Zombies in the Cave! UFLI Foundations Lesson 107

My two villagers were always going off alone. Always. 'Stay close to the house,' I told them. 'Do not go by the cave.' Did they stay? They did not. The river was fast and cold. It dragged them right inside the cave, and now they were trapped. The cave was small and dark. Water dripped down the walls and was getting up to their knees. One villager stepped back against the back wall. The other stretched both arms up high, calling for help. But the walls were too tight, the water too strong, and my villagers were just... well, my villagers.

Then a shadow moved in the dark. They were not alone. A zombie lunged out and grabbed the first villager. It bit down hard, snapping and scratching at the villager's arms. The second villager stumbled back, slipping on the wet stone floor, but it was hopeless. Green patches spread across their skin like spilled paint. A second zombie groaned from deep in the cave, watching and waiting. And my two villagers? Their eyes went hollow and white. Their skin went green. They were not my villagers. Not at all.

One zombie walked up to the mouth of the cave and stepped into the sunlight. Bright flames swept over it. Just like that, the zombie was ash. My zombie villagers did not move. They stayed deep in the shadows, staring at the flames with empty white eyes. They groaned softly, rocking on the cold wet floor. They were trapped. Too afraid to burn. Too zombie to leave. I had to get them out of there, but I had to do it fast. How do you save a zombie who might try to bite your face off?

I sprinted back to my shop and dug into each box. Red goo. Golden carrot. Gunpowder. Yes, that was all of it. I dropped it all into the brewing stand and stirred. The mix fizzed and bubbled, spinning into a glowing bright green. Bubbles popped at the top. It dripped down the bottles and smelled like old socks and hope. My hands shook. 'This must work,' I whispered, watching it drip and fizz. I had stuff for just one try. One chance to get my villagers back. That was it.

The cave was darker than before. I crept inside with a glass bottle gripped tight in each hand, trying not to make a sound. Each step was loud on the wet stone floor. There they were. Two zombie villagers crouching on the cold dark floor, groaning softly. One slumped against the other. They looked up at me with those hollow white eyes. My hands shook again. 'Heads up!' I called. Then I threw both bottles as hard as I could. Smash! Splash! The mix dripped and splashed all over them. I stepped back and waited.

It worked! It worked! The green faded slowly. The groaning stopped. And just like that, my two villagers were standing there, blinking and grinning and very much alive. They could not stop grinning. They piled the table high with golden carrots and all the loot they had. My villagers were back. I was grinning too, cramming loot in my pockets. 'I think more zombie villagers are out there,' I said. 'They need my help.' My villagers stopped grinning.