Before starting ...
This story adapts some aspects on Australian Aboriginal Culture. I have tried to be as accurate as I can be when doing so. Some names and terms vary between the different language groups. I had used the terms most commonly recognised in the wider community.
When visiting areas in Australia it is customary to acknowledge the country. Even though this is a story I welcome readers to the country where it is set. I acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land. I recognise their connection to the land waters and culture. I pay respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.
I'd had the setting of this story and the first part of it kicking around in my head for a long time. The problem was I couldn't work out how to progress the story and where it should head. I'd never thought of doing it as an erotic story. When I saw the Australian competition on Literotica it all fell into place. Within a few hours I had the story mapped out. Over the next couple of days I'd pretty much worked everything out in my head. I just had to write it down.
So here goes ...
The early morning sun didn't so much shine in the window as use a sledgehammer of heat and light to fill the room. The threadbare and faded curtains had long ago given up any pretence of providing protection. There were a few remnants of a floral pattern but what it had been was impossible to determine.
Sleeping in on a day like this was a forlorn hope. It was still early but already hot. The thermometer was well on it's way to 40+. The old timers would say it was heading over the century.
It was late when we'd arrived last night, hot, dusty and tired from the long drive. We'd had something to eat, a shower and then headed straight to bed. Now, even though there was only a sheet over the bed and I wasn't wearing anything, I was starting to sweat.
I got up, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around me and went to look out the window. I didn't need the towel for any purpose other than if someone happened to look up and see me.
Outside there was a cloudless blue sky but that was pretty much the only colour other than red. Red dirt roads, red dust, buildings of rusty corrugated iron, broken only by the occasional tree or spinifex bush and the line of hills in the distance.
Yarabunda wasn't a ghost town but it wasn't a thriving metropolis either. Though it hadn't always been this way. In the 1880s it was a booming mining town. According to the history I'd looked up before we left it had 12 hotels, 2 newspapers, a theatre and thousands of miners. But as the gold ran out people moved on to new fields. The town had kept going for quite a while with a couple of companies operating deep mines once the alluvial gold had run out. The last of these had closed down in the 1970s.
There were still a few prospectors in town, trying their luck in the old fields and diggings. Every now and then there would be news of someone getting lucky and finding a nugget. The mining companies hadn't completely left. There had been exploration work on and off over the years. Occasionally there would be a report of a new discovery or re-opening one of the old mines. So far nothing had come of it. But there had been a report a couple of weeks ago. That's why we were here. The boss reckoned there was a story so as a good journalist I had driven out here with my trusty camera man / photographer / husband Mike in tow.
Yarabunda could certainly do with a kick along. One pub, where we were staying, one store that doubled as the post office / bank / petrol station. Maybe fifty houses still standing. Though given the state of a few of them you might say some of them were leaning more than standing.
There were usually a few caravans behind the hotel. Mostly prospectors passing through with metal detectors. People from the cattle stations in the area would come into town to pick up supples and things when needed. A population of maybe 80 people, though it fluctuated a bit as people came and went.
There was an aboriginal settlement about 50km away with a population of about 300. The two towns were run separately and there wasn't a great deal of interaction between them.
We'd come up to talk to some of the people from the mining company and also the local aborigines. The plan was to stay for a day or so and see if there was a story here. Don't get me wrong I love being in the Australian Outback but you can't call the nightlife exciting.
Looking out the window I could feel the heat of the day building through the glass. There was hardly any wind. Off in the distance I could hear some galahs calling to each other as they circled in the sky.
The land was dry. There hadn't been a decent rain out here for quite a few months. Not that there was no water around. A windmill creaked and started to turn slowly, bringing water up from deep under the earth. There was water to be found if you knew where to look. I'd been told there were a number of permanent pools in the Burrungarra Ranges. We hoped when we went out to the settlement the local aborigines would take us to some.
I was quite enjoying the silence when a horrible noise started down stairs. It was a terrible hacking coughing sound. I soon realised it was the publican for the hotel who must have just got up. I bet he'd been a smoker for 40 years plus. It sounded like he was trying to jump start his breathing using a car battery.
I turned round and looked at Mike, who was still in bed. We both had this look on our faces of utter disbelief. After a minute we both cracked up laughing.
"Oh my God! Is that for real?" I eventually managed to say.
"Welcome to the outback." Replied Mike.
I lay back on the bed for a little while, but it was already too hot in the room with no air conditioner or fan.
"Come on." I said. "Not much point staying here. We should see about breakfast and then start work."
Mike sighed, pushed aside the sheet and got up.
I put on a singlet top and denim shorts. It was going to be way too hat to wear more than that. A bra was going to be uncomfortable. The top was tight and would give my beasts enough support. I thought of a short skirt but decided the shorts would be better.
Mike was putting on a t shirt and shorts.
"No underwear?" he asked.
"Too hot" I replied.
Mike smiled but didn't say anything.
Once we were dressed we headed downstairs to see what we could find for breakfast.
We made our way down the hall to the stairs. The carpet was threadbare and the walls were definitely in need of a paint. The stairs creaked as we went down them. Though what else would you expect for a 100 year old building.
When we got down to the ground floor we could hear noises coming from the back of the hotel so we headed towards them. The publican had stopped coughing. Maybe he'd had his first cigarette for the day? We poked our heads through the door and saw we'd found the kitchen.
"Morning!" said the publican's wife when she looked up and saw us. Marjorie was a nice lady. A bit weather beaten from living in the outback most of her life but a lovely soul. She was a bit indeterminate in age but I'd guess in her late 50s. Her dark hair had gone grey and her skin was wrinkled and tanned. She had a sense of humour and was always happy and smiling. This morning she was in a blue floral dress and wearing an apron.
"Sleep well?" she continued.
"Fine." We both answered in unison.
"After some breakfast are we?" she asked.
"Yes Please." I replied.
"Eggs and Bacon? Poached, Fried, Scrambled? Marjorie asked.
"Poached for me." I replied
"Scrambled" said Mike.
"Ok. Go back up to the dining room. Second on the left. I'll bring them up in a minute.' Marjorie instructed. "There's tea, coffee and bread for toast. Only instant coffee I'm afraid."
"No worries." Mike and I replied in unison.
We headed back up the hall to the dining room. Mike put the kettle on. I found the bread and put in a couple of slices for toast.
Tea and toast made we sat down to wait for the rest of breakfast.
"Interesting couple." observed Mike. We both laughed.
"She's lovely. He's a bit strange though. Maybe been out here too long." I responded.
"Yeah you get some interesting types in places like this. What's the agenda today?" Mike asked.
"Ummm. Breakfast first. Meeting Craig from Barrier Gold this morning. Then visiting the aboriginal community this afternoon. After that I suppose it depends if I've got a story and you've got enough pictures."
Mike nodded.
We'd met about four years ago when we were both backpacking through Asia. Mike's a photographer and I'm a journalist. We started a blog of our travels which ended up getting quite a few followers. When we got home we managed to both get jobs with the same news bureau. They were quite happy to have a team they could send out, particularly to out of the way places. Some of the others didn't want to leave the city. Not us. Mike and I both loved a bit of adventure.
Marjorie brought in breakfast and we tucked into it. A typical country breakfast. Simple but big and hearty. We sat silently for a while as we finished our cuppas, both looking out the window at the dry dusty main street, imagining the temperature steadily rising. The hotel was quite cool with its thick stone walls but I was thinking we were going to have to face the day eventually.
"Come on." I said after a few minutes. "We can't stay here all day. Got your stuff?"
Mike nodded and stood up. I sometimes wondered if Mike had a closer relationship with his camera gear than he did with me. He always seemed to have a camera bag with him. Then again the gear wasn't cheap and you never knew when the perfect shot would come up.
Marjorie was in the hall as we went out.
"Hi Marjorie. We're off. See you this afternoon." I said
"Righto." She called out. "If you need any lunch let me know. Otherwise dinner starts at six."
"No worries. Bye." I replied.
We headed for the door. As we opened the door it was like being hit by the blast from an oven. It was almost enough to take your breath away. We looked at each other, smiled and headed off to Barrier Gold's office.
They had set up an office in one of the old shops on the main street. It was about three doors down from the hotel so we walked down. Even though it was early by half way we'd both broken out into a sweat.
We opened the door and it now felt like we'd walked into the fridge. The airconditioner was going full blast and whoever set the temperature must have come from the Arctic! The cold instantly made my nipples hard and I was beginning to regret not wearing a bra.
