LU 197 - Dr. Thornberry 50

I groaned, my body ached from what had happened yesterday. Wait… I had *died* yesterday, didn’t I?

*”Had fun there Vice?”*

Electric. I looked up to see him standing over me. He sneered at me, making a few more rude comments about me and my face before he said something I didn’t expect.

*”You’re special to me Vice. Not because of any characteristic you possess, but simply because you were the first.”*

He beckoned me to come sit, and asked me a few stupid questions.

*”How does it feel to be so foolish and naïve?”*

*”I don’t know.”*

*”I suppose you don’t know anything. Definitely don’t know how to run a town. Raise a child. And you certainly don’t know how to stand up for yourself.”*

*”I stayed up all night trying to figure out how to help you with this thing for the town sake.”*

*”You did all that just to be killed and used as manure.”*

*"Even if I have an ‘endermite sized brain’ as you put it, at least I wanted to do something about it. I’m just glad it was me instead of anyone else.”*

He grinned at me, and reiterated that I was just the first of many others. I would make sure that wouldn’t happen. I can’t let anyone else get in the hands of this man.

*”Now would you like a tour of your new home?”*

I said no of course, but he ended up just threatening me with a false hope of escape and his ...firework gun. Which, speaking about it, he took me to a waterfall where I could see my reflection and... that blast from yesterday didn’t end up being a small scratch or a bruise but... an entire burn scar that covered half of my face.

I stared at myself in the crystal clear water, and put my hand up to my cheek. It still stung. How was I supposed to hide this? How was I supposed to cover this? …Something like this would go into the news, hell it could ruin my reputation! I felt tears welling up but I pushed them down. Especially along with the new stab wound in my eye from Mira... I looked like an experiment gone wrong.

Electric ended up showing me the rest of the cave, along with a wall and a tree.

*”What do you think Vice? Pretty cute right?”*

*”It’s fine I guess.”*

*”...Well did you at least enjoy your time being consumed and used as fertilizer?”*

*”No.”*

*”Oh well I’m very sorry about that. And what I’m about to do to you now…”*

As he grinned again, the panic started swelling up in my chest. I scattered away, trying to keep as far of a distance away from him as possible. But he stopped following me, and instead laughed, leaning down to put his hands on his knees.

*”Oh you should’ve seen the look on your face!”*

I hated being here. I hated being scared of this guy. I just want to be who I used to be.

*”The once high and mighty, Vice Thornberry, king of the Amathian Empire. Slain by a simple plant. How sad. Oh! Can I show you something Vice?”*

I followed him, listening to his nonsense while walking.

*"I've never really had any close friends, you're my first one!"*

*”We’re not friends.”*

*”We’re bonded for life, Vice!”*

And as his teeth sparkled in the light of the glowberries, he opened a hidden door. He pushed me in, and shut the door behind me. It was a weird room with something in it. Similar but… oh so different..

*"Electric?"*

I started banging at the wall in a panic, but all he did was giggle from the other side.

*"Goodbye for now my great friend Vice Thornberry!"*

This guy’s insane. Absolutely bonkers he is. As soon as I get back to my duties, if I ever do, I’m opening up a mental hospital. But I tried to reason with him. Asked him why he’s doing something like this to me if I was his friend. But I was a fool for even trying. He opened up the wall and cornered me, slightly pressing his sword up against my forehead.

*”No where to run little rabbit.”*

He dug the blade in further, and I slumped against the wall, unconscious. He picked me up and carried me back to where I had woken up earlier that day. And then he splashed an entire bucket of water over my head. I woke up slightly, barely there, but awake enough to talk. He pushed me into a dark hole.

*”See you again soon Vice Thornberry! Thank you for all of the help. With everything! You barely even know what you’ve done.”*

It’s dark. I’m scared. I want to go back to my friends. Please someone help me...