34 Refuge

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Stephen Whiteside
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34 Refuge

Post by Stephen Whiteside » Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:18 am

34 Refuge

© Stephen Whiteside 16.11.2011

Where to go? Where to go? It was not going to be easy finding a good place to shelter. Magnifico felt very vulnerable, and Horatio was not going to be able to move fast or far. Magnifico was, in truth, not feeling too wonderful himself, but adrenaline had well and truly kicked in by now, and his one thought was for the protection and safety of his dear friend.

Eventually he found what he was looking for. At the base of the large gum that had been struck by lightning in the night, beginning by one of its roots, lay a beautiful tunnel. If Magnifico had stopped to think, he might have realised that it was a little too good to be true, but he was not in a questioning mood. All his usual defences were down. All was being sacrificed in the urgent need to take Horatio to safety, to bring him down out of the harsh forest light to the security and obscurity of life below the forest floor.

It seemed to be a very long tunnel. Magnifico did not like the idea of resting with still so much unexplored tunnel in front of him. But he didn’t think Horatio would make it much further and, of course, the further they climbed in, the further they would have to climb out again.

So they stopped. It was a very wide tunnel, too. Wide and draughty. Still there was nothing more to do. Horatio seemed to have been exhausted by their short journey, and was unresponsive once more.

Water! That’s what Horatio needed now. Water! He had lost quite a lot of blood, and he would need water to replenish it. There was no question, however, of Horatio making his own way to the water’s edge, so Magnifico would have to make it for him. He hated the idea of leaving his friend alone in the strange, echoing tunnel, but there was nothing else to do. He would have to take the chance, and hope that all was well.

Magnifico quailed at the challenge that lay before him. In broad day-light, he must make his way across wild and completely unknown territory to the bank of the creek. With his mouth now full of water, he must then re-trace his steps and, without getting lost, of course, make his way right back to this gum tree with the long, spooky tunnel at its base. He wasn’t sure he was up to it, to be honest. Chances were, some hawk or kestrel would pluck him up from the leaf litter within moments of leaving the tunnel’s mouth. He had become quite unused to the idea of travelling alone in the wild. Ever since he had met Horatio, the two had been inseparable. Now it was just him again, him against the rest of the world, and it was a very frightening thing.

As luck would have it, events turned out much better than he might ever have imagined. A short distance from the tunnel, he came across a shallow depression in the ground. There in the middle of a dense carpet of soft brown leaves he found the clearest pool of water imaginable. Magnifico drank his fill, astonished at the strength and depth of his own thirst. Then, sucking into his mouth as much water as he could possibly hold, he scurried back to his friend.

To his great frustration, it was very difficult to make his intentions clear to Horatio. He couldn’t talk to him, of course, with his mouth full of water. Fortunately, he found Horatio lying down, his head resting against the ground. Magnifico allowed a small amount of water to trickle against Horatio’s lips. He waited for Horatio to open his mouth to receive the life-affirming fluid. Alas, Horatio remained inert. Again, Magnifico spilled a little more water. Again, Horatio did nothing. After a third attempt also failed, Magnifico found that in fact his mouth was empty, and he would have to make the journey out to the pool once again. What is more, the once dry tunnel floor was now covered with cold water that would soon turn to mud.

Upon returning from the pool a second time, Magnifico received a much more encouraging response from Horatio. He opened his mouth and swallowed after Magnifico allowed some water to spill in. Horatio seemed to be catching on. He still didn’t seem to be up to talking, but at least he was beginning now to act in his own best interests, to take some simple steps to try to ensure his own survival.

Back and forth went Magnifico to the pool. How many times? He lost count. Eventually, however, it appeared that Horatio was no longer thirsty. Stage One in the resuscitation and rescue of Horatio would seem to have been completed. The next stage would be to move a little deeper into the tunnel to find dry ground once more. It would not be good for either of them to fall asleep in the mud.

There was plenty of room to turn around. Too much room, really. Far too much room. Nevertheless, Magnifico did what had to be done and marched further into the mysterious gloom. Horatio turned and followed. A short time later, the two stopped, pressed up against each other, and fell asleep once more.
Stephen Whiteside, Australian Poet and Writer
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au

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