The Zombie Chronicles, Book 1: The Daywalkers Read online

all. It is not uncommon to see an Enderman carrying a single block around as if he cannot decide the perfect place to set it down.

  Tonight my Enderfriends were given the task of moving around as many items inside of Barron’s home as they possibly could.

  When he returned, he would find many of his belongings in seemingly random places, though none will have left his house.

  He could not suspect anyone of theft. He will not have lost a single item. Additionally, all of his doors will remain intact. As far as he will be able to tell, it will appear as if his items have moved on their own. One of the Enderman told me that this was a very common trick of Herobrine himself.

  When they had finished the task, an Endermen teleported himself to where Barron and I were engaged in a fearsome battle.

  He appeared just in time to allow me to escape without losing the armor that I had borrowed from my father’s friend. I rushed home and waited for daylight, hoping that Barron had not followed me.

  Day 28:

  It is clear that I’m nearing the end of my project. My intention is not to drive Barron insane, though I believe that I have come very close.

  For the time being, I have given him an imaginary foe that is far greater than any of the monsters that live in our area.

  All of the local monsters seem to be realizing the success of my mission because many of them have now offered to participate. This is excellent because for my last project I am going to need everyone’s help.

  My goal for tonight is simple.

  There is one thing that Herobrine is particularly well known for. One thing that will force Barron to conclude that the legendary hero is here to protect the monsters that he is trying to banish.

  It is a task that will take all of our hard work to complete in a single night.

  It is one that we must be sure that Barron does not catch us doing.

  Our first issue was to find a way to distract Barron. We needed to draw him, not only away from his home, but entirely outside of the neighborhood.

  It is here that our skeleton friends were able to provide us with the solution.

  A long time ago, before they rode spiders, skeletons used to ride horses. It has been a long time since they have chosen these steeds, but the local skeletons still remember where there is a herd nearby.

  During the hours just before sunset a group of skeletons, with armor that would protect them from the light of the sun, lured a single horse to the edge of Barron’s land.

  As soon as he saw the creature he became very excited. In order to ensure that the horse made its way back to its family, a group of young zombies encouraged the animal to follow them by offering it an endless supply of apples. As you know, zombies collect carrots and beets, but sometimes we come across apples too.

  Barron fell for the bait. He chased that horse off into the horizon determined to catch and tame the elusive creature.

  It was then that our work began.

  With a group of nearly thirty monsters we set about the act of removing every single leaf, from every single tree, that surrounded Barron’s home.

  We started with Barron’s home at the center and worked our way outward. The trick was to destroy all of the vines and leaves, while leaving all of the wood intact.

  This, was something Herobrine was known for doing. Though, he would have been forced to complete the task on his own over many nights.

  With a forest of empty tree trunks, it would be clear that something was wrong. However, Barron could not blame the sight on a fire, because that would have destroyed all of the wood as well. The fact that all of the greens had been stripped from the plants, yet the strong trunk remained, would be very confusing to the adventurer.

  I was certain that he would have never seen anything like it in all of his travels.

  The task was tedious but I was glad to have so much help. We cleared an enormous area and even succeeded in collecting a massive amount of apples. The witches would make good trades for them.

  By the time we had finished there was not a single green plant as far as the eye could see. Only a barren landscape of tree trunks that stood like lonely pillars in the night.

  I knew that it would be the most successful night yet. Barron would certainly question his rule over this area now. Perhaps he might grow to understand what it felt like for someone to claim they had the right to do whatever they wanted to the land. That it belonged to them alone.

  We had shown him, I hope, the difference between the simplicity of living in peace with us, and the chaos that might result if he refused to admit that it was our home too.

  We all returned home that morning with a great sense of accomplishment.

  Day 29:

  Barron was beside himself with worry today.

  The sheering of the trees had exactly the effect that I had hoped for. He returned to the area with a newly-captured horse on a lead and stood frozen in shock as he looked out upon the landscape.

  I had instructed all of the other monsters to stay home. There was practically no shaded area for us to hide. Barron was forced to stare at the empty landscape that surrounded his home.

  That was when I did it.

  On the hill opposite where Barron was standing, I climbed to the very top and stood looking down at him.

  The witches had provided me with a rare set of diamond armor. With its enchantments and protections I could easily stand under the heat of the sun.

  As long as I stayed far away from Barron, he would have no way of identifying me as a zombie.

  That was when I heard it.

  “HEROBRINE!” he shouted across the valley.

  I did not respond. My voice would give away the act. Instead, I simply stared at him without moving a single muscle in my body.

  “HEROBRINE,” he shouted again. “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?”

  Slowly, I raised my arms so that they pointed at all of the land around us. Still, I remained silent. I gestured at the land, at the chaos and confusion that I had caused, I wanted him to understand that he was not in control of it.

  I wanted him to believe that Herobrine would protect us.

  I could tell that Barron wanted to follow me, but thankfully the horse that he was leading prevented him from coming any nearer.

  Finally, Barron nodded.

  “FINE,” his voice sounded tired and perhaps a bit worried, “YOU WIN! WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

  I turned away from him and took several steps along the top of the hill.

  There, stood one of Barron’s many signs that claimed this land for his own. I turned back to ensure that he was watching. He was.

  Then, I destroyed the sign.

  He understood the message. I could see it in his face, in the tense way that he was standing, even from this far away.

  Slowly, Barron nodded his head. He was defeated.

  I climbed down the far side of the hill and found a quiet place to hide until nightfall.

  Tomorrow, we would see if Barron would keep his word.

  Day 30:

  The monsters are abuzz with news this evening.

  The spiders came rushing in to tell us that Barron has removed every wooden sign from the land surrounding his home. They said that he even asked to speak with the leader of the zombies.

  We do not have a leader but, since this entire charade was my idea, it was decided that I would go to speak with him.

  I could hardly wait for night to fall. This meeting would determine whether or not we monsters could remain in the neighborhood.

  I could not stand the idea of all of our friends having to find new homes and new communities to live in. This was our home. This IS our home, I reminded myself.

  When the moon had reached the highest point in the sky, I knocked on the door to Barron’s home.

  He opened the door and stepped out into the night beside me. For a long while we stared at each other, both unsure of what the other might do. In the past, we would have fought. We wou
ld have battled until one of us respawned.

  Not tonight.

  I waited.

  Finally, he led out his hand. In his grasp was a single golden carrot.

  “This is for you. As a sign of peace,” he waited for me to take the item, “I know that you, and your people, collect carrots. This one is special.”

  I smiled and tried not to laugh.

  Of course we collected carrots, but they really meant nothing to us. We collected them to keep them away from Barron, not because we needed them for ourselves.

  Still, the gesture was sweet. He had noticed what he thought was our love for carrots, and he had given us the best gift that he could think of along those lines.

  I accepted the gift. Never before has a carrot meant so much to me. This one, I would keep forever.

  I gestured for him to wait a moment while I went in search of a gift of my own.

  He waited nervously by the door to his home.

  I returned several minutes later with a gift for Barron. A single beet. I knew, we all knew, that it was the one item that he had searched for far and wide. Adventurers used to be able to till the ground to find them, but now only we zombies knew the secret to gathering beets.

  His eyes welled up with tears and he accepted the gift with many words of thanks.

  It was in that way that a new pact of peace had been formed.

  Legend would tell that Herobrine had convinced Barron to befriend us, but there were some of us who would always know the truth.

  Epilogue:

  Devon thinks that I should go to help other monster communities but I know that I do not have the skill to complete that mission on my own. They would want the REAL Herobrine. Not me, a plain, no-nonsense zombie.

  I spoke to my father