When Worlds Collide Read online

  “Morning Skye. Just let me put my boots on.”

  The pair I’d worn the night before were soggy and muddy, so I grabbed a fresh pair of tan boots and sat beside her to pull them on, laughing at her nudging my arm to hurry.

  “Okay, just let me tie them up,” I told Skye when she nudged my arm again. I pulled the bow tight and pat her on the head before jogging down the stairs and climbing onto the quad bike. I pat the back of the bike and Skye jumped aboard, the water on the seat soaked into my jeans as I turned it on and drove us back to the fence.

  The cows were farther down in the paddock when we arrived and now there was more light, I inspected the rush job I’d done on the fence the night before.

  “Best we fix this properly,” I told sky, as I set about fixing the fence correctly.

  My eyes kept finding the spot in the distance where I’d seen the balloon drop from the air. How many feet had she fallen? Had she broken something? Did she have a concussion?

  “Ouch!” I cried as blood pooled at the tip of my thumb. I’d pierced it with wire.

  Skye whimpered beside me.

  “It’s okay, girl. I wasn’t paying attention, that’s all.” Digging through the small first aid kit under the seat of the bike, I found a plaster and put it on.

  “See.” I showed Skye my thumb. “Good as new.”

  Once the fence was secure, we made our way back towards the house where Dad was up a ladder on the roof of the chicken coop hammering new timber down.

  “Fence is fixed,” I called up to him, Skye by my side.

  “Good job, Champ. Almost done here,” he called back. “Want to check if there’s any eggs and I’ll cook us some breakfast when I’m done.”

  Instructing Skye to stay, she sat and cocked her head making me smile before I checked the chicken’s nesting boxes finding three eggs. Holding them in my folded-up shirt, I met Dad at the bottom of the ladder.

  “Only three? Guess the storm gave our girls a bit of a fright,” said Dad.

  “Two for you, one for me. Perfect,” I said. “What about the woman?”

  “If she’s awake, I’ll warm up some of the soup Catherine gave us,” he said.

  “Ooh, Catherine,” I mocked.

  “Don’t you start,” he grumbled.

  “What? How many hairdressers make soup for their clients?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe she feels sorry for me being a single parent?”

  “Maybe she has a crush on you.”

  “Stop it. She’s being nice, that’s all. A pretty lady like her wouldn’t be interested in a dirty farmer like me.”

  “You think she’s pretty?” I wiggled my eyebrows.

  He pulled off his glove and threw it at me. I jumped out of the way, laughing.

  “Come on Skye,” I said with a whistle and we made our way back to the house.

  Inside, the woman still lay asleep, her breath shallow, on the couch.

  “When do you think she’ll wake up?” I asked Dad who clomped in behind me.

  “Hopefully soon. I gave Dr Parks a call this morning, but he can’t get here until the flooding clears,” Dad said. “He said to keep her warm and to give her fluids if she’ll take them.”

  Dad placed an egg and some bacon on my plate groaning at the sound of his phone ringing.

  “Why does that thing always ring when I’m about to eat?” he said pressing the button to answer it. “Hello?”

  I picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite.

  “That’s no good. Of course, I can come help. I’ll be there right away.” He hung up the phone with a sigh. “That was Pete Tummer. He injured himself last night and his cattle have gotten out. Will you be okay here if I go give him a hand? I don’t know how long it’ll take but call me at his place if you need me.”

  My eyes drifted to the woman still fast asleep.

  “Lucy?”

  My father rarely called me by my real name and it did its job grabbing my attention.

  “I’ll be fine, Dad. Go help poor old Pete.”

  Pete was in his sixties and had a gut that made him waddle as he walked. How he managed to look after his cows I had no idea? But he’d had the farm for as long as I could remember. His wife had passed away a few years ago and Dad had been helping him out ever since.

  “l’ll try not to be too long.” Dad shovelled his eggs and bacon into his mouth before grabbing a jacket.

  Having another bite, I rose from the bench and followed him out the front door where he pulled on a pair of boots.

  “You should take Skye,” I said.

  She ran around my legs at the sound of her name.

  “She’ll help you get the cattle back into the yard.” I squatted down, giving her a pat.

  “You coming with me, Skye?” Dad said to her.

  She wagged her tail, tongue falling out in response.

  Dad pulled me in for a tight hug. “Anything happens you call me, got it?”

  “Got it,” I replied. “Say hi to Pete for me.”

  Dad whistled to Skye and they made their way up to the shed where he climbed into his red Ute. It grumbled to life and Skye poked her head out of the open window. Dad waved as they took off toward Pete’s property.

  A rumble across the hills drew my attention. A mass of dark black clouds were heading our way. My thoughts drifted to the giant balloon the woman had been flying in. I wondered how it’d fared the crash. Could it be repaired? The distant storm rumbled once again, and the chickens flapped and clucked in their coop.

  We were in for another rough night.

  Stoking the fire, I added another log as the storm drew closer bringing a chill in the air. When I was satisfied the log had started to burn, I pulled some of Catherine’s soup from the freezer and put it in the microwave. The woman on our couch wasn’t going to get any better if she didn’t have fluid or food. But, warm bowl of soup and cup of water in hand, I realised I had no way of getting the fluids into her. I could try pouring it into her mouth, but it’d end up going everywhere and my luck she’d probably choke.

  Maybe if I could entice her with the smell of soup, she’d drink it on her own? Back in the kitchen I found a metal straw and placed it in the soup bowl, wafting the smell of it to her face.

  She groaned a little and shifted, making me jump and almost spill the soup all over both of us. Putting the straw to her lips, excitement rushed through me as she sipped. With each suck she stirred a little more until she must have been full, because she stopped and fell asleep.

  Sitting back, I grinned at my triumph. I’d gotten her to eat. But the sound of the ringing phone made me jump once again and what was left of the warm soup poured down my dark blue shirt.

  “Crap!” I cried out, jumping to my feet and using the dry parts of my shirt to mop up the few splashes that’d landed on the wooden floor.

  Dumping the bowl into the sink, I picked up the phone.

  “Hello?” I answered, using a damp cloth to wipe at my shirt.

  All it did was move the bits of chicken and vegetable around, making me feel nauseous.

  “Hey, Champ. It’s Dad.”

  “You’ll never guess what happened,” I said. “I got her to drink some soup.”

  “She’s awake?” he said, alarmed.

  “Not exactly. She didn’t open her eyes. Just sipped on it a little, then fell back asleep. How’d you go with Pete?”

  “I was going to see if you’d be okay on your own overnight but if she’s waking up…”

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “It’s a much bigger job than I thought and Pete’s leg is pretty sore so he can’t do much himself. I can always come back after the storm. I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone with her.”

  “If she stirs, I’m sure she won’t be full of energy. I’ll call and you can come straight home,” I offered.

  “I’m not sure Champ…”

  “Dad, I’ll be fine. I’m sixteen-years-old. I’m not a child anymore.”

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; He groaned. “Yeah, stop reminding me. You’re just like your mother, you know that? Too smart and independent for your own good.”

  “It’s how you raised me,” I said.

  “Should’ve thought harder about that at the time,” he replied.

  “Make sure Pete’s cattle are safe and that he’s looked after. I think this storm’s about to hit so I better go.”

  “When the storm hits, stay indoors and safe. There’s a bunch of microwave meals in the freezer for dinner.”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  “And, Champ?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  I hung up the phone as the room grew darker and lightning flickered through the window.

  Looking down at my shirt, I decided what I needed was a nice warm shower, some comfortable pyjamas, and a good book to get me through the storm.

  In the shower, I let the warmth of the water soak into my suntanned skin, my arms and legs whiter than my hands and face because of the long clothing and boots I always wore. I knew I was different from other kids my age. Most of them had a mum for starters, a mum to teach them how to be a girl, do their hair and dress all girly. Dad did his best raising me. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that sometimes it’d be nice to fit in with the other girls. Nice to feel normal now and then. Telling him I wanted a life other than the one he gave me would break his heart.

  ‘Kids are cruel,’ he said when they’d started teasing me for being too boyish. ‘But you wait and see. You’ll have many more stories to tell your kids when you’re older.’ I wasn’t sure my kids would want to hear about fixing fences and tending to animals, but life on the land was all Dad knew, so it’s all he could teach me. I loved being on the land and tending the animals. I’d be lost without my best mate Skye, but sometimes I wondered if there was more than our property to explore. What would it be like to see the world in a hot air balloon?

  After my shower I changed into a comfortable pair of long pants and a baggy t-shirt, brushed out my long hair and twisted it into a messy bun on top of my head before finding a book in my bedroom. Opening it to where I’d left off, in the middle of a battle between a dragon and a princess, I didn’t lift my eyes from the words as I wandered through the house towards the front veranda. I was on my way to the day bed when I heard a voice.

  “Where am I?” it asked.

  Lucy

  BILSTONE, AUSTRALIA

  My book tumbled from my hands landing on the floorboards with a clunk. My eyes widened at the sight of the woman propped up with a pillow, her emerald eyes wide open. Her wild auburn hair hung around her face and she pushed some of it back before tucking her arm back under the blanket.

  “Can you tell me where I am?” she asked. “I remember being hit by a storm and the balloon falling, but after that everything’s blank.”

  Swallowing down the dryness in my throat I managed to find my words. “You’re in a town called Bilstone,” I said.

  “What country is that in?” she asked.

  “Australia.” My eyebrows creased in the middle. Could she have travelled in that thing over sea?

  “Australia,” she said to herself. “I’ve never heard of it.” She thought for a moment. “What year is this?”

  The woman had obviously hit her head hard. It only made my heart thump harder in my chest.

  “Two thousand and nineteen,” I replied.

  She nodded to herself and whispered, “another place. Another time.”

  “My dad will be home any minute,” I said, my voice not sounding as calm as I’d have liked. “I should call him to let him know you’re awake.”

  “I’m scaring you, aren’t I?” she said. “I’m sorry. My name’s Olivia. I was travelling in my balloon when a fierce storm hit and I crashed.” She looked around her as though taking in her surroundings for the first time. “You’ve been looking after me?”

  I nodded, desperately wanting to call my dad.

  “Thank you so much. If it wasn’t for you I’d probably be dead.”

  “You were freezing and covered in mud when I found you,” I said. “You had a big fall.”

  “You saved me on your own?” she asked. “How old are you?”

  I nodded. “Sixteen. My dog helped.”

  She smiled. “And what’s your dog’s name?”

  “Skye,” I replied. “She’s a cattle dog.”

  “A cattle dog? And can I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

  I stalled for a moment. Was I supposed to tell this stranger my name? Had I told her too much already? What could it hurt when she was already in my home?

  “My name’s Lucy,” I said.

  “Well, thank you for saving my life Lucy.”

  “Are you thirsty?” I asked remembering my manners. “I can get you a drink of water, or a cup of tea?”

  “Water would be perfect,” she said rubbing at her neck. “My throat is so dry.”

  I shot her an awkward grin and disappeared into the kitchen, leaning over the sink. Through the window the landscape was a series of grey and blue silhouettes under the black clouds. The only light I could see was no more than a speck among the darkness in the distance, past the hills and dales of our property, and it came from Pete Tummer’s farm. Tears tightened my throat as I wished Dad was home with me. Was he sitting on the couch beside Pete watching his favourite quiz show on T.V? Or was he pacing the room worried sick about me? I’d told him I was old enough to handle this so that’s what I needed to do. Releasing a long breath, I grabbed a cup from the cupboard and filled it with water.

  “I gave you soup earlier,” I told her when I returned.

  “Yes, I remember that now. Thank you,” she said.

  I handed her the glass of water.

  She offered me a kind smile before taking loud gulps quickly draining the cup.

  “Would you like some more?” I asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  I took her glass and filled it up in the sink before returning it to her.

  After she drank half of it she rested it beside her and closed her eyes for a moment, her breath evening.

  I leaned forward to check she was okay and she opened her eyes suddenly, making me jump back.

  “I’m so tired,” she said. “How long was I out?”

  “Not quite twenty-four hours. Dad called the doctor, but it’s been storming for days and the roads have flooded so he can’t get through. He said to keep you warm and try to get fluids into you.”

  We sat in silence for a moment and she closed her eyes.

  The image of the giant balloon burned into my thoughts and I couldn’t help but ask her. “Olivia?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why were you flying in that giant balloon in the middle of a storm? Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”

  She laughed, eliciting a round of coughing before she could reply. “I wasn’t in a storm when I launched. That would be crazy.”

  “But it’s been raining all week. Where did you come from?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you,” she said.

  The phone rang ending the conversation.

  “That’ll be Dad,” I told her making my way into the kitchen. “You’re lucky you get to see the world in a balloon.”

  “You have no idea,” she said.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Hey Champ, how’s it going?” asked Dad.

  “She’s awake,” I told him.

  “What? Far out. The storm just hit here and it’s headed your way. I guess I could risk it,” he said.

  “It’s okay. She seems nice,” I said.

  “She’s talking?”

  “Yeah, she said her name’s Olivia.”

  “Olivia, hey?” A loud crack of thunder echoed behind him and lightning flashed through our kitchen window. “I’m coming home.”

  “That’s stupid and dangerous. I’ll be fine. I’ll give her some food and water and
you can come home as soon as the storm settles. She’s so tired she can barely keep her eyes open, so I think I’m pretty safe.”

  He groaned and mumbled to himself. “Can you put her on the phone?”

  “Sure, give me a second.” I walked the phone over to Olivia. “It’s Dad. He wants to talk to you.”

  “I talk to him with this?” she asked, taking the phone looking it over.

  I gave her a narrowed look as she tentatively pressed the earpiece to her ear and her eyes widened at the sound of Dad’s voice.

  “Hello?” she said.

  Murmurs came from the mouthpiece and she pulled the phone away looking it over before pressing it back to her ear.

  “Of course,” she said. “I’ll only rest on the couch, I promise. I have no intention of harming your daughter. You have taken care of me and for that I owe both of you my life.”

  She held the phone out to me and I took it as she broke into a chorus of coughing.

  “Dad?”

  “Hey Champ. That doesn’t sound good,” he said.

  “She said her throats dry. I might get her some more water,” I told him.

  “I’m so sorry to put you in this crappy situation,” he said, disappointment in his voice. “I should’ve left Skye with you so you’d be safe. I’ll get home as soon as I can okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. I love you, Dad.”

  “I love you too.”

  I hung up the phone and turned back towards where Olivia lay eyes closed.

  “What’s that thing called again?” she asked.

  “A phone?” I cocked an eyebrow.

  “It’s incredible,” she said.

  She really had hit her head hard.

  “You’ve never seen a phone before?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “Where I came from we don’t have them. It would make life much easier mind you.”

  Imagine a place without phones. Dad and I really would be stuck all alone out on the farm.

  “Your dad sounds great,” she said. “He obviously cares about you very much.”

  “He’s the best. It’s just been me and him since I was five,” I said.