The Mystery of the Griefer's Mark Read online

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  Copyright © 2014 by Hollan Publishing, Inc.

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  Manufactured in Canada, August 2014

  This product conforms to CPSIA 2008

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-726-5

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-727-2

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1: TNT, Craters, and Griefers

  Chapter 2: Old Friends, New Problems

  Chapter 3: Tunnels

  Chapter 4: Where’s Henry?

  Chapter 5: Thomas, Can You Hear Me?

  Chapter 6: Trapdoors

  Chapter 7: The Attack of the Rabbit

  Chapter 8: More Clues

  Chapter 9: Don’t Give Up

  Chapter 10: Chicken Jockey

  Chapter 11: Slimes, Silverfish, and Saving Friends

  Chapter 12: I Spy Thomas

  Chapter 13: The Plan

  Chapter 14: The Other Side

  Chapter 15: The Wall

  Chapter 16: The Griefer

  Chapter 17: Apologies

  Chapter 18: Consequences and Endings

  1

  TNT, CRATERS, AND GRIEFERS

  It was a quiet morning as Steve walked through the local village toward Eliot the Blacksmith’s shop to trade his wheat for emeralds. Steve had an abundance of wheat because his farm was thriving. Steve loved knowing his supply of wheat could provide him with all the necessities to survive in Minecraft.

  “Are you going to use these emeralds to decorate your house?” asked Eliot the Blacksmith.

  Steve smiled. “How did you know?” Steve really enjoyed using the emeralds to decorate the walls of his home. He loved the way the green blocks highlighted the grey stone walls. But he also knew that if he kept the emeralds, he could use them to trade with other villagers. “Thanks for the emeralds,” he said. “I’ll invite you over soon so you can see how they look.”

  Steve waved goodbye.

  On the village street, Steve ran into his neighbor Adam. “Look at all those emeralds,” Adam remarked.

  “Yes, I just traded them for wheat.”

  “Well, if you’d like to trade the emeralds, I have a lot of new potions.” Adam opened up his chest to display bottles of potions.

  Adam was an alchemist who lived with his friend Thomas, an explorer. They were good neighbors to have when you were in trouble because Adam had so many useful potions and Thomas was skillful at fighting off creepers. Luckily Steve hadn’t needed their help yet.

  “No, thank you. I don’t need any potions,” said Steve.

  Adam wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Really? You don’t want a potion of water breathing? If you get stuck in water, you can still breathe.”

  “I’m never near water. It wouldn’t come in handy,” said Steve.

  “What about a splash potion of slowness? You can use that on your enemies. Do you have any in your inventory? You can really get hurt if somebody attacks you, and it comes in very handy for slowing them down.”

  Steve thought about his inventory. He didn’t have many potions, if any at all. He remembered battling a witch with his friends, Henry, Max, and Lucy, and they had used potions to help them win the battle. The potions had been essential in fighting off the witch.

  Steve took out the emeralds. “Okay, Adam,” he said. “I’ll take the potion of slowness. I hear there is one that lasts eight minutes.”

  “Yes, it does last that long, and you’re in luck because I happen to have it on hand.”

  As Steve handed the minerals to Adam, he hoped he wouldn’t regret this trade.

  Adam looked through his chest filled with potions. “That’s odd. I thought I had a lot more potions in this chest. I know I had at least three bottles of the potion of weakness, but now I only have one.”

  “Do you think somebody is stealing your potions?”

  “I hope not, but it looks like that is happening.” Adam looked through his chest one more time. “Oh no! I don’t have any bottles of the potion of harming. I had six yesterday.”

  “Maybe you traded them and forgot,” suggested Steve.

  “No, I keep a log of all the potions I’ve sold. Someone is stealing from me!”

  “Who would do something like that?” Steve asked as Adam handed him the potion of weakness.

  Adam was angry; he had worked hard to brew all these potions, and he didn’t want anybody stealing them. “I bet it’s a griefer,” he said.

  “A griefer?” Steve felt bad for Adam. And he was also worried about himself. If the griefer was attacking his neighbor, he could be next.

  “Yes, how else would the potions go missing?” asked Adam.

  Steve pointed to a piece of wool on the ground next to Adam’s chest. “Look at that. Did you drop wool?”

  “No,” said Adam as he picked up the wool and broke it in half. “That’s odd.”

  As Steve made his way through the grassy path, he thought about the griefer who had stolen Adam’s potions. He wondered if he knew who the griefer was and why that person would steal.

  Boom! Steve heard a blast coming from the distance.

  Ka-Boom! There was a second blast. Steve sprinted. The sound came from the direction of his wheat farm. He raced toward his home. As he approached, he saw his ocelot, Snuggles, and heard her meowing, but he didn’t see his dog, Rufus.

  “Rufus,” Steve called out, but Rufus didn’t come. He called to Rufus again but again Rufus didn’t come. Steve was worried about his dog. He walked to his wheat farm and saw Rufus standing by a large crater.

  “Rufus!” Steve called out joyfully. As the dog approached, Steve was horrified to see an enormous crater behind him. Someone had blown a large hole on Steve’s property. He stared at the hole wondering who would have done this to him, but he was grateful that Rufus and Snuggles didn’t get hurt in the explosion. It took a moment for Steve to realize his wheat farm had been destroyed. All his hard work was ruined in one blast. He couldn’t imagine how much TNT somebody must have used to blow up his wheat farm.

  Nervously, Steve entered his home slowly, looking for TNT in every corner. He was glad his home was okay but was heartbroken over the loss of his wheat farm. Without his wheat farm, Steve didn’t have any resources to trade. He was annoyed that he had just traded his last few emeralds for a potion he might never use. Steve knew he had to rebuild the wheat farm, but he didn’t have seeds. He needed help. He would have to take the last few emeralds decorating his living room and trade them for resources. He had so many questions. He wanted to find th
is griefer and ask him why he had destroyed an innocent man’s wheat farm.

  He looked out at the field where his sheep usually grazed and realized they were all missing! Luckily his cows and pigs were still happily walking about the grassy field.

  Steve inspected the rest of the house. He made his way through each room and everything seemed fine.

  “At least Snuggles and Rufus are safe and I still have a house. I can always rebuild the wheat farm,” he said to himself. Steve wanted to seek revenge on the griefer. He sprinted to his bedroom to get his beloved enchanted diamond sword from his chest. He wanted to suit up in armor and search for the griefer. As he entered his bedroom, he noticed the chest was open.

  “Oh no!” screamed Steve as he looked down at the empty chest. Steve’s beloved enchanted diamond sword was missing! He had been griefed!

  2

  OLD FRIENDS, NEW PROBLEMS

  Steve looked at the empty chest that had once held his sword and noticed a small piece of wool on the ground. It was just like the wool he had seen next to Adam’s chest. But Steve didn’t focus on the wool for very long because he needed help rebuilding the farm and finding his sword. He immediately called his treasure hunter friends, Henry, Max, and Lucy, who showed up as fast as they could make it to the farm.

  When Steve saw his old friends at the door, he was thrilled, but he was also upset because it wasn’t a happy reunion. The last time they were together, they had celebrated their victory over the zombies that had attacked the village. Now they had to find the griefer who had destroyed the wheat farm and get his diamond sword back. But first they had to rebuild. Without rebuilding the farm, Steve would have limited resources.

  “Steve, you have no idea where we have been,” Henry said.

  “We were in the Nether; ghasts were flying above us shooting fire and Max almost fell into lava,” said Lucy.

  “But then we found treasure in a Nether Fortress. So, it was worth it!” Max said as he placed his diamond sword in one of Steve’s chests.

  “Guys, someone stole my sword!” Steve blurted out.

  “Your sword!” exclaimed Lucy. “How could someone do that?”

  “Someone blew up your wheat farm and took your sword?” asked Henry.

  Steve nodded yes.

  “Do you think you know who did it?” asked Max, pacing as he spoke. “Any suspects?”

  “No. I have no idea who would do this to me. But I can tell you that my neighbor Adam is an alchemist and somebody stole his potions. So the griefer isn’t just targeting me.”

  “If the griefer knew Adam had potions and also knew about your diamond sword, he or she must live nearby. And probably knows you,” said Max.

  “What about your other neighbor; the house next door?” asked Lucy. “I don’t remember it from the last time we were here.”

  “That’s my friend Kyra’s house. She’s very nice. She traded some wood for wheat recently to help me build an extension to my house. She’d never do anything to harm anyone.”

  “Did she know you had an enchanted diamond sword?” asked Max.

  Steve stuttered his words, “Um. Yes. But.”

  “Then we have to consider her a suspect.” Max said.

  “Maybe . . .” said Steve. He shook his head. “But maybe we shouldn’t be so concerned with seeking revenge. Let’s just focus on rebuilding the wheat farm.”

  “We will stay with you until the farm is completely rebuilt,” said Lucy. “That’s what friends do. They help others.”

  “But we also have to find this griefer,” said Henry. “If we don’t, the griefer will strike again and other people’s stuff will get damaged or stolen.”

  “And you can be targeted again, too” added Lucy.

  Steve knew they were right and they had to find this griefer, not just to seek revenge but also to help others.

  It was getting dark and night was setting outside. Two Endermen walked past the window carrying dirt blocks.

  “Endermen!” Lucy called out. “They can teleport in here!”

  “My house is too high for them to get in. Don’t worry.” Steve had been extremely thoughtful in planning his home and his life, which is why he was shocked that he was the victim of a griefer.

  But before night set in, there was somebody at Steve’s door.

  3

  TUNNELS

  Kyra was suited up and standing at his door.

  “Don’t attack.” Steve pleaded.

  “I’m not here to attack you. I need your help! Somebody flooded my house with lava.” Kyra took off her armor and entered the house. She looked at Henry, Max, and Lucy. “Who are you guys?”

  “These are my friends,” said Steve, “and they are here to help me. Didn’t you notice my wheat farm was blown up with TNT?”

  “I don’t trust her,” said Max. He walked over to Kyra, “How do we know your house was really flooded? And why did show up here in armor if you weren’t going to attack us?”

  “I don’t want to be attacked by hostile mobs. I had to fight a spider jockey on my way over here. It was vicious,” explained Kyra.

  “There is a griefer amongst us,” Steve announced, “and I can’t trust anybody.”

  “I need a place to stay tonight,” Kyra told the group, “Can I stay here?”

  The gang looked at each other. They had to trust her.

  “Sure,” Steve replied. “If you help us find the griefer and rebuild the wheat farm, we will help you with your home. Tomorrow we will break grass to look for seeds to rebuild the farm.”

  Henry started to tell the folks the plan for finding the griefer. “I’ll admit that I used to be a griefer, so I know how they work. I’m sure the griefer is nearby and plotting the next move.”

  The group made their way to bed. But as Steve entered his room, he screamed out, “Help!” and fell into a deep hole in the middle of his bedroom.

  When Steve landed, he lost some hearts and found himself on the ground of a dirt tunnel. There was a chest in front of him. Henry jumped into the hole after Steve.

  “Don’t open that trapped chest!” Henry yelled. “It’s a lava pit trap. If you open it, sticky pistons open up the ground beneath you and you fall into lava.”

  Lucy, Max, and Kyra jumped into the hole following Henry and Steve.

  “What is this?” asked Lucy.

  “It’s a tunnel.” Henry explained. “This is probably how the griefer escaped.”

  “I wonder where it leads,” said Kyra

  Steve looked at the tunnel, which seemed never-ending. The narrow dirt walls made him feel trapped. “Let’s just go back to my house. It’s night and creepers could show up. I want to wait until morning to explore.”

  Max placed a torch, “We will be fine, and we have some light.”

  The group slowly made their way through the tunnel.

  Lucy noticed a door in the dirt wall of the tunnel. “Look! There’s a door! It could be the griefer’s house!”

  “Let’s open it.” Henry said.

  Max opened the door to the house. They peered in and saw a room filled with lava.

  Steve shouted out, “It’s Kyra’s house!”

  “I told you not to trust her.” Max told the group.

  Kyra defended herself, “If I was the griefer, would I flood my house with lava?”

  “You could be tricking us,” said Henry.

  Steve closed the door. “This tunnel is very long. It could lead to other homes.”

  “I’m sure the door to the griefer’s house is somewhere in the tunnel,” said Lucy.

  “If Kyra isn’t the griefer.” Henry looked at her. He didn’t trust Kyra at all.

  “We have to trust Kyra.” Steve said, and everyone agreed.

  As they made their way farther down the tunnel, the light grew dimmer and a skeleton spawned and made its way toward them.

  Kyra took out her gold sword and leapt toward the skeleton; with a single blow, she defeated the skeleton.

  “If I was a bad guy,
wouldn’t I just let the skeleton attack you guys?” Kyra questioned the group after her victorious battle with the hostile skeleton.

  The group made their way cautiously into the dark tunnel.

  “We have to stick together if we want to survive,” said Henry.

  “I can’t believe somebody dug such a long tunnel. It must have taken them a long time,” said Steve as they walked. They kept on the look out for hostile mobs that spawned in dark tunnels.

  With a small amount of light in the tunnel, Steve walked toward another door. “I wonder who lives in the house,” he said.

  The gang crept closer to the door.

  “I’m going to open it,” said Max.

  “Don’t!” said Kyra, “It’s an iron door; it could be a trap.”

  But Max had already opened the door and they walked through. “Whose house is this?” asked Max.

  The door closed behind them. There was no pressure plate to open the door back into the tunnel.

  “We’re trapped!” cried Lucy.

  Dispensers filled with arrows shot at the group as they ducked to avoid being hit.

  “It’s a booby trap! Duck!” Henry cried out.

  Steve narrowly avoided being hit by an arrow that shot close to his head.

  “We have to empty the dispensers,” said Lucy.

  The group was able to stop the arrows. When the flood of arrows stopped, they saw a wooden door. Steve opened it and they were back in the tunnel.

  “I’ve never been so happy to be back in a creepy tunnel,” joked Lucy.

  “Don’t get too confident,” said Henry as a cave spider crawled on the wall behind her.

  Kyra grabbed her sword again and hit the cave spider.

  “I’m impressed.” Max said to Kyra.

  Keeping their eyes on the walls of the cave, the group carefully made their way through the tunnel.

  They stopped in their tracks when they heard something that sounded like rattling bones coming toward them.

  Rattle. Rattle. The sound grew louder.

  “That sound is too loud, it isn’t just one skeleton alone; it sounds like a group of skeletons,” Steve said nervously.

  From the darkness, the noise grew louder and louder, until the group could see white skeletal bodies advancing toward them.