Winter

It was a cold winter morning and Steve was getting ready to set out to look for a new village to live in when he saw a flutter of snow fall past his window. Excited, he looked outside, thinking that packing could wait. Steve then ran outside, his childish joy expanding with every step he took further into the trees, now covered in thick snow. There were plenty of villager and human children running around and Steve frolicked around with them. Through the trees, a stranger darted into and out of Steve’s vision, causing him to start in surprise; he had lived in this village for months and never seen this person before. He began to clamber over tree roots but as he got nearer to the stranger, they began to walk away. “Hey, hold up! What’s your name?” The figure continued walking. “HEY?” The figure abruptly came to a stop. “Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to yell… Are you new around here? I haven’t seen you before.”

The figure’s head slowly, almost menacingly, tilted to the right as he rigidly turned himself around. An almost mirror image of Steve stood staring at him although something about the figure was so horrifyingly wrong… The man’s eyes were as white as the moon and colder that the snow falling around him. Those piercing eyes only remained for a startling second as Steve fell back in horror and a shiver went down his spine. When he stood back up, the figure was gone, thankfully.

From looking in to the trees, Steve saw what looked like a piece of paper stuck on a tree. Walking further in, he saw that it was stuck there with a knife. Steve read it and gasped in horror.

It said ‘Steve’.

“What was that…?” Steve muttered to himself, still staring out. Deciding that he needed answers, he marched back into town.

Strangely, once he got there all of the villages’ occupants were clearly hiding from some unknown force, almost as if they had been as scared by something as Steve. After almost an hour of searching, a villager finally told him that the answers he needed could be found in the old library at the furthest end of the longest winding street to the north. There he found a cascade of thick cobwebs that smothered everything from the smallest book the biggest chandelier. Sighing, Steve found that just by opening the doors he had dislodged a mass of dust that made him cough. Now all that remained was to find the book that held what information he required.

5 hours passed in a slow succession of Steve’s search which slowly becomes more frantic as his fear intensifies. Eventually, Steve tires and falls asleep one of the books he was reading

“Um…” a loud creaking noise caused Steve to jump out of his dazed stupor, “Are you doing okay dude? You’ve been in here for hours…”

“Alex… Oh, yeah, I guess I’ve been here for a while.” Steve muttered, half to himself. He had a half crazed look on his face which scared Alex beyond what she was expecting.

“Uh, okay Steve, that face,” she generally swirled her hand towards him,” Is spookier than this spooky ass library so cut it out, k?” She carefully walked towards him so as to avoid the masses of cobwebs and sat on a chair next to him. Peering into his eyes she noticed how they had a fogged over look, as though he wasn’t himself anymore. Alex clicked her fingers.

“Oh! Alex! Hey, when did you get here?” Steve said, as if he had been snapped out of a daze.

“I’ve been here for like five minutes, don’t you remember?” Steve gazed at her with a puzzled are on his face. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Oh yea! I almost forgot. I was out in the snow today and I saw this weird figure of someone who I haven’t seen before, so I followed them for a bit…”

“Well that’s not creepy at all,” said Alex playfully, but she was shushed by a glance from Steve.

“And I saw this person who looked just like me but…”

“But what?”

“They had these…These… Their eyes were all wrong. They were bright white and looked like they were glowing or something. I asked around if anyone knew who or… or what they were and one of the villagers said I might find that out here.”

“That’s freaky, if I had seen it though I totally would have thrown a snowball at it,” she smirked as she said this. “So, do you need any help?”

“Actually…” Steve began rummaging through the pile of books in front of him, “I think I might have already found it.” Pulling out a small book from on top of the pile, he slammed it down in front of Alex. She scanned the pages, her eyes widening more and more as she read.

HEROBRINE

Herobrine is a being much like an ordinary human but who is easily distinguished by his white & glowing eyes.

In many cultures Herobrine is seen as an omen of death and who brings death to all who see him.

It has also been believed that Herobrine is nothing more than a false myth used to scare children although this is unlikely due to the many reported sightings. As well as this, the many unsolved murders show something of the truth must be attached to this name.

It is thought that ‘Herobrine’ was once miners as he has been seen many times holding a pickaxe that he can never let go of. Some think that he was killed or rather murdered in the mine he worked in and cannot be at rest due to the injustice that occurred upon him.

An even rarer and yet still believed tale is that the only way for Herobrine to move on and end his murderous rampage is for---

“Damn, the page is ripped.” Alex glanced at Steve who was slightly rocking backwards and forwards. “You don’t look so good, come on, let’s get you home,” and with that Alex picked Steve up and left the library, but not before Steve could take the book and hide it in his pocket.

****

Alex almost dropped Steve as a shrill, high pitched scream broke through the eerie silence. Her head flicking down, she realised it was Steve who had uttered the unbearable sound. “What the hell Steve? You scared me half to death.” Steve’s head twitched ominously. Alex wasn’t feeling so safe anymore with her best friend acting possessed and with the surrounding darkness making her feel like anything could just be lurking in the shadows, just out of sight. Never once looking back, she began on the long winding road leading to Steve’s half in shadow house.

When she got there she found a sight that made even her feel like screaming. A butchered stump stood just off the main path they had been walking with yet another dangling piece of paper loosely attached to it with a bloodied axe. Alex read it under her breath, “You’re the one, Steve.” Rushing forward, she completed the ascent to Steve’s hovel, which didn’t feel quite so safe anymore.

Spring

2 months have passed

“Everything has gotten worse since that day. I haven’t seen Steve in weeks. He has been locked up in in his house for weeks. The village that was once so happy and joyful is now full of such remorse you can hardly tell it is the same one. A child has been taken, to who knows where, and all the families are abandoning the village now. I can’t blame them. I’m so desperate to get away too.”

“But now’s not the time for wallowing,” Alex said to my her partner, “So, you ready to go to Steve’s house and get ‘im out of this town, Rowan?”

“Yea!” Rowan exclaims with such childish joy, that Alex almost forget that she’s not real.

****

Barging into Steve’s dingy hut, Alex found it to be almost completely empty but for one table and a two pieces of paper. Both of these were ripped, but they seemed to fit together perfectly. Rushing towards Steve, Alex found her concerning increasing as he stood up, appearing to have not even noticed her come in. He began to walk towards the door, leaving Alex torn between following him and finding out what was on the paper. What should she do?

There was only one path for her to take now. Alex rushed towards the paper on the table finding a sight that lead to her to sprint out after her once best friend. The second piece revealed what had changed Steve into this souless being and it was worse than anything she could have imagined.

“Steve, STEVE STOP NOW,” He merely continued walking, towards the wood and the ever coming midnight. “I know what you’re going to do and you can’t.” Her voice broke at the last two words.

Finally, Steve turned around, with tears in his eyes. “You don’t know ANYTHING,” he yelled. “This is all my fault and you don’t even know any of the truth.”

“Yes I do, I read the rest of the paper.” Pulling the paper out of her pocket she began to read. “The only way for Herobrine to move on and end his murderous rampage is for him to steal a human soul and bound himself to it. The only sign for the beginning of this process is the choice of a soul which will be the cause of any subsequent death. This requires the human to willingly sacrifice their soul to the creature.”

“Steve you know this isn’t your fault. You know Rowan… You know.... You know Rowan wasn’t your fault and she would say the same thing too.”

Finally Steve looked at Alex. “He came to me. He told me if I gave myself up, he’d give her back. Rowan’s not dead Alex.”

Alex’s heart jumped. “Dude… what… She’s alive?”

“Yes,” and he walked towards Alex until he was close enough to touch,”And this is my only choice.” That was when everything went dark for her.

****

“I’M HERE, SO WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU.”

“I am everywhere. I am the darkness that surrounds you and the death that follows” The voice emanating from the trees was deep and raspy and sent shivers down his spine.

“Where is Rowan, please, just give me her back and I’ll do anything.”

“Are you prepared to give me your soul now?”

“Yes, yes, I’ll do it… please just… give her back.”
“Perfect.” And with that, the most excruciating pain came from his chest, burning his very being until there was nothing. As the harsh form of Herobrine stood over Steve's’ cold body the exchange was made and Herobrine became one with the darkness once again.