‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
67
Taylor was startled awake by the sound of a nearby wolf whistle. As soon as he registered the whistle, he heard a following gunshot.
Sitting up quickly, he soon saw the smoke filling his stall.
“Oh no,” he breathed, already feeling it seeping into his lungs.
He scrambled to his feet and went to the gate. He could feel the heat and knew the fire was close. When he looked through the slats at his eye level, he gulped when he saw just how close it was.
The stables were on fire.
He tapped his fingers on the gate as he decided quickly. He headed over to where his chain was mounted, for the first time trying to decipher how it was released. He hadn’t been there long when he heard the gate opening and turned to see Ibby rushing in.
“Ibby! Help!” he coughed, slapping the wall with his hand before doubling over as he tried to catch his breath.
Ibby was already at the chain, pulling it off and handing Taylor the end of it. With a hand on his back he guided him out of the stall and to the left. When Taylor looked back he saw the stall two doors down was completely alight, the one next door just starting to burn. Two of the younger workers were struggling to contain it with buckets of water fetched from the horse trough, and as they made their way down to the house path Ibby was setting the horses free.
Once they were clear of the stable Taylor had another coughing fit. He didn’t see Juan until he was on top of him.
Grabbing the chain and wrapping it around his hand, he pulled Taylor up before punching him across the face the same way he had the first time they’d met. Unable to duck away Taylor grabbed onto the chain with his right hand while trying to shield himself with his left. It was a pitiful attempt but it was all he could muster while he could barely breathe.
Juan lay into him as Ibby ran off, soon rendering him dazed and on the ground. Taylor stayed down not wanting to anger him further by making an attempt to get away but still received multiple kicks in the side for his efforts. He looked up only when he heard voices over him, soon seeing that Carlos had appeared at Juan’s side. There was a pistol in his hand.
Closing his eyes Taylor wondered if this would be it before hearing a familiar scream in the distance.
He clenched his fists and pulled himself up to his elbows in time to see his Mistress making her way down – still in her nightclothes. Juan ran, but Carlos stood his ground and yelled back at her. Very aware that he was the one with the gun this time, Taylor watched like a hawk as the altercation played out.
Finally, Carlos walked away. Taylor could have cried in relief but had barely put his head in his hands before he felt the chain pulling him up again. Hurriedly getting himself to his feet, he could tell she wasn’t at all happy.
She led him down to the house without giving him a chance to look back. Leading him into the study she secured his chain to the desk again before stalking out and locking the door. Taking a moment to gather himself, Taylor soon spotted blood on the floorboards beside the rug.
He quickly checked himself over, soon deciphering that the blood was coming from his bottom lip which had split open from one of the punches. He also had some scrapes down his side from the kicks and could feel a bump already appearing on his head.
Continuing to cough as the smoke took its time dissipating from his lungs, he sat up a while longer in case the woman came back. When she didn’t, he unsuccessfully tried to get back to sleep.
Sitting up quickly, he soon saw the smoke filling his stall.
“Oh no,” he breathed, already feeling it seeping into his lungs.
He scrambled to his feet and went to the gate. He could feel the heat and knew the fire was close. When he looked through the slats at his eye level, he gulped when he saw just how close it was.
The stables were on fire.
He tapped his fingers on the gate as he decided quickly. He headed over to where his chain was mounted, for the first time trying to decipher how it was released. He hadn’t been there long when he heard the gate opening and turned to see Ibby rushing in.
“Ibby! Help!” he coughed, slapping the wall with his hand before doubling over as he tried to catch his breath.
Ibby was already at the chain, pulling it off and handing Taylor the end of it. With a hand on his back he guided him out of the stall and to the left. When Taylor looked back he saw the stall two doors down was completely alight, the one next door just starting to burn. Two of the younger workers were struggling to contain it with buckets of water fetched from the horse trough, and as they made their way down to the house path Ibby was setting the horses free.
Once they were clear of the stable Taylor had another coughing fit. He didn’t see Juan until he was on top of him.
Grabbing the chain and wrapping it around his hand, he pulled Taylor up before punching him across the face the same way he had the first time they’d met. Unable to duck away Taylor grabbed onto the chain with his right hand while trying to shield himself with his left. It was a pitiful attempt but it was all he could muster while he could barely breathe.
Juan lay into him as Ibby ran off, soon rendering him dazed and on the ground. Taylor stayed down not wanting to anger him further by making an attempt to get away but still received multiple kicks in the side for his efforts. He looked up only when he heard voices over him, soon seeing that Carlos had appeared at Juan’s side. There was a pistol in his hand.
Closing his eyes Taylor wondered if this would be it before hearing a familiar scream in the distance.
He clenched his fists and pulled himself up to his elbows in time to see his Mistress making her way down – still in her nightclothes. Juan ran, but Carlos stood his ground and yelled back at her. Very aware that he was the one with the gun this time, Taylor watched like a hawk as the altercation played out.
Finally, Carlos walked away. Taylor could have cried in relief but had barely put his head in his hands before he felt the chain pulling him up again. Hurriedly getting himself to his feet, he could tell she wasn’t at all happy.
She led him down to the house without giving him a chance to look back. Leading him into the study she secured his chain to the desk again before stalking out and locking the door. Taking a moment to gather himself, Taylor soon spotted blood on the floorboards beside the rug.
He quickly checked himself over, soon deciphering that the blood was coming from his bottom lip which had split open from one of the punches. He also had some scrapes down his side from the kicks and could feel a bump already appearing on his head.
Continuing to cough as the smoke took its time dissipating from his lungs, he sat up a while longer in case the woman came back. When she didn’t, he unsuccessfully tried to get back to sleep.