Saving the Blocks

Chapter 5- Chosen

I'm laughing so hard, I can barely breathe! Paul is telling me some of his stories from his travels, about the time he saw a zombie attack one of these things called an iron golem. The golem threw the zombie far away. About two days later, Paul was nearly eight hundred and seventy blocks away from the village when he saw the same zombie, but it was okay and had its hand stuck on a cactus!

Ever since somebody else came around, I haven't been so serious. I'll go swimming in the river, or play with my pets. Sometimes Paul tells me stories and lets me borrow some of his books. He's shown me how to craft all sorts of things and survival tips, but I really enjoy crafting books. They show up as different books by different people, including some empty ones for me to write in.

I've made my house bigger and taller. Now, it has six floors and lots of different rooms. Paul's done the same thing with his part of the house, too. We spend our time doing chores, hunting, and exploring in our free time.

Tonight, we're in my side of the house eating dinner. I cooked pork chops, steak, and chicken. I also fixed bread, apples, and a couple of cakes. Paul's been here for a week, and we're celebrating the discovery of diamonds! We have a mine and, after a lot of branch mining, we found six diamonds! I was going to give three to Paul, but he refused because I had found them.

Now, we've finished dinner. I put the leftovers in the kitchen chest and go downstairs. Paul goes into his side of the house and starts to get ready for bed.

Twelve minutes later, Paul comes into my room, where I'm reading "Call of the Wild".

"Um, Rachel, does the name "Steve" ring a bell to you?"

I've never seen anybody named Steve, but one word that I've never used before comes to mind immediately;

"Dad?"

Paul looks as if a huge weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. He looks like he's going to jump up in the air and celebrate.

"Wh-what's going on?" I ask.

"I've been looking for you for ten years! Steve himself sent me to find you! I've been from place to place, searching for you! And now you're right here- I can't believe I've finally found you!"

"How do you know it's me?" I ask.

"Because of this," Paul said, pulling out a book from behind his back. "Steve asked me to find his child and give this to him or her... he didn't say wether he had a daughter or a son. Inside this book is everything you need to know to survive. On the very first page, there is a line drawn above a big box. There was nothing on it before a few minutes ago. On the line, your name, Rachel, appeared and your picture appeared in the box! Steve wants you to read this book and carry on the knowledge. Steve is one of the most famous guys in all of Minecraft history!"

I am overwhelmed, but I take the book. Sure enough, my name is written on the very first page, along with a portrait of me. I thumb through the pages. There are lots of drawings and diagrams. It's like my own encyclopedia. Once everything sinks in, I accept the fact that I'm the child of Steve, a really famous guy.

"Wow," is all I can say.

Paul grabs me and gives me a big hug.

"I'm really glad I finally found you!" he said. "Now I can finally...go back to...my...village..." he says, his voice getting sadder as he talks.

"Yeah," I say, "I guess you get to go home now."

Paul stands there for a moment. "But I'd have to leave my best friend." he says.

I smile weakly. "It's okay, I understand if you want to leave. I'll help you pack."

Paul is frozen for a moment. "I'm sure one more night at the cottage won't hurt...I'll pack first thing tomorrow."

Paul walks back to his room. I sit on my bed, clutching the book in my hands. After five silent minutes, I place a torch by my bed and open the book. I smile as I look at the first page, then turn it. There is a letter on the second page. I read the words carefully.

Dear Child,

If you are reading this, your code has finally reached the world of Minecraft. I wish a was there to see you spawn, but alas, I cannot. You see, I do love you very much. It's just... I wanted my knowledge to be carried on by somebody special. I went on a long journey, to the wonderous Notch. He agreed to let me make a code for a child, but at a big price; my child could only spawn a thousand years after I made the code. You see, Notch is very serious about trying to keep Minecraft safe from harm. You have gone through a large series of security checks to make sure your code could enter this world. Don't worry, in Minecraft, we live forever. If we get killed, we just respawn. Unfortunately, though, lots of people usually forget everything and start over. That's why I will do my best not to be harmed before I see you. I'll see you sometime.

Love,

Dad

a.k.a. Steve

I can't believe it. I almost start to cry. I read the message a few more times. Finally, I put the book under my pillow and go to sleep.