HEROBRINE
Part I
Altstrand, Sweden
The steam train rolled in to the village. There wasn't a cloud to be found in the sky and the water was clear. When the train ground to a halt, the young man headed to a dark alleyway. He opened the door, and stepped in to the rundown apartment. An older looking man stood there, wearing an extravagant suit and tie.
"Ah, George Smith. Glad you could make it on such…short notice" the older man told George.
"You sounded a bit frantic" came the reply. "So tell me, what kind of project are you looking for my assistance with?"
"We found a new continent. I want to find out whether there is anything at all valuable there. We already have a small colony in the works, so you'll find yourself feeling at home."
"A tempting offer. But it seems like quite the task. I have a family you know."
"Believe me, with this job, you'll never have to work again. You can stay with your wife and kids for the rest of your life."
"I still don't know…"
Raising his tone, the man in the suit asked George to reconsider his options. He was about to reply, until he saw the large pistol come out from under the table.
Iguazu Falls, Brazil
"I was looking for something more…efficient" the man in the suit remarked as he crossed the stream on the stepping stones. He was talking to a young miner, covered in mud. "This part of the world isn't very compatible with millionaire businessmen" the miner replied.
"If you're interested in this job, I'd strongly suggest not using that tone with me."
"What is this 'job' anyway? Mr…"
"Barkley. Mr Barkley. We need you to assemble a small team to explore a new-found continent-"
"Stop right there, Barkley. What are you willing to offer me, a man with pockets of gold that could possibly interest me enough to go on this perilous mission."
"The boss warned me that you might say something along those lines; that's why he will supply you with a pick-axe."
"I have 10 good metal pick-axes. Why would I need another?"
"Maybe, if I told you it was made of pure diamonds, that would answer your question."
OBSIDIAN OUTPOST, Texas
"We have invested a lot of money in this operation. It is your job to find out whether that money has been a waste of time or not" Mr Barkley announced.
"And how are we supposed to accomplish this?" asked a British man with glasses, perhaps in his twenties.
"Digging. The world is full of trees. We aren't looking for those. We want you to find something of value – under the surface."
"Like what? Diamonds? Gold?"
"It's called obsidian. We need you to find some, and work out how to break it."
"And what do you want with obsidian?" enquired George.
"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Something in his tone implied that finding this out would be impossible.
HMS Novus
"It's like the island keeps moving. Like you will only find it when it wants you to" George said to the young lady next to him on the starboard.
"Surely you don't believe in that fairy tale nonsense, George?" she replied.
"I don't believe in fairy tales. But I do believe in mystery."
Saltville, the New World
As the boat docked at the harbour, the crew saw the creepy village, at the edge of the new world – Saltville. Immediately they saw the elderly (though their condition might have made them look older) bent over, coughing blood.
"Are they sick or something?" asked the miner.
"That's highly unlikely. Looks like they're haunted" the man in glasses replied.
"Haunted? Give me a break" snapped the young lady.
"Well, genius, what do you think is wrong with them?" inquired the man in glasses, also raising his voice slightly.
"How about you ask? They are human you know" suggested the miner.
The miner walked quickly over to an old woman, and asked whether she was alright. The next thing he saw was the scariest thing he'd ever witnessed in his life. She was a pale shade of green, and her eyes were red, as though she was possessed by the devil. But what she whispered told him that the devil was nothing compared to this kind of evil.
"Him is going to get you. Him sees all."
"Are you alright? Who is him?" asked the miner.
"We don't dare speak his name" responded the woman.
The miner rushed back to the coast to tell the others what he had found. The look in George's eyes told the miner that 'him' was familiar.
"Herobrine" George said in hushed whispers. "You know how I said I don't believe in fairy tales? I was telling the truth. But I do believe in ghosts."
The Caves, the Free World
They had found the jackpot. Diamonds and gold filled the cave. Everything was perfect. The greed and the pride began to overcome the miner, and he started to mine it.
"No. This place is no good!" exclaimed George.
"What do you mean no good, look at all the diamonds – and gold!" snapped the miner.
"We came here to find obsidian. And there isn't any here, so get moving" ordered George.
"Well I'm making my own new objective, right here, right now" the miner told him. "You think you're trying to protect me? Do us a favour, and don't go near me."
Meanwhile, in the next cave, the man in the glasses (who is a scientist) found something interesting. A tunnel, just high enough for him to fit through, in both height and width. But, there was no light at the end of the tunnel. There was no visible end. The scientist was intrigued.
He became more than just intrigued, when he heard the screams and pleas of the young lady. "Lucy, Lucy, is that you?" shouted the scientist. "I'm coming!" So, he set off through the tunnel to find Lucy and, just maybe, find obsidian as an extra reward.
Back in the other cave, George and the miner were having a conversation. "Where the hell is Timothy?" asked George. Timothy was the scientist's name.
"I don't know" the miner admitted. "He's around here somewhere, I'm sure he's fine."
"He's not fine!" George snapped. "Do you only care about yourself?"
The two men ran through the caves, propelled by anger. "Timothy? Timothy, where are you?" shouted the miner at the top of his voice. Lucy bumped into them. "It's ok. We found him" said the young woman. However, it wasn't ok. They found him on the other side of the mining pit, back turned. When he turned round, his eyes glowed white, no pupils showing. "In the name of the lord" muttered George as the scientist threw himself down the pit.
Everyone rushed to the exit, but it was blocked. They thought about getting weapons, but they realised their delusions – Herobrine is a spirit. Weapons can't hurt him. "Where's Barkley?" asked Lucy.
"No idea. You go find him, we'll stay here and guard" instructed George.
Meanwhile, Barkley was digging a tunnel. He had just finished digging when he came out in a massive open area. There was a golden pyramid in the middle. At the top, four words were inscribed in blood. The lord is dead. The pyramid rose up to the top of the cavern, and when he turned around, there was nothing he could do.
The miner was making a speech to his colleagues. "Think of the goal. Think of the treasure. Each one of you could have your own diamond pick-axe. Are you going to let some ghost scare you out of it? Because I'm telling you, I'm not. He thinks I'm afraid. I'll say his name not once, but three times. Herobrine, Herobrine, Herobrine. The lights went out. The miner woke up in hell, with instead of four miners by his side, four zombies by his side.
George and Lucy were still looking for Barkley. But then they found the tunnel. "I think we know where he might be" suggested Lucy. They ran down the tunnel, and went in pursuit of Barkley.
Barkley looked up, to find his father, hovering above him. "Dad? Is that you?" he asked.
"I'm not happy with you one bit" his father told him.
"What have I done wrong?" Barkley enquired.
"You're not the man I thought you would be, Jimmy. You are a failure – a disgrace to the family."
"Dad, don't say that! I did everything you said – don't be like this!"
"Jimmy, goodbye."
And with that, the ceiling erupted above him, and lava poured over Jimmy Barkley, and he burned to death.
Meanwhile, George and Lucy were still running down the tunnel. Both of them were now exhausted, but they had to keep going. "All of this was for nothing! We don't have obsidian, we can't get out of this cave, and we have some ghost chasing us around the place!" Lucy exclaimed impatiently.
"Lucy, don't say that. You just have to trust me."
"I don't trust you, I don't even know you. It was you who got me into this mess!"
"What are you talking about? I haven't done anything! Fine, turn back. It's your choice. Just don't expect me to follow." George carried on running down the tunnel.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I just want to get out of this cave."
And then, they found obsidian. "No time, Lucy, we need to get out of here now!" warned George.
"Come on, all we need is a couple of blocks!"
Lucy ran in, and the glass closed in. It was a trap, and Lucy had fallen for it. George tried to break through the glass but it was no use. It was reinforced more than he had ever seen before. It wouldn't break. George ran away from her screams.
George ran into a room, at the end of the tunnel. He stared up the man with red eyes. "You think I've forgotten you? We've been in contact from the very beginning. You were the reason I'm here. It's the reason you can't kill me. It's the reason I know why you're here. You look at me with your emotionless eyes but they speak to me. You hide from me halfway across the world but destiny brings us together. I am the one who is supposed to kill you – father." With that, he kicked his father into the portal, and back into hell. The tunnel collapsed, but George got out in time.
Epilogue
The wandering forest, the new world
It had been a few days since George escaped from the wrath of Herobrine. He now lived in a wooden shack, in the wandering forest. He kept a diary, hoping that the present would banish the past from his memory. But, it was no use. He remembered about Herobrine. He had nightmares about him every day. Then it turned into more than a nightmare, the night he appeared in the wandering forest.