THE CHRONICLES OF MERTH - MER'S DAY OUT CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Sarafina and I went on our way. Being disguised as an old, wizened man with a whippet dog made it easier for us to run from the City of Pizza. Being disguised, we were well clear of Pizza in no time. By the middle of the afternoon, we were crossing a barren land, which was totally empty except for a few cactus trees dotted here and there, and the blazing sun beating down on us. When we realized we were well clear of Pizza, Sarafina had turned us back to our normal selves.
"Do you know what this place is?" I asked Sarafina.
"Yes, this is Chilli Con Carne, this is the hottest desert on the planet."
"You don't need to tell me that," I answered. "I can feel it."
We went on our way.
"Do you have any idea where we are headed?" I asked, several decades later.
"No," came the reply. "I just want to get back to civilization."
"I've heard about Chilli Con Carne though," I told her. "Apparently, not only is it the hottest desert on the planet, but it's also the largest."
Sarafina groaned. "So there's no chance of us ever finding civilization!"
"Actually, that's not true," I told her. I pointed to something moving in the distance. "Do you suppose that's a person?"
"I hope so." Sarafina started running towards the figure. I followed suit.
As we got closer to the figure, I was very much relieved to recognise it. It was my brother Juniper.
"Juniper!" I cried out. He hadn't noticed me, but as I called out his name, his face saw me and brightened up. He began to run towards Sarafina and me.
"Juniper! However did you escape?" I asked, as we got level.
"That terrible Siren woman, Anfina? She was about to put me in a pizza! But I kicked her where the sun don't shine, and while she was reeling around from the pain, I ran from her."
"The same thing happened to us," I told my brother. "But where are the others?"
"I have no idea. I was the last one that Anfina picked up for the pizza. I only hope that the other two managed to escape like us."
"So do I," Sarafina piped up. "But if they have, I wonder where they could be?"
We all three stood there in a circle, contemplating this horrifying thought.
"Well," said Sarafina at last. "If they are out there somewhere, it's no good just standing here. We must go and look for them!"

At that precise moment, Sidlow and Huttie were wandering around Chilli Con Carne as well, looking for the others. They had escaped from Anfina pretty much the same way. Kicking Anfina and running off while she reeled around in pain. At first Huttie seemed reluctant to look for the others, not wanting to get in anymore trouble with Anfina. But Sidlow made him see sense. Boblars are very sincere. Once they make a promise to somebody, they never go back on it. So in the end, Huttie agreed to look for the others. The only question was, would each group find each other?

Find out what happens next in Chapter Seventeen...