This is just a short story submission I entered into a community contest. Enjoy!

I awoke to the familiar sounds of home. Chickens softly clucking, cows braying in the distance. Refreshed, ready for a new day, I swing my feet over the side of my bed. Yawning, and stretching, reaching up and over my head. Outstretched arms extend towards the beautiful square sun I have come to know and love.

My name is Steve, and I am a simple miner. I live by myself here, on this alien territory. I don't know how I got here, exactly. One minute, I was mining peacefully, the next, I awoke in a new world. Bits and pieces seem to bleed through. I catch glimpses of my past existence in my current world. I saw myself. I was different. I wore a different skin, a different persona. The world I live in now, is alien, different. I once lived in a beautiful snowy valley. Large trees surrounded me, and my home was at the edge of a crystal blue lake. Now I am surrounded by lush green jungles, and a small desert.

Today will be a good day. I will mine, I will gather food. I will care for my animals, just as I do every other day. At night time, I will retreat to my cozy little home. Safe from the danger lurking around every corner.

Walking to the mine is a peaceful stroll. I pass flowers along the way, as well as a herd of wild sheep. The cobblestone path I walk is warmed from the bright white sun. It is worn, and I am happy to be here. My pickaxe thrown over my shoulder, I go in search of riches. Not that my riches can buy anything here, no. My riches come in a different form. A diamond sword. A diamond pickaxe. Something I cannot survive without.

As I walk into the torch lit mineshaft, a chill escapes me. I shiver as my spine tingles. Something is familiar. A glimpse of the past. I close my eyes as I let the feelings overwhelm me.

I was mining. It was quiet, dark. I didn't even hear the creeper behind me. The only sounds I heard was my pickaxe clinking against raw ores. I shiver once more as I remember the sound. I heard the ignition, the hiss. And then it all went black.

Finally! The missing piece to my puzzle. As the past, the present and the future combine into this very new reality! I remembered who I was. I was Steve. I was Steve in that life, as I am Steve in this life.

Recovering from my visions, I stumble out of the mine and quickly rush home. The fear of dying now has gripped me. I wish I would have never remembered.

I go home, and lay my pickaxe down. My thoughts were whirling inside of my head.

As I dove deeper down the rabbit hole, I began to realize....

My existence never ceases to be. I never stop being. Whether I live in a desert or a tundra...I am, and always will be, Steve the Miner.

But I discovered a life altering secret.

The only thing waiting for me after death, is another respawn. I will play this game forever.