THE HIT SHOW [ONGOING]

ACT 2, SCENE 2: The Homesick Feeling

A/N: I would like to acknowledge that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the traditional custodians of Country. I would like to pay my respects to Elders past and present. I will care and respect the land in which I live.

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Willow felt the cool breeze wash over her.

She smelt the crisp leaves cling onto the cold air. The smell of this place had made her miss home. It didn't smell the same. As she walked alone as the evening light showered her with its glory, she let out a deep sigh, fluttering her eyes shut. She remembered the way the wattle tree would blossom like mini sunshine, smelling of the musky earth and gum.

It was odd how a tree she had merely noticed back at home was so distant and special to her now. That reminded her of Jarrah, how he had explained to her that the land, his culture, and country ran in his blood and it often called to him.

Although Willow missed home, she wasn't sure if this was what Jarrah meant.

That also reminded her of the time Jarrah had taken her for a drive to his Country, his homeland. Although Jarrah lived in Sydney his whole life, he had told Willow that he didn't feel as though it was his true home. The way Jarrah had taken in the air, almost felt like he was free. He still had pain in his eyes, probably wishing to know more about his Country, his people, and his language.

The amount of work Jarrah had done to help children from his community to learn what he had learned about his Country was a huge responsibility. Willow knew she would never really understand the loss he felt and the hope he gained, yet she was there to listen.

A sudden rustle stopped her memories. Willow looked around for a weapon and picked up a large stick that had snapped off a tree branch. Holding the stick close to her chest, she watched the nearby bushes, for any sudden movements.

The sudden rustle caught her attention. She darted the stick through the bush, wrestling it back and forth trying to get the stalker behind it. With a groan, the stick flings itself across the yard.

To her surprise, the stalker comes out from behind the bush unarmed... and adorable.

A fluffy, white bunny bounces off to the distance. Mesmerised, Willow gasps and reaches her hands out, like a three-year-old chasing after a remote-controlled car.

Her eyes glimmer with its fluffy fur, as she chases the bunny, hoping it would be tired enough for her to catch.

"Come here bunny!"

It's as though the opposite was beginning to happen. The bunny was getting quicker and Willow was beginning to get slower. She chased after the bunny, in the same spot, and in a perfect circle. The final hit of her heel against the ground would be divided by a stick that would pull her down for her to meet with the ground like she had on the night of her arrest.

Too tired to even protest, Willow lays on her back, her chest heaving. She breathed in the foreign air, as she tried to get used to it all. Her eyes fluttered shut, still seeing her mum, her sister, and Jarrah. Her hands clench into fits as she remembered all that ended her up here. She felt so out of place, so useless, such a failure. She wanted the days to take her with them and land her back home.

She wanted to go home.

With her eyes still shut, Willow felt the cool breeze heave. She figured that someone (or something) had stopped just by her head.

Willow opened her eyes and was glad to see Nahil. She smiled and sprung up, before things got weird and someone ended up calling the ambulance.

Nahil reached over, causing Willow to stiffen. His neat hands brushed their way through her red locks to pull out a dead leaf.