Steve’s Sidekick, Book 1: Zombie Bait Read online

  Chapter 6

  Penny shook me awake and she looked like she was in panic mode.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Danny! He’s gone!”

  “Yeah, I know. Remember how he turned into a book yesterday for some reason?”

  “I remember. I meant that the book was gone!”

  “I thought it was right next you!”

  “I thought it was too!” Penny exclaimed.

  “Maybe it was one of the librarians! They could’ve put all the books back while we were asleep!”

  “None of them are here. It’s six in the morning. They don’t get here until eight.” She kept digging the stacks of books on the desk and if she lost all of her cool, she would’ve flipped the table by now.

  “A thief?”

  “The same person out to get you?”

  “Probably. I’m going to go see if they got far. If we’re lucky, they probably left a few minutes ago and the only road leaving the library is a one way street so I should be able to catch him if I run fast enough.”

  I ran as fast as I could and nearly tripped and fell at the sound of tons of TNT going off all at once. Everything shook and I lost my balance. I heard someone running in the distance but I also didn’t know what that TNT was about. My mind was telling me follow the person but my gut instinct was telling me to find out what that TNT was. I was extremely frustrated and tired with all of these decisions. Why was it so hard to choose just one? Why couldn’t I just do both without risking something or someone?

  I continued to hear people screaming and crying. I probably lost the guy anyways. I decided to run back to the library and see if Penny had any ideas but Penny wasn’t there. I shouted and screamed but Penny wasn’t there. There wasn’t any sign of her. This was bad. This was really bad. I didn’t even have a phone or her phone number. I couldn’t get in touch with her and everything was getting too chaotic. I stopped and tried to think for one second without getting another situation jumbled up into my head.

  I should find Penny first. She could’ve found Danny/the book and she could be looking for me too. The person I heard running earlier was probably long gone and there was something big happening in this town right now but why do I care so much about a town that didn’t even care about me? On my first day here, they basically told me to leave and on my second day, I woke up tied to a wooden fence with zombies staring at my face.

  What am I doing? I don’t have time for flashbacks. I need to find Danny and Penny! Get it together Jake! I ran outside to the chaotic town. People were outside in their pajamas and others were looking for their friends or family. I ran to where Penny’s house was but she wasn’t there either. Mainly because her house was gone and I think it had to do with the numerous TNTs that suddenly blew up. I ran back to the entrance of the gate but other people were trying to exit the town all at once so there was no way that I was able to look for anyone here.

  “Creeper!” I heard someone scream and there was another explosion and even more screaming. Guards were running left and right to keep people under control.

  “Creepers! Skeletons! Someone help!”

  “There’s a hole in the side of one of the gates! They’re coming in through there!”

  “Mommy! Daddy!”

  “Where’s the Mayor?!”

  I picked up a random stone sword that was on the floor and I destroyed anything that made strange noises.

  “Everyone, look! It’s the sidekick!” I quickly turned around and saw a flustered guard trying to take the crowd’s attention away from leaving through the gate. The crowd quickly surrounded me and asked me to help them but I didn’t know what was happening. It was too chaotic to even hear myself think clearly without getting it tangled with another thought.

  “Just Jake!” That sounded a lot like Penny…

  “Penny?”

  “Just Jake!”

  “Where are you?” I looked around the crowd and saw someone fairly short jumping up and down with the new Danny held up high above their head.

  I pushed through the crowd and saw Penny waving the book around.

  “Where was he?”

  I quickly remembered that there were people around us wondering what was happening. ”Where was it?”

  “I found hi-”

  She looked around as if she just noticed too. “I found it on the floor with a passed out guard. The guard is fine though. I don’t know why he had the book with him. He didn’t look like he stole it. More like he was trying to guard it from something.”

  “Rise and shine, Jake!” For some reason, this voice sounded familiar but it sent chills down my spine. I looked up and saw Steve leading over hundreds of monsters through the gate but something was wrong with Steve. He didn’t act or look exactly like the way I last saw him. He had the same white, soulless eyes that I had seen in the cave that I ran out from but my friend Steve had pupils and this guy’s eyes were glowing.

  “Steve?” I held up the stone sword and stood in front of the crowd or more like they all stood behind me. Even the guards stood behind me with huge eyes.

  “Did the book not mention one small detail to you? Steve has been gone for decades. I was

  Herobrine all along.”

  About the Author

  Mark Mulle is a passionate Minecraft gamer who writes game guides, short stories, and novels about the Minecraft universe. He has been exploring, building, and fighting in the game ever since its launch, and he often uses in-game experiences for inspiration on creating the best fiction for fellow fans of the game. He works as a professional writer and splits his time between gaming, reading, and storytelling, three hobbies and lifelong passions that he attributes to a love of roleplaying, a pursuit of challenging new perspectives, and a visceral enjoyment the vast worlds that imagination has to offer. His favorite thing to do, after a long day of creating worlds both on and off the online gaming community, is to relax with his dog, Herobrine, and to unwind with a good book. His favorite authors include Stephen King, Richard A. Knaak, George R. R. Martin, and R. A. Salvatore, whose fantasy works he grew up reading or is currently reading. Just like in Minecraft, Mark always strives to level up, so to speak, so that he can improve his skills and continue to surprise his audience. He prefers to play massive multiplayer online games but often spends time in those games fighting monsters one on one and going solo against the toughest mobs and bosses he can manage to topple. In every game, his signature character build is a male who focuses mostly on crafting weapons and enchanting, and in every battle, he always brings a one hander sword and a shield with as much magical attributes as he can pour into them. Because he always plays alone, he likes to use his game guides to share all the secrets and knowledge he gains, and who know—he may have snuck some information into his fiction as well. Keep an eye out for his next book!

  Other books by this author

  Please visit your favorite eBook retailer to discover other books by Mark Mulle

  Diary of a Village Builder, Book One: In Search of the Creative Mode

  Diary of Steve the Explorer, Book One: The Unknown Enemy

  Diary of Steve the Adventurer, Book One: In the Lair of Herobrine

  Diary of a Zombie Hunter, Book One: The Zombie Specialist

  Diary of a Mob – Rowley the Rabbit, Book One: The Runaway Rabbit

  Books in the Diary of an Adventurous Creeper Series

  Book One: Creeper Chronicles

  Book Two: Journey to the End

  Book Three: Dragon Savior

  Books in the Adventures Through the Over World Trilogy

  Book One: Creeping Transformation

  Book Two: Steven and the Island of Bones

  Book Three: The Zoo in Jericho City

  The Quest: The Untold Story of Steve Trilogy

  Book One: The Tale of a Hero

  Book Two: The Unfinished Game

  Book Three: The Endings and Beginnings of a Legend

  The Obsidian Chronicles Trilogy

  The O
bsidian Chronicles, Book One: Ender Rain

  The Obsidian Chronicles, Book Two: Hell and Back

  The Obsidian Chronicles, Book Three: Of Dragons and Demons

  The Doppelganger Trilogy

  The Doppelganger, Book One: Steve’s Chance

  The Doppelganger, Book Two: Steve vs. Herobrine

  The Doppelganger, Book Three: The Ender Dragon Reborn

  The Cult Trilogy

  The Cult, Part One

  The Cult, Part Two

  The Cult, Part Three

  The Legend: The Mystery of Herobrine Trilogy

  Book One: The Start of the Quest

  Book Two: The Truth about the Myth

  Book Three: Herobrine versus the World

  The Dragon’s Mountain Trilogy

  Book One: Attacked by the Griefers

  Book Two: The Hidden Village

  Book Three: The White Mobs

  The Temple of Destruction Trilogy

  Book One: The Lost Treasures

  Book Two: The Curse

  Book Three: Notch versus Herobrine

  Books in The Enemy’s Revenge Trilogy

  Book One: Ghost Sightings

  Book Two: Kidnapped

  Book Three: To The End World

  Attack of the Overworld Trilogy

  Book One: Finding Herobrine

  Book Two: Finding Steve

  Book Three: The Final Mine