‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
03
“What did you have to make it so easy for?!”
“Oh that was easy? So you’re saying I should have just let him slice you open?”
“I’m not saying-“ Zac cut himself off as he struggled with how to word it.
“Let’s just concentrate on what to do now,” Taylor was breathing into his hands already to try and stay warm, “we’ve got what, about twelve hours before hypothermia?”
“Depends on the temperature,” Zac was hugging himself, “and I don’t see a dial anywhere. It must be outside.”
“Okay, so… ventilation,” Taylor began to look for the vents.
“They’re tiny, Tay,” Zac shook his head, “I can see them from here.”
Taylor had a look anyway, and grunted in frustration as he rolled down his sleeves. Zac made his way back to the door, listening quietly for a moment, before trying to pull it open. It definitely wasn’t moving. When he coughed as a result, Taylor shot him a look.
“Can you breathe alright?” he frowned.
“So far so good,” Zac nodded, looking to the ceiling.
Taylor hesitated thoughtfully, then made his way to the back wall.
“Come here,” he insisted as he put his back to it and slid down.
“Why…?” Zac looked suspicious.
“If we’re going to be here a while we need to do the body heat thing,” Taylor reasoned, “and you’re gonna need it more than me, so get down here. No complaints.”
“Yes Dad,” Zac rolled his eyes as he made his way over.
He sat down next to him and Taylor pulled him into his arms, before taking off his beanie and handing it to him.
“Put this on your chest,” he instructed.
Zac rolled his eyes again but took it and shoved it down the front of his shirt before zipping up his jacket again. He sighed to himself as Taylor shook his hair out.
“What do you think’s going to happen?” Zac asked after a moment of silence.
“Honestly?” Taylor’s eyebrows rose, “I think he’s going to come back with a gun and shoot us.”
“You think?”
Taylor closed his eyes and ducked his head a little, trying to use his breath for warmth as well.
“I think he’s managed to create this entire new identity for himself, and we’re the only threat to that,” he reasoned, “I don’t see any reason at all why he’d just let us walk.”
“And I thought Bernard was the scary one.”
Taylor hesitated at that, thinking it over.
“Bernard was determined,” he said finally, “Nate was… different. He always had an air of indifference to what was going on. It was almost as if he had this life already planned out for him and he had nothing to worry about but getting here. But the distinct lack of thought for human life is definitely there in both of them. Or, was in Bernard’s case.”
“What about the other guy?” Zac asked.
“Trent?” Taylor confirmed, “I don’t know. I didn’t see much of him. I’m not even sure I remember what he looked like anymore.”
“That’s gotta work in our favour, right?” Zac glanced upward.
“I don’t know,” Taylor shook his head, “after all, you didn’t know Nate. And we’re still locked in a freezer.”
“Oh that was easy? So you’re saying I should have just let him slice you open?”
“I’m not saying-“ Zac cut himself off as he struggled with how to word it.
“Let’s just concentrate on what to do now,” Taylor was breathing into his hands already to try and stay warm, “we’ve got what, about twelve hours before hypothermia?”
“Depends on the temperature,” Zac was hugging himself, “and I don’t see a dial anywhere. It must be outside.”
“Okay, so… ventilation,” Taylor began to look for the vents.
“They’re tiny, Tay,” Zac shook his head, “I can see them from here.”
Taylor had a look anyway, and grunted in frustration as he rolled down his sleeves. Zac made his way back to the door, listening quietly for a moment, before trying to pull it open. It definitely wasn’t moving. When he coughed as a result, Taylor shot him a look.
“Can you breathe alright?” he frowned.
“So far so good,” Zac nodded, looking to the ceiling.
Taylor hesitated thoughtfully, then made his way to the back wall.
“Come here,” he insisted as he put his back to it and slid down.
“Why…?” Zac looked suspicious.
“If we’re going to be here a while we need to do the body heat thing,” Taylor reasoned, “and you’re gonna need it more than me, so get down here. No complaints.”
“Yes Dad,” Zac rolled his eyes as he made his way over.
He sat down next to him and Taylor pulled him into his arms, before taking off his beanie and handing it to him.
“Put this on your chest,” he instructed.
Zac rolled his eyes again but took it and shoved it down the front of his shirt before zipping up his jacket again. He sighed to himself as Taylor shook his hair out.
“What do you think’s going to happen?” Zac asked after a moment of silence.
“Honestly?” Taylor’s eyebrows rose, “I think he’s going to come back with a gun and shoot us.”
“You think?”
Taylor closed his eyes and ducked his head a little, trying to use his breath for warmth as well.
“I think he’s managed to create this entire new identity for himself, and we’re the only threat to that,” he reasoned, “I don’t see any reason at all why he’d just let us walk.”
“And I thought Bernard was the scary one.”
Taylor hesitated at that, thinking it over.
“Bernard was determined,” he said finally, “Nate was… different. He always had an air of indifference to what was going on. It was almost as if he had this life already planned out for him and he had nothing to worry about but getting here. But the distinct lack of thought for human life is definitely there in both of them. Or, was in Bernard’s case.”
“What about the other guy?” Zac asked.
“Trent?” Taylor confirmed, “I don’t know. I didn’t see much of him. I’m not even sure I remember what he looked like anymore.”
“That’s gotta work in our favour, right?” Zac glanced upward.
“I don’t know,” Taylor shook his head, “after all, you didn’t know Nate. And we’re still locked in a freezer.”