Greetings! I am DreadMage, the author of the Ancient Craft series. I am working on another fan fiction, this one. It is called Eternal, and will take a long time to write. A new chapter will be posted every 1-2 weeks, because I am also working on A World of Chaos. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!
Water flowed plentifully from the spire of blocks forming a hill. Sunlight ignited the world with light, generously giving warmth to the creatures that roamed within. It was just as Tessa had imagined: perfect. Tessa stood on the hill, taking in the wonders of the outside world. Inside her body, she felt pleasure, warmth. She felt free…alive.
Feeling as if the only thing that mattered was herself, Tessa sprinted forward. She plunged from the hill, laughing graciously all the way. In an instant, she hit the water. The feeling of the cool liquid tickling her body made her feel care free. There was nothing that could stop her. Tessa sprang up from the pool, grinning heavily.
She backstroked towards shore, staring up at the sky. The blocky clouds were magnificent, floating through the blue sky. The sun dazzled in the bright sky, its rays waving to Tessa happily. Tessa climbed onto shore, water dripping from her body. She couldn’t help but feel the feeling of freedom and pride. Tessa had never been exposed to the outdoors. It was absolutely wonderful.
BAM BAM BAM.
Tessa’s eyes shot open. She was no longer in the welcoming forest with glimmering water and appealing sunlight, she was in her ramshackle bedroom. Groaning depressively, she tried to go back to sleep. Tessa rolled over to her side. After a few peaceful moments, the loud bangs returned. Please go away, Tessa pleaded in her mind. Why can’t I just have one day off to rest? The door noisily turned open.
Tessa rolled over to face it. A particularly large man with thick, gray hair stood in the doorway. Sloff. “Wake up, Tessa,” Sloff spoke grumpily. “We’ve got a lot of chores to get done before we open.”
Tessa groaned again, and rolled out of bed. She trudged over to her boss, her eyes drooping. Why can’t I just sleep in peace? she thought. Sloff handed Tessa a piece of paper with neatly scribbled writing. “Here are today’s duties to you Miss Dellfield,” Sloff declared. “They must be done before ten, or else we will have to have a little chat.”
Sloff slinked out of the room. He is the worst. Why do I have to work at this stupid museum anyway? When Tessa Dellfield was three years old, her parents were killed in a freak accident. She was taken in by Kurt Abersteen, the manager of the Museum of Notch. Mr. Abersteen treated Tessa like she was his own. She never had to work, and she was treated very kindly. Her favorite thing to do was wander the museum, looking at all the magnificent displays and statues. But all of that changed when only a few weeks after Tessa turned eleven, Mr. Abersteen suddenly died without warning. Tessa was heartbroken.
Her loving guardian had died. Who would take care of her then? And then Mr. Sloff came along and took ownership of the museum. He was always cruel to everybody, and made Tessa work relentlessly with little or no pay (pay was given very rarely). Tessa despised Mr. Sloff from the beginning. She would do anything to have Mr. Abersteen back, but he never did. Now, she was thirteen.
Mr. Sloff never let Tessa do anything unless work. Tessa longed to be able to live somewhere else, in the outside world. But Mr. Sloff never even let Tessa go outside for that matter. Tessa lived a long, depressing life. Even thinking about it made tears roll down her cheek.
Tessa snapped back into reality and wiped the tears from her face. She peered down at the paper. A tear stain was marked on the top of the page. Tessa shunned that, and looked down at her chores.
1. Clean the spider cage
2. Pick up trash at the Dinnerbone Statue area
3. Restock the food courts with bread and cakes
4. Pick up the new cobblestone shipments in the back (the truck will arrive precisely at 8:45)
5. Sweep the third floor corridor
6. Check on the Redstone lighting (rewire if needed)
Of course, Mr. Sloff left the hardest chores for her. Might as well get them done. I don’t want Mr. Sloff to get ticked at me.
Of course, the food courts and Redstone maintenance was close by. Tessa left her room, slamming the door behind her. She entered the second floor corridor, hustling down the clay passageway. As Tessa turned a corner, a large, dirtied creature blocked her path. But Tessa was not afraid. Instead, she looked the monster in the eye and declared, “Morning, Hal.”
The Iron Golem grunted in greeting. Tessa suddenly stopped. She made sure no one was around, and whispered to the Golem. “Listen, Hal. Do you think you could pick up the cobblestone shipment for me at 8:45? I’ve got a lot to do.”
Slowly, the creature nodded its head. Tessa smiled warmly. “Thanks, Hal. You’re the best,” she commented, and hurried down the corridor. The cold chill of the air conditioning awaited Tessa as she rounded into the next hall.
The cool chill discouraged the thought of outside influences. Tessa hated the fact that they couldn’t even feel the heat from the sun. It made her angry. She came to a door labeled: MAINTENANCE.
Tessa pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Switches and trails of Redstone littered the floors. Tessa grunted as she made her way to the notice board. A note was taped up there for her.
Tessa, there is a problem with the lighting in the Fossil Hall. ~~Greg
Greg was one of the technicians that worked in the Maintenance room. Shoot, thought Tessa. I thought I would luck out on that one. Tessa moved over to the Redstone trail leading towards the Fossil Hall panel. She examined the trail, and found out the problem.
The Repeater was backwards. Tessa went to work, beating the Repeater until it broke off from the floor. Then, she flipped it over and re attached it. Phew. That’s one job done. Tessa hurried down the rest of the hall tothe staircase. She took the down flight to the first floor. Immediately, Tessa arrived at the food court.
Barty, one of the other workers, was taking the garbage out of the bins. “Hello, Tessa,” he declared when he saw the youth. Tessa uttered a quiet hello and hurried off to the kitchens.
She opened the stock chest and carefully took out cake after cake and loaf after loaf. Finally, all of the bread and cakes were neatly restocked in the fridge. Wiping the sweat off of her forehead, Tessa re-checked her list. Hal’s taking care of the shipment. That leaves me with sweeping, cleaning cages, and trash duty.
Groaning, Tessa hurried out of the food court to the entrance hall. To the left was the Zoological Hall. Tessa decided to go there next. She bustled past the gift stalls towards the caged creatures. The passive animals were right in front, so Tessa bustled past those. After passing the zombie cage, she arrived at the spider one.
Cleaning spider dung was always the worst. Grabbing a neat plastic bag, she opened the gate and stepped inside the cage. The spiders were kept in the cave until opening, so Tessa wouldn’t have to deal with them. She pushed past the dirt blocks to the small cliff. A large pile of droppings lay there. Trying not to barf, Tessa picked up the dung with the paper bags, and went off to the next pile.
Four piles of dung later, Tessa dropped the bag (which was nearly full) in the trash bin. I’m glad that’s over with. Tessa stepped out of the cage and hurried back to the entrance hall.
The Dinnerbone Statue is on the fifth floor, so I better sweep the third one first. Tessa returned to the staircase and clambered up two flights. She arrived at the third floor corridor. Heading over to the janitor’s closet, she passed the Hall of Ores. Collecting a broom, Tessa left the closet and began working on the floor.
It was hard work. The third floor corridor was long, about 80 or 90 blocks. After thirty five minutes of hard work, Tessa put the broom back in the closet. She climbed up to the fifth floor and entered the Hall of Creators. Tessa passed the Jeb Statue and arrived at the Dinnerbone one, which was in a different room.
Cleaning up litter was Tessa’s least favorite job. She began picking up garbage and crumpled wrappers. It was boring work. And worst of all, there were broken bottles everywhere. Almost screaming in frustration, Tessa began picking up the shattered bits.
“Ouch!”
She dropped the glass shard and examined the cut the glass had given here. It was bleeding, but only a little. Putting it to the side, Tessa continued picking up the glass. In less than a half hour, it was done. Tessa checked her watch: 9:44. She had sixteen minutes to spare. Pleased with herself, Tessa returned to the first floor to tell Mr. Sloff she was done.
On the way, she bumped into the Iron Golem. “Hey, Hal,” she greeted. “Did you pick up the cobblestone shipment like I asked you?”
The Golem bowed its head. Tessa smiled. Everything was fine. Maybe Mr. Sloff would be proud of her for once. Tessa hurried off to talk to her boss. She found him examining the sheep cage in the Zoological Hall.
“Mr. Sloff,” she told him. “I-I’m done.”
Mr. Sloff turned to stare at her. “Are you sure you’re done, Miss Dellfield?”
Tessa nodded quickly. Mr. Sloff gave her a suspicious glare, but dismissed it. “I guess you can retire to your room,” he instructed. “But you have duties in the kitchens from 10:30 until 1, do you understand?” Tessa nodded. Mr. Sloff bustled off to examine the cow cage.
Tessa left the hall, glad to have done everything correctly. But one thing was still stuck in her mind. If he finds out Hal picked up the shipment for me, I’m dead.
It was nearing one o’clock, and business was booming in the Museum of Notch. Tessa rushed to prepare a slice of pork in the food court. She began cutting the meat, not caring whether they were even or not.Quickly, Tessa carried the platter of pork to a table nearby. Then, she hurried back into the kitchen.
Working in the kitchens was hard, but it wasn’t as boring as the other jobs. By the time the 1:00 bell rang, Tessa was exhausted. She took off her apron, and threw it into the ‘dirty’ basket. Tessa strolled out of the food court. She had no other jobs until 5:15, so she decided to rest on the upper deck.
The sixth floor was a place for visitors to rest. There were several, wooden chairs and decks for a great view of the outdoors. Every time Tessa looked at it, the longing to leave the museum grew larger. It was so beautiful…the trees swaying in the wind…the water trickling down waterfalls. The view was breathless.
Tessa sighed as she looked down at the forbidden paradise. Why can’t I just leave? There was no way out without Mr. Sloff catching her. Virtually, she was trapped.
“What do you look so glum about?” came a voice from directly behind Tessa. The girl turned around to see a young man with dark freckles and short, greasy hair.
“Hey, Dominic,” Tessa said. “I’m just thinking about living somewhere else for a change.”
Dominic was a good friend of Tessa’s, and he was one of the few people that treated her kindly. He was in his twenties, but didn’t seem to mind being friends with a teenage girl. Dominic stepped closer to Tessa’s side. For a moment, he too admired the trees and river.
“The outdoors isn’t really a place you’d like to live,” Dominic told her. “You’d be safer here.”
Tessa gave him a puzzled look. “But I hate it here!” she argued. “Mr. Sloff is the meanest person in all of Minecraftia. I want to live out there. No, I need to. What would make it so dangerous? You live there, don’t you?”
Dominic slowly nodded. He lived in a small cabin only fifty blocks away from the Museum of Notch. Every day, Dominic walked to work. Tessa wanted to be like him (except for the part about going to work). Dominic sighed. He answered, “It’s not a place for a child. There are too many monsters and caves and other dangerous things. Trust me on this, you’ll be safer here.”
“But I’m not a child!” Tessa pouted. “I’m thirteen. Why can’t I go live with you?”
Dominic gave Tessa saddened glare. “You know who the boss is, Tessa. He wants you to work at the museum for him. Mr. Sloff won’t let you leave until you are of age.” Tessa gave Dominic a depressed stare, looking down on the ground. “Tell you what,” Dominic compromised. “I’ll try to talk Mr. Sloff into letting you stay with me for a few days.”
Tessa looked at him, glorified. “Thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Dominic embraced the girl, stroking her slowly. Everything’s going to be alright, Tessa said in her mind. Everything’s going to be alright.
It’s funny how one thinks everything will be alright, when actually things turn out to be just the opposite.
The outline of the Museum of Notch peeked out from beyond the trees. The wood base began to dim in the glorious shade of the setting sun.
The last of the day's visitors poured out from the main entrance, chattering excitably. The iron doors closed slowly. A distant noise of the slamming doors echoed throughout the forest. Not even a hundred feet away, Wil Holliday turned his head. The noise simmered down, and Wil smiled.
Beside him, there was a shuffling as his two companions stood up.
"Is that the signal?" one barked, his golden teeth shining in the night.
"Yes," responded Holliday. "The Museum is closed." the second figure pounded his fists eagerly. "But," continued Holliday, "we still need someone who works there to open it right up for us without sounding the alarm."
"But, how is that supposed to happen?" the first man questioned.
Holliday shook his head expectingly. "Please, Bore," Holliday declared. "Don't you have faith in our master?"
Bore stared down at the ground, a bit embarassed. Holliday looked back at the outline of the Museum of Notch. There came the sound of the door opening again. Someone was leaving the building. A hushed conversation emerged inside Holliday's ears.
"Don't worry, Mr. Sloff. I'll get it done by tomorrow morning," came a young male voice. Holliday heard the door closing again. There came the noise of distant footsteps.
"It's time to move," instructed Holliday. "Bore, you sneak around to the left. Ingor, you take the right.
Bore rushed off into the trees. Ingor grunted, and headed off in the other direction. Holliday smiled, and took his own path into the mass of trees.
Dominic strolled down the gravel pathway, the wind softly patting his face. It was an almost peaceful night. But he was tired and anxious. Mr. Sloff had given him the task of preparing the blueprints for a new exhibit in the Museum.
It was daunting work. The first time, he had finished, Mr. Sloff had scolded him for not getting the proper measurement of the wall height and what block was to be the floor. It was very stressful. Mr. Sloff could sometimes be a real pain in the....Wait, what was that noise?
Dominic could've sworn he head a twig breaking directly behind him. But as he turned, he found that there was nothing there. Probably just an animal. But still, Dominic couldn't dismiss that eerie feeling that he was being watched.
He quickened his pace, following the gravel trail through the darkened wood. Something was definitely wrong. Dominic thought he heard whispering in the brush, calling his name. This was a very peculiar night. Why didn't I work the overnight shift?
Finally. Dominic sighed gratefully as his cabin came into view. It was made of spruce wood, was five blocks tall, and had a single windle. Dominic pulled out his keys and stepped towards the door. He was about to insert the key when he heard something from behind him. It sounded like heavy breathing. Was it a wolf? No, it couldn't be. There were no wolves this close to civilization. But what was it?
Dominic turned towards the trees, which began swaying violently in the wind. "Who is there?" Dominic called bravely. There was no response, only the wind.
Dominic felt as though he was in a horror movie, playing the role of the victim. He expected at any moment that the director would yell, "CUT!"
But it never came. Dominic's heart began to race, and sweat began trickling from his forehead. A lump caught in his throat. He had never felt so afraid.
That's when a figure emerged from the bushes. It was a large man with heavy muscles and an intimidating look. Forgetting that he was right outside his cabin, Dominic turned to run. But instead, he turned right into another figure. This one was a bit smaller, but still had a murderous stare onhis face. Dominic gulped. A third person stepped out from cover. He was skinnier and shorter, but seemed to be the leader of the three.
"'ello there," said the third man. Dominic didn't dare speak. He shuddered in fear. The man frowned.
"Why the tight lip?" he questioned. "Cat got your tongue? Speak up. We're all friends here." But Dominic didn't trust that threatening glare.
"What's your name?" the man interrogated.
Dominic hesitated. Against his better judgement, he told them. "Dominic."
The man nodded. "Dominic, you work at the Museum, do you not?" Dominic nodded slowly. Should he trust them.
"Well then, friend. You're going to let us inside nice and quietly, or else we'll kill ya," said the man. "Understand?"
Dominic nodded quickly. He didn't want to die. He was too young. "Great," commanded the man. "Ingor, hold him. We don't want him to escape."
The man right behind Dominic grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. And they set out towards the Museum of Notch, dragging Dominic along against his will.
Good first chapter. though some of the way you wrote seemed lightly off, not sure how right now... Might just be me.
I'm glad you like it. I took time to make the chapters more lengthy and add more detail. The next chapter might not come out for a while, because I am SUPER busy. In fact, the fifth chapter for 'A World of Chaos' was supposed to be finished on Monday....geez, I'm falling behind.
I'm glad you like it. I took time to make the chapters more lengthy and add more detail. The next chapter might not come out for a while, because I am SUPER busy. In fact, the fifth chapter for 'A World of Chaos' was supposed to be finished on Monday....geez, I'm falling behind.
Water flowed plentifully from the spire of blocks forming a hill. Sunlight ignited the world with light, generously giving warmth to the creatures that roamed within. It was just as Tessa had imagined: perfect. Tessa stood on the hill, taking in the wonders of the outside world. Inside her body, she felt pleasure, warmth. She felt free…alive.
Feeling as if the only thing that mattered was herself, Tessa sprinted forward. She plunged from the hill, laughing graciously all the way. In an instant, she hit the water. The feeling of the cool liquid tickling her body made her feel care free. There was nothing that could stop her. Tessa sprang up from the pool, grinning heavily.
She backstroked towards shore, staring up at the sky. The blocky clouds were magnificent, floating through the blue sky. The sun dazzled in the bright sky, its rays waving to Tessa happily. Tessa climbed onto shore, water dripping from her body. She couldn’t help but feel the feeling of freedom and pride. Tessa had never been exposed to the outdoors. It was absolutely wonderful.
BAM BAM BAM.
Tessa’s eyes shot open. She was no longer in the welcoming forest with glimmering water and appealing sunlight, she was in her ramshackle bedroom. Groaning depressively, she tried to go back to sleep. Tessa rolled over to her side. After a few peaceful moments, the loud bangs returned. Please go away, Tessa pleaded in her mind. Why can’t I just have one day off to rest? The door noisily turned open.
Tessa rolled over to face it. A particularly large man with thick, gray hair stood in the doorway. Sloff. “Wake up, Tessa,” Sloff spoke grumpily. “We’ve got a lot of chores to get done before we open.”
Tessa groaned again, and rolled out of bed. She trudged over to her boss, her eyes drooping. Why can’t I just sleep in peace? she thought. Sloff handed Tessa a piece of paper with neatly scribbled writing. “Here are today’s duties to you Miss Dellfield,” Sloff declared. “They must be done before ten, or else we will have to have a little chat.”
Sloff slinked out of the room. He is the worst. Why do I have to work at this stupid museum anyway? When Tessa Dellfield was three years old, her parents were killed in a freak accident. She was taken in by Kurt Abersteen, the manager of the Museum of Notch. Mr. Abersteen treated Tessa like she was his own. She never had to work, and she was treated very kindly. Her favorite thing to do was wander the museum, looking at all the magnificent displays and statues. But all of that changed when only a few weeks after Tessa turned eleven, Mr. Abersteen suddenly died without warning. Tessa was heartbroken.
Her loving guardian had died. Who would take care of her then? And then Mr. Sloff came along and took ownership of the museum. He was always cruel to everybody, and made Tessa work relentlessly with little or no pay (pay was given very rarely). Tessa despised Mr. Sloff from the beginning. She would do anything to have Mr. Abersteen back, but he never did. Now, she was thirteen.
Mr. Sloff never let Tessa do anything unless work. Tessa longed to be able to live somewhere else, in the outside world. But Mr. Sloff never even let Tessa go outside for that matter. Tessa lived a long, depressing life. Even thinking about it made tears roll down her cheek.
Tessa snapped back into reality and wiped the tears from her face. She peered down at the paper. A tear stain was marked on the top of the page. Tessa shunned that, and looked down at her chores.
1. Clean the spider cage
2. Pick up trash at the Dinnerbone Statue area
3. Restock the food courts with bread and cakes
4. Pick up the new cobblestone shipments in the back (the truck will arrive precisely at 8:45)
5. Sweep the third floor corridor
6. Check on the Redstone lighting (rewire if needed)
Of course, Mr. Sloff left the hardest chores for her. Might as well get them done. I don’t want Mr. Sloff to get ticked at me.
Of course, the food courts and Redstone maintenance was close by. Tessa left her room, slamming the door behind her. She entered the second floor corridor, hustling down the clay passageway. As Tessa turned a corner, a large, dirtied creature blocked her path. But Tessa was not afraid. Instead, she looked the monster in the eye and declared, “Morning, Hal.”
The Iron Golem grunted in greeting. Tessa suddenly stopped. She made sure no one was around, and whispered to the Golem. “Listen, Hal. Do you think you could pick up the cobblestone shipment for me at 8:45? I’ve got a lot to do.”
Slowly, the creature nodded its head. Tessa smiled warmly. “Thanks, Hal. You’re the best,” she commented, and hurried down the corridor. The cold chill of the air conditioning awaited Tessa as she rounded into the next hall.
The cool chill discouraged the thought of outside influences. Tessa hated the fact that they couldn’t even feel the heat from the sun. It made her angry. She came to a door labeled: MAINTENANCE.
Tessa pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Switches and trails of Redstone littered the floors. Tessa grunted as she made her way to the notice board. A note was taped up there for her.
Tessa, there is a problem with the lighting in the Fossil Hall. ~~Greg
Greg was one of the technicians that worked in the Maintenance room. Shoot, thought Tessa. I thought I would luck out on that one. Tessa moved over to the Redstone trail leading towards the Fossil Hall panel. She examined the trail, and found out the problem.
The Repeater was backwards. Tessa went to work, beating the Repeater until it broke off from the floor. Then, she flipped it over and re attached it. Phew. That’s one job done. Tessa hurried down the rest of the hall to the staircase. She took the down flight to the first floor. Immediately, Tessa arrived at the food court.
Barty, one of the other workers, was taking the garbage out of the bins. “Hello, Tessa,” he declared when he saw the youth. Tessa uttered a quiet hello and hurried off to the kitchens.
She opened the stock chest and carefully took out cake after cake and loaf after loaf. Finally, all of the bread and cakes were neatly restocked in the fridge. Wiping the sweat off of her forehead, Tessa re-checked her list. Hal’s taking care of the shipment. That leaves me with sweeping, cleaning cages, and trash duty.
Groaning, Tessa hurried out of the food court to the entrance hall. To the left was the Zoological Hall. Tessa decided to go there next. She bustled past the gift stalls towards the caged creatures. The passive animals were right in front, so Tessa bustled past those. After passing the zombie cage, she arrived at the spider one.
Cleaning spider dung was always the worst. Grabbing a neat plastic bag, she opened the gate and stepped inside the cage. The spiders were kept in the cave until opening, so Tessa wouldn’t have to deal with them. She pushed past the dirt blocks to the small cliff. A large pile of droppings lay there. Trying not to barf, Tessa picked up the dung with the paper bags, and went off to the next pile.
Four piles of dung later, Tessa dropped the bag (which was nearly full) in the trash bin. I’m glad that’s over with. Tessa stepped out of the cage and hurried back to the entrance hall.
The Dinnerbone Statue is on the fifth floor, so I better sweep the third one first. Tessa returned to the staircase and clambered up two flights. She arrived at the third floor corridor. Heading over to the janitor’s closet, she passed the Hall of Ores. Collecting a broom, Tessa left the closet and began working on the floor.
It was hard work. The third floor corridor was long, about 80 or 90 blocks. After thirty five minutes of hard work, Tessa put the broom back in the closet. She climbed up to the fifth floor and entered the Hall of Creators. Tessa passed the Jeb Statue and arrived at the Dinnerbone one, which was in a different room.
Cleaning up litter was Tessa’s least favorite job. She began picking up garbage and crumpled wrappers. It was boring work. And worst of all, there were broken bottles everywhere. Almost screaming in frustration, Tessa began picking up the shattered bits.
“Ouch!”
She dropped the glass shard and examined the cut the glass had given here. It was bleeding, but only a little. Putting it to the side, Tessa continued picking up the glass. In less than a half hour, it was done. Tessa checked her watch: 9:44. She had sixteen minutes to spare. Pleased with herself, Tessa returned to the first floor to tell Mr. Sloff she was done.
On the way, she bumped into the Iron Golem. “Hey, Hal,” she greeted. “Did you pick up the cobblestone shipment like I asked you?”
The Golem bowed its head. Tessa smiled. Everything was fine. Maybe Mr. Sloff would be proud of her for once. Tessa hurried off to talk to her boss. She found him examining the sheep cage in the Zoological Hall.
“Mr. Sloff,” she told him. “I-I’m done.”
Mr. Sloff turned to stare at her. “Are you sure you’re done, Miss Dellfield?”
Tessa nodded quickly. Mr. Sloff gave her a suspicious glare, but dismissed it. “I guess you can retire to your room,” he instructed. “But you have duties in the kitchens from 10:30 until 1, do you understand?” Tessa nodded. Mr. Sloff bustled off to examine the cow cage.
Tessa left the hall, glad to have done everything correctly. But one thing was still stuck in her mind. If he finds out Hal picked up the shipment for me, I’m dead.
It was nearing one o’clock, and business was booming in the Museum of Notch. Tessa rushed to prepare a slice of pork in the food court. She began cutting the meat, not caring whether they were even or not. Quickly, Tessa carried the platter of pork to a table nearby. Then, she hurried back into the kitchen.
Working in the kitchens was hard, but it wasn’t as boring as the other jobs. By the time the 1:00 bell rang, Tessa was exhausted. She took off her apron, and threw it into the ‘dirty’ basket. Tessa strolled out of the food court. She had no other jobs until 5:15, so she decided to rest on the upper deck.
The sixth floor was a place for visitors to rest. There were several, wooden chairs and decks for a great view of the outdoors. Every time Tessa looked at it, the longing to leave the museum grew larger. It was so beautiful…the trees swaying in the wind…the water trickling down waterfalls. The view was breathless.
Tessa sighed as she looked down at the forbidden paradise. Why can’t I just leave? There was no way out without Mr. Sloff catching her. Virtually, she was trapped.
“What do you look so glum about?” came a voice from directly behind Tessa. The girl turned around to see a young man with dark freckles and short, greasy hair.
“Hey, Dominic,” Tessa said. “I’m just thinking about living somewhere else for a change.”
Dominic was a good friend of Tessa’s, and he was one of the few people that treated her kindly. He was in his twenties, but didn’t seem to mind being friends with a teenage girl. Dominic stepped closer to Tessa’s side. For a moment, he too admired the trees and river.
“The outdoors isn’t really a place you’d like to live,” Dominic told her. “You’d be safer here.”
Tessa gave him a puzzled look. “But I hate it here!” she argued. “Mr. Sloff is the meanest person in all of Minecraftia. I want to live out there. No, I need to. What would make it so dangerous? You live there, don’t you?”
Dominic slowly nodded. He lived in a small cabin only fifty blocks away from the Museum of Notch. Every day, Dominic walked to work. Tessa wanted to be like him (except for the part about going to work). Dominic sighed. He answered, “It’s not a place for a child. There are too many monsters and caves and other dangerous things. Trust me on this, you’ll be safer here.”
“But I’m not a child!” Tessa pouted. “I’m thirteen. Why can’t I go live with you?”
Dominic gave Tessa saddened glare. “You know who the boss is, Tessa. He wants you to work at the museum for him. Mr. Sloff won’t let you leave until you are of age.” Tessa gave Dominic a depressed stare, looking down on the ground. “Tell you what,” Dominic compromised. “I’ll try to talk Mr. Sloff into letting you stay with me for a few days.”
Tessa looked at him, glorified. “Thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Dominic embraced the girl, stroking her slowly. Everything’s going to be alright, Tessa said in her mind. Everything’s going to be alright.
It’s funny how one thinks everything will be alright, when actually things turn out to be just the opposite.
The outline of the Museum of Notch peeked out from beyond the trees. The wood base began to dim in the glorious shade of the setting sun.
The last of the day's visitors poured out from the main entrance, chattering excitably. The iron doors closed slowly. A distant noise of the slamming doors echoed throughout the forest. Not even a hundred feet away, Wil Holliday turned his head. The noise simmered down, and Wil smiled.
Beside him, there was a shuffling as his two companions stood up.
"Is that the signal?" one barked, his golden teeth shining in the night.
"Yes," responded Holliday. "The Museum is closed." the second figure pounded his fists eagerly. "But," continued Holliday, "we still need someone who works there to open it right up for us without sounding the alarm."
"But, how is that supposed to happen?" the first man questioned.
Holliday shook his head expectingly. "Please, Bore," Holliday declared. "Don't you have faith in our master?"
Bore stared down at the ground, a bit embarassed. Holliday looked back at the outline of the Museum of Notch. There came the sound of the door opening again. Someone was leaving the building. A hushed conversation emerged inside Holliday's ears.
"Don't worry, Mr. Sloff. I'll get it done by tomorrow morning," came a young male voice. Holliday heard the door closing again. There came the noise of distant footsteps.
"It's time to move," instructed Holliday. "Bore, you sneak around to the left. Ingor, you take the right.
Bore rushed off into the trees. Ingor grunted, and headed off in the other direction. Holliday smiled, and took his own path into the mass of trees.
Dominic strolled down the gravel pathway, the wind softly patting his face. It was an almost peaceful night. But he was tired and anxious. Mr. Sloff had given him the task of preparing the blueprints for a new exhibit in the Museum.
It was daunting work. The first time, he had finished, Mr. Sloff had scolded him for not getting the proper measurement of the wall height and what block was to be the floor. It was very stressful. Mr. Sloff could sometimes be a real pain in the....Wait, what was that noise?
Dominic could've sworn he head a twig breaking directly behind him. But as he turned, he found that there was nothing there. Probably just an animal. But still, Dominic couldn't dismiss that eerie feeling that he was being watched.
He quickened his pace, following the gravel trail through the darkened wood. Something was definitely wrong. Dominic thought he heard whispering in the brush, calling his name. This was a very peculiar night. Why didn't I work the overnight shift?
Finally. Dominic sighed gratefully as his cabin came into view. It was made of spruce wood, was five blocks tall, and had a single windle. Dominic pulled out his keys and stepped towards the door. He was about to insert the key when he heard something from behind him. It sounded like heavy breathing. Was it a wolf? No, it couldn't be. There were no wolves this close to civilization. But what was it?
Dominic turned towards the trees, which began swaying violently in the wind. "Who is there?" Dominic called bravely. There was no response, only the wind.
Dominic felt as though he was in a horror movie, playing the role of the victim. He expected at any moment that the director would yell, "CUT!"
But it never came. Dominic's heart began to race, and sweat began trickling from his forehead. A lump caught in his throat. He had never felt so afraid.
That's when a figure emerged from the bushes. It was a large man with heavy muscles and an intimidating look. Forgetting that he was right outside his cabin, Dominic turned to run. But instead, he turned right into another figure. This one was a bit smaller, but still had a murderous stare onhis face. Dominic gulped. A third person stepped out from cover. He was skinnier and shorter, but seemed to be the leader of the three.
"'ello there," said the third man. Dominic didn't dare speak. He shuddered in fear. The man frowned.
"Why the tight lip?" he questioned. "Cat got your tongue? Speak up. We're all friends here." But Dominic didn't trust that threatening glare.
"What's your name?" the man interrogated.
Dominic hesitated. Against his better judgement, he told them. "Dominic."
The man nodded. "Dominic, you work at the Museum, do you not?" Dominic nodded slowly. Should he trust them.
"Well then, friend. You're going to let us inside nice and quietly, or else we'll kill ya," said the man. "Understand?"
Dominic nodded quickly. He didn't want to die. He was too young. "Great," commanded the man. "Ingor, hold him. We don't want him to escape."
The man right behind Dominic grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. And they set out towards the Museum of Notch, dragging Dominic along against his will.
Version 1.1.1
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Version 1.1
-Chapter two released
Version 1.0.3!
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-Reduced paragraph spacing from 4 lines to 2
Version 1.0.2!
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Version 1.0.1!
-Added 'Eternal' banner
-Fixed a grammatical error
Version 1.0!
-Added 'Eternal' Post to Literature
-Fixed text size and spoiler errors
-Added 'story' tag
Why am I using a change log for this story? I am so weird.....
Happens to the best of us.
it is relatively short, because it is a side-story away from the main character. Thanks for reading.