‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
04
“Did you ever think it’d end for us like this?” Zac shivered after hours had passed.
“The cow’s a surprise,” Taylor replied, making Zac chuckle.
“You know… I’ve often wondered how things would have turned out differently if it was me that had gone that morning,” Zac began.
“Gone?”
“Yeah. To get the firewood.”
Taylor frowned.
“Why?” he asked finally.
“Just what ifs,” Zac shrugged, “it could have been any one of us, right?”
“Technically it was two out of three,” Taylor reasoned.
“Yeah, how does Ike manage to stay out of it so easily?” Zac mused.
“Well I don’t know about ‘easily’,” Taylor pointed out, “he did spend a lot of time going out of his mind. For us it was mainly physical at least.”
“You can’t tell me that experience didn’t screw you in the head.”
“I did say mainly,” Taylor smirked.
After another moment of silence, he looked down suddenly.
“How are you off for meds?” he asked.
“Prepared,” Zac assured, “I’ve got about a week’s worth on me. You never know with Frankie.”
He hesitated, then went to sit up. Taylor stopped him.
“They’d come looking for us, right?”
“Of course,” Taylor nodded, “but we took a detour to get here, remember? I think Ike’s the only one who knew we needed a butcher.”
“And I bet he moved your car so no one would see it out front,” Zac groaned.
“Probably the first thing he did.”
“Think Ike would call Rick?”
“I don’t know. Probably.”
Zac shifted slightly, trying to pull his leather jacket tighter over his chest.
“Still breathing okay?” Taylor asked.
“Yep.”
*
“Hey, Ike? Did Tay and Zac forget about tonight?”
“Uh… not that I’m aware of. They set off around five,” Isaac frowned as he answered the phone.
“Five? Are you sure? Because they’re not here.”
“Yeah Tay said something about stopping to pick up some food and then heading right over. Did you try them?”
“No, I rang you first. Of course I tried them! Both of them. Both phones are off.”
“Weird,” Isaac rubbed his chin, “if I hear from them I’ll let you know. Sorry Frankie.”
“Talk to you later, Ike.”
Isaac hung up, puzzling for a moment. He glanced at the clock. It was just before midnight.
He made his way into the kitchen and went for his address book. It took him a while to find it among his paperwork, and he quickly sifted through for the number he needed. Dialling, he waited.
“Isaac?”
“Hey, Rick,” Isaac scratched his head, “it’s probably nothing, but you should know…”
“The cow’s a surprise,” Taylor replied, making Zac chuckle.
“You know… I’ve often wondered how things would have turned out differently if it was me that had gone that morning,” Zac began.
“Gone?”
“Yeah. To get the firewood.”
Taylor frowned.
“Why?” he asked finally.
“Just what ifs,” Zac shrugged, “it could have been any one of us, right?”
“Technically it was two out of three,” Taylor reasoned.
“Yeah, how does Ike manage to stay out of it so easily?” Zac mused.
“Well I don’t know about ‘easily’,” Taylor pointed out, “he did spend a lot of time going out of his mind. For us it was mainly physical at least.”
“You can’t tell me that experience didn’t screw you in the head.”
“I did say mainly,” Taylor smirked.
After another moment of silence, he looked down suddenly.
“How are you off for meds?” he asked.
“Prepared,” Zac assured, “I’ve got about a week’s worth on me. You never know with Frankie.”
He hesitated, then went to sit up. Taylor stopped him.
“They’d come looking for us, right?”
“Of course,” Taylor nodded, “but we took a detour to get here, remember? I think Ike’s the only one who knew we needed a butcher.”
“And I bet he moved your car so no one would see it out front,” Zac groaned.
“Probably the first thing he did.”
“Think Ike would call Rick?”
“I don’t know. Probably.”
Zac shifted slightly, trying to pull his leather jacket tighter over his chest.
“Still breathing okay?” Taylor asked.
“Yep.”
*
“Hey, Ike? Did Tay and Zac forget about tonight?”
“Uh… not that I’m aware of. They set off around five,” Isaac frowned as he answered the phone.
“Five? Are you sure? Because they’re not here.”
“Yeah Tay said something about stopping to pick up some food and then heading right over. Did you try them?”
“No, I rang you first. Of course I tried them! Both of them. Both phones are off.”
“Weird,” Isaac rubbed his chin, “if I hear from them I’ll let you know. Sorry Frankie.”
“Talk to you later, Ike.”
Isaac hung up, puzzling for a moment. He glanced at the clock. It was just before midnight.
He made his way into the kitchen and went for his address book. It took him a while to find it among his paperwork, and he quickly sifted through for the number he needed. Dialling, he waited.
“Isaac?”
“Hey, Rick,” Isaac scratched his head, “it’s probably nothing, but you should know…”