind was a million miles away.

Petra was staring down at the table they were sitting at, absent-mindedly chewing her lip. Occasionally frowning to herself, and blinking in confusion as she tried to think of a logical explanation for what has been going on.

Jesse was leaning with one elbow on the table, chin resting in her hand. Her other hand resting on the table's surface, one of her fingers tracing the grain in the wood.

"Listen, guys." Lukas said after a bit, looking up. "It's getting pretty late, and I have something I'd like to do before calling it a day. I'll catch you guys again later."

Petra only gave him a nod, wondering if he was going to try pestering Ivor for information again, or if he had some other crazy idea. A part of her wanted to jog after Lukas and hear his plan – either joining him if it was good, or talking him out of it if it was silly. But at that moment, she was tired and just not feeling like sticking her head deeper into the mess. A good night's sleep was due.

"Any idea where he is off to?" Jesse asked Petra as they heard the front door close behind Lukas.

"No clue." Petra replied matter-of-factly, sitting slightly back in her chair. She stifled a yawn, which seemed to be contagious, causing Jesse to yawn as well.

"I think I'm going to bed." Jesse said, standing up from her chair and raking her fingers through her mob of black hair. "See you tomorrow."

"Night." Petra replied, watching as Jesse walked out of the kitchen, heading in the direction of her bedroom.

The redhead let out a slow, tired exhale, shaking her head to herself. Deciding to retire her thoughts for the night, and continue puzzling over it the next morning.

She stood up from her chair, walking over to the sink and slowly filling up a glass of water for herself. Leaning back against the counter and taking a large gulp of the cool liquid.

Somewhere outside the window, a cricket was chirping. The occasional breeze causing the trees outside to rustle. It was so peaceful.

Petra placed her empty glass back in the sink, about to head to her own room for the night. But as she took a step forward, the moment her boot's sole touched the floor – Petra heard it.

A distinct rumbling, definitely not thunder. A sound that made her heart sink as she realised what was about to happen.

Petra squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the air around her shift. The cool evening air replaced by a warm, almost humid feeling. A faint smell of smoke and dust pricking her nostrils.

Taking a deep breath, Petra opened her eyes again. Slowly taking in where she was.

Almost instantly, Petra recognised Beacontown's mines. The sound of pickaxes hammering against stone in the distance, the faint bubbling of lava nearby.

Petra glanced around, coming to the realisation that she was alone. She frowned, crossing her arms as she turned around on the spot a few times – trying to understand exactly what was happening at that moment.

Petra's questions were soon answered, a voice calling out n excitement, a voice that sent chills down her spine. Her voice.

"Mystery is what makes it fun!"

Petra flung around on the spot, her eyes darting around as she searched for the owner of the voice. Only once she spotted the two figures, did she regret looking for them in the first place.

Leaping down from one of the ledges in the cave, grinning broadly, short red hair bobbing around her shoulders. Seeing herself merely metres away, caused Petra to take a horrified step back, her eyes wide. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling at that moment, other than a hell of a lot of confusion.

Jesse shortly followed, panting slightly. Leaping down after Petra, the plain iron chest plate she was wearing clanking against the stone.

Petra shook her head slightly, snapping herself back to reality. Watching as Jesse and herself ran past, not even noticing her.

And as if on pure instinct, Petra followed.

She knew where they were, or to be more specific – when. It was the time when she and Jesse were searching for Lluna, only minutes before they found the prismarine gauntlet.

Petra stopped slightly behind a rock, watching as her past self came to an abrupt stop. Calling out in frustration as a group of spiders blocked her path, ripping out an iron sword.

Jesse was still running along an upper ledge, her eyes flickering to the side and noticing Petra. She glanced forward slightly, the temptation to overtake her friend in their race visible in her eyes. But then she turned back towards Petra, leaping down from the ledge. "My turn to save you, Petra!"

Present day Petra smiled slightly to herself. Huh, when they were racing, she hadn't actually realised Jesse could have won the race there – but chose to give up the win to help her fight off some spiders?

Even though it wasn't that long ago, watching that scene play out in front of her from a third-person perspective, made Petra feel somewhat... nostalgic.

She focussed her attention on Jesse, still feeling vaguely creeped out by seeing herself without a mirror.

The look in Jesse's eyes, was one Petra truly missed. A look of happiness, a look of excitement. She looked so happy to be out there, doing something as simple as racing her friend through the mines.

Their time spent together, something Petra wished wasn't so impermanent. She hated how much she wanted to rewind time back to that moment. Change the things she said, change the things she did... Maybe then she could have had a second chance, maybe then their friendship wouldn't be so close to an end.

Petra got so lost her her thoughts, that she almost forgot where she was and what she was doing for a second. The unsettling feeling of hearing her own voice yanking her back to the moment, free from her train of thought.

"Ha, see ya!" Her past self called to Jesse, sheathing her sword and breaking into a sprint.

"Hey, no fair!" Jesse called out, laughing, as she ran after her friend.

Something inside Petra made her follow after them. She slipped out from behind the stone that's been hiding her, breaking into a run. She stopped at the gap in the ground, hesitating slightly before she jumped down. Hearing their laughter only a few metres below her feet.

A light smile tugged slightly at the corner of Petra's mouth. Hearing the two of them laughing at each other's antics. Very different to their more recent interactions... and fights.

Shaking the thought out of her head, Petra leaped down into the hole. Landing square on her feet in the cave below, only just about managing to not stagger forward from the momentum.

Seeing her past self and Jesse only a few metres in front of her, slowly starting to head down the tunnel. Jesse holding out an iron sword, preparing to find something a lot more threatening than a simple llama.

Ignoring the fact that she was in plain sight, Petra took a step forward to follow them. She flinched, the gravel on the ground crunching beneath her boot, the sound echoing through the empty cave.

Almost freezing to the spot as the two people in front of her stopped, visibly tensing. Petra didn't even think to dive for cover as they turned around. Eyes meeting.

There was something incredibly weird about looking into her own eyes, seeing her own face staring back at her.

For a second, no movements were made. No words were spoken. It was so quiet, the only sound being from their breathing.

Jesse was the first to actually move, her green eyes switching between the two identical copies of her best friend. Confusion plastered across her face. Her mouth opened like she wanted to speak, but no words came out.

Petra felt herself taking a step back, wanting to be anywhere but there at that moment. Her earlier happy thoughts now long forgotten.

And then Petra felt the familiar rumbling of the ground beneath her feet, the scenery around her beginning to fade. And oh boy – was she ready to welcome reality back with open arms.

Petra gasped slightly as she found herself back in the kitchen, now on the floor. She leaned her head slightly down onto the ground, letting out a long, relieved sigh.

"Can we just be over with this now?" She asked out loud, beginning to push herself up off the ground.

Petra reached out a hand, using the side of the table to heave herself upwards. She raised up her hands, raking them through her sweaty red hair. While every one of those experiences have been weird – that one took the cake.

As Petra slowly left the kitchen, walking in the direction of her bedroom, she couldn't help but pray that she'd never have to see herself that way again.

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Petra spent most of what left of that night, staring up at her bedroom ceiling. Her mind too busy, refusing to calm down and allow her some good sleep.

Many questions were drifting through her head, desperately wanting to know; what was happening, how was it even happening and most importantly – when would it stop?

As the sun begin rising the next morning, Petra was the first to leave her bedroom. She could hear light snores behind Lukas's indicating that he had returned from whatever evening trip he went on. It was silent behind Jesse's door.

Petra was quick to walk off the drowsiness from her night of little sleep. She brewed a cup of strong coffee, sinking down in one of the chairs at the table and taking a small sip of the hot beverage.

Petra lifted her head when she heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. Quickly meeting two green eyes.

"Oh, Petra, you're up already!" Jesse greeted her, sounding a tad more awake than most mornings.

"Yup." Petra simply responded, taking another small sip of her coffee. Not bothering to mention that she has been up for a few hours.

"I had the craziest dream!" Jesse explained, promptly plopping down in the chair beside Petra's.

Petra raised her eyebrows slightly, giving Jesse the 'go ahead' gesture.

"It was so bizarre..." Jesse said, shaking her head and pulling her hand through her hair. "At first it started off normal, it was just me and you..." She stopped, looking up at Petra.

"-And then all of a sudden, there were two of you!"

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