CHAPTER 1
La La La La. The sound of the alarm woke me up straight away but the thing was it wasn’t my alarm that woke me up, it was my sister from next door who has to have it loud cause she can sleep threw anything. As soon as I realize it was her alarm which I new of course because it was the song of her favourite singer which I always forget the name of but I know the song starts off with La La La La. I read my clock and it said 9 am and work at the KFC starts at 9:30. I jumped in the shower lucky no one was hogging the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and grabbed a muesli bar and jumped in the car. Luckily I got the job at the KFC that was only three minutes away from my house. By the way I’m Arnold Schwarzenegger world famous actor, Governor of California and not to mention being the terminator. Nah I’m “ name” a 22 yr old who lives at home with his parents, works at a KFC with a terrible boss and I own an old rusty Volkswagen. Yeah my life is anything but interesting. When I finally got to work it was 9:31 and a soon as I opened the door Frank Lawson my boss screamed and said once again “name” you are late one more time and I’ll fire you. I’ve already docked $50 of your pay now get straight to work. Yes sir. Frank is an old looking guy around in his fifties, he has got dark grey hair well what’s left of it and a small moustache that is thick and black. Frank wasn’t that mean when I first joined the job which has been three years now. He was kind to me he was like my other father, he even gave me employee of the year two years in a row . But a year ago now his wife who was one of the kindest and nicest mother and wife who I only met once passed away with lung cancer from smoking. Since then he has not only been horrible to his employees he had drove Josh his 18 yr old son away. He now lives with his mother’s sister Jane Smith somewhere on the other side of the world. Josh was one of my best friends he is one of the reasons I got this jobs in the first place I miss him heaps. So now he’s grumpy at me and always gets my pay docked. But I’ve had to deal with it because no one will hire me because I dropped out of school half way through year 11 and have no experience in anything except of course making burgers and deep frying chickens. I get paid enough to live so that’s okay. You’re on counter duty today Luke told me. I waited a while and finally somebody came into order it was just a couple of builders who I’m assuming are building the brand new town hall which is right next to the KFC. All they ordered was a 10 pack of nuggets which I was surprised because they were quite stocky men. The next customer which seemed to be an Irish girl had a lot of piercings in her face. I could see Luke flirting with her. See Luke went to high school with me and let’s just say he wasn’t my friend. We didn’t dislike each other at first like in yr 8 and 9 but the more we got to know each other the more we disliked each other I would say hate but hate is such strong word. Luke was always the one to flirt with all the girls and brag about all the girlfriends he has had. He was really stuck up but these days he let himself go let’s just say he still thinks he’s better than everyone else and he somehow still get all the girls .What else sucks that Luke is the only one frank still likes out of any person I think it to do with Luke was the one person who didn’t really know Mrs. Lawson and he doesn’t remind him of his wife at all. The girl left straight after going to the back to talk to Luke imp assuming giving her his phone number which he normally gives to one of his friend so they can try to hook up with one of the many girls who come into the KFC and Luke gets their phone numbers. He doesn’t keep them because he has his own girl friend named Lucy claud . She has blonde hair and her eye are really blue like the sky almost. She’s kind most of the time but is also a bit of a control freak. Oh also she just happened to of gone out with me in yr 11 and I know if she found out what Luke was doing she wouldn’t be to impressed. Actually that kind of what happened with her and me. One day I was at school talking to some girl who my friends introduced me to. We talked about her being in the netball team and how she thought I was the best in the football team. Then out of nowhere she kissed me but of course I tried to move back but by the time I did it was too late Lucy was standing right behind me. She came up to me and said how could you and slap me in the face. Not only did I lose my girlfriend that day I also had massive bruise on my face that lasted weeks. The girl who I was talking to told everyone how I got it no one said anything but I could tell they wanted to burst out in laughter. But since that day me and Lucy haven’t talked except once when she came into work and ordered some chicken. So even if told her what Luke was doing she wouldn’t believe me and would get him on to me. So I guess I have to watch him do this it does hurt me seeing it but what am I suppose to do. I the next three hours not many people came in. There were a couple families, one lot of bikies and some more builders. I had only fifty minutes of my sift left then these two guys in black suits holding briefcases came in. One was a tall bulky bloke who almost looked like he was ready for a fight and then the other guy was average height had a strange look on his face. Then the shorter guy said I’m here to talk to frank. I shouted out Frank there is someone here to see you. It better be the queen because you know I’m counting the money from the till and you will be fired for making me lose count if it’s not. Frank walked out and I could she just with the shock horror on Frank face that something was wrong. Okay boys you guys can leave early frank said shuddering. Does that means we don’t get paid for the last forty eight minutes Kane the other person who works with us on Fridays said. You won’t get paid at all if you don’t leave now Kane without anymore question frank said looking stress. That was the first time he called any of us by our first name. In my head I thought yes and slowly jumping in to the car or that what I should have done. I decided to wait for Luke and Kane to leave until I snuck behind a window and to find out what was happening. I went behind the window but I couldn’t hear anything or see anything. So I decided to go jump into my car which I happened to bump my head on and with my now bump on the back of my head I drove all the way home. When I got home mum said how was work? Good except Frank was acting different today. So you mean he was being nice for a change? Not nice just different and these two weird guys came in. Well I wouldn’t get too worried about it and by the way Alfred rang. By the way Alfred is my best friend but only my mum and his mum call him that we know him as chisel. Hess known as chisel because one day in TEC he was using a chisel to make something and accidentally went right threw the table. Then some kid forgot who could of even been Luke shouted out chisel, chisel, chisel and then after that everyone shouted it out and from then on he been known as chisel. The teacher wasn’t too impressed and nor was his mother who instead of paying for a new one made shore Chisel fixed the table after school of everyday until it was fixed. I knew actually why chisel was ringing because most Fridays unless work goes late for both of us we go and hang out either at the skate park, bowling and at the pubs. Chisel said last night that he wants to go somewhere different. He wanted to check out a spot in the bush that his friend told him that there’s meant to be a really cool tree that no one had ever seen but rumours has it sometimes lights up. When I got up to my bedroom as soon as sat down to ring chisel the phone started to ring. Hello its “name” speaking. Hey it’s me chisel are you up for tonight? Yes I should be it just some weird stuff happened at work today. What happened? I’ll tell you when I pick you up from yours. Okay well do you know where you’re going and everything or do you have your GPS. Yes my GPS broke a few days ago because I was using it and then the voice just kept going turn left, turn left, turn left so I gave up and looked at the map on it but that was telling me the same thing. So I’ll just have to use the old style map I think I have one in the house somewhere I will go look for it now. Okay and make sure you bring everything but not your phone because there are no way you will have reception out there and also bring some beer. Why do I have to I did last time we went out somewhere. Because you’re the one who works. Okay whatever just let me find the map and get packed probably and I will meet you at the front of your house and pick you up. Okay and I just got a message on face book that penny wants to come. Penny Copper is somebody that went to Chisels collage which he only went to it for one year and dropped out where he was studying to become a mechanic who he can still do but he will be stuck on an apprenticeship his whole life. Penny and him were friends for the whole year and then out of know where Penny asked him out and he couldn’t say no. So for about two years now they have kept their relationship strong and they are thinking to move into Chisel new apartment together. But I didn’t want her to come on this trip because chisel doesn’t act himself when he is around her. She came occasionally on Fridays but she hang out with her friends which she was going to be doing today but something must of happened so now she wants to come. Um sorry Chisel but I thought it was going to be just us two tonight. But dude she really wants to go. Fine then only if I can invite two more people who I want to come. Fine then who are they. Well I’m not sure they will want to come but the first one is Fergus Clarke . Fergus Clarke is a little bit of a nerd. not your pants up high wearing big glasses and acts like a know it all nerd but still a nerd. He knew everything the was to know about computing and science and whatever else he goes on about. But he is also one of my best friends even though he can get annoying but will still like him anyway. He’s also a really good comedian which is what he wants to be when he grows up. But for a comedian he can be very serious and I am not quite sure if he will go if I ask him because he is not really into going camping. The other is Autumn Meadows a girl who was in two years below me at school who just finished school last year and is now having a gap year. She has been a close family friend for as long as I can remember. She is very brainy and also one of the best singers I have ever heard. She should be free to go this weekend because I was talking to her yesterday about what she is doing on the weekend and all she said was staying home looking for jobs for her singing career. Which she does pretty much every day anyway so it’s not like I’m going to let her miss out on a big opportunity. So she should be up for the night. Okay well I let you ring, text, Fb them or whatever and then you call me back with their answers. Okay talk soon cya.bye. Then I went to the kitchen to have some food and then I rang Autumn who was just fine about going with us but I left out the fact that Fergus might be going because the two of them never really got a long. Nothing really happened with them to they just use to fight about the smallest thing like when we wanted to decide to where go out on a Friday night, one wanted to go to one place the other wanted to go to a different this so both of them haven’t hung out with Chisel and I on a Friday since. So I’m hoping that they will start to get along on this trip since they can’t really go far since we are only taking my car which I will be taking autumn and since Penny has a car she will be taking chisel now and probably Fergus. Which they can’t really go home unless we all want to go. When I finished talking to Autumn I rang Fergus straight away. He took a bit of persuading but once I told him about the strange things that have happened there he decided to come with us. So that makes five of us. Hello its “name”. So is everyone in for tonight they sure are we can leave soon assuming your packed. Yes but there is one more favour I need to ask. Okay then fire away. Well you might not like it. Come Chisel spit it out. Penny wants a friend of hers to come. Yes whets wrong with that. Threes one more thing you are not going to like who it is. Well I like all of penny’s friends except for Samantha of course but it’s not her. Well hers the thing. Are you joking there is no way in hell that Samantha mozz. I know you hate her after what she did I only have just forgive her. Then why would you even think about letting her come with us. I know but remember that Penny and I had a fight a few days ago and she is only just starting to forgive me for what happened so if I don’t let Samantha come she probably won’t want to move in with me or even worse we could break up. But you know what happened is UN forgivable and I don’t want her to spend a night with us. She promises that she will be good and she has apologised countless times you know that it was an accident. What happened is one day at this school camp with all yr 11s at my school and with another school. The school just happened to be the one that Penny and Samantha went to and this is before chisel went to collage with the two of them. For some reason chisel didn’t go on the camp and didn’t meet them until he was in college. Well from the moment I met Samantha I new something would go wrong. Well Samantha ,Penny and a girl named Lola were sitting at the front of the cabin Fergus , Michael Johnson another really good mate of mine and I went up to talk them. They didn’t really talk to us straight away but afterwards they decide to go with us to the a waterfall and river place we had found the night before but it was too dark to see much all we had was a flash light. So well all went there we weren’t really supposed to but the teaches wouldn’t have missed us. They were too busy keeping their eyes on the trouble makers like Luke. This is just after a week since Lucy broke up with me so Luke probably would of already trying to get his hands and her. Truthfully he liked her when we two were going out. Well the six of use walked to the top of the waterfall and jumped of the rock ledge to the water below us. It was heaps of fun for the whole time until. Penny, Fergus, Lola and I decide we were over the whole swimming thing so the four of us just sat on a couple of towels that we threw onto some rocks. But Samantha and Michael just wanted to jump a few more times. Which wasn’t a problem for us? So they jumped until Michael was over it but Samantha kept pushing him into doing one more jump even though he kept telling her that he felt a bit dizzy now. So they swum out of the deep blue lagoon and climbed the rocks again. On the rocks Michael was turning pale and even dizzier. But Samantha kept pushing him to do one more jump. Michael’s pride step in and kept going until he was at the top of the rocks. I screamed out from below Michael if you’re sick you shouldn’t do it. Then Michael said to Samantha I don’t think I want to do this again. Then in a quick second Samantha said to Michael don’t chicken out and went up to his back and pushed him in. I could see Michael fall like a boulder onto some rock and then he must have rolled a bit then ended up in the water. The four of us jumped into the water. I couldn’t see Samantha she had gone to get help. Lola was the one to find him it was near the deepest part of the lagoon. I ran to Lola to help since I was the closest but suddenly I lost sight of both of them. After a couple of seconds I found a red patch in the water. I dived under the water I saw Michael grabbing onto Lola. Since Lola wasn’t a very good swimmer and Michael was twice her size he had dragged her down. I grabbed onto the two of them but they were so heavy. Now the two of them were both unconscious. lucky Fergus had come and he swum with Lola out the Lagoon and started CPR. I had Micheal just and he just woke up as soon as I brought him to shore ,he was screaming out in pain. A few teachers had just arrived and I could see a helicopter above. There was blood dripping out of Michael’s skull and I couldn’t do much I just sat back and let the teachers deal with it. Fergus and Penny were crying. I went up and said that they’re going to be fine. Then Fergus said you don’t understand. I looked to my left and suddenly I saw Lola she had all her life sucked out of her. There was nothing the teacher must have just put one of the towels on her face that we were sitting on. The helicopter had taken Micheal away fighting for his life. The other one had taken Lola’s body away. We told them what happened but we lived for Samantha’s sake and told the cops he fell. We will have to tell Samantha to tell the cops what we said and if Micheal wakes up him to. I could see Samantha I told her what happened to Lola and she was crying and said it was all her fault. But even though how angry I was at her I told her what we had done. And she agreed it was the best thing for her and that all she said to the teachers that there had been an ascendant and they all ran here. Once I got home the next day I found out Michael was going to be fine he just had a little brain damage and they worked on him. So I went in he hadn’t remember what happened so I told him the fake story and what happened to Lola I knew he would be heartbroken. The doctor told him that he his appendixes had burst so that why he felt sick. So Samantha lived with the pain and we haven’t really talked to Micheal since. So that why that I never want to spend a night with her. No not even if she was the queen I would let her go after what she did and she is so lucky we covered up for her you know how many times I have thought about changing my mind and handing he up to the coppers. Come on she won’t even talk to you once the whole time where there. I said no!!! We have to go soon anyway because Fergus and Autumn will be waiting to be picked up. Fine I will bring the drinks if you let her go. Oh fine as long as she doesn’t even look at me and it not just me you have to ask you need to ask Fergus to. Thank you is the best and I’m sure he will be fine about it. If you say so well I’ll see you soon we will meet at the main toilet blocks near where were we are camping. Um you do know that nowhere near where we are camping. Yeah but we will sort out the rest there. Ok then cya. Well once I got all my stuff sorted out fully I almost forgot about ringing frank saying I won’t be how to be called in on the weekend. So I called him but there was no answer so I just told mum to ring him when I’m gone. Hey also you are going to have to take your sister mum said. Um there are four reasons why not. One she’s not packed and I’m leaving soon. Two she probably doesn’t want to come. Three I haven’t got time to look after her Four I do not want her to embarrass me. Well I have four reasons why she can go. One she does want to go because her friends are all at a party this weekend that see wasn’t invited to. Two she is already packed. Three you can look after her. Four if you don’t take her I won’t pay for your petrol anymore. Oh whatever then but she better not be embarrassing and I hope the others don’t mind. My sister Lilly is 17 and has chocolate blonde colour hair and sad to say looks a little bit like me. She also is quite tall almost up to my height. She is my only sister and I have a younger brother named Carlos who is 10 who is staying at home with mum. I called out to her and she grabbed her stuff and my stuff was already in the boot. Once we were in the car I drove off to get autumn. Lilly didn’t say much I could tell that she was in a really bad mood. So I asked I know you would never would want to go on a trip with me and my mates unless something has happened. She just sat there like I had said nothing and put her other headphone in to block me out. Then with a grip on the wheel I swerved into the side of the street and pulled over. Then Lilly screams out in anger you bloody idiot were you trying to get us killed. I respond in I’m not moving from here until you tell me what is going on and don’t just say it’s to do with not getting invited to some girls birthday party. Well it doesn’t look like I have much of a choice Lilly says in a frustrated voice. I guess you haven’t. It not much it just at school today a new Liberian who just started yesterday came up to me and said Lilly don’t go out today stay indoors or something terrible will happen in a mysterious voice and I went passed her and ran to my locker. I reply in shock umm why you went outdoors then. Well officially I don’t believe her I’m just worried that she will come to our house and murder me, oh no I just remember mum and Carlos is still going to be there. That’s never going to happen Lil so don’t worry about it. The librarian was probably just messing with you and she didn’t even say anything about going to our house. But that is besides the point she told me to stay in the house which mean she will be home and she will get the school records then search where we live then get us. Well that’s over dramatising that is so unlikely to happened. But it still freaked me out and I will feel safer with more people. Well you should have told mum about that. But she would have said it was all in my head. That because it is and anyway you are here now we will make sure no physio killer Liberians will get you. Ha-ha not funny and thank you. That’s okay but I need to get going because autumn will be waiting. So I steer my small Volkswagen back on to the road. For the next ten minutes Lilly and I talked about how she is going at school and how the weird day at work today and even about how somehow Chisel had convinced me to let Samantha come with us. We finally got to autumn’s house as I pulled up and looked in my mirror me sware I saw this black hummer that was behind me the whole time but as I had another glimpse a few seconds later there was nothing there. I must have been seeing things I thought to myself. As soon as I step out of my car I here a screen door slam. It was autumn and her little five year old sister summer. Her parents really had a thing for seasons because they also have a baby boy named winter. So I’m guessing if they have another child you guessed it they will call it spring. Autumn was surprised to see Lilly here and all I said is that my mum why trying to get her out of the house. Autumn wasn’t really fussed since she has known Lilly as long as I have known Autumn and they went to school together last year. Autumn started to bring stuff into the car and said that I hope you don’t have any breakables because it’s going to be a tight fit. She didn’t seem to care she isn’t known for how much make up and jewels she wares. But don’t get me wrong she still wares some. I had to push down on the boot a few times to make it shut but finally with one big pushed I managed to close it. Summer waved good bye and my rusty old car are going to the roads again with Lilly angrily pushed to the back. So we take on the road again to our destination. Since autumn had been becoming a singer she hasn’t really had time to talk to us. So we had a lot to catch up on. It turns out that the most exciting that has happened is she bought a cat and named it Mr. Piffles. But she also told us how tuff the music industry is. Nobody will take her and she thinks she is too good for those television singing contests. We needed to stop for a toilet brake I was waiting outside the girl’s toilets for Lilly and autumn and then I saw that big black hummer again. This time it wasn’t in my mind it was as clear as day light it had been parked near a shop about 10 metres away I started to walk towards it. Then I turned around at the sound of Lilly’s voice saying what you are doing in a confused voice. I said just going towards this car and when I turned around again it was gone. I walked back to the toilet block and I told Lilly that I was going to the shops to buy a drink but have now changed my mine since we need to hurry up to meet the others. I didn’t want to worry her for something that probably wasn’t a big deal. When autumn came out we hit the road again. We drove for about thirty minutes without talking until I broke the silence by saying. We are almost there just another ten minutes until we are at the toilet blocks. Autumn was happy to hear this but Lilly didn’t respond because she has her headphones back in. So I took one of them out and told her and she just nodded her head. The whole trip must at least taken an hour and an a half not including the stops we took. Once we got to the car park we couldn’t see Penny car. I thought to myself it must have been Samantha holding them up. We got out of the car and the two girls walked to a nearby bench. I picked up the phone to call Fergus. There was no answer then I was about to call chisel then I hit myself in the face and remember no reception out here. I could see Lilly glaring out me because she could see what I had done. Then I tell her they should be here soon. Autumn replies I guess all we can do is wait .So we waited and waited and waited which felt like hours but it was like only twenty minutes. When finally I just said how about you two find the camp and start to set up the gear and I will wait for the others. But we don’t know where it is and we don’t have a GPS Lilly says. I go to the car and then come back with the map. Then Lilly says but I can’t read a map. Well Autumn did girl guides she should know. Autumn just nodded. Well ok fine Lilly finally agrees. They take as much as they can carry and start to walk off. Then I remember and I run after them and tell them to take these flares in case they get lost. Okay Autumn says. They go and I go back to the bench to wait. It is now pitch black and cold I hope the two girls alright I say they have torches and we will meet them when chisel and the others come. I wait five more minutes and finally I hear a car engine and the lights are coming in. The car parks I go over with my torch and look at it and then I see it is not chisel’s car but It’s the black hummer.
