To Kill a Bunyip

by A R Dent

  ~~~~~

  Null was in shock. One man disappeared whilst fishing at night. Then another man disappeared. Both men were new to the area and only a few people knew them. The disappearance of one of the most well known identities in the village sent shock waves through the village. The town was in mourning. The town had never had a person of such renown to disappear. Fear was replaced with old wives tales. Clichés replaced logic.

  ‘Someone killed an albatross,’ was written in black felt tip pen ink across the community notice board.

  Fisher-people since time began were superstitious and now gossip was based around superstition.

  At the local hotel Neville stood at the bar waiting for Thelma.

  ‘No beer Thelma. I just came in to ask you to tell Jim I won’t be going out just yet looking for the river monster. My missus won’t let me. She heard on the grapevine it is a bunyip. Someone was reading a book at the local library, on folklore based around creeks, and the stories fit. Every detail in the book was exactly what has been happening. You feel it when you go out there on the water sometimes. As though there is a DNA for fishing people. As though we are part of nature and fishing is for survival and take only what is part of the food cycle. The food cycle has changed.’

  ‘What a load of rubbish. You go and tell that to Jim yourself. Look Neville, what’s come over you? That stuff written up there – the killing an albatross – what’s come over you blokes – you’re all acting like a pack of galahs. I’ll just do my job here selling beer and you go and have a word with your doctor. You need some of those tablets they are giving to the church people. Everyone’s on medication so go and get some for yourself. Then go and chat with Jim. I don’t want Jim’s brain poisoned with superstition. I want fresh fish and going around believing that rubbish I can tell you is just what this village doesn’t need. Off you go and let me do my work.’

  Thelma moved to the other end of the bar wiping the top of the bar clean staring at Neville as he sauntered out of the bar looking like a lost sheep.

  During the morning, schools of fish were reported in vast numbers in Snapper Creek from the boat ramp and upward into the creek. Dolphins moved around the fish and herded them toward the shore. Then the dolphins left and the fish disappeared from view. One solitary white bellied sea eagle flew along the length of Snapper Creek and then returned to its nest on the northern side of the creek. The Nor Easter wind arrived at midday. Ripples on the water turned to small white tufts, then large waves. The turbulence lasted for five minutes. The Nor Easter wind had never caused such a display on the surface of the water. As these events occurred with a fifteen minute time frame one woman noticed. Eloise Buchanan sat and spoke to Penny.

  ‘Gondwanaland is returning. Gondwanaland is seeking revenge and the tides will change before we know and the moon will hide its secrets. Nothing like this happens unless it is from the Dreamtime and the stories told are part of nature. Nature is seeking revenge or is telling us something.’

  Eloise continued to sit at the end of the jetty and felt the wind pass through her body.

  Null held secrets from when time began. Penny was writing everything she could recall of a vivid dream she had during the night. Writing her story, Penny knew nothing of its meaning but the words meant things. Words describing the evolution of the land, when clouds moved drawing up moisture. Water fell from the sky and created huge volumes of water, the water carved a path as it travelled to lower ground. The water had appeared as a snake in rainbow colouring. The land, one solid mass divided and moved by centrifugal force to balance the planet and the earth kept spinning. A transformation occurred. Another life cycle commenced. All life that previously existed died out and the earth was given another destiny – a destiny of duality.

  As the earth changed in Penny’s dream, she saw in image form, large beasts and the tiniest insect forming into a life cycle for survival of the planet. Superimposed over the survival pattern there entered another dimension. The dimension of power. One huge beast towered over all other beasts and devoured until it could not move. It died because it was too fat to kill to sustain itself in its daily food requirements. Another beast took its place and repeated the cycle. Slaughter until death from inability to eat because of gluttony. One beast came along and devoured but instead of dying it multiplied and its offspring also slaughtered and devoured. Survival, as part of a life cycle was not the motive. The motive of the new beast was to devour for the sake of power. Penny continued writing her dream. As Penny was finishing writing down her dream, a bolt of lightning struck a tree at Norman Point. The sound echoed along the waterways and streets of Null. Somewhere along the cycle path to Crab Creek two dogs were trotting along on their own. Both dogs hid behind a bush when the sound of thunder occurred.

  ‘Where is it? Where is the thing that made that noise?’ Oscar said.

  ‘If you don’t know then how am I to know? You have lived here longer than me. I think it’s safe to continue now. Crab Creek is calling. Let’s hurry. We have to be back before humans discover we are gone,’ Charlie said.

  Charlie and Oscar moved faster along a track adjacent to the path. Partly hidden by bushes, the two dogs arrived at Crab Creek in record time. A journey they often went on for the pure fun of the walkies alone without humans.

  ‘Low tide Charlie. Across that creek is the home of another land. No one lives there. Mostly soft mud. We can’t move over that. Along the path further is another small creek we have to cross. We have to go further up the creek today. Deep holes are found further inland. The water down this end is shallow and we can cross over before we get to the deep hole that we have to go to. Let’s go.’

  As Charlie stepped into the water he felt an energy. An energy he had felt before. As Charlie and Oscar approached the deep hole in the creek Charlie nudged Oscar and said,

  ‘I want to take over here. I can feel the energy strong. You take a step to the side. If the beast appears, and I think it will, then don’t try to attack it. We want to discover what it is. Now is the time to talk.’

  Charlie entered the water and kept going until the water covered his legs but not touching his belly. Charlie looked back and Oscar was still on the dry sand.

  ‘Aren’t you coming out here Oscar?’

  ‘Nah. You negotiate as much as you like. We are investigators. We don’t have to solve anything. So you investigate and I will write the report. Besides that Charlie, I’m gutless. You’re the hero’

  ‘Chicken. Go write your reports Oscar. You write, I solve --- AND STOP CALLING ME A HERO – I am simply a dog. Now, Where are we? The energy, yes the energy. I have felt this energy before. I’m entering your safety energy zone, whatever you are. Will you appear? Will you make yourself visible?’

  As Charlie was conjuring up another special request a wall of water like a mini tsunami appeared in front of him. A huge beast, as it rose from the deep hole, created water to flow out in a giant circle. As it rose up on its hind legs, a roar equal in volume to the lightning strike bellowed out, it took a swipe at Charlie with a foreleg. Charlie dropped low into the water. As the beast’s foreleg was passing over him, Charlie leaped from the water and attached himself to the beast. The beast, with Charlie hanging from its foreleg, thrashed itself about in a rage. The foreleg, with Charlie biting hard into it, moved fast and with one sudden movement, Charlie was dislodged, and thrown back onto the dry sand. The beast turned and disappeared from sight.

  ‘You solved that one well Charlie. What do you do now for an encore?’

  ‘At least I gave it a go. Let’s get out of here. I need to use my bowels but not here. Over beyond those mangroves I need to go.’

  Charlie and Oscar proceeded home along the known path in another fastest time. Back inside their backyard both dogs drank water and slid in behind the chicken shed away from the view from humans.

  ‘Hi boys. Having a nice time today are we?’ Donella asked.

  ‘You? I forgot about you. Why didn’t you help me? I coul
d’ve been killed by that beast.’

  ‘Charlie, you wouldn’t have been killed. It was a figment of your imagination. Wasn’t it? Or was it real? And you entered into another dimension.’

  ‘It was real.’

  ‘Well Charlie, you entered into another dimension. Perhaps you’ll see a solution now. Give it time. These things happen for a reason. Be careful because your destiny might be to slay the beast and it matters not whether you die in the process of doing it.’

  ‘Oscar, did you record what happened? It is needed for your report to Saggis.’

  ‘Not yet. My back teeth are still rattling. Why don’t you get another dog to do the recording? This Hollow Log Private Investigations is scary stuff. If you can do the fan dance why not you go and kill the beast?’

  ‘Good question Oscar. The reason I’m not to do it is because I have had my days on earth and now you are the forerunner to the next generation. Times are changing and times means multiplication. Go work that one out. I’ll be here if you want help just ask. It is necessary for you to be working on the solution here in Null. You’re part of the problem and both you dogs, are the solution. Penny is now one of your adversaries. Penny is on a different energy to you now. Her future is a different future to yours. Solve the mystery of Null and get your destinies to meld together. Somehow your energies separated. Also, common denominators in energies dictate. You can still align your energies back with Penny – until then Penny is your enemy. Enough for the day – rest and leave Crab Creek alone. It is the Bunyip of Snapper Creek you have to kill.’