Finding Herobrine

2

The place is immediately breathtaking. Even looking all around me, I can't comprehend all the colorful, carefully crafted structures surrounding the server. I feel my breath unknowingly escape me in a gasp. My eyes turn to an orange sign at the left of my spawn point.

'Welcome to Shineport City.' Two beautiful blue flags surround the sign. I stand still for a moment, watching the flags blow peacefully in the wind and –

"HI!" My heart explodes and I scream. Looking behind me, I see a creeper face in front of me and back up. An overflow of confusion fills me.

"Sorry," The player backs up. My throat swallows a chunk of saliva. "Did I scare you? Sorry about that." I read his name. 'Freezie04'. He pauses.

"It's just that you're the first one to join this server in a while," He says. "It's been ages since we've had visitors." I whisper a "hi," but he doesn't seem to hear me.

"...Well, this is Shineport City. I built it all myself. Feel free to look around and..." He pauses. "Sorry, it's been forever since I've done this intro. But we're glad you're here. Here, have a rulebook." I get a book tossed at me. I say nothing.

"You okay?" He looks at me with concern. I think I am, but my face probably doesn't show it.

"Yeah," I finally speak. "I'm okay. I'm fine."

"Well... have fun, I guess. I'm here if you need any help. My house is that way." He points behind me. I look, but lose my focus when I see the city.

Wow.

When I look behind, he's gone.

One of the amazingly realistic buildings catches my eye, and then another. And another. I try to look at them all, but there's so many that I can only focus on one for a few seconds before I see another. All the hard work that Freezie04 must have done makes my creations look like they were made by a toddler. I could never dream of having this much patience.

I feel like a tourist. The only thing missing is a bustling crowd of people, but the city is empty. Even looking in the windows of some of the buildings, nobody is there. Everything feels cool, but at the same time, overwhelming and a bit eerie. The silence sure doesn't help.

Twenty minutes later, I'm just walking through an endless maze with no idea where to go. I would ask Freezie04 for help, but since all I got was a point and I don't know which way is north, I can't go anywhere.

Before I know it, night falls. I feel an impending sense of doom and pray the server is on peaceful. What I wouldn't give for a compass right about now.

Goosebumps run up my body. I look up to the streetlights to guide me. I hear a noise and run at the speed of light into the nearest building. The place is almost just as dark as outside, but at least I'm warm and hopefully safe. I back up slowly, keeping my eyes on the wooden door, an odd material for a building like this, until I hit something. I'm dead. I hopelessly cry out and my heart races so fast I feel sure whatever is out there can hear me. I turn around slowly.

It's obsidian. In the form of a counter. I can hear the server laughing at me now. My mouth lets out a small sigh of relief. I chuckle at myself. I am way too timid.

"Hey!" Freezie04 spawns out of nowhere like some overly enthusiastic magician. I yelp out uncontrollably. Every part of me wants to punch him or something, but I feel like getting banned on the first day I'm here would just be another reason to get ridiculed.

"Sorry, did I scare you again?" He says. "Sorry. Anyway, welcome to Hotel Obsidian. Just another one of the buildings I made in my city." He tries to sprinkle the old, dark building with his enthusiasm. I scan the room for anything that might redeem its foul appearance. Nothing.