Lost In Kakadu (34 page)

“You’re wrong. Everything out here has been real. From eating croc eggs, to sleeping in a soggy bed two metres off the ground. Our love has conquered every obstacle thrown at us during this ordeal, so our challenges at home are going to seem like floating in this pond in comparison.”

She shook her head at him. Mackenzie lived in a never ending world of optimism. But she wasn’t so certain. “I think it’ll be harder.”

“You don’t know that, Abi. Nothing from your previous life is going to be the same as it was before. You’re about to be a mum again, your daughter will be a sister, you’ll be caught up with Spencer’s financial affairs, not to mention our wedding.” He raised his eyebrows.

Her stomach dropped. Mackenzie had just unleashed an atomic bomb. “No, Mack, don’t do that to me. I’ve been down that road once before.” She shook her head adamantly. “I don’t want you proposing marriage just because I’m pregnant with your child.”

“I’m proposing marriage because I love you. I want the three of us to spend the rest of our lives together.”

She stared into his honey eyes, searching for the right words. “You know I love you too but, like you said, we don’t know what’ll happen when we get home. It will be mayhem.” She reached for his hand. “If what you say about the strength of our love is true then your proposal can wait until everything has settled down.”

“But—”

“Shhh.” Abi pressed her finger to his lips. “There will be plenty of time for our wedding.”

Clearly he wanted to say more, but he left the conversation alone and reached for the can. The faded tin screeched as he wiggled it from its trap between the two rocks. It crumbled easily under his touch and as he turned it over, she noticed how much the beer can had faded; the section exposed to the sun was almost white although the underside remained dark blue.

“This’s been here a very long time.” His smile flattened.

She felt selfish for not sharing his excitement and was momentarily at a loss for words. The first sign of life since the crash could’ve been left here decades ago. She sensed it was her turn to show strength and searched for something inspirational to say. “If there is one thing I’ve learnt out here, it’s that no matter how tough things seem, there’s always something positive to come from every situation.”

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Oh yeah, so what’s good about this?”

“Well for starters, it proves we’re not the only humans on Earth.”

His laughter was unbridled and refreshing.

Abi continued, “And it proves people were once in this area and it shows we’re going in the right direction.”

“Okay then. What was good about the crash, Miss Always-Look-On-The-Bright-Side?”

She laughed. “Heaps!” She cocked her head in defiance. “We survived. We found each other. There was enough food on the plane to get us through until you learnt how to hunt. Do I need to go on?”

He splashed water at her. “It’s usually me boosting your spirits.”

“Well, that’s what a good relationship is about, yin and yang. Mars and Venus. Fire and water.”

“When did you become a relationship expert?”

“I’ve learnt to listen, to both myself and you.”

“After you stop yabbering, you mean.”

Abi feigned shock at his comment and then jumped onto his shoulders, pushing him under the water.

After their swim, Mackenzie decided this was their campsite for the night and declared the flat rock at the edge of the pool as their bedroom. That night, they made love to the sound of the roaring water and Abi fell asleep with hope in her heart.

The blackness of night began to fade and Mackenzie focused on a dominant star until it was absorbed into the morning sky. Rejuvenated by yesterday’s beer can discovery, he ate a breakfast of cold barramundi and packed up their camp around Abi as she continued to sleep.

When he could do no more he knelt beside her, smiling as he studied her taut stomach which bulged from his ill-fitting T-shirt. Faint blue veins swam up from her legs and circled her now protruding belly button. Her skin looked smooth and golden in the dawn sky. He hated to wake her, but he couldn’t ignore the sense of urgency in the back of his mind.

He placed his palm on her cheek. “Hey, baby.”

Abi stirred and rolled onto her back.

“Good morning.”

“Already?” She squinted at him with one eye.

“Sorry, but we need to get going.”

Abi devoured a plate of cold fish as Mackenzie packed up the rest of their gear. He led the way, navigating around the lower rock pool before the sun even crested the horizon.

With five plastic bottles of fresh water and a stomach full of fish, he set a fast pace down the declining ravine. The sun finally split the skyline with a dramatic dance of white and gold across the water. Gentle breezes created small ripples and the reflecting sun rays looked like a thousand eyes winking at him.

The days rolled on. The scenery changed and yet it stayed the same. He felt like he was in a never-ending nightmare and life became a blur as the river continually unfolded. They set off each day in the cool morning air and stopped when the sun peaked high above them. Abi would sleep by the water until the air grew cool enough to carry on and they’d walk until the evening sky blazed red, forcing them to find a place to set up camp. Each day was a repeat of the previous day’s monotony, grinding down his patience and draining Abi of what little strength she had left.

The deafening roar of yet another thundering waterfall drowned out Abi’s ragged panting and Mackenzie had no choice but to drag her onward. Soon they stood at the top of an immense water spout looking into a valley below them. But his heart sank as the panorama unfolded before him. Not a single road. Not a single building. Nothing.
How far have we walked, and how much further?

Abi couldn’t continue like this for much longer. Her cheeks were withdrawn and her skin now had a greyish tinge. She needed to rest.

He helped her down the ravine and chose a comfortable nook in the shade by the crystal clear lagoon. Abi crumbled to the ground, instantly drifting off to sleep. Mackenzie made the difficult decision to set up camp for a couple of days, hoping the rest would give her the energy boost she needed to continue on.

Their oasis by the river provided an abundance of food and they feasted on barbecued barramundi, frogs, snails and the stems, seeds and roots of a blue lily plant documented in Charlie’s bible.

For three days they did nothing but swim, eat and sleep. On the third night when the sun drifted into the horizon and the moon rose out of the darkness like an enormous safety beacon, Abi announced she was ready.

The eerie sound of dingos howling at the moon cut through the silence and Mackenzie likened the lonely chorus to their own isolation in the vast wilderness. They sat by the fire and as Abi leant into Mackenzie’s chest he wrapped his arms around her and stared into the flames. He prayed this was their last night sleeping in the open.

Mackenzie woke to the sun blazing into his eyes and for the first time in months, realised he’d slept right through dawn.

“Abi, wake up!” Missing the cool morning air ruined the good feeling he’d had about today. He’d learnt to trust his feelings, both good and bad.

“What’s wrong?” Abi sat up and rubbed her eyes.

“We’ve got to get moving.”

“But what about breakfast?”

Mackenzie lifted her to her feet. “No time. We’ll eat on the way.” He fetched their pre-packed bags and moments later, they were walking away from the thundering curtain of water. The sun intensified in its merciless push to the centre of the sky and he set a fast pace along a grassy levee that bordered the river. But it wasn’t long before he couldn’t ignore Abi’s pleas to stop any more. He searched for an ideal place to rest.

He stepped over a large log covered in a compact strangler vine and offered his hand to help Abi over it. Glancing to his right, he furrowed his brow as he studied the log stretching straight out before him.
That’s strange.
He dropped Abi’s hand and dashed alongside the anomaly skipping over small bushes in his path.

“What’re you doing?” Abi called behind him.

But he was too excited to reply. He paused at a patch of log that was clear of the vine. “Holy shit! We nearly missed it. It’s a pipe. Come on, Abi.” He waved her forward.

With both her hands under her belly she scrambled over the bushes. Her cheeks were flushed crimson by the time she reached him.

He slapped the pipe and remnants of white flaky paint danced in the air. “A fucking pipe. We’re saved.”

Mackenzie scooped her up and spun around laughing. When he kissed her, he noticed tears in her eyes. He set her on her feet, grabbed her hand and dragged her alongside the pipe and up the grassy incline. Convinced salvation was on the other side, he tried to ignore Abi’s ragged breathing. They trudged up the bladed grass and he held his breath as he neared the top, expecting to see people, buildings, civilisation.

He pushed Abi with his shoulder as they scrambled on their hands and knees. Finally they crested the top. His eyes blurred with exhaustion and the air shimmered around him. The dancing heat gradually revealed straight lines and he was able to make out the distinct shape of buildings.

He collapsed onto his back and laughed until he cried. He rolled to her and cupped her cheek, drawing her eyes to his. “We made it, Abi.”

She nodded, clearly too exhausted to speak.

Once he regained his breath, he helped Abi to her feet. They walked hand in hand past a metal windmill with blades that turned in slow circles. The town gradually revealed itself more with each step. Seven buildings dotted the road that continued in a straight line as far as he could see. Behind the buildings was an enormous pit that was clearly man made. A giant metallic arm protruded from the far side of the pit and led into a large concrete silo beneath it.

It’s a mining town
.

Beyond the pit, an ocean of red dirt stretched to the horizon. Mackenzie didn’t quite know when he sensed something was wrong, but he stopped still when a dingo, proud and strong, with fawn coloured fur, strolled out of a doorway of one of the small corrugated iron buildings.

He squeezed Abi’s hand.

“What?” Fear prickled her voice.

“Something’s not right. I don’t see anyone.” With dread Mackenzie surveyed the town. The wild dog turned its back on them and trotted up the dirt street as if it owned it. A water tank positioned high atop a wooden tower leant at a precarious angle and now he realised that all the visible doors and windows on the buildings were ajar, as if they’d exploded outwards.

“Maybe they’re at a party or something,” Abi whispered in a dubious voice.

“Yeah. They’re all at church.”

She tilted a ‘wise-guy’ look at him.

He shrugged. “Well, no point standing here. You stay here and I’ll go—”

“Like hell. We do this together, remember?”

He rolled his eyes knowing it was pointless to argue. “Okay, but stay behind me.”

She clung to his hand as they walked toward the edge of town. The only movement was a small whirlwind of red dust. At the first building he peered through the dirt streaked window, scanning for more wild dogs. But it was empty.

He tugged at the door. It grunted open with disjointed movements and they stepped inside. The building was just one room with two bunk beds stacked at the rear. Tangles of windblown cobwebs hung from the corners of a metal cabinet like shredded strands of cotton. An array of equipment was shelved inside and a thick layer of red dust covered everything.

This place has been deserted for a very long time
.

A desk in the far corner had a name plate that confirmed his suspicions; it read ‘Nurse Abbot’. They were standing in an infirmary.

Stepping to the cabinet, he checked each cubby hole and although there was plenty of first aid equipment, there was no medication. “I think we’ve found a deserted mining town.”

Abi frowned. “When do you think they left?”

“Don’t know. Let’s keep searching, maybe there’s a phone that still works.” He was joking, but when he saw the look of hope on her face he recanted. “Not likely though.”

The next building was much larger than the first one and with a dozen metal tables and matching chairs scattered with utensils and plates, he assumed it was the mess hall. He had an eerie feeling about the room and compared it to the movie ‘Alien’ where Sigourney Weaver returned to a deserted city in space to find a colony of humans that’d mysteriously vanished. A shiver ran across his neck. But when Mackenzie sidled through the swinging doors at the back he felt like he’d walked into heaven. It was a kitchen.

“Aah. Honey, we’re home.”

He yanked open the cupboards. “It’s all still here. Look—a toaster, kettle, pots, pans, utensils, everything.” He held up a saucepan. “Yeah, baby.” He decided tonight he would ceremoniously crush the engine cone that had served as his cooking pot since the crash.

“This place gives me the creeps. It’s like a ghost town,” Abi said.

He turned to her. She hugged her chest and months of suffering showed in her usually crystal clear eyes. Mackenzie tugged her to his chest and as he smoothed her hair he noticed the double doors behind her.
Could it be a pantry? And could there still be food in there?

“Are you hungry, baby?”

“Starving, as usual.”

He stepped from Abi and reached for one of the door handles. “Jesus!” He jumped back. Dozens of rats scurried off the shelves and scattered in all directions.

When the rats vanished as quickly as they appeared, Mackenzie smiled. The cupboard still had rows and rows of shelves laden with cans and jars. He reached for a tin, blew away the red dust and read what was left of the yellowing label. He laughed. “Beans … we’re being haunted by baked beans.” He turned the can over. “Ooh, it expired in 2001. Do you think ten-year-old canned beans are still okay?”

“Well, you know the rules, you eat it first and if you’re still alive tomorrow then I’ll eat some.”

“Ha, very funny. Actually they’re probably okay.”