“Where are we?” Fern asked nervously. Their sky ship had landed awkwardly in the mammoth marshland which covered the horizon in all directions. “What’s that SMELL!!” Barney shouted horrified at the stench. Captain Steam tentatively stepped out of the ship while his crew rolled out lazily. Fortunately, they had landed in the only dry-spot that they could see.

The swamp was dominated by trees, and, by the look of it, there was water EVERYWHERE. The water was gloomy, murky and thick. The leaves were lurking on their branches, creating a canopy as long as an athletic swimming pool. The leaves were a dark shade of jade, shining the sunlight amazingly. The dark chocolate-coloured trunks were rough and gargantuan. The bark was jagged and the leaves were like tissue paper flapping in the wind.

“We are going out, stay put until we are back kids” Captain Steam shouted to Fern and Barney as the crew went to find some branches to make a fire and materials to mend the balloon. “What shall we do then?”

“I don’t know.”

At that moment the leaves were disturbed.