19 April 2012
~This is a mini-story that I wrote when I was 12. It makes me laugh when I read it now as I think the ending is so stupid, but anyway! Sorry if it's a long Opuss. I didn't want to string it out over several posts.~
Chapter One
‘To your left is the “Kunarian mostoppolus”, a rare species of fly-catcher that has evolved to be bigger than your average fly-catcher. Why? Because this plant doesn’t catch flies, it catches mosquitoes.’ Mr Johnson’s voice resounded clearly through the moist Kunarian Desert’s oasis air. The year 10 class groaned in a muffled mixture of voices, unimpressed by their Guide’s lack of entertainment. Kate Duncan trailed along behind the group, feeling hesitant and tense. It wasn’t the fact that she was nervous about being in the Desert, it was merely the anxious feeling of forgetfulness. She couldn’t focus on what Mr Johnson was saying as a thought haunted her – she just had to find out what it was. ‘Kate!’ Mr Johnson shouted, ‘Please catch up with us immediately. You are missing out on a great deal of useful information.’ A few people in the class smirked in sarcasm at Mr Johnson’s comment. Next to Mr Johnson was the Prefect leader of year 10, Daniel Jones. He was speaking in a rushed, urgent manner with a look of worry on his face. ‘Mr Johnson,’ Daniel said, flicking through his survival book at a remarkable pace. ‘I believe I have found a particular plant that is essential in any urgent situation.’ ‘What do you mean by an “urgent situation”?’ Asked Mr Johnson. ‘Well, If any of us find that we have lost our food supply, matches, or sleeping bags, this plant will come in very handy. It is rare, and only exists in the many Kunarian oasis’, but we don’t have spares. If anything happens, we need this plant.’ Daniel passed over his bags to Mr Johnson before he could reply. ‘I’m going to go and look for it. You wait here with the class and hold my luggage. I’m going to need to be as light as I can if I’m running around this oasis in a hurry.’
Chapter Two
Kate watched Daniel run out of sight, dodging past trees and jumping over any obstacle that got in his way. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. She had left her survival pack on a rock back near campus when the class stopped for lunch. Whether she carried on following the group or stayed behind deciding, either way Kate would be short of her most necessary belongings. She needed to think, and fast. ‘Kate? What are you doing?’ Mr Johnson asked. Kate realised she had been standing in the same spot staring at the ground all this time. ‘Mr Johnson, I have forgotten my survival pack. Do you have any spares?’ Mr Johnson looked angry but embarrassed at the same time. ‘No, but…’ He watched Kate backing away, getting increasingly faster. ‘Kate you get back here! You don’t have a compass, you don’t have a…’ But before he knew it, Kate was already out of sight.
Chapter Three
Daniel’s eyes dashed from tree-root to rock, carefully scanning every area for any sign of the plant he was looking for. Having searched for over 5 minutes now, he could sense he wasn’t getting any nearer to what he wanted. The class are probably getting restless, he thought. Disappointed, Daniel trudged back, roughly in the way he thought he came from. He suddenly became overcome with pessimism. The Kunarian oasis’ were so big, the chances were very little that he’d actually find the plant he wanted. What if he couldn’t get back to the group? After all, he had walked 4 minutes out of the area where they were. With a sigh, he carried on walking. Even though Mr Johnson and the group were waiting, he was quite content taking his time.
Kate stumbled over the undergrowth, running as quickly as she could. She was scanning every rock in sight for her survival pack, but so far she had seen nothing. Kate knew she was going to run out of breath soon, so she slowed to a brisk walk. She started to worry. None of the surroundings were familiar to her, she hadn’t past these on the way to the fly-catchers after lunch. Her heart paced. Her breath quickened. She started to run; now getting anxious. Tripping, falling and tumbling over the dense oasis floor, Kate kept running in the opposite direction of the class. ‘Ouch!’ She came to an abrupt stop. She had bumped into something. Or someone.
Chapter Four
‘Kate?’ Daniel asked. ‘Uh hi…’ Kate tried to find her bearings, brushing the leaves and mud off her jacket. ‘What are you doing here? You should be back with the class.’ ‘I lost my survival pack back near campus… where we had lunch, so I came out trying to find it.’ Kate blushed, embarrassed at her foolishness. ‘Kate we’re miles from there. I don’t think you would be able to go there and back in the time of keeping Mr Johnson calm.’ Kate remembered how dazed she was when she was back with the class, too lost in thought that it was only her unconscious mind that kept her following the group. That must have cut out so much time, she thought. ‘Follow me.’ Daniel said in a welcoming tone. Kate looked uneasy; she didn’t know Daniel that well, even though they had been in the same class for three years. Daniel knew from Kate’s expression what she was thinking. ‘Well you can go out there on your own if you want to…’ Daniel grinned, watching Kate back into a tree with a snake hanging on its branches, ‘But it would be better if you stuck with someone with a bit of knowledge of this place.’ Kate, looking offended, turned round; ready to take her own route. A tiny green face stared at her; its bright orange eyes were fixed inanimately. Kate screamed and jumped towards Daniel. ‘I told you it would be better if you stuck with me.’ Daniel laughed. Kate stared up at him, her face whiter than snow. ‘What’s wrong? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost!’ ‘What do you mean “What’s wrong?” That thing could have killed me if I’d stayed there any longer!’ Kate’s face turned from white to hot red, steaming with anger. ‘It was a harmless tree snake. Those things couldn’t hurt a fly!’ Kate looked at Daniel in disbelief. ‘Ok maybe they could… but that’s the least of our problems right now. We have to get back to the group right away.’ Daniel started walking. Kate looked at him. How could he know where he’s going? She thought. He doesn’t have a compass, he doesn’t have a map, goodness knows how we’re going to get back in time. With a sigh, Kate followed Daniel. Wherever he was heading, she was vulnerable and dependent on Daniel. She had to trust him.
Chapter Five
The sun was blindingly bright, and the heat echoed through the oasis, mixing with the moist air making the atmosphere dense and stuffy. Sweat was running down Mr Johnson’s face. He tried to keep the class occupied, letting them stop and talk with each other. They were getting noisy; things were getting out of control for Mr Johnson and he knew it. He took his walkie talkie out of his jean pocket and muffled something through. ‘Kate… Kate are you there?’ He said worriedly. He repeated. No luck. Soon he was going to have to call an emergency helicopter to be sent out. He fumbled in his jacket pocket for his mobile phone and tapped the keypad briskly.
Chapter Six
‘It’s too hot.’ Daniel said. Kate looked at him with exhausted eyes. Even he was showing signs of weakness. ‘We need to find shade.’ ‘Wait!’ Kate struggled. ‘I have found something!’ Daniel turned. She was pointing to a pampas grass, it’s wide, long leaves golden with age. Kate grabbed a bunch of its leaves and started overlapping them. ‘What are you doing?’ asked Daniel. He watched as she kept overlapping, turning and folding until she had produced two hat-shaped objects. ‘I guess all those awful Art and Textiles classes paid off.’ She replied, grinning. Daniel was speechless, and impressed. It was a shock to him that the girl who he thought was so dependent and weak could do something so skilful and of help. ‘Here,’ she smiled. ‘You’re hair will probably burn off if you don’t wear one.’ ‘It isn’t the most attractive of hats,’ Daniel laughed, teasing her, ‘But it’ll do.’ Daniel and Kate walked on. They had warmed to each other, and now, even as avoidant as Kate was at times, they had become friends.
Chapter Seven
The loud flapping of helicopter wings was heard from everywhere, even in the airless heat. Kate and Daniel listened as the sound got louder and clearer. ‘Could that be…?’ Daniel wondered. ‘It is!’ Kate gasped. The helicopter came into view. Daniel and Kate waved and gestured vigorously as it passed over them and descended into a clearing a few hundred yards away. ‘Duck!’ Daniel shouted. The wind was strong as it blasted through the trees and bushes. A minute later, the spinning of the helicopter wings stopped. The wind quietened, and all was silent. ‘Come on! We’ve got to go and tell them we’re lost!’ Kate exclaimed. Tumbling over the slanted green residents of the oasis, the two teenagers found the clearing. Scrolled on the side of the helicopter was the words “Emergency Service” and two people in blue suits got out and took Kate and Daniel by the arm. ‘We were sent from a “Mr Johnson”. He said that there were two of his pupils lost in here, a girl and a boy. I don’t suppose you are the people he described?’ ‘We’re your people, I’m afraid.’ Daniel grinned. ‘Good. Now let’s get you two safe and back to your group.’ Said one of the men in the blue suits. Kate and Daniel stepped in the helicopter. The men closed the doors and slowly, the helicopter started rising. ‘Well Daniel,’ said Kate, ‘I guess it’s back to our old group again. It’s weird though, I’m going to miss being lost in the Kunarian Oasis with a know-it-all like you.’ ‘Actually technically I’m not a know it all.’ Daniel laughed. ‘That book I read from about that “rare” plant was fiction!’ ‘Really?’ Kate asked. ‘So why did you go and look for it?’ ‘Ah, because the book was about a girl and a boy, lost in a Desert Oasis. The boy tries to find the plant, so I thought I’d try to you know, play it out a little.’ ‘That’s stu
Out Of Sight • Opuss № I