OVERGROWN:

0. Silence in your Head

The village was deadly silent the night Crafter died.
The moon was high up in the sky, its light illuminating the village with a dim glow that casted an eerie light upon the walls. Most villagers were asleep in their homes, the light of the lanterns inside their shelters slowly going out as the night wore on. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
Except, the fact that two villagers were making their way down the cobbled path, heading towards the crafting room. The taller of the figures had a chest on his back, positioned like a backpack. It appeared heavy, but the man never lost his straight posture.
The second figure was hunched over, fidgeting with her cloak as she followed a few steps behind the man.
“Healer, thank you so much for coming on such short notice,” the second figure said, ducking her head as a sign of gratitude. Healer let out a short sigh, as if this was the thousandth time he had been told this.
“Planter, honestly, you must understand that it is my duty to help our leader, even if it costs me a few hours of sleep,” Healer said, curtly.
Planter nodded, swallowing as she fidgeted with her fingers.
There was a heavy silence between the two before she spoke up, quieter this time. It was as if the two were discussing some great secret.
“He’s been getting worse,” Planter whispered, her voice cracking. “Last time I went in, his eyes were so foggy, they looked almost white.” She shuddered, continuing. “Not only that, but his skin was cold as ice.”
Healer frowned, giving Planter a suspicious gaze. Planter looked away, frowning as the two approached the door leading to the crafting chamber. Healer paused, turning his gaze upwards to above the door. Weaving its way up the building was a string of deep green ivy, one with dark blue flowers hidden among the leaves. It had been there for a week, continuing to grow larger every day. One villager had suggested removing it, but the Gardeners though it was pretty, considering it a new update.
As a result, it was still there.
Healer drew his hand over the leaves, before whipping his it back in surprise. The flowers were as cold as ice. Glancing at his hand, Healer though he saw a flash of blue disappearing into his nerves. Before he could examine it farther, however, it was gone.
“Hey, Healer, you comin’?” a voice called up the shaft, the man realizing that Planter had already gone below.
“Coming,” Healer responded, opening the rusty iron door. It was probably nothing. He thought to himself, trying to push the thought out of his mind as he slowly descended into the darkness below.
It took only a few seconds to reach the bottom, Healer finding Planter below with a slightly impatient expression on her face. Quickly, Planter turned away gesturing for Healer to follow. The two wove in between the minecart tracks, tools and half-finished constructions left scattered on benches and in chests. They formed eerie shadows on the wall.
Healer took a breath, his mind continuously going to the plants outside.
“Planter, I think-” he began, turning to where Planter had been standing only seconds before. However, the villager had started to run, racing towards an iron door that was now lying on the floor. Slumped on the floor near it was an odd figure, a sword lying unused at its side. Healer raced after Planter, his eyes widening.
“That was the villager that was tasked with guarding the door,” Planter whispered, and Healer’s heart skipped a beat. However, his instinct to help kicked in, reversing his inactivity. He crouched near the villager, attempting to lift their head up. However, the cold that accumulated in his hands caused him to jerk back with a cry. In seconds, the villager disappeared into nothing but a cloud of ash.
Planter’s breath caught in her throat.
“What happened?” she asked. Healer nursed his injured hand, feeling his eyes almost seem to defocus.
“Huh, what was that?” he managed, turning up to Planter. Her gaze, however, was not on him.
“Crafter.” Planter whispered, grabbing a key from her inventory and shoving it into the lock on the iron door.
Rushing through the door, her sandy blonde hair flying behind her, she hoped desperately to see her aged leader inside. However, there was no one.
“Oh goodness,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.
“What is it?” Healer asked, wincing at how much pain it took to say anything.
“He’s gone,” Planter murmured, picking up a crafting table off the ground. “He must have succumbed to his illness.”
Healer grunted, feeling the earth begin to sway beneath him.
“Planter, I think…” He trailed off, unable to say anymore before everything went black.
Planter whipped around, just managing to catch him before he hit the ground.
“Healer?!” she yelled, trying to shake him awake, before pulling her own hand back, feeling icy tendrils rake up her nerves.
“What… what is this?!” she managed. She caught a glance of herself in the small cauldron of water in the corner. Her eyes were beginning to fog over, white setting on fast over her pupils.
“It’s a disease,” a voice said from behind her. Planter tried to turn, but the ache in her limbs made her fall, her head hitting hard stone with a smack. “I’ll see you in the dream world.” The voice continued; the sneer visible almost through their words alone. An evil laugh percolated around the chamber, echoing on its shadowy stone walls.
Then, Planter herself succumbed to the pull of darkness, the shadows closing in on her in mere seconds.
The figure behind her turned away, a satisfied smile on their face as they disappeared in a flash of blue light.

1. Broken Garage Doors

“You’ve been practicing, right?” Tommy asked as he shoved his books in his backpack.
Rosey smiled awkwardly beside him.
“Yeah, I did!” she said, slowly.
Tommy looked at her, his eyes narrowed.
“Did you really?” he narrowed his eyes.
“Once.” Rosey sighed, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. Tommy sighed, shaking his head. Rosey could only laugh as she threw her backpack on her shoulder, briefly adjusting the straps.
“Hey, guys!” a voice called from across the clearing, the two turning to see Shawny weaving his way through the crowd of people exiting Cheverton High School, his bright red hoodie standing out among a sea of bland colors. He had his laptop bag tucked under one arm. Tommy guessed he had just come from coding.
“Hey man!” Tommy exclaimed, giving him a high five. Rosey smiled, giving Shawny a nod. Shawny smirked.
“Rosey, is Tommy antagonizing you about Minecraft again?” Shawny teased.
“Maybe…” Rosey said, as she and Shawny both gave Gameknight a teasing look.
“Guys…” Tommy groaned, only causing his friends to laugh. Tommy, despite himself, found laughed with them.
Tommy was 15 years old, attending his first semester of High School with his two best friends.
The boy had known Shawny for over 6 years, having met in 3rd grade. They’d grown close over the years due to their obsession with Minecraft, constantly having sleepovers at each other’s houses and binging the game late into the night.
Rosey was a new edition to his friend base. Having recently moved into Tommy’s town from England for her mom’s business, the two quickly bonded over their shared classes. She was the one they could call at any hour of the day to rant or obsess over anything and everything. Tommy and Shawny both liked to call her “the therapist friend”, a title she embraced with pride.
Recently, the three of them had been practicing speed running Minecraft together after school. Tommy was obsessed with breaking the record for set seed playing, and Shawny and Rosey were willing to help him with this goal. Of course, that meant they had to practice too.
“Look, we can go practice at Shawny’s now,” Rosey reassured him, turning to the black-haired boy.
Shawny frowned. “About that… our basement’s getting renovated, so ya’ll can’t come over today,” he admitted with a shrug. “Sorry.”
Rats, Tommy sighed. He had been really excited to practice…
Wait a second.
“Hey, wait you guys,” he began. “We can go over to my house, actually. I’m sure my dad won’t mind.”
“Really? Awesome!” Rosey cheered, following Tommy as he started down the sidewalk to his house. “Time to go kick some Ender Dragon butt!” she exclaimed, punching the air as a demonstration.
“Not before I get to it first!” Shawny yelled, starting to race down the sidewalk towards his neighborhood.
“Hey!” Rosey and Tommy yelled as one, the two racing after their friend. The sun shone high overhead as the highschool slowly emptied out, a perfect late summer day winding to the end.
<><><>
“Hey Dad, I’m home!” Tommy yelled as he kicked his shoes off. The sound of footsteps coming from the kitchen revealed Jenny, his younger sister, with a half-eaten apple in her hand. She examined her brother and his friends, a deadpan expression on her face.
“Hello, Jenny.” Tommy managed, an awkward smile on his face as he tried to scoot past her. Jenney made no move against them, just slowly turning her head to stare at them as Tommy advanced toward the basement door. Once he made contact with the door handle, he shoved his friends down before slamming it behind him.
“Jeez, mate. What’s up with her?” Rosey asked, her face contorted into a confused expression.
“That’s Jenny for you,” Shawny and Tommy said in unison.
“That’s not want I meant…” Rosey groaned. “I just want her apple.”
“Tommy, is that you?” a voice called up the stairs, Tommy’s father appearing at the bottom of them. He was wearing his aviator googles, his face and beard slightly tinged with smoke.
“Hey, Dad!” Tommy said, waving. “I brought some friends over to play Minecraft, is that ok?”
“Yes, that’s fine, but I’d prefer if you ask me first,” his dad chided. Rosey stifled a laugh as Tommy turned a shade of pink.
“Sorry, Dad,” he mumbled, as the three started their way down to the basement. His Dad began packing up the small pile of tools he had accumulated, putting them back where they belonged. Tommy’s eyes roved over the digitizer, impressed by the new look.
“Ooh, what’s that?” Rosey asked, her eyes lighting up.
“This,” Tommy’s father began, standing a little taller, “is the Digitizer! It’s an invention I’ve been working on for a while now. Consider it a fancy VR headset.”
“Neat!” Rosey exclaimed.
“Be careful though,” Tommy’s father said, eyeing his son with a knowing expression. Tommy rolled his eyes.
“We’ll be fine, Dad,” he assured him.
“Just checking!” his father yelled as he headed upstairs, leaving the three friends alone in the basement. Immediately, Shawny pulled out his gaming laptop, placing it on the large table in the room. Tommy followed suit, booting up his large HD monitor. Rosey felt rather embarrassed as she pulled out her junky school laptop.
However, she was quickly distracted by the bright glow of the digitizer.
“Don’t even think about it,” Tommy chided, breaking Rosey out of her daydream.
“Why, though? Wouldn’t it be fun to play Minecraft in such an epic way?” She teased. A shadow crossed across Tommy’s face, and Rosey frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.” Gameknight turned away, loading up their Minecraft server. “Let’s just try our best today, ok?”
Rosey shrugged.
“Alright, then,” she began, before she heard a noise upstairs. It sent a reverberation around the house, causing the walls to shake for a moment.
“What the heck?” Shawny said, confused.
“Garage door,” Tommy groaned, before he heard a noise from behind. The sound of metal hitting metal caused an echo around the basement. The boy turned, expecting to see a screwdriver now rolling on the ground, but instead saw a hard ball of metal hand landed on the Digitizer. It rolled around, before slowly falling to the ground.
It fell directly on the on switch.
Gameknight’s eyes widened as he scrambled out of his chair. He fell down onto the floor in his rush to get up.
“Shoot, shoot, shoot!” he exclaimed.
“What, what?!” Rosey exclaimed, whipping around.
A robotic voice began to count down from three, and Shawny, in desperation, lunged towards the remote. He was too late.
A pop, a fizzle, and a crack, and Tommy’s vision went black.

2. Encounters with the Ghosts

Shawny felt almost as though a nail was being hammered into his skull. With every movement he made, pain reverberated around his body, almost like bolts of electricity.
He let out a groan, shifting.
“Shawny!” a voice yelled. It sounded almost like Tommy. “Shawny, wake up!”
Wait a second. That was Tommy. Shawny shot up immediately, his breathing rushed and eyes wide. He got whiplash from the sudden movement, causing his neck to cry out in pain.
“Tommy, I-”
“Shush,” another voice whispered. Rosey appeared in front of him- or at least, her Minecraft avatar did. “Don’t say a word.”
Shawny was quiet, unsure what to do, before he heard the low growling of a zombie behind them, and he froze. Tommy, or should Shawny be calling him Gameknight now?, pulled out his sword, crouching into a fighting stance. He threw a sword to Shawny as well, who caught it swiftly. Now was no time to mess around.
The zombie sounds came closer, but it sounded almost as though there were more of them as time wore on.
“Tommy, is this really a good idea?” Rosey asked, the sound of her bowstring echoing around the clearing.
“I’ve taken on my fair share of zombies in my day.” Gameknight said resolutely. “I can handle a few.”
Before Shawny could say anything, however, the clearing exploded in a ray of bright light, causing the user to squint his eyes shut, dropping his sword. When the light grew dimmer, it revealed three strange creatures in front of them, each holding a short sword in their hand. It was clear, almost like a block of ice.
“What is that?” Rosey yelled, trying to shoot an arrow at it.
The arrow passed through as if the figures were nothing more than a ghost. Shawny’s breath caught in his throat. Another arrow from Rosey passed through, as fear began nibbling at the edges of Shawny’s courage.
“Maybe it’s part of a mod?” Gameknight guessed, smiling awkwardly.
“This server doesn’t even have mods!” Shawny exclaimed, backing up. The figures slowly began advancing as one, their synchronization causing shivers to go to down his back.
“Okay, then,” Gameknight managed.
“Guys, I feel like running would be a good idea,” Rosey whispered. Shawny nodded fervently.
“Very good idea,” he added, his eyes widening as the figures raised their swords in one fluid motion, reading to strike.
“But we can’t just-” Gameknight exclaimed, before Rosey grabbed his arm, pulling him away. Then, the icy swords of their assailants went flying. Shawny ducked just in time, the blade missing his head by a mere centimeter. Shawny grabbed his sword, launching himself into the forest. Rosey followed behind, Gameknight casting a longing glance behind him.
He was always one for a fight.
“Alright, big brain! Got any ideas?” Rosey yelled, giving Gameknight a glare. “This is your server, after all!” Another sword went whizzing past them, lodging itself into a tree. The block it landed in disappeared within a second.
“Um, well-” Gameknight began, racking his brain. Then, the lightbulb went off. “There’s a cave somewhere- and it’s hidden behind a waterfall! If we’re careful, they’ll never see us go in.”
Shawny glanced around, spotting the familiar waterfall instantly. It flowed down from a tall cliff, landing in a small pool down below. Shawny splashed through the water, trying to ignore his now soggy pants. Gameknight followed him, while Rosey pulled out her bow and tried to guard the entrance. The noises from the creatures were steadily growing loud, droning on and on in Shawny’s head like a siren.
Gameknight unlocked the iron door, Shawny ducking inside. Gameknight waited for Rosey to scramble inside before he too ran in, locking the door behind them. The trio was left in darkness.
The sounds of the creatures persisted outside, before hours later the low muttering slowly fading away.
Shawny held his breath. It seemed so loud in the cave, the sound of his rapid heartbeat must be attracting the attention of the monsters outside. Minutes later, though it felt like hours to Shawny, the sounds were gone.
Rosey exhaled, her tight figure relaxing.
“That was… unfortunate.” She managed, her eyes catching the light of the lava popping lazily in a corner. No one said anything, Shawny’s chest heaving. “Gameknight, do you know anything about this?” Rosey persisted, her knowing gaze seeming to bore into Gameknight’s soul.
Gameknight shared a glance with Shawny, who simply looked away as he slid down the wall into a sitting position. Gameknight sat down too.
“A long time ago, I got stuck in Minecraft,” he started, Rosey listening intently to his story. Gameknight recounted his adventures as best he could, flinching at some of the memories he had.
“So, you have friends, then!” Rosey exclaimed. “We can go to the village and hunker down in there until your dad realizes that we’re gone. He’ll probably check on us within an hour, and we’ll be fine.”
“Rosey, that’s not how time passes in Minecraft. In the physical world, this whole ordeal has probably only been a second.” Gameknight corrected hesitantly.
“We’re so dead.” Shawny muttered, burying his head in his hands. Fear pulsed through every fiber of his being, causing his heart to sound like a drummer in a bluegrass band.
Gameknight laid a hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll be fine,” he comforted, giving his friend a soft smile. Shawny tried to smile back but couldn’t find any motivation. He sighed, curling tighter into himself. It was cold in the cave, the drafts seeming to come straight towards him.
Gameknight stood up, glancing around the room. His instinct to protect took over as he opened a chest, finding a few pieces of meat and a torch inside. He pulled them out, placing the torch on the wall and the meats in his friends’ hands. Rosey wolfed it up, wishing she had eaten more at the school cafeteria today.
Shawny took smaller bites, his expression far away.
The three sat there for a while, no words said between them but a thousand thoughts instead. At some point, Rosey began to nod off, her head landing on Gameknight’s shoulder. The regularness of her light snoring causing the user to grow tired as well, and soon, all three of them were fast asleep.

3. Echoes of an Unforeseen Future

At first, Rosey thought the village was a graveyard.
The way the vines curled around it made it seem as though it had been abandoned and left alone for hundreds of years, left to bake in the sun of the desert surrounding it. She turned to Shawny beside her, watching his expression to make sure this wasn’t a mirage.
Sure enough, his eyes widened, surprise visible throughout his whole body.
“What… what is that?” he asked, gesturing to the village. Gameknight didn’t even hesitate before he barreled across the sand, yelling for his friends to follow. Rosey ran after him, apprehension building with every step.
As she got closer, the girl saw that the walls of the village were beginning to crumble, cracks appearing in their foundation as if the vines were squeezing the very life out of it.
“This place looks ancient,” she murmured, reaching forward to brush the leaves away. It revealed an iron door falling off its hinges. She shoved it open, and it slowly turned to reveal an empty village. The trio of users stood there for a moment; their breath taken away by the sight.
“This must be a new update,” Shawny said, following Gameknight as he continued his search of the village. “This village, the monsters… they can’t be a coincidence.”
“Stop thinking, Shawny, and start looking for hints!” Gameknight yelled, causing Rosey to laugh quietly.
Shawny shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as he examined the undergrowth of the vines. His fingers grazed the wet surface with a curiousness before he felt something sharp pierce his hand and he cried out. Whipping his hand back, his touch revealed a strange blue flower. Mist seemed to emit from its surface, like the inside of the frozen food isle.
Shawny felt almost entranced by the glow, and he reached out again to touch it. Grasping the plant by the stem this time to avoid being hurt, he pulled it out. Its delicate blue leaves seemed to catch the light of the sun, pulsating like heartbeat.
“Shawny!” Rosey yelled, causing the user to jump, shoving the flower in his pocket.
“Coming!” Shawny exclaimed, turning away from the wall of ivy and towards where his companions were.
“Look at this,” Gameknight said, handing a book to Shawny. The User-That-Is-Not-A-User’s face was contorted into a fearful and apprehensive expression. Shawny couldn’t stop his shaking hands as he took the book.

My village is dying.
The infection is spreading through us like wildfire, killing every NPC it lays its deathly hands on. Our village is turning into a ghost town every second. My children lay dying in their beds. Nothing can help them.
We’re alone.

Shawny almost dropped the book.
“NPCs don’t get sick,” he stated almost like a fact, turning to Gameknight with desperate eyes. “That’s not possible. This must be a joke.”
Gameknight closed his eyes, running a hand through his auburn hair.
I hate this. How come there is always a problem in Minecraft? How come everyone can’t be happy for once…
“Hey,” Rosey laid a hand on both her friends’ shoulders. “Calm down. We can ask your know-it-all Crafter friend, right?”
“Right. Crafter will know what to do.” Gameknight said, though his voice shook. “We can ask him.”
Something told him, though, that that wouldn’t be the case.
<><><>
The Minecart track was utterly silent as the trio traveled through it. Each user was lost in their own thoughts, perhaps even drowning in them. The crafting rooms they passed through were silent. Gameknight could only assume that on the surface, it was nighttime.
The user felt a twinge of pity as he stared at the back of Rosey’s blonde head. Her gaze seemed ascant, her eyebrows knitted together in thought.
It must be hard for them. Whereas Gameknight had experienced countless adventures in Minecraft, this was Rosey and Shawny’s first time.
“Hey, Rosey…” Gameknight began, watching the user turn back to his with curiosity. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Gameknight took a breath. “It’s going to be fine,” he assured her. “I promise.”
Rosey managed a weak smile.
“If you say so.”
The minecarts zipped through another crafting chamber, drifting slowly to a stop just before the next track. This was the one.
“This is it,” Gameknight said, as he gestured for his friends to follow him into the depths of the chamber. His eyes sparkled with anticipation as he dropped his Minecart in a chest, eagerly racing up the stairs and into the main area. A strange nostalgia filled him as he opened the strong iron door. He knew the entire layout by heart… even if he hadn’t been here in over 3 years.
“Hello? Anyone here?” he called, placing a torch into the slot on the wall. Light flared up into the room, revealing walls of barrels, as well as crafting tables galore.
“Gosh, that’s a lot of crafting going on in one place,” Shawny marveled.
Gameknight laughed, almost to himself.
“No kidding. But, then again, these villagers are very efficient.”
“We sure are,” came a voice from behind them. Gameknight whipped around, feeling the soft blue eyes of his best friend in Minecraft.
“Crafter!” Gameknight yelled, running to embrace the NPC. “I missed you!”
“I missed you too,” Crafter grinned, giving his friend a hug. “It’s been quite a while, huh?”
Gameknight smiled. “I suppose so,” he said, before realizing that his friends had no idea what was going on. He turned around.
“Crafter, these are my friends: Rosey and Shawny,” Gameknight said, gesturing to each player in turn. “You’ve already met Shawny though.” He chuckled.
Shawny smiled, giving Crafter a wave. “It’s nice to see you,” he greeted.
“Hello!” Rosey exclaimed with a grin.
Crafter nodded to them both, before turning back to the User-That-Is-Not-A-User. “I must say, your arrival is most unexpected. May I ask what you’re doing here?”
“Oh, er….” Gameknight trailed off, unsure how to answer.
Shawny clears his throat.
“We have a question to ask you, actually,” he said, about to launch into a ramble before there are more voices from the passageway beyond the four.
“Man,” Rosey whispered to Shawny as she elbowed him teasingly. “It’s about to be a real party in here.”
Shawny sighed, crossing his arms as he examined his friend.
“Party or not, Gameknight better know what he’s doing.”

To be continued…