Story of fiction and fantasy and science fiction

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:23 pm

Megan knew immediately that Bob had made his exit from this realm. She ran around the pigs and knelt beside Bob. His face was a pasty white and she could find no breath or heartbeat. She reached out and touched Timoth on his face and the tears ran from her eyes in gushes. She cried with wracking sobs as she ran her hand across Bobs Face. Devlin had known that Bob was dying when he handed the keys to him and told them both to go and get the truck. He did not say anything to Megan while they went and retrieved the truck. His next question was softly spoken, almost too soft for Megan to hear. “Is your father dead?” was all he could say. Megan stood and turned to him and fell into his arms. She had stopped crying for just a moment and then began to violently sob once more as he hugged her. Timoth finally stood and watched the scene. Devlin saw him and motioned for him to come. He turned and moved toward the truck and gently placed Megan in the front. He then walked back over to Bob and gathered his body and brought it to the tailgate of the truck. He was not sure how to get the pigs up into the truck when Megan showed up and pulled a ramp from under the bed out and let it slide to the ground. Devlin was surprised but took Bob and walked up the ramp. Up against the cab they had placed some blankets. Megan came up the ramp and did the same as Devlin. They both had to kneel down to get under the tarp. She spread the blankets and Devlin laid Bob down and covered him with a blanket. They both moved back out and once on the ground, Megan spoke to Timoth and said “get up in the truck and take these with you.” Timoth somberly walked up the ramp and all the rest of the pigs followed. Once they were in Devlin pushed the ramp back into its place and made sure the tail gate was secure.

After getting into the truck, Megan was still crying but was calmer so Devlin backed up and turned the truck back toward the hill top and they slowly crawled up and over. Once they reached the store Devlin backed up the truck to the storage building and got out and opened the big barn door. He then slid the ramp out and opened the tail gate. The pigs did not want to come out at first until Megan came to the rear and called Timoth. The big pig stood and moved slowly toward the rear and then down the ramp and all the others followed him. He went into the storage building and inside there was a nice place with straw spread around on the floor. Devlin noticed this and a smile crossed his face. He guessed that Hattie had prepared this for the pigs. Once they all were in Devlin shut the door and refit the truck. He was not going to remove Bob’s Body until the storm subsided but for now it was still raining very hard and the wind was blowing very hard. Where he had parked the truck was behind the main store building and was semi protected. He and Megan started to move toward the front door when Hattie opened a rear door and hollered at them to get in. They moved to the door and went inside.

Hattie hurried them both through the back room into the main store and told them to sit down next to the wood stove. She moved to the counter and poured them both some hot fluid. When she came back, she sat down her self and sipped on a cup of what ever she had. Megan was very quiet and almost in shock. Devlin watched her as he sipped his drink. Hattie let the silence remain for about 5 minutes and then said “Bob didn’t make it did he, I knew his ticker was getting weaker and some day soon it would give out. I tried to tell him to just come and settle down with me and take it easy but he would hear none of it. He was a man that believed in helping others and never took time for him self it seemed. Did you bury him out there, it would be fitting because he so loved this country.

Devlin was very curious but all that had happened kept him from asking. He finally looked at Megan and asked if she would like to bury her father where she lived. She looked up at him and broke into tears again and stood up and headed for the back room. Devlin stood and started to go to her but Hattie stopped him. “Let her be alone for now young man. She needs to grieve for a very dear friend. Bob was not her father although he acted like it most times. You see her parents left long ago. Megan and Galia her younger sister has lived on her parent’s farm all this time and have done a pretty good job of keeping it up. Her parents had to run from the Government because they were patriots of the underground freedom fighters. I read the letter that her mama left for her and no one has heard from them since. Let’s see now that was 8 or 9 years come this October ago I believe.” Devlin listened to this and his memories of the flight he and his mother had taken before he was born seem to coincide with Megan and her sister’s plight. “How old is Megan if you don’t mind my asking?” “She just turned 18 this year, why do you ask?” “Well I was just curious because my mother had to take flight from the Government when she was carrying me and that was around 18 years ago now.” Hattie’s eyes grew wide with surprise but she made no comment. “Listen, I can give you both a place to bed down tonight or until this storm moves over and as for Bob I think his body will be okay for a few days till you can get him to a place for burial. I got the feeling that Megan will want to bury him on her farm which is just another 30 miles up the coast. If you keep on the road that heads over the mountains there is a turn off at the base that will take you north to the village of Tyre and her farm is just beyond that another 5 or 6 miles I think. Devlin Thanked her and she stood and walked over to a stair way and climbed up. The stairs creaked but that seemed to be a comforting sound.

An hour later Megan came out to the stove and sat down. Her eyes were red and she looked sort of pasty and blank in the face. Hattie had been preparing some food and came over to her and said you got to eat something girl so come over to the counter and I’ll get you some food. Megan stood up slowly and moved like a robot toward the counter, Devlin had gone out to check on the pigs and was not back yet. Megan sat down and Hattie placed a bowl full of soup on the counter in front of her and poured some hot liquid in a cup. “Now you know you gotta eat so get to it.” “Hattie I really don’t feel like eating.” “Listen young lady, you haven’t had a thing that I know of for at least a day or more so you have to get something in you. Besides Bob would tell you to get to eaten now wouldn’t he?” Megan stirred the soup around in the bowl and said “Bob’s dead and now I have no one.” “Now wait just a minute there young lady, you have Galia and you have this young man that came to your rescue today and you have Timoth and his family and those new bunch that you picked up down there in town. So don’t tell me you don’t have anyone and what am I, chopped liver?” Megan looked up with tears in her eyes again and stood and went around the counter and hugged Hattie. They both cried and finally Hattie moved her around the counter and sat her down, “now let’s eat.”

Devlin had gone out to check on the pigs and when he entered the storage building he saw them all huddled together and sleeping. Timoth was still awake and watched him come in. Devlin knew this pig was Megan’s close friend so he looked around and found some blankets and began to cover the group. Timoth felt the love from this man that had come from the ocean and saved them all today. He was hoping that the man would stay at the farm with them. It was his dream to find a mate for Megan as she had found one for him. The man had found some food for them and placed a few pales of it on the floor close by. The daylight was going away and in fact it had been darker most of the afternoon since the big storm had moved in. It was still raining but not as hard as earlier. Timoth knew that they would be staying here for the night and hopefully they would go home tomorrow. He would watch over the new ones and the two little ones were curled up close to him. He watched the man do all the things he did and then leave. He was worried about Megan but knew that she was with two people that would comfort her.

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:39 pm

15 ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

Aberdeen and Connie had taken one of the old gas powered trucks and two of the men from the ship that had volunteered to help. Rolin and Amanda took the other 3 men in Rolin’s police cruiser and they all split up into the forests and fields where all the tiny cottages were built. They meant to tell every one about the coming storm and how it was turning into a full blown Hurricane and expected to make land fall almost directly into the town/city of Paradise. The land that everyone had built on would receive some very nasty winds and rains and the rivers would flood as well as the small creeks that feed the rivers. Aberdeen and Connie drove to there Cottage and opened a garage that had at least 10 bikes parked inside. These were used as main transportation around the lands as everyone either walked or rode bikes to keep the land as natural as possible. The only time a truck or some kind of vehicle was used was when heavy supplies had to be delivered to folks that were building and the materials had to be shipped in that were not readily available. Fortunately, the lands or acreage that Aberdeen had bought and given away for folks to build on was mostly on higher ground away from the ocean. However the rivers and creeks that ran through came straight off the mountains that were close. He had even bought land up the sides of the mountains in the valleys and large meadows.

They all piled out and grabbed the bikes and Aberdeen pulled out some maps of the lands and showed the men. “The trails are clearly marked and the cottages are on most of them.” He and Connie went one way and figured to split up while the two men took another trail and knew where they would split up. The sky was getting darker and they could feel the moisture on their skin so everybody donned the rain gear that Aberdeen had stored in the garage and away they rode.

Rolin quickly reached his and Amanda’s tree house and did the same thing that Aberdeen and Connie did. He and Amanda supplied bikes and raingear for the three men and showed where the trails were and how they were marked. By the time they left there was a light rain falling and the wind was blowing around 20 miles per hour. Rolin and Amanda lived close to one of the rivers so the paths that branched away from their house followed the river and in some places crossed over with bamboo bridges in the narrower places. The three men rode up river and began notifying the folks that live close to the river banks. They crossed over one of the bridges and split up to notify folks down stream and upstream. The Rain began to fall harder and it wasn’t long that the river began to rise and run faster. Rolin and Amanda had rode down stream from there place and notified the folks along the river. They were telling them to be prepared to get to higher ground and to watch the river closely.

The rivers and creeks had been the priority areas to notify and as soon as they reached the first few then those people began to activate their emergency systems. Some jumped on their own bikes and went to notify neighbors. Word spread quickly and the folks that lived well away from the rivers began to take supplies to the bigger community centers that had been built for social happenings and education centers. These also had medical facilities and were used as emergency shelters for just such things as storm and floods. These places had been equipped with weather watching tools that could focus on the greater storms on the oceans so the folks operating the equipment had already been tracking the monster storm. They had watched it grow from a squall to a gale and into a tropical type and then into a tropical cyclone before becoming a full blown Hurricane. The folks called it a category 2 tropical cyclone and then it became a three and then a 4 as it moved into the Coral Sea. The storm was moving straight for the coast of northern Australia and looked to be making a possible landfall directly into Paradise. The City’s down the southeastern coast would probably suffer the outer effects and the folks kept hearing the progress on their radios and radars.

The international oceanographic weather services kept upgrading this monster storm and the town of Paradise was being evacuated in mass at this time and everyone who lived in and around the town was moving toward the mountains and the refuges that had been constructed. The animals that had been brought by the freighter had made it to the pass and were beginning to move down toward the west side when the rains started falling. The winds had reached 40 to 50 miles per hour and some of the older buildings in the town were starting to loose roof shingles. The boarding up of the windows and doors were holding and the waves were splashing over the docks and water breaks. Down the coast, the bigger city was catching the winds but the ocean was calmer. The waves had only reached around 4 feet or so and the guards that had been erected were containing most of them.

By the time that Aberdeen and Connie and the two men had returned to the cottage house they were all soaked to the bone. The men put the bikes away while Aberdeen and Connie went inside to make sure the fireplace was stoked and get some hot drinks and food prepared. Connie tried to contact Amanda but the storm had blocked out all communication by phones. Aberdeen told her that they would be alright since their tree house was well above any flood stage the river could rise to hopefully. He wasn’t sure about the big trees and how strong the winds would get but he didn’t voice that to Connie. The two men came in and were taken immediately to the fireplace room. Aberdeen told them that he had extra clothing that they could change into to get dry.

Rolin and Amanda had come back when the rain began to be horizontal. Rolin knew that he was going to be called back to duty as he was still the constable for Paradise and the Chief of police for the city of Mackay to the south. Townsville had been renamed Paradise and the population never exceeded much more than 10,000 folks after the war. All of the little villages between Paradise and Mackay had become almost ghost towns when the war of 2025 broke out and the Chinese had invaded. Townsville was almost burned to the ground along with Thuringowa until the army of Brisbane and Sydney pushed the Chinese back to the Sea and sank most of their ships. Mackay received the bulk of the peoples and became a bigger city as it boomed after the failed invasion. There were still small pockets of people and indigenous folk living along the coast. Rolin knew that those folks would have already prepared for the storm as this coast was subject to tropical storms fairly regularly, even though it was called a dry tropical zone, and Mackay would already be in an emergency situation. A lot of the old roads had been destroyed and new ones built in different places. The old Bruce Highway had been rerouted to follow the beaches as it headed north and in some places it would be covered with the ocean as the tides rose. The road then finally turned back inland and reconnected to its original course as it meandered up to Cairns and beyond.

He was sitting by the fire with a cup of hot chai listening to the weather reports and other news of the approaching storm and the damage that it was already causing due to the high winds and rains. The main storm had not even reached the land yet and it was already creating quit a stir. Amanda came in from the second house where the master wing was located and asked if the men had come back yet. Rolin looked up and shook his head in a sideways direction. She poured herself a cup of chai and joined him on the lounge. She had taken a warm shower and was covered in a warm robe. “I am worried about those men. I know that they are experienced sailors but this place is new to them and it is on land after all. They could have gotten lost; you know how all those trees that Aberdeen and the children planted created such a forest.” Rolin took another sip of his chai and said “yes I know that the land has become so covered that it is easy to get lost out there but they do have the maps of the trails, perhaps they are just making sure that everyone is safe enough before they come back.” “Did you see the river? It looks like it has risen about 5 to 7 feet just in the last hour or so. Those bridges could be under water by now and if they crossed over they will not be able to get back to this side unless they can fly. I just hope that they have found shelter if that be the case.” “Me too dear, me too, this storm is bringing half the ocean ashore with it or so it seems.” “Oh Rolin, all those little cottages along the rivers and creeks could be washed away if this keeps getting worse.” I know Amanda but all we can do right now is ride this thing out and perhaps ask the Creator to protect them. I sure am glad that you decided to build the house up in the trees. Being 20 feet higher than the ground will protect us and these trees are so huge that the wind does not seem to affect them so much, although I can feel them moving with this wind as it is picking up speed. I am sure that the carpenters that built this place were very knowledgeable and I remember them talking about high winds and doing something to protect against them.”

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:41 pm

Amanda just smiled. Her dream house of her youth had finally come true. She snuggled up to Rolin as the Video box continued to drone the news of the storm and show pictures of the waves growing higher along the beaches. Two minutes later, Rolin’s Radcom began beeping. He removed his arm from Amanda and clicked the app to answer. Gary Betony his second in command, showed up on the screen and said “Chief you are going to have to come in. I am sorry, I know you are on vacation but this storm has got us all running around like chickens after feed. The Gov has ordered all of us into emergency service and has even got the military working extra hard. It seems that a title wave has made land fall somewhere above Paradise and has caused some major damage along the open coastal areas. We don’t know how many folks may have been caught and fortunately Magnetic Island broke it up before it got into Paradise. However that entire area is taking a beating and the main storm is still barreling down on the coast line. We are afraid that if and when it hits it is not going to be pretty for anyone in that area. The mountains may stop it somewhat but the winds are clocking out to 120 miles per hour and that could devastate a lot of stuff up there. We are preparing for the worst and most of the Maritime security forces have taken their ships out of the big ports down here and further south. We need you to go into Paradise and report what you find on your way back here.”

Rolin listened to all that Gary said and knew what his next move was going to be. The Black river ran to the north of Paradise but there were so many other rivers and creeks that came off the mountains that could cause major flooding into the town. He was going to have to drive down the Black River Road until he got to the Bruce Hwy which could be washed over by the river in a few areas. He could backtrack up and catch Hervey Range Rd but he would still have to cross rivers and creeks, besides he needed to go straight out and come in from the north just in case there were folks in trouble. He gathered the supplies he would need and started to go down to the car. Amanda was worried to no end knowing what he was going to do. “Can you at least wait for those men to come back and they could go with you?” “No Amanda, we both know that the river is rising and if I don’t leave now I may not be able to get out. There could be a lot of folks that need help out there and I have the Radcom to contact the emergency folks.” “Oh Rolin I am so worried for you. I know this place is safe but you are going to be in the path of the storm.” “I know darling, Call Aberdeen and Connie and let them know what is happening over here. They are just over in the Blue hills and can get to you if need be. Now keep a watch for those men and if they show up let them know where I went and if they want to help they can take your car but you know, that as long as the river keeps rising this place will have water over the drive and possible on the road out there so it would be best for you to stay put and those men also until the river goes down.”

After hugging and kissing each other, Rolin got everything in the car. As he pulled out of the drive and rolled up towards the road he could see the river already running over the banks and starting to wash into the drive. The garage that was built on higher ground was still safe but he knew that it could be flooded at some point as the river rose. As he moved down the Black River Road he kept an eye on the river as he came close and could see it roiling along and rising. He could also see things floating along in it and soon realized that it was small trees that lived close to the banks. This was not good in his eyes as the trees could cause a dam in the choke points of the river as it moved toward the ocean. He knew he was going to cross the river up ahead and once he turned on the Bruce HWY he was going to have to cross it again. The other rivers that emptied into the Black would surely make it swell even more and the bridge on the Bruce could be flooded by the time he got to it.

As he approached the bridge the rain was coming down so hard he could not clearly see the road but he did manage to see the flashing lights. His wipers were swishing at max speed so when he saw the flashing lights he slowed and came to a stop. A man came out of the dark and moved to his side of the car. He rolled down his window and the man told him that the river was just under the bridge and the debris was crashing into the up stream side. “I am telling folks to go back and take the Hervey Range Road if they are heading south. I don’t think anyone can go north from here at this time.” Rolin rolled his window down a little further and said “Harvey you got all the road blocks set up?” “Chief Wakely I did not recognize you at first, yes I got the proper barricades here but anyone on the other side will not see anything if they are headed this way.” “Harvey, can I still get across that bridge?” “Maybe but I tell you it could go any minute with the way the river is rising. I am going to pull back and set up the barricades further up the road. This area is going to be flooded soon.” “Okay Harvey I am going to try and get across and I just happen to have flares so if I make it I will set them off and hopefully folks got enough sense to not come up this road.” “Well chief if your going across you’d best be hurrying because I have already heard the sounds of the girders creaking and moaning.” Okay Harvey you grab those flashers or whatever you may have and get your butt up to the fork of the Hervey and keep folks off this road. We had notified all the folks along the river on both sides as best we can and I’ve got to get into Paradise to see if anyone is still there. If that bridge breaks while I am on it call my wife and tell her will you?”

Harvey acknowledged and Rolin rolled up the window and moved slowly toward the bridge. His headlights flashed across the roadway and he could see water splashing over the side rails of the bridge. He also saw tree trunks slamming against the sides and some would up end and then be sucked back under with the fast moving waters. The bridge was only about 40 meters across so once he got on he gunned the swifter and rolled through at least 3 inches of water as he crossed. He did not know it because he was focused on getting across but when he still had 10 meters to go the west side of the bridge gave way and started peeling into the river toward him. He hit the east side and kept moving until he was far enough away that he could safely stop and get some flares lit. He had heard the screeching noise of steel as it bent but thought it was just the normal creaking of the bridge as the water slammed into it. He climbed out and went to the trunk to grab the flares and the sound of the bridge being demolished brought him up short. He lit a flare and held it up, these things were made to withstand hard rains, what he saw gave him the willies.

The bridge was crumbling away very fast now and the water was raging with all the debris. Funny, how he thought that the children were going to have to plant more trees as he watched the bridge disappear into the water. He threw the first flare down and proceeded to light off three more as he back up to the car. The water was now coming over the road and luckily he had thrown the flares onto higher areas away from the river. He turned and ran to his swifter and climbed in. He gunned the engine and spun out toward the east just as a big wave front of the river washed over the area he was parked in.

As He drove toward the Bruce he almost ran over some people that were walking along the road pushing bicycles. They turned just in time to see his headlights and moved off the road. He slowed as he started to pass them but stopped to see if they needed any help. As he came to a complete stop he recognized the three men. They were the ones that had come from the ship. He rolled his window down and hollered at them to come and get in the car. Carl Higgins hollered back and said “what about the bikes?” “Leave them for now we can find them later” Rolin yelled back. The three men placed the bikes off the road in a hidden area and ran to the car and climbed in. They reached the Bruce Highway in short order and headed south. The bridge over the Black River on this road at least was high enough to be safe from flood waters. “We are going into Paradise to see if anyone needs help” Rolin said to the three men as they crossed the bridge on the Bruce Highway. Rolin was worried and the three men could feel his trepidation of what they might find or not in the town. Lance Montague asked “where is you wife?” Rolin was watching with such intensity that he barely heard the question. His mind was on Amanda as well as anyone that might still be in the town. His thoughts were to go to the community center first and he so wanted to contact Amanda to know that she was alright. Lance asked the question once more and Rolin spoke “She is at home and I am sure that tree house can stand up okay” although he had some doubt. The wind was blowing around 50mph or harder and he knew that when that storm made land fall it was going to get worse. As they approached Woolcock Street Rolin could see water running over the roads and streets. He turned his head toward the ocean for a moment and Jonas Danforth yelled, “LOOK OUT”, STOP”.

Rolin jerked around just in time to see the bridge had been washed away over the BOHLE River. He slammed the brakes hard and turned the car toward the East. The car skidded sideways toward the swollen river and then scooted off the road and came to a stop just before hitting a tree and nose diving into flooded ground of the river. Everybody sat for a few minutes starring at the rushing waters and the small tree in front of them. While they were watching the tree tipped and fell into the rushing water that was already full of debris from upstream. Rolin threw the car into reverse and began to back up toward the road. The wheels spun for a few seconds and then caught and the car shot backward to the road surface. Once on the paved surface Rolin frantically applied the brakes once again to keep from shooting across into another flooded area. He turned the car around and drove back to the intersection where Shaw road connected. He meant to take that road and skirt around by taking the Hervey Range Road and once on that he could possible take any number of ways into the town center, providing none had been flooded by the Ross River yet. He knew he was taking a big chance on that one but these were all he had at the moment. If the bridges were still intact and he could make it to the THURINGOWA DRIVE then he could make it to the DALRYMPLE ROAD which would take him back to Woolcock Street. The community center was located on Castle Hill and would be above any flooding and sheltered from the high winds coming in from the ocean.

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:57 pm

16 THE BRIDGE AT KEELBOTTOM CREEK

The children guiding the animals had taken the roads to the Hervey Range Road and moved as fast as they could to the pass over the Hervey Range. When they reached the top of the pass and began to drop down the western slope, the rain started falling. At first it was light but quickly enough it became heavier. They passed through a small village as they kept dropping and finally entered a valley with mountains on both sides. The rains kept falling faster and harder as they moved westward but the winds did not seem to be too harsh. However they all knew that would change as the big storm came closer to land. Even though they were on the west side of a mountain range the storm would be powerful enough to cover them. William and Jon both knew that the creeks and rivers on this side of the mountains, that they were still in and would not drop into savannas for quit some time, would start to rise and turn into large rivers with flash floods before too long. They wanted to make the KEELBOTTOM CR. Bridge and get across before it reached a flood stage. Once on the other side they could take it easy for awhile and even stop to rest. There next big hurdle would be the STAR RIVER and hopefully it would not be flooding by the time they reached it. William figured it would be a few days and once across they could rest for day’s in-between that river and the BURDEKIN RIVER. He expected to meet up with some indigenous folks on the other side of the Keelbottom who would travel with them to a savanna area that had been set up to receive most of the groups. As they traveled Jon watched and said farewell to some of the groups as they branched off and headed into the surrounding hills and mountains. He knew that the mountains would be better homes for some of them as they had lived in mountainous areas in the states. Yasar and her family came from great savannas originally and lived in the most horrid of conditions called zoos in the states. There were a lot of the group that had escaped from the zoo’s that would live better lives in the bush of the savannas and the forests of tropical zones

As they traveled along the Hervey Range road the animals kept a tight group and they all seemed to move as one. The children could be seen scattered among all the animals and moving in a fluid motion. William watched with amazement and although he could not see their feet, he could swear that they were floating along and not even touching the ground. When ever a group of animals decided to leave from the mass group they all would come to a sudden stop and wait for the small group to separate themselves from the greater group. Jon knew before hand when they were going to stop and he knew who was going to leave. William and the children could see the ones that belonged to the group that was leaving move from different places and they would gather outside of the herd until all gathered and then one of the children would mingle with that group and telepathically tell the others where they were going and that he or she would guide them until they found a home. The child also said that he/she would catch up later when the animals were safe. This time the particular group was of the Ape family and they were going into the mountains toward the North to live in the western forests of the mountain range. Tammy was the one to lead the Ape family to their new home. She was born in the northern mountains and knew them well. The dream net was full of wondrous places and Tammy had spoken with the leaders of the family. Every one bid them farewell and started moving once again toward the bridge over the Keelbottom creek. William figured it would take them another few hours. He and Jon had spoke to one another and then to the entire group and said that they had to get across the big creek and hopefully they could find some shelter and rest for awhile.

The road had been worn down over the years and in a lot of places the pavement was broke up and traffic had made side paths around the large cracked and pothole areas. The edges of the road dropped off into sandy areas and the vehicle tracks could be seen where the cars or trucks got stuck when people tried to dodge the deep holes by side running. For the large group of animals and people walking, the obstacles were easily traversed although most just sidestepped as they approached the more torn up areas. Most of the deep holes and even the shallow ones were full of water with all the rain that had been falling. William and Jonathan could hear the water running along the North side and somewhere in front of them. William knew that there was a small creek that flowed from the east and ran parallel with the Road until it intersected with the larger Keelbottom. If that creek was running at a flood stage and dumping into the Keelbottom they could be in trouble to get across. The rain appeared to slow down a bit as they came around a small hill and headed toward the larger creek. Ursula who was sitting on Yasar spoke and said “I can see the bridge over the creek and it looks like it has water running over it.” That was not good news but William knew they had to hurry all the much more now. Ursula at least said that she could see the bridge. He spoke into the minds of all and told them that they must hurry and try to cross the bridge while they could still see it. Everyone must help each other and make sure that no one got washed away. The group picked up the pace and began to almost trot/run toward the bridge.

Yasar and her family came to a halt as they all approached the bridge. She wasn’t sure if she and her family could cross without crashing through, in which case the others would not be able to cross. William read her mind and took the lead and began to take the smaller animals and children across the bridge. The road bed on each side had water running over it but it was only a few inches deep at this time. William told all to hold each other as they moved into the rushing water. The children were being guarded on both sides by the animals as they splashed onto the bridge and moved toward the far side. The old bridge was around 150 meters long and the creek was running over the entire length. William did not know the depth of the water at the bridge but he was sure that if any being got swept off the bridge they surely would be drug down stream and possible be drowned before anyone would be able to save them. The larger animals took it upon their selves to carry the smaller animals and the children. The concerted effort was amazing to watch as the small ones climbed up on the larger ones and the children did the same. Jonathan had stayed behind with the elephants on guard in case anyone got swept over. He was prepared to jump in and try to save them. He told Batty and the mouse to be ready to abandon him if he had to jump in. Waji overheard the conversation and told Jonathan to give the bat and the mouse to him and he would shield them until they got across. Jonathan was relieved and passed both up to Waji. Batty was not happy but Jonathan told her that she would be safer with Waji at this time.

Yasar and her family watched with worry as the group made their way across. There were a few moments when some of the smaller animals slid sideways but were caught by others. The tenseness of the moments had Yasar flapping her big ears. Finally the large group made it to the far side and moved to higher ground away from the flood. William spoke and told Yasar and her family to get across. Yasar moved cautiously and stepped onto the bridge. It felt solid enough and the rushing water did not seem to bother her as she moved further onto the bridge. She walked out to about a third of the way and stopped and told her children to go in front and get across. She wanted them to be spread out so the weight would not cause a problem. She had taken Jonathan and raised him up to her shoulders with Ursula.

They watched as Yuni and Yoli moved out with Timmy and Waji. Yuni took the lead and splashed along. She was around 40 yards out before Yoli began walking. He also was splashing and it seemed the water was rising as they moved across the bridge. Yasar waited for Yoli to get about the same distance in front of her before she began to move. She weighed around 10 tonne and she really was hoping that this human made trail across the river would hold her as she slowly moved toward the far side. She was watching closely as Yuni and Yoli made it to the far side. She was just past the half way point when a large crashing, rumbling sound made her turn her head toward the upstream side. She saw the 6 foot wall of water flowing toward them. It looked to be about 200 yards from the bridge but she knew that it would hit fairly quickly. She began to run toward the far side but knew she would not make it before the wave hit. She had made it to with 20 yards of the end of the bridge when she turned head on into the wave. It would only reach her shoulders but she was worried about Ursula and Jonathan and if they could hold on as this thing hit her. She did not know if it would knock her from the bridge or the bridge would break. All she could do was to face it head on and stand her ground as it washed by.

Just before the wave hit her and the bridge she gave a loud trumpeting. Jonathan had wrapped his arms around Ursula and told her to hang on. He was hoping that the water would be under them and that Yasar could withstand the onslaught. As the wave reached the bridge it had been carrying a large amount of debris. The force of the impact caused the eastern half of the bridge to break and slowly twist and tumble into the swiftly moving Creek. The western half stayed in place but it was sure that it would soon follow the eastern half. Yasar braced herself as the wave splashed into her. The water rose above her shoulders and became a waterfall on the downstream side of the bridge. She saw the big tree flowing at her just before it struck. Luckily it was sideways but it knocked her balance off and she glissaded backwards toward the downstream side of the bridge. Her first thought was to wrap her trunk around the guard railing of the bridge but it was too late. She slid backwards and knew she was going over the edge. Jonathan and Ursula had done their best to hang on to Yasar’s ears but the force of the wave and then the impact of the tree had been too much for them. Jonathan watched and waited as Yasar was forced backwards and as soon as he could tell they were at the edge of the bridge, he held onto Ursula tightly and slid off of Yasar into the raging stream. He figured to hit the water and try to move them both toward the bank.

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Sat Nov 18, 2017 5:01 pm

Yasar slipped off the bridge and knew she would have to turn into the flow and try to push herself to the bank. It would probably be down stream a ways but she could at least get up to solid ground. She was worried about Jon and Ursula but could do nothing at the moment. She felt them slide from her back just before she fell from the bridge into the deeper water. As she turned to face the down stream direction she caught site of Jonathan and Ursula. All she could see was their heads as they were being dragged swiftly down stream. She began struggling to move toward them hoping to reach them and help get them to the bank. The rushing water was trying to spin her in circles as she moved along and the effort to paddle toward the two humans made her spin even more. They had been carried down stream a few hundred yards when she heard a big crashing sound of steel creaking and moaning. She knew that the west side of the bridge was tearing away and this meant that the debris could be rushing toward them now. This made her struggle harder to move toward the bank and catch Jonathan and Ursula.

William and the Children along with Yuni and Yoli and all the other animals had managed to reach higher ground where the road rose from the Creek Bridge. They had watched the big wave roll down the Creek and hit the Bridge and Yasar and then saw the eastern side of the Bridge break and twist and roll as it moved into the raging waters. The wave splashed against Yasar and moved her just a few feet. They all thought she would turn and make it the rest of the way across the bridge when the tree hit her and she was moved back toward the down stream side. They all watched in slow motion as Yasar slid back and Jonathan grabbed onto Ursula and slid off her back into the raging flow. Yuni and Yoli both trumpeted and turned toward the south and began to move down stream along the high ground. Timmy and Waji were both hanging on tightly as Yasar’s children moved swiftly. William told the other children to move the animals further up the road and wait for him and the others as he was going with the two elephants to help save the ones in the water. As he moved to join Yuni and Yoli the crashing and screeching of steel made him stop and see the rest of the bridge tear away from the bank and tumble into the rushing waters. He turned and began to run.

Yasar was making some headway toward the west bank and had lost sight of Jonathan and Ursula. She could feel the creek bed in some places as she came closer to the bank. The debris was not as bad closer to the bank but even at that she was being hit with broken branches and trunks of trees. When she reached a spot where she could stand on the creek bed, half of her was out of the water. She felt something hit her hind leg and pain immediately surged through her being. She almost fell over into the rushing water but somehow kept upright and moved closer to the bank. The closer she got the higher she rose out of the water until finally she stumbled out and onto the bank. She moved with a crippling walk up onto the land and had to kneel down as soon as she was clear of the waters. Just a few hundred yards down stream the Creek took a big bend. She felt at loss for Jonathan and Ursula but the pain in her hind leg kept her from getting back up.

It was around 3 km’s downstream when she had finally reached the bank and crawled out. She rolled over onto her side and lay there feeling the pain. Yuni and Yoli found their way through the sparse forest and came upon their Mother laying on the ground and bleeding from her hind leg. The scene was horrible to behold. There was a large splintered tree trunk sticking out from her leg and she was breathing hard and heavy. Waji spoke into Yoli’s mind and told him that he would have to try to pull the tree trunk from his mother’s leg. Yoli moved close and Yuni joined him. They both wrapped their trunks around the tree trunk and pulled. Yasar let out a sickened trumpeting as the trunk came out. Yuni let go and moved her head close to her Mother’s head and bumped into her. Yoli flung the tree trunk away and moved to do the same. Yasar’s leg was bleeding badly and Timmy and Waji had both jumped off the two children as they tried to comfort their mother. William ran up just as Yoli had flung the tree away. He saw the bleeding wound and disappeared for just a second. When he came back he had Evelyne and Eryne with him. Both girls along with Timmy, Waji and William touched Yasar’s leg and the healing light lit up each one until they were all one big tube of light. When the light fell back into each, the wound was completely healed. Yasar raised her head and then waited for everyone to move so she could stand up. Yuni and Yoli both trumpeted their joy.

When Jonathan had grabbed a hold of Ursula and they both slipped off of Yasar into the rushing waters. Jonathan had said to her. “Hold your breath, we are going under.” She took a big lung full of air and they both hit the water. They went under for a short space of time and came back up quickly. She noticed that they were already down stream from Yasar. Jonathan was holding onto her and they went under again. He kept a hold of her as they popped back up and this time she could see Yasar moving down stream toward them. She knew that Yasar would not be able to catch them and thought about the big animal reaching the bank safely. Jonathan was telling her to hold on and he would try to move them toward the bank. The water was moving so fast that neither one of them seemed to be able to move toward the bank; all they could do was ride the water as it rushed downstream. There were big and small waves around them and fortunately they were moving just as fast as the debris. Jonathan though about grabbing a large tree trunk but they were moving so fast that he could not grasp any part of it. Ursula had wrapped her arms around his neck and then wrapped her legs around his mid section as he had directed her to do so he could use his arms and hands to try and guide them toward the bank. Jonathan could see the water in front of them and it looked like it was rushing up against a large rock surface and turning. He could see that if they did not get out of the main flow force they would be dashed against the rock wall as the water turned. As they both moved swiftly toward the rock cliff he could see large pieces of trees and such being splintered as the rushing waters carried the debris into the wall. He kept looking at the west bank and how sometimes it came close as they moved by. His thought was to try and grab something as they came close that would stop their movement.

Ursula was reading Jonathans thoughts as they came close to the bank. She could see the crashing where the water turned its course up ahead and knew also that they would not make it any further unless they stopped before that turn. She also knew that they were moving to fast to be able to grab anything that might be sticking out from the bank. To do something like that could get ones arm tore off at this speed. When she was born, she could read other peoples thoughts. It had amazed her parents to some degree but her mother could also read minds and speak telepathically. She had kept that fairly secretive and then they had to keep Ursula’s abilities secret also because the Government at the time was always on the hunt for special children and would take them from the parents. When she became 1 year old she could also levitate small objects and as she grew she could move larger objects. When she turned 4 her parents were caught supplying the freedom fighters of Perth information from the States and were taken away. She had been put into a care home and treated like a misfit. When she turned 5, Deb Petrovski took her and kept her at her place while she went to school. Deb did not know of the abilities that Ursula had so she kept them secret and only used the mind reading ability as needed. All of this ran through her mind as they rushed down the Creek toward that very nasty looking end of their journey. She could see Jonathan thinking so dearly about Batty and his little pink mouse. She could feel the sorrow in him about her and how he was about to fail to keep her safe.

Jonathan saw the branches sticking out from the bank and with just a little pushing he thought he could maneuver close enough to grab on. He knew it would probably break his arms but if it worked it would stop them from crashing into the rock wall up ahead. This would be his last chance. He told Ursula to hold on tight and when he came close he was going to try to rise up enough to grab the branch. Ursula knew it would be fruitless to tell him that it would not work and he would probably kill himself and perhaps her in the process. Although she thought, it was for sure they would die when they hit the rock wall. Her solemn oath to keep her abilities secret overrode her love for this man to save her and all life. He would be willing to die to keep her safe. The branch was too high as they passed under it. The water was too fast, there were so many things that did not work with that final idea of Jonathans to save them from a very bad ending. The rock wall approached fast now and they could feel the rush of water as it began swirling to make its course change. Jonathan held on tightly and said “When we hit, I will be first so you might be able to keep from hitting so hard. When you get out and back to the group tell Batty that I said for her to go with you and take pinky also.” The rock wall seemed to rush at them and then Jonathan was hovering above the water and watching the splashing as it washed up the wall and fell back. He kept climbing higher until he moved over to the top of the rock wall and landed on firm ground. Ursula was hanging on tightly to him with her eyes closed. Jonathan lowered himself slowly to a sitting position and softly spoke to her. “You can relax now Ursula, we seem to have been thrown clear of the fate of that wall. Ursula did not want to let go and she began to cry softly. Jonathan unraveled her arms and legs and brought her around to his lap and held her, telling her that it was alright now. “I know what you did and that is our secret. You are my little sister and we will always be together.” He laid her head against his shoulder and began to cry himself.

Christine · Post by **Christine** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:54 pm

Thank you Steven. Flying above the wall we are rushing toward is a beautiful metaphor. Not to interrupt your story will keep this post short ... missed your presence these past few days.

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:49 pm

17 AMANDA AND THE BEAVERS

After Rolin had left, Amanda had called Aberdeen and Connie to see how they were doing. Connie had answered the Vid-phone and told her that they were doing okay and they had been able to warn most of the folks living close to Althaus creek and Healy creek. Their cottage was located on one of the lower ridges of Mt. Cataract to the east and the two men that had come with them had been able to run the trails of Healy Creek and make it back to the cottage before the major rains came. “How are you doing over there on the Black River?” Amanda told her that she was alone but was okay for now. “Rolin was called in to help and he left about 2 hours ago, said something about swinging through Paradise to see how things were going down there. I am worried about him because this storm is getting worse and the river has risen at least 5 feet from what I can tell. I think it is running over its banks already in so many places. If and when it jumps the bank here I will be alright but no one goes or comes at that point to our home.

Nawhaur and Sawlyne had been called and asked if they would like to go to a wonderful new world. Honovi had shown up soon after Sawlyne had her two babies and told them that the place they were living would soon be unlivable for them. Nawhaur hesitated but Sawlyne soon convinced him and Honovi took them to the big furry peoples caves and then they all went to a floating dam or so it seemed and they both saw the unending waters for quite some time before they finally came to land. They both had been told about people of their kind and where they could find them by a tall human that could talk to them. They had remembered the other humans that had visited their home along with the two big growlers and how they had talked with them also. The day when all the other animals and humans left the big floating dam, Nawhaur and Sawlyne followed along for awhile and the two babies took turns riding on Nawhaur’s back as they waddled along. The clouds had formed and the sky was turning dark as well as the wind began blowing when the group reached an uphill climb. The tall man showed up and guided them to the side as the group kept moving. The man told them that this would be the place for them to leave and he showed them the direction to go to find their other family members. Water had started falling from the sky when they moved off the road and into the trees. They walked for awhile and then they heard the rushing of water up ahead. Nawhaur became excited and thought about building a new home. The water from the sky had become thicker and the sky was so dark that it seemed like night. Sawlyne had told him that they must find some shelter soon to comfort the babies. Nawhaur told her that as soon as they reached the waters up ahead they could find a place to rest for the night and hopefully it would be under something to shelter them from the water falling from the sky.

The wind had picked up and the thin trees were swaying and bouncing back and forth as the family waddled through the forest. Nawhaur was keeping a weary eye on the trees and sure enough one fell over right in front of them. They all halted and backed up. The tree could have killed them if they had been under it where it fell. The wind was blowing harder now as Nawhaur took them around the trunk of the fallen tree and continued to move toward the rushing water sound. They all kept their eyes on the swaying trees and soon they came to a small clearing and Nawhaur stopped abruptly. The earth fell away steeply and the river below was raging by. The water was moving very fast and they saw trees and brush floating by. Nawhaur could not tell for sure but it looked like the water was rising. He turned to push everyone back and just as he did a great wall of water came crashing by. The bank were he had been standing just a few moments before crumbled away and fell into the raging river. Nawhaur pushed them all back quickly and they all moved away far enough so as not to be engulfed in this raging river. At that point, Nawhaur decided to move down stream in hopes of finding a safe place to get out of the water falling from the sky and hopefully not be the path of a falling tree.

As the beavers moved along the banks of the river, not to far in front of them was a home up in the trees. Amanda had been trying to reach Rolin but the storm had knocked out the land lines and the Wifi connections were not working at all. She was very worried and had actually thought about getting in the car and going to find him. She knew that would be a very dangerous thing to do now because the river was already running over its banks and her front yard already had water washing across the lawn and the driveway. She kept trying the Vid-phone but all she was getting was static. She was also looking out of her living room windows at the yard below. It was while she was looking out and glancing at the Vid-phone she heard a big crashing sound. She ducked down out of pure instinct and then slowly peered out the front windows again and saw her car floating along the drive way. She then saw pieces of her garage also floating along. The huge title flow of the river had breached over the banks above her home and smashed into the garage. She guessed that the river was running about 5 feet deep across the yard and drive way now and figured that no one was coming and she sure as heck wasn’t going anywhere. The rain was blowing and falling so hard now that she thought she could be blown out of the trees. That would not be very nice. The big trees she had the house built in were swaying somewhat but nothing that could tear the house apart. She had picked this group of trees because they were very old and so huge she could build a fairly good size home in them. The Carpenters/builders she had picked were very experienced at building in the trees around the world so her confidence was good and solid. This storm had not happened this intense since before the turn of the century and now her confidence was shaky after seeing the car and the garage float away. She also knew that the Black river had not flowed this deep for over a hundred years.

The power system had lost a battle somewhere so she was in the dark. She hurried to the emergency generator room that was attached to the side of the main house and opened the door. Her torch shinned on the big 20,000 KW motor as she walked over and kicked a switch to get it started. Fortunately the switch was not attached to the power grid of the main house and the motor started up. She then had to throw a big bar switch to transfer the power into the main house. She had to use both hands and push with all her might to get the lever to flip up. Finally the lever moved and connection was made and the lights came back on in the main house. She moved back out and sure enough the Vid-phone was on and the white noise was loud, she walked over and turned the volume down and all she could here then was the rushing and crashing of the river as it ran under her house. The rain was being blown against the windows horizontally and the patter of it hitting was a constant sound. She could feel the old trees moving and her house gently swayed. The motion was seriously close to putting her to sleep so she heated up some water and made some strong tea. She needed to stay awake in case Rolin got through. Tears began to well in her eyes but her inner self of survival caused her to regain her nerve.

Amanda kept watching the water rushing under her and hoping it would not rise anymore. She could only tell by looking at the trunk of some trees in her front yard, so she had concentrated on a spot that was above the water line. She kept hearing a knocking sound or something that sounded like maybe a piece of wood banging on a wall or something. She listened for a short time while keeping her eyes on the water level and the Vid-phone. Finally the sound got to be to annoying for her so she went to the front door. The Elevator was useless at this point because the power was out and her generator was not connected to it. There was however a well built stair case from the ground to the front door. The men that had built it were so talented and creative it had been spotlighted in a well know home magazine. The Stairs were made of thick virgin wood from the Karri trees found on the West coast. The stairs wound around one of the older gum trees and were attached to the front porch. She opened the front door and peered out. Even though the porch was semi covered the rain blew into her face and a cold blast made her shut the door quickly. The hammering sound continued so she put on a hooded rain jacket and covered her face with a scarf and ventured out once more. She reached the edge of the stairway and flashed her torch down the stairs. The rushing water had covered the bottom 5 or 6 feet. She started to turn and go back in when she spotted some movement on the steps just above the rushing water.

Her torch rested on the movement and she gasped. She saw what looked like 4 beaver; one was on the lowest tread just above the water while the other three were on the next tread above. Two of them were just babies as she could tell and they were clinging to the mother’s back or so she assumed. The water was lapping over the tread the bigger beaver was on and she knew that he was trying to climb up to the next tread but the mother and her babies were in the way. Her heart felt the pangs of being rescued by these beings when she had drowned in the river with Connie. She rushed back into the house and found the rope that was in the closet and hurried back out. As she moved down the treads the wind threatened to blow her over the side. She was slowly moving down while hanging onto the guard railing.

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:09 pm

Nawhaur and Sawlyne were hurriedly moving along the side of the river while the two babies were riding Sawlyne’s back. Nawhaur could see the river rushing along and as they moved, the water was rising more and more until it was running over the banks and then it caught them and swept them along. Nawhaur turned and was holding Sawlyne up as the babies were grasping to her back. As they floated in the rushing water he was trying to keep her and the babies from being snagged by the brush and some small trees that came at them. He narrowly dodged a bigger tree trunk as it came sideways toward them. He pushed all of them to the shallower part of the stream when a big wave caught them once again and dragged them further into the rushing stream. He had glanced at the lights up ahead in the trees and saw the big trunks of the trees still standing. He then saw the curve of the stairs. He figured to catch onto that and pull his family up out of the stream. He guided Sawlyne and the babies toward the big tree and as he hit the edge of the guard rail he spun Sawlyne around and she landed on the tread that was just barely above the water. She immediately climbed to the next tread while Nawhaur paddled ferociously back to the stairs. He had flung Sawlyne around and in the process was caught by the water and pulled into the big trunk of the tree. He pushed off and paddled back to the rear of the stairs and then feverishly pulled himself back to the front and struggled himself onto the tread above the water. Sawlyne was slapping her tail against the tread as he reached safety and she continued as he waited for her to go higher. She did not seem to want to and perhaps it was because the babies had exhausted her. He was trying to get up to the next tread, because the water was still rising and it was threatening to drag him back in when he saw the human coming down to them. He wasn’t sure what this human was going to do but he was prepared to defend his family.

Amanda slowly stepped her way down the stairs as she clung to the railing. She wasn’t sure how she was going to do it but she meant to save this family from the raging waters. She saw the big male look right at her and suspected that he would fight to death if his family was threatened. As she came within 5 steps of the mother and her babies she decided to tie herself to the rope and tie it around the guard railing, something inside of her seemed to direct her to do this. As she was tying herself she saw the mother turn and look at her. The babies were clutching so hard that she looked like she was in pain. Amanda spoke in her mind while looking at the mother. I am here to help you to safety if you will let me. Your mate must climb higher or he will be dragged into the water again. Bring your babies and climb to the top, there is safety up there. Amanda spoke this so loud in her mind and then she saw the mother jump to the next tread and hesitate for just a second before jumping to the next. The babies hung on and Amanda was preparing to help them up. She was waiting for the big male to begin climbing but just as he started to jump up to the safer tread a wave of rushing water caught him and pulled him into the stream again. Amanda saw him slide in and without thinking she dove over the side of the railing and swam to the front of the beaver. She was further out and managed to catch him as he swirled into her arms. She was not thinking of any danger from him and so he felt only safety from her. She held him while she pulled herself back along the rope. She finally felt the stair rail under her feet and moved to the tread that was now just above the water. She pulled the beaver around and helped him get on the tread and he promptly jumped to the next as she pulled herself up and climbed to the place where the rope had been tied. The beaver family had climbed all the way to the top while she was untying herself and wrapping the rope up. She finally looked up and saw them all waiting at the top of the stairs looking at her.

The smile on her face gave off a shine in this darkened sky full of wind and rain as she climbed the stairs toward the family of beavers. Her heart felt a pure peace and when she was within 4 steps from the top, the beavers all moved to the side to let her pass. She stepped onto the porch and moved to the open door and stopped. Turning around and looking at the forlorn family, she bowed and said “welcome to my home, won’t you please come in?” Sawlyne looked at her and then turned her head to look at Nawhaur, She is a fine human and very gracious I might add. Now don’t you go being a spoiler. I am cold and tired and the children need to be fed. With that Sawlyne moved to the door and peeked inside and then just waltzed right in with her babies following. Nawhaur was a bit more cautious but the human was patient so he finally waddled in. Amanda waited until they were all in then came in herself and shut the door. The wind had died down some and it seemed that the rain had even slowed down however the river was still rushing under them. She was soaked to the bone and thought about taking a warm shower and getting into some dry cloths but she needed to get the family somewhat comfortable first so she went to the linen closet in the hall and fetched some cozy blankets and towels. She brought all this back out into the living room and proceeded to lay them out on the floor. She had a towel slung over her shoulder and dried her hair with it while the beavers watched her. The two babies were not shy and wasted no time as they hopped on the blankets and rolled around. The mother moved to the blankets and lay down to feed the children. Nawhaur just sat and looked around and then the human walked out of the room.

Amanda went to her bedroom and shed the wet clothes and took a hot shower. After dressing in warm dry clothes she made her way back to the living room. The Vid-phone was still giving off white noise so she turned it off. The Mama beaver had fallen asleep as well as the babies on the blankets. The Papa beaver was still sitting in the same spot as when he first came in. He had watched her from the moment she came through the hall into the living room. She moved to the open kitchen and began to heat some water. The generator was still running and she thought about making sure it had enough fuel. She knew it would be okay until she had some hot Chai and something to eat. This made her think about something for the beavers. She knew that they ate bark, trees and other kinds of natural delights from the wilds. Something stirred her mind and the word mushrooms flooded her. She looked across the room at the big male and spoke at him. “You hungry, I have some delicious mushrooms, perhaps you would like some?” The beaver just stared at her and then all of sudden a young girl appeared in the room. Amanda immediately knew her, “Evelyne, what brings you to Paradise?” “I wanted to see Nawhaur and Sawlyne and the children, they have come so far and been through so much, you saved this crotchety fellows life and he does not know how to talk with you. So I also come to give you the gift of communication with the animals. Amanda asked if she would like some Chai and Evelyne graciously accepted some while sitting on the big divan. Amanda brought the tea in and they both sat in front of Nawhaur and chatted about the happenings around the world. Nawhaur had heard the human speak and knew that she had offered him mushrooms but he did not know how to speak back to her although he tried with the mind speak. He tried and tried and all the while the humans spoke in the human speak. His hunger was getting the better of him and he desperately wanted to thank the human for saving him and his family. He was not a beggar and he knew the other human that appeared for she was the one that had opened his mind to understand the humans and be able to communicate with them in the mind speak.

Nawhaur you are being stubborn and almost rude to this woman that saved your life. Don’t you want to thank her and she has offered you some delicious mushrooms to boot. Are you still so afraid that you would starve rather than meet one of your closest friends you will have in this new home you have chosen to live? Nawhaur heard the girl loud and clear and said I have been trying to talk with her but she does not hear me. I would very much like some of those mushrooms and I would like so much to thank her for saving me and the family. Will you tell her for me? Evelyne snickered as is her way. Amanda looked at her and smiled, “Are you up to something?” Then she looked at the beaver that seemed to be uneasy. She could swear that he had moved closer but he was still in that sitting position. No, you will tell her yourself and she will know you and understand, just give me a moment. Evelyne turned to Amanda and spoke into her mind, “It was the beavers” yes it was the human” Amanda you must open this door right here. Amanda fell into herself, her mind and had taken Evelyne’s hand as they walked down a long hall way. Evelyne told her to open a door so she reached to the knob and it was hard to turn. Evelyne told he to try again and this time remember that place you were when the spirits lifted you in the waters. Amanda turned the knob with that thought in her mind of coming back from a place she did not want to come back from but it turned out to be an opening in her heart. The door opened and standing on the other side was Nawhaur. He walked over to her and put his forearms around her and thankedher. I would dearly love some of those mushrooms you have offered me please dear lady. The door disappeared and Amanda opened her eyes only to see the beavers face up close and his forearms around her.

Nawhaur had watched as the woman who saved him walked to the hallway and opened a door. He was standing there as she stood in front of him. He saw her bend down and walked to her and put his arms around her and said with a heartfelt shaking in his voice, Thank you and then he asked her for some of the mushrooms. The plate on the table in front of the two humans was full of the mushrooms and they were his favorite. He took a few and sat down and began to eat. Are those to your liking Nawhaur? Yes dear Amanda, they are my favorite. Sawlyne had woken up and saw the actions and heard the conversation and then saw Evelyne. She stood up and came over and gave the girl a hug. Amanda had some very long conversations with the beaver family late into the night and almost until the morning of the next day. Evelyne had open doors in her mind so she could talk to animals and other humans telepathically and then told her that Rolin would be okay but he would be quite busy for a few days. Amanda told the beavers that they should stay with her for now and that they could build a new home on any creek they found that ran into the many rivers and or bigger creeks in the lands of Paradise. She also told them of the other beavers that had saved her life and how when the flooding slowed down, they all could go and find them. Nawhaur and Sawlyne would discuss their new home location since both of them wanted to be close to Amanda and her home. The babies had woken and met Amanda and moved around the house investigating the new surroundings. They finally fell back to sleep and Evelyne had left earlier. Early in the morning they all decided to get some rest and while they slept peacefully the rains became less and winds subsided.

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:41 pm

18 KYRA AND CODY

Kyra Johnston had left Paradise the day before the BESS pulled into port. The storm was still far out in the east and not expected to hit for at least a few more days. She had spoke to Arthur Curtis who was down in Mackay getting the new healing center set up. His community center had received a large donation to begin the healing center. The children in the city had connected the dreamnet and the schools were turned into higher learning centers of healing as the children began to plant trees and foods in the bigger yards and spread into the rural areas. The hungry were being fed regularly these days and the cottage/little house program was underway as it had spread from Paradise further out into the areas beyond the borders of Paradise. Arthur told her to be careful and the city was already preparing for the storm.

Cody was riding with his front paws up on the dash so he could see the road in front. He was such a worry wart when ever they went anywhere in the car. His warning barks would sound if a wild animal crossed the road in front of them or if Kyra wobbled in the road just a tiny bit. The roads always had pot holes and/or broken up pavement and she would have to swerve around those spots. Sometimes she could not swerve in time and a wheel would bounce in the pothole or broken pavement and Cody would sort of bark and then growl. He was always on the lookout for those spots but he could not always see them either.

She had left Paradise around mid morning after making sure the community center and the healing center were well stocked. She was going up to Cairns to get the new healing center up and running. The community center had been on line for almost 6 months now and the healing center had been completed just within the last month. The children had brought about some very lush fruit trees and there were gardens popping up all over with vegetables and herbs and plants that had great medicinal powers. The folks that had taken control of the community center had connected with the others through the dreamnet and Nick Green had helped to bring about the entire thing. She could connect with all the community and health centers through the dreamnet but it was her want to visit these places in the physical and it gave her vacations. Her and Arthur had been so tied up in the dreamnet by gathering new folks and teaching them all how to help themselves she looked forward to the trips and visiting folks in the most physical sense.

It had taken almost 8 hours to drive to Cairns because the old Bruce highway had been destroyed in various places so she had to take detours either down to the coastal beaches or further up into the mountain range. She had arrived at the community center late at night and was given a good meal and a small apartment to stay in while she was visiting. The next day she spent at the healing center setting up some important systems of the material kind. The dreamnet was used to bring people for help as needed. Down in Paradise the Bess had docked and was unloading the animals and much needed supplies. The storm was moving from the eastern Pacific and had already crossed some of the far out Islands. Kyra had been so busy in the center she did not notice the wind picking up or the dark clouds moving toward the coast. It was late afternoon when she took a break and went outside to take Cody for a walk. She moved out to the center courtyard and noticed the clouds rushing overhead. When she walked through the covered portico to the parking area beyond the wind caught her and almost blew her into the side wall of the building. She looked out toward the ocean and saw the dark bank of clouds quite far out and felt the moisture blowing in the strong wind. She decided not to take Cody for a walk down to the beach at that point and Cody did not want to go anyway. She turned and went back through the exterior door to the portico and headed across the courtyard. She knew that a storm was headed for the land but she did not know what its strength was or would be. As she came inside from the courtyard a young women approached her and said that there was a Vid-phone call for her.

Arthur Curtis waited by the Vid-phone for Kyra while the folks in the community center of Mackay were scurrying around securing windows and doors. The city of Mackay had been warned of the storm and how it could turn into a hurricane, before it made land fall. It was expected to make that land fall somewhere between Cairns and Paradise. The precise area was not pinpointed at this time but Arthur was very worried for Kyra as she was up in Cairns at the moment. He knew she was planning to come back to Paradise this evening and he wanted to warn her to stay in Cairns until they knew that the storm had blown itself out. She finally stood in front of the Vid-phone and said “Arthur, what’s up?” He started to tell her about the preparations and the storm and not to come back tonight when the Vid-phone went into a complete white static. He called out but to no avail. He ran to a tech office and asked about getting the phone back up. The tech in the room looked at him and shook his head. “Sorry sir we are trying but it seems that storm may have taken out the com signals. We are continuing to work on it but it looks to be awhile, we’ll let you know as soon as we are back up.”

Kyra had stepped in front of the phone and asked Arthur what was up and then the system went blank. She trying to get it back up but with no luck. She was worried now because Arthur looked so concerned. She did not know what could be happening or even why he would call this late. She was preparing to leave within the hour to drive back to Paradise and with the storm brewing outside she wanted to get back as quick as possible. She knew she would have to drive through the night and that venture alone did not make her feel good. She did not like to drive in the dark and the storm would make it even harder she suspected but she needed to get back before the big part got to close or she would be stuck up here and something told her that Arthur could be in trouble and that had her worried now. She notified the head man in charge of the healing center to secure what they could against the coming storm and she gathered Cody and drove back to the Community center and did the same there. She grabbed her small suitcase and briefcase of documents, shoved Cody in the scrammer and headed out for the old Bruce highway or the A1 as it had been called.

Almost three hours later after taking detours, she was back on the old Bruce highway and had just passed the turnoff to Mission beach. She had considered going to the motel there and spending the rest of the night but the rain was coming down so hard, her wipers could barely keep up with it. The night had turned very black and her head lamps seemed to be swamped in the driving rain. She was concentrating so hard on the road that she flew by the turn off before she even realized it and then it was too late. Cody was riding with his paws on the dash and concentrating on the road in front of what he could see through the head lamps when he let out a big bark. Kyra did not see the large hole in the road but reacted to Cody’s Bark with a quick jerk of the steering wheel. The car went to the left and the water on the road caused it to glissade. She turned the wheel to compensate but it was too late as the car shot off the left side of the road and did a complete flip in the air. The gully was deep and the trees were thick, the car flipped back upright and caught the edge of tree trunk that made it bounce sideways as it flew threw the air. Kyra had seen the tree coming but could do nothing and then she saw the other trees as the car hit the bigger one head on.

When the car hit the tree head on, the front windshield broke forward from the car and Cody was thrown forward with it as it bent and splintered around the tree. Kyra heard his high pitched yelps as he disappeared into the darkness just before her head bounced off the steering wheel and blackness took her away. The sound of the motor could be heard as the car lay on its side after it had hit the tree and fallen. Its front end had been smashed and in falling it had snagged a large branch and flipped to its side as it fell to the ground about 20 feet from the initial impact. The motor was still running and the wheels in the rear were spinning. The front headlamps were still shinning and then the engine stopped and the headlamps went out. The Rain was coming down in sheets but the tree canopy was shielding the bulk of it. Kyra was unconscious and blood was running down her fore head where she had struck the steering wheel. Further into the forest Cody lay on his side. His rear leg on the right side was bleeding and there were small cuts and abrasions on his head and other parts of his little body. He was whimpering but very faintly as the waves of water rushed down the bank and threatened to wash him down further into the gully.

LostNFound · Post by **LostNFound** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 2:31 am

19 A HEARTS LOSS AND HEALING

Devlin found the blankets and covered the pigs so they would be warmer. The big male had lain down with the other grown ones and they all snuggled together with the little ones in the center. He found some food and filled two buckets and sat them close and then turned and left the storage building. He had found some battery operated torches and placed them in areas where they would provide the most light for the pigs. Outside the wind was whipping harder now but the rain seemed to have died down somewhat. He forced his way to the back door of the house/store and once inside placed a bar across the door. His assumption that Bob was Megan’s father seemed to make Megan cry even more and when she had left the room, Hattie corrected him before he went out to tend to the pigs. When he walked back into the room, Megan and Hattie were sitting together at the back counter and eating some soup or something hot as he could see the steam rising from the bowls. He moved to the pot bellied stove and stoked it with some more of the chopped up wood that was in the bin. With that he proceeded to sit down.

Hattie had seen him come in and go to the stove and then sit down as if to wait for an invitation into the heart of the matter. Megan did not turn around but kept eating the hot soup. Hattie stood up and moved to her cook stove and fetched a warm cup of coffee for the young man. She passed the counter on her way to the stove and noticed that Megan was in shock. She knew the feeling and was still reeling herself about the death of Bob but she would be danged if she was going to ignore the young folk, besides she would grieve for Bob for days to come when these folk had left.

She handed the drink to the young man and said “you surely got to get some warm food in ya so get up and come over here so I can feed ya proper.” Devlin stood and moved to the counter and sat down. Hattie had fussed around the cook stove and brought over a bowl of hot soup and some fresh baked bread. “Here ya go young man, dig into this and warm you’re self.” Devlin dipped a spoon into the soup and sipped it as it was quite hot. He nodded at Hattie as he swallowed and said “this is very good.” Hattie had sat back down and was finishing her own soup; she smiled and looked at Megan as she appeared to be in deep thought and barely touching her soup. “Young lady, you got to eat something.”

Megan had been stirring her spoon around the bowl and stopped. She looked up at Hattie and the tears were rolling down her cheeks and her eyes were red. All the memories of her parents leaving flooded back into her because Bob had been like a father to her and Galia. His death made her heart ache and break with the loss. She felt the abandonment once again. She pushed the bowl away and stood up suddenly. Her voice was loud as she said “WHY, WHY DID HE HAVE TO LEAVE, WHY DID THEY ALL HAVE TO LEAVE?” She was bawling loudly and uncontrollably now as she stomped her feet and moved in a circle around the room. “OH MAMA, OH PAPA, WHY DID YOU LEAVE US, WHERE ARE YOU?” “BOBBY BEAR, PLEASE COME BACK.”

Hattie had stopped eating and just starred at Megan as she stomped around the room. The girl’s tears were flowing freely which caused Hattie to start crying also. She had known Bob Comet for 25 years and had been his lover, his best friend. The two of them had spent many along days and nights together healing one another from their own losses and pains. Bob had helped build the store and house for her. She was hurting for herself and mostly for Megan. She turned to the young man who had stopped eating also and now was standing and watching the young woman cry and stomp around the room. Hattie moved down the counter and reached over and touched him.

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