It's been 2 weeks.

On day 4 I stopped trying to sleep. I found a potion that keeps me awake enough. I deal with my broken arm. I ignore the Sculk and Vex, finding potions that drown out their voices in my mind. But what I can't remove are the other hermits.

'Cub?' Grian calls as he arrives one day.

'Yeah?' I call back, feigning normality. 'What's up, man?' I down a potion to keep me awake before hobbling downstairs.

'I was wondering if you were...'

He mumbles something I would've heard normally, but my ears are still recovering. I only realise he's finished speaking when he stares at me.

'Uhh... Yes!' I reply confidently. 'Yeah, yeah I was just... recovering.' I lie.

'Alright...' Grian crosses his arms. 'It's just... you've been here a while. Scar's... pretending he's fine, but he's worried too.'

'Yeah, of course...' If I seem busy, he might go or think I'm coping. So I start opening chests on my auto-torch farms, crossing the room to find stuff that isn't here.

'Cub? Are you ok?'

'I'm fine.'

'You're walking... weirdly.'

I continuing to search my chests. I've forgotten what I'm looking for, but maybe I'll know when I see it.

'Does Scar know you're...'

Scar? Scar Scar yes Scar...

'Oh, shut up...' I mutter, finding the closest I've got to a working potion and drinking it all. One hand clicks a pen in my pocket. It doesn't stop the Vex.

Go. Go prank. Kill Grian. Stinky watcher. Prank him. Hide him. Trap him underground.'Yeah... no... I'm getting Scar.' Grian turns to his communicator.

S***.

No.

Scar can't know.

'STOP!'

I pin Grian to the ground. He struggles, swearing.

'F***, Cub! What's going on?!'

'I'm fine!' I spit. 'Everything's fine.'

'Cub, it's not fine!' He shoves me away, standing.

'I'm fine!' I repeat. Grian narrows his eyes, point proved as I struggle to stand again. 'Grian... I'm fine.'

'If you won't tell me, go to therapy.' Grian insists. 'Go to therapy or I tell Scar.'

Kill him. Permadeath. For being so nosy. He doesn't get to control-

'F*** OFF! Sorry...' I search my chests for the right potions.  'I'm sorry. It's the voices. Constantly talking... Constantly there...' I search through another chest, hands shaking from the potion keeping me awake. I need another potion for that. And, as Grian continuing to speak is just muffled, I remember I need something for my hearing. 'I have potions...'

'Cub!' Grian forces me to look at him, speaking loudly and slowly like I'm 5. 'You've been hiding for 3 weeks. You look like you haven't slept that whole time... You clearly can't hear or walk properly, you're addicted to potions, you need help, so Go. To. Therapy.'

'I've got something...' I reply 'Something here...'

'Cub...'

'I'm fine! Look at me! I'm helping myself...' My hand fazes through the banister and I slip. Grian catches me.

'You need therapy.'

'I'm fine.'

'Come on, Cub. It'll help.' Grian forces me outside, a hand around my shoulder. The Sculk and Vex lurk in my mind. I have to get away before they... I have to get away...

'Come on, get yourself a bit of therapy, and everything will be fine.' He flies, forcing me to follow. The journey is long and awkward, landing in the shopping district.

GO!

I flee.

And trip over.

'Cub!' Grian runs over to help. 'Come on...'

'The Sculk doesn't want me to...' I mumble.

'Cub, it'll be fine. Come on.' Grian pulls me up and towards the therapy tower.

'No- no I can't...'

'Cub, it's perfectly fine...'

'You don't...'

'I've had therapy myself. It's very good.' We reach the pillar. Grian forces me into the therapy entrance room. 'Just pop inside, and they'll help.'

'I don't want to do it.' The Sculk and the Vex are screaming, clawing at my mind. 'I can't. They- they won't let me...'

'F*** the voices, have therapy.' Grian decides taking me this far isn't enough, knocking on the therapy before opening it and forcing me inside.

I trip, but land softly on blankets, cushions and...

Squeaky toys. I grab a vex squeaky toy. My favourite one. The only person who knows that is...

'Well, hello there, Cub!' Scar begins. 'Welcome to therapy!'

Scar! Scar! The Vex crow excitedly. Prank! Prank with Scar!

Kill him.

'...feel comfortable, talk. Does that sound good?'

I glance over. I want to nod and pretend I heard, but I can't. Not with Scar.

'I'm... sorry?' Scar's cheerful therapist act vanishes.

'Cub...?'

Don't tell him. The Sculk demands. Don't tell him anything. Don't you dare. I open my mouth... and close it. I hug the vex teddy closer. I want to tell Scar everything, but I'm terrified of the Sculk. What it could do...

'Take as long as you need, Cub.' Scar sits next to me, placing hand on my shoulder.

You have 5 seconds to leave.

5

I still have a chance to obey the Sculk and keep Scar safe. It's given me a chance. But I can't abandon Scar now.

4

Scar's physically stronger than me. He'd be able (and willing) to knock me out if the Sculk took over. 

3

But Scar wouldn't see an attack coming. He might be trapped before he can do anything. But he won the Life Series. And if I was in trouble... he'd do anything.

2

I'm hurt. I'm half-deaf and struggle to walk. I don't sleep. I'm slowly killing myself with potions. I fight tears as I realise the only thing that matters.

I can't live like this any longer.

1.

'The Sculk's back,' I mumble. And start crying.

You're dead.

'Hey, hey, it's ok.' Scar wraps a blanket around my shoulders. 'Thank you for telling me.'

I gave you a chance to save yourself, Cub.  I was merciful.

'It- It came back a while ago...' the longer I speak, the longer I can ignore the Sculk. So I tell Scar everything. Decked Out. The voices. The Deep Dark... Scar listens. Not judging, not interrupting. Just listening. '...And- and I don't know what to do, Scar...'

'That's why I'm here.' He hugs me as I finish, running a hand through my hair. 'We'll fight it together, ok?'

My hands shift towards his neck.

I told you.

'F***...' I say, before the Sculk stops me speaking. Stops me moving. Stops Scar escaping.

'Cub? S***... just... hang on...' I can't control my arms. I can't fight the Sculk as it breaks his necklace, his respawn. 'Cub-' The Sculk wraps my hands tight around his neck.

And squeezes.

The Vex scream, howl, claw at my mind. Scar panics, fights, struggles, tries to prise my hands away, tries to scream for help. I can only watch. I can't speak. I can't stop. I can't breathe as I slowly suffocate him to death.

GoodTimeWithScar suffocated fighting cubfan135

Silence.

I stare at GoodTimesWithScar lying dead in my arms. I don't move. I don't cry, I don't scream. I don't breathe. I don't die. Scar's dead. 

Good.

I scream.

I tear off the necklace that should still be glowing. I tear at the hands that killed Scar. The eyes and ears that still see him dead. The arms that stopped him escaping. The broken heart that won't stop beating. It won't stop beating. I don't stop living. I'm lying, bleeding, crying, hugging Scar. Scar who's dead while I don't stop living.

Until I do.

And the voices are gone.

:)