Hey, this isn't Minecraft...

by Twisted Light


It's only a game.

...Twists and turns are my master plan...

It's only a game. The words repeated over an over again in the mind in a desperate attempt at drowning out the surrounding laughter, hidden by the deep darkness. It's only a game. The last, tenuous grip on sanity was slipping quickly from the senses being cut off by the experience. That crazed laughter boomed out louder with each chant of the mantra.

Just as the grip upon a rational mind slipped, a light shone down upon the trapped being, beaming down from a silver disk above. Instinctively, the entity swam up toward the light until the soft glow became a blinding white light. A feminine, authoritative voice called five words out, sharply. "Thou art not from here."

------

The warmth of the sun was the first thing he felt as his sleep was disturbed. With a groan, the male rolled over and pushed himself upward from the... grass? When did I get outside? The bad dream replayed itself again as he got to his feet. Sucked into my computer screen while playing Minecraft, crazed laughter, darkness, and then that light. Bad dream, he thought as he surveyed his surroundings. It appeared to be the edge of a rather dense forest and an open field. There were some mountains in the distance, as well as what appeared to be a small old-age town relatively nearby, and a faerie tale castle embedded into the side of one of the mountains. ...right?

The surroundings scanned, he decided to look down at himself. Two arms, two legs, feet, hands, fingers (lots of fingers), these clothes aren't mine... blue shirt, jeans, brown shoes. I look just like... He facepalmed at the realization. Okay, so I'm in the game? But... aren't I supposed to be alone, his thoughts trailed off as he eyed the two signs of civilization in line of sight.

"Either way," he began speaking aloud, just to break the silence, "if I'm in this game, I've gotta play by the rules. Shelter, before night falls." He turned about to the forest and approached the nearest tree, cracking his knuckles along the way. He hitched his arm back for a punch at the lumber, suppressing the dread of having to actually punch down a tree, and hesitated when he saw a brown pack just beyond on another with a note pinned to it. One confused blink later, the thus-nameless-male approached the pack and read the note, which appeared to be scrawled in crayon.

"As fun as punching a tree until it turns to logs sounds, you might want to use this instead. -D."

Within the pack lie several red apples and a stick with a sharpened stone axe head tied to the end of it. With a grin, he pulled out the tool and set to the first tree once more, cracking into it with surprising strength and speed. It only took an unrealistically few chips before it was felled, and then the work began to convert it into something more habitable.

------

"There," Nameless stated as he wiped the sweat off his brow and took a step back to admire his creation. Dusk was settling in, and he now had a suitable home.

...okay, it's a shack, but it'll have to do, he mused as a rhythm of strange noises began from behind him. With a whirl, axe at the ready, Nameless beheld the strangest creature he had ever seen: an amalgamation of goat, serpent, horse, bird, lion, and possibly dragon, among others. The creature was... applauding and grinning. "Well done, well done!" It declared, male by the voice. "You've passed the first test in this little game. Only two more until you're on your way home."

Nameless gripped the axe tighter a moment before relaxing some. Whatever this... thing is... "What are you supposed to be," he demanded, but the response was a simple snap of the fingers from the eagle claw of the creature. In a flash, Nameless was inside his shack, peering out the open door to the waving, grinning creature. The door slammed shut of its own accord as the creature began to vanish as it said, "Discord."

Jostling the doorknob proved useless at the time. While hacking his way out would do the job, as the axe was still handy, the stars and moon were out in their shining glory. With a sigh, Nameless stepped back from the door, tossed his tool and weapon aside, next to the found pack. He lay himself down upon a pile of spare planks and began trying to make sense of his situation as a rather uncomfortable sleep began to overtake him.