Minecraft Mash-Up: The Haunted Baked Potato

It was the eve of All Hallow’s Eve, and a brave adventurer named Rory walked happily up the path to their cozy home base. They had crafted a path of note blocks that led to their door, so they could always leave and enter to the sound of music. With a little jump on a pressure plate, the front door swung open and they hurried inside as the sun set behind the trees. 

They hung up their elytra and made a mental note to mend them, they had been used to their limit today. This would have to wait until tomorrow though, because after a long day of exploring Rory was hungry! They lit their furnace and started making their favorite dish: baked potatoes.  

As they cooked, Rory looked out the window into the dark night. The moon bathed the birch tree forest in an eerie light. Wait, what was that? Amongst the still trees, they thought they saw a flutter. Could it be… no. Not a ghost? No way! There weren’t any of those in the Overworld. Zombies and skeletons, sure. Ghasts, yes. But no ghosts. 

Suddenly, the front door flew open! Rory grabbed their diamond sword and spun around. The inky black night filled the doorway, but there was nobody else there. Quietly, Rory crept towards the door. Carefully, they peered outside.  

“MEOW!”

Silky the cat sat on the door’s pressure plate. Silky mewed again before running into the house to settle by the furnace. Rory took another at the spot where they had seen the movement. Nothing. Probably their imagination. They let out a sigh of relief and shut the door. They gave Silky a raw fish and checked on their potatoes in the furnace. Baked to perfection! After gobbling up a few, Rory took the remaining baked potatoes to store in their food chest for later. But when they to open it, they noticed something odd. There was already a pile of baked potatoes next to it. Huh. They must be on a baked potato roll and forgot they had already cooked up a batch! Luckily, you can never have too many taters.

Rory grabbed a second helping and turned around, only to find another potato on the crafting bench. Now that definitely wasn’t there before!

“Who’s there?” Rory called out, reaching for their sword. They yanked open the door and looked out at the dark forest. In the distance, they heard a soft chortle. “I know you’re out there! This isn’t funny!” With a deep breath, Rory faced their fears and ran out into the night. They ran in the direction of the sound, but stopped in their tracks. 

A trail of baked potatoes littered the path to Rory’s base. There were one hundred thousand million percent sure that those were not there before. Rory would never lose so many spectacular spuds!

*DING*

A note block! Another baked potato! Rory spun around, and this time they saw the specter swooshing away. It rose and flew high above the tree tops, obscuring Rory’s view. But two can play that game. Rory doubled back, grabbed their elytra wings, and flew into the night. Luckily they never made it a habit to stay out past bedtime, so the sky was free of phantoms.

They caught sight of something bright and small in the sky and headed towards it. They were so focused on the potato-stealing ghost that they didn’t realize the durability of their elytra was starting to wane. Just as they started catching up, Rory’s smooth glide turned into a downward slide. Falling, falling, falling, THUD! Rory landed on the sandy bank of a lake, the soft chortle ringing out in the night. Followed by a loud CLUCK.

Slowly, Rory turned around and saw a chicken. But it wasn’t just any chicken.

It was a chicken jockey.

The baby zombie riding it looked Rory right in the eye and for a split second they just stared at each other. Then the jockey started running, and Rory followed suit. The chase took them round and round the lake. Just as Rory was beginning to grow tired, they spotted a boat near the water’s edge.

A plan began to form.

It was a long shot, but it was better than being chased in circles by a very fast, very relentless chicken jockey. They slowed down juuuust enough to gobble down a baked potato. The starchy snack gave them the extra fuel – and courage! – they needed to jump into the water and swim to the boat. But chicken jockeys can swim, too – and it followed. 

Rory reached the boat as the sky changed to a lighter shade of gray-blue. They waited. The jockey was in the water. Rory waited. The jockey started swimming. Rory waited. The jockey jumped into the boat. Rory began to row as fast as they could while the baby zombie began to attack. Ouch! Row. Ouch! Row. Ouch!!

With a few hearts left, Rory leapt out of the boat. The baby zombie looked at Rory. Rory looked up at the sun, which was starting to rise. By the time they made it to shore, only the chicken was left, walking back and forth on the boat. Yes! It worked! They could barely believe it!

But Rory’s sense of victory was soon replaced by dread. It was a long walk back to the base, and they didn’t have much health left. Even in the light of day, the woods were home to plenty of hostile mobs. They sat down to rest, and there was that chortle again. Oh, come on!

Looking up at the sky, Rory was ready to yell out in anger (or hunger? Rory never really knew). But then they saw the ghost flying towards them. Only it wasn’t a ghost at all. It was an allay! A beautiful blue ally, clutching Rory’s favorite thing in the world: a baked potato. They had never been so relieved and surprised at the same time! The allay dropped the baked potato by Rory’s feet before fluttering away.

As they ate, the pieces started falling into place. The allay must have found the baked potato Rory had lost on their recent adventure. Everything just makes so much more sense after a good meal, especially when it involves a toasty, tasty tuber.

No longer hungry, no longer frightened, Rory headed home. Silky met them at the door and bounded inside. Before they went to bed for some well-deserved rest, they crafted an item to remind them that friendship comes in all shapes and sizes. A framed baked potato. They hung it above the door and stepped back to admire it. Yes. That would do just fine.

Did you guess our three randomized elements? Good for you! Take a closer look at the baked potato, chicken jockey, and elytra!