Down the trouble off we go

Luzandra

Charlotte came and sat on the shelf-table and started eating her porridge. When Belladonna nudged her and said "my spot" Charlotte smiled and proceeded to sit on the table bench, crossing her legs and asked "What's the first thing to do today?"
"We have to find Peter." Belladonna replied.
"Correction we need to find Peter." Realising another opening for an argument Charlotte gave the topic another direction saying " you two can go find Peter and take some food with you while I'll make another tent for the boys."
After making faces behind each other both David and Belladonna silently agreed to start working on their respective tasks.

A strange, frightening feeling settled in David's heart as he walked as he stepped foot in the jungle. Walking ahead, the sound of the lazy waves coming to rest on the fine sandy shore faded as a dappled shade of the trees welcomed them umwelcomingly. The jungle's moving force silenced the minds of both Belladonna and David though Belladonna was much more composed than David at every point.
After walking closely together for an hour trying to absorb everything they can see in their environs, They decided to split-up.
David turned left from a weird looking rotten tree-log placed exaclty between the path of the forest; which they decided to be their meeting point (time was not decided as they did not have any clock/watch).
Despite being fairly lit David got the feeling that the forest was not really a pleasant place to be in. It seemed as if this forest was a never-endinv forest, one with the ability to make people go mad. Fighting hard against his thoughts to keep his senses put to the task at hand, David decided to sit on the damp, algae green plus browinsh coloured ground, besides a tree trunk. Observantly looking down he noticed that almost no insect or even grass invaded the serenity of the forest soil. To David it appeared as if the soil did not life.
He closed his eyes, hearing sounds made by crickets and grasshoppers from on top of tree branches which he could make out with his sense of hearing.
Quite gradually peace started brewing in his mind as a sweet, strong, dreamy smell came dancing on the breeze which softly touched his cheeks and swung past his nose. The negative thoughts which had enveloped him early on regarding Peter getting lost or he himself never being able to get out of the forest seemed to drown in another feeling of guilty pleasure. The guilty pleasure of wanting to stay longer in that place.
Then something inside him made him force open his eyes. He could feel a certain connection with the forest one which said that staying here longer would lead to something bad. His heart and brain seemed to be preparing for war.
'What on Earth is wrong in staying here?'
'It's not right either... Peter needs you.'
'I'll just start searching for him now.'
'Now is now or never. Do it already'
'I'll just stand in a second. Just after few seconds.'
In this muddle of thoughts, something flew by- WHISP!!
Something hit him fast and threw him hard towards another trunk.
"UHHH!!!"
Came a gruff scottish voice of a boy. Holding his head tightly David stood up and looked at producer of the voice; Which belonged to a boy with a golden front tooth, black hairs, rather earth-colored skin.
The boy looked at him with mild amusement, checking him from head to toe. The look in his eyes showed David that he was not new to the place unlike himself.
"Hey there prince." He said while not averting his scrutinizing eyes from David.
Rather dim-wittedly David replied after noticing his crocodile mouthed black shoes, fish-frock coat, colourful half torn shirt and brown tights.
" Hello ...pirate."
He wore a multicolored band on his forehead his rough hair stand-up.
Giving a fox-like smile the boy left the area and went further into the woods and soon out of sight.
David had hardly come out of the shock of meeting about his age but dressed like that when a girl with blueish-green curly hairs came from behind David startling him.
Just then it hit David it must be Luzandra.
At the same time the whole area started to fill up with men and women of ages ranging from 11 to maximum 19 or 20. Coming from all 4 corners of the forest and taking up their positions behind Luzandra.
He again made a rather dumb face and glanced behind him expecting some sort of back-up.
Because the view behind Luzandra could, in no less exagerated words be described as an army.
With an aura of regal arrogance hanging about her, Luzandra spoke, " well well! I guess Cinderella's lost her way to the ball!"
David never felt more humiliated, crushed and lonely ever in his life as the words of the girl was followed by a round of laughter and applause.
David felt like saying something but looking at Luzandra and her army decided to be wiser and silent.
Thinking, a befittingly rude and safe reply would be to just walk away; David started towards the woods but TASH!!!!
someone hit him again exactly the same way but with lesser force and walked away laughing to the crowd again. That is when he caught a glimpse of the vines hanging high in the jungle. They were humanely altered to make vine of one tree connected to the vine of another tree in just the perfect distance to allow anyone to travel like a flash in the pan through the jungle.

His brain kept whirling into observations of his environment again it seemed as if he was going in some trance where he was digging details of events that had happened.
This was being noticed by others as well who were gathering around him with spears.
'What have I done to make strangers my arch enemies.' He thought to himself while again going deeper into analysing events and their reasons and absorbing the situation when everything seemed to slow down. And he saw a way-out through a gap in the woods above which a vine was dangling.
He heard Luzandra say something in slow-motion and nodding in quite bewilderment to himself he ducked and reached for that vine flying him across the gap while shouting "HE-E- ELP"
His words saw a transaction from coming out of his mouth in slow-motion and then suddenly at normal speed again.
Much to his luck and surprise, help did come. Peter -out of nowhere- came running with Belladonna behind him using the vines to reach David who had landed on the ground and was running towards them and an army was running behind David. Just then Peter and David reached each other and instead of any defensive moves they both hugged each other out of pure joy for seeing each other alive. Belladonna covered them from the front and said in a threateningly calm voice " Um! Thankyou for your co-ordination. Now, we'll focus on things such as NOT-TO-ENTER-YOUR-TERRITORY." She said the last words very clearly and slowly with a pinch of sarcasm allowing David to understand the whole issue.

Enjoy!

Regards,
MS.PURPLEHEARTS