Part 30: Finding Water
McKay hacked through a few more bushes. He paused and spit, then continued on. Taylor and Mandy were right behind him. Mandy wiped her sweat as she followed the guide. She was sweating profusely and had to forcibly tie her hair into a ponytail. Taylor managed to find a red baseball cap that did the same job. McKay stopped by a tree and took a breath. He then pulled out this dress that he found. He ripped off another section, then tied it to a branch, to mark the path they came from. “You okay, McKay?” asked Mandy.
“Yeah, “he huffed, “just a little winded.”
“I figured an outback man like yourself would be used to the heat, “Taylor smirked.
“This isn’t heat, luv,” McKay smiled back, “This is humidity. BIG difference.”
McKay turned and kept walking. All three of them had back packs with the water bottles they had collected. Some were filled due to the collected water in giant leaves they found. Others had only a few drops. The main purpose of their trip was to find a water source. A lake, a river, a waterfall, anything. Unfortunately they were trekking for over three hours and had not found anything like that.
Another hour went by and the girls were getting tired. McKay didn’t feel to decent himself. He was starting to get mild headache in his forehead. He reached up his shirt to wipe the sweat from his mouth. As he let it drop, he noticed a change in color on his green t-shirt. It had spots of white. He pulled it up to look again. Indeed there were curved white lines respresenting the contours of his chest. “Bloody Great.” He muttered.
“What’s wrong?” asked Taylor.
“I am sweating too much,” he said showing them his shirt, “My sweat is zapping the salt out of my body. If I am not careful, I may start cramping up.”
Taylor and Mandy immediately started to check their shirts for salt stains. “No, no, girls, “ McKay chuckled, “You’re smaller than me. It’ll take a little bit longer for you to start worrying about that.”
“Oh, “they said in unison.
“Hey, maybe we should take a break.” McKay said, getting off of his back pack.
“Thank you,” Taylor said, taking off her baseball cap
The three friends sat quietly for a few minutes, drinking the water they did find. McKay felt back for the others. They couldn’t rely on the rain. They had to find a water source or they might not make it another week. McKay took another swig of his water, rubbing the sweat from his brow. Taylor sat cross legged on a tree truck, while Mandy sat on the ground. Mandy had her eyes closed, leaning back on the tree truck. McKay was starting to like them both. They reminded him of students he once had, the kind who would follow a person cause they trust them. “What were you two doing in Australia?” he asked.
“Vacationing,” Taylor immediately answered.
“Sounds good. It had a lot of good vacation spots.”
“McKay, why don’t you have an Australian accent?” asked Taylor right back at him.
“I was once an English teacher,” He sighed, “When you hang around proper speaking English professors, they force you to speak without an accent.”
“No kidding,” Mandy smiled.
“So you don’t say let’s put another shrimp on the Barbie, anymore?” Taylor giggled.
“No, Luv. We’ve left such clichés behind. But it’s given rise to a new form of slang and speech,” The Australian shifted his position, “For instance, what do you ladies call a Hottie?”
“A cute male,” Mandy answered.
“In Australia, a Hottie is a bottle of hot water.”
“NO way!” Taylor laughed.
“How about this? If I told you I was going to get some Fairy Floss, what did you think I was buying?”
“Uh . .floss for the teeth, like tooth fairy,” Taylor pointed to her mouth.
McKay pointed at her in a form of approval. Mandy took a sip of her water and got his attention. “McKay, this guy was hitting on me and Taylor when we went to this bar. He said we should bring our cozzies with us and he’d show us his beach house. What was he talking about?”
“Cozzies?” McKay smirked, “Those are swimsuits.”
“Cozzies?” Taylor laughed, “I don’t get it.”
“Quite honestly I don’t get the term either.” He laughed.
The three friends enjoyed their moment but the Australian knew it wouldn’t last. He slowly stood up. “We should get moving, “ he sighed, “If we want to make it back before dark.”
“We should head back now,” Taylor groaned, “We’re not going to find anything.”
“We can’t give up, luv,” McKay sighed, understanding her pain, “Others are counting on us.”
Taylor stood up and then reached behind to get her back pack. As he did, she stepped on a rock for leverage. Then the rock shifted under her feet, making her fall on the tree truck. The rock wasn’t all the way in the ground. McKay and Mandy laughed breiftly at the slapstick moment. Taylor grunted, getting up and grabbing the rock. “I HATE THIS JUNGLE!” she screamed, stepping back and hurling it into the distance.
“C’mon, Taylor, don’t be such a baby.” Mandy assured her friend.
Taylor blew her hair out of her face and put her cap back on. McKay just smiled and turned around, listening to the rock past through the trees and branches. He understood her frustration but they had to keep moving. The rock still made noises as it flew through the air. McKay waited to hear it land. Then it did.
With a splash.
McKay blinked. For a second, he thought he was hallucinating. He quickly turned back to the girls and seeing the shocked look on their faces meant they heard it too. He swiftly turned back around and began hacking through the foliage. Mandy and Taylor quickly followed him. The Australian grunted as he hacked through the bushes as fast as he could. He continued to chop his way through, until he managed to get to a clearing. He choked at the sight before him.
It was a lake. Not that big but not small either. Ahead was a cliff wall, adorned with grey rocks and vines. McKay knew that this water couldn’t have lasted long by itself but he easily found the source. Up ahead on the wall was a collapsed tree and it was blocking the portion of the waterfall. Water still managed to come down in spurts but not a steady stream. All that would be required would be moving the tree. The sight of the late didn’t stop Taylor and Mandy from jumping up and cheering for joy.
Within seconds McKay found himself jumping with them.
“Yeah, “he huffed, “just a little winded.”
“I figured an outback man like yourself would be used to the heat, “Taylor smirked.
“This isn’t heat, luv,” McKay smiled back, “This is humidity. BIG difference.”
McKay turned and kept walking. All three of them had back packs with the water bottles they had collected. Some were filled due to the collected water in giant leaves they found. Others had only a few drops. The main purpose of their trip was to find a water source. A lake, a river, a waterfall, anything. Unfortunately they were trekking for over three hours and had not found anything like that.
Another hour went by and the girls were getting tired. McKay didn’t feel to decent himself. He was starting to get mild headache in his forehead. He reached up his shirt to wipe the sweat from his mouth. As he let it drop, he noticed a change in color on his green t-shirt. It had spots of white. He pulled it up to look again. Indeed there were curved white lines respresenting the contours of his chest. “Bloody Great.” He muttered.
“What’s wrong?” asked Taylor.
“I am sweating too much,” he said showing them his shirt, “My sweat is zapping the salt out of my body. If I am not careful, I may start cramping up.”
Taylor and Mandy immediately started to check their shirts for salt stains. “No, no, girls, “ McKay chuckled, “You’re smaller than me. It’ll take a little bit longer for you to start worrying about that.”
“Oh, “they said in unison.
“Hey, maybe we should take a break.” McKay said, getting off of his back pack.
“Thank you,” Taylor said, taking off her baseball cap
The three friends sat quietly for a few minutes, drinking the water they did find. McKay felt back for the others. They couldn’t rely on the rain. They had to find a water source or they might not make it another week. McKay took another swig of his water, rubbing the sweat from his brow. Taylor sat cross legged on a tree truck, while Mandy sat on the ground. Mandy had her eyes closed, leaning back on the tree truck. McKay was starting to like them both. They reminded him of students he once had, the kind who would follow a person cause they trust them. “What were you two doing in Australia?” he asked.
“Vacationing,” Taylor immediately answered.
“Sounds good. It had a lot of good vacation spots.”
“McKay, why don’t you have an Australian accent?” asked Taylor right back at him.
“I was once an English teacher,” He sighed, “When you hang around proper speaking English professors, they force you to speak without an accent.”
“No kidding,” Mandy smiled.
“So you don’t say let’s put another shrimp on the Barbie, anymore?” Taylor giggled.
“No, Luv. We’ve left such clichés behind. But it’s given rise to a new form of slang and speech,” The Australian shifted his position, “For instance, what do you ladies call a Hottie?”
“A cute male,” Mandy answered.
“In Australia, a Hottie is a bottle of hot water.”
“NO way!” Taylor laughed.
“How about this? If I told you I was going to get some Fairy Floss, what did you think I was buying?”
“Uh . .floss for the teeth, like tooth fairy,” Taylor pointed to her mouth.
McKay pointed at her in a form of approval. Mandy took a sip of her water and got his attention. “McKay, this guy was hitting on me and Taylor when we went to this bar. He said we should bring our cozzies with us and he’d show us his beach house. What was he talking about?”
“Cozzies?” McKay smirked, “Those are swimsuits.”
“Cozzies?” Taylor laughed, “I don’t get it.”
“Quite honestly I don’t get the term either.” He laughed.
The three friends enjoyed their moment but the Australian knew it wouldn’t last. He slowly stood up. “We should get moving, “ he sighed, “If we want to make it back before dark.”
“We should head back now,” Taylor groaned, “We’re not going to find anything.”
“We can’t give up, luv,” McKay sighed, understanding her pain, “Others are counting on us.”
Taylor stood up and then reached behind to get her back pack. As he did, she stepped on a rock for leverage. Then the rock shifted under her feet, making her fall on the tree truck. The rock wasn’t all the way in the ground. McKay and Mandy laughed breiftly at the slapstick moment. Taylor grunted, getting up and grabbing the rock. “I HATE THIS JUNGLE!” she screamed, stepping back and hurling it into the distance.
“C’mon, Taylor, don’t be such a baby.” Mandy assured her friend.
Taylor blew her hair out of her face and put her cap back on. McKay just smiled and turned around, listening to the rock past through the trees and branches. He understood her frustration but they had to keep moving. The rock still made noises as it flew through the air. McKay waited to hear it land. Then it did.
With a splash.
McKay blinked. For a second, he thought he was hallucinating. He quickly turned back to the girls and seeing the shocked look on their faces meant they heard it too. He swiftly turned back around and began hacking through the foliage. Mandy and Taylor quickly followed him. The Australian grunted as he hacked through the bushes as fast as he could. He continued to chop his way through, until he managed to get to a clearing. He choked at the sight before him.
It was a lake. Not that big but not small either. Ahead was a cliff wall, adorned with grey rocks and vines. McKay knew that this water couldn’t have lasted long by itself but he easily found the source. Up ahead on the wall was a collapsed tree and it was blocking the portion of the waterfall. Water still managed to come down in spurts but not a steady stream. All that would be required would be moving the tree. The sight of the late didn’t stop Taylor and Mandy from jumping up and cheering for joy.
Within seconds McKay found himself jumping with them.
posted by Jason | 1:10 PM
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