Sunday, November 23, 2008

Interlude


Interlude

Back at base camp, Ranger took a grateful swallow from his thermos mug. The coffee was cold, but he didn't care. It was strong and for now, it was exactly what he needed. Ignoring the exhausted chatter around him, he walked to the edge of the clearing. Wearily massaging the back of his neck, Ranger surveyed the rugged terrain before him. It was a deceptively beautiful place. In the distance he could hear the helicopter approaching. It was time to go home.

Three days ago a young bushwalker had wandered away from his group and disappeared. While anxious friends and family waited, the search and rescue teams had combed the dense bushland. Two hours ago the coded messaged had come through from the command post.
"The bottle is broken."
The lost bushwalker had been found.
Dead.

4 comments:

paisley said...

powerfully written..

quin browne said...

very well done.

"Sunshine" said...

Another haunting installment. Great work, as always!

Unknown said...

I really do like the way you write. It's difficult to write in that genre, and having an ability to get past the scenery to the underlying story and personas that are the true story. You do that, and can tell a gripping yarn.