Stress POV

I woke up to sun light streaming through the blinds. I tried to stand up to go get ready for the day but someone was hugging me, preventing me from getting up.

"Iskall I need to go," I told him.

"Stay," Iskall mumbled. He didn't seem fully awake at the moment.

"Fine. But just for a few minutes," I sighed, but was really happy to spend time with him.

I rolled over and hugged him. It took me a moment to realize he was really warm. I put my hand up to his forehead and his temperature was abnormally hot.

"How are you feeling love," I asked.

"Cold," he said as he involuntarily shivered. "And my head hurts..."

"I'm going to go get you some things, kay?"

"Okay," he mumbled as he let me stand up.

I walked to the kitchen to go make some soup. Once I arrived in the kitchen, I put a pot on the stove and turned it on. I poured the tomato soup from the can into the pot and set a 15 minute timer.

While that was heating up, I grabbed some blankets from the couch and walked back upstairs.

Iskall POV

"Today's the day," I said to myself.

I didn't want to be here anymore. Waking up in the morning was exhausting. Having to pretend to be happy all the time was such a chore.

I pulled out an orange bottle. I could make this look like an accident or not. The bad headache wouldn't let me think straight. I decided to just do it.

I was so focused on that I didn't hear someone enter the bedroom.

"Hi 'skall how are you," Stress said as she walked over.

I quickly hid the bottle under my pillow. "I-it hurts," I admitted. There wasn't really anything else I could have said.

She looked at me with a look of sympathy and draped the blanket on top of me.

"Th-thank you," I whispered as the blanket brought more warmth.

"No problem love," she said as she kissed my cheek.

I was going to say something but there was a beeping sound coming from downstairs.

"Be right back love," she said as she walked out.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Why am I stressed? Im going to die of they find out early it isn't going to change anything.

I put an envelope on the nightstand. It was for Stress to read after. I walked to the bathroom and pulled the pill bottle out of my hoodie pocket. It took me a minute to open the bottle.

"Stupid childproof caps," I mumbled.

Aw look Iskall's going to

Whine whine whine all night

You don't deserve to live

Why not kill yourself

Here have a sedative

Whine whine whine

Like theres no Santa Claus

Your pathetic because you whine

You whine all night

Your ass is off the team

Go on and bitch and moan

You don't deserve the dream

You gonna die alone

die alone

Die alone

Die Alone

DIE ALONE

I dumped the contents of the bottle in to my mouth and swallowed it.

Stress POV

I walked back upstairs and knocked on the door. I gently open the door.

"Iskall?" I called out. He wasn't in bed, or in the bedroom for that matter. I put down the soup next our bed. I was about to go and keep looking when something caught my eye.

It was a crisp white envelope on the night stand, addressed to me. It was written in Iskall's handwriting and the ink had yet to dry.

I opened in a read what it said.

Dear Stress,

I loved life on Hermitcraft, I really did but it's not the place for me. I hid behind smiles and laughs. But the world it held me down. No one thinks the person who's always smiling has issues. No one stops to think if they're actually okay, to see if they're just pretending. No one sees the me inside of me. People see me as and optimistic person. Just underneath theres a fucked up person who doesn't want to live. Im more then just a source of happiness. Don't go into the bathroom, that's where I am. No one sees the me inside of me.

See you at the end of the world

Iskall

I finished reading and cried. I blamed myself. I didn't notice he wasn't fine. I didn't see he was suicidal. I didn't give him the love he needed.

My communicator started to buzz as someone was calling me. I picked it up.

"Hi Stress! I tried calling Iskall but he wouldn't answer. Do you know if he silenced his communicator?" Doc asked from the other end.

"I d-dont k-know," I responded.

"Stress are you okay?" Doc asked now concerned.

"N-no Iskall he... h-he-" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Hey Stress, stay where you are I'm coming over," Doc said as he hung up.

I sat their, shaking and sobbing. Iskall couldn't be gone, could he? I wanted to go check but I know that would make it worse if he was actually... I couldn't bring myself to imagine him on the floor in the bathroom.

Doc entered the room. I probably looked like a mess based on his reaction. He sat down next to me and pulled me into a hug. I clutched on to the letter and cried into his shoulder. He rubbed my back in a comforting way and whispered comforting things in my ear.

"Can I see that?" he asked, gesturing to the letter. I slowly nodded and let him out of my death grip as I handed him the letter.

He read the letter silently, still holding me in a side hug.

"Jesus christ," he mumbled, hugging me tighter. "You should get some sleep, you look like a wreck."

I nodded, knowing I probably did as I had woken up at dawn.

I laid down on the bed and fell asleep surprisingly fast.

Doc POV

I looked at Stress with a look of sympathy. She did look like a total wreck but it was justifiable. I couldn't believe Iskall was dead. I'm surprised I hadn't started crying yet. It was probably because she needed me to keep it together. I needed to stay strong for my friend.

I walked over to the bathroom door and gently opened it. Iskall was lying on the floor with and empty pill bottle in his hand. He had scars up his arms for what I assume was self harm. I didn't want to but I checked is pulse. No beat. No sign of life.

This was all getting too real. I left the room and shut the door behind me. A few tears slipped as I sat on the edge of the bed.

PM to Xisumavoid

X we don't have 26 hermits anymore

what do you mean doc

Iskall is dead