I swallowed hard and felt my heart thump heavily inside my chest. That’s when Brad and Ali ran back to us with Ali shouting almost in a panic.
“We have to move now. Brad and I went down as far as we could go and it looks like the fire is in this forest way behind us. It’s quite a ways back there but with it being this dry it won’t take long for it to get here.”
I looked at Grandpa and grabbed his arm.
“Grandpa, are you okay? Are you going to be able to walk?”
He looked up at the sky and licked his finger.
“Kind of have to, don’t I? There’s no wind now so that’s in our favour, but if there does come a wind and it shifts, it’ll be here in minutes.”
Goose bumps rolled down my arms as I grabbed the back pack and flung it over my shoulders. Brad grabbed the other bag as Meagan and Ali helped Grandpa to his feet. I motioned for Don to come but he sat on the rock and totally ignored us.
“Don, come on. We have to get going.”
He looked at me dryly and then huffed.
“There’s no point. It’s going to be here in a couple of hours and there’s no way we’re going to get out of this alive. I was caught in a forest fire back in the fifties. I was young and healthy and I barely escaped it then. What chance do I have now?”
I felt the knots tighten in my stomach as I moved quickly to Don and took hold of his good arm to pull him to his feet.
“We can’t just give up. The fire is way over there. We can make it to the bridge and over to the other side and get out of its path if we move now. But we have to move now, Don. Come on!”
Grandpa turned to Don and growled at him.
“Quit being such a stubborn old fool for once. These kids are trying to help us - and at least you can walk.”
Don bellowed back and his shout rattled inside my ears.
“There’s no point. We can’t outrun it. Look at the smoke, Luke. It’s covering all the sky over there. You know as well as I do that it’s already a mighty blaze. Why make these kids think there’s a chance to outrun it. Who’s being the old fool now?”
I could feel my legs getting rubbery and my hands were already shaking from the nervous vibration going on inside me. Brad and I spent the next several minutes trying to convince Don that we should get going, and just as my patience was beginning to wear thin, he gave in and we were able to pull him to his feet. He criticized us and said we were typical teenagers who knew it all, and where Brad just rolled his eyes and smirked, I could feel the rage of intimidation rising inside me.
We headed out slowly and Don complained constantly about his hands, but at this point I didn’t care what he whined about just as long as he walked quickly while he was doing it.
We climbed back up onto the dry path that ran closely alongside the open terrain but the air seemed even hotter and drier than it did earlier. The dead grass scratched my sweaty legs constantly and they began to sting and itch even more than before.
After about ten minutes we had to rest because Grandpa’s leg was hurting him too much for him to carry on. We rested in the shade under the spread of a burly oak tree for a few minutes, and as the guys discussed forest fires with Grandpa, Meagan and I sat off to one side and exchanged our fears. We didn’t want the others to know just how afraid we really were but it wasn’t easy to hide. Grandpa looked over and smiled at us with that reassuring grin that told us everything would be all right.
“Girls, it’s okay to be scared. There’s a lot here to be scared of. I wish that darn boat had been there because now I’m thinking that it would have us home already. And to be honest, I’m not sure how far I can go on this leg.”
Grandpa leaned forward and gently rubbed the bandages that covered his wound. Blood and water was seeping through and I knew the infection was getting worse. My own legs were aching on the inside and stinging on the outside and I just wanted to wash them and take all the pain away. But all I could do was sit down beside Grandpa and message my legs gently, as well. While Meagan stood up beside Brad and Ali and gazed up into the distant grey clouds with them, Don sat alone against the tree and became very docile.
The forest was quiet and almost eerie and I remembered the animals.
“Well, I guess we know now why all the animals were so scared.”
Meagan turned to us and looked really worried.
“Grandpa, does that mean then that the fire is really close to us or were the animals just running in a panic from the far side until they cleared the entire forest?”
Grandpa looked up through his thick eyebrows.
“When animals get scared they run until they feel safe. And funny enough, animals seem to know more about fires than we do, so I think they know it’s headed this way and they were running to get right out of it.”
We rested for a few more minutes and then Ali asked if we were ready to move on. I was more than ready and if we didn’t have to keep stopping for Grandpa, I’m sure we would have already been well on our way. Brad bent down to help Grandpa to his feet.
“Mr. Davies, we just have to…..”
Grandpa grunted as he snickered and held onto Brad’s arm.
“Ah, don’t call me that, that’s for strangers. You can call me Grandpa just like the girls.”
Grandpa had such a gentle way of bringing peace into a tense situation and that’s why anyone who ever met him couldn’t help but love him.
“Okay, Grandpa, we just have to get away from this inlet and back to the main trail that’ll take us to the bridge, and then once we get across it Ali and I will run ahead and you guys can rest safely until we get back with help.”
I was glad that the guys were keeping an outward positive attitude and I didn’t want to know what they really thought. But I knew that we had to keep talking with hope to keep up our own stability.
“That’s right, Grandpa. The forest turns away with the river at the bridge so even if it does get there, it won’t get to the other side, if it even gets there at all.”
Grandpa tapped my hand gently and then looked up gravely up at the sky.
“Oh, it’ll get there, Sarah. There’s no doubt about that. It’ll get there.”
His words sent spikes of fear across the nape of my neck and all I could do was keep rubbing my legs while trying to stay calm. My hands were clammy and I was shaking inside. I didn’t know anything about forest fires except what I’d seen on the television news, but I knew that I didn’t want to get caught in one. And I knew that we were all going to have to keep talking positive if we were ever going to make it safely to the bridge.
Meagan sauntered over to me and kicked my boot.
“We better get going. Grandpa, I know it hurts but you’re strong and you need to get home to Nana. We’ll try to support you as much as possible, but we really should get going.”
Meagan and Ali moved in to either side of Grandpa and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. They began slowly and then headed onto the path. Brad and I spent the next couple of minutes trying to get Don to stand up, and then finally he yelled out a few choice words at us and then started following the others at turtle speed. I knew this was going to be a challenge so Brad and I walked on either side of him and grabbed hold of his arms to hurry him along.
The trek was difficult and my legs were aching because it was an uphill and rocky path and we had to practically carry Don. His hands and his one arm were hurting him and although the fire was so far away, he kept saying that we weren’t going to make it.
“There’s no point in rushing. That idiot took his boat and the fire will be here soon. We’re not going to make it anyway.”
Brad was irritated with Don’s attitude and forced him to walk even faster.
“Yeah, well I don’t give up that easy and it’s not here yet, so would you please stop talking like we’re dead already?”
We rested again about fifteen or twenty minutes later and as much as I knew we had to for Grandpa’s sake, we hadn’t really gone very far and it bothe
red me that this was going to take forever just to get to the bridge. We went through the same routine a few more times as we took turns supporting Grandpa. At each rest Grandpa appeared more tired and sickly, and Don whined louder about how we weren’t going to make it.
It was only about ten minutes into the one trek when Meagan turned back and motioned to us that we were going to rest again. Grandpa didn’t look well at all and he was sporting a slight fever. We sat down under the shade of some overhanging trees in the open terrain on some small rocks and I gave Grandpa a few sips from my water bottle.
From where we sat, we couldn’t get a good view of the sky behind the towering trees behind us, so in one way that eased my stress even though I knew that it was still there. Brad and Ali ran ahead and disappeared behind some rocks on the wide rocky terrain. I opened my water bottle again to give Grandpa some more water but he pushed it away and began to moan about his leg.
“No more water. I think I’m going to throw up as it is. I’m not sure how much more I can go on this. It hurts a lot now, more than before. And I’m so darn dizzy.”
Grandpa’s face was pale and looked almost sunken, and it was obvious that he was in a lot of pain. And I’m sure that knowing there was a fire behind us only added to his stress. I stepped back to stand alone with Meagan and we were already thinking the same thing. She leaned in and covered her mouth as she whispered to me.
“The infection is making him sick, Sarah, and he’s got a fever. Look how pale he is. I’m really worried about him. I don’t think he can walk anymore.”
As she spoke, a prickle of fear crawled across my neck. I knew that the infection in his leg was spreading fast and that we had to get him to a doctor soon, but it was going to take us several hours at the rate we were going just to get to the bridge.
“I know, Meg. Maybe we could make a stretcher of some kind to carry him on. Do you think?”
Meagan shook her head in disappointment just as the guys were running back. They both collapsed in front of us and Ali panted as he tried to talk.
“Brad and I ran as far over there as we could. We couldn’t see much but there’s a lot of smoke on the far side of the forest. Grandpa’s right. A shift in the wind and it’ll come right at us.”
This is not the news that we wanted to hear and it scared me. I wanted to keep thinking positive but now it was becoming a real challenge.
“Well, if we can get to the bridge we’ll be safe. It bottle-necks at that point but the bridge is metal and there’s water below it so the fire can’t really spread across it. And the river gets really wide on either side, especially to the right, so even if the fire does spread towards us, once we get across the bridge we should be safe, right? Brad? Ali? Why don’t you look more hopeful?”
I followed Ali’s eyes to Grandpa’s leg and I knew why. Brad was intrigued with the smoke and wandered off to the side to study it more carefully. As I looked to where we were going I understood Ali’s frustration because I knew that Grandpa couldn’t walk any more.
“We should find something to make a stretcher so we can carry him. Wouldn’t that help us move along a bit faster?”
Meagan suggested tying the blankets somehow to branches and Ali agreed that it could be done. Brad heard us talking and then grabbed his bag and unzipped it.
“Maybe I have something. When we dumped our bags back at the house I didn’t unzip the side pockets.”
Ali jerked his head as he grinned.
“I didn’t either.”
Brad pulled out what looked like a yellow bag. He winked at me and raised his eyebrows.
“I’ve got a nylon tent here and Ali’s got rope. Now we just need to find some branches for the rods and we’ve got ourselves a stretcher.”
While the guys looked for two branches, Meagan and I sat with Grandpa and tried to comfort him as he groaned painfully. He seemed to look worse every minute and his bandage was now completely soaked with blood. I rubbed his hand and spoke softly.
“Grandpa, just hang on. We’re going to make something to carry you on so you won’t have to walk. You’re going to be okay.”
Grandpa opened his swollen eyelids and looked up at me. His face was withdrawn and his eyes were wet. He was trying to contain the pain but it was spreading all through him and all he could say was that he felt sick.
Meagan and I cuddled on each side of him and we talked about the things we used to do when we visited years ago and what we were going to do when we got home. But after a few minutes he stopped chuckling and just grunted. I knew we had to hurry.
A few minutes later the guys returned with two ragged branches that were about eight feet long, and then they took their army knives and shaved off the rough and jagged parts to make it easier for carrying. The branches were crooked and uneven but Ali assured us that they were strong enough to hold Grandpa’s weight. Brad grabbed the thin rope and he and Ali spread the tent out and tied it onto the branches. Meagan and I sat beside Grandpa and watched with amazement at how fast they put together a make-shift stretcher.
Ali smiled at us as he tied the last knot.
“It’s all part of our training as camp counsellors and leaders. Okay, my side’s done. How you doing over there, man?”
“Got it. Okay, let me just tie this off – okay, I’m done. This should hold Grandpa and if we each grab an end we should be able to move a bit faster. Just hope Don will keep up with us.”
Don? We’d been so busy trying to get the stretcher for Grandpa that we’d forgotten about Don. I turned towards the tree where he’d been resting to tell him that we were about to continue, but he wasn’t there.”
“Don? Don? Where are you?”
Meagan looked surprised and started calling for him in another direction, and then the guys joined in. We searched the area all around us as we called out for him. That’s when I noticed the sky. The smoke was getting closer and Don was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 6
Missing
I stayed back with Grandpa while the others took off in three different directions looking for Don. I could hear them calling his name and their voices broke the eerie stillness of the forest that prevailed so loudly in my ears. There wasn’t a sound, not a bird chirping in a single tree or flying anywhere around us, and no movement on the ground from the little furry wilderness creatures.
Grandpa’s bushy eyebrows were close together as he shook his head and grunted.
“That old fool, what is he doing now?”
I sat looking around nervously and wondering how close the fire was, and the only thing that kept me calm was thinking how close we were to the bridge. Grandpa’s face grew paler by the minute and his bandage was even more soaked than before.
“Where would he go, Grandpa?”
“No idea.”
“But you know him better than anyone, and you know how he is, Grandpa. Do you think he’s just running towards the bridge without us?”
Grandpa closed his eyes as he held my hand in his shaking grip.
“He could be anywhere. He’s got a bit of Alzheimer’s and sometimes he gets lost in the war. He’s got worse lately and it’s hard to know what he’s thinking.”
My heart sank as I glanced across the terrain towards the back of the forest and saw clouds of smoke rising up above the distant trees, and I knew those clouds weren’t there a few minutes ago. They were rolling but I couldn’t tell if they were moving towards us or just up. Grandpa kept trying to touch his wounded leg and he was groaning under his breath. I knew his pride didn’t want me to know that he was in pain but it was getting hard for him not to show it.
“Grandpa, the smoke is getting closer. We have to get going soon. I hope they find Don so we can get to the bridge.”
Grandpa opened one eye and looked at me through his weighted eyebrow.
“Sometimes he just does things. He could be running to get away from the fire or in his mind he could be fighting it somewhere.”
“But where? Where would he go? He
should have just stayed with us but now we have to wait for him and I just want to get out of here.”
We sat quiet and a minute later Meagan came limping back through some briar and dropped herself down beside Grandpa. He groaned when he saw her and I was frustrated that she had been injured.
“Oh my gosh, Meg! What happened to your leg? You’re bleeding.”
Meagan sat forward and pulled the bottom of her t-shirt to dab her wound that was dripping blood down her shin.
“There’s potholes everywhere out there and I didn’t see one. Gees, I tripped in it and the grass and branches are so darned dry they cut my leg. Ouch! This hurts.”
I leaned over and grabbed Ali’s backpack to get the first aid box and then pulled out the disinfectant and some tissues.
“Let me pour this on the cuts, Meg. Close your eyes for a second.”
She clenched her fists and squealed quietly as the sting of the liquid etched its way into the wounds. There were some large, square band aids in the kit so I put one over the two cuts that were still bleeding, but the others were spread down her leg and they weren’t dripping so I left them.
“Geez, Sarah, I can’t believe that I didn’t see that stupid hole. I thought for sure I’d twisted my ankle, but I think it’s okay. Or maybe my leg just stings so much I can’t feel it.”
Grandpa put his arm around Meagan and as usual broke the tension of the moment with his passionate grin.
“Honey, you didn’t have to do this just for me. One of us with a bad leg was enough.”
We all chuckled for a few seconds but as I put the kit back into Ali’s bag I was shaking inside because the smoke was getting noticeably closer, not a lot but enough to scare me. I still couldn’t smell it and that was fine with me because I knew if I could then we were in real trouble.
A few minutes later Ali strolled in from one side and said that he’d searched everywhere and called out for Don but he couldn’t find him. And then a minute after that Brad ran in from the other side and said almost the same thing. It bothered me a lot that Don couldn’t be found, and selfishly, not just because he was lost but because we had to get Grandpa to the hospital as soon as possible and now we couldn’t go anywhere because of him.
Firestorm Page 5