Chapter 1

Claremont was a picturesque, sleepy country town with a dwindling population, an iconic pub and a burnt-out Ute that had been left unchecked for at least a decade. An outback shit-hole, built upon the aspirational ideals of a future oasis that necked itself somewhere along the way.

Sand filled every nook and cranny, including in places you wouldn’t even want to imagine, and the average temperature ranged from hot to hell on earth. It was the sort of place that would drive a man mad. But to Logan, it was the perfect place to live. Mostly because it meant he didn’t have to deal with others' shit. It was paradise for antisocial people like him.

“When are you going to find yourself a wife?”

This wasn’t a question but a statement by Madam Esmeralda. She tapped her wooden cane on the counter. If anyone else had asked this question, Logan would have ignored them. But Madam Esmeralda was… well, kinda scary. And scary goes a long way for compliance.

She had piercing jade eyes and a crooked smile that would make children cry. Her greying hair was wavy and unkempt like a mad witch. Though Logan didn’t dare say any of this out loud. She would kill him if she ever caught him uttering such a thing. And death was something Logan rated low on his list of things he wanted to achieve. Much like finding a wife.

“I’m content with how I am now,” he responded as politely as possible, although he could feel his eyebrow twitch a bit as he spoke.

“But you are aging, you probably already have issues pitching a tent,” she gazed down and pointed at his pants with her cane. “You should be thinking about having kids while you can, before your plumbing busts.”

He instinctively covered his crotch with his hands. The way she intrusively made comments about his body made him want to kill her, but he knew one-v-one, she would win. As a kid, he’d seen her take down a roo barehanded. And most terrifying was that she only got stronger with age.

She was some kind of freak of nature. A taipan could bite her, and it would die before the venom finished her off. She was like the fine wine of scary. Even in his mid-thirties, she was not someone he wanted to cross.

“I just don’t see the appeal in having kids,” Logan reiterated.

“That’s just because you haven’t found the right person yet.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I just don’t want pesky gremlins running amok.”

“It would do you good. I know a beautiful single woman around your age. I could introduce you to her.”

Logan sighed. No matter how many times he tried to tell her he wasn’t interested in having kids, she simply didn’t seem to understand. She was from a different era. An era when getting married and having kids was the norm.

“If I wanted to date someone, I could and would.”

“With an unkempt appearance like that?” She pointed at his face. “How many times as a kid did I yell at you about keeping hygienic?”

She had scolded him more times than he’d like to admit. She practically raised him after his single mother passed away. Perhaps her insistence stemmed from her desire for grandchildren.

“I’m going for a scruffy look, it’s trendy,” Logan tried to defend himself.

“Says who? You are so ratty I can barely tell your face from your arse.”

“I’m going for a bad boy look.”

Madam Esmeralda looked him dead in the eyes.

“Women would be repulsed by your look. You’ll need all the help you can get if you ever want to find a partner.”

Ouch.

Her words were as blunt and brutal as ever. That said, he was being serious when he mentioned it being a style; he made sure to trim his facial hair to a manageable scruff. His chestnut hair was always washed and pulled back into a tidy ponytail.

“Really, as I keep saying. I just don’t want kids.”

She narrowed her eyes, and Logan felt a shiver run down his spine. It was as if she were gazing deep into his soul. He wanted to run. To get as far away from her as he could. But he couldn’t. His fight-or-flight response had malfunctioned, stuck on freeze, as her mouth contorted into a sly smile.

“It’s not because you are secretly gay, are you?”

Logan let out another sigh. He thought she was about to give him a lecture. Knowing she was merely teasing him made it much more manageable.

“No, but if I said I was, would that get you to stop trying to set me up with Rebecca?”

Rebecca was the woman Esmeralda had spent the last year trying to hook Logan up with. She was the same age as Logan, and many regarded her as the most beautiful woman in town. Her light brown hair would catch the harsh sunlight and shine almost strawberry. Her amber eyes were enchanting; you’d get lost in them. Logan liked her. But only as a close friend. He’d never looked at her more than that.

Madam Esmeralda smirked, clearly enjoying teasing him. She waved the end of her cane in the air.

“Don’t give me cheek, you brat!”

“Don’t give me a wife, you old bat,” Logan snapped back.

Her smile slipped away as her piercing gaze shot him a dangerous look.

“What did you call me!”

Fuck.

“You need a good flogging, you damn brat,” she snapped. Although Logan was like ninety per cent certain she was just joking, the remaining ten per cent was too great a risk. She waved her cane about, but a slight smile played on her lips.

At that moment, the silence was shattered by the high-pitched ringing of the landline. The sudden burst of noise made them both jump.

“That’s odd. It’s pretty late. Who’d call at this time?” Logan mused as he slowly made his way over to the fixed phone.

“Tell them, if they have time to call, they have time to be here,” Madam Esmeralda instructed him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Logan dismissed her as he picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Logan! Thank God you picked up, have you checked out the sky?” The voice was Darrell, Logan’s best friend in town. He worked as a mechanic, servicing the residents' few cars. The bastard was probably the richest bloke in town, running the servo, which was also the main source of food for the town.

“You mean have I ever seen the sky?” Logan asked, wondering if Darrell had got on the sauce a little too early.

“I mean now, ya bloody drongo.”

“How would I do that? I’m talking to you?”

“Have a bloody look, mate.”

“Is there a meteor shower or something?” Logan asked, glancing over to the calendar to see if he had accidentally missed something.

“Nah, it’s far weirder. Ain’t seen anything like it. The sky’s gone funky-like.”

“Alright, I’ll check it out. Cheers for the heads up.”

“No prob-“

The line fell dead. Even the usual dial tone was absent. It was as if someone had cut the lines.

Silence.

Logan carefully set the phone back down.

“Well? What was that about?” Madam Esmeralda asked.

“It was Darrell saying something’s up with the sky?”

“Is it worth a check?”

Logan shrugged. “Apparently so.”

“Alright, then help me down, lad,” she grabbed at the air, and Logan maneuvered around the bar counter to offer her his hand.

As soon as they stepped out of the bar, they saw what Darrell meant about the strange sky. It was as bright as day with shifting hues of purple and green like Aurora Australis. Several of the town's residents had filed into the streets to observe the strange phenomenon.

“Logan! Madam Esmeralda!” It was Rebecca. “What’s going on?”

“Dunno,” Logan tilted his head back to the shifting-coloured sky. “I have no-”

A high-pitched whistle echoed throughout the town. Logan saw he was not alone in gripping his head and trying to block out the piercing sound to no success.

“What’s going on?!” Rebecca asked again; this time, her face was pale. Her hand was shaking.

Before Logan could reply, Madam Esmeralda gripped her chest as she stumbled forward and fell to her knees. Logan turned to help her, but the moment he did, he felt a splitting pain shoot through him. His head felt like it was about to burst. Deep throbbing mixed with sharp pain and a heavy grogginess as his vision blurred.

He fell to his knees. The pain amplified until it was too much to bear. He felt the world fall from underneath him as the blackness consumed his consciousness.

୨⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯❤︎⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯୧

End of Chapter 1