Thomas and Amani Summer Reading Club Mystery

Chapter Nine - Sun Temple

Thomas woke with a start, gasping and coughing. His throat burnt like he'd sucked sand into his mouth. He desperately wanted a drink. His muscles felt weak and tired. He wondered where he was and why the sky was a green moving mass above his head. He could smell a slight charred stench that seemed to becoming from the pillow under his head.

"Jessica," Thomas yelled. "Did you stick a burnt out fire cracker under my pillow again?"

The sky suddenly stopped. A green canopy came into view. Macaw Parrots rested in the branches above him. Ah, now he remembered. He wasn't at home, he was in the Amazon Jungle with Amani Chi Banani, only she had walked off and left him for a cat granny.

A familiar muddy face peered over him. Suddenly, the ground gave way and Thomas felt himself gently falling. He tried to move but his muscles refused. The canopy of trees grew further away but Thomas felt more firm. That's when he realized that Teyo had him on a reed bed with poles. Man, the dude must be strong to lug my butt all over the jungle, Thomas gave him a weak grin.

Teyo knelt down by his side and thumbed one of Thomas' eye lids back. Piercing light scorched his eye and he yelled. Teyo let go of Thomas' lid. He squeezed his eyes shut against the white, hot light.

"You are in very bad shape, Thomas Brown," he said. Then tisked.

"Like I know but why?" Thomas asked.

"Very strong magical influence. What do you see, Thomas?"

"Like just the map to the Sun Temple," Thomas said. "It's like totally burnt into my brain."

"Somehow, we have to get that map out of your head and onto paper or something. We don't have much time to find the princess and rescue your friends and my sister. We can't be wondering the jungle forever."

Thomas nodded. "Where are we?" he asked.

"In the jungle," Teyo answered.

Before Thomas could reply with a, "No duh! But which part!" Teyo forced Thomas' mouth open and pour a mud tasting sludge down his throat. Thomas gulped rapidly, then sputtered. Blah! Why was Teyo feeding him swamp water?

"This will sooth your symptoms so you aren't as tired and not so sensitive to the light and stuff," Teyo said. "My granddad had mixed some of this brew up for my aunt when she arrived back at the village. After the princess ritual, all her victims seemed light sensitive and like could sleep forever."

Thomas rubbed his tongue on the roof of his mouth several times in order to rid it of the nasty taste. Teyo tipped some water down Thomas' throat which made the foul stuff dissipate. His stomach rumpled like a volcano ready to erupt.

"What is in that nasty stuff?" Thomas said.

"Guano, Dragon's blood...the plant not actual dragons and some other herbs which my granddad mixed up. It was supposed to be for my sister, in case I didn't get to her on time but I figured, I had better use it on you or else you won't be of any help," Teyo said.

Thomas groaned and his stomach rolled. He just ate bat dung! He felt nauseous. His butt cramped and belched an ear piercing butt burp. His tushy relaxed. Thomas heard rhythmic thumping. He gagged as he caught the scent of skunk and rotting eggs. Like could this get any worse?

"Whoa! This is the first time I have ever seen anyone's gas knock out birds and monkeys before," Teyo said, then laughed. "Like dude, your butt is more lethal than a Tapir's! Good thing I stood down wind."

"Is that like an Amazonian skunk?" Thomas asked.

"Close but it's much bigger and it has hooves that it uses to scare away predators," Teyo said. "I will have to show you some, sometime but we'll have to be super careful or we could cause quite the stomping session."