Chapter 12

HELP

Lucy looked up at the ceiling. It was very high up, and there was no way they could reach it without a ladder. She hardly had anything left in her inventory besides a pickaxe. She began to wonder if Phoebe was right and there really was no way out. Lucy had been in serious binds before, but this was the first time she had ever thought she might not escape. She couldn’t believe she was going to be defeated by rainbow griefers.

She looked over at Isaac. “You always craft sinister plans. What do you think we should do? How do we fight this enemy?”

Isaac looked at the ground. “I have no idea. I’m old and out of plans. But for the first time, I realize how awful I am. I am always plotting to attack and hurt people in the Overworld, but I’ve never been the victim of an attack before. I realize now that it feels really bad.” He sighed. “I’m not a nice person.”

Lucy wanted to comfort Isaac, but she also knew that he was right. He had done many terrible things to the Overworld. He had destroyed countless homes with TNT attacks, and terrorized towns by spawning hostile mobs in them.

Phoebe grabbed her pickaxe and hit it against the wall. “Bedrock!” she cried out.

“We can’t even use the cube of destruction, or we will all be destroyed with it,” Lucy said.

Phoebe banged her pickaxe against the other wall. “This one’s also bedrock.”

“We’re seriously trapped.” Jane looked ready to cry.

Everyone stood frozen as the top of the ceiling opened and light shined in.

“Up here!” a voice called out. A ladder fell from the hole in the ceiling, and as their eyes adjusted to the sudden bright light, they saw Victoria and Stefan looking down at them. “Quickly, climb up the ladder. We have to get you out of here,” Victoria called out.

“We’re free?” Jane couldn’t believe it.

“Yes, but we have to move fast. This place is filled with dangerous rainbow people,” Stefan called down.

They climbed up toward the light, and in moments, they were all free. Lucy spotted a few rainbow griefers in the distance. “How are we going to get past them?” she asked.

Victoria splashed a potion of invisibility on the group, and they ran as fast as they could up the mountain.

They didn’t reappear until they were on top of the mountain. “I can see my arms,” Jane called out.

Lucy looked at Jane. “I can see you, too!”

Victoria also reappeared, and she announced, “Let’s all stop on the top of the mountain. We need to make sure everyone is here.”

Lucy was relieved when everyone, including Isaac, reappeared. She looked over at Minecrafters Academy. “It looks like the jail has been rebuilt.”

“Yes, we had it rebuilt when you were away,” Victoria told them. “We also have had most of the students return to the school. And I’m happy to say that their reports have confirmed that the Overworld isn’t under attack. The rainbow people have just started to stage whatever plans they have.”

Everyone was relieved, but then Stefan explained, “It seems to us that they are very focused on destroying our school. This battle may not be about the Overworld; it’s just about us. We must fight to keep the academy safe.”

Victoria said, “We’ve spent too long atop this mountain. We must climb down and make our way back to the academy. We have a lot to do to protect the school.”

The gang sprinted down the mountain. Lucy was thrilled when they walked onto the campus. She had missed the school. She wanted to run right up to her dorm room and hop underneath the covers, but she couldn’t. The second they arrived, thunder boomed, and it began to rain.

“Skeletons!” shouted Phoebe as an arrow struck her arm.

Four skeletons surrounded Lucy. She wasn’t going to let them destroy her; she didn’t want to respawn in the swamp. But the battle was tough. She didn’t have any potions left in her inventory, and she was losing hearts. She tried to remember all of the techniques Eitan had used to skillfully battle the wither skeletons, but she couldn’t think.

A woman wearing a purple sweater and grey pants ran toward Lucy and helped her battle the skeletons. Together, they were able to defeat the bony mobs.

As the last skeleton disappeared, the rain stopped and the sunshine returned. Lucy introduced herself to her fighting companion. “I’m Lucy. Thanks for helping me battle the skeletons.”

Maya rushed over to them. “I see you’ve met my roommate, Debbie. I told you she was nice.”

Debbie smiled at Lucy. “I was hoping you could get me into the talent show.”

Lucy had almost forgotten about the talent show. How could she think about that while the school was under attack? “I guess I can,” she said. “We’ll be having another meeting soon.”

“Thanks,” said Debbie.

“You’re a really skilled fighter,” Lucy said.

“That’s what got me into Minecrafters Academy.”

Lucy was a skilled hunter, but she wanted to perfect her fighting. She hoped she could learn from Debbie. But she knew that she had to concentrate on stopping the rainbow griefers.

Debbie let out a gasp as a group of rainbow griefers marched onto the campus. Lucy looked over at her. “I’m glad you’re fighting alongside me in this battle, Debbie.”

Debbie and Lucy sprinted toward the rainbow soldiers with their diamond swords. They were ready to save the academy.