The Team arrives at the Louvre and makes an unexpected discovery.

This is not at all what I imagined the Louvre would be like, thought Spencer to himself.

Granted, he'd never really examined the layout of the famous art museum before. But even if he had, the surroundings he and his friends were in would be alien to him. The wild fauna of Jumanji had overrun the building, transforming what was once a symbol of culture and sophistication into an untamed jungle.

Grandpa Eddie had eschewed bringing the Team across the expanse of Cour Napoléon, since it was now patrolled by prowling lions. Instead, he led them down through the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall with passageways leading to the museum entrance.

"Even in normal times, this is the best way into the museum," said the old man. "Most people don't know about this entrance. Instead, they wait for hours outside the main Pyramid, underneath the hot sun!" he cackled, shaking his head.

"It's night time now, Grandpa Ed," Fridge reminded him sardonically.

"That's not the only reason, Anthony," answered Eddie. "There're something else I want y'all to see."

They'd arrived at the end of a long passageway, and were greeted by a breathtaking sight.

A large inverted glass pyramid extended down from the ceiling. Below it stood a smaller stone pyramid, approximately three feet tall. The two pyramids had been constructed so that their tips were almost touching.

"La Pyramide Inversée," gasped Martha in French.

"That's right," said Fridge, grinning. "If I remember correctly, these two pyramids represent an esoteric union between the sexes."

"Hah?" asked a nonplussed Grandpa Eddie. "I thought it just looked cool."

"We'd better get going," said Jurgen urgently. He didn't really care about the elegant architecture; he simply wanted to get on with the mission and be done with it.

"I agree with Jurgen," remarked Spencer, as he turned to follow the conqueror into the Louvre.

"Wait!" called Grandpa Eddie as the rest of the Team left the atrium too. "You don't wanna check under here for buried treasure?" he asked, pointing to the stone pyramid.

"We don't have time, Grandpa," Spencer replied. "Manjeet will be after us any moment, and besides, that's not what we're here to find."

Eddie grunted disappointedly as his grandson turned to walk away. Glancing shiftily around the atrium, he wondered if the others wouldn't miss him if he stayed behind for a few moments.

"The Mona Lisa room should be right over… there!"

B1 cried out in excitement as she and her teammates reached their destination. Grabbing a map from the museum entrance, it'd been a simple task for her to calculate the quickest route to the Mona Lisa. All they needed to do was head for the Denon Wing, climb the steps up three floors and run down some hallways to the room where the painting was. Everyone stumbled into the large room, panting and sweaty.

"There it is!" shouted B2 happily, pointing out the famous masterpiece. "It's a lot smaller than I imagined."

"It sure is, sweetie," agreed Alex with mild disappointment. By some miracle, the museum's electric lights were still half-functioning. Under their illumination, the Team could see that the spacious room was empty except for the painting and the thick jungle vines now covering the walls.

Together, the players walked forward to examine the artwork. It looked more exquisite in real life than in photographs, even while surrounded by wild plants. Up close, the details of Leonardo da Vinci's brushwork and sfumato technique could be clearly observed; it was more than enough to take one's breath away.

Jake was the first to snap out of their awestruck daze and remember why they were there. "B1!" he cried at last. "What are we supposed to be doing here?"

"Oh!" exclaimed B1, quickly returning her attention to the Jumanji map. "There's a new poem for us! It says:

Your path shall soon cross with an old friend,
Take heart, for your quest draws to its end;
Put up your guard and do not be slack,
As killer vines move in for the attack."

Jake's eyes widened as the poem's meaning became clear to him. "Everyone, THE VINES!" he yelled, tackling B2 to the floor.

As he spoke, the vines covering the room suddenly came to life, shooting tendrils out towards the players. Only Fridge, Martha and Jurgen grasped the warning quickly enough to leap out of the way; the other players were ensnared by fast-moving tendrils and pulled hard towards the walls. Once pinned, the victims found their hands and feet restrained by the creepers' rapidly-growing appendages. They were trapped.

Martha breathed a sigh of relief at her narrow escape. Getting up from the floor, she noticed her friends' plight with dismay. Some of those coiling vines were pretty thick – even with a machete, it would be hard to free everyone quickly. She saw Fridge furrow his brow in frustration; he, too was struggling to figure out how to help them.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horse whinnying.

Now who could that be? Please leave a review if you're enjoying the story!