The Missing Pages of Time

Chapter 3

Kapow! ³e la folla applaudu´. They were seriously in Italy! Specifically, the colosseum. As the trio sat up in their seats and glanced around the enormous stadium, they suddenly saw the page fly across the colosseum like a rocket ship hurtling through space. Mitch made a run for the page, sprinting down the grandstand stairs and over the front barrier into the arena. As Miss Bubbly and Hans ran after him, a woman grabbed Miss Bubbly and yelled ³Cosa sta facendo quel ragazzo! Si farà male!´ The woman looked at her in confusion as she bolted down the stairs and over the wall into the arena, followed by Hans. The whole stadium had become 50 times louder, the spectators were not pleased with this intrusion upon their games, pelting rubbish and chanting ³donna, muoviti!´ She had only just grabbed the page when two soldiers ran at them as she sprinted across the arena, dodging their spears and weaving through confused gladiators. The soldiers managed to separate Miss Bubbly from Hans and Mitch by a well-aimed spear toss. The Roman crowd were all booing and jeering, holding their thumbs down as a sign of displeasure. While running, Miss Bubbly shouted to Mitch and Hans ³We have to get out of here!´ She suddenly ran at the two soldiers and with a bout of skill she didn¶t know she had, rolled in between them with inches to spare. Reunited, the trio now made a break for the only exit to the arena, a barricade with an iron portcullis. They sprinted through the arena and jumped over the short barricade, leaving the pursuing soldiers in a cloud of dust. From the arena behind them, they heard the commentator cry out ³rilascia i leoni!´. A heavy door opened beside them, and out of it walked a massive lion. No words were necessary: the trio were already running in the other direction, looking for an exit. They ran around what seemed like the entire stadium, before they came to the exit door: it was blocked. They heard the lion roar behind them. What were they going to do? Suddenly, the exit gate started to open! Somebody was cranking it open from the other side! Not caring who was doing it, they scrambled under the door before it crashed down behind them. Beside them was a hunched-over old lady dressed in Quite stunned and not thinking, she replied with ³g¶day, can you let me go?´.