Free Descent Into Overworld: An Unofficial Minecraft Adventure by Liam O'Donnell

one.
    “We have a few hits left in my pickaxe. We need to choose our strikes wisely.” Ant pushed past Hamid. “I’ll find us a way out.”
    “Take it easy. No need to shove,” Hamid said. A drop of blue liquid landed on Ant’s shoulder. Hamid grabbed his friend. “Wait! Don’t hit that!”
    But it was too late. Ant smacked the block with the diamond pickaxe. It vanished, revealing a solid layer of blue above their heads. Water.
    The water gushed through the hole. In a heartbeat, their passage became a river. The rush of water swept them both off their feet and sent them tumbling back down the way they came.
    Hamid struggled to keep his head above the water. He grabbed at the walls as he tumbled along with the current. Memories of going to the waterslide park with his family washed through his mind, along with about a gazillion gallons of water. His heart ached at the thought of his family. His dad’s voice rang in his ears, telling him to log out of Minecraft for the millionth time. He would pretend not to hear or bargain for five more minutes, just so he could put down one more block. One more block. Now, Hamid did not want to see another block. He wanted to log out. He wanted to be home and never see another Minecraft brick ever again.
    An arm emerged through the rushing water, right beside Hamid’s face. Hamid reached up and grabbed it.
    Immediately he stopped tumbling. Water rushed by him, but he managed to get his head above the surface.
    Ant crouched in a tiny niche in the wall of their tunnel. He held on to the rock with one arm and reached out to Hamid with the other.
    “Hold on and try to stand!” he shouted.
    Hamid kicked his feet and found solid rock beneath him. He pushed against the flow of water and slowly walked closer to Ant.
    “Get in here!” Ant said over the roar of the water.
    “I have a better idea,” Hamid said. He pushed past Ant’s cubbyhole and kept walking. He called over his shoulder to his friend. “Follow!”
    With his feet on the ground, Hamid leaned into the water’s flow and pushed through it. After an agonizingly long walk, he was back at the source of the downpour. Ant was right behind him.
    Water gushed in from the hole in the low ceiling.
    “Plug it up! Quickly!” Ant said.
    Hamid shook his head. “We’re not plugging it. We’re swimming through it!”
    Before his friend could argue, Hamid walked into the downward column of water. He jumped up and grabbed the edge of the block above him. With all his strength, he pulled himself up and through the narrow opening.
    Bubbles bounced at the bottom of his vision. He was underwater and wouldn’t be able to hold his breath for very long. He looked above him, but all he saw was darkness. There had to be a surface to this water. Whether he could hold his breath long enough to reach it was a different question.
    Hamid pushed off the ground and swam upward. Below him, Ant crawled through the hole.
    Bubbles popped one after another at the edge of his vision and still the surface was not in sight. What if the water was too deep? What if it went all the way to the ceiling? There would be no space for air. And no time left for him and his friend.
    Hamid pushed these dark thoughts from his mind and kicked faster. He was down to two bubbles. After they were gone, he would start taking damage and not be able to swim.
    The blackness above him became a dark blue. Another bubble popped. One left. Pain burned through his legs with each kick. Dark blue became blue, then light blue. Almost white.
    Hamid’s last bubble popped. He lost control of his body. His mouth opened against his will and inhaled desperately. He waited for the sting of water to burn through his lungs.
    Instead, he got air. Sweet, delicious air. Hamid had gulped down a second deep lungful before he realized he had made it to the surface.
    A second later, Ant burst through the water.
    “You see?” he said between coughs. “I told you I’d find us a way