Chapter Three

“Can you believe he just up and left us!” spat Amanie, after a long and uncomfortable silence, wet from the neck down, having just waded through the river Tojii, holding Tidimew precariously over her head. “He’s got some nerve... turning his back on me. If he thinks I’ll be his friend again after this, he’s got another thing coming. I’d sooner eat bugs and fill my ears with maggots than be his friend again. God I wouldn’t be his friend again even if he begged me, not for all the money in the world.”

“Miou!” squealed Tidimew, upset by her sour mood and the prospect of Amanie and Telimo no longer being friends. Her brow a picture of dismay, riding up in the middle of her forehead, as she gazed up into Amanie’s eyes, pleading with her to reconsider, or at least she would have done had Amanie’s chin not gotten in the way first.

Amanie didn't even notice, marching forth like Hitler on a stroll, far too preoccupied with her own train of thought to care about anyone else at that moment or bother with their silly concerns, unless they wanted to nod and agree of course. Meo and Botog kept quiet on the matter, biding their time and waiting for her temper to fizzle out.

“He’s such a wuss!” said Amanie. “Scared of the Dark forest! Anyone’d think he's the baby of the group. Not Tidimew!” she grumbled, thinking how brave she must’ve sounded.

“Guess his nerves just got the better of him. He’s not usually scared of a little adventure.” said Botog, averting his eyes.

“He’s a chicken.” clucked Amanie, jerking her elbows, scraping her feet and pecking the air with her head. “He's a great, big, yellow bellied chicken with pink feathers and wings to boot.”

“Miou!” protested Tidimew, unhappy about being shaken like a rag doll, as she gave an uncomfortable squeak.

Amanie apologised and kissed her on the forehead.

“I wonder what he’s up to now?” she mused. “I’ll bet he’s bored out of his mind... Serves him right if you ask me.”

“Probably sleeping.” said Meo, who looked like a drowned rat, attacking a small, green caterpillar, as it made its way across her path. “Got ya!” she exclaimed triumphantly.

“What have you got?” inquired Amanie.

“Lazy bugger, probably still sleeping.” replied Meo, kicking the caterpillar aside.

“What was that?” asked Amanie reproachfully.

“What?”

“Don’t play games with me Meo! You’re up to your old tricks again aren’t you?”

“Tricks! What are you talking about? I wasn’t doing anything.” said Meo, lying through her pointy white teeth.

“I saw you kick something. What was it?”

“Oh that! That was nothing. It was just an acorn.”

“An acorn!” said Amanie. “Funny! I don’t see any oaks trees round here, do you?” which was true. The only trees this side of the river Tojii were those in the distance and they weren’t oak trees. A small section of the Dark forest had been scaled back from the perimeters about a quarter of a century ago to help police the borders from the skies and form a barricade. All that remained now were the lifeless, rotten trunks of trees long since fallen and the scattering of plants, shrubs and young trees which had sprung up thereafter.

“No, but maybe a bird dropped it.”

“Pah! Nice try Meo. You must think I was born yesterday. I'll give you ten points for trying though.”

“I guess it could’ve been a stone. I’m not really sure.” said Meo, looking all wide eyed and innocent.

Amanie eyed her suspiciously, obviously not believing a word of it. She let it slide though, they’d almost reached the Dark forest now after all. Amanie flicked back her hair and stared boldly ahead, convinced if they searched long enough and hard enough, they’d find what they were looking for.

“Well I think he’s having a tantrum.” said Botog.

“What are you talking about? Who’s having a tantrum.” said Meo, who sounded confused.

“Telimo of course.”

“Telimo!” exclaimed Meo. “Get with it Botog!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we left off talking about Telimo five minutes ago.” said Meo.

“No we didn’t.” said Botog, quarrelling.

“Yes we did.”

“No we didn’t.”

“Yes we did, did, did, did, did!!!” Meo repeated several times over, sounding like a broken record.

“No we didn’t!” retorted Botog, cheeks flushed. “You must have fur balls on the brain. It was like five seconds ago – five minutes my butt!”

Meo stared back at him for a moment with a funny expression on her face, not saying a word.

“What?” asked Botog, obviously bemused.

“Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!!!” she said at last, sticking out her tongue and blowing a rather large raspberry.

Botog responded in kind.

“Shush you two, stop acting like such a pair of babies, we’re almost there.” warned Amanie.

The children gulped. They were about to enter the Dark forest.