*something* = italics ________ = Usually going back in time, for example, a memory, or a dream ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 3: Between sobs and hiccups, Jrum told scar his story. Scar listened, really *listened*, as he spoke into the quiet, flamed crackling in the grate. Somehow, it made Jrum feel better, to just… tell someone, as if the heavy stones in his heart had lifted. They were still there, oh yes, he could feel them weighing down on him, but it was like there was someone else to hold it up with him. He opened his mouth to tell him this, but couldn’t put it into words, and closed it again. After Jrum had rounded up the last of his tale, there was a resounding silence. Then Scar, unable to hold his exclamations in any longer, shattered it abruptly. “Oh you poor dear! It must have been- It must *be* so hard! Oh my word, my word. You must be so frightened! Oh what- what shall we ever do now that Grian and Mumbo are-“ “They are not dead.” Jrum said quietly. “What? Oh no of course-“ “They. Are. Not. DEAD.” He growled. Scar took an instinctive step back and blinked. “Why you are a sensi-“ he started without thinking, immediately regretting it. Jrum’s eyes flashed red. “I AM NOT *SENSITIVE*.” He practically roared in his face, “GRIAN AND MUMBO ARE NOT DEAD WHATEVER YOU PATHETIC LITTLE WIZARD - ARE YOU EVEN A REAL WIZARD? – THINK, AND I. AM NOT. SENSTIVE!” He stood there glowering at Scar, who was reduced into a little ball at the corner of the room. Jellie hissed at him. Suddenly, his eyes faded back to their original blue, and he broke down into tears again, Scar reached a hesitant hand towards Jrum’s shaking shoulders, and when he offered no resistance, patted it awkwardly. He did not speak a word. Jrum was glad for that. He barely saw anything through his tears. He barely felt someone lift him up, lay him in a bed. He barely felt hands tucking him in. He cried himself to sleep. ___________________________________________________ * “Jrumbotttt…” He was in a total, stifling darkness, and impenetrable black. He could feel some sort of surface beneath him, yet it had no texture, was neither warm nor cold. It was just… there? Suddenly a light flooded the room, and Jrum squinted at the sheer brightness of it, compared to the ebony before. His vision adjusted. He stared into two crimson eyes. “You have a week.” The voice, still hoarse and raspy, sounded almost… amused. Its eyes danced and swirled mysteriously. Something about them was so *familiar*, but he couldn’t place what- And what was this about a week? A week for what? As if it had read his mind, which, he thought later, it probably had, its eyes glittered maliciously. “Oh wouldn’t you like to know?” It laughed mirthlessly. It echoed across the room until a whole chorus of laughter rang out. Then all the red of before, of those eyes, swirled into a sapphire blue, and, oh, Jrum remembered them so clearly now- but where? “Have you already forgotten about m- your dads? Do you even care? Look at you safe and sound whilst-“ catching itself, the blue eased back into a scarlet again, and it continued like nothing had happened. “A week to save them.” Before Jrum could ask anything else, it faded, until darkness enveloped him. * ___________________________________________________ When Jrum awoke, the sun blazed from the middle of a cloudless sky. He scanned his surroundings. He was in a cosy little room, barely furnished, but the little amount that there was were neatly arranged, giving off the air that the room was much larger than it actually was. A merry flame danced in the fireplace, and sunshine peeked behind the curtains, bathing the room in gold once Jrum had flung it open. For one, blissful moment, he shut his eyes, light gently caressing his features, and all his woes drifted away… Then, he felt something around his neck. A small, golden locket. Heart pounding, he watched as it clicked open. A slip of paper lay inside, atop of two intricate clock hands. * Tick… Tick… Tick… The countdown has started. *
Notes below, spoiler alert! Previous - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/471864728 First - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/467888420 Next - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/480608582 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Notes: This is a short chapter I would have written more but that seemed like a good place to end it- Who do you think the voice is? (after all it is the name of the au lol) And what about that locket? I was going to make the locket silver but then I remembered Harry Potter Also I totally didn't rip off HP for the dark room description nO- JruMbOt Oooo and I have plans for a potential ___ of Jrum's so yOu'LL sEe Chapters are probably going to come out very s l o w l y- I should make a studio for this
