Minecraft: 50 Unofficial Minecraft Books in 1 (Minecraft Diary Deal, Minecraft Book, Minecraft Storybook, Minecraft Books, Minecraft Diaries, Minecraft Diary, Minecraft Book for Kids)

by Billy Miner

  Entry 2: My Coworker

  His name is Russell. His job is to serve in the kitchen. I know, because I come there every so often to bring in the dishes. Sometimes we have to take turns cooking, and although I am no chef, I certainly think my dishes are out there, if you know what I mean.

  Anyway, Russell is different than the other servants. Well, first of all, he is quite the looker, with his brown hair and brown eyes. I have caught myself staring at him several times, but we haven’t said much to each other.

  Well, one time we said something. It didn’t mean much, but it was something.

  “Could you hand me the pepper over there?” he asked.

  “Sure,” I said as I handed him the pepper.

  “Thanks.”

  Yes, that was it. We don’t even know each other. But the funny thing is, that I just think he lacks initiative. Why do I think that? Because I caught him staring at me too. I know it when a guy stares at me. Some try to hide it, but most times, they aren’t really good at it. Besides, did I mention I am not all that ugly either? I’ve had several guys in my hometown propose to me, and I am a little proud of it. But none of them were what I was looking for; most of them were simply weird. There was one who had a huge beard and a low IQ, another who was completely in his own world and was the biggest pushover I had ever met, and another one… well, I guess he wasn’t so bad, but I found out later that he hates kids; and since I wanted a whole house full of those, I told him it wouldn’t work out.

  So looking back, I don’t think I did anything wrong rejecting those losers. I don’t know if I was “too picky,” as some villagers called me, but I certainly liked this Russell guy. There was just something about his smile and his way of working that appealed to me.

  Entry 3: Competing for the Top

  Today is the contest. I am thrilled. All the servants are lined up in the great dining hall. The hall is one of those places that looks posh but doesn’t have many positive connotations in my brains, since all I do there is work and watch others eat. However, this time, it feel exciting. It feels like a spark of hope.

  As I said. We line up and stand in front of the big, arrogant servant who has been in charge for a year now. Her name is Elizabeth, and she always likes to nag about a speck of dust, a crumb on the table, or a tight deadline we don’t reach. They say that money and honor are some of the most sought after things in life. Well, to some, it’s power: The freedom to order others around or get your way by being bossy or manipulative. Elizabeth is such a person.

  “Stand up straight, you monkeys,” she says as the twelve castle servants stand next to each other.

  Oh yeah, did I mention she likes to call us names and insult us? Here you go, now I did.

  “Good job. You actually did something right,” she says sarcastically, not noticing that I am boiling up inside, ready to punch her in the face. “Now, you have all heard of this contest to help one of you look like you’re worth something, despite of how it appears to be. This year’s contest is themed ‘cooking.’ You are all going to create a dish that will soothe Lord Elruch’s taste buds. His approval or disapproval will determine who is going to rise to the top. Any questions?”

  We don’t have any, so before we know it, we begun. The ingredients are all over the kitchen, and we each start making our own dish on a different stove. I know Lord Elruch, and I know he likes meat. So the first thing I do, is get the chicken out of the storage space.

  Russell has the same idea, but fortunately, there is enough chicken for the both of us. Our hands touch when we reach for the chicken in the cellar. We look at each other but don’t say a word. It’s pretty awkward.

  We both rush back to the kitchen with a piece of chicken in our hands. Then the seasonings and the other ingredients. There is a time limit, so we work as fast as we can. When the clock strikes one, it will be time to get our meals finished for the owner of the castle, so we do our best to hurry.

  It’s almost time. I can’t wait for him to taste my dish. It’s going to be delicious.

  But then, something terrible happens.

  Russell runs into the kitchen with a bowl of gravy mixed with garlic herbs. I didn’t see him, so I turn around, reaching for the carrots on the counter.

  BANG!

  He runs into me.

  The gravy shoots through the air and lands in my previously perfect chicken soup. At the same time, I drop the carrots and hold on to his bowl of soup, which looks like, ironically, he had the same idea: Soup. His dish too gets ruined because… clumsy me… I accidentally pull the soup over the edge and spill it all over the floor.

  Entry 4: Fights

  “Look what you did!” he yells.

  “Look what I did? You ruined my soup. You walked into me first,” I say.

  “If you would have just watched where you walked when you turned around…”

  “Well, who was the one running through the kitchen?” I asked accusingly.

  “Time is up!” we hear.

  Great. Now we both lost. And I was so eager to win. I just knew my soup was delicious and now it got destroyed by this fool, who wasn’t watching what he was doing. He looks angry. I know he feels the same about me. And just to think that he is so self-righteous about it: As if I am the one who messed up.

  “I guess you lazy bums did something in that kitchen without abolishing the whole area, huh?” Elizabeth says. “The winner will be determined by Lord Elruch, so just wait here and watch his final decision.”

  Then she turns to me and Russell and says, “Where are your dishes, you crazy pigs?”

  “They fell on the floor, madam,” Russell says.

  She rolls her eyes and then adds, “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard. Let’s just say that I will be happy to see that none of you got promoted.”

  And that’s it. After trying out all the different meals, a winner is picked. It’s my best friend Cindy. She screams in excitement and jumps up in the air when she hears her name called. It’s joyous moment after all. I like Cindy a lot, so I am glad that she gets to boss me around. She isn’t power hungry and treats everybody with respect.

  “Congratulations!” I say. “I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” she says shyly.

  “Of course I could have won too,” I tell Russell after Cindy has left the room. “That is, if a certain someone hadn’t been running in the kitchen and ruined the one dish I was more proud of than anything I had ever made.”

  “Oh, boohoo. Do I need to feel bad for you now?” he sneers back. “It’s not like you had to grab mine in the process. How do I know you didn’t do that on purpose, just to get back at me?”

  “What are you accusing me of? That’s ridiculous!” I yell, stepping closer to get a little into his face… his handsome but oh so annoying face.

  “Well, all I know, is that we’re even. And as far as I am concerned, I don’t care if we don’t see each other for a while,” he says while getting really close to me.

  “Good,” I say. “It’s not like we talked a lot in the first place. We see each other enough but it’s like you’re completely ignoring me.”

  Cindy had left the room, but the others are still there. They look at each other in disbelief. One of them smiles a little with her eyebrows raised and says, “Awkward…” All of them leave together, and I was happy to follow them, leaving this frustrating episode in my life behind me.

  Entry 5: Distance

  It’s the end of the day. I am tired and agitated. I don’t even feel like warming up a meal for myself anymore, so I go inside my tiny house and fall on my bed.

  Aaaah… that feels good. The soft blankets and pillows are exactly what I need. I sit there for a few minutes, but then I hear someone knocking at the door.

  Knock! Knock!

  I walk to the front door and open up.

  “Cindy!” I shout out as I give her a hug.

  “Good to see you too, Bethany,” she says calmly. “I am just coming over to check if you are all
right. The others said you were upset. I saw what happened. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Oh, that would be nice. Please, come in.”

  I let her into my small living room and get her something to drink.

  “Yes,” I say. “I mean, don’t get this wrong. I am really happy for you, but I was doing so well. I was so certain that my dish was going to help me win the promotion. And then this irritating jerk comes in and ruins everything.”

  “I would be upset about that too,” Cindy says. “Did he do anything else to annoy you?”

  “Well, just the fact that he is… you know… arrogant and mean and weird and handsome and clumsy and dumb,” I say.

  She starts laughing.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Did you just say that he is handsome?”

  I open my mouth and cover it with my hands. Oh no, did I really say that? What was I thinking? She can’t know about that, not after what he did.

  “N-no,” I said. “But even if I did, that doesn’t mean is a good guy. Just look at what he did to me!”

  She laughs again.

  “You know, Bethany,” she says. “For someone who is such a detailed perfectionist, you’re not very good at hiding your feelings. Don’t think I didn’t notice you two. You’ve been exchanging stares for days. Everybody is talking about it. The girls already began to make jokes about the both of you starting a relationship, but after what happened in the kitchen, that may take a while, won’t it?”

  I blush. I didn’t know they saw us looking at each other. I guess we had such a strong vibe that we were accidentally giving everybody else the impression we liked each other. But I kind of hate him right now, even though I like him. Does that make sense? I don’t know. It feels weird.

  “Well, I would rather avoid him,” I tell Cindy. “I think he is a jerk. He needs to apologize for what he did.”

  “I understand,” she says. “Perhaps in due time. But I am not going to push you in that direction.”

  “You better not. I want nothing to do with him.”

  She smiles. “Sure. We’ll see about that. I am glad you’re okay, though. I just want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I will be here for you.”

  Cindy is so nice.

  Entry 6: Danger

  The next day, I end up having to work in the yard. Elizabeth made sure that I would be punished for wasting all that food in the kitchen. Russell is there too. He usually has kitchen duty, but now he assigned to work on the other side of the beautiful castle garden.

  I glance at him. He is a hard worker, I give him that. He is putting in that shovel with his big hands. I have to admit that although I am still angry at him, I can’t stop looking, and the results suffer because of it. I am putting a few flowers in the right spots, but most of my work is sloppy because I get so distracted.

  The castle garden is outside the castle wall, and I guess this very fact makes it so that this perilous situation I am about to describe.

  Like I said, the castle garden stretches far… and the border is pretty far away from the castle itself. No wonder the fences don’t hold back all the wild life. Well, it just happens to be the thing that put my life in danger. Apparently there is a hole in the fence somewhere, and a ferocious beast snuck through: A wolf.

  I hear it growl, but I don’t see it anywhere. I looked around me, not realizing that Russell has left his spot. I think I am alone. There is nobody else. It’s like everybody intently left me there to become a prey to this wild creature.

  Then I see it.

  Its piercing eyes stare right at me.

  It jumps at me, ready to devour my body. I scream as loud as I can and close my eyes. I feel like its sharp claws can rip my flesh apart any moment, but all I hear is:

  BONG!

  I open my eyes and see my rescuer. He is standing up straight with the shovel in his hand. The wolf lies at his feet, knocked out by his saving weapon. I am amazed. I don’t know whether to tell him “thank you,” roll my eyes and tell him he is a show-off, or simply embrace him and kiss him. It takes me a few seconds to decide.

  I walk towards him and look at him with big eyes. He doesn’t look prideful or conceited. His eyes look sweet and kind. It is as if he is just relieved that I am safe, and that he cares about what I think. With that look on his face, what else should I do than hug him? So I do. I give him a big hug and thank him for saving my life. He puts his one arm around me and says I am welcome.

  “Are we even now?” he asks.

  Entry 7: Conversation

  “Of course we are even,” I say. “I am indebted to you, silly. How did you now to react so quickly? How did you even know the wolf was here?”

  “I’ve been observing you for a while,” he says. “And I knew the yard isn’t always safe. Appearances of the local wildlife have been rare, but they have definitely occurred. I just didn’t want to risk it.”

  “Are you still angry at me?” I ask.

  “No,” he says. “I just really wanted that position. But so did you, and I get it. Shall we go for a walk?”

  “Do you think Elizabeth will allow us to?”

  “She doesn’t matter right now. First of all, she is not here, so she may not even notice. And secondly, she can go take a hike. You just almost died. I think you deserve a little time for yourself.”

  After that, I feel great. We walk into different parts of the garden and talk each other’s ears off. The garden has beautiful flowers and shiny objects, as well as broken columns and bushes with fruits and berries. We are really enjoying each other’s presence. We talk about the work, our dreams, our goals, and our family.

  Entry 8: Empathy

  “So tell me something about your background,” I say. “Where did you grow up?”

  “Just in town,” he says. “I always wanted to be blacksmith. I have a passion for swords, metals, tools, and fire. And I started learning some of the tricks and techniques from the one in the village. But when he died, there was nobody else to teach me. I practiced a little on my own but never refined the process or implemented a necessary set of skills into it as to start my own business. With this promotion, I thought I could use the money to quit working here eventually and do it anyway. But now I guess I will have to wait another year.”

  “But isn’t there a way you can still practice and then just start up?” I ask.

  “Maybe. I don’t know. How about you?”

  “My dream is to have a big family. I want to be the kind of mother who has fresh bread for her kids when they come home from school, or who reads stories to them.”

  “Nice. I appreciate that. So why did you want the promotion so badly?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps I was just trying to prove myself that I could do it. I just wanted to be proud of myself.”

  “Ah, but nobody else has to tell you that. You know that you made a delicious dish. You tasted it, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. Of course. The thing was that I also came to town to look for a better future. And this job hasn’t been paying that much so far. I was just going to make things better. But don’t get me wrong. I am happy for Cindy.”

  “Ha-ha! It sounds like something you feel you are supposed to say.”

  I go silent. It’s interesting how much you can start caring about each other when you empathize with one another. It’s one of the most bonding emotions between human beings. And at this moment, it starts working for us. We connect more and more as we talk. I love it.

  Entry 9: A New Start

  After a while, I notice we look each other in the eyes even more. I can’t stop smiling and he seems happier than ever too. It’s like the loss of the promotion doesn’t bother us anymore. We are just content with each other.

  But it is only at the end of the tour around the gorgeous gardens that our hands touch and he takes the initiative to hold onto my hand. It excites me. I didn’t think it would go this fast, but it feels like I am ready for it. This handsome young man who just saved my li
fe is actually holding hands with me! Aaaah! So wonderful!

  Then he asks me a question.

  “Bethany, I hope I am not going too fast, but I would love you to come over for dinner tomorrow. Would you be inclined to do so?”

  What a gentleman. Are you kidding me? Of course I would like it.

  “Yes,” I say with a smile.

  “Great. I will make preparations and I will see you tonight.”

  “Yes, I’ll see you tonight,” I say.

  I almost feel like kissing him but for some reason, I think it is too fast, so I control myself. Such a nice guy after all! I never expected that after the kitchen incident. And to think that he is just doing it so he can quit and become a blacksmith. A little strange but in a way, still charming.

  Sometimes I am a little scared that the damsel-in-distress situation has blinded me, as if an unreasonable jerk turned out to be my prince on the white horse, just because he banged a wolf on the head with his shovel. But the more I think about it, the more I conclude that it has just opened my eyes, when I was judging him for something he didn’t do on purpose.

  That night, I can’t think of anything else, and I stand in front of the mirror for more than 30 minutes… okay… 40, no 50 minutes. Okay, I admit, it’s over an hour, but I am making sure I look my best. An off-white dress with yellow and peach patterns on the sides. It’s not an expensive dress, since I don’t have any, but it’s the most beautiful thing in my wardrobe, and I think it will make me look better.

  Almost time. It’s almost 7. I hear someone knock on the door again. That must be Cindy. I walk to the door and open up.

  “Hi, girl,” Cindy says. “So how are things? I heard you had quite the adventure in the garden.”