Wraith by James Locke

Author:James Locke [Locke, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation

THIRTY-FIVE

Whaling Ship, Repair Bay, Port River, Adelaide, South Australia

Hearing loud footsteps approaching, James grabbed Aureole by the arm and dived between two large crates. They lay deathly still, too scared even to breathe. The footsteps came closer, stopping a mere metre away from where James and Aureole hid. James moved his head ever so slightly for a better look, but saw only a pair of white gumboots. After what seemed like ages, the gumboots walked on, disappearing into the darkness.

James exhaled. ‘That was close,’ he whispered.

‘Too close,’ Aureole whispered back. ‘We need to be more careful.’ She stood up and dusted herself off.

‘It’s kinda fun though, isn’t it?’ said James. There was a buzz in his body he couldn’t explain. He felt super alert.

‘Yes, it is,’ said Aureole, flashing a guilty smile. ‘So, what did you see when you were up on the gantry?’

‘A dark, square area over towards the other side of the ship. I think it’s a tarpaulin, which might be covering a hole.’

‘Portside?’ said Aureole, pointing to her left as she faced the bow of the ship.

‘Yep, portside,’ said James.

Aureole led the way, quickly navigating through the maze of crates and pipes. The night vision sunglasses made it a lot easier, or at least James thought so until Aureole took her next step. There was a sudden whoosh as her body disappeared, leaving only her head sticking above deck. It happened so quickly, James didn’t have time to react. He gazed down at her. He’d been right about the tarpaulin. The ropes securing it to the deck were the only things that had saved her from falling straight through.

‘I think I may have found the hole,’ she said in a calm voice.

James tried his best to stifle a laugh.

‘Well, are you going to help me out?’ she said, stretching out her arm.

‘Sorry,’ said James, reaching out to grab her hand. Aureole’s feet kept slipping on the damp tarpaulin as he struggled to lift her out. ‘I think you need to lose some weight,’ he grunted with one final heave.

‘What?!’

‘Nothing,’ said James, realising his mistake. Aureole’s face was only a few millimetres from his. If she could have breathed fire, he may have been burnt alive. He took a step back. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t think you’re fat or anything.’

Aureole crossed her arms and tapped a foot, as if to say, ‘Go on, I dare you.’

‘It was just a . . .’ spluttered James. How could he stop from making things worse? He had seen his father cringing under his mother’s fury plenty of times before; it was not a pretty sight.

Aureole waved her hand in the air and said, ‘Forget it.’

James let out a small sigh of relief as she turned and headed back the way they’d come. ‘Where are we going?’ he whispered after her.

‘To find where this hole goes, of course.’

Below deck, an eerie silence filled the dimly lit passageway, only interrupted by the occasional metallic creak as the boat shifted in the water.

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