Thomas and Amani Summer Reading Club Mystery

Chapter Five -- Library Sue, Here We Come

Thomas' feet hit the floor of the tropical forest with such force that his legs buckled and he fell on his stomach. Cramps stabbed his guts like knives. Then the explosion he'd been waiting for, ripped through his shorts. Aaaaahhhh! Relief at last, Thomas grinned as he pushed himself up. A toucan suddenly dropped from the air, feet up and landed right beside him.

"Ah!" he yelled and scrambled to his feet just as three more birds fell from the sky.

Amani was waving her hand in front of her face making silent gag noises. When she saw the birds hit the dirt, she dropped to her knees and placed her ear to the toucan's breast.

"Oh thank goodness," she said. "Like it's alive. It's just like totally unconscious. I suspect that stench you let out has completely comatose these poor birds."

Thomas shrugged, "Well when you gotta go, you gotta let it rip! Man, I thought my guts were like bursting or something."

Amani sprinkled a little water from a bottle onto the bird's orange beak. It rolled over, shook its head, then flew off. In turn she did this with each bird who had been a victim of Thomas' chaotic butt rip. He was just glad that the gas exploded out ward and not inward.

Amani stood up, dusted her hands on her blue jean shorts and then looked around. Thomas did the same. A fan of leaves shaded them from the blistering sun. Vines crisscrossed the canopy of trees. Chattering monkey, squawk of parrots, calls of toucans and the occasional yowl of a large cat filled the air.

"So like do you think Library Sue wondered through that door and like got lost in here?" Thomas asked.

"It's a possibility," Amani said. "But surly she would have found a way to get back to the door or found help so she could come back to Canada."

"Like besides being in a forest like where are we anyways?" Thomas said.

Amani took one more glance around.

"I suspect that we are in the Amazon jungle," she said. "Which would explain why the door was dark when you opened it and now it's sunny. There would be a time zone change."

Thomas nodded. He cupped his hands around his mouth, "Library Sue!"

"Sh-sh-sh!" Amani shushed him. She pointed at the open door that hovered a foot off the ground. "Mrs. Lykopis might hear you."

Heat burned his cheeks. He'd forgotten the zombie granny. Who wouldn't with a magnificent view like this? Amani jumped up and closed the door as best she could. With the rope being caught between the door and the threshold, it didn't close all the way.

"We'd best get a move on, Thomas," she said. "I believe we'll have less than twelve hours to find Library Sue and Kate. Then it will be dark and we really don't want to be lost in the dark in the Amazon jungle."

A small squeak from Thomas' butt answered Amani. She was totally right about not being caught here at night. In fact, he didn't want to be here now. The plum lips of Library Sue loomed in Thomas' mind like a giant gumball. So smack-able! So delicious. Library Sue, here we come!

Amani moved cautiously through the dense undergrowth of the forest. She lifted each foot and took delicate steps while Thomas tromped around behind her, breaking off twigs from bushes.

"Thomas, be careful where you step okay?" Amani said, glancing back at him. "You don't know what you might step on. There are many dangers here including snakes and spiders."

Giant chills rushed down Thomas' spine. The last thing he wanted to see was a spider.

He mimicked Amani's tippy toe dance through the jungle. Part way through a step he heard a hissss! As they came closer to a crop of trees a dull yellow spotted hide wound around a branch. Ah, giant snake! Thomas did his it give me the willies dance. Amani looked back at him with a What's you're problem look. He pointed to the contracting muscle that was strangling the tree above them.