Before reading the story that took me half of a year to complete, just keep in mind a few things. First of all, remember that I am but a lowly middle-schooler. My writing skills may not amount to that of my mother's, who is a legit author. (Check out the Wiccan Wheel of Mysteries series by Jennifer David Hesse!) Second of all, the rating. I'm not sure whether to rate my story PG-13 or R. Let's just say it's not rated. Although, I must warn you, there are swear words. (Yes, even the dreaded "F-word") It gets pretty intense and sadistic at times. It gets gory, with torture and all that. There is also implied... sexual... stuff, though I didn't make anything too perverted. Last of all, this story takes place in Minecraft. You don't have to play the game to understand the story, though. I just felt that it should take place in one of my favorite video games. (I can be kind of a geek at times, haha) Anyway, I would just strongly recommend that you are responsible enough to handle this kind of stuff. I would trust that you are, since you are on this blog. With all that out of the way, enjoy the story. Warning: It's very long. (thatswhatshesaid)
Hello, reader. I see you’ve made it this far. Congratulations; it must have been a long and treacherous path, your life. What, with your triumphs, defeats, joy, sadness, love, heartbreak… You may rest for now; you’ve worked hard. You will face many challenges on the road ahead, each more difficult than the last. But fear not, for you will be well prepared.
I have a tale to tell you. It would be wise to read it, because the longer you neglect to do so, the closer you drift to insanity… Get comfortable, it is a very long tale.
Our story begins in the popular game Minecraft. Perhaps you’ve played it. Maybe you’ve built a castle in the game. Maybe you’ve mined diamonds. Maybe you’ve even defeated the EnderDragon. Well, no matter. Before I begin the story, I must inform you that in this tale, there are hardly the limitations of a real world in Minecraft. In this story, the characters go about their daily lives, just as you would. This Minecraft was a utopia…
Minecraft was once a wonderful place. It was once a place where everyone worked together as a community. It was a place where everyone smiled… except for one child. “Why,” you may ask, “Why, of all people, would a child be unhappy?” Well, this child was… different.
This child was surrounded by nothing but smiles and happy faces.
It made the girl sick.
Kat Suab’s eyes gently lifted as the morning sun seeped through her curtains. She groaned. Just another damn day, she thought. Kat slid out of her bed, her bare feet touching the cool wooden floor. Still half asleep, she fumbled around her nightstand for her plastic black glasses. Her undershirt exposed her belly as she yawned and stretched.
Kat opened the drawer where she kept her journal. She absent-mindedly scribbled down a few lines. She soon grew bored of writing. Kat walked over to her chair and took a seat by her window. “Mmm, it’s a bit stuffy in here,” she mumbled to herself. Kat opened the window to let in some fresh air. She stuck her head out the window and took a deep breath. A small smile played on her face as the cool autumn air filled her lungs. A red-orange leaf the same color as her hair clung to a branch and tickled Kat’s cheek.
Kat’s bedroom door creaked open slowly as her mother’s short, round figure stepped in. “Hey, Sweetie-Kat,” she said gently. “Oh, good, you’re already awake.” Kat didn’t turn to face her. A bit hesitantly, she responded, “Hey, mom.” Beaming, her mother asked, “How’d you sleep?” “I slept fine.” Kat’s mother seemed satisfied with her answer. “I had a wonderful night’s sleep!” She then went on about a rather long dream about planes, or trains, or something. Kat nodded and pretended to listen.
After a short pause, Kat’s mother spoke. “It’s time to get dressed, now, Kitty Kat! Don’t want to be late for school, do you?” “No, mom.” Kat’s mother left her room to give her daughter time to dress herself. Kat slipped on a plain black T-shirt, a plain black hoodie, black cargo pants, and black socks.
After brushing her teeth, Kat went downstairs, following the smell of bacon and eggs. She was greeted by her father with a sunshiney face. “Good morning, Kit-Kat!” “Mornin’, dad.” Kat didn’t feel hungry. In fact, she didn’t feel anything. However, she didn’t want to see such a flawless breakfast go to waste. Besides, the more time she spent at home, the less time she had to spend at school. Kat slowly ate her breakfast and drank a glass of orange juice.
Kat sighed and grabbed her backpack. She called goodbye to her parents and walked outside. The yellow school bus opened its doors, awaiting Kat’s arrival. Kat made no attempt to speed up, even though the bus driver was waiting. Not that anyone cared. Her classmates were happily chattering away, and the bus driver greeted her with a smile. Kat waved at the bus driver, but didn’t smile at her.
She assumed her usual position in the back of the bus. Kat sat by the window and stared, mesmerized, at the street going by. She let her thoughts consume her. Thoughts about how she would heroically save the school if a maniacal gunman showed up. Jealousy of the tall pretty girl sitting next to her. Wondering whether she had packed a tuna or a ham sandwich. What if… it was at night… and I was all alone… lost! And someone pulled a knife on me?
Before she knew it, Kat arrived at school. She groaned loudly and pulled her hood over her face. Dragging her feet, Kat walked into the cafeteria where students were to await their teachers in the morning. It sure is loud in here, thought Kat bluntly. She assumed her usual position in the quietest corner she could find, desperate to maintain her aloof attitude. Kat looked at the clock on the opposite wall. 8:45. Her teacher would arrive in about 15 minutes.
Kat had a tendency to grow bored quickly, as you would expect from an Aries child. She unzipped her backpack and removed a notebook and pencil. The girl marked her feelings on paper in the form of pencil art. First, she traced her hand on the paper. Next, she erased part of the fingers. She then replaced the fingers with a bloody axe. She grinned and her eyes widened excitedly. She let out a small, yet maniacal, chuckle. Kat gazed at her drawing and let her imagination run wild…
“Kat!” Her gruesome fantasies were interrupted by the last voice she wanted to hear. “Put your hood down, Kat!” Kat’s grin quickly turned to a scowl. What the hell do I look like to you?! Who are you to tell me what to do, Mr. Teacher? Shut up and piss off!!! Kat calmed down after silently cursing him out.
Kat reluctantly followed “Mr. Teacher” up two flights of stairs. She somehow endured 3 hours of boring classes. Kat gave a sigh of relief when she heard the bell for recess. As soon as she left the building, she sprinted for the highest tree she could find and climbed it to the top. The teen sat perched on a thin branch--practically a twig-- that could barely support her weight. She spied on her classmates and random passersby.
Riiiiiiiiing!!! The shrill sound of the bell pierced Kat’s ears. The bell. The bell. A sound that Kat despised. A sound that meant the end of her freedom. To Kat, it was as though she were once a graceful eagle, but the bell burned her beautiful wings off. The bell meant she was grounded. Kat had smiled in the tree because she had tasted freedom, albeit temporary freedom. Her smile had vanished the second her feet touched the Earth.
Kat defiantly put her hood back up. She reentered the building and somehow endured 2 more hours of boring school. This time, when Kat heard the bell, it was music to her ears. She leapt from her seat, grabbed her backpack, and bolted for the door. She didn't even bother to gather the necessary materials to complete her homework; she knew perfectly well that she wouldn't be doing any of it at all.
Kat looked at the yellow school bus, trying its best to look inviting, then back at the sidewalk. She was walking home today. Kat began walking at a brisk pace. She felt the wind dance through her hair, and became quickly energized. Her walk turned to a run, which turned to a sprint.
By the time Kat stepped into her house, she was drenched in sweat. Her mother greeted her at the door. Kat greeted her mother with equal enthusiasm that she hoped didn't seem too fake. “Hi, mom! I had a great day today. At recess, and after school some, I played a really intense game of tag with my best friends, Sunny and Jordan. That’s why I'm so sweaty now, and why I'm home late. In fact, I'm going to take a shower right now.” Before her mother had time to speak, Kat was already upstairs.
Kat scrubbed her body viciously. She washed her hair and stared out the stained glass window thoughtfully. So many thoughts swirled around her head. She felt lonely, sad. She felt angry. Kat sat down in the tub. She pulled her knees to her chest, buried her head in her arms, and sobbed. The worst part of her situation was that she had absolutely no reason to be crying. At least, none that she could think of.
Kat’s silent depression was interrupted by a rhythmic knock. Ba-rum-da-dum-dum! “Ka-at!” The rhythmic knocker was Kat’s father. Kat sniffled. “Huh?” “I just received a special email. I’d like you to see for yourself. Come on outta there, you been in there a while!” “Okay.” Kat sighed. She slowly stood up and stepped out of the bathtub. She yanked her towel off the rack and dried herself off. Although she would never admit it, not even to herself, Kat was a little interested in this “special email.” Kat carelessly threw on some black sweatpants and a black T-shirt and dried her tears.
Kat entered the office where the family’s shared computer was. Her father was sitting at the desk. Kat greeted him with a nonchalant, “Hmm?” Her father scooted back in his chair to let Kat read the message. The email was from her science teacher. It read:
Dear parents/guardians of Persson Middle School eighth grade students,
I am happy to inform you that we will be conducting a chemistry experiment in class tomorrow, on Friday, September 7th. This will count as a lab grade (15% of your student’s average). This lab experiment involves mixing lava and water and recording the resulting blocks. Because this experiment involves extremely hazardous matter, it is required that in order for your child to participate, you must print this email and sign to give permission. Note that all staff members may not be held accountable for any harm or injuries that may come to your child. If this form is not returned to me by tomorrow, your child will be excluded from the activity.
I, _____________________, give my child, ______________________, permission to participate in tomorrow’s study.
Sincerely, Mr. Tideshah
Cobkufi Tideshah
Kat liked the idea of using dangerous materials. She grinned faintly. “Will you please give me permission to go, daddy?” Her father smiled at her. “Of course I will, sweetie. I’m so glad to see you so happy!” Kat kissed his cheek, then skipped downstairs to eat a snack.
****
Though Kat was looking forward to playing with fire, her head didn’t exactly pop off her pillow the next morning. Kat dragged her feet, as per usual. Kat had bags under her eyes, as per usual. Kat dressed in all black and wore her hood up until her teacher yelled at her to put it down. As per usual. The day was very boring and typical until the very end of the day in science class when the experiment was to take place.
Kat walked into the laboratory with a psychotic grin spread ear to ear. The girl was flashing her eyes like she had gone mad! As you could probably guess, she got lots of strange looks from her classmates and teacher. Nonetheless, the teacher spoke a few warnings and said a few “be carefuls” and distributed lab coats and goggles. Kat felt like a mad scientist.
Kat shifted around in anticipation as Mr. Tideshah called up two kids at a time. Eventually, he called, “Zachary, water, and Kat, lava.” Kat was thrilled that she got the lava. She knew it was as hot as her personality. Kat and her partner poured their liquids into the designated area.
After everyone in the class had their turn, Mr. Tideshah pointed out the newly-created purplish blocks on the Minecraft periodic table of elements. He explained that it was called “Obsidian,” and Kat lost interest somewhere around there. After about ten more minutes, the bell rang and Kat leapt from her seat. Before dismissing the ancy students, Mr. Tideshah told them that they would be leaving the obsidian up in the front of the room to keep it on display for everyone to admire. Pssh, I’d pick something else to brag about! Thought Kat, as she speed-walked for the exit and pulled her hood back up.
Kat snatched her backpack and rushed out of the building. Kat took a deep breath as soon as she stepped out of the stuffy school. She was glad to be out of that prison. Kat looked towards the school bus. Again, she decided to go home on foot. Again, she ended up sprinting home. And again, she ended up telling the lie about tag. This time, however, instead of taking her shower immediately, Kat walked outside again. Her house was at the edge of the block, the edge of the neighborhood, and the edge of society. There stood a massive wall to the left of Kat’s home. Kat had never seen what was beyond the barrier. In fact, only the town elders knew what lay beyond that cobblestone, and they were somewhat reserved.
Kat stared at the wall for a while. Now that Kat thought about it, she didn’t even know why the wall was even built in the first place. Or why it was even there. She tried to remember a day when she was a little girl, only five years old, when she had spoken with Maxwell Stein, or as everybody called him, “Grandfather.” He earned his nickname because he was the eldest member of their community. Grandfather was also the last-living member of the construction workers who built the wall. The memory was very hazy for Kat. When Kat was five years old, she recalled being a bit frightened by Grandfather. However, she learned that beyond his gruff eyebrows, Mr. Stein had a rather genial personality. Kat had asked him what was past the big wall. He crouched down to her level and responded in that condescending tone that nobody who has children of their own uses with children: “Past that big, bad wall, there are scary monsters! But don’t worry, those monsters can’t harm a hair on your pretty little head because I helped build the wall to protect kids like you! But, heh, I’ll tell you, it’s also really pretty out there. There are lots of trees, an’ flowers, an’ animals, an’ the like…” Kat couldn’t remember the rest of the conversation. The idea that monsters were out there sounded preposterous to Kat now. So the question that swirled around her head now was: “Then why was the wall actually built?”
Kat became angry that she couldn’t have her questions answered. Her burning curiosity wasn’t one that would leave her alone easily. Kat knew perfectly well that she could be up all night imagining the different things that could be beyond the wall. Kat was about to go back inside when she spied her garage. She hardly ever went in there because she took the bus to school and often ran back home. She hadn’t even entered the garage since… when was the last time she went into the garage? It must have been years! In a poor attempt to curb her curiosity, at least for the rest of the day, Kat decided to take a look around her garage.
The oak wood door creaked open. Everything was really dusty in the garage. Kat sneezed almost as soon as she stepped in. Her eyes went straight to a dirty old chest. For lack of better things to do, Kat opened up the chest. In the chest, she found two diamond pickaxes, an iron sword enchanted with sharpness IV, a bow enchanted with infinity, a single arrow, a knife enchanted with sharpness IV and unbreaking II, flint and steel, and some papers. Upon closer examination, the papers appeared to be from a book. Cool, thought Kat. She was intrigued that there were weapons in her home. Kat swiped everything from the chest.
Kat’s weekend was a rather uneventful one. Kat spent her free time writing, listening to music, and taking walks outside. On Sunday the Suabs went to the Temple of Notch. Kat tried to sneak in a nap during church, but her mother elbowed her and gave her a scolding look. She was later chastised for her “rude and inappropriate behavior.” Kat simply rolled her eyes.
Soon enough Monday rolled around. As it turned out, Kat’s language arts teacher was as fed up with her as she was of him. “Kat!!!” He barked, “Put your hood down!” Kat reached for her hood, but stopped. Nobody was going to punish her because people valued others’ happiness too much. Kat stubbornly looked her professor in the eye. “No.” Other students looked at Kat in shock. Kat turned to them and bitterly spat, “You heard me! No!” Her teacher took a deep breath and placed his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose, an action that Kat noticed adults had a tendency to do when they had to be around her for a prolonged period of time. “Kat,” he began, “Why aren’t you reading? It’s D.E.A.R. time. That means Drop Everything And Read, Kat.” “I don’t want to,” said Kat. She realized how childish she must have sounded. Her teacher raised his voice, “Miss Suab, if you don’t have something to read out in five seconds, I’m calling your parents!” Ugh! My stupid parents? They’re the last people I want to have talking at me! Thought Kat angrily. She reluctantly took out the pages she found in the chest from her garage and began reading. After watching Kat read for a moment, Kat’s teacher eventually walked past her, but not before yanking her hood down, earning a growl from her.
I’m sure that you can tell that Kat is a rather arrogant character by now. And thus, she was too proud to admit that she was actually interested in what she began reading. Kat figured out that she must have been reading the torn out pages of the Minecraft Wiki Booklet. This was a chapter that easily held her interest. It was all about the Nether. The part that fascinated Kat the most, though, was the Minecraft legend. Oh, haven’t you heard it by now? Well supposedly, Notch has a dead brother named Herobrine. It is rumored that Herobrine rules the Netherworld. Some say he has the power to make lightning spontaneously appear. They say he tortures helpless victims. Very little is known about Herobrine because he rarely left the Nether. Herobrine is the Devil himself.
Kat’s eyes grew wider every sentence she read. She began to grin that crazy, maniacal grin of hers. She was absolutely captivated by the information she read. But she wasn’t satisfied. She wanted to know more. She had to know more.
To Kat’s despair, the rest of her day went completely downhill. All of her teachers seemed to have a bad case of the “Mondays.” She was yelled at by every single one. On top of that, none of her classmates would talk to her. Not that they ever really did before, as Kat made a habit of isolating herself from the group, but now the kids were practically shunning her for talking back to her teacher that morning. Kat also caught them whispering about her behind her back. This infuriated her. Kat shoved one boy up against a locker and shouted in his face, “You got something to say to me, say it to my face, you pussy!” A teacher came and pulled her away from him just before she punched his lights out. Kat let herself be dragged away as she grinned at the boy who was talking about her behind her back. Kat lip-spoke a message to him so that the teacher wouldn’t hear, and what she said to him chilled him to the bone: “You better watch your back.” Kat flipped him off as she was dragged into the principal’s office.
Mrs. Principal, as Kat called her, sat her down in private, an action that meant trouble for Kat. Mrs. Principal rambled on and on about “inappropriate behavior” and “you should apologize to him” and “I’m calling your parents.” Kat simply sat and stared out the window the whole talk. She decided that this was what she would do when she would have the inevitable talk with her parents later that day. Stare, and don’t care.
Now, reader, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Kat was obviously a troubled child. She was rather hot-headed, and she didn’t know how to control her anger. She didn’t know why she felt this way all the time. And, worse still, she had no desire at all whatsoever to even attempt to control her moods. Kat figured that she was all alone in this world of hers. The scary thing is: in a way, she was. Nobody in her community--not even Grandfather--had seen someone as angry or as depressed or as lost as Kat. They didn’t know how to offer her any help or comfort. All anyone could offer to Kat was--was a lecture about feelings and emotions and growing up! And slowly, Kat’s conscience shriveled away… good and evil became the same thing to her.
After Kat’s meeting with Mrs. Principal, it was nearly time for dismissal. Kat dragged her feet upstairs to history class, only to find that everyone in her class had been dismissed ten minutes early for some reason. So, Kat walked to homeroom and found that Mr. Teacher was handing out progress reports. Kat smiled at this horror. “Progress reports? Already!? Oh shit…” she muttered to herself. Kat Suab was near the end of the list because her last name began with an “S”. “Miss Suab.” Kat walked up to Mr. Teacher’s desk. He had her progress report folded in half in his hand. Uh oh. Kat snatched it from his hands. It nearly tore as she did so. He gave her a look of “Do you want to apologize for that?” But Kat turned away. She took a quick glance at it. Her best grade was a C. And a C- at that. Kat blushed angrily. She excused herself to the restroom, plopped her progress report into the toilet, and flushed.
As soon as Kat was rid of her progress report, the bell rang. Kat got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew her parents, especially her mother, would have it out for her once she got home. So Kat took her time strolling home. As expected, as soon as she stepped inside, her mother yelled, “Kat!! Where in the world have you been?! I got a phone call from your principal, and she told me that you cursed and nearly hurt another student! I am so ashamed in you!” Her mother looked to her father, who was equally as angry. He continued the yelling, “This is most seriously disruptive behavior, missy! Go to your room now!!!”
Kat stomped upstairs to her bedroom and slammed her door so hard behind her, a mirror fell off her wall and shattered to pieces. Kat stomped on the pieces, her face streaked with angry tears. If there was anything Kat most despised, it was being screamed at. Suddenly, Kat had an idea. Without a second thought, she took the knife from her inventory and pressed it to her forearm. Kat gritted her teeth as the sharp blade raked across her bare flesh. The girl grinned evilly and cackled, “You’ll be sorry!”
But Kat was not satisfied. No, she had to go one step further. Cutting herself just wasn’t enough. “I’m sick of living this way!” Kat screamed into her pillow. She took a few deep breaths. Then, she devised a plan. Kat, being the resolute spirit she is, wouldn’t hesitate with said plan. Her plan would become a sick reality tomorrow…
****
Kat woke up easily the next morning. She was ready. Nearly all the materials she needed were already in her inventory, which made things much easier for her. Without even speaking to her parents or bothering to eat breakfast, Kat left her home and boarded the bus. Until right before lunch, all Kat could think about was her plan. At lunch time, Kat told the lunch lady that she felt sick and could she go home early. The lunch lady allowed Kat to gather her materials from upstairs and be dismissed early. Kat hopped up the stairs two at a time. She felt giddy, as she anticipated that today was her last day of school. Forever. Instead of grabbing her backpack, Kat roamed into the empty science lab. Using the diamond pickaxe from the chest from the garage, Kat mined the obsidian and took it with her. Half to ensure that nobody saw her leaving without her backpack and half as a prank, Kat pulled the fire alarm just before she left the building. She then bolted from the scene, and she was on her way.
Kat sprinted for home. No, not for home. Kat sprinted for the wall next to her home. By the time she arrived at the wall, she was so sweaty her glasses slid down her nose and she got a bit irritated having to push them back up every two seconds. However, so much adrenaline was coursing through the teen’s veins, she wasn’t at all tired from the sprint. Kat gazed up at the top of the wall, squinting and shielding her eyes from the sun with her arm. Kat took a deep breath. She spat into her hands and rubbed them together, preparing to climb.
Kat had always been nimble, agile, and strong. She figured that with her pickaxe to aid her whenever need be, scaling the wall should be an easy task. And though it may be considered a Herculean task for an ordinary person, Kat was correct; this was rather easy for her. She grinned when her hand touched the smooth stone at the top of the gargantuan wall. She pulled herself up one final time and sat on top of the barricade that towered over every house in the neighborhood.
Kat looked down in amazement. Below, on the other side was a long snaking river. On the other side of the river was a roofed forest with massive oak trees and mushrooms. After gaping at the beauty before her for a moment, Kat was eager to let her adventure begin. She would let nothing hold her back. Kat was feeling very confident and self-assured. She had escaped school and evaded punishment for it, then she had climbed a wall that nobody else even wanted to try climbing. Kat puffed her chest out, then dove into the river below, letting out a “Woo!” In enjoyment.
Splash! Kat opened her eyes underwater. It didn’t sting her eyes a bit. The surface wasn’t far, which was fortunate. Kat swam upwards, until she was above the water. She gasped and filled every inch of her lungs with air. Treading water, Kat surveyed her surroundings. She considered swimming along with the current, but she decided to continue her journey on foot, in an attempt to reserve her energy. Kat climbed out of the river and onto the grass. She took her boots off and dumped the water out of them. She stuffed her wet socks into her pockets so her feet weren’t too uncomfortable. She squeezed out her hair and hoodie. Kat jumped up and plucked a leaf off a branch and wiped her glasses off with the leaf.
Kat walked into the forest. The forest floor was littered with leaves and twigs. Kat felt the cool breeze and shivered. She was rather cold in her sopping wet clothes. Thankfully, she spotted a lava pool inside a nearby cave. Kat looked around self-consciously. Deciding that nobody could possibly be watching her, Kat stripped down to her underwear and held her clothes over the lava. Her clothing dried more quickly than Kat had expected.
All of a sudden, and in slow-motion to Kat, an arrow whizzed by her face. She whipped her head around to find the shooter. Kat didn’t understand what exactly it was that she saw, nor did she have time to think about it. She fumbled for her sword, but her pickaxe was all she had on hand, so she decided to use it as a weapon. Kat ran in a zigzag pattern to confuse her attacker, who was wielding a bow and arrow. Her strategy worked; as soon as Kat was in range, she hooked the pickaxe around the creature’s neck, then kicked its ribs with all her might. The thing collapsed to the ground, and Kat landed a finishing blow with her pick into its skull.
Kat kneeled down to see what exactly it was that had shot at her. It appeared to be a human skeleton. How was that possible? It had been moving all on its own, and Kat didn’t notice any muscles or tendons. Suddenly, Kat considered if what Grandfather had said about there being monsters beyond the wall all those years ago had been true. Perhaps he was telling her the truth, knowing she wouldn’t believe it, hoping she wouldn’t somehow get beyond the wall. Perhaps that was the real reason the wall was built.
Kat’s heart was thumping. She looked around and blushed angrily, wondering what else was watching her half-naked. She covered her chest with her arm and hurried over to her clothes. Kat quickly put her clothes back on as her eyes darted every which way. Once Kat was fully clothed again, she went over to examine what the skeleton had dropped. Kat found a couple of bones and an arrow in the grass where she had killed the skeleton. She decided to keep them as keepsakes to remind her of her very first kill. Kat grinned in pride, betting to herself that she could probably take every monster in this forest single-handedly.
Kat saw that the sun was beginning to set. Being somewhat of a night owl, Kat figured that this would be an exciting time to run through the forest and see what other adventures awaited her in the darkness. Kat grinned. Running away was the best decision she’d ever made. Sword in one hand, knife in the other, Kat nimbly ran through the forest, dodging and deflecting the arrows of other skeletons, ducking under branches and leaping over rocks.
Kat’s run sped up to a sprint. She was running so fast, she hardly noticed a humongous ravine ahead of her, and she barely stopped in time to avoid falling head-first into it. Whew, that was a close one! Thought Kat. Kat squinted and tried to see the bottom of the ravine. When she looked up, across the ravine, she saw a tall, dark, slender figure. It turned around, and Kat stared, mesmerized, into its purple eyes. Kat’s eyes widened when she saw it make an angered shriek and open its mouth, easily doubling the size of its head. And then it disappeared. Or so Kat thought. By the time she felt its cold, scaly skin on her back, it was already too late; Kat was falling down into the ravine. The girl let out a yelp just before she hit the stone at the bottom.
That’s where everything went black for Kat momentarily. She woke up to a weird groaning noise. And the weight of someone on top of her. When Kat came to, she was face-to-face with a zombie’s dead black eyes, pinning her to the ground. Kat’s expression changed from dazed to angry in an instant. “Get off me!” She shouted as she swung at the undead being with her knife. The zombie flinched and backed off for a split second, which was enough time for Kat to get on her feet. Kat faked a slash to the head with her sword, then stabbed the zombie’s body. The zombie dropped to the cold stone floor of the ravine and went limp, dropping some of its own rotten flesh. Kat picked it up, sniffed it, then dropped it in disgust. That would not be something she would be taking as a keepsake. However, she enjoyed the fact that there was now blood on her knife. Kat laughed at the zombie’s unmoving body. She suddenly remembered why she was stuck down there in the first place and shot an arrow to where she assumed the enderman was. She heard it teleport away. “Damn you!” She called up, shaking her fist at it.
Kat sat down on the ground for a minute, pondering her next move. Everything was up to her, now, no more teachers or parents or rules telling her how to live her life. She didn’t have to play the adults’ game anymore. She would live by her own rules, now. Kat’s options were to try to climb out of the ravine, or go to the place she knew she was destined to go to anyway. Knowing it would be a hopeless battle to try to climb out of the ravine in the dark, Kat decided to go with her second option. She was really excited and nervous at the same time. Kat took out the torn-out pages of the book and squinted to read them. Build a frame of obsidian, then light it with flint and steel. She got to work with haste. Once her frame was built, Kat took out her flint and steel. Chic! Chic! Chic! After a few tries, she got a steady flame going, and lit the base of the obsidian frame. The fire transformed into a window filled with fire and demons. Kat looked around, seeming a little hesitant. She didn’t know what to expect. The book said that nobody had ever gone to the Nether by choice, and those who were taken there by Herobrine never returned. Every instinct in Kat screamed to run away from the portal and forget the whole thing, but Kat silenced her instincts, deciding she was ready. Kat exhaled as she leapt into the portal.
All Kat saw for about fifteen seconds were different shades of disgusting purple swirls. They were absolutely nauseating. The girl was spat from the portal into another dimension. Kat was unbelievably dizzy. She tried to take a step, but then she fell to the ground, skinning her knee on the netherrack in the process. When she tried to breathe in, all she could do was cough, as her lungs rejected the smoke-filled air. She coughed so much, she vomited. Kat was disgusted at the puke. She turned away from it so she wouldn’t have to face it, but still sat down to catch her breath. Kat gasped and panted. She was sweating and shivering at the same time from having lost her lunch. After a few minutes of sickness, Kat wiped the bile from her mouth and chewed on her sleeve, trying to get rid of the awful aftertaste, and occasionally spitting on the ground.
Kat took a deep breath, and adapted to the hellish terrain. She surveyed her surroundings. She saw a lava lake ahead of her, with lava pouring into it from the “ceiling”. She became aware of a strange moaning sound coming from above the lava lake. Recalling the information she read in the book, Kat figured it was a ghast, although she couldn’t gage it’s distance from her.
All of a sudden, Kat felt a cold breath on the back of her neck. Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed down. Though Kat understood that there were millions of ways she could die in the Nether, she wasn’t afraid of a single one of them. She decided not to be afraid of them. She decided not to be afraid of death, torture, being burnt, or anything. Kat slowly turned around to face the monster that didn’t understand the concept of personal space.
It was a zombie pigman, with a pack of five other pigmen behind it. A zombie pigman was the only thing this creature could possibly be described as: part zombie, part pig, and part man. Kat giggled a little bit at the funny sight. The pigmen were each wielding golden swords. The pigman that had confronted Kat snarled at her. Kat drew back, holding her nose. “Eww! What are you?! Ick! You smell like--like rotting ass!” The pigmen were stunned. They looked at one another in angered confusion. The first pigman said, “I dare say… I think this is the first time anyone has dared insult one of my kind!” Kat put on a meaner face and retorted, “Trust me, it won’t be the last, as ugly as you are!” The pigmen gasped in shock. One bold member of the pack stepped forward and said, “Cut my arm. I dare you!” The zombie pigman thrust his arm forward towards Kat, who was grinning like a psychopath.
Little did she know, Kat was being watched. A few minutes ago, Herobrine had felt the strangest sensation. He didn’t know why at the time, but it enraged him. When he came to investigate he learned the reason: someone had intruded his world by choice for the first time ever. Herobrine was in midair, floating high above the scene. He watched Kat to see what her next move would be.
Kat couldn’t believe the stupidity of the monster before her. Was he serious? Kat had to be sure she had heard him right. “Are you sure about that?” If looks could kill, Kat would be dead. The pigman glared at her intensely, but simply replied, “Yes.” Kat exhaled loudly and said, “Ha, oka-ay…” Kat raised her sword. The pigman’s eyes grew wide in terror, but he defiantly kept his arm outstretched. But, instead of slicing his arm, Kat chopped his head off, and blood spewed from its severed body. The remaining five pigmen stood there in shock for a moment. What Kat said next was what caused them to rush at her in fury: “Who wants bacon?” Kat giggled as the pigmen lifted her up. She let herself be carried away. Herobrine laughed a little at seeing Kat kill his henchman. “Who does this little bitch think she is?” He said to himself.
One of the pigmen held her over the lava lake by her hood. Kat gagged a little. “Any last words?” He growled. Kat laughed a little. “Yeah… totally worth it, scrubs!” The pigman dropped the girl into the lava without mercy. Kat smiled. She was ready to die. It seemed like a worthy cause of death, to her. Flame engulfed her body… and then she opened her eyes. Was she dead? Was she a ghost? Kat swam up to the surface of the lava. She saw the pigmen walking away. Kat used her sword and pickaxe to climb her way out of the lava lake. Kat followed the herd of pigmen. She took out her knife and poked the one closest to her in the back. It yelped and turned around to face Kat. Its jaw dropped. “Boo,” was the last thing it heard. Kat stabbed its neck. Before the other four had time to draw their swords, Kat sliced and diced them to pieces. Kat walked away from the pile of severed limbs and grinned ear to ear.
Herobrine frowned. He didn’t mind so much that she was killing off his henchmen (after all, they would just respawn), but he strongly disliked the way she intruded his domain, then acted as though she owned the place! He followed this strange young one at a distance.
Kat skipped happily around the Nether. She spied another group of pigmen. Instead of attacking them directly, Kat tunneled underground. She made her way towards them beneath the netherrack. Kat sang, “Ring around the rosie, pockets full of posies, ashes, ashes…” Kat burst out from underneath the group of pigmen. “We all DROP DEAD!!!” She shouted as she leapt high into the air and knocked five arrows onto her bow at once. She fired, not missing a single target. Sword in one hand, knife in the other, Kat dashed from mob to mob, killing every monster she encountered.
After wiping out another pack of zombie pigmen, Kat stood amid their corpses and squinted into the distance. She saw something jutting out from the lava lake far away. She then saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Kat saw a baby zombie pigman, cowering behind a bunch of netherrack blocks. “You there!” Kat shouted at it. “Come here,” she commanded. It shivered, but made no move towards her. Kat sighed and smiled sweetly. “Let me rephrase: Get your little ass over here before I cut you!!!” This time, the baby pigman ran over to her as fast as his meaty little legs could carry him. “There’s a good little piggy,” said Kat. She picked it up and thrusted it towards what she saw in the lava. “Now tell me, what’s that?” “W-w-what’s what?” Kat grew irritated. “That… thing… coming out of that lava lake over there!” The little pigman responded, “Th-th-th-that’s a-a Nether Fortress…” “Hmm… I’m intrigued. Tell me more.” The young monster hesitated. He said nothing, just gazed up in fear at the girl who was holding him by the skin on the back of his neck. “I don’t have all day,” Kat growled unpleasantly. She felt every muscle in the pigman tense up, she felt him shiver in terror, but still no answer.
Kat impatiently threw the young zombie pigman to the ground and pinned him there. Then, she pressed her blood-stained knife to his forehead. Kat smiled, preying on his fear. “Little pig, little pig… tell me what the Nether Fortress is for.” He squeezed his eyes shut and a small teardrop rolled down his pink and green cheek. “I-I can’t!” “And why can’t you?” Asked Kat, becoming all the more agitated. “B-because Master Herobrine will punish me!” Kat let out a laugh at this. “Master Herobrine?? Oh, that’s right, I suppose he is your master, isn’t he?” The young monster nodded. Kat put on a mocking sad face and stuck her bottom lip out. “Aww, if you tell me, then he’ll kill you?” Asked Kat condescendingly. Again, the little monster nodded. Kat giggled maniacally and said, “Hah, what makes you think I won’t do that to you?” The pigman struggled under her weight and babbled something inaudible. Kat said to him, “You can do this the easy way…” Kat paused to spin her knife between her fingers. “Or you can do this the hard way. Which do you choose? I’ll give you one last chance: What is that damn Nether Fortress for?!” At first, the pigman said nothing. Kat sighed. She held one of his eyes open and began to slowly push her blade into his eyeball. The little pigman screamed, “Have mercy! Have mercy! I’ll talk, I swear!” Kat stopped terrorizing him to let him speak. He continued, “Master Herobrine uses that space to torture victims sometimes. He also stores various treasures he’s collected from houses and other buildings he’s griefed. It’s also one of his own personal palaces that slaves and henchmen like me helped build. Master Herobrine also sleeps in these fortresses. But I don’t think humans can. Or maybe you can, since you have, like, powers and stuff… I’m not sure…” his voice trailed off.
Kat was very pleased with her newly discovered information. She was happy to learn something that wasn’t in the book. Kat hammered her left fist into the baby pigman’s face and told him, “That was for keeping me for so long.” Then Kat decided that she wasn’t feeling particularly sparing nor kind that day, and slit the pigman’s throat with her knife.
Kat made her way over to the Nether Fortress. She swam through the lava in order to get to one of its massive pillars. She wedged her sword and pickaxe between the Nether bricks and pulled herself higher and higher. She discovered a window of some sort that had Nether brick fence through it. Kat held on to the ledge on the “window sill” and mined through the fence. This gave her an entryway. Upon entrance, Kat leapt from the window and executed a perfect shoulder roll. As soon as she entered, a wither skeleton rushed at her, sword in hand. Kat easily performed a wing block, only seconds before her sword came crashing down on its skull, completely cracking it in half. “Come on, you’re gonna have to do better than that!” Laughed Kat.
Soon after, Kat started to explore the fortress a bit more. She was rather impressed that Herobrine’s incompetent henchmen could build something this awesome. Kat found herself running in circles, but she didn’t mind. After all, she was just exploring and had nowhere in specific to be. Once, after Kat turned a different corner, she saw a chest at the end of the long hallway. Kat dashed towards it. Curious, Kat opened it up. When she laid her eyes upon the contents, all she could think was, “Treasure!” She found two diamonds, a saddle, eight Nether warts, an iron ingot, and a golden chestplate. Though Kat had no use for any of these items, for the present at least, she looted the chest and every other chest she found after that in hope of agitating Herobrine, just for more adventure. Kat even griefed the place with her pick, leaving a trail of destruction wherever she went.
Well, Kat Suab would be getting her wish. Herobrine was in utter shock that his henchman gave away such vital information. He would be punished after respawning, for sure. However, Herobrine was now absolutely furious that Kat had not only stolen from him, but also griefed one of his fortresses! It would be time to confront this little trouble-maker soon. He just had to find the right time…
Fortunately for Herobrine, Kat had griefed a huge hole in the wall of the fortress and spotted a cave in the spot where she had destroyed the wall. She decided to take a look around. There was lots of fire in the cave, but Kat walked right through it without a hair on her head becoming singed. After following the winding path for some time, Kat reached a dead end and quickly grew bored. However, she did get the oddest feeling that someone was right behind her…
Out of instinct, Kat turned around. She was face-to-face with none other… than Herobrine himself! He spoke first, “Who the hell do you think you are?!” A hint of a facetious smile appeared on Kat’s face as she said, “No comprendo inglés.” Herobrine smiled right back and, to Kat’s surprise, responded, “¿Quién demonios te crees que eres?” Kat tried her best to remember back to what she had learned in Spanish class, but she had hardly paid attention in class, so her attempt proved useless. Herobrine said to her, “I can play this game all day. Now tell me: Who are you?” Kat didn’t grin this time. She said, in a serious voice, “Your worst nightmare.” “Excuse me?” “Your worst nightmare, final answer.” Herobrine gritted his teeth. “I’m losing my patience, girl.” Kat pulled her hood over her eyes, crossed her arms casually, and said, “Well that’s too bad, because I don’t have anywhere to be. I can be here all day. I can do whatever I want. I will do whatever I want.”
Herobrine laughed at the girl. Then his anger returned and he asked again, “You have one last chance. What is your name? It’s a simple question!” Kat cleared her throat. “I am Kat Suab,” she said, looking him in the eye with confidence. “How old are you, ‘Kat Suab’?” Asked Herobrine mockingly. “I’m thirteen. Don’t treat me like a child,” answered Kat. He continued to interrogate her. “And what do you think you’re doing in my realm, Miss Thirteen-Year-Old Kat Suab?” Kat shrugged and brushed her hair from her eyes. Herobrine laughed a little again and said, “So let me get this straight…” He paused to laugh at the situation once more. “The first person to ever venture to my lair by free will… is a cocky teenage girl?” Kat flipped her hair. “Sounds accurate,” she replied. “And you think it’s okay to steal from and grief the Nether Lord, do you?!” Kat wiped her face and said, “Jeez, No-Eyes, say it, don’t spray it!” “I ought to kill you,” Herobrine snarled. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not afraid of death, sir.” He snapped at the girl. “Oh, shut the hell up, you little smartass! I ought to obliterate you!” He paused. “But first, I want to know more. You’re coming with me.” Kat smiled, knowing that she had gotten the better of him by making him aggravated. She said, “Okay, whatever.”
Herobrine grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her out of the cave. Kat felt her arm fall asleep. She decided to walk with him. He said nothing along the walk. Kat felt bored after a while of walking, though. In an effort to be rid of the boredom, Kat decided to test her boundaries with Herobrine. So, she suddenly dropped all of her weight and whined, “I’m bored. Walking is boring.” Herobrine was annoyed at this. “I’ll carry you if I have to. But if I have to do that, I’ll have to treat you like a child.” Kat didn’t take him seriously. Instead, she continued to pester him childishly. “I have to pee,” she bluntly told him. “Hope you can hold it, because I’m not stopping,” he replied irritatedly. Kat decided that her pestering wasn’t bothering him as much as she wanted to. For a little bit, she walked normally. Then, she began to skip. Herobrine became fed up with the girl’s nonsense and then eventually stopped walking and turned to face her. He said angrily and in a low voice, “You’re gonna stop that skipping right now.” Kat smiled and asked, “And what if I don’t?” Herobrine smacked Kat across the face with the back of his hand. Kat flopped to the ground. She was stunned, but she giggled like she was crazy. “If you don’t, there’ll be plenty more where that came from. Now, get up.”
Kat sighed and did as she was told. Herobrine grabbed onto her arm again to ensure that she wouldn’t try to make a run for it. Even if she did, though, there would be no way she could possibly outrun him. Eventually, they arrived at a Nether Fortress that she had not yet griefed. This was surely the largest fortress of all. He dragged the teen past an isolated room. Kat assumed that this was his bedroom, since it had a bed and bloodstains on the floor. Herobrine led Kat into a makeshift interrogation room. “Sit,” he commanded. She obediently sat down in the chair that he had gestured towards. Herobrine pulled out what appeared to be an ordinary stick. Kat raised a questioning eyebrow. He smirked evilly at her as he uttered a spell and waved the stick, which turned out to be a wand. A child, no more than two years old, appeared. Herobrine uttered a different spell and waved the wand in a slashing movement. The child screamed as she was struck by lightning, every inch of her skin charred. She fell limp to the floor. Though Kat didn’t react much--and certainly not in a fearful manner--Herobrine said, “That’ll be you if you don’t cooperate.” The girl nodded.
Herobrine’s next command was: “Empty your inventory. Drop all your weapons and everything you have.” Kat reluctantly did as she was told. Herobrine, in a rather invasive manner, patted Kat down and checked her pockets. She shifted around uncomfortably as the Devil touched her. He then sat back in his chair. He furrowed his brow, as though something didn’t seem quite right. He leaned in towards her and grabbed her by her shirt. “Hey!” Kat balled up her fist, ready to strike, but Herobrine calmly said, “You smell… different…” Kat rolled her eyes. “Look, if I stink, just tell me, okay? You want me to take a bath or something?” “Nah,” said Herobrine. “You just don’t smell like other humans.” Kat grinned smugly. “It’s probably that you don’t smell fear on me, you animal.” Herobrine’s face suddenly lit up, and Kat sensed a “lightbulb-moment.” Herobrine smiled and looked at Kat strangely. “You…” he began. “You were born into Creative Mode.” “You think I’m stupid or something?” “No, really! I-I’ve been watching you since you came to the Nether, and I noticed that you were inhumanly fast and strong… Wait, hold on.” He leaned in and awkwardly sniffed her again. “No… not Creative Mode… but this is really peculiar. You have significantly more health than the average person, you are faster and stronger than grown men. You’re not quite invincible, or anything, but it would take someone as strong as me to take you out.” Herobrine looked at her with a new admiration. Kat smiled confidently and in awe.
Herobrine looked her up and down again. Kat stared into his eyes, trying to see what he was thinking. “Why are you here? You still didn’t answer my question,” he pointed out. “I’m here because you dragged me here, I thought you’d at least know that much,” said the girl. “I mean it. Why did you come to my realm in the first place?” Kat sighed. She didn’t particularly feel like meeting the fate of the dead toddler, still lying on the floor. “I ran away.” Herobrine was puzzled. After a long pause, he said, “So, you ran away from home. And you decided to come to Hell, like any other normal teenager. Pfft… Why in the world would you run away… only to come here? Did you come to challenge me or something?” Kat looked up towards the ceiling, as if searching her thoughts for an answer. Kat finally said, “Well… I… just wasn’t happy. I hate school. I hate my parents. I hate seeing everyone else happy. That makes me angry. I wanted to go on an adventure. I hated living under the rule of my--” Kat searched for the word to describe her feelings. “--Tyrannical parents! And my stupid teachers! My teachers think they know everything, they think they know who I am, they think they know my problems, my struggles. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be misunderstood for your whole life?!” Kat tried to fight her angry tears, but to no avail.
Herobrine’s face softened. If he had any pity in his cold heart at all, he was showing it towards Kat. He whispered, “I know. I know what it feels like to be lost.” Herobrine lifted Kat out of her chair and hugged her. She was in utter shock, but she let him hug her, though she didn’t hug back. A sudden wave of sadness flooded through Kat and quenched the raging fire in her heart, for now at least. She began to cry into his shoulder. Herobrine hugged tighter and soothed the upset girl. “Sh-h… it’s okay. I know.” Through her sobs, Kat whispered, “I feel like I’m lost in a maze. And everyone else has a map. Oh, and they aren’t sharing their precious knowledge of the way out with me.” “Been there, done that. You know what the secret is? Burn the walls of the maze. And if your own fire consumes you, drag everyone else down with you. Take as many poor souls as you can grab.”
“Woah…” the girl whispered as she stared up at Herobrine. He looked down at her, his glowing eyes causing her to squint. He sighed, then whispered, “I’ll spare you. But you tell no one. Got that?” Without letting Kat answer, and after another sad sigh, Herobrine said, “You’re just a kid. Go home.” He waved his wand and snapped his fingers…
****
Kat Suab woke to rays of sunlight dancing in her face, coming in through her curtains. Wait, sunlight?! Curtains?! Where am I… Kat’s eyes shot open, and realized to her horror, that she had been teleported to her bed. She patted her pockets and was relieved to find her knife, but was in fury to find that the rest of her weapons were left behind in the Nether Fortress. She practically ripped her sheets off onto the floor. She stomped her foot and screamed, “You can bet your ass I’ll be back, Herobrine!!!” After her short tantrum, she heard hurried footsteps rushing up the stairs. The door was flung open and Kat saw her bewildered parents standing before her. They gasped as a huge drop of blood dripped from her knife to the floorboards. Uh oh… thought Kat.
****
Kat yanked her hood over her eyes during the car ride. She buried her head in her arms and curled up in the back seat. She felt the car slowing down. It was only when it stopped completely that Kat looked up to see where they were. A rather desolate area. She soon learned why. She looked at the only building in sight. In bold black text, the building was proudly titled LOONEY BIN. “What?!” cried Kat. She kicked at the passenger’s seat to alert her mother that she was not happy about this.
Kat set it in her heart to escape once her parents left her there for good. There were two guards standing at the main entrance. They stripped her of all of her weapons. They even discovered the knife she hid in her boot, much to her dismay. The guards dragged Kat into an empty cell. Her parents followed cautiously at a distance. Kat let herself be dragged into the cell and locked away. Kat’s mother and father waved at her sadly through the bars, to which Kat responded with double middle fingers. The guard outside her cell informed Kat that he would be checking on her in an hour, and that in the meantime, he would be patrolling the halls. In her scariest voice, Kat said, “And I’ll be right here waiting for you!” And then she grinned like a cheshire cat. The guard nodded at her uncomfortably and told her to be a good girl.
Kat sat in her prison for about ten minutes silently like the good girl she was told to be. She grew bored quickly. When the guard walked by her cell, she said, “Hey, guard!” to get his attention. He turned to her and raised his eyebrows, awaiting whatever Kat had to say next, figuring that it couldn’t be too bad, right? And she couldn’t hurt him because she was trapped, right?
As you can tell, this guard was naive and not properly trained for the job. Why would he need training? Everyone--save little Kat--was a good citizen. Nobody--save little Kat--had such dangerous behaviors and actions. The most violent thing the guard had seen in all his years were children play-fighting. So, in his ignorant mind, Kat was not dangerous, so he had nothing to worry about. Heh… he was in for a rude awakening!
Kat made her eyes childishly wide to appear as innocent as possible. “C’mere!” Kat beckoned him. The guard cluelessly stumbled over to the cell. Kat impishly looked both ways and cupped her hand beside her mouth, indicating that she was about to tell a secret. The guard leaned in close to Kat. Instead of whispering a secret, Kat belched loudly in his ear. The guard backed away and cried, “That’s disgusting!” The teen stifled a giggle and stuck her bottom lip out. “Wait! Come back! That wasn’t the secret!” she whined. Reluctantly, and still cringing, the guard put his ear between the metal bars of the cell. Kat whispered to him in a voice that sent chills down his spine, “I’m insane.”
Startled, the guard staggered back. However, he quickly regained his composure and said to Kat, “Heh, no, you’re not insane, bud. You’re just at that age where your hormones start actin’ all crazy and stuff. You’ve got nothing to worry about; everything will turn out just fine. But if you need to talk to someone about your feelings, I’m listening, pal.” Kat leaned in close and completely lost her innocent tone when she said, “Don’t condescend me, you fucking bastard. So you can shut your pretty little ass up, you fat wannabe therapist. And, heh, if you haven’t noticed, I’m way beyond help right now.” She paused to laugh and stare deeply into the guard’s dark fearful eyes. “Say, what’s your name, guy?” He gulped and cleared his throat. “Uh, Mason.” “Mason…” she repeated slowly, looking like a rattlesnake hissing his name, ready to strike and inject venom.
“Let me tell you something, Mason,” Kat began. “I’m listening.” “Perfect. I just want to tell you that I’m going to get out of here, one way or another. And, you know, I’m feeling nice today. So, you have one chance. Let me out,” she commanded. Mason spun the keys around his finger and chuckled, “I’m afraid I can’t do that, kiddo.” Kat narrowed her eyes and growled, “Are you sure?” Mason shook his head. “No can do.” In a low and ominous voice, Kat informed her guard that he made a huge mistake. He eyed her warily. “You know what, Mason? I’m going to kill you. Apparently you couldn’t get it through your thick skull that you were supposed to free me. So, now you’ll pay. Watch this.”
Kat balled up her fists and punched the metal bars twice. They gave way immediately. She casually stepped out of her prison. The horrified Mason fumbled for his walkie-talkie, but he was too slow. Kat roundhouse kicked him in the leg, and he collapsed like a child’s toy blocks. She stomped on his nose and bashed it into his face. Mason cried out and his hands went to the bloody mess that was once his nose. Kat kicked the walkie-talkie out of his reach. She then quickly unzipped his vest and retrieved her knife. Mason tried to plead with her, but she was merciless. She slit his throat and his stomach.
Kat looked up to see a security camera staring back at her. “Oh, shit,” she muttered. She heard loud, heavy footsteps behind her. She could’ve sworn she heard tasers buzzing. Kat ran for the wall at the end of the hallway. Fists throbbing, she punched through the wall and leapt out of the asylum. Knife in hand, Kat ran for her freedom. She sprinted for the wall separating civilization from the wilderness. It felt as though her lungs were shriveling. It felt as though her body was deteriorating more and more each time her heart pumped. And, yet, it felt as though she were flying, not running.
Before she knew it, Kat had reached the barrier. She held her knife between her teeth and scaled the wall as fast as she could. Once she reached the top, she looked down to see if her pursuers had followed. They had not. In fact, they weren’t even in sight! Kat gave a triumphant laugh.
For the second time now, Kat would dive into the river below. This time, however, she thought ahead and removed her clothes beforehand. She balled up her clothes, concealing her knife in the center, and threw them to the other side. Kat did a double flip before plummeting into the river. She opened her eyes and swam to the surface, just like before. She pulled herself on top of the river bank and put her clothes back on quickly, knowing that there was probably something watching her like last time. Sure enough, there was a creeper heading her way. Kat ran up and slashed its face, then retreated before it could have time to explode. It hissed furiously. Kat repeated this tactic two more times, and the creeper died, dropping gunpowder. Kat stuffed it into her pocket.
It was the afternoon now. Kat preferred to wait until nighttime to roam into the forest, just to satisfy her adventurous spirit. Until nightfall, Kat happily climbed the tallest oak trees she could find and munched on apples whenever she felt like it. As soon as the sun began to set, Kat began to search for the ravine in which she had built her portal to the Nether. She at least remembered its general direction. She began to regret waiting until dark to do her search, as it was much more difficult to see her way. It took a few hours, but she eventually peered down a ravine to find the glowing purple substance. Kat started to climb down, but it proved difficult while holding her blade. Luckily, she saw a spider below and gladly threw the knife into the spider. When she reached the bottom of the pit, all that was left were two of its eyes and some string. Kat picked them up along with her knife. Without hesitation, Kat jumped into the portal.
Kat was able to control her nausea this time, although she was still unbelievably dizzy. Kat looked to her right. She saw a pack of zombie pigmen. She ran up to them and shouted, “Hey, remember me?” They grudgingly nodded, knowing that they could not beat her. “Get your master. I wanna talk to him,” Kat commanded. The pigmen growled and snorted at her. Kat rolled her eyes, “You know you can’t beat me, so just give in, will you?” “We don’t know where Master Herobrine is,” grumbled one monster. Kat faked a punch, then grabbed both of his legs and twisted to the left, executing a double leg takedown. She landed on top of the pigman, then pressed her knife to its throat. “Now do you know where he is?” shouted Kat. “No! He could be anywhere! He doesn’t just sit around in his fiery palace all day! He gets stuff done! He blows up houses and finds more victims to torture! Besides, even if I did know his whereabouts, I wouldn’t tell you!!!” he spat. Frustrated, Kat didn’t hesitate in killing the pigman. Though they knew it was of no use, the rest of the pack rushed at her. In less than a minute, there was nothing but rotten flesh and the golden nuggets in their pockets.
Kat let out an exasperated sigh and turned around. But, as soon as she turned around, she ran into Herobrine’s chest. “Boo,” he said. “Well, that was easier than expected,” said Kat, although it was muffled because her face was buried in his moist shirt. She quickly backed away and spat at the ground. “Hey!” said Herobrine, lifting Kat up. “You’re more sweaty than I am! You’re the one wearing all black! Hell, you’ve even got your hood up! It’s too damn hot for that.” She looked him in the eye seriously and said, “You’re going to put me down now.” Herobrine dropped the girl and she landed on her feet. He looked down at her. “I knew you’d come back. You just couldn’t get enough of me,” he said smugly. Kat lowered her glasses and gave him the look of a disapproving father. “Right,” she said sarcastically after a pause. “Actually,” she continued, “I have a proposal to make. Herobrine, as long as you never send me back to my parents, who put me in a goddamn mental home, I want to work for you.” She expected him to burst out in laughter at her proposal, but instead he rubbed his chin, intrigued.
“Hmm…” he said. “I don’t know about that. I’ve never had a human work for me before. I suppose I’ll allow it… for now. We’ll see how it goes. If you don’t cooperate or follow my instructions, well, I guess I’ll just have to kill you. So, you sure about this?” he asked with a dominant grin. Kat casually shrugged and said, “Sure, why the hell not?” Herobrine smacked her with the back of his hand and she stumbled backwards, dazed, shocked, and furious. “What the fuck was that for?!” she yelled, very angry that she had been caught unprepared like that. Herobrine grabbed her by her jacket and said, “Rule number one: Respect your master. There’ll be none of that ‘Sure, why the hell not?’ shit. You will say, ‘Yes, master.’ Or ‘Yes, Master Herobrine.’ You got that, missy?” Kat was about to inform him that he wasn’t her dad, but decided otherwise, remembering that it was her choice to work for the Devil. “Yes, Master Herobrine,” she grumbled.
Herobrine reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of water. He tossed it to Kat and said, “Drink up, girl. It’s going to be a long day for you.” Kat did as she was told and kept the bottle in her own pocket. Herobrine then threw her a bucket. She caught it by the handle and looked at him, confused. “Here are your instructions, slave. Listen up, because I’m not repeating myself. You are to fill that bucket with lava, then give it to the pigman at the entrance of the palace. After that, you are to report back to me. I will be down the hall and in the room to the left. Questions?” “No.” Herobrine raised his hand and scowled. “Sir!” Kat quickly added. Herobrine chuckled and patted her on the back. He teleported away to the room where Kat was supposed to report to him, she assumed.
Kat walked at a brisk pace to the nearest lava lake, filled the bucket, and made her way to the massive fortress in the distance. She saw two wither skeletons guarding the entrance. She approached them and said, “Uh, there’s a zombie pigman I’m supposed to meet here? I’ve gotta give this lava bucket to him.” “You must be Kat,” said one of the guards. The girl nodded. The wither skeletons stepped aside and lowered their stone swords. Through the entrance, Kat spotted the zombie pigman. “Here you go,” she said, thrusting the lava bucket at him. He grabbed it and glared at her. Kat glared back. When he finally spoke, he said, “Technically, I have authority over you, newbie. You will treat me with respect or I’ll be alerting Master Herobrine.” “Yes, sir!” said Kat with mock enthusiasm. The pigman took a deep breath and said, “You’ve got a lot to learn, kid.” Before Kat could come up with a comeback, he was already walking away.
Kat walked down the hall and turned left, as she was told to do. Herobrine was standing behind lots of empty buckets. “You delivered the lava?” “Yes, sir.” Herobrine put on a smile that looked a little too fake. “Good job!” he said loudly. Completely wiping away his smile, he said, “Now fill forty more.” Kat glared at him blinked twice, the bags under her eyes looking ever more gray. “Yes, sir,” she said flatly. Herobrine had a look of mock relief. “Oh, good. I knew you wouldn’t mind. Just drop ‘em off in this same room, will ya? I know you will.” Kat sighed. “Sir? Where should I meet you after that?” Herobrine grinned evilly. “Just follow the sound of screams and begging for mercy!” “Sir, yes sir!” shouted Kat, saluting him. She felt like a fool when he teleported away without saluting back.
Kat groaned loudly as she picked up the buckets and stored them in her inventory. She groaned loudly as she walked out of the fortress, and she groaned loudly as she made her way to the nearest pool of lava flowing from the “ceiling.” She earned many strange and annoyed looks from fellow slaves and servants. It took her a while, but Kat managed to fill all forty buckets with the thick, bubbling lava. She looked up and noticed a ghast flying nearby. “Hey, you!” she called to it. It looked around and moaned cluelessly. “Down here!” The ghast flew down to her level and squinted at her. “What do you want?” Its voice was so high-pitched, Kat nearly burst out laughing. Instead, she kept her composure and said, “Can you give me a ride?” “Where to?” “Uh, the Nether Palace.” “That’s pretty near… You too lazy to walk?” it asked suspiciously. Kat scratched her head and said, “Well, I just want to make a grand entrance.” The ghast giggled and agreed to do it, adding that it could use an adventure.
It was weird for Kat to feel wind in her hair again on top of the ghast. She grinned wildly throughout the whole ride, though her pleasure was short-lived, as it was not a long journey. Soon enough, the ghast burst through the wall of the palace. It took off as soon as the girl dismounted. Kat quickly replaced the blocks so she wouldn’t have to face her master’s wrath. Just as Herobrine had said, Kat did hear loud screams and begs for mercy. She made sure not to take her sweet time, but paid close attention to her surroundings. She walked in on her master using a scalpel to dig through a victim’s stomach. “Master, I got the lava. What do you want me to do with it, sir?” Herobrine let his victim sit in agony as he talked with Kat. “Ah, just set it in the same room you found the empty buckets, okay?” “Yes, sir.” The girl bowed and exited the chamber and strolled down the hall to find the next room. One by one, and as carefully as possible, Kat placed the lava-filled buckets in four rows of ten.
Kat headed back to where she had last seen Herobrine. She peeked into the room. She saw him applying anesthesia to the victim. After that, he placed his hands inside of his stomach and pulled out his intestines. Kat’s interest grew as Herobrine removed his hands, which were covered in blood. Then, she got an idea. She approached him and poked him curiously. “Ma-aster?” she said in a sing-song voice. His face didn’t show any signs of amusement, but he poked her back playfully, leaving a dark stain on her black hoodie. “Ye-es?” Kat cleared her throat and said, “Master Herobrine, I know an easier way to do that.” She glanced at the man who was near death. Herobrine raised an eyebrow and responded, “I’m listening.” Kat’s eyes lit up. “Can I show you? Pretty please?” Herobrine seemed skeptical, but granted his slave permission. She practically jumped for joy. Showing her usual evil grin, Kat said, “I’ll need a new victim, something to tie them down with, hot coals, a bucket, and a rat.” Herobrine reluctantly gave her some coal and a bucket. “I’ll set up the victim. You go ahead and put the coal in the bucket and hold it over lava to heat it. And by the way, I’d better like whatever it is you’re doing.” Kat smiled. “Oh, don’t worry. You will. And, if you do this more often, it means less work for you.” Herobrine whistled and a small zombie pigman rushed in eagerly. “Go to the lower levels of the palace and fetch me a rat,” he ordered. “Yes, sir!” he shouted, and scurried away. Kat excitedly went to go fulfill her task, and by the time she returned, Herobrine already had another terrified victim tied down.
“We’re just waiting on the rat now,” said Herobrine with his arms crossed. He tapped his foot impatiently and looked at Kat, who blushed sheepishly. “Uhm, can I soften him up a bit?” she asked, hoping to impress him. Her master nodded, curious to see what she had in mind. Kat felt confident again as she made her way over to a table with assorted weapons. She eyed them carefully, then picked up a hammer. She calmly walked over to the man, who whispered, “Please. Let me go. I’m begging you. I did nothing wrong!” Kat shrugged and said, “Nah, I don’t want to. Sorry, honey.” Herobrine chuckled a bit at this. Kat began her torture at the man’s kneecaps. When I say “began,” I mean, she began it with a BANG! Or, rather, the shattering of bones. The man cried out in agony. Kat said to the man calmly, “Okay, I’m going to need you to shut the hell up. The pain has only just begun!” Kat moved up to his face. Then, grinning like a maniac, she raised the hammer high above her head and hammered his front teeth out. Blood gushed from his mouth. The victim vomited, and Kat cackled. She looked over to her master, trying to read his expression. He seemed pleased and intrigued with her work.
They both heard the scuttling of little quick footsteps, and knew the young servant would be arriving soon. Sure enough, the little monster scampered in with a rat trapped in a cage. Proudly, he presented it to his master, who thanked and dismissed him. The pigman left as quickly as he had entered. Herobrine turned to Kat and said, “Okay, what do you have in mind?” Kat explained her theory, and Herobrine listened intently. He was very happy with what she had come up with, and even promised her a promotion if all went as expected. “I’ll let you do the honors,” said Master Herobrine, backing off. Kat took a deep breath, ready to prove herself worthy. She emptied the rat from the cage into the bucket. Next, she placed the bucket with the rat inside upside-down on the victim’s stomach. As her third and final step, Kat placed the hot coal on the bucket. And the antagonists waited. The victim soon figured out what was going to happen, and he continued screaming and repeating, “Oh, my God,” over and over again. He screamed it louder when he felt the rodent first bite his navel. He shrieked in dread and anguish. Meanwhile, Kat and her master watched his torture like it were a film. They eventually noticed his eyes roll back into his head. The girl cautiously checked to see if he was still breathing. The man was dead. Herobrine took off his shirt and wet it with water from a nearby cauldron. He grabbed the hot coal from the bucket and curiously lifted the bucket up. Just as Kat had expected, the rat tried to escape the heat of the bucket. It had shifted into survival mode, and was clearly willing to do anything to escape the oven. This was evident because it was found, nearly dead, in a bloody hole in the man’s stomach. The animal tried to burrow its way through the man’s gut in a desperation to escape the fatal heat.
Herobrine chortled darkly. He instructed Kat to turn around. When she did so, she felt him place his hand on her back. “What was that, sir?” “Take off your hoodie and see for yourself.” Kat was secretly grateful he had asked this of her, for she was nearly as hot as the rat in the bucket in her black jacket in this fiery landscape. She gladly removed her hoodie, revealing a plain black T-shirt, drenched in perspiration. Kat looked at the back of her hoodie. She saw a dark bloody handprint stained on the back. She smiled at Herobrine, who smiled back. That day, Kat was promoted to servant. Her master informed her that she would be receiving a small payment of golden nuggets at the end of each day. The amount would depend on the work she got done.
Kat responded by suddenly coughing violently. She frantically groped for her water bottle in her pocket. Whilst working hard, she had sort of forgotten her basic needs, and put thirst out of her mind. Until now. She discovered, to her dismay, that her water bottle had sprung a leak. There was no way she would have noticed over how much she was sweating. Herobrine tossed Kat another water bottle, and she took huge gulps of water, hardly seeming to care that she spilled it all over her T-shirt. As the cool, life-giving, thirst-quenching water gushed past her dry, cracked lips, she felt as though strength was restored to her whole body. Her eyes began to sting and water, as if she were crying tears of joy for being kept alive from the water. Herobrine punched Kat’s arm softly and said, “Stay hydrated. That’s an order. I don’t need any more dead henchmen, not counting the undead, of course.” Kat nodded, unable to speak for the time being. Master Herobrine let it go, just this once, because he sympathised for his loyal servant.
Kat’s days went by fairly quickly. Most of Herobrine’s orders included Kat going to the Overworld to fetch buckets of water, repair crumbly areas of the palace, and occasionally come up with new torture ideas. One day, though, was different. Kat’s master noticed that when she was critically exhausted from work, she would sleep in a small vacant room of the palace. On the floor. One time, when he could tell that she was particularly tired, he followed her to her “room.” Kat fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the Nether Bricks. Herobrine kicked her softly to wake her up. Kat awoke with a start. Before she could see who had awoken her in this way, she automatically assumed it was an attacker and grabbed her master’s foot. He let out a small yelp and crashed to the floor. The girl realized what she had done and exclaimed, “Oh, no! Sorry! Damn it!” Embarrassed, she pulled her hood over her face. Herobrine scooched in closer and gently lifted her hood. “I couldn’t help but notice you were sleeping on the job,” he began. Kat looked deep into his eyes and frowned. “You’re not mad,” she pointed out. Herobrine sighed. “You’re right, I’m not. But I do find it odd that you can actually sleep in the Nether. I’ve never met another human who could.” Herobrine paused, and Kat gave him a puzzled look. He continued, “I guess I’m apologizing. I… didn’t know you could sleep in this land. Do you want to sleep in my bed?”
Kat was silent for a few moments in shock. She had to admit, it did sound like a nice offer. She considered it, then frowned again. “What’s the matter?” asked Herobrine. If Kat didn’t know better, she would have thought that Herobrine said that in a taunting tone. Accusingly, Kat asked, “Where will you sleep?” Her master flashed a smile she had never seen before. “Also in my bed.” It took Kat a moment to understand his meaning. When she did, she gasped in horror. “Oh, HELL NO!!!” She thought she was going to vomit. “You sick pervert! I’m thirteen fucking years old! I QUIT!!!” she shouted. “You quit? Quit what? What do you think you’re going to quit?” teased Herobrine. Kat put on her meanest, most insane face and said, “Wanna see a magic trick? Boom, you’ve no longer got a human servant!” “You can’t do that, sweetie. I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that,” said Herobrine. Kat eyed his big arms. There was no way she could overpower him, but maybe if she could catch him by surprise, she could buy herself just enough time to make a run for it…
The girl screamed as loud as she could, stomped on Herobrine’s foot, and punched him in the jaw. It was a very painful punch, too. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Now you may already know this, but I’d appreciate it if you made a fist for me. Feel your first two knuckles. Then feel the others. The first two are significantly harder, aren’t they? Kat used her first two knuckles, and it hurt. Then, and mostly as a distraction, Kat elbowed him in the face. Finally, she kicked his leg, twice in the same spot. Her shinbone versus his knee… let us just say that her shin won! His leg bent inward! She had dislocated his knee! Now it would be awfully hard for him to run after her!
Kat sprinted for the exit before she had time to see that Herobrine--once he had gained full consciousness--pulled out a bottle filled with a pink healing potion. However, his ex-servant was already gone by the time the potion had gone into effect. Kat knew the fortress fairly well at this point, but Herobrine knew it inside out. He knew it like the back of his hand. Unsurprisingly, as Kat was heading for where she thought the exit was, she made a wrong turn and ended up at a dead end. She heard Herobrine’s heavy footsteps somewhere down the hall, but he hadn’t turned the corner yet. She was hidden, but only for now. Kat struck the Nether Bricks again and again, desperately clawing her way through the wall. Eventually, she made a gap in the wall just big enough for her to fit in. She quickly replaced the blocks, so that, when Herobrine went down the hall to catch her, she would be nowhere to be found. Sure enough, Herobrine scanned the hall, and rapidly moved on, not wasting a moment. Kat sighed in relief when she could no longer hear his footsteps.
Kat slowly made progress towards the assumed location of her portal. In truth, she couldn’t even tell what direction she was headed in. Though her knuckles were bleeding, though her fingernails were chipped and almost falling off, though the pain was excruciating, she continued tunneling forward. By a stroke of good luck, Kat destroyed the walls of the room where she was “interrogated” in by Herobrine. She stumbled into the room. The dead toddler was still lying on the floor, still charred, and beginning to rot and smell rancid. Kat found all of her weapons still lying on the floor as well. She gratefully picked up her diamond pick, even though it stung her hands to hold anything.
Kat ran back through her tunnel and used her pickaxe to break through the wall of the dead end. She then found her way out of the grand fortress. It took hours of sprinting and hiding from any of Herobrine’s servants. Surely he had told them to keep an eye out for the runaway. Though her escape was taking so long, she never gave up hope. She was very tired, and dehydrated, though. Had Herobrine not awakened her, she would be fully rested. At least she still had some water left. Kat raised the bottle to her lips. She intended only to take small, conservative sips, but she couldn’t control herself. She gulped down every last drop. She sighed and looked around. She spotted a small Nether Fortress. Kat knew it was unlikely, but she considered that there may be more water inside. She had to try. Her body still begged for water. Though it would delay her finding the portal, she had to try. Besides, she might not even make it to the portal without more water.
It wasn’t long before Kat found a single chest with a saddle, fourteen blocks of obsidian, six nether warts, and a flint and steel. Kat was disappointed at first when there was not any water, but she soon realized that she ought to just make another portal. She found a nice open space to create and light her new portal. Kat lit her new portal without hesitation. Soon, the girl was once again in her own dimension. When Kat returned to the Overworld, there was a thick fog enveloping everything that would normally be in view. She was spat from the portal into the same ravine that the Enderman had originally shoved her into. Sword in one hand, pickaxe in the other, Kat climbed her way out. As she made her way back into the forest, an idea came to her: Kat would return to her house… and burn it to the ground. Of course, not before terrifying her parents by showing them bloody weapons. She almost felt sorry for them--afraid of violence. Violence was a joke to her. Even though working for Herobrine was now out of the question, Kat still had rather… homicidal tendencies and destructive habits.
As Kat made the journey back to her house, the fog cleared away quickly. It was replaced by really strong wind. The wind came on suddenly, and it nearly swept the teen off her feet. It took everything she had to keep her balance. Eventually, Kat arrived at the wall. Before climbing it, though, she took plentiful gulps from the river. She had no trouble scaling the barricade for the third time. Only this time, she would have to climb down, as well, for there was no river on the other side to jump into. The wind stopped temporarily while Kat climbed up. However, once she reached the top and began her descent, she was nearly blown off the wall and almost fell to her doom. She was very careful climbing down, but even the most sure-footed of people would have slipped up at least once. Kat was bracing herself from wind coming from one side, however, the gusts suddenly shifted in direction, and Kat lost her grips on the cool cobblestone.
Before Kat could even realize she was falling, her back slammed against the roof of her house. Though shaken up, Kat was on her feet before she could even appreciate that if she hadn’t landed on her roof, she would be dead. She took a deep breath, and walked over to her bedroom window. It was already open, and she slipped inside. Only… this wasn’t her room. Was this the wrong house? Nope, this was definitely her house. The room itself was the same, but the furniture was all different. “What the hell…” Kat said softly. There was an over-sized teddy bear by the bed with blue sheets. Where were her red sheets? Why was the carpet blue? Why had all of her horror books in her bookshelf been replaced with B grade science fiction novels?
Kat pulled out her knife. She could tell that something wasn’t right. She had seen the lights on downstairs, so somebody had to be home. Tracking mud, Kat walked downstairs to the dining room. There were her parents, having dinner, carrying on with their daily lives. But sitting with them at the dinner table was a boy Kat had never seen before. Her mother glanced up from her plate and shrieked at the sight of Kat, who gave her a poisonous look and said, “Guess who’s back, motherfuckers.” When her father caught sight of her, a look of panic swept across his face. The boy turned around and studied Kat with a look of horror. The boy was the first to speak. “Mom, dad, who is she?” Kat blinked twice, trying to comprehend what the boy said. Kat shouted, “Mom, dad, who the hell is he?!”
Kat’s mother gulped and attempted to explain the situation. Her voice was shaky. “Kat, this is Joey. A-after you ran off, we just couldn’t stand the feeling of emptiness. We needed a child to fill the hole in our hearts. After two weeks, we gave up hope. We thought you’d never come back, sweetheart…” Her voice trailed off. “Joey is your adopted brother, Kat,” finished her father. Kat stared at the boy, sitting in her seat, who had her room. Finally, she spoke to her parents. “You replaced me… YOU REPLACED ME, YOU BASTARDS!!! You gave up looking for me after two weeks! You didn’t want to find me!” Kat already hated her parents for locking
Kat stepped closer and reached out to touch Joey’s long, wavy, chestnut-colored hair, or maybe to yank it out. Like a whip, her father struck Kat’s hand and shouted, “Don’t you dare lay a hand on him!” “It’s not him I want to hurt!” Kat shot back. Terrified, her mother rushed for the telephone. Quick as lightning, Kat clasped her hand around Joey’s mouth and pressed her knife to the side of his neck. She could feel his pulse quicken. “Call 911 and your precious Joey is dead!” Her mother stopped in her tracks.
“Come here,” Kat ordered her parents. When they hesitated, she poked Joey, and he let out a muffled whimper. Both of her parents bolted to her. She looked her mother in the eye, then her father. After a pause, Kat said, “Can you guys just, like, stop breathing?” Suddenly, she threw her brother to the floor and stabbed her father’s throat, right through his windpipe. He was instantly dead. While her mother was petrified in horror, she pierced her blade through her breast. She fell to the floor like a sack of rocks. “Why…?” she whispered as she died. Tears threatened Kat as she looked toward both of them. Slowly, Kat pressed the sharp blade into her left cheek and dragged it to her chin, leaving a trail of blood. A tear lazily rolled down into the cut she had made. Her cheek stung and itched. “Now we match,” her voice cracked.
Embarrassed and angry that she was crying, Kat stomped upstairs to Joey’s room. She slammed the door and leaped onto his bed. She buried her face in his pillow and she cried. And she cried. And she cried. Meanwhile, Joey was curled up in a ball on the floor. He tried as hard as he could to calm himself down. He took deep breaths. He had just witnessed murder. He looked at his dead parents, each lying in a puddle of their own blood. Joey tried to look at the bright side of things. Just gotta stay positive, Joe. That’s what Mom and Dad would’ve told me. But they’re gone now. I’ve only lived with Mr. and Mrs. Suab for three weeks. I didn’t know them that well anyway. Back to the Foster Home. It’ll all be okay. Maybe I’ll be on the news. It took everything he had to think these thoughts instead of scream.
Joey felt a strange sense of calmness. Everything felt like a dream to him. He suddenly wondered if anything actually mattered. He eyed the phone. He could call 911… or he could try his luck with his sister, who had broken in and killed his parents. Yet she had spared him. Eventually, Joey got his courage up and decided that nothing mattered. It wouldn’t matter if he died, or so he told himself. Every instinct screamed for him to turn around as he slowly climbed up the staircase. But somehow, he felt drawn to Kat.
Not even bothering to knock, Joey opened the door quietly. “Kat?” Kat sat up on the bed. She was beyond confused. So many thoughts were swirling around her head. It felt like she was looking at her thoughts from underwater, every memory was distorted in a dizzying way. Joey slowly approached her and sat on his bed. He shook his head and stared at her. “Who are you?” he said, finally. Kat was baffled at his courage. Mechanically, she responded, “My name is Kat Suab. I am thirteen… wait, what day is it?” “Today is April 16th,” said Joey politely. “Today is my fourteenth birthday. I killed my--our parents. I’ve seen beyond the wall. I’ve seen the monsters. Their blood is on my hands. But I’ve also seen the beauty.” Kat tried to read her brother’s expression. After a long pause, Joey said, “You’ve been beyond the wall?” His sister gave him a confident smirk. “Sure have. Why? Don’t you believe me?” “No, no, I’ve also been past the wall!” “Oh, really?” Kat thought he was bluffing. She tested him. “If you really have, then you would know what is directly on the other side.” With full confidence, Joey replied, “The river, and past that is a flower forest to the left and a roofed forest ahead and to the right.” Kat was impressed with his knowledge. She asked, “How did you get to the other side? I climbed over the wall.” “I burrowed under. And I did it just because I was curious. Grandfather Maxwell is a good friend of mine, and he often visited the Foster Home. I was always excited when he came because he would tell us stories about the wall and why it was built and what was on the other side. So, one day, I made up my mind to see for myself. A week before I was adopted, I tunneled underneath the wall at night. I especially remember the moonlight reflecting in the river… but I heard noises and saw arrows whizzing by in the darkness. I was so afraid I ran as fast as I could back to the Foster Home.”
Kat looked at Joey and gave him a genuine smile. It was certainly a different experience for her. She had never had a positive relationship with anyone. Other than Herobrine, but only for a few months, before he turned on her. To her, Joey seemed like a weak figure, skinny, with big babyish blue eyes. However, he turned out to be quite the opposite. Perhaps Joey was physically weak, but he certainly earned the admiration and respect of Kat. He seemed so fearful, yet so brave at the same time. Kat couldn’t describe the feeling. Previously, she was a girl whose life was full of anger, depression. Anguish. Doing evil things made her energized, but talking with Joey made her truly happy.
“How old are you, Joey?” asked Kat softly. “Eleven-and-a-half. I’ll turn twelve on June 27th.” Kat nodded. Tap, tap, tap. The siblings heard the telltale pitter patter of rain drumming against the window gently. Joey poked his head out the window, reminding Kat of a puppy in a car. The boy took a deep breath and stated, “I love the rain.” “I hope it storms,” said Kat nonchalantly. On que, thunder boomed loudly at the same time lightning zig-zagged across the sky. Joey flinched and quickly pulled his head back inside and shut the window. Kat giggled a bit at the sight of his matted-down hair. Joey beamed at hearing her priceless laugh. The girl looked at a photograph on Joey’s nightstand. It was a picture of Joey with his arm around another boy. She lifted up the frame and showed it to her brother. “Joey, who’s that in the picture with you?” “That’s my boyfriend, Armando. We’re gay,” he said proudly. “Aren’t you a little young to be dating?” asked Kat, but not in a disapproving tone. “Well, we’re both into the relationship. And we’re not, you know, like, intimate, or anything… we just hold hands sometimes.” Kat shrugged. Joey frowned and asked, “Does it make you uncomfortable that I’m gay?” “No, a person’s a person,” said Kat. “And I hate everyone equally,” she added jokingly. Joey threw his arms around his sister.
Suddenly, Joey stared off into space. A flashing image of his parents lying dead on the floor downstairs made him break down. Feeling a bit self-conscious, Kat hugged her brother. “You killed them… You’re a murderer, Kat…” he said through his sobs. Kat had never felt any form of regret for anything she had ever done before. It stung like a wasp to see her brother crying. “I’m sorry. It must be really difficult for you. But just remember what they did to me. They never helped me. They never gave me a second chance. They planned to shun me. They practically disowned me.” A tear fell from Joey’s chin and onto his light green hoodie. He wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Mum and Dad never told me about you. What’s your story?” he asked, his voice quivering. Kat took a deep breath and began her story, still cradling her brother in her arms, which she never knew could be gentle. It took her a long while to tell him her tale, but he gave his undivided attention, never once breaking focus or interrupting.
“And that’s my story. So far,” finished the older sibling. By this time, Joey had stopped crying. His eyes were wide, captivated by the story, or so Kat inferred. Really, the younger sibling was fearful for Kat. Joey expressed his concerns to her. “Kat, you’re in grave danger. Remember how you said that Herobrine just sorta knew that you were in the Netherworld? Well, I’ll bet he can just sorta know that you’re somewhere in the Overworld. And he’s angry. He must be furious that you ran off like that. That would be why it’s storming so hard. I’ve never witnessed such an intense thunderstorm. He’s after you, Kat. He will track you down. He will hunt you until he kills you. But he probably doesn’t want to kill you. He probably wants to torture you. He will find your every weakness and use it against you.” “I have no weaknesses,” said Kat cooly. “And it will not be he who kills me. It will be I who kills him. I’m going to find him.” “No!” cried Joey. He took a moment to collect himself. “You can’t go. To go and try to vanquish the Nether Lord would be… would be to have a train rushing towards you, and then you running towards it at full speed! You won’t come out alive, Kat. Stay with me. I’ll hide with you, and we can be safe and together and happy for the rest of our lives…!” Joey realized his plea was of no use. “No. I’m going to end this once and for all. I don’t care if I die. I do not fear death,” said Kat, determined.
“At least let me sing you a goodbye song,” insisted the boy. Kat sighed and gave in. “Fine. But make it quick.” The only possible word to describe Joey’s voice is “golden.” He had a true gift for singing. His song was so soothing for Kat. The exhaustion began to catch up with her. She hadn’t slept since Herobrine woke her up from her brief nap. She began to nod off, despite her best efforts to stay awake…
Kat woke up on Joey’s shoulder to a blinding flash of lightning and the roar of thunder that followed almost instantly. Her eyes shot open. “How long was I asleep?” she shouted. Joey jumped at hearing her yell. “Only about an hour,” he said sheepishly. “You knew I’d fall asleep, didn’t you? You’re clever. I don’t like you at the moment, but you’re a clever one, Joseph Suab.” Kat sighed, seeing the hurt look on his face. “I may not like you right now, but I’ll always love you.” She embraced her brother, and the both of them knew that it may be the final time. There was nothing Joey could do to stop her, and he certainly didn’t want to make her angry. He had flinched when she was just annoyed! Besides, she wielded weapons, and he knew very well that she had trouble--or just no desire--to manage her anger.
Kat pulled her hood further over her forehead. Knife in hand, she marched down the stairs, preparing for war. She opened the door and nodded at her brother, who in turn, blew her a kiss. “Don’t follow me,” she warned him. Joey nodded with his fingers crossed behind his back. Kat ran. She ran, and she didn’t look back. It was a foolish and a dangerous game to climb the wall in this slippery condition, so she decided to do what her brother did and go under it instead. As she dug out the dirt, she felt idiotic for not thinking about this tactic before. Once she had tunneled into the river, she replaced the dirt so that the townsfolk would not grow suspicious.
Kat quickly swam across the river. She did not want to spend any extra time in the water during a storm. As if going through the forest would be any better. Regardless, Kat had no choice in the matter. The lightning struck swiftly and at extremely close intervals. In fact, it seemed to be chasing her… Kat dashed through forests, scaled up mountains, and sought refuge in caves. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard Herobrine screaming at her. “You can’t run forever, Kat! When I get my hands on you… oh, you best be prepared! Kat, Kat… why are you running, Kat? Do you fear my wrath, Suab?” She yelled back, “You fool! I run simply to annoy you! When you find me, I best be prepared? You’re skating on thin ice, Herobrine! I’m a powder keg just waiting to explode!”
It must have been hours later when Kat arrived at a beach, exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry. She knew she couldn’t fight Herobrine like this. Crafting her own furnace, she slaughtered a pig and had a pork chop for a meal. She created a makeshift filter and strainer from making holes in a bucket and drank the ocean water. Kat decided that she might be delaying her being caught by running, and she just wanted to get the battle over with. So, Kat Suab rested in the sand, forgetting all her troubles. The storm had died down a bit, but she could see a tall anvil cloud approaching. In more ways than one, Kat was experiencing the calm before a storm.
****
Joey Suab nervously paced the spruce floorboards. How long would he have to wait until Kat would not realize he was following her? How would he even know where she had gone? The boy felt nauseous, knowing his sister was about to die. He felt worse knowing he was doing nothing about it. He glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall for the fourth time that minute. It was go time. It was now or never.
Joey swung the door open and exploded towards the wall. He was very thankful that it was raining so hard, as he could track Kat’s footprints. However, he had to move fast. Joey knew how quickly the rain could wash the prints away. He easily found the spot where his sister had dug. It was not at all difficult for him to burrow his way through the mud. By the time he arrived on the other side of the wall and swam across the snaking river, Joey’s face, his hoodie, his blue jeans, and his blue tennis shoes were caked in mud. It did not matter to him, though. All that mattered to Joey was finding Kat, and saving her from Herobrine.
Joey followed Kat’s muddy tracks through the forest, over snow-capped mountains and into elaborate cave systems. The boy never stopped to rest. Not once. No matter how far he ran, the storm never let up. That is, until Joey found the beach. Just as he was beginning to lose hope, he spotted a female figure dressed in all black in the distance, lying down on the sand. Undoubtedly, it was Kat. Full of glee, Joey sprinted towards her.
****
The sound of waves crashing on the shore had a calming effect on Kat. A small smile played across her face. Then, she thought she heard something. Her eyebrow twitched. Was that footsteps in the sand? Had Herobrine arrived already? That was peculiar, she remembered his footsteps being heavier than that. Kat sat up and looked over her shoulder. She gaped at the sight of her brother running towards her, his arms outstretched. He looked ready to glomp her.
Just before Joey reached his beloved sister, Herobrine appeared behind him. Joey was in a choke-hold before Kat could alert her brother. Seething with anger, Kat raised her knife. “Ah-ah-ah!” taunted Herobrine. Before Kat could make contact with her former master, he snapped his fingers and three deep cuts appeared on Joey’s left arm. He shrieked in pain. Kat gasped in horror. “You fucker…” she quietly exclaimed. Herobrine smirked triumphantly at Kat. “One false move and the boy is dead!” said Herobrine.
Kat was vaguely aware of Joey screaming at her to run, but all she heard were the taunts and chortles of the Devil. “Aw, what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Yes, she heard that, along with her own silence. Joey screamed louder. “Run, Kat, run!” Kat, however, did not budge. Her brother was in the untrustworthy hands off her mortal enemy. As Kat stood, she let her rage consume her. Heat built up inside her body and she began to perspire. Then, she started shaking uncontrollably. Kat’s eyes turned crimson red as her grip on the knife tightened. A wildfire began to ravage across the surrounding prairie.
“Let my brother…” began Kat calmly. “GO!!!” shrieked Kat. It turned into a war cry. Joey screamed in terror. Kat raised her knife. With all the power of love and hatred combined, she plunged the blade into Herobrine’s chest. He howled in agony. It was louder than the children’s screams. Louder than any sound known to man. He screeched so loud that Kat and Joey’s minds, bodies, spirits, and hearts shattered into billions of pieces. Their fate, I shall reveal to you in a moment.
As for Herobrine? Nobody knows what happened to him for sure. Some say he died right then and there. Some say he was banished to the Netherworld forever. But there are those who say that he is always one step ahead…
But what of the siblings with an everlasting love for each other? It is said that every being in our universe has a piece of Kat within them. And it is said that every being in our universe has a piece of Joey within them. Joey is a normal, good, law-abiding citizen. Joey stays in your head, for the most part. He makes sure you do good, that you are kind, follow the rules, do the right thing, keep you safe, that kind of thing.
Kat… well Kat is a different story. She is still angry. So angry, that most would consider her insane. And, horrifyingly enough, she can make you insane, too. Oh, now I’ve gotten you in a frenzy, have I not? Do not be alarmed, though, reader. It is Joey’s job to keep his sister in check. Well, yes, he may be weaker than she, but he has his ways, alright. Joey has banished Kat to your heart! It is the only way to keep her out of your head. For if she gets to your head, she will manipulate all of your actions! And terrible things happen when Kat is in control, my dear.
“But if she is in my heart, how can she escape?” Is that the question you have? (Well, nonetheless, I shall answer it.) Just listen, and listen well: You must keep Kat locked away. Every time your heart beats, her desire to escape her prison doubles. This is why you must be careful. While it is true that Joey is there to protect you from Kat’s control, he cannot always stop her. Kat is sly, and very manipulative. She will do anything to escape...
Very well written and adapted from the cringe that was the first draft (ew.) I suggest proofreading your story once more, as there was one paragraph where the sentence was cut off. Characters being much more fleshed out, Herobrine sounding much more like a wise, but dark lord. I still feel like Joey and Kat's interraction was way too positive way too quickly. Being the subtle cynic Kat is, I feel that they got tol close too quickly, especially after her murdering her own parents.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't call this quite a Creepypasta, but much more a dark tale, especially because it doesn't really invoke real fear into you (unless you're afraid of gore, which i am not.) I like how the teacher's name was an anagram for "fuckboi," and how much detail you've implemented since the beginning stages.
I also wouldn't call it a Creepypasta because it involves Minecraft and the Herobrine
anyways, I still enjoyed it, and maybe you should write a bit more toget rid of the excessive 'She did this and she did that.
-ac
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