Chapter 3

 Two days later, we are sitting in my tiny room. We sit in silence. We take sips of our apple juice (my favourite drink). Outside I look happy but inside I am still shook on what happened at the abandoned museum. Amy’s face says she has dangerous plans coming my way. “Steph, I really need your help!” I know what’s coming … I think. “ I know where it lives.”

It turns out that Amethyst has spent hours on the beach and the edge of the city, looking for the Pandamander. She claims to have spotted footprints that we saw at the old museum but just slightly in the bamboo forest that no ones allowed to enter.

Amethyst runs to the door and bursts into the mist. I lock up the theatre and make sure the windows are shut and the lights turned off. I grab two thick woolly jackets in case we get cold. The mist smothers the city and we can barely see. Amy dashes past the sign that says do not enter and then yells at the top of her lungs, “ Hurry up slow-poke!” I say we shouldn’t be there but she won’t listen. I can’t leave her so I follow her amongst the bamboo but I can’t see my way back.

Large footprints make their way towards a large hill. There is another set of footprints but they are heading deeper into the bamboo forest. Amy mutters,“ We’re nearly there.” I slowly trail on behind her wondering where she would lead me.

A small dark tunnel cuts right into the hill. Amy mumbles a few words but I can’t hear her over the howling wind. She creeps into the cave. My heart skips a couple beats. I can’t abandon her, she would do something more foolish than this. As soon as we enter, we spot a circle of leaves which looks like a nest ( the leaves are slowly dying) but an old box stands out. We creep over and can’t believe our eyes.

At that moment, a wave of guilt washed over me. A baby Pandamander, fast asleep in a box. Before I tell Amy that we must leave a roar, louder than a lion, echoes through the tunnel. I turn around; I’m now faced to face with the Pandamander. I take a couple steps back; Amy takes steps forward.