Sequel: Going Bush 2: Suburbia ›
Status: Finished, but beware - the sequel is three times in length :)
Going Bush
15
After something like fifteen or twenty minutes of agonizing silence, Taylor glanced across at the steering wheel.
He was getting an idea, but he wasn’t sure if he could rely on it.
He also realized it was the only one he had.
Working on convincing himself it was what he had to do, he closed his eyes and began tapping his fingers against each other. He felt Nate move as he noticed, but ignored him.
“So…” Taylor jumped as Bernard took a deep breath, tapping his fingers on the wheel.
“Zac, was it? Your brother’s name?”
Taylor’s eyes opened, and he stared out onto the road. His mouth opened to say something, but not able to get any words out he hung his head. He soon felt Nate give him a nudge.
“He won’t like it if you don’t answer him,” he taunted.
Taylor lifted his hands a little uneasily, before quickly glancing up at the road.
“Yeah,” he replied quietly, once again focused on the blood on his hands.
“Close?”
Taylor hesitated, wondering why he was suddenly asking him these things. He soon got another nudge from Nate that woke him up.
“Ah… yeah. Very,” he said, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.
He was glad when silence followed for a time. After perhaps a following five minutes or so, Bernard cleared his throat.
“So what’s your name, kid?”
Taylor frowned, then looked up at him curiously. Bernard kept his eyes to the road. Glancing at the steering wheel again, he turned to look out the window.
“Taylor,” he replied finally, not without a gulp to finish it off.
“Do you know who we are, Taylor?”
Taylor just shook his head, unable to say anything.
“Perhaps it’s just as well,” Nate said suddenly, making Taylor glance in his direction nervously.
And then he saw it.
Not too far off in the distance, Taylor spotted a car coming in their direction. He glanced at the steering wheel again as his fingers started tapping faster.
“You tap your fingers when you get nervous, kid?” Bernard asked.
“Yeah,” Taylor nodded, hoping his thoughts weren’t loud enough for them to hear.
He watched as the white car approached, barely noticing as Bernard began to slow the truck a little. Taking one last glance across at Bernard and deciding the car was close enough, Taylor made a desperate lunge for the steering wheel, veering the truck into the other lane. The other car didn’t have enough time to slow, and the two collided.
Taylor had barely noticed when Nate had practically thrown himself at him, but he couldn’t help but see the front windscreen shatter. His next sighting of Bernard saw him hunched over the steering wheel unconscious, but before he could really make sense of what had happened Nate had opened the truck door and pulled him out.
Catching a glimpse of the driver of the other car pulling themselves from the wreck, he took a deep breath.
“HELP!” he yelled, “please! Please help me dear God please…”
Nate managed to throw him back against the truck and backhand him across the face, causing him to hesitate. A second later, he’d pulled the rifle from the truck cab.
He was getting an idea, but he wasn’t sure if he could rely on it.
He also realized it was the only one he had.
Working on convincing himself it was what he had to do, he closed his eyes and began tapping his fingers against each other. He felt Nate move as he noticed, but ignored him.
“So…” Taylor jumped as Bernard took a deep breath, tapping his fingers on the wheel.
“Zac, was it? Your brother’s name?”
Taylor’s eyes opened, and he stared out onto the road. His mouth opened to say something, but not able to get any words out he hung his head. He soon felt Nate give him a nudge.
“He won’t like it if you don’t answer him,” he taunted.
Taylor lifted his hands a little uneasily, before quickly glancing up at the road.
“Yeah,” he replied quietly, once again focused on the blood on his hands.
“Close?”
Taylor hesitated, wondering why he was suddenly asking him these things. He soon got another nudge from Nate that woke him up.
“Ah… yeah. Very,” he said, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.
He was glad when silence followed for a time. After perhaps a following five minutes or so, Bernard cleared his throat.
“So what’s your name, kid?”
Taylor frowned, then looked up at him curiously. Bernard kept his eyes to the road. Glancing at the steering wheel again, he turned to look out the window.
“Taylor,” he replied finally, not without a gulp to finish it off.
“Do you know who we are, Taylor?”
Taylor just shook his head, unable to say anything.
“Perhaps it’s just as well,” Nate said suddenly, making Taylor glance in his direction nervously.
And then he saw it.
Not too far off in the distance, Taylor spotted a car coming in their direction. He glanced at the steering wheel again as his fingers started tapping faster.
“You tap your fingers when you get nervous, kid?” Bernard asked.
“Yeah,” Taylor nodded, hoping his thoughts weren’t loud enough for them to hear.
He watched as the white car approached, barely noticing as Bernard began to slow the truck a little. Taking one last glance across at Bernard and deciding the car was close enough, Taylor made a desperate lunge for the steering wheel, veering the truck into the other lane. The other car didn’t have enough time to slow, and the two collided.
Taylor had barely noticed when Nate had practically thrown himself at him, but he couldn’t help but see the front windscreen shatter. His next sighting of Bernard saw him hunched over the steering wheel unconscious, but before he could really make sense of what had happened Nate had opened the truck door and pulled him out.
Catching a glimpse of the driver of the other car pulling themselves from the wreck, he took a deep breath.
“HELP!” he yelled, “please! Please help me dear God please…”
Nate managed to throw him back against the truck and backhand him across the face, causing him to hesitate. A second later, he’d pulled the rifle from the truck cab.