Page 109 of Lost In Kakadu

“Yeah, funny.” The bone was as long as her arm and as thick as three of her fingers.

“That’s a rib bone.” Trying to picture the size of the animal, he frowned. “It’s huge, must have been one hell of a big cow or maybe buffalo.”

As he scrutinised the walls for an exit to the cavern, the room suddenly darkened, and he stared in horror at his torch. “Oh shit.” Withall the excitement, he hadn’t noticed it going out. He reached for Abi’s hand.

She squeezed his palm. “It’s going to be a fun trip back.”

The natural skylight only provided enough light to make out basic shapes. “Okay, I’ll go back and light the other torch. You stay here.” He guided her to the wall and helped her sit down. “Now, don’t move.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I mean it.”

“Well, hurry up and get going then.”

He ran his hand along the cavern wall until he found the tunnel entrance. “I’ll be back soon.”

Inside the tunnel the dim light behind him quickly faded and within a couple of paces he couldn’t even see his hand in front of him. Keeping constant touch on the walls he felt the ground with his toes before taking each step.

It was painstakingly slow. A cool breeze tickled the back of his neck and he frowned. He’d expected to be heading into the breeze, but he pressed on regardless.

The blackness around him was like swimming in a tar pit and his ragged breathing and his thumping heartbeat sounded loud in the closed space. The upward slant of the smooth floor grew steeper with each step and the whistling wind seemed to get louder as it raced along the narrow tunnel. An uneasy feeling twisted in his stomach.

I should’ve reached the right angle by now.

Or at least see some light from the cave.

His heart thundered.

Just twenty more steps,then if nothing changes, turn around.One, two, three.

His mind raced as he wondered where he’d gone wrong.Nine, ten, eleven.

His right hand lost touch with the wall and he assumed the tunnel widened. Then his outstretched foot kicked something. He reached forward and touched a cold stone wall.

A dead end. Fuck.

Fear gripped him, a cold sweat oozed from his forehead and as he groped the wall, Abi’s joke about being lost for all eternity echoed in his mind. But he caught sight of a faint light high up to his right. He keptone hand on the wall as he walked toward it. The tunnel rose sharply, and the light grew brighter with each step. When he could see in front of him, he started to run, casting aside all sense of caution. His legs pounded up the incline and with instant relief, he saw blue sky.

The opening was as large as a door, remarkably rectangular in shape and at odds with its natural surroundings. He stepped onto a narrow ledge and waited for his thundering heart to settle. Below him, a carpet of green grass stretched out, dotted with pools of water that glistened in the sun.

But his heart sank at the vastness. Still no signs of civilisation.

The ledge skirted the cliff and he side-stepped along it with his back hard against the rock face. The rough path followed a series of hairpin turns that wound its way down.

Finally, he breathed a sigh when his feet reached the flat ground.

And yet, the change in terrain didn’t offer any relief.

They were still a million miles from nowhere.

ChapterFifty-One

Abi flicked another pebble into the centre of the cavern, and it quickly disappeared into the shadows. Mackenzie’s lengthy delay drove a spike of fear into her chest. The shifting clouds above darkened the room even more and the only sound was her shallow breathing.

Where is he?

The blackness closed in on her and although she had no way of telling time, he was taking too long. She fought images of him being hurt or stranded in the tunnel.

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