Crocodile Spirit Dreaming - Possession - Books 1 - 3

by Graham Wilson

  “So my guess about what happened is that this person, when they had finished using the fire to burn whatever it was, took a bucket of water and threw it on the fire so as to put it out enough to shovel the ashes into the water. Maybe they even washed themselves off in the same place too. But in the process, in this place right at the edge where the soil was both soft and wet they left us a clear footprint of a right foot.

  “So I suspect that at least one of the people here was a woman and if we can find that woman I would bet her foot will be an exact match of this.

  “Perhaps it was just one woman and she killed the man in a lover’s tiff then, before she drove away, she decided to give his body to the crocodiles and cover the evidence so no one knew she was here. I won’t hang my hat on it, just yet, but it is an explanation of sorts.”

  It was indeed food for thought and a new angle to anything Alan had considered thus far.

  As they walked back to the table and bench where a person was cataloguing all the divers finds Bill said “I have just one more thing to show you, a couple tyre track marks, a bit limited but still worth a look.”

  He led them out of the clearing and back up the road for about fifty yards. The road made a sharp turn around a big tree and across a drainage line like a small creek. The earth in this was still slightly damp. It was a road driven over by many over the last few days, but at the very extreme left edge as they walked towards it someone had placed an orange road marker. “Just to ensure no-one else drives over the exact same place,” Bill said.

  Under the marker, in slightly damp soil was a foot long tread pattern just half a tire wide. Bill said, “This is just a standard Land Cruiser tyre tread; nothing remarkable about it, ten million of these tyres in the NT. But note that place just there, where there is a hole in the tread pattern, like a bit of the rubber has come away from the outside of the tire.

  “It looks like a back tyre track made by someone who was driving away and they cut this corner a bit hard, the sort of thing you would do if you were unfamiliar with the place or the vehicle, or particularly if driving at night and you were not quite sure where the road went.

  “There is nothing to prove it was that car, though the track looks about the right age. But, in reality, it looks like very few people come in here with the closed gate. From your description of Charlie’s vehicle it was not made by it, plus the track age is wrong. So it is a fair bet that, if you can find the vehicle in which these people came here, this track will let us tie it to the scene.”

  With that Bill gave a big expansive grin. “God I love this job. We get all the clever ones like this, people who think that no one will ever know. But there is always something, and I love to find it, particularly once I get the scent of a clever murderer in my nostrils; or perhaps it could be a murderess in this case.”

  By the time that Bill had finished his tour it was clear that he had gleaned everything that anyone would find from this site, and if there was more he would find that too. Now the real challenge would be to identify this person who came from the water. For this they had the initials MB as a possible starting point, not much but perhaps it would take them somewhere.

  As they came back to the camp the diving cage was returning and the second diver emerged. In his case he had collected a bit more detritus but nothing seemed of significance. They would break for lunch for half an hour and after that they would move out from the edge. This was the central part of the billabong closest to where the head had been found and Bill thought it was the most likely area to find other body parts.

  Sandy and Alan decided they would wait for the results of this next dive before heading back to town. So, after sharing a sandwich with the rest of the work crew, they walked off, following along the edge of the billabong, but staying in the shade of thick paperbark trees a few metres back from the edge.

  They walked along side by side, enjoying the shade and the cool along with each other’s company. This was the first time they had been alone together with nothing specific to do. There was a slight awkwardness between them now, as if they were both conscious of their mutual desire to progress their relationship but a bit uncertain about what was the next step.

  Finally after they had walked a few hundred yards and were well out of sight of the others. Alan knew he should do or say something but was not quite sure how to begin.

  They stopped under a huge shady tree with an open gap leading to the water and surveyed the absolute stillness together for a minute. There was not a breath of air, not a ripple on the water, not the sound of a bird or an insect. It was placid and beautiful in an eerie way.

  Alan said, indicating to the water. “It is hard to believe that something so apparently calm and lovely can be so dangerous.”

  Sandy walked around in front of him to face him, looking up at him. “I suppose that sort of describes us too she said. On the surface we are placid like that water and in our work we get on beautifully together on the outside. But underneath there is a dangerous place we both have to cross, that path from friends to maybe something more.

  “Some people seem to find it easy; it is like they can take that step without having to give anything real of themselves. But I am not like that. I want to take that next step but that part of me is scared. I have always run away from men when it got to this stage before, and the fear in my mind tells me to run from you too.

  “But my body calls me to stay and my emotions say to stay too. So I must decide and I need you to help me. I want to go the next step with you, perhaps to be your lover. I desire to be your lover, but I don’t want to give my body to you just for sex.

  “So, I want you to tell me, is it just a physical thing you want with me, or is there something real and deeper in what we have together? So please be honest with me as I have tried to be with you.”

  Alan was sort of blown away. This was all much deeper and much faster than he could have imagined. Did he want to have sex with her? Yes, most definitely. Did he want something more with her? He thought so, but it was only two days since they had met and maybe it was a bridge too far to get to that place yet. But first and foremost he could not mislead her; he had to give truth for truth.

  So he told her what he knew, that he wanted her for both her body and her mind, that she was beautiful and he desired her, that in two days they had crossed many bridges together, and if they were going to spend more of their lives together, whether for another day, week, year or decade, this was yet one more bridge they would have to cross, and he wanted her to cross this one with him. That was all he knew for sure after only two days.

  She smiled at him, a beatific smile and said. “I asked for truth and I have truth; that is enough. If you had promised me eternal love and happiness I would have known that was not truth. So what my body desires is that when this day of work is over I want you to bring me to my home, my little cramped room in Darwin which has not known another man, and be my lover.

  “But my mind says that neither of us is sure enough to cross that bridge yet and so we should wait. The future will be what the future will be, but it will have begun with truth.” Then she looked at him very directly and said, “Can you wait a bit longer until my mind is ready as well as my body?”

  In a strange way Alan was relieved, it was not that his desire for her was any way diminished, but in her intensity of emotion and honesty was something more powerful and significant than what he had experienced with other women before. So he gave her a light punch on the shoulder, “First of all we are friends, ever since you caught me out about the fish and did not tell, secondly we are workmates who can do great work together. Then lastly there is something else. It is like a spark between us, which has now grown into a small fire. One day it may grow into a raging bushfire that will have to be satisfied. But for now it can be fed with small things, like a wish and a promise for another day.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and she put her arm around his waist and they walked back towards the camp. It
is a lovely companionable feeling, he thought. When they were about half way there, she stopped and separated, then came up to him on tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. “That is the beginning of a promise for another day,” she said.

  “I hope so,” he replied. As he looked over her head towards the water he sensed that something was watching him. Far out, at least 100 metres across the billabong, but directly opposite where they stood, were the same huge eyes he had seen watching him last time.

  Alan thought it would stay in the distance, just watching. However the eyes were getting closer. First they had been far out, well towards the other side. Now they were half way across heading directly towards them.

  Now it was not only eyes, but most of the head and the scale tips from the body and tail were becoming visible. The tail was lazily waving from side to side. Still it came on. As it came closer it kept getting bigger. Originally Alan had thought it large, now he knew it was huge. He had seen many crocodiles including some that others called big. But this was much larger again. Its head seemed twice the size of all the others he had seen. He could only glimpse the body as it followed behind an enormous head.

  Now it was a bare 20 metres from where they stood and still powering towards them. Alan took Sandy’s arm and pulled her back several paces into the trees. At the same time he unclipped his revolver, though he had no confidence about its stopping power against this behemoth, this huge monster.

  He was considering grabbing Sandy’s hand and running with her well back in the trees, when he realised it had finally slowed and was turning, side on. It passed them by a bare five metres from the water’s edge and, as it did it slowed, until stationary. There it stayed, motionless in the water, seeming to slowly drift towards the edge.

  It was directly opposite them now. They were ten metres back from the edge and it was a bare 1-2 metres from the edge itself now. Alan tried to estimate its length. It was definitely more than twenty feet long, he guessed that nearer to twenty five feet would be close, picturing this distance applied to a roadway. The figure of eight metres seemed about right.

  But it was not its length alone; its girth was even more striking. He imagined the volume of three or four 200 litre drums, end to end. There was more bulk to its body than that size without even allowing for the head and tail. His best guess was that he was looking at two tons of crocodile, around 25 feet in length.

  It was very aware of their presence, a couple of times it half turned its head so that it could look at them with both eyes, but did not show any aggressive intent towards them.

  Sandy whispered to him, “It is as if it is trying to talk to us. I can picture a sort of crocodile spirit in my mind. It seems to be saying, ‘this body which you have found belongs to me. In taking it away you are taking part of my own spirit.’ It is like it is asking us to return to it what belongs to it.

  A couple times it opened its mouth in an apparent huge yawn, showing row on row of yellow peg like structures, each one a tooth which looked to be an inch across and several inches apart.

  Just when they were starting to wonder where this would all end it slowly submerged, until only the barest tip of its nostrils was showing. Then, with slow purpose, these nostrils began to move away and, after a few more metres, they too vanished.

  Alan and Sandy stood motionless for another minute or two, barely believing in the reality of what they had seen. Then they walked slowly back to camp, still in awe and barely talking. As they came close Alan said to Sandy. It is like Charlie told me; there is a huge crocodile in this place, but also a spirit which can leave its body. I am not normally superstitious, but there is more to this than just a huge crocodile.

  Then he added, “If it is OK with you I don’t plan to say anything about this to the others back at camp, it seems like we were imparted with a private secret, from this creature, whatever it means.”

  Sandy nodded, “I am with you, I don’t think anyone who hadn’t seen it would believe it anyway. While they might believe you, if I said it, I reckon they would think I had an overactive imagination. Still it will be a story to tell our children one day.”

  Alan laughed, “So a while ago we were not sure about the lover thing, now we will have children to tell, I like it.”

  Sandy blushed, “It was just a figure of speech.”

  Alan mocked “I will choose to consider it prophetic.”

  As they came back to the camp the cage was in again, but nothing further had been found.

  They could have chosen to leave at this stage, there was really nothing further for them to do. But somehow, it seemed like this place had more to reveal and they could not leave now.

  So Alan checked with Bill whether it was OK for them to camp out with the rest of the crew for the night. Bill replied, “We are doing the last dive for today now; that is three for each diver. Then we are planning to go into the Bark Hut Inn for dinner and a cold beer before returning here for our sleep. The divers have rooms in there for the night, to get a good night’s sleep away from the mosquitoes.

  “You are welcome to come with us for dinner. We will just leave one of the men, our most junior constable, to maintain camp security while we are away. So you can either stay with him, or come in with us. There is beer and steaks in the camp fridge if you want to stay.”

  Alan said, “Why don’t you take the whole crew to the pub for dinner and we will stay and keep guard.”

  Bill said, “Well, if you don’t mind that sounds like a great idea. I know young Jim was less than thrilled in staying here while we were gone, something about seeing crocodiles in his mind. I told him to sit in the car if he got scared.”

  Yet another cage came up empty, and with that the men all packed up to go. Soon it was just the two of them, enjoying the still evening, over a steak washed down by a couple beers. They found enjoyment in each other’s company. It was like a dinner date, except it was all here for them. They talked at leisure with no pressure for anything more.

  About nine pm both began to yawn so Alan unrolled the two swags and set up two mosquito nets, both pitched from the side of the car but a couple yards apart. He half wished that Sandy would offer to let him share her swag, but he knew he had to give her space.

  Now they heard an engine noise and saw the flickers of lights approaching. The others were back. Bill walked over and said, “Some wanted to kick on but I told them they need to be up and fresh in the morning as, with a bit of luck, we can be finished here by about lunch time and back in our own beds tomorrow night. So, with only a small bit of grumbling, they all came back and our divers headed off to bed so they can make an early start.”

  Bill joshed Alan, “Two swags eh, thought you two might be an item, but looks like not.”

  Alan replied, “Not this one, she is a cut above my class, or at least for a one nighter, maybe, she’s a keeper.”

  Bill winked and said. “Well I will be leaving you for my own swag.” He walked off with a torch to where the others had made their camp towards the other side of the clearing.

  Sandy had retired to her own mosquito net so Alan climbed under his and lay for a few minutes listening to the night noises. He must have slept for several hours because when he awoke the camp was fully dark as the fire had died down and all the other lights were off. In fact it had an almost morning feeling.

  Then he realised that Sandy was just outside his net whispering. “Alan, can I come in, I have just had the most scary, terrible dream and I am feeling a bit freaked.”

  He lifted the side of the net and she slid in next to him. She was wearing satiny pyjamas that felt incredibly sheer, and as she slid down beside him, her top slipped up in the shadowy light. He could see the faint outline of breasts just in front of his face, and he pushed his face into them, and slid his hands up her back under her night top. She wrapped her arms around him and pushed her body against his. “Just hold me close until the dream goes away,” she said.

  So they lay together, side by side, the full length of
both their bodies touching and her face pushed into his neck. She was shivering, and it was not cold. He ran his fingers through her hair and along her back and down the bare skin of her buttocks, under her nightie bottoms.

  As her shivering eased she said, “I must tell you while it is clear in my mind, lest I forget tomorrow.”

  “I dreamed I was the girl who knew this man we found, and I was at this same place at night. I loved this man but he terrified me.

  “I dreamed I was lying tied up and captive, and the man was not there. I could see him over by the water talking to that huge crocodile we saw today and promising it that, in the morning as the sun began to rise, it would be given its next meal, and the meal would be me. The man was keeping me tied up so that in the morning he could give me to the crocodile.

  “They were like brothers, both sharing one spirit. I knew it would be daylight soon and then I would go into the belly of that awful creature, and I was so, so scared. There was a knot of terror running through my whole body, I could not cry, I could not think, I was just so afraid.

  “Then I woke up and saw your outline and heard your quiet snoring and I wanted to come next to you and feel you hold me tight. So just hold me please until the awful terror goes away.”

  Alan cuddled and stroked her, now more like he would to soothe a child. He was very aware of her body next to him and he knew she was aware of his arousal. But this was a moment too precious to spoil through seeking more. So he held her close and whispered comforting nothings. At last he felt her body relax and her breathing return to a slow sleep state. Then, in that trance like state, he too fell asleep.

  When he awoke the sun was just breaking the horizon and Sandy was rolling her swag. He wondered if he had imagined his late night visit.

  He called out, “Hello.”

  She came across with a bright smile, lifting the net and kissing him on the mouth. “Thank you for minding me so carefully in the night. I felt so safe sleeping next to you and only left when I woke as it was getting light. Also thank you for being such a gentleman.”