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On day 15 of November 3rd 2023, Mumbo felt as if he was going crazy.
He was sure he started every day by sleeping, yet he felt as if he hadn't slept in weeks. He moves sluggishly, listening as the other mounders woke up in their houses. They were loud, calling good morning to each other as they got all ready to start the day.
Mumbo does not return their calls of good morning, staying laying in his bed, arm over his eyes. He doesn't get up to get changed or ready yet.
The familiar whoosh and flash of light appear, and a book lands on Mumbo's chest. He winces, wind being knocked out of him. He gets up, and starts to change. Sweater off, dress shirt on. Sweatpants replaced by dress pants. Shoes on, no time to shine them. He ignores the jacket and tie that sit neatly on his dresser, not enough time.
He stashes his book neatly in his bag, not bothering to open it. After so many days, he has it memorised.
Scar is exactly where he always is at this time. He smiles and waves at Mumbo, and Mumbo motions for him to pause the camel and let him on. Once they both are up on the saddle, Scar starts going again. He's talking, rambling on about something. Mumbo isn't paying much attention.
He takes the reins and jerks them to the side, managing to make the camel turn to avoid the branch Scar didn't notice. That would have been at least half a heart, and each half counts.
The day is chaos.
Pulling Scar away from ledges, putting out fires. Blocking hits from other players, slashing zombie's legs when they try and get close to Scar. He barely has to think of what he is doing, his body moving automatically, already knowing when and how every risk will happen.
Time passes. There's the break, a chance for Mumbo breathe. But then he's back at it, stopping another attack from a skeleton as Scar makes his merry way around the server. Its strange he isn't suspicious of why Mumbo is sticking around, but maybe he needed a friend. Mumbo isn't a great friend though, quiet and dry, too focused on everything else.
Its nearly the end of the session. 10 minutes. 5 minutes. The choking feeling in Mumbo's throat is subsiding, the fist squeezing his heart loosening his grip. This is the farthest he's gotten, he can do this, just 5 more minutes of-
A loud explosion, and a yelp.
"OW!" Mumbo's heart feels like it stops. He wishes it did, wishes he could drop dead right here instead of having to face what that noise means. But he doesn't drop dead, so he has to deal with this. He turns around, eyes burning with unshed tears as he sees Scar next to a creeper hole.
The hearts glowing on Scar's wrist show he had lost 5 hearts.
Mumbo wants to scream. Cry. Maybe use his sword and stab the rest of the hearts out of Scar.
All he does is just stare at those stupid glowing hearts on the stupid wrist of stupid Scar. How could he have been so stupid, turning away and not looking at Scar? If he had just been smarter, he could have seen that creeper, could've gotten Scar away.
He throws his sword down and storms off towards the button, ignoring Scar's confused shout behind him. The button is cold as he presses it, red swirling around him.
"Failure" The statue seems to stay, staring down at him. "You are a failure"
Mumbo doesn't move from that button for a bit. Stays there as the horns go off, announcing the end of the session. He hears the others showing up, so he goes and sits in the corner, his task book now red with the emblem of a failure.
The others lose and fail. Theres warmth at his hip, the task book disintegrating into dust like all the other's books do.
The others leave, heading home. Mumbo stays there for a bit, under the intimidating gaze of the Secret keeper. If he was any more crazy, maybe he could be yelling. Screaming at that stupid stone face, not caring about anyone who could hear him.
He's sure that its the stupid secret keeper that keeping him here, keeping him trapped in this terrible loop, trying to do the impossible task for keeping Scar safe.
When Mumbo stands, he doesn't yell at the secret keeper. He just brushes off his pants, and starts to head home, hoping he'd have more luck in the next loop.
--
On day 16 of November 3rd 2023, Mumbo was sure he was crazy.
He didn't feel as tired as usual. Or maybe he did, but it was drowned out by the racing thoughts in his head. He could do it this time, he had to. If he spent one more day like this, he would go insane.
He's ready before the other mounders are ever awake. By the time the book drops into his hands, he's already at the spot Scar will be soon.
Then, its back to the things he's done for 16 days now.
Turn the camel before the branch. Avoid the ledge. Kill that zombie, destroy that skeleton. Protect, protect, protect.
Break. Mumbo doesn't treat it like a break. His body felt filled with energy. Maybe how close he had gotten yesterday had given him hope again. Or maybe he's just insane.
He decided to hope its the first option.
After the break he's back at it. Stop the skeleton, avoid another ledge, avoid crashing the camel.
10 minutes.
5.
He pushes Scar away from the creeper, wincing as it blows up anyway. It shoves him forward, making him stumble. His back aches, having taken the full force of the explosion. He's sure he's badly injured, feeling how every breath causes a deep ache where his ribs are, and straightening his back sounds like the same kind of idea as putting his hand against a burning stove.
Scar didn't lose any hearts.
Mumbo's own hearts soar, feeling overjoyed, especially as the horns ring through the air, now sounding almost hopeful.
He could cry. He does start to cry a bit, but wipes at his face and pulls himself together as they head to gather at the button. Scar seems concerned, but doesn't ask any questions, just pulls Mumbo close to his side in a hug.
As his hand presses down the succeed button, a warm fills his body. 10 hearts glow new on his wrist.
He sobs in relief, worrying some. Yet after they hear his task, they all seem to act like they understand. They don't understand it though. He doesn't offer them that understanding, deciding the past 16 days were best left forgotten.
When he sinks into his bed that night, he feels warm. Hopeful. He did it. He succeeded his task, he succeeded. This nightmare is done.
--
He wakes up late. The book hits his stomach and he grunts, winded. He coughs and sits up, opening the book.
" Prevent Scar from losing more than 3 hearts this session "
He freezes. His eyes are stuck onto that one line of the page. His lungs feel like they have shrivelled up, he can't get any more air in them. He's suffocating, drowning in a room of breathable air.
There the handle of something in his hand. His sword.
A burning pain in his chest, he's coughing now, blood being spat up onto the blankets of his bed as he forces the sword all the way through.
He can't do this anymore.
He can't.. do this..