Author's Note: I know I haven't been following through with updating my stories, and I'm sorry to announce that Chrono Lock has been discontinued. I will be continuing the Shifter the Hedgehog story, but I will now be focusing on this, my newest idea. Yes, I know it's been done before, but, just watch. Interesting things will happen…
Prologue
Steve Craftins lived a normal life. He woke up each morning to the mew of his pet cat, Qwerty, went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and shave, and ate a hearty bowl of cereal before heading off to work. He was single, and lived alone in a dreary neighbourhood in a dreary apartment building. Every morning, the neighbours would yell at him and tell him to do something useful with his life.
He had a job, wasn't that useful enough? Apparently mining essential resources down in a dangerous mine wasn't useful enough for them. What if they never got the metal and other such things that so many of their everyday items were made of? They'd be living in wooden shacks with no electricity and lighting!
Steve sighed, turning his car into the parking lot. He checked his watch.
10:45. He thought to himself. Forty five minutes late for work. It was hardly his fault with all the car accidents and other issues on the streets. His boss wouldn't take that as an excuse though. He has to get to work, ASAP. He signed in at the front desk and put on his safety equipment, followed by tightening his safety goggles, and headed down into the mine shaft.
"Hey Steve." His co-worker George said, welcoming Steve into their 'home' for the next seven hours. "Hey George." He replied, lifting his heavy pickaxe over his shoulder. "So, where are we headed today?" George turned on his hard hat's lamp, prompting Steve to do so as well, before responding. "Oh, boss wants us to go to the deep part that we left off at yesterday." Steve nodded, changing course for a western tunnel that led to this section of the mine.
George gradually managed to get ahead of Steve, and about five minutes into the walk, he stopped. "What's up, George?" Steve queried. "That wasn't there yesterday, was it?" George pointed to a tunnel that cut off from the one they were currently taking.
"I think you're right. They couldn't have dug that far down already, right?" Steve straightened his goggles. "But it looks like it goes on for miles." George began walking towards it. "George, where are you going? Do you want to get heck from the boss? We're supposed to go to our part of the mine, remember?" George turned back to Steve. "Oh come on, we're only checking it out. It seems kind of strange that this tunnel could have been built in such little time, and I'm really curious to see what's going on." He targeted Steve with puppy dog eyes.
Steve sighed. "Fine, just a few seconds though. Then we've got to get to work."
Twenty minutes later, Steve began to worry. They had been walking for quite a while now, and they shouldn't have been down there in the first place. George turned to Steve. "What's wrong? I think we're almost at the end." He nudged his co-worker in the shoulder painfully. "We won't get in trouble if we hurry up."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Alright. But if we don't get to the end in sixty seconds, I'm turning back."
Sixty seconds later…
"We're still not there, George. I'm going back." Steve muttered, turning towards the way they came. "Wait! Did you hear that?"
Steve looked around. "Hear what?" he asked. Then he heard something too. It sounded like a kettle boiling, or maybe even a snake or cat hissing at their foe.
…..Sssssss…
"What is that noise, Steve?" George asked, nervously. Steve shook his head. "I don't know. What could it be?"
It got louder.
…..SSSSSSS…..
And then suddenly, a voice hissed threateningly.
"That'ssss a very nicccce human you have there…"
"W…what is that?" Steve stuttered, also becoming a bit nervous at the situation. He started to back up a bit, but felt as if he had rubbed against a cactus-like surface.
"It'd be a ssshame if sssomething were to happen to him…."
Steve turned around, scared out of his wits. Before he could see what he had rubbed against, and what was making this strange hissing noise, everything turned black.
Steve woke up, unable to tell how long he had been unconscious. He checked his surroundings. For miles and miles on, all he could see were blocks. Everything was made of blocks.
And that's all for now! Check in next week for a new installment in this epic adventure. It's just beginning! Also, watch out for a new chapter of Shifter the Hedgehog, coming out later this week.
