Chapter Text
Wind howls through the thick branches of each evergreen tree Avery passes. In the far distance, a family of coyotes yip and scream. The unnerving echoes fire Avery’s blocky-self to keep going. He sure as hell does not want to deal with coyotes. He’s 80% sure they’d bite at him and give him chlamydia or something!
“I need to go. I need to go,” Avery mumbles under his breath, pace quickening. He doesn’t know where he is going, but he needs to go. If he is able to turn non-blocky material into blocks just like minecraft, then he thinks he can survive for a pretty long time. They scrunch their slimy brows together, focusing on ‘scrolling’ through the inventory that seemed to sit in the corner of his vision. It was so surreal, to actually be a minecraft character. He had to will himself to move forwards, like pressing W. And he had to focus on what item he wanted in his hand. Doing so will slowly move the indicator across his vision until it clicked into the slot with his wanted item. He had to tense his now non-existent muscles to jump and crouch. For the past week or so it's felt like they’ve been relearning how to play minecraft! Or even move at all. He misses being a human. But no, he’s his stupid ahh slime skin. God, if he knew this whole situation were to happen, he would’ve chosen a cooler looking character.
Avery doesn't know how long has passed, but she’s tired. Usually in minecraft that means she has to eat something. Avery scouts her surroundings for a moment, lightly treading through dark forest brush. A community of rocks gathers below a thick tree trunk. She nears the tree, looking up. The majority of the tree was its trunk, while the rest of its leaves rested at the very top to grab the most sunlight. However, it was probably 3 in the morning. And cold as hell.
“What time is it even?” Avery asked herself, plopping onto the biggest rock. Look, she’s been roaming this forest for days trying to find a safe place to exit, of course she's going to talk to herself. Last time she tried to exit, she got sighted and recorded. Not recorded in the good way either. Apparently, she's the only one who got transported into her minecraft skin. She isn't human anymore. She's a freaking slime! And now her sighting has captured the attention of several youtubers or whatever. She’s probably out there on the internet because some traumatized mother saw her. Frick her stupid slimy life.
Avery leans her head against the trunk of the tree, hollow eyes closing in seeping exhaustion. She concentrates in her mind, selector clicking over to a block of wood. Avery carefully holds the block close to her mouth before opening wide and taking a bite. Something she learned as a slime was that she was very… dissolvable.
“I dunno how to explain it..” Avery said to herself, muffled through painful chewing on the oak block. Wood splinters shoot out with each bite, but they get caught within the thick slime of Avery’s head and slowly disappear, dissolving. “I didn't pay attention in science classes. What is it called? A dissolvant?”
She asked the forest air. Avery blinks, staring back down at the half-eaten Oak block.
She might be going crazy.
Once Avery finishes her block, she pulls the flower button-up she had on tighter around her, trying to salvage any warmth that may be swimming through her. Man, why did she have to pick a mc skin that wore summer clothes!?
Distant mumbles ring into her head and Avery sits up, eyes going wide. The hairs… or well, slime across her body seems to prickle up.
“What was that?” She whispered. Avery carefully got up. Oh man there better not be any wolves or she is COOKED-
“-eck over here!” Met her ears (?) as she strained them to hear. The voices sound off in the distance, but not too close. Oh snap, it might be worse than wolves.
Avery stood still for a good two minutes, straining to hear the voices that were slowly growing nearer. A brief flash of a flashlight against the green leaves of the more luscious trees caught Avery’s gaze and they felt a chill fall down their spine. People. Maybe not good people.
The voices grew worryingly closer and Avery panicked, movement jerky as they rushed to find a hiding spot. They quickly tiptoed around the community of rocks, rounding the tall tree they once leaned upon, and tended their muscles to crouch down.
From what Avery can tell, three people came in from the right, two of them have flashlights. They slowly peek over the corner of the trunk, and registered about four people. Uh oh, more than they thought..
The flashlights currently swung through the trunks of each tree, trying to catch movement. An Australian accented male voice begins to speak. Avery peeks around more, deducing 3 guys and one girl. The Australian guy spoke into a camera that another guy held. They finally register the words being said.
“-s part of Oregon. Now, many people have speculated online as to what this creature is. Some say it was somebody in a costume, The goo monster from Ghost busters, but we believe it’s one of the mythical creatures called “Oozes”. Weird slimey-“ Avery muffles the Australian man’s words out as they finally realize who these people are. Ghost hunter youtubers, or something similar. People who go to ‘haunted’ places and or stage cryptid sightings. Avery is very familiar with these types of content creators. And they are looking for him! He wonders if they are going to stage it or if they actually think he exists.
A scan of the flashlight inches far too close to where Avery crouched, so they ducked back behind the trunk, holding their breath and trying not to move. He doesn’t want to give himself away! If he reveals himself- His thoughts go cold as the light sweeps over the trunk, Avery presses himself against the tree as the light comes and goes by him -they’ll scream and run. Then he’ll be in real trouble.
The voices begin to slowly fade and Avery lets out a sigh. That was the closest call yet! He carefully leans forward, getting back onto his legs.
Avery came out from behind the tree, slowly inching his way towards where those four were standing. He looks out from where he is standing, seeing the retreating flashlights and hearing mumbles of people fade away. Avery was about to leave, but something collided softly with his foot. Looking down Avery saw a tiny, black circle. He crouched down, holding his stumpy hand just above it. The item slowly gravitated upwards, pulled into his grasp. He held the object up to his face, inspecting it. It looked like a camera piece of some sort? Did they drop this?
Avery now feels panic settle in. They left their piece! He wants to catch up with them and somehow give it back, he knows he would be pretty bummed if he left something of his to be lost in a forest. But also at the same time, that risks him being caught!
“Uhhhhh…” Avery shifts his weight from foot to foot, unsure what to do. If he follows them, then maybe he could drop it somewhere for them to find again? What are the pros of following them?
“Well I could be slightly safe? Just like.. Not alone I guess?” Avery mumbles to himself, “And I guess at some point they’ll be going back to…”
Avery stalls, and suddenly he feels like the world's stupidest person EVER.
“Ugggghhhh! I could’ve followed all those other youtube groups back to the park! Or a parking lot! Stupid- Stupid Avery..” He covers his face with his stumps, mentally berating himself. So, he isn't the smartest. Well crap, “What am I doing, I need to catch up with them!”
Avery begins to run in the direction of the youtubers, jumping past piles of sticks or leaves, just in case he makes a noise. The wind greets him with loud breezes against his ear, and so does the aching cold of the forest. The flat, circular camera piece got tucked away into his inventory, just in case he dropped it, too. It was a while until Avery saw lights again, however they stayed in the same place. It seemed the group took a stop?
Avery slows down to a silent tread, about 10 or so feet away from the group, hidden by tree trunks and bushes. They concentrate, switching their empty inventory slot for the disk. He’s going to need to give it to them somehow… Maybe he could just throw it and hide? A crunch of leaves jumpscares him and he takes a deep breath, looking around. Time seems to play in stop motion as a Man comes around the tree trunk right in front of him. Avery spots the man, and the man spots him. There Avery was, a rectangular, slimy character unlike humans that wore a button up and sandals for god's sake, holding that man’s camera piece. The man froze as well, brown eyes wide with shock.
Avery takes a step back, and the man takes a step forward,
“Wait-”
Avery takes off, running back from where he came. He was sure the guy wouldn't go after him, but the second pair of thumps against the forest floor told them otherwise. Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no OH NO-
“Hold on! Come back! My- My cover!” The man half-shouts to Avery. Avery doesn't slow down, still running that stupid minecraft run. They don't know where they are going, but they need to leave. Not looking, a disguised dip in the ground catches Avery off guard and he tumbles. For some reason, he feels as if the breath has just been knocked out of him.
He slowly gets into an upright position, panting his lungs off. What's going on? Adrenaline swirled in his goop like unsightly moths. The thuds of feet get ever so closer until that same man rounds a tree trunk, slowing down and putting his hands on his knees. The man panted alongside Avery. They swallow and begin to speak.
“L-look.. I don't mean any harm. So please, just,” Avery stuttered. Just what? They don't know what to say. The man snapped his head up, surprised at the sound of Avery’s voice.
“Oh shit. You can speak?”
“Uh.. yeah?”
“..What?” The man furrowed his brows in confusion. The two then stalled there, looking at each other. The man had brownish gray hair that stuck out around the crown and flattened at the top, wearing a dull green goodie and black pants. The man clicked his tongue, “You uhm.. You look like a minecraft character.”
Avery snorts, letting out a few weak laughs, “Yeah I figured.”
“You know what Minecraft is?” The man seemed to relax, kneeling onto the ground in front of Avery. Avery blinked, surprised. He wasn't afraid? This interaction was going rather well?
“Yeah? How are you.. I mean, yeah.” Avery said, voice going quieter at the end, “You, uhm. Aren't you going to freak out or anything?”
“Uh.. I'm a little freaked out, yeah.” The man admits. Avery’s face twists into a frown.
“Yeah.. ok. That's... I expected that.” Avery mumbles, sitting up more. The feeling of the disk brushing up against his leg startles him and he looks down, “Oh- right- uhm, Is this your camera disk thing?”
Avery holds it up and the man nods.
“Yeah, that's our camera cover. Thanks.” The man gently grabs it from Avery’s pull.
“Yeah, I just saw it on the ground and uh, wanted to give it back I guess.” Avery shrugs.
“Thanks. That was like, the fifth time I've lost this.” The man laughs, standing up. Avery snickers, picking herself up aswell. The two stand awkwardly in front of each other. She honestly thought he was going to freak out. Why was everything going so smoothly?
“I’m Owen, by the way.” The man, Owen, holds out his hand.
“Nice to meet you Owen. I'm Avery.” She brings up her stump and the two of them awkwardly try to find a way to shake hands, ending up with them snickering nervously with Owen's hand resting on Avery’s stump, nodding it up and down.
“Avery? Nice to meet you,” Owen waves his hand after the handshake they had, “So.. How’d this happen? I mean, you act like a normal guy but you definitely don't look like one.”
Avery’s face scrunched into one of discomfort before he let out a rough sigh, “I don't even know how it happened, but, I was playing minecraft.”
Owen nods, inviting Avery to walk and talk with him. Avery follows after him.
“And there’s been a lot of weird stuff happening. Like, books, mines and ARG things. But, eventually I was stopped at a big yellow doors. I'm going to be so honest, I was terrified,” Avery looks away, knowing he sounds crazy, “When I went around the doors, all that was there was this forest! Next thing I know, I pass out against my keyboard, and wake up here in my minecraft skin.”
Owen stares at Avery, stumped.
“Look, if you did not look like this, I would not have believed you. But, shit, that did happen didn't it?” Owen asks. Avery nods.
“Yeah, dude, I sound so crazy right now, but look at me. I'm a slime guy.” Avery lifted his arms up for Owen to see.
“I see it dude, I see it.” Owen reassures, “I don't mean to be rude, but you don't sound like an adult. How old are you, man?”
“I’m sixteen.” She says, staring at the ground. Owen’s eyes widen and he adorns a pitiful face.
“Oh shit. I'm sorry that this happened to you.” Owen says, holding a hand against his neck.
“It’s fine. Well, it isn’t but, I’ll be fine. By the way, How old are you?”
“I’m twenty four.”
“Wow. That’s old.”
“Ok dude.”
“Hahaha!” Avery laughs. They then remember something, “What are your pronouns?”
“Oh, he him, I guess? I never really looked into that type of stuff. What about you?”
“I use any.” Owen nods, and they continue to walk. Soon, just about a few feet away was where the group was resting. Avery and Owen were obscured by the mere darkness of the night.
“Well. Wait youve just been out here?” Owen whispered and Avery hummed in approval, “Were you following us in hopes we could like, show you the way out?”
“Pretty much.” Avery mumbled. Owen pressed his eyebrows together in concentration.
“Ok, look, I know about the whole stranger danger thing, but.. I know a lot more about this.” Owen said vaguely.
“Huh?”
“I know about this.. Tradition thing. And I wanted to offer some help? If you’d be ok with that?” Owen stepped away from Avery to give her space, and held out his hands in a easing manner, “Look, What I'm saying is, after this recording.. I have a guest room in my grandma’s house if you’d like to stay there?”
“Oh uh…” Avery huddles into herself, unsure. This is a stranger. She just met Owen. But what does he mean he knows about a Tradition? If she goes with him, it could mean warmth and maybe a friend. But he could also be a kidnapper in disguise. She needs more information about him, “what do you mean by tradition?”
“I mean… there might be more people like you out there. Somewhere here in Oregon maybe.” Owen says, placing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.
“Like, more people who were astral projected into their Minecraft skins??” Avery whispered, confused.
“From what I know, people who were sent here from different universes.” Owen says, now beginning to sound just as crazy as Avery.
“Oh.” Avery blinks. She never considered that maybe she was just in an entirely different universe. So Owen knows more about this whole situation.. and he’s been very friendly so far..
“Ok, sure. I’ll take up your offer.” Avery nods.
“Are you sure?” Owen presses, face painted in concern.
“Yeah. I trust you. Plus, I want to get out of this cold.” Avery sighed. Owen nodded, smiling.
“Ok. So uhm, just continue to follow us. We’ll finish up this recording in around 10 minutes. Follow us back to the parking lot, and I’ll drive. I can put on the heater if you’d like?”
“Yeah I’d like that. But no funny business, guy. The moment I think I’m getting kidnapped I’ll… I’ll do something!” Avery crossed his stumps, face turning down in defiance and Owen held up his hands, a worried look on his face.
“I won’t! I won’t, don’t worry.”
It’s going to be a long night.