Minecraft / Minecraft: The Haven Trials

Chapter One

We are moving.

The text message had arrived at night, at exactly 12:01 A.M. Reading it now on the blinking family tablet, Cecelia wondered why Therese had waited until she was asleep before sending it. Cece loved and adored her best friend, and if there was anything she thought she knew about Therese, it was this: surely Therese would never abandon her.

And yet, there it was, a single line packed with the possibility of disappointment: We are moving.

Cece jumped out of bed and ran the whole way to her parents bedroom.

They re moving, they re moving! She barged through the door.

It was a Saturday, so Iya and Baba were still in bed late, each in their pajamas. They jumped, startled.

Ei, ei, Baba, who was also Daddy sometimes but insisted Cece refer to her parents using the traditional Yoruba terms, said. Why all this shouting this morning?

And what did we say about knocking before entering? Iya, who was also Mummy, asked.

Yes, yes, okay, scold me later, Cece said. But we must go now.

Because? Baba inquired.

Because Reesa and her family are moving and I won t be able to say goodbye if we don t leave right now!

It took quite a bit of prodding for them to boot up like slow computers and get up to speed. As they had decided it was too early to let her out alone, Cece managed to persuade them to come with. She literally had to drag them out of the house and into the cold morning, both still in their bathrobes. Cece herself was in her bathroom slippers, but who cared? Therese was leaving. All Cece could think about was getting there before it was too late.

Gemshore Estate, their neighborhood in the island part of Lagos, was just waking up as well. The streets were empty but for the Saturday street sweepers. The swish swish of their brooms and the call of early birds were the only sounds for miles. Cece s parents paused to greet one of the sweepers, smiling and saying È kàár oh! in a singsong voice. The

Suyi Davies is a Nigerian author of fantasy and science fiction. He has written works for younger readers, the latest of which is Minecraft: The Haven Trials. He lives in the snowy city of Ottawa, Canada.