Kade recognizes my concern, “Let it go, there’s no benefit in killing it – we gotta forget them and get outta here, you and Kelly need to be seen to. And the baby needs settling,” he says.
I give him one of my looks, that say trust me, “Guys we’ve got to catch that thing,” I say, handing the baby to Troy and making for the exit.
As we power walk through the woods, Kelly asks, “Tanya, is there something you’re not telling us?”
I hand the letter to Kade, “Read the end,” I say picking up my pace.
Kade unfurls the letter and I get impatient when I see him looking at the beginning, “I said the end!” I say, breaking into a steady walk. I can feel Kelly and Troy’s confusion, but I’m so focused on catching the Blood Collector that I don’t have the energy to explain. Instead I remind myself of what it looked like, “It had a soft toy panda’s body, with big a Bratz doll’s head – didn’t it?” I ask.
Kelly is assertive, “Sure it did, it’s a head I wanna rip off and see what the hell’s under the Brat,” she says, keeping pace with me.
All four of us walk at the same pace through the woods as Kade begins to read nanny’s words.
…Do not attempt to capture or pick up a tree creature. I don’t know what they are, but I know they each have an evil purpose. The most feared are the BLOOD COLLECTORS.
If one does manage to collect your blood (or anyone’s) do all you can to prevent the collector from returning to The Twins. I repeat: DO NOT ALLOW A COLLECTOR BRING BLOOD TO THE TWINS!
If a collector does escape with blood, then I’m afraid to have to tell you that the person from whom the blood was taken – must end their life!
On hearing her words we all Instinctively sprint onwards.
......
All is ominously quiet in The Forever Garden. Kelly is defiant, “As if I would kill myself because some panda puppet took a little of my blood. No way, I’m made of stronger stuff. I’ve been through too much to lay down and die because some old pig woman said so,” she says, looking around in awe at the sight of this place. "Now this is beyond freaking awesome,” she says, running around a tree and staring up at the creatures.
“I’d drop awesome and leave it at freaking,” says Troy, looking upwards with an open mouth. Even though Kade and I have been here before, the place still has the power to chill-to-the-bone.
We spread out and scour the grounds and trees trying to locate the grubby little Panda/Bratz hybrid. My frustration mounts, as all I see are tree creatures swaying in a gentle breeze. But then a dash of hope comes with Kade’s voice in the near distance, “I’ve found it!”
I run towards him, shouting, “Kill it!”
“I can’t,” he replies, his voice is kinda cold – and I can’t see where he is.
“Where are you?” I shout.
“Over here, with Kelly and Troy,” he replies. But when I look in the direction of his voice all I see is a forest of dangling tree creatures.
“Where’s here?” I ask, containing my panic.
“Over here Tanya!” Hurry up – we need you,” his voice is close and urgent.
I scramble through two tightly packed trees, trying to avoid touching the low hanging creatures for fear of having my blood sucked.
To my horror – I can see some of them are not swaying in the breeze – NO, they’re picking up their own pace and swinging FOR ME!
