The Legend Thief - Part 5: The Cure

Chapter 32: The Talking Mushroom

"Didn't we pass through this way already?" Ravisu complained. "I thought I saw that mushroom over there five times already!"

"No it's not the same," Bell argued.

"Yes I am," the mushroom countered.

"Oh well," Bell sighed. "Kinda hard to argue with a talking mushroom."

"Why don't we try MY way of navigating?" Ravisu suggested.

"At least we KNOW that we're walking in circles. If we trusted YOU, then who knows where we'll be?"

"At least we'll be making SOME progress. With you, we're not going anywhere! We'll never be able to find the blooberry OR our friends!"

"Fine," Bell relented, sitting down. "But first, can we rest?"

"Okay, fine," Ravisu agreed. After 30 seconds, she said, "I'm bored. Mushroom, can you tell me a story?"

"Sure," the high-pitched voice of a mushroom answered. "Once upon a time, I ate a person."

"Oooh!" Ravisu squealed, perking up. This was gonna be very interesting.

"Yeah! So first I ate the skin, then the muscles, then the bones. So many people came down here. At least 1.0*10^1000, if you ask me. Although for the last millenia though, it has been very quiet..."

"A MILLENIA???" Ravisu gasped. "HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE???"

"I'm a mushroom, duh!" the mushroom answered.

"Wait. Wut?" Bell asked, confuzzled.

"Mushrooms can last WAY longer than silly young Humans..."

"Really?" Ravisu gasped.

"Actually..." the mushroom realized, "I shouldn't be telling you this stuff in the first place. Oops. Silly me..."

"Well..." Ravisu sighed, getting up. "That was interesting. Thank you, Mushy Giant Friendly Mushroom!"

"Your welcome!" the mushroom called back. Bell and Ravisu headed down the dark maze, this time Ravisu leading the way. They took twists and turns, dead ends and continuous routes, hoping that one of them can lead them to the blooberry.

---

"Ugh," Quinci groaned. "I'm hungry again."

"We ate all of the mangoes," Rudia sighed, listening to her stomach growl.

"I'm almost wondering if the blooberry was worth all that trouble," Quinci moaned. "I mean, one of us might die in here!"

"Talk about it..." Rudia agreed. "Should we be looking for the blooberry or the exit?"

"The blooberry IS the exit," Quinci answered. "I think..."

"I would rather go through 10 more weeks of school than this," Rudia cried.

"I would rather have ½ of the summer gone than this!" Quinci countered.

"I would rather stay up until midnight doing homework than this!" Rudia retorted.

"I would rather stay up 1 whole night without sleep doing homework!" Quinci responded.

"I would rather stay up 2 whole nights without sleeping doing homework."

"I would rather stay up 5 whole nights without sleeping doing homework."

"I WOULD RATHER HAVE NO SUMMER THAN GO THROUGH THIS!!!" Rudia screamed, her voice echoing down the narrow tunnel and into the rest of the maze. Quinci was speechless.

"Srsly???" she asked.

"YES!!!" Rudia answered with a crazed look in her eye. "WE'RE DOOMED!!! WE'RE NEVER GONNA MAKE IT OUT ALIVE!!! THERE'S NO HOPE!!! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!"