THE DEAD PLACE
By Kate Genet
Copyright 2012 Kate Genet
Smashwords Edition
This book is a work of fiction. Characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously.
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During the summer holidays, Chris and her girlfriend Sophie are at a loose end. So when they spot an area of mysteriously dead forest on a Department of Conservation aerial photograph, it seems like an excellent idea to go exploring. Both botany students at university, maybe they’ll even make some exciting finds to take back to class with them.
But there’s something terribly wrong with this patch of woods. There’s no way you can get lost in just 300 acres of forest, is there?
THE DEAD PLACE
Sophie poked a toe off the path. It was clear where the dead place began.
“Are you sure about this, Chris?” she asked. “Absolutely, totally sure we're not about to do something really stupid?” She gazed at the surrounding bush. It was much darker now they were under the tree cover.
Chris was rummaging around in her pack. She stood up and handed Sophie the camera.
“It's too late now,” Chris said. “We're here and Greg won't be back to pick us up until tomorrow night. We might as well do what we came here for.”
Sophie took the camera and shrugged. “I just didn't expect it would be so spooky here.”
Chris hefted her pack onto her back and looked off the path at the bit of land they'd come to see. It was spooky, Sophie was right about that.
“And look, Chris,” Sophie said. “This path we're on just isn't natural. It's not just a deer track, it's a bloody highway.” She looked over at Chris. “Can't you feel it? There's something seriously wrong with this place.”
Chris reached for her girlfriend's hand and gave it a squeeze. “It's weird all right, but that's why we're here, isn't it? If we can find out why this bit of land is so different, we'll really have something to report when we get back to Uni next year.”
Sophie didn’t look convinced and Chris suppressed a flash of irritation. Yeah it was spooky, and baffling and all of that, but wasn't that exactly why they were here? She'd known, as soon as she'd seen the aerial photographs her brother had taken, that she wanted to do this. For once it wouldn't be dry classroom work. Maybe they'd discover something that would blow everyone away – some sort of toxic biohazard or something. After all, something had happened to make all the trees die in this one area.
Sophie was looking at the dead place again as Chris let out a breath of relief. She was going to go for it. She knew the look currently on her girlfriend's face. It was curiosity. She could all but see the cogs turning inside Sophie's head.
“See something interesting?” she asked.
Sophie frowned. “It's weird,” she said. “Why are these trees all dead and in such a defined area? And what’s that stuff all over them? It looks horribly like cobwebs from here.”
Chris went to take off the backpack again. “You want to have a closer look? I’ll get the tools,” she asked.
Sophie shook her head. “No, I think we should go with the original plan,” she said. “If we're going to do this at all.”
Chris gave her a quick kiss. “Admit it,” she said. “You're intrigued, even if it is a bit spooky.”
Sophie pulled a face. “I'm intrigued,” she admitted. “But it really is spooky.”
“Okay then, let's keep going, shall we?” Chris said, keen to get Sophie moving again. She didn't want to explore on her own, but she would if Sophie pulled out.
Sophie took a couple photographs and they moved on down the track, skirting around the dead place.
They'd decided beforehand to walk the perimeter, taking photographs and getting the lie of the land. Chris was interested to see if a creek cut through the area. She hadn't seen one on Greg's photos, but they hadn't shown the whole area.
Sophie must have been thinking along the same lines. “Does Greg know who owns this place?” she asked.
Chris shook her head. “It's not Department of Conservation land,” she answered. “It's privately owned, but Greg doesn’t think anyone lives here anymore.”
“He's had a look around?” Sophie asked.
“No, there hasn't been a reason to. It was only a fluke he took a photo of it at all. DoC land doesn't start until well over that way somewhere.” She waved a casual hand northwards.
Sophie stopped to take another photograph. “But aren't they interested? I mean, it could be something that, you know, can spread into the National Forest.”
Chris was scanning the bush around them. She could still see the track they were on, no problem, but she'd just realised something else was missing. “Greg said it's just a bunch of dead trees. Probably hit by a meteor or something years ago. He said someone must have investigated it years ago because no one's been told to pay any attention to it.” She looked at Sophie. “Do you hear anything?” she asked.
Sophie went still, listening. She shook her head.
“Me neither,” Chris said. “No birds.” She grabbed her girlfriend's hand and dragged her off the path. “Walk this way with me a minute, will you?”