Be an explorer, not a tourist

With her nose to the ground, the small child hobbled along on 3 legs, a long streak of glowing ooze ran from her shin to her ankle dripping in her wake. She hadn’t meant to knock the white thing off, it had just grown in a spot that was prone to being whacked by low lying bamboo as she tore around the territory. It had stung, and then burned, and now it throbbed as the almost clear fluid welled and trickled down her leg.

Tears stung at the back of her eyes but already she was too proud to run to mamma for help. So she had decided to take her mind off it by heading further from home, down towards the sound of crashing waves where sea birds wheeled in wide circles on updrafts overhead. Although the smell of salt was overbearing, at least she could use the wind as an excuse to cover up the way her eyes watered. Another familiar scent came to her on the breeze and she turned her head to try and find the brother it belonged to.

Was he somewhere in the mangroves?