Page 4 of Outback Mate
Dating in the city wasn’t working. I needed something new, a fresh start, new faces, a shock to the system. If I can bamboozle my aura sickness long enough, I might stand a chance of making a good first impression.
So, I shrug off the clumsy errors and forge onwards. It’s not my first rodeo, and nothing a change of clothes and a touch up in the mirror can’t fix.
What throws a spanner in the works is crashing my car.
One minute, I’m cruising down the desolate, Outback highway that stretches far off into the horizon, and then next I’m slamming on the brakes. A dark lump is right in the middle of the road and I react without thinking.
My car spins in a dizzying circle of red dust. My tires screech on the road.
My heart feels like it’s lodged in my throat, hammering in terror.
The car comes to an abrupt stop in the ditch beside the road, causing my head to slam into the steering wheel.
The world goes momentarily dark, and then too bright.
“Ouch,” I croak.
I press a shaking hand to my head, and flinch as it comes away red.
Buggering fuck. So much for running away from my bad luck.
My phone has fallen off the hands-free dash holder, and the screen has a spiderweb of cracks. I frantically press the power button, but it refuses to turn on.
“Shit.”
Clambering out of my car, I squint as the sun, high in the sky, beating down with glaring ferocity. It’s hot. Hotter than hot, and there isn’t a lick of shade in the surrounding endless flat plains.
There’s a hissing sound and I squeal, scrambling onto the hot car hood.
Death by venomous snake is on my list of potential unlucky deaths. Number eleven, if I recall correctly.
I peer at the ground, scanning for an angry danger noodle poised to bite me.
Once my heart rate slows and I’mmostlycertain the sound is not a deadly snake, I tentatively slide off the car hood.
My sandals are unsteady on the incline and red rocks as I wobble towards the hissing noise.
Wincing, I watch as my back right tyre deflates.
My shoulders slump.
Great.
Just fucking great.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I flinch as I accidentally touch my head wound.
Fuzziness fills my head, and my thoughts are jumbled. I know I’m in trouble, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out what I need to do to save myself. I’ve heard the Outback is dangerous, especially for solo travelers. For some reason, when I set out on this journey, I didn’t think it applied to me.
Sometimes it can be hours, even days, before you see another person. I’ve never spent much time outside of the city, so I don’t know how true that is. I hadn’t passed another vehicle in over an hour after I turned off the main highway onto a single lane road.
I can practically hear my aura sickness maniacally laughing.You’re screwed this time, Omega.
I look over my shoulder at the dark mass on the road and cringe at the red smear.
It’s a dead kangaroo.
Why did I swerve? It’s not like I could kill it again.
