Page 118 of Lost In Kakadu

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 revealedstraight 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 pricked 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 leaned at a precarious angle and 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 firstbuilding 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 shuddered.

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.

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