The Fire and the Bush

CHAPTER 1 | | TRAGEDY STRIKES



The fire raged in a pathetic attempt to catch the trees on the far side of the dusty, overgrown field, I watched it engulf my family’s farm and everything they worked for… The trees were laid to waste the fire trucks only seemed to fuel the fire, like it itself was living.



You could hear the groans and screams of the animals in the bush next to us, the cows laid there, unmoving and burnt to a crisp. I didn’t like seeing animals getting killed and butchered, I never have and this is far worse than anything I have seen my entire life. As I watched the fire come closer and closer I couldn’t help but think of what could have happened if we moved away, before making the decision to stay and fight the fire.



I could hear screams now, echoing behind me and a strong wind of hot hair blew through my ruffled hair and made its way towards the fire trucks, only then did I notice that the fire had hit me, I opened my arms and fell backwards, hitting the ground with a great bang as ash and dust covered my body.



Awhile and what seemed to be a year was only a few days later, I was lying in a hospital bed and I couldn’t move a single muscle, I was getting injected pain-killers and antidepressants like it was food, people constantly made their way into my white room that seemed to be my death bed and talked to me, whispering and giving me things, hope I thought to myself, hope.



Although I couldn’t hear the people when they talked to me I always tried to think they were trying to be optimistic and faithful towards my recovery and well-being.



A few weeks later I could move my legs slightly and enough to get to place to place if I really needed to be, I was moved to a bath that had chemicals that was supposed to help me and relax me, It stung like nothing I have ever experienced and filled my legs with great pain, but after the pain had submerged I felt relaxed and the pain seemed to numb. The nurses looking after me were quite nice and they didn’t mind helping me from place to place, and today they were peeling off the dead skin from my face and the rest of my body with big plastic and rubber lined tweezers that seemed to not hurt if they accidently missed and took my new skin. A few hours later I was helped into my bed and the pain was unbearable and it felt like a gunshot in all the joints of my body when I moved them, the nurses saw my pain and helped me to get some moisture back into my skin, before I seized up. After I was moisturized I decided that I needed some painkillers and a sleeping pill or two so I could get through the day, but before I could do that, a pain spiked my heart and my lungs felt like they dropped and were now covering my gut, so I screamed and passed out on my bed and didn’t bother moving, not for a long time.



I woke up, and what to me seemed an hour was a few years for them, the rest of my family where all by my side when I woke up, the day before Christmas, they smiled at me and called for the nurses, I looked at my body in the middle of all the crying and happiness that was going on around me and I seemed to be my normal self, my unshaved self. I was skinny, maybe even a few inches smaller than I was an hour ago, or so I thought. I asked the visitors around me what time it was, they replied in a surprise sprung face and sung “8.00pm” I looked shocked and couldn’t believe that I could recover in such a fast time space. Someone came over to me, I blinked and squinted... It was mum, I smiled and she said in such a soft voice it seemed as though I was listening to an angel “You’ve been out of action for 2 years; we didn’t think you’d make it, but it seems the gods delivered”



CHAPTER 2 | | COMING BACK



As I looked up at my family and friends in my hospital room I noticed my older brother was not there, he wasn’t usually one for missing family gatherings or moving away… I looked around for mum and I caught her eye, she looked at me and smiled “Mum” I grimaced “Where’s Nathan?” her wide and happy smile broke and shattered into a horrible twisted frown “He’s dead isn’t he Ma, please don’t tell me he’s dead… Please!” I looked around for a confirmation from the other family members and friends but they all broke into tears and nodded “I’m sorry Will” She rested her hand on my knee “He is in a better place now” I didn’t want to believe it, I didn’t want to think about what he might have done to get killed, but unfortunately my mouth didn’t listen “How did he die, someone tell me… Please?” I yelled whilst slightly getting up and resting my back against the wall, soon my cousin walked over, Oliver a skinny kid who looks like he gets fed once a month “Will, I know you love your brother so I will save you from thinking about it too much” He ushered everyone out of my room, closed the door and sat next to me in tears he spoke “While you were hit by the fire, Nathan was trying to run after you and help you away, but it caught him to and a tree fell on top of him, meters away from your body...” He got up, brushed his clothes off and walked to the door, slightly opened it and without turning said “He’s up there Will, He’s helping you” he walked out and closed the door.



I sat there for next few hours, thinking about what I could have done to save his life, I knew I was stupid and I knew it was my fault that he is dead and I needed to find a way to take it off my mind, I knew that taking my own life would be something that my brother would look down on, so I just decided that I was ready to go into the new world and travel a little bit, go on a little adventure… for Nathan.



I called out to the nurses and mum tried to come in to help, but I denied her and told her I was alright and that I wasn’t such a little kid anymore more, for Christ sake I’m 16 now! The nurses came in and took the needle out of my arm, I was happy that I could move it again and that I wasn’t feeling as though I was stiff all the time, as they helped me to my feet I indicated to my mum to come in, she smiled at shuffled inside the room closing the door silently and then rushing over towards me, “Mum, do you have any clothes that I could use?” I said “As a matter of fact I do, I hope you like them” she reached over towards a package rapped in paper and handed it to me, I grabbed it hesitantly and unwrapped it, I looked closer and realized that it was a set of clothes, socks, jocks and all, I smiled at mum and gave her a hug, I told everyone to come back in 5 minutes and they nodded and slowly walked out of the room, once they were gone I walked over to the blinds, closed them and then undid my ‘hospital dress’ and got in my new clothes.



CHAPTER 3 | | REALISING REALITY



I walked out into the blinding light of the bustling hospital to be welcomed by cheers and clapping and pats on the backs as I walked out and got steered by the nurses towards the counter so that I could sign myself out, I couldn’t believe how tall I was I was half a ruler length taller than my mum, I was handed a pen and I signed myself out of the hospital and as I said my farewells to the lovely lady nurses that helped me I waved and turned back to go towards the exit, but as I neared the exit something caught my eye, so beautiful it could have stunned me and wrapped me up in a tight cocoon, a girl the same age, a little smaller than me, and with beautiful blonde hair and sky blue eyes that danced happily in the sunshine of the skylights, I looked at her and smiled and unbelievably she smiled back and as I turned she yelled ‘Watch out for the door!’ and right at that moment my face slammed into the glass door and I stood there, embarrassed and god be my witness, she laughed and walked over to me in a swift but yet human motion, she was like an angel that was on earth, smiled and asked if I needed any help and I nodded, face still on the glass door, she grabbed my hands and hauled me to my feet and I brushed myself off and looked her directly in the eyes, those beautiful eyes and said “Thanks” she blinked so cutely and said as she walked away “No problem”, her voice as soft as velvet and her hands as delicate as silk… Mum laughed as I walked past the door I ran into and towards the car, I smiled but couldn’t hold back the red cheeks I entered the car and immediately noticed the cross hanging from the mirror inside the car, I smiled at looked up and new that Nathan was watching me and helping us, guiding us through the tough times to come and the tough times that will come, faster than we can foresee.





We drove through the town and I took in all the new sights and sounds that I have not heard before, although it is where I live it looks awfully familiar, soon we were out of the town and driving at a steady speed towards the town I live in, the trees and fields when afar and it was green and fresh like a new pair of shoes, I asked mum if we could drop by Subway and get a Teriyaki Sub she nodded politely and she turned the radio up a little bit so we could just hear the music but still hear each other if we decided to talk then mum spoke in a solid, trembling voice “I didn’t know if you were going to make it Will, we all thought you were going to die… we prayed for you Will, we hoped to god that you would make it alive and come back towards us, I think he gave you a chance, I think he’s given you a gift that needs to be seen, a gift that you should be extremely thankful for, Life” I took a moment to take in what she just told me and let my mind roam and unravel what she just said about me and about god, I looked at her and frowned and said “I’ll try and remember that mum” and the rest of the drive home was long and boring, we didn’t talk the whole way home from that moment on, we entered my town called Yarram and pulled into the car park for Subway and entered, to only be greeted to an old friend Tyson “Will! Dude, I didn’t even know if you would still be alive, we have a public holiday and everything for you” he looked at me and asked what I would want “A Teriyaki Sub Foot-long please” I have always remembered what mum told me about manners and how they would get me a long way in life, he took the bread and made me the Sub, I smiled as he handed it to me and I went to pay, when he said “It’s On Me” I laughed and said “Lifesaver” he looked down and then to the next customer, I entered our car again and drove home, I on the other hand fell in a deep love with the Sub and hugged it politely and then violently as I ate it so fast, It could have been a record.



We drove into the driveway and I looked at mum in cluelessness and said “This isn’t our house, It’s not even small” I said admiring our huge house, modern and new it smelt like something that you would buy from Bunnings, a wonderful smell! We got to the door and a smile broke on mums face “Welcome to our new home Will”

CHAPTER 4 COMING SOON!