Page 54 of The Beach Cottage
An hour later, Penny finally located the ring-tailed possum and managed to get it free of the wire tangled around it and into the cage using a pair of thick gloves. She closed the cage and breathed a sigh of relief.
“There you go. Now to find my car and get out of here.” The problem was that she’d walked back and forth so many times looking for the animal, she wasn’t entirely sure which direction to march.
She’d have to do her best to follow her own tracks. It might be a long, winding way back, but at least she’d make it eventually.
After a while, she came across a creek that she most definitely did not recall crossing on her way in. She slumped down beside the creek with a sigh. There was still no signal on her phone, and soon the sun would begin to set. She might end up spending the night out there alone in the bush. Thankfully, she’d brought a water bottle with her, and a torch. But she had nothing to eat and no emergency blanket. At least it was still fairly warm on the island so she wouldn’t have to worry about exposure.
She let herself rest to catch her breath for a few minutes, flexed her tired arm, and picked up the cage again. “Sorry, little buddy. I’ll get you back to the refuge as soon as I can manage to dress those wounds and give you something to eat.” The poor animal looked as though it’d been stuck by the tree for a long time and had very little energy. At least it wasn’t making a fuss about the trip back to the car.
She wasn’t going to panic. She’d find the vehicle eventually. It was only a matter of time until she stumbled upon the track she’d driven in on. Surely.
Her only hope was that the pin drop she’d sent to Rowan had made it through to his phone. And that when she didn’t show up for work the next day, someone would report her missing. That is, if she didn’t make it back to the car before nightfall.
She stood to her feet and climbed back up the creek bank. Halfway up the rise, she stumbled over a fallen tree branch, tripped and fell. She dropped the cage and tried to struggle back to her feet, but her body was moving faster than her legs could manage and she tumbled over a large log. Her leg made a horrible snapping sound, and then pain rocked her calf and up into her body. She came to a standstill in the dirt and leaves, agony radiating all over her body. Then leaned to one side and heaved violently.
With a groan of pain, she sat up and felt along her leg. There was nothing obviously wrong with it, but the anguish triggered tears to fall in rivulets down both cheeks. She sniffled into her shirt sleeve, braced herself and attempted to stand. But it was no use. She couldn’t do it.
“Argh!” she screamed as her leg crumpled beneath her.
It was broken. She was sure of it. The possum cage was further up the hill out of reach, rolled over onto one side. She hoped the animal hadn’t been further injured by her clumsiness. With a grunt of pain, she lay on her back on the sloping bank of the creek and looked up through the tree branches to the sky overhead. It’d turned a lovely shade of pink mixed with gold. It would be dark soon, and she was going nowhere.
It was less than an hour before she heard the first shout. She sat bolt upright, then grimaced as pain rushed up her leg. There it was again. It was definitely a man’s voice, shouting nearby in the bush.
It was entirely dark now. Crickets sang along the water’s edge. The creek bubbled loudly. For a moment she wondered if it’d been her imagination, but she was certain she’d heard a voice. She supposed she could be hallucinating. There was only one way to find out for certain which it was.
“Hello?” she yelled. Her voice was thin and raspy. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Cooee!” This time, her voice ran out loud and clear.
“Cooee!” came the quick reply. Tears filled her eyes. She responded in kind again. The call went back and forth between them until Rowan appeared at the top of the creek bank. He hurried down to where she lay and squatted beside her.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. What’s wrong?”
“I broke my leg,” she sobbed. She was so glad to see him, she could kiss him right there on the spot.
“Okay, well, let’s get you out of here. Hold on.”
She laced her arms around his neck and he lifted her gently, careful not to move her leg too much.
“Don’t forget the possum,” she said.
He rolled his eyes. “Really? How am I supposed to manage that?”
“Fine. Let me carry it,” she said.
“Can’t you set it free?”
She considered. “It might be better for the animal, actually. You’re right. I should’ve done that earlier. I was trying to be a hero. Open the gate and let it out.”
He set her down on the ground again and opened the cage, and the possum soon emerged. It seemed to have perked up since she freed it earlier and quickly scurried away into the night. He closed the cage.
“Let’s go, Pen. You can worry about the cage some other time.”
He lifted her in his arms again, and she leaned against his chest. Her hands were linked behind his neck, and the steady beat of his heart pounded a rhythm in her ear. She felt as though she could stay in that place forever.
It didn’t take him long to locate the cars. He loaded her into his and hurried around to start the engine.
“Are you warm enough?”
“Fine, thank you,” she said. She’d gotten a little stiff lying on the cold, wet creek bank. But now that she was in the vehicle, all that was behind her. She was simply happy to be seated in a comfortable chair.
