The Player

Chapter 5

I escape the cave I was trapped in by nightfall. The end portal was supposed to be real but it turned out just being a trick hack. I don't know how that sick fool gets humour from that, but hey, he's sick in the head. I slashed him; I slashed the man who faced my Lord. If only that portal was open and real so I could tell Lord Enderdragon the good news, and to hear someone call me Zombie number 56 again. Anybody can be called Zombie. Every zombie in the End can be called Zombie. What is so special about that name?

I lost Jerry, too. He's nowhere in sight. Personally I think he's dead, gone from this server and onto the next. I still have to look for him, though. I have three nights with my free will and memory. I can do whatever I please, but I have to make it worth it. I have to find that house. I can remember where the projector showed the house, so all I need to do is find it and convince them I mean no harm. That, however, may be impossible. I'm in survival, which means all monsters are supposed to be looking for humans and killing them.

"Legs stay on for once and make yourselves useful." I say to myself as I run towards the field.

The torches coming from near the pond is unmistakable. Squid pond has been invaded by players. I knew I could recognize it. I quickly dive into the pond to look for squids, but none are in sight. Ink sacs lay at the bottom of the pond for a player's inventory. They've been killed. All of them. I shiver and look at the mountain at the other end of the pond. There is nothing up there, but there is a small wooden house beyond the mountain. I just have to scale it. Climbing out of the freezing water, the night moon meets my eyes. I don't have much time. I climb on the first set of blocks, then the next. So far it's going well and the players don't notice me. The stone part of the mountain starts getting colder and harder to climb and at one point I almost fall. The mountain is higher than I thought it was. So tall in fact I can almost see the clouds. What torturous world did the players generate? Don't they know a zombie lives here and he has detachable legs? Well actually I guess they don't. Right when I reach the top, I hear someone shouting my name. It sounds like Jerry, but that can't be possible.

"Jerry?" I ask. "Jerry, I don't have time for this, where are you?"

Behind the house, Jerry lay flat on the ground. "Jerry, I thought you were dead!"

"Nah, man. But I did have a crazy dream that a player was chasing me." He says. "He slashed me."

I look at his side when he stands and it is covered in sword slash marks. "Um..." I scratch the back of my head. "Yeah, just a nightmare probably." He smiles. "I found this house too."

I look in the window of the house and see a warm atmosphere. Jerry comes up beside me looking excited. Torches are everywhere along with an enchantment table, a chest and two beds. "Two beds?" I say to myself. "Does that mean two players?"

Jerry nods. "They were here earlier. One had a beard and blue shirt, and another orange hair and a green shirt." I pause. "Wait, blue shirt and beard?" Jerry nods again. I look at him and think about the Lord's story earlier in the End. "Jerry..." I say slowly. "Yeah?" He says happily.

"Don't the players you described sound like the ones in the Lord's story?"

"Yeah, they do kinda." Jerry replies. He suddenly surprises me. "Oh! By the way I saw the players go into a portal that was like black and purple. It was cool!"

"Wait, the players went into the Nether?" I ask.

"Oh, that's what it was called."

I quickly grab Jerry and put him over my head to shield me from the sun that is currently rising. We descend the mountain quickly and run across the field.

"Jerry, where did you say the Nether Portal was?" I ask hastily.

He hesitates. "That cave you were trapped in. You know, that one the man died in."

"I still don't know his name." I say, starting to lose my breath. He stops me under a tree because I look tired. He sits me down and I feel my lungs coming out of my chest. It's almost like my lungs are coming out of my throat. When I catch my breath, Jerry puts an arm on my leg. "You know we don't have to do everything right away." He says. "We have time."

"But another realm doesn't." I grumble. "The Lord will be killed by some force of nature soon, I just know it. Whether it is players, other mobs making an up rise, the universe or anything. Just...anything."

I look up at the sky and picture it being black and lifeless. Purple pixelated dots scatter the sky. "Why was I made different?" I ask myself. "The Lord made me different than other mobs. Why? Why do I care about these players?"

"Zombie number 56." Jerry interrupts. My head snaps up. He smiles as my gaze turns to the over world. "You remember that name, don't you?"

I nod quickly and look at him. "The Lord made you different because that's just what you were meant to be. That man who attacked you did what he did because it's just who he is. The Lord is made to be strong. To not fall to the weak but to become the strong and he did. He made you like him. That's why you're different. You have the power to talk back and to stand up. And that's just who he, and you are."

"Dammit Jerry..." I say louder than I should. I smile at him. "I'm pretty sure that's the most logical thing you've said this entire experience."

"That's good," He says, "That must mean that's who I am."

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We reach a peculiar looking cave by dawn. For some reason, this cave, unlike many other we passed by when we walked over the blocky terrain, seemed to release a power. A form of life, almost, and I instantly wanted to find out the reason. Jerry stands behind me, just about as tired as I am. "Do you think we can take a break, Zombie?" he asks. I shake my head and start climbing into the cave. Strangely, the cave looks like the cave that the Lord explained in his story. The story he put me in, along with an Enderman. Just at that moment, I step on wet stone and then trip over something. I hit the ground hard and see that an Enderman lie dead, with an arrow in his back. I shiver at the poignancy of it all. It looks like he died a long, long time ago, possibly 600 years ago, when humans still walked the earth. It makes me wonder how old the Lord is. Did he know I was going to do all of this beforehand? I put my thoughts aside and get up, cursing yet again at my clumsiness. Jerry runs ahead in curiosity, which makes me sigh. "Jerry, I can't lose you again! Are you serious?!" I shout. I quickly run after him, putting aside the Enderman for a little while. Eventually, I catch up with Jerry in front of a carved tunnel, where a purple glow emerges. I then look up and see yellow glowing torches on the wall. The players were definitely here. Just as we are about to jump in, we both turn our heads toward a sound of a sword dragging on the stone. My spine tingles more and more the closer he gets. I decide to peek around the wall and find what is making that dreadful noise. There, in the darkness of the cave, stands the man that kidnapped me. His white eyes pierce the darkness, and his smile glows just as much. Time is running out, he mouths. I gulp as Jerry takes a sharp breath. "Who is that?" He asks. I begin to push him in the portal, panic overtaking my veins the longer we wait. I feel the diamond near my back as we leap in the portal. For all I know, he might have followed us in.