Descent Into Overworld: An Unofficial Minecraft Adventure Read Free Page A

slow-marched toward Hamid and Jaina, his arms held out straight.
    “Braaaiiinns …”
    “Ack! Back, zombie!” Jaina whacked Ant with her sword.
    Ant ignored the blow and lurched forward.
    “Braainns! Must eat brains.” He leaned in and pretended to munch Jaina’s shoulder.
    Jaina laughed and pushed her friend away.
    Hamid sighed. “Would you two be serious? Something very weird happened yesterday at Mini-Minecon. And no one saw it but us. Don’t you think that’s a little odd?”
    Ant stayed in zombie mode. And now Jaina had her arms out in front of her.
    “Tasty brains,” she moaned in her best zombie voice.
    Hamid knew it was no use. When Jaina and Ant started playing the zombie game, there was no stopping them. Well, maybe there was one way to stop them.
    “Back, zombie scum!” Hamid yelled. He doubled-whacked Jaina and Ant with his own foam sword and ran down the hall.
    “Get back here!” Ant chased his friend down the empty corridor. Jaina was right on his heels.
    “Not fair!” Hamid shouted over his shoulder. “Zombies can’t run!”
    “These zombies can!” Jaina waved her foam diamond sword in the air like a warrior queen.
    Hamid rounded the corner, sliding on the freshly mopped floor. He took another sharp right and scrambled into the library, making sure not to let the door slam shut behind him.
    The lights were off. The librarian was long gone. It was just Hamid and the shelves of books, stretching into the darkness. He crouch-ran to the picture book section and hid behind the giant stuffed library dragon sitting on the Story Time carpet.
    Hamid could see the whole library all the way to the computer lab in the back. Jaina and Ant ran past the windows lining the graphic novel section.
    “Suckers,” he whispered.
    His friends would end up at the main office near the front doors and have no idea where he went. They would have to backtrack to find him. And when they thought to look in the dark library, he would be waiting for them.
    Hamid crouched low. His whole body tingled with anticipation. He gripped his foam sword tightly. He would show them how Hamid the Hammer dealt with zombies.
    Something clattered in the darkness near the computers at the back of the library. It sounded like a ball rolling down bamboo. He had heard that noise before but couldn’t place it.
    “Ant?” Hamid called into the darkness. “Jaina? Is that you?”
    The noise came again. This time it was closer.
    Hamid stepped out from behind the library dragon. His grip on the sword tightened and threatened to smush the foam flat.
    “Joke’s over, guys.” How did Jaina and Ant get into the library? There was only one door and he was watching it the whole time. “This isn’t funny.”
    Hamid moved through the darkness to the back of the library. He kept his steps slow and his sword raised. It was only foam, but it was better than nothing.
    Bamboo clattered again, this time from behind him. Hamid spun around. Cold dread oozed from the shadows near the door, like someone suddenly turned on the air conditioning.
    Blood-red eyes stared out from the darkness.
    Hamid tried to run. His brain screamed. His legs quivered. But his feet remained still. Fear rooted him to the ground.
    The eyes moved out from the shadows to reveal a grinning face made of bone. With each step, the skeleton clattered like bamboo knocking together. It tilted its square head to one side and reached out a long, fleshless arm.
    “Give them to me,” the skeleton hissed. “The four must be mine!”
    Somewhere in Hamid’s terrified mind, a connection was made. He suddenly knew where he had heard the noise before. This creature standing in front of him, in the middle of the Story Time carpet was real, but it wasn’t from reality.
    It was from Minecraft.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 3
     
     
    Hamid raced for the library door. The skeleton was faster.
    With one great leap, it flew across the Story Time carpet and blocked the door. It landed with a clatter