Aura Explorers

It was a bright, sunny morning on Aura Explorers Island.

The waves sparkled around Explorer Dock, the trees of Wonder Woods swayed gently in the breeze, and somewhere in the distance, the Rainbow Rapids could be heard rushing over the rocks.

Everything seemed perfectly normal.

Except for one thing.

The bell hadn't rung.

Every morning, just as the sun appeared over the sea, the Great Explorer Bell rang from the top of the island.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

Its sound travelled all the way from Mystic Hollow to Creativity Cove, letting everyone know that a new day of exploring had begun.

But today, there was nothing.

Not even a tiny ding.

At Explorer Dock, three young Explorers were waiting beside their little wooden boat.

There was Ava, who loved solving puzzles.

Max, who was always the first to volunteer for an adventure.

And Elsie, whose backpack contained everything from biscuits to binoculars and, for some reason, seven different-coloured pencils.

Max looked towards the top of the island.

"Maybe whoever rings it overslept."

"The bell rings by itself," said Ava.

"Oh."

Max thought for a moment.

"Maybe the bell overslept."

"Bells don't sleep."

"You don't know that."

Elsie wasn't listening.

She was staring at something on the ground.

"Erm... guys?"

Beside the dock was a trail of tiny golden footprints.

Ava crouched down.

They weren't human footprints.

And they definitely weren't bird footprints.

They had three tiny toes at the front...

and one at the back.

Max's eyes widened.

"A monster."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Ava.

"A tiny monster."

Elsie pointed towards the trees.

Whatever had made the footprints had gone straight towards Wonder Woods.

The three Explorers looked at each other.

There was only one thing to do.

They grabbed their backpacks and followed.

Wonder Woods was especially strange that morning.

Usually it was filled with birdsong, buzzing insects and squirrels arguing over acorns.

Today it was quiet.

Too quiet.

Ava followed the golden footprints between the trees until they suddenly stopped beside an enormous mushroom.

"That's weird."

Elsie noticed something caught on a branch.

A tiny piece of golden ribbon.

She carefully untangled it.

"Look!"

Written across the ribbon were two words.

KEEP GOING.

Max grinned.

"A clue!"

They hurried onwards.

The trail led them out of Wonder Woods and straight towards the entrance of the Crystal Caverns.

Inside, thousands of crystals glittered along the walls.

The Explorers switched on their torches and followed the twisting path deeper underground.

Then—

CLINK!

Max froze.

"What was that?"

Clink... clink... clink...

Something was moving in the darkness.

Elsie grabbed Ava's arm.

"Did you hear that?"

A tiny shape suddenly shot across the path.

"AAAAH!"

All three Explorers screamed.

The creature screamed too.

"AAAAH!"

Silence.

Max slowly lifted his torch.

A very startled rabbit was staring at them.

"Oh," said Max.

The rabbit twitched its nose and hopped away.

Ava started laughing.

Soon they all were.

Then Elsie's torch caught something sparkling on the floor.

Another golden ribbon.

This one said:

FOLLOW THE WATER.

"Rainbow Rapids!" said Ava.

They raced out of the cavern.

By the time they reached Rainbow Rapids, the water was roaring.

They climbed into one of the little Explorer boats and pushed away from the bank.

Immediately, the current grabbed them.

"WHOOOOOOA!"

The boat shot forwards.

Water splashed everywhere.

Max was laughing.

Elsie was screaming.

Ava was trying very hard to steer.

"LEFT!" shouted Ava.

"I AM GOING LEFT!"

"THAT'S RIGHT!"

"MY OTHER LEFT!"

The boat spun around a rock, bounced over a wave and finally slid onto the riverbank.

All three Explorers climbed out completely soaked.

"My socks are squelching," said Elsie.

Max emptied water from his shoes.

"Best morning ever."

They followed the river into Creativity Cove.

Normally, the Cove was covered in paintings, chalk drawings and colourful flags.

But today, something enormous had been painted across the ground.

An arrow.

It pointed towards the Story Nook.

They ran inside.

Books filled every wall from floor to ceiling.

One book was lying open on the table.

Ava read the words aloud.

"When the island falls silent, look where the stars shine even in daylight."

Elsie's eyes widened.

"Starlight Sanctuary."

The Explorers raced across the island.

Past the Wishing Well.

Along the winding path.

And finally through the golden gates of Starlight Sanctuary.

Hundreds of tiny lights floated above them.

Even though it was daytime, they sparkled like stars.

In the middle of the Sanctuary was another clue.

But this one wasn't written on ribbon.

It was scratched into the ground.

FIND WHAT IS MISSING.

"The bell," said Max.

"We already know that's missing," Ava replied.

"No. The bell isn't missing. It just isn't ringing."

They all became quiet.

Elsie looked towards the highest point of the island.

"Courage Crossing."

The Great Explorer Bell stood on the other side.

They ran.

But when they reached Courage Crossing, Max stopped.

The bridge stretched across a huge rocky drop.

Usually Max was first to do everything.

Not today.

"I don't like that bridge."

Ava looked at him.

"You don't have to go first."

Max swallowed.

"Can I go in the middle?"

"Of course."

Ava went first.

Max held onto her backpack.

Elsie followed behind him.

Slowly, they crossed.

Nobody rushed.

Nobody laughed at Max for being nervous.

And when his feet finally reached the other side, Max smiled.

"I did it."

"You did," said Elsie.

They hurried towards the Great Explorer Bell.

And stopped.

The bell was still there.

But the golden rope used to ring it...

was gone.

On the ground were those same strange footprints.

Three toes at the front.

One at the back.

They led towards Mystic Hollow.

Max gulped.

"Of course they do."

Mystic Hollow was the strangest part of Aura Explorers Island.

The trees grew crooked.

Old lanterns hung from their branches.

Little cottages leaned in different directions.

And nobody could quite explain why there was always mist, even when the rest of the island was sunny.

The footprints disappeared underneath an old wooden gate.

The Explorers pushed it open.

Creeeeeeak.

Something moved behind a bush.

Max whispered, "Tiny monster."

Ava rolled her eyes.

The bush rustled again.

Then something stepped out.

It was tiny.

Round.

Purple.

And extremely fluffy.

Around its body was the missing golden rope.

Everyone stared.

The creature stared back.

Then it sneezed.

"ACHOO!"

Elsie whispered, "It's adorable."

The creature tried to run away, but its feet became tangled in the rope.

It rolled over.

Bump.

"Oh no!"

Elsie hurried forwards and carefully untangled it.

The creature looked up at her.

"Did you take the bell rope?" Ava asked.

The creature nodded.

"Why?"

It pointed towards a tiny nest beneath the bush.

Inside were three even tinier purple creatures.

The golden rope had been wrapped around them like a blanket.

Max's face softened.

"You weren't stealing it."

The creature shook its head.

"You were keeping your babies warm."

It nodded.

The Explorers looked at each other.

"We can't take their blanket," said Elsie.

"But the island needs its bell," said Ava.

Max opened his backpack.

He pulled out his Explorer jumper.

"We can swap."

Soon the three tiny creatures were snuggled underneath Max's jumper.

Their parent happily handed over the golden rope.

"Problem solved," said Max.

There was just one problem.

They still had to get the enormous rope back across the island.

It took all three Explorers to drag it through Mystic Hollow.

Across Courage Crossing.

Past the Wishing Well.

Through Starlight Sanctuary.

Around the Story Nook.

Past Creativity Cove.

Along the edge of Rainbow Rapids.

Through Wonder Woods.

And finally back to the Great Explorer Bell.

They attached the rope.

Ava grabbed one side.

Max grabbed the other.

Elsie stood between them.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

They pulled.

For one second, nothing happened.

Then—

DOOOOOONG!

The sound rolled across Aura Explorers Island.

Through Crystal Caverns.

Over Rainbow Rapids.

Across Creativity Cove.

Into Wonder Woods.

Past the Story Nook.

Over the Wishing Well.

Through Starlight Sanctuary.

Across Courage Crossing.

Along the Treasure Trail.

Into Mystic Hollow.

And all the way down to Explorer Dock.

The three Explorers cheered.

Far away in Mystic Hollow, a little purple creature lifted its head.

Three tiny babies were fast asleep underneath a very warm Explorer jumper.

And beside their nest was one final piece of golden ribbon.

Nobody had noticed it yet.

Written across it were the words:

THE TREASURE TRAIL HAS OPENED.

But that...

was a mystery for another day.

The End