Lesson One - A Monster School Fic

Chapter Three - Hiding Class

Art in the header by @Sam_what :)

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"I've set up this barrier to ensure that no one goes beyond the school grounds." Herobrine gestured to the glowing, blue wall that surrounded the school and stretched up as far as the eye could see. "Otherwise, the only places that are off limits will be the dormitories and the locked doors. Understood?" There was a chorus of acknowledgement, which you heard only faintly. Your gaze was fastened on the force field. So you really were trapped here.

"I'll need a volunteer to seek first," Herobrine went on, and Cray's hand shot up before he could even finish talking. "Very well, Cray, you may go first." The creeper broke into a devious grin. "There will be multiple rounds," Herobrine went on, "not only to give everyone a turn, but to allow you to explore different strategies. You are caught as soon as 'it' sees you and calls you out. There will be no running or chasing- we'll save that for another time." There were a couple of murmurs at that, but Herobrine hushed them.

"You will be graded on a curve based on who is caught first, and when you are caught you must remain in that place until you hear the horn blow twice to signify the end of the round." Herobrine continued. "I will be watching to ensure the rules are followed. Cray, stand by me. The others will be given a minute to hide." The creeper sauntered over to him, and you snapped to attention, running through your mind your possible hiding places. There was a good amount of the school that you hadn't explored yet, but most of the monsters were probably thinking the same thing. Would it be smart to forfeit a potentially better hiding place in favor of being unexpected?

"On your marks, hiders." Herobrine raised a goat horn in one hand, resting the other on Cray's shoulder. "Get set, go." You bolted.

Your heart was pounding as you snaked around the side of the building, choosing to find a hiding place outside rather than in- hopefully that would give you a better chance, and being trapped in an enclosed space being hunted by monsters was a literal nightmare of yours. You bitterly wondered if Herobrine had considered this at all, but concluded a moment later than he probably didn't care.

It seemed like most of your classmates had gone inside, you only heard a bit of noise other than your short, anxious breaths as you searched for a place to hide. There were a couple of trees within the barrier, but you only had a minute, and you weren't sure if you'd be able to get up there in time, so you scratched that idea for now. Maybe in a future round.

Cray really was... the worst possible one of your classmates to be picked first. He was crazy, and violent, and he was willing to pick a fight with a zombie piglin with an axe, how much more would he be willing to hurt you?? You didn't have any special powers, or weapons, or- or anything!

Finally, you found a corner that was mostly blocked off by vegetation, and crammed yourself through the bushes into the small space. Sinking to the ground, you hunched yourself up in the corner as small as possible, covering your mouth with your hands to reduce the sound of your breathing. Moments after you'd gotten settled, the long, low drone of a goat horn rang out over the schoolhouse. Cray was hunting.

You stayed perfectly still, willing your heart to stop beating out of your chest. Before Cray, you'd never met a creeper in person, but you'd heard enough to know that they were called creepers because they were silent. They could be an inch behind you and you wouldn't know until they hissed, which was a warning that they planned to explode in the next five seconds. Would Cray do that?? Surely Herobrine had threatened him into behaving by now??

You swallowed thickly, trying not to freak out. You hated this. This was the kind of situation that people would tell horror stories about, and you were supposed to endure it every week?? For the rest of the school year?! And even when class didn't involve you being hunted by deadly monsters, Cray still seemed determined to make your life Nether, and you were sure that the others would do the same if given the chance. Maybe not Fade. He seemed to be a stickler for the rules.