Part 3: The tail tale

~ PART 3 ~1

Maxine unlocked the car and stepped out cautiously looking around their campsite. She closed the door quietly behind her and noticed the fire had burnt down to a mere pile of ashes; the memory of the piercing eyes glowed in her head and she shuddered.2

‘Ash?’ she called. He was nowhere to be seen. It was fairly early so he could have been still asleep so she scrolled her eyes to his hammock and it was only full of blankets and empty chip packets. ‘Ash’ she called some more. She looked inside the tent she abandoned last night and it was Ash free. 3

‘Rrrmm’ came a moan from the other side of the trees. She ran over to the growth and pushed her way through, arms scratching at every push. And when she got to the outskirts she stopped and glared. On the bank of the lake lay Ash sprawled awkwardly with two empty alcohol bottles, which appeared to have, rolled form his hands.   4

Maxine felt a build up of frustration; Ash had sworn to her over the phone one day that his drinking addiction had ended and that he would never drink another drop. But the next thing she knew Ash wasn’t the only living being on the bank. From the water trotted a Thylacine with Ash's  handkerchief that it had drenched. And as it drew closer to Ash, Maxine froze from fright. The next thing Maxine will never forget. In dropped the wet handkerchief upon Ash’s chin and let the water drain into his open mouth. And every time the water ceased to dribble it went back to the water, soaked it and returned it to Ash’s chin.5

‘Amazing’ thought Maxine from the shadows. But it was her time to act and she submerged from the greenery slowly. The animal looked up with dark, dark eyes and it pawed Ash’s arm.6

‘Its OK fella’ she said walking cautiously over to Ash where she knelt by his side – he had obviously passed out. Then she turned to Ash. ‘Stupid, your a stupid person Ash’ she shook her head, ‘You promised me mate, you promised’ 7

The Thylacine knelt down on his front legs and nestled his nose on Ash’s arm.8

‘So you really do exist, hey’ she scratched his soft head. It looked up at her, with head still down, it almost seemed like its eyes were possessed by night. 9

It stood up as Maxine helped Ash’s limp body to his feet and he stirred.10

‘Just help me get you back to camp Ash’ she said in his ear and at once his eyes opened a bit, ‘Just move your legs – one foot and then the next’.11

And slowly they made their way back to camp where she lifted Ash onto his hammock.12

Maxine could of felt lonely that whole day, she very well could of, but she didn’t. She could of felt entirely angry at Ash, she could of, but she didn’t. In truth, Maxine was not alone for the Thylacine had followed her to their camp and was acting remarkably like the dog she never had. 13

Yes, the creature did look like a dog; Maxine thought it looked a lot like a greyhound but with black stripes over sandy colored fur. It had a dark snout with whiskers coming out a couple of inches from the skin. In had the deepest eyes like pools of night and as for its bark – it sounded14

completely like a dog’s deep bark.   15

The Thylacine had parked itself beneath the Hammock in the shade. Maxine, who was sitting on the car hood again, was staring at it very curiously indeed. ‘Well this here is one Thylacine… where’s the rest? And if there are some… would they be as nice as this one?’16

The Thylacine gave a yawn and fell asleep.17

Maxine couldn’t comprehend the idea that the species had lived this long but gone rarely unnoticed by the Tasmanian community. ‘Maybe this is the last one, maybe I should report it?’ she thought but then her heart sunk so low, ‘the one they thought was the only one let years ago was left to live the rest of its days locked up, its freedom bound to a small setting’. Maxine realizes she couldn’t do it; she could not deprive a living thing of its freedom. She also new that if Ash knew it was alive he would send it away… it couldn’t stay.18

‘Ergh, what a rotten headache’ Ash moaned loudly from his hammock and then he tried to turn over but he fell out of it and landed heavily on the dry ground. And with that foolish act the Thylacine ran, he scattered from his resting spot and fled into the surroundings.19

‘Uh hello?’ slurred Ash propping himself off the ground, ‘How did you find me Maxi?’20

‘Good question, very good question’ she said. 21

‘What?’ but then he just fell asleep where he lay22

‘You shall never know dear Ash’ she thought.23

When all the gear had been packed in the car, and ash had zonked out in the back seat, Maxine began to drive home. She had all the roads locked up in her mind; she knew every track home. 24

And as the sun began to sink, and the land was lit by its husky orangey pink glow, Maxine noticed a blur of stripes dart across the road. 25

*~* The end *~*26