Hacked - A Minecraft Story

Chapter 6

Ash.

I had crossed the desert and entered a forest. Birch and oak wood trees touched the sky, and the canopy of touching leaves blocked out most of the sunlight. The air was thick, and smelled of fire. Looking up, I noticed the ash collecting on the leaves of the trees. The deeper into the forest I went, the more ash clouded the leaves. Eventually I got to a point where the leaves were completely burned off, and I stepped into a clearing. As I did a wave of heat struck me with enough force to make me take a step back.

 The clearing was an area where all the trees had been burnt down. I started beating out the lingering fires that lunged towards the remaining trees. Then I smelt something other than wood burning: wool. 

The first logical solution to this is that an unfortunate sheep had gotten trapped in the forest fire. The smell was strong, though, so there was obviously a lot of wool burning. Either a whole herd of sheep had caught fire, or a carpet. Then I noticed the gravel pathways. That was the final indicator - I had reached a village. At least, what was left of one.

 I moved quicker now as a sense of urgency worked its way into my heart. Fires were scattered about, burning away at the wool carpets. There had been explosions as well, by the looks of the houses. Cobblestone blocks floated in mid-air where they had been placed. The sight had always been amusing, but now it just seemed strange and unnerving. 

The town was in ruins, with blocks floating high above and in trees. Smoke clouded the once clear sky. The fire had claimed the village, leaving only ruins of the once beautiful homes. As I looked at the ruins I had to wonder if perhaps it was an accident. Was it planned, or were their an abundance of creepers that night and the village was unprepared? The path was worn and there were a few patches of burning gravel that lingered. The houses towards the edge of the village had only a few missing blocks and minor fires.

The area was quiet, not a sound to be heard. I could hear my heart beat as it quickened. Something didn't feel right about this place. Silently, I drew my bow and knocked an arrow. The sun was descending and would soon dip below the treeline. This area will soon be a death trap with its wide open space. 

A twig snapped behind me and I spun around, releasing the arrow. A man dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding my arrow. I put away my bow and unsheathed my swords. The man got up and ran towards me. I prepared for a fight against him, but was distracted by a bright light in the corner of my vision. A loud echoing noise pierced my ears, sounding like a cat frequently meowing. Then there was a bright flash of color and my legs came out from under me. 

I fell to the ground as dizziness swept over me. The last thing I saw was the man that had broken the twig. He leaned over me and put a blindfold over my eyes. The world turned to darkness as I lost consciousness.