Wild Thornberry Adventure

chapter 7

Cherry, Eliza and Darwin were on their way to travel the jungle. Cherry felt tired and hungry, but she kept following her friend as advised. They then saw the wild child, Donnie swinging around and near a gorilla. Cherry grew worried for him, but Eliza and Darwin seemed calm as if it were natural.

"Does this human belong to anyone?" the gorilla lifted Donnie by his shorts as he had a beetle up his nose.

"Yes sir, thank you." Cherry smiled.

The gorilla let Donnie down in Cherry's arms. Donnie struggled a bit, but then oohed and awed at Cherry. He gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek and tugged on one of her braids.

"I hope he wasn't any trouble." Eliza smiled.

"Not really," the gorilla smiled. "But you might want to tell him when a gorilla is sleeping he doesn't want a dung beetle shoved up his nose."

"I hope it's just a phase." Cherry looked uneasily as Donnie continued to tug on Cherry. "Donnie, no!" she sounded firm.

Donnie babbled and laughed wildly.

"I'm looking for my parents by the way," Eliza told the gorilla. "Have you seen two people on the way to Tembo Valley?"

"Two people," the gorilla thought. "Were they riding in those loud whirly birds?"

"Do you mean helicopters?" Eliza asked.

"Eliza, it might be poachers." Darwin told her.

That made Cherry have an idea. "Did you see them? Did they have a cheetah cub with them?"

"I only saw the whirly birds land on the ground," the gorilla replied. "And then I saw people putting a fence across this valley."

"A fence? What for?" Eliza asked.

"Something's up." Cherry added.

"What's the quickest way to the valley?"

"Follow the river, be careful." the gorilla advised.

"Thanks," Cherry grabbed onto Donnie as he wiggled in her grip. "Donnie! Down! Stay! Darwin, help!"

Donnie laughed and put a beetle up Darwin's nose.

"Donnie, this is no time for your games." Darwin darted his eyes at him.

"Don't force it, chimp," the gorilla said. "It'll come out on its own good time."

"Gross," Cherry laughed and cringed. "Come on, we better get going and WHY ISN'T THIS KID ON A LEASH!? SERIOUSLY!" Cherry groaned as Donnie slipped out her grip and bounced off the walls in the jungle.

The group continued their dangerous journey and the sun was nearly going down. Cherry was having the most trouble.

"I should've stayed in school," she moaned. "I could be with Arlene getting my nails painted, or telling stories with Muffy, or get gum stuck under my chair from Sarah's friend, Ophelia Scott!"

"Cherry, no complaining," Darwin said, then rushed up beside Eliza. "She has a point, we've been walking for miles!"

"Relax, both of you," Eliza said, then looked beyond the distance. "Look! A campfire! It must be my parents!"

"Food! Water! Atmosphere!" Cherry gasped as she suddenly picked up the pace with her running with Eliza and Darwin.

"Mom! Dad!" Eliza called.

"Mr. and Mrs. Thornberry?" Cherry called. "It's me, Cherry! You might've heard about me from my older brother's fan letters to you!"

"Bree? Sloan?" the group caught up to see old, familiar faces.

"Eliza, what are you doing out here?" Sloan asked.

"The poachers are here," Eliza said. "They put up a fence in Tembo Valley."

"Really?" Bree asked. "Did you see them?"

"No, I..." Eliza felt trapped.

Cherry turned to her and waved her arms and shook her head, telling her not to reveal her secret.

"I mean, yes!" Eliza thought up a lie. "I saw them. A-And now I have to find my parents. They're filming the elephants."

"That's why we're here too," Sloan said. "To count the elephant population. If we can find any, of course."

"I can't imagine it's hard to miss an elephant in a jungle." Cherry shrugged.

"They're actually really hard to find, Cherry," Eliza said. "They're..." she then stopped and looked ill. "Oh, no..."

"What's wrong?"

"They stay in the forest except during the eclipse."

"I never knew that."

"It's a popular legend. The poachers must be after the elephants."

"What?" Bree and Sloan asked.

"They must be planning to catch them," Eliza continued. "They'll be a thousand out in the open! We have to call Jomo right away!"

The group made way for a radio while Cherry babysat Donnie. Every time he'd try to get away and Cherry was left to capture him. If not, Darwin would as well.

"Now you see what I go through." Darwin said after Cherry failed to catch Donnie.

"No signal," Sloan came with his radio. "Of all times."

"Well, can't you fix it?" Eliza asked.

"If only my Dad was here, he's great at fixing stuff." Cherry said.

"Sorry, we can't do anything about it tonight," Bree told the girls. "Tomorrow we'll find Eliza's parents and use their radio. It's settled."

"Bree's right," Sloan added. "The poachers won't try to go after the elephants before the eclipse."

"But I'm worried about Tally," Eliza moaned. "The cheetah cub I told you about."

"They have a point, Eliza, it's getting dark," Cherry said. "There's no sense in us getting lost in the jungle."

"We won't get lost, trust me." Eliza turned to her.

Donnie ran off.

"Donald Thornberry, you stop running like a monkey this instant!" Cherry groaned as she grabbed Donnie again.

Donnie looked annoyed and angry with Cherry, but stayed put.

"Now Eliza, your chimp, little brother and friend can sleep right here." Sloan offered.

"Thanks Sloan." Cherry smiled.