Xenoflight, page 2
Nessa blinked and it was gone. Her imagination again. A trick of the eye. She stretched out her cramped legs and pain spiked through them. She stood up in the dark. No one was around now – it was definitely time to go. She put Fernando in her backpack and set off in the opposite direction towards Apollo Bay.
Nessa picked her way around the rocks at the point, near the edge of the water. Moonlight glinted off the white caps several metres away. A dark shape on the sand ahead gave Nessa pause for a moment, but it was just another rock. She moved to some firmer sand for easier walking and continued until the next bunch of rocks, and then the next. Above her, as time passed, the moon rose in the sky.
Nessa couldn’t help thinking about what the Cryptid Hunter wanted with her. And what was Auntie Carla doing with HARNESS? How was Nessa’s father going to find her now? There were too many questions and no answers.
A truck passed on the road above, its brakes sighing as it slowed for a bend. Nessa gazed at the stars, tiny bright beacons in the jet-black sky with a cloud of Milky Way just visible. As she watched, an incandescent arc of light blazed in front of her. A shooting star.
I wish I could find my father. Nessa shut her eyes for a second and when she opened them the light was gone. The wish had come automatically − it was what she always said. If only that Cryptid Hunter hadn’t turned up it would have come true. But she had an address. If he couldn’t come to her, she could go to him. She’d known that metal-detector money would come in handy.
‘Cada Dia Surt El Sol,’ said Auntie Carla’s voice in her head. An old Catalan saying that meant the sun will come up tomorrow. Everything would be OK.
Nessa kept walking as the moon sank in the sky. The tide crept in and she had to climb up to the road. She didn’t have a watch but she knew she’d been walking for hours. Tiredness seeped through her, making her arms and legs feel disconnected to the rest of her body. She had to find somewhere to sleep. Fernando snored in her backpack.
Nessa crossed the Great Ocean Road and ventured towards the holiday houses. There were no streetlights and, apart from the distant sound of the sea, there was complete silence. A car was parked in the driveway of the first place. Nessa skirted around it. The next driveway was empty.
‘Too close to the road,’ Auntie Carla would say in lock picking lessons.
How about the next house, a new double-storey?
‘There could be alarm,’ said the Auntie Carla voice. ‘Not worth the risk.’
Nessa pressed her face up against the window, looking in at the dark kitchen and bedrooms, empty and waiting for holiday time. Nessa was so tired she was seriously thinking about curling up under one of the trees on the grass. She’d be able to sleep anywhere.
Up the end of the dirt road was an iron gate that hung ajar. No sign of people. Nessa headed for the front door but then spotted a path around the side of the house, which she followed to the enormous garden behind. Huge, shadowy pine and oak trees grew unkempt next to an untended tennis court. At the edge of the property there was an old stone cottage. Perfect. Nessa tried the door. It was unlocked.
Inside was an old fireplace and three sets of bunks. Nessa sat on the nearest one and let Fernando out of the backpack. Well-rested from a long sleep, he darted around the room. He sniffed everything in sight as he leaped from one side of the room to the other.
In contrast to the energetic Fernando, Nessa was so tired. She lay down and closed her eyes just for a moment.
‘And next on the program, the one you’ve been waiting for, the world-famous Girona circus act, one of the SANTIAGO SISTERS!’ The incredible, the fantastic, the amazing High Dive!’
Cheers from below as a woman in a sparkling gold leotard climbs the rungs of a tall tower. The audience crane their necks, looking up at the roof of the big top as she ascends. Finally she reaches a platform, a tiny figure arms spread wide, then above her head as she steps into mid-air. She soars downwards, gaining speed as she plummets down towards a deep pool of water. Gasps are audible as she hurtles towards it. Surely it is too small? Too far? Too dangerous? Will they witness an accident? She spreads her arms wide.
Splash! Water shoots up everywhere as she slaps the water and sinks down. Ripples at the surface, bubbles appear. Breaths are held as seconds tick by.
She emerges like a dolphin leaping with glee in the light. She slides out of the tank onto the sawdust and bows low.
‘The amazing Gabriella Santiago! Death-defying feats! Incredible!’
The crowd goes wild.
‘And next up,’ said the ringmaster, trying to be heard above the cheering, ‘is our very own Fernanda, the flying ferret with Carla Santiago!’
Loud birdsong from outside the window made Nessa open her eyes. She stayed still for a moment, letting herself wake slowly. Another weird dream. Then she noticed the musty smell of the mattress and sat up, leaning against the rough stone wall. Dust motes floated in slow motion through the morning sunlight slanting through the dirty window. Where was Fernando? Then Nessa noticed a small hole in the wall.
She swung herself out of the bed, her stomach grumbling and peered out of the window into the green garden. Over near an old stone fountain, ivy creeping up the sides, a badling of happy ducks quacked.
Bright sunlight dazzled, as Nessa made her way towards the creek, carrying her backpack. There was a clear view through to the beach. Nessa considered. It would be a nice place to stay. There was a small nip on her left ankle and Nessa looked down to see Fernando. He frolicked away in the sunlight, chasing some kind of insect.
‘Coming?’ she said.
He looked towards her, reluctant.
‘Come on.’ Nessa opened the top of her backpack and Fernando hopped in and curled up. His eyes were shutting as she closed the zip.
Nessa followed a track up the hill, where an old metal gate sat by itself with no fence either side. Nessa eyed it. If she opened it and stepped through, would she end up in some different world? She took a wide berth around the gate.
Nessa’s stomach rumbled again, as she walked around the side of the house, keeping a careful eye out. The only sound was the breaking of waves on the beach opposite, which grew louder as Nessa approached. Either side of the road were tangles of bracken and blackberries. Behind her the tall trees of the Otways towered up the steep hill.
Nessa followed the beach, a calm settling over her, despite the drama of the day before. Waves shushed her worries to the back of her mind and she felt the sun on her small face, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She had to find her father but she couldn’t go back to the house. The Cryptid Hunter knew where it was. There was a reason the house was so hidden away. A reason why Nessa had lived in so many places – been to so many different schools. Not that Nessa knew what it was. Every time she’d asked Auntie Carla about it, she’d changed the subject.
That was why Nessa had picked the lock to Auntie Carla’s ‘secret drawer’. Inside, she’d found a letter. Now, she sat on a rock and pulled it out of her bag. It was dated from twelve years ago, just after Nessa was born.
Dear Carla,
I hope this letter gets to you. Please tell me where you are. I regret some things I said in our last conversation but I cannot stop the search. After what happened to Gabby, I need to protect our daughter as well.
But I need to see her. Please reply.
The bottom of the page was torn off. Nessa didn’t know why Auntie Carla had kept this under lock and key. She’d wanted to ask her but it was too hard to know where to start. Carla had told Nessa her mother had died in a circus accident. But this letter didn’t sound like she had. If it was the last thing she did, Nessa was determined to find her father.
Yesterday, she’d been given what she always wanted. His address. All she needed now was to find a bus to get her there. She should have enough money in her emergency fund, from finding coins on the beach.
Nessa hurried her steps towards the main part of town but then the smell hit her. Fresh, yeasty, mouth-watering bread. Nessa’s stomach rumbled so violently that it almost put her off balance. The buttery aroma of croissants made her want to cry. She leaned against the café door and tried not to think about the coins in her backpack. They were not for this. Then she smelt orange poppy seed cake, so vividly she could feel the crunch of seeds between her teeth. She jumped. Someone was unlocking the door.
CHAPTER 3
A blue-haired young man with a cheerful red and white striped apron and a pierced eyebrow poked his head out of the café door.
‘We’re not open yet.’
‘I know.’ Nessa told her feet to walk away but they refused. ‘I’m hungry,’ she said, surprising herself. She’d had no intention of saying anything.
The man’s eyebrow went up. ‘Come back in an hour.’
Nessa swallowed the saliva that was building up inside her mouth. ‘I can’t.’ She thought of the coins in her backpack. ‘Just a couple of things,’ she said.
The man stared at her for a moment. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘Come in. My name’s Seth, by the way.’
Nessa hesitated in the doorway.
‘Up to you.’ Seth shrugged and turned.
Nessa sat at a table just inside where she could keep an eye on the street. She put her backpack carefully under the table, hoping Fernando stayed asleep. Seth placed a small plate, with a large apricot and custard pastry in front of her. Nessa immediately took the largest bite she could.
‘Pancakes?’
Nessa nodded, cheeks bulging. Seth winked at her and went to the kitchen. Nessa was lost in the sensory overload of sweet, flaky, sticky heaven.
Time passed and Seth brought food. Pancakes with strawberries, a chocolate milk shake, a croissant with butter and jam. Nessa was making her way through a blueberry muffin when she noticed Seth standing in front of her table.
‘I think that’s enough,’ he said.
‘I’ve got money.’
‘That’s not what I mean.’ Seth shook his head. ‘I’ve never seen anyone as small as you, eat so much food in such a short time. I’m worried you’ll explode.’ He crossed his arms. ‘And quite frankly, I don’t want to clean up the mess.’
Nessa licked crumbs from the corners of her mouth. ‘Just a couple of those little bread roll things?’
Seth shook his head. ‘You drive a hard bargain.’ He broke into a wide grin and headed towards the back of the shop, saying over his shoulder. ‘You’ve discovered my weakness. I’m a sucker for anyone who likes my food.’
Nessa swallowed the last of her muffin, leaned her chin on her hand and pushed granules of sugar across the table, lining them up in rows. She licked the end of her finger, attached the little bits of sweet sand and put them on the end of her tongue. She froze. There was someone outside the window.
Nessa slid down in her seat and let her hair hang down over her face. She was supposed to be keeping a low profile. She peeked between the strands of her hair. It was a boy from her school. It was Kep Parker.
Kep Parker was on Nessa’s bus. He lived in Kennet River. He was popular, he was sporty, basically he was everything Nessa wasn’t. Plus he was way too tall. The girls on the bus whispered about his red hair and blue eyes. They giggled if he sat next to them. Nessa just ignored him. What was he doing here?
When she peeked through her hair again, Kep Parker had gone. Nessa got to her feet. Had he seen her? She moved towards the counter. Definitely time to go.
Seth handed her a paper bag and a take away cup of hot chocolate. ‘This one’s on the house.’ He winked. ‘But remember you’ve got to pace yourself.’
Nessa dug into her backpack for her coins. There were still enough for the bus. ‘That was awesome.’
‘Just awesome?’ Seth pouted.
‘Magic. And I like your hair.’
Seth smiled. ‘You’re welcome in my café any time mystery girl.’
Nessa hesitated at the door. Seth had just turned on the television. Across the top of the screen were the words:
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM HARNESS.
Seth grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.
The camera showed a man wearing an open-neck shirt and leather jacket. His sun-bleached wavy hair fell to about the length of his collar and he had a tidy blonde goatee. His tanned face lit up with a white-toothed smile as he looked straight at the camera.
‘As you may know, my name is Hardwin Smythe.’ He spoke with a posh English accent. ‘I’m heading to Japan at the moment but I’d just like to thank the Australian public for their incredible response to our call for sightings of cryptids, for our Cryptopark.’ He did another big white smile. ‘We ask for just a few more. The reward for authentic sightings of cryptids will be doubled. Now each viable animal will provide the finder with forty thousand dollars. Now, for any questions while I’m away, you can contact my colleague Mr Duncan Ness and I’ll be back to your wonderful country very soon.’
The TV went back to its normal programming.
‘I wouldn’t mind finding one of those animals,’ Seth looked wistful. ‘The money would really come in handy right now. My partner and I just bought a house.’
Fernando squirmed inside Nessa’s backpack.
‘I’ve got to go.’ Nessa checked to see if Kep Parker was definitely gone. He was nowhere in sight. Good.
She headed back towards the Visitor Information Centre. As the sugar rush and nutrients from her large breakfast spread throughout her body, Nessa felt almost superhuman. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following her, but every time she turned around, there was no one there. Maybe she was getting paranoid. She reached the path along the beach and took it at twice the normal speed.
As she strode along, Nessa scowled. That Cryptid Hunter man really got her angry. He captured animals just because they were different. He took them away from their homes and put them in that Cryptopark. She’d never seen it but she’d bet it was horrible. And it was his fault she wasn’t there for her dad. Nessa sighed. She had to find a way to her father’s house. But what she’d really like to do is to find the Cryptid Hunter and make him pay for what he’d done.
She reached the Visitors’ Information Centre. Inside the flat-roofed building surrounded by native shrubs and grasses, Nessa felt the collection of sandy coins in her pocket.
‘How do I get a bus to Myrtleford?’ she asked.
A white-haired woman with a name tag that said JOAN stared down at Nessa, her eyes large behind her sparkly-framed glasses. Her forehead furrowed into a multitude of wrinkles.
‘Are you sure you want to leave?’ she said. ‘Someone saw a whale just up the coast yesterday. And the glow worms are beautiful this time of year.’
Nessa shrugged. ‘I’m going to see my dad,’ she said. ‘For the school holidays.’
‘And you’d be going by yourself?’ The wrinkles on Joan’s forehead increased.
‘I’m just small for my age, OK?’ Nessa took her school ID out of her pocket. ‘See, I’m thirteen. He’ll meet me when I get there. Can you tell me where I can get a ticket?’
Joan peered at the student card. Her eyes narrowed as she handed it back. ‘Where’s your mother dear?’
‘At home, of course. It’s OK – I’ll get her to get the ticket.’ Nessa took her card and backed away from the counter. The last thing she wanted was Joan calling the police. Being a small thirteen-year-old alone could attract attention – she hadn’t thought about that. Maybe she’d be better to go back to the cottage and wait it out for a while. The Cryptid Hunter was close after all. And then when things died down a little, she could go back to Wye River. Her dad could even be waiting for her there.
‘Keep an eye out for that whale,’ called Joan, as Nessa left the building.
Back at the cottage, Nessa let Fernando out of her bag and he sprinted into the garden. Nessa smiled as he scampered around in the dappled sunlight. It should be safe to stay here for another night. She checked the coins in her wallet. She’d have to be more careful buying food from now on. And she’d see her father soon, anyway.
It was a sunny winter’s day, but it was still cold in the cottage and Nessa climbed into her sleeping bag to keep warm. Leaning up against the wall, she positioned herself in a shaft of sunlight that beamed though the window. She felt herself drifting slowly off to sleep.
On the shores of the loch, the small boy looks over the still water, its surface like a silver spoon in the moonlight. On either side of the water, smooth hills rise, their uppermost tips coated in winter snow. The call of a raven carries across the still night air and he shivers. He should go home. But he can’t yet.
His mother told him about the creature that lives in the loch and more than anything, he wants to see it. Especially now. She’s been gone for 27 days, and people are telling him she’s not coming back. They shrug their shoulders and whisper loudly when they think he’s not listening. But he knows where she’s gone, even if they don’t.
The surface of the water ripples, growing wider and he holds his breath. He stares so hard, his eyes water in the chilly night air. He is going to see the monster. He’s sure of it.
His breath comes out as mist in front of him, but he waits despite the cold. His mother has gone to the monster. And he’s going to get her back.
Nessa opened her eyes, momentarily confused. It was a different place to the others. A different person. What did it all mean? She peered out of the window and took a sharp breath. Fernando was in the grass, flattened down to the ground, not far from the cottage. He was hunting something, maybe a bird. What Nessa could also see was someone hunting Fernando. It was Kep Parker.
Kep took careful, slow steps towards the oblivious little ferret. Nessa slipped out of the cottage. Neither Fernando or Kep noticed her, so intent they were on their prey. But before Nessa could even get close, Kep launched himself forwards and grabbed hold of Fernando.
