Forest Shadows Page 6

  ‘Let’s hope not,’ Reg said, as he joined the group.

  ‘Where are we goin’?’ Snook asked.

  ‘Left. If we follow the track skirting the river. That’ll take us deeper into the forest. From memory, there are a few sidetracks leading off this one; we could try going up one of them. You know, have a look around. Get our bearings so to speak. What do you say? Good idea?’

  ‘I don’t want to go too far,’ Quenton said. ‘My legs are still aching from before.’

  Jars saw Snook roll his eyes. She also saw him bite his lip. She smiled to herself. Snook was trying his best to cope with Quenton. Good on him, she said to herself, at the same time wondering how long his patience would last. Quenton’s whining really was exasperating.

  They made their way along the track in single file, dodging the occasional puddle and fallen tree branch. Birds continued to issue their warnings, and every now and then, to their left and right, the grass and ferns rustled.

  ‘Lizards,’ Jars commented to Snook, pointing into the bush.

  ‘Yeah, or snakes.’

  ‘What? What did you say?’ Quenton asked running to see what they were talking about. ‘Did you say snakes?’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Snook said, ‘just watch you don’t step on one.’

  A half-hour later they came to a river. ‘It’s blocking our path,’ Snook said, disappointment showing in his face.

  ‘Looks like the end of the line,’ Reg said. ‘We must have missed those other offshoots I was talking about. ‘We might as well head back. It’s close to lunchtime anyway.’

  At that moment, Jars noticed something to her left; some of the ferns had been broken and several fungi had been knocked from one or two dead logs. She bent over, looking closer. Yes, it was another track, barely visible. ‘I wonder where that goes?’ she said pointing.

  Snook peered into the tangle of ferns. ‘Where? Whatcha lookin’ at?’

  ‘There,’ Jars said, pointing to the ground. ‘The vegetation has been disturbed, the soil, too. Not by a wild animal though, by something more human I’d say.’

  Snook bent over to look. ‘I can’t see a thing. Have you got x-ray vision or what?’

  ‘No, but I’ll tell you something that’s more than a little strange.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  Jars, eyes squeezed into slits as she bent over to examine the ground more closely. ‘It’s the impressions on the ground. I’ve never seen anything like it.’

  ‘What? Howdya mean?’

  ‘They’re webbed.’

  Reg wandered over; then he bent and parted the ferns that had grown over the path’s opening. He saw the marks. ‘Platypus have webbed feet,’ he said. ‘It might have been one of them.’

  ‘No, I don’t think so,’ Jars was quick to say. ‘These were made by something much heavier. The impressions are too deep.’

  Reg looked thoughtful; then, as though coming to a decision, he said. ‘Anyway, it looks reasonably clear up ahead. We might as well soldier on.’ With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he said, ‘We might even find out what the mysterious web-footed creature is.’

  ‘No way,’ Quenton objected. ‘Whatever it is might be dangerous. I say we go back. Anyway, I’m hungry.’

  ‘Don’t be stupid, Quigley,’ Snook said, trying not to think of the webbed footprints. ‘What’s to be scared of? It’s just another way through the forest. And if you’re hungry, why don’t you suck on one of those lollies you’ve been hiding from us?’

  Looking a little guilty because he had been sneaking one of his boiled lollies from the stash in his pocket every now and then, he hurriedly changed the subject. ‘What are those things on those dead logs, all those orange and white lumps? They look poisonous.’ The logs were, in fact, fallen branches that had piled next to one another at the base of the trees and the lumps were various forms of fungi.

  Snook, trying not to laugh, shook his head. ‘C’mon, Jars, let’s go take a look up the track, but watch out for Quenton’s scary toadstools on those bits of kindling.’

  ‘Laugh if you like. I only hope you know what you’re doing,’ Quenton mumbled as he brought up the rear. ‘There could be anything up ahead but that’s not all we need to worry about. Everything’s starting to look the same. We could easily get lost.’

  ‘There’s no chance of that happenin’,’ Snook called over his shoulder. ‘Jars is with us and she never gets lost. Not in the bush anyway.’ He looked to Reg for confirmation. ‘That’s right, eh, Reg?’

  Reg grinned, nodding. Snook wasn’t exaggerating.

  Jars wasn’t listening. Something was out there. Ahead of them and slightly to their right. It was two blurred figures appearing to dash from behind one tree trunk to another. They were indistinct, hard to describe. She’d had the briefest of glimpses but there had been something, a flash of movement. ’Did you see that?’ she asked, pointing.

  The others stopped and followed her line of sight. ‘See what?’ Snook asked.

  ‘Out there. There were two of them. One second they were there and then they vanished.’

  Snook looked at his cousin. ‘Two of what – wild animals?’

  ‘No, what I saw was different. These were more upright, shadowy, sort of ghostly.’

  ‘Wh-what?’ Quenton, who looked as though he really was feeling the strain of the walk, stammered. ‘G-ghosts? Wh-where?’ He caught up with Jars and then stood on his toes to see over her shoulder. ‘I-I can’t see anything. Y-you’re just messing with us … aren’t you?’

  ‘No, I definitely saw something.’

  Shadow ran over to Jars’ side, whimpering. ‘You saw them too, didn’t you, boy?’ she said, ruffling his ears. ‘And like me you can’t figure out what it was.’

  ‘C’mon. Let’s keep goin’,’ Snook urged. ‘We might find out what Jars’ ghosts really were.’

  ‘I w-want to go back to the shack. I don’t want to find out anything.’ Quenton bent over, hands on his knees as though out of breath.

  Jars frowned when she saw the state he was in. He’d clearly had enough of the bush and its surprises for one day. She turned to Reg. ‘Maybe Quenton’s right. Maybe we should go back.’

  She didn’t tell the others about the sudden thump she’d felt in her belly or the cold shiver that had clawed its way down her spine. There was something ominous out there, some shadowy things that didn’t belong. She knew that for sure. She’d seen them. She just didn’t know what they were.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  * * *

  Shadow suddenly bolted. Without warning he raced into the bush leaving Jars and the others open-mouthed, staring after him.

  ‘Shadow!’ Jars yelled, finding her voice. ‘Come back!’ The dog ignored her.

  ‘Shadow, come back!’ she called again. She turned to the others. ‘I don’t know what’s come over him. He never does that. He never disobeys me.’

  ‘He probably saw a wallaby and chased after it,’ Snook suggested.

  ‘No, it was something else.’ She started to move off. ‘I’ll go get him.’

  Reg stepped in and grabbed her by the arm. ‘That’s not a good idea.’ By this time Shadow was out of sight. ‘It’d split us up. And we can’t go with you. Not through that tangle.’ He looked at Quenton. He was definitely close to breaking point. ‘Quenton’s in no shape to go on, let alone slog through that.’ He waved an arm towards the thick scrub as if emphasising the point he’d made earlier. ‘We’d all better stay here and wait till Shadow comes back on his own. Then we’ll get Quenton back to the shack. He should be fit enough by then.’

  ‘No! This isn’t a silly game the dog’s playing,’ Jars said raising her voice. ‘He hasn’t taken after some animal either. He’d never do that.’ She looked at Reg. ‘You know what Shadow’s like, Reg. He was yours once. There must be another reason for him acting like that.’ She shook her arm free from Reg’s grip. She’d had enough talking. It was time for action. With more firmness than she meant, she said,
‘I’m going to get him back!’ She turned and sprinted into the bush.

  Reg knew that nothing short of brute force would stop her. She’d just faced up to him with a determination he’d never seen before. ‘See you back at the shack,’ he called out to her disappearing figure.

  He hoped she’d be safe. He wasn’t worried about her coping with the bush. It was what she’d said earlier that worried him. Something about seeing strange figures: upright, shadowy, sort-of-ghostly, she’d said . He rubbed his chin. It was the bush playing tricks. It had to be. At least he hoped it was.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  * * *

  It didn’t take Reg and the boys long to retrace their steps back to the shack. Once inside, Reg and Snook set about restarting the fire. It had grown quite chilly. Quenton headed for his bunk.

  When the fire caught, Snook and Reg followed Quenton’s example and settled on their bunks, waiting for Jars. ‘She shouldn’t be much longer,’ Reg commented, looking at his watch. ‘She would have caught up with Shadow by now.’

  ‘Stupid dog,’ Quenton said. ‘Taking off like that. A bit of discipline is what it needs.’

  Snook propped himself up on one elbow and glared. Sometimes Quenton’s sarcasm could be too much. ‘You’re the one that’s stupid. Shadow’s the best dog there is. There had to be a good a reason for him runnin’ away like that. You just wait and see. Jars’ll explain when she gets back.’

  ‘If she gets back.’

  Snook sighed. ‘How about bein’ a bit more positive, Quigley? I mean you’re always thinkin’ the worst. Of course she’ll be back – anytime now.’

  But Snook was wrong. Jars was about to experience something very much out of the ordinary and she’d be some time yet.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  * * *

  Everything was wet from last night’s rain, and moisture like tears dripped from the trees, saturating everything below, including Jars. Trying to ignore her wet body and the cold that it brought, she soldiered on, forcing her mind to concentrate. Her legs felt like lead. With each step the wet, spongy forest floor sank beneath her. It’s like walking on marshmallow, she thought. She gritted her teeth. Getting cold and wet and tired didn’t matter. Keeping on Shadow’s trail was the important thing.

  She came to a halt. A river was blocking her way. It was the same river that had stopped them before, only now she was further upstream. Scrub grew to its edge and further upstream, she could hear the unmistakable rumble of a waterfall. She jogged to the river’s edge and peered through the overhanging bushes. She could see the waterfall. It was only a short distance upstream from where she was standing and looked to be at least five metres high. She stared as the river rushed over its edge, swirling and frothing around boulders and rocks before plunging into what looked like a deep, dark pool.

  She backtracked and found her way to the falls. Where was Shadow? She looked up and downstream. Nothing. She’d lost his trail. She swivelled her body and looked around … searching. Then she saw them. At the top of the waterfall and near its edge were Shadow’s paw prints. Relief turned to despair. His paw prints disappeared, into the swirling mass of water. That could mean only one thing; he’d tried to cross the river but hadn’t returned.

  Terrible thoughts flashed through her mind as she realised the obvious. He’d probably been swept away by the current trying to swim across, chasing whatever it was he’d been chasing. Her stomach lurched. Why did he try it? It looked impossible. Swimming was out of the question. Not in that torrent.

  Jars heart thumped as though trying to get out and she struggled to breathe. She wiped the tears that had welled in her eyes. Was he, at that very moment, lying somewhere downstream, struggling to stay alive? She shuddered and held back a sob. She wiped her eyes once again and scanned the far bank. Hoping.

  The impossible happened. Her face lit up and a bubble of laughter burst through the lump in her throat. There, in the grassy area leading towards some trees on the other side, were some broken and bent ferns. That could only mean one thing. Shadow was alive!

  He’d done the impossible, but how? She moved to the very edge of the waterfall, searching for signs. Anything.

  Then she saw them, stones, just under the surface, stretching from bank to bank. ‘Stepping stones,’ she said aloud. ‘Hidden stepping stones.’ The cascading rush of water with its white, foaming bubbles had been an effective cover.

  She didn’t hesitate. If Shadow could do it, so could she. Tentatively, trying to keep her balance, she reached with her foot feeling for the first stone. It was slippery, covered with green algae. She fought to keep her balance as the flowing current of water, like an invisible hand, tugged at her ankles, threatening to dislodge her at any time. Slowly, carefully, moving from stone by stone, she made it to the mossy, firm ground on the other side.

  Crouched over, hands on knees, her breath exploded from her mouth like an exhaust pipe. She took several deep gulps of air; then gathering herself together, she hurried on, following Shadow’s tracks once again.

  After some distance, she came to a clear, grassy area. Not knowing what to expect, she positioned herself behind the fronds of a large tree fern and watched.

  She saw Shadow! He was with some animals, wild animals – wallabies, wombats, spotted quolls and even a family of Tasmanian devils. To her amazement, as the animals went about their business, eating, playing, walking, Shadow was busy greeting them as if they were old friends. But that was not all. To her left near an old shack, she saw a man. He was sitting in front of a fire. A cat lay draped across his lap.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  * * *

  The man looked to be alone, and judging by the neat surrounds plus a stacked woodpile near the fire, this was his home. It made her wonder. Why would he choose to live all the way out here? The nearest town was miles away. She didn’t know whether to make her presence known or not, didn’t know whether she’d be welcome.

  Plucking up courage, she stepped out into the open. The wild animals continued to graze, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

  Shadow saw her at once. He raced across the open space to her side. He propped, his whole body wagging. Grinning and slobbering slightly, he jumped up, paws on her shoulders. She waved a finger in his face. ‘Bad dog!’ she scolded. ‘Why’d you take off like that? I was sick with worry.’

  Shadow backed away and slunk to the ground, tail between his legs. He whimpered, looking up, eyes baleful, questioning, not understanding why she was angry.

  Feeling a little guilty now, Jars patted his head. ‘It’s okay, Shadow. I’m not really mad at you. You just scared me, running off like that. But why did you do it? There must have been a good reason.’

  Giving him one last pat, she said, ‘C’mon, let’s forget about it. Let’s go make ourselves known.’

  With Shadow trotting alongside, she crossed the cleared space towards the man. She drew closer and saw that he was old and that he was dressed in a very unusual way. He wore black trousers, loose fitting trackpants, a flowing purple gown and a small black hat. His hair was grey and it hung below his shoulders in pigtails. He’s oriental, she guessed.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, drawing near, ‘I’m sorry if my dog disturbed you.’

  The old man raised his eyes and studied her for a moment. Eventually he stood; then to her surprise, he bowed. Straightening and clasping his hands in front of him, in a singsong voice, he said, ‘I know you coming.’

  Jars raised her eyebrows. ‘You did? How come?’

  The man resumed his seat, which looked homemade. ‘Birds tell me. I hear birds many minutes ago.’ Changing the subject, he asked, ‘What your name? I Wu Han and this my cat, Po-Yee. Her name mean, Precious One.

  Shadow settled at Wu’s feet. Wu bent over and stroked his coat. ‘He good dog. Make friends with animals. What is name?’ Jars told him Shadow’s name, then hers. Wu nodded then said, ‘But why you so deep in forest? Why you find your way to Wu Han?’

  She mov
ed over to Shadow and rested a hand on his head.

  ‘I’m here because Shadow ran off as if he was chasing something. My friends said he’d probably run after a wild animal, but he’d never do that. He likes other animals, especially wild ones.’

  ‘You say your friends with you?’

  She pointed over her shoulder, ‘Yes, back there. I’m here with my cousin, Snook, and his friend, Quenton. Reg, who’s a ranger, is with us too. He didn’t really want me to go after Shadow but I had to. Something definitely spooked him.’

  Wu thought for a moment. ‘Perhaps it not animal Shadow chase.’

  Jars’ stomach clenched. The vision of the mysterious, darting shapes came to her. ‘I did see something unusual, Mr Wu, but I don’t know what it was. Do you think he chased that … or them?’ She explained what she had seen in as much detail as she could and then asked, ‘Have you noticed anything strange in the forest, Mr Wu? Something out of the ordinary?’

  Wu frowned and lowered his eyes. He leaned over and poked at the fire, not answering.

  That’s odd, Jars thought, reading his behaviour. He knows something but doesn’t want to tell me. Reluctantly, she dropped the subject. ‘Okay, Mr Wu, but something else puzzles me.’ She pointed towards the wallabies and other animals that were still grazing on the cleared area of land, not far from where they were sitting. ‘They’re not frightened of each other or us either. I was wondering why.’

  ‘I been here many, many year. Animals learn to trust Wu Han. When animals here, they know it is safe. It special place.’ He stared into Jars’ eyes. ‘But please, you tell Wu Han what trouble you. I see you unhappy inside. Face tell me.’