Trapped in Gondwana: Trapped in Gondwana, #1

By JB Rowley

Eleven-year-old Nellie Russell is just an ordinary girl until the day she becomes trapped on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Now she must find the courage to fight fearsome Gondwanan animals including a Demon Duck, striped wolves and a tree climbing crocodile.

Nellie journeys through the misty forests where unseen creatures, spirits of the underworld and troll-like monsters lurk. Along the way, she triumphs over tests, collects adventures stones and deciphers riddles. But she must reach the centre of Gondwana before nightfall or she will never see her home and family again. Blocking her way is the mysterious Big Test and a magic spell. Will Nellie overcome these final obstacles to make it out of Gondwana and back to her home?

Book 1 in the Trapped in Gondwana series.

Length: approx. 86 pages

• Language: English
• Publisher: Potoroo Press
• Release date: Jul 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497777606

Book preview

CHAPTER 1: GONDWANA

Nellie was just an ordinary girl until the day she fell through a crack in the Earth.

Young girls do not usually fall through cracks in the Earth but that is what happened to eleven-year-old Nellie Russell. At least that is what it seemed like to Nellie. One minute she was sitting on the exposed root of an old gum-tree and the next minute she was falling, as though through a crack in the Earth. As soon as she landed she heard a loud roar behind her.

Nellie spun around to face the most fearsome monster she had ever seen. Dark brown hair covered the creature’s blob-like body. Its strange flat feet looked like huge hairy flippers. Sparks like lightning came from two curled yellow horns in its head. Deep in the hair on its face, where its eyes should be, Nellie could see flickering lights. The creature’s mouth twisted in an ugly snarl that revealed, not teeth, but fangs like upside down elephant tusks. Its hands had only two fingers; two long fingers. One of those two-fingered hands curled out toward Nellie.

Stay away from me, she said, keeping her tone calm and firm.

Nellie stepped back, quickly taking a defensive pose with her feet apart as she had learned to do in her martial arts class. She took a deep breath and shouted.

Hah!

At the same time she pushed her left hand out to block the creature, aimed a kick at the centre of its body and brought her right arm down across its shoulders in a sharp blow. Surprised by the attack, the creature hesitated. Nellie seized the advantage. She moved forward, twisting her body and quickly pushing into the creature’s face with her right arm, following that with several kicks one after the other. The creature doubled over and let out an angry roar. Nellie could hear her heart pounding but she stood her ground and raised her arm again. However, before she could resume her attack the hairy creature took a step back, roared again then turned and lumbered away through the forest.

Nellie heaved a sigh of relief. She took a few moments to catch her breath and was about to investigate this strange place she found herself in when a booming voice startled her.

Why have you come? Nellie looked around but could see only trees and ferns.

The voice, which seemed to be rising from the ground, repeated the question. Why have you come?

Nellie looked down and saw an elf-like creature that stood no taller than her knees, a blue creature with a wrinkled face. Curly eyebrows, like the twisted branches of an ancient ghost gum, grew wild over his eyes. A blue cape, almost the same blue as his skin, covered his body.  He held his head to one side with his deep blue eyes fixed on her. Nellie did not know how to answer.

Finally she said, I don’t know. I came by accident. 

By accident, said the blue creature. Hmm, that’s an interesting way to come.

Where am I? said Nellie.

Where you are should be obvious, young lady. You are in Gondwana, of course.

Gondwana! That’s not possible. Nellie knew the supercontinent of Gondwana had broken up over a hundred million years ago. She had learned about it at school because Australia had once been part of Gondwana. 

Not possible, young lady? Do you mean you are not here?

No. I mean Gondwana does not exist anymore.

Hmm, you have a point. Strictly speaking you are not in Gondwana. You are in the Gondwana adventure.

Who are you? said Nellie.

The strange little creature straightened himself and took on an air of importance. You have the privilege of speaking to Gondvan, master of the Gondwana adventure.

Nellie began to think the blue creature might be a little weird. She decided to leave before her dream turned into a nightmare.

Well, it’s been nice meeting you, she said, but I must be going now. I have to go home.

Gondvan stepped back, flinging out one arm in an invitation for Nellie to journey forth.

Do not let me keep you, young lady. If you must go home, then home you must go.

Nellie looked around at the ferns and ancient trees cloaked in mist. It all looked very real, not a bit like a dream, and she did not know how to get home. She looked down at Gondvan.

Which way do I go? she asked.

You are a foolish young lady if you do not know where you live, he said.

I know where I live. Of course I do, but I don’t know where I am.

Gondvan sighed and rolled his eyes. He spoke slowly, as though to a child not yet familiar with language. You are in the Gondwana adventure.

Nellie let out an exclamation of impatience and slapped her hands on her hips. As often happened when she became angry, her face went white and the freckles across the bridge of her nose stood out more than usual. Her green eyes deepened to dark grey. I know that. I mean I don’t know how to find my way home from here.

Well, why didn’t you say so? said Gondvan. The answer to the problem is simple. You cannot find your way home from here.

What do you mean?

If you will listen, my words will enlighten you, said Gondvan. You are trapped in the Gondwana adventure. I, Gondvan, the master of the adventure, am offering you a chance that is given to only a very few; a chance to discover freedom. It is through adventure that you achieve freedom.

I don’t see much freedom in being trapped, said Nellie. I just want to go home.

Before you think about how to find your way home you must find your way out of the adventure.

And I don’t suppose you intend to tell me how I get out of this adventure?

Young lady, that information I will gladly give you. Getting out of the adventure is not difficult; simply travel to the centre of Gondwana.

It will take me forever to find my way. It’s all jungle and mist.

Gondvan shook his head. You must not take forever. You must reach the centre before sunset.

Before sunset! That’s impossible.

Gondvan’s blue eyes flashed at her. My dear young lady, nothing is impossible. However, if you do not wish to go then you do not have to go.

But you just said I have to get to the centre of Gondwana before sunset.

That is what I said. However, that only applies if you wish to be released from the adventure. You are most welcome to stay in Gondwana.

Nellie stamped her foot. 

Well, of course I want to get out, she said.

Why?

A sigh of exasperation escaped from Nellie’s lips.

I want to go home, she said. If you’re the master of the adventure, you can help me.

I am not here to help you. You are here to help yourself. Find your own way to the centre of Gondwana before sunset or stay here forever. That is all there is to it.

I am not going to stay here forever.

Gondvan looked at Nellie thoughtfully.

There is much to be discovered here, he said, things you can feel but cannot see; things you can see but cannot feel.

"You sound like the ma...I mean like Hatter in Alice in Wonderland," said Nellie. 

She had been about to say ‘the mad Hatter’ but thought it might sound rude.

Hatter?

Yes, there’s a story about a girl called Alice who follows a rabbit down a rabbit hole and ends up in a wonderland. Hatter was one of the... the... well... one of the unusual characters she met.

A smile creased the blue wrinkles of Gondvan’s face. Ah, a wonderland. There is no land more wonderful than Gondwana. You will not meet Hatters here but you will discover much that is unusual.

Maybe Gondwana is wonderful, Nellie

Reviews for Trapped in Gondwana

[lemurkat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a charming little adventure novel, aimed at a fairly young age group. So, I suppose my average rating is mostly due to the fact that I am an adult reading something aimed at probably the 7-10 age range, perhaps the sort of book that a girl could move onto when she was bored with the Rainbow Magic series. I do not feel it had so much boy appeal, although it does have a male character, it's a little too "clean". The story itself is very basic - which is probably why I compared it (lightly) to the RM books - a young girl finds herself trapped in a "Game" within the world of Gondwana, a land based on the once-continent. However, the animals she meets with along the way are not quite your typical Gondwanan creatures - well, some are, but others (like the weta) are somewhat over-sized. Anyhow, to get home she must play the game which involves going on a sort of scavenger hunt (where the boy, Meg, helps her solve all the clues) to find a number of gems. Once they find them, she has to take them to the center of Gondwana before sunset - which is a bit weird because time flows differently in Gondwana. The tale held few surprises, although some of the animals were pretty nifty, and in fact the only bit that DID surprise me was when the girl decided they should chop off the weta's leg. Seemed rather brutal to me. All up, I imagine it would be a perfect story for someone 7-9 that liked shorter, whimsical reads.