By the time I woke up, I was already drenched. "Ughh.." I groaned, seeing my entire body, the campfire, EVERYTHING was getting doused in water from the Aether above.

     "Merow! Merowww!!" Sparky called to me from under a nearby bush. Looked like he had just barely escaped the worst of it. I shivered a little... Lucky him..

     Thunder crackled overhead as I carried the moist kitty with me into the forest. Anything resembling shelter would do; I really wasn't going to be picky at this point!

     ...Okay...mAyBE I was a LITTLE picky..

     Before me stood a large stone structure which was so tightly tucked into the forest, I hadn't even seen it until I was right up in its face! And yes, I DO mean face. It looked like a giant decapitated head on the ground, deep sunken in eyes, large nose, and massive, gaping mouth, all made from dirt and stone. The mouth, from what I could see, lead down into a cave. A manmade one, since it was stairs that dug down into the neverending darkness. I gulped. It was shelter, yes.. But was it WORTH it..?

     My cat hisses from behind me... Wait... Sparky was still in my arms!

     Fear in my eyes, I spun to see what was making the noise. The thing I saw superceded even my craziest expectation! A creeper! From legends of old. The green, mossy beast slunk around on four stubby legs, dark, set, hollow eyes, unmovable mouth screaming silently in anguish. I held my breath. The only thing keeping the creeper apprehensive was the little critter I held in my arms. Sparky hissed at the monster, his hair standing up on end.

     I had no idea where to go, what do do, and how to leave. I was left paralyzed. H-how was this even a thing?! I thought Creepers went extinct before I was even BORN. This one sure didn't seem to think so, alive as ever, and anticipating a good time to pounce.

     "Ghruuuuuu..g..." A groan from behind the monster. I tilted a little to look past the mossy one, seeing the green thing was FAR beyond the worst of my problems. More monsters I thought didn't exist anymore all lined up into a crude circle, eager to have a taste of my flesh. Nope! I wasn't having this anymore! And away I ran, into the mouth of the cave. Hopefully in there was at least a place to hide...

----------------------------------------------------

     The rainwater followed me in, streaming down the stairs in a series of mini waterfalls, until finally pooling at the bottom. I splashed down into inch deep water. Sparse torches lit the open room, shiny liquid floor like a mirror to all above it. Pillars stood, crumpled but in tact. Little decorative half walls you could still see over slowly fell from their places. Still stayed in tact, though, were more engravings and pictures, dull though visible on the walls. Ooo, Pictures! I walked, cautiously, into the open space, studying the images on each of the distant walls. They were the monsters of old! Well, not really that surprising. People often drew weird things they saw..but not quite in a way as this. Under each engraved image was a candle. A single, not all that special candle. But... This place was abandoned; lost to time! ...Wasn't it? I began to worry a little... What if there was someone IN here?... Someone who still kept these candles lit after so many years..?

     I turned my attention to the darker spaces along the wall. So far, there were the monsters I had already heard about: creepers, zombies, skeletons, spiders, and endermen. But what were THESE new things?! Monsters I had never even heard of before! A weird beast with wings, sporting an exposed spine with spikes shooting from each spinal bone, all the way to its tail. Some hunching beast, like an iron golem, but possessing weird plant-like horns on either side of its head. And a massive tank-like creature with big horns, was larger than a horses and a murderous drive etched into its face. Question was, were the ones not known without candle light because they had...not been discovered yet? And, if so, how on EARTH did THESE people know about the creatures?!

     Glass shattered beyond view. I froze, every muscle so tight I wasn't sure if I would be able to move even if I WANTED to! I stayed like that for a while, watching intently, the shadows which lurked in the room. None dared move; as did I...

     Finally, I built up the courage to take a bold step forwards. Pulling my shoulders back, I remembered only a coward would fear the darkness. It was my duty here as a survivor of the wilderness to figure out what had made that noise. Gotta make sure my hiding place was safe, afterall. Meanwhile, poor Sparky balanced on my shoulders, fearing or his life that he may fall into the inch deep water. His paranoia calmed me somewhat.

     Striking a torch against the damp wall, it managed to light, opening up a whole new passageway to my view. Before me stood one large hallway. Not too large though. Maybe a 3-by-4 one or so.. Four being its height. Saying goodbye to the creepy big room behind me, I stepped into the welcoming darkness of the hall, a light of my own to guide me. Nothing seemed TOO off about this singular, hallway. Crumbling pillars made of some quarts mix, impure and dirty looking, was all that decorated the otherwise natural stone around it.

     It was beyond the hallway, however, which suddenly intrigued me. For there was another room beyond.

     As I tiptoed closer, I could see a source of light; a rather strange blue glow -- a little brighter than a torch but still soft and welcoming. As I stepped closer still, the water under my feet began to draw away. Not like you might expect, however, for the ground was not rising. The water simply stopped, held back. Only a small tussle showed gravity attempting to push forward the shallow liquid against a similar current of nothingness. Though the sight intrigued me, for some reason, it was not alarming. Nor was it a sign that I should turn away. If anything, my curiosity only GREW. The torch suddenly died out. No problem now. The blue glow was strong enough now for me to see well enough.

     I continued.

     Soon, however, Sparky's claws dug into my shoulder. "Ow!" I complained, grabbing his paws. When I felt him, however, I realized he was holding onto me, not trying to hurt me. I grabbed his furry form and held him tightly in my arms. His body pressed like a heavy weight, except this weight pushed him backwards instead of down. I tried to continue, but holding onto him was like walking against a strong river current. Even after I made it a few steps, Sparky moaned under the pressure of his own weight. Once I realized this was actually hurting him, I carefully took step after step backwards until the pressure had ceased. Then I gently put the little one down on dry land, right next to the struggling water. "Stay." I stuck my hand out to him. But with water on one side, and some strange force on the other, there really wasn't anywhere else he COULD go.

     I stepped back towards the end of the hallway, soft blue light stretching out to me. I almost expected some kind of push-back like what happened to my cat...but none ever came. It was no struggle at all as I at last exited the hall. Just around the corner, to the left, was the source of this bright blue glow.

     My mouth dropped open. Then...slowly..it rose into a salivating grin. A DIAMOND! The biggest, shiniest of all diamonds...EVER! Standing on a thin stone podium, the diamond glowed a bright but soft blue, and its perfect crystal was about the size of my head!

     Right in front of it was a strange, near clear, veil. Sturdy, glass-like in texture, but oh so gracefully flowing in the nonexistent wind. If only I could reach the diamond behind it... I could make a FORTUNE.

     -Wait, but what if it's dangerous?! Or worse, really important to something...or someone that might hunt me down and kill me if I even lay a FINGER on it?!

     The gem suddenly pulsated, snapping me from my mind's worried buzzing. Hmmm... Maybe it was a good idea to leave it afterall...

     I paced in front of the veil for a good long while, rubbing my temple with one hand and my chin with another. Soon the chafing of my wet pants began to burn my skin, and I began walking a little slower. Until eventually I just stopped.

     If I haven't died already, then what would make me think I would now?

     With that, I stepped towards the clear veil and touched it. No feeling. Like the gentlest of breezes to the touch, but nothing else. With a smile, I stared down the gem, a glimmer in my eyes like none other.

     Both hands outstretched, I grabbed the massive diamond eagerly. "AAAA!" The diamond not only stung my hands upon contact, but it kept them there. I could do nothing but stare into the gem's shimmering surface; a surface which reflected over my face, two piercing white eyes. On top of the pain, I panicked. What kind of sorcery was this?!? What was going on?! Why did it seem somehow familiar!?

-Ow!

     Then I was flung back into the wall. Down the hall, my half open eyes lazily moved to see Sparky staring at me fearfully, his fur standing on end. Looked like his eyes were glowing a little...like that effect cats have when light is shined on them in the night. That scary glow bouncing back your one and only campfire.
But, what could be pointing such a direct light onto him..?

     That didn't matter now...though... Though the gem pulsated and vibrated dangerously in front of me, I felt no need to flee. My tired form sat crookedly against the wall. My eyes were just too heavy.. I began to see stars in my vision... Was something wrong? Eyes open by only thin slits, I tipped over at my side, skin met with the warm liquid that was my own fresh blood.