Curse Of Wexkia Read online

  Whatever it was, she never knew whether to be excited or depressed at his return. She loved him, but sometimes, she wasn’t so sure how he felt about her. His trips away from home had become more frequent and much longer during the last year. When he was at home, he spent most of his time in the library.

  ‘Make sure you remind Sam he has to clean up afterwards.’

  Nell stood. ‘I will. And I’d better get home and make sure the house is tidy for Dad. Can you tell Sam to come over when he’s finished scoffing all the pikelets?’

  Annet laughed and nodded. ‘Sure. Don’t forget to tell your father about your acceptance into JCU. He needs to give the final go ahead.’ She turned to go, but stopped and looked at Nell. ‘And, sweetie, tie your hair up off your face before you go home. It’s all straggly.’

  CHAPTER 2

  Nell pedalled her bike south through the thick line of coconut palms that bordered the path and separated the beach from the rainforest.

  Glad of the shade, she stopped and gazed back at the beach. More images from her nightmares floated across her mind. The crocodile and Shrewdy joined them. They were just dreams from Carl’s stories. Sam’s father told his stories in such amazing vivid detail, science fiction intertwined with Aboriginal tales would give any girl nightmares.

  ‘Koo koo koo kaa kaa.’

  Nell started and only just managed to keep her bike from tipping as the kookaburra’s rollicking laughter seemed to mock her.

  ‘Oh, be quiet.’ She regained her balance. The bird looked different. His eyes were black and way too big. The crocodile’s eyes were the same.

  The bird cut short his call. His gaze appeared despondent as he sat on the power line. As if in a sulk, he buried his beak into his puffed out white-feathered chest without taking his eyes off her.

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry. Go ahead and laugh if you want.’

  He seemed to brighten and broke into song.

  Nell shook her head. Now she was talking to a kookaburra. A sulky kookaburra at that. She gazed up. His eyes were the usual brown and smaller. It must have been the light.

  She propped her bike in the bike rack Carl had made for her at the corner of her two-storey house and noted the white weatherboards needed painting. Why hadn’t she ever noticed the peeling paint before and why did two people need such a big house anyway? She shrugged. For some reason, she seemed to notice a lot of things that day.

  She strolled along the short path to the front stairs, picking the little purple flower heads off the weeds that poked out from under the house.

  Once on the front veranda, she could just see the roof of the Frederick’s house. She decided to go around to the ocean side of the house where she blew the flower heads off her palm towards the ocean.

  The French doors to the living room were open which meant her father was already home.

  She took her boots off and kicked them against the wall.

  ‘Is that you, Nell?’

  ‘Yeah, Dad. Be there in a tick.’

  She peeled of her wet socks and threw them onto her boots. At least the rest of her was dry. She touched her hair. Oops, except that. Plucking off a hair-band from her wrist, she tied as much of her curls back off her face as she could and walked through the doors.

  Her father had just entered the living room from the foyer. At the sight of her, his pace picked up. ‘Hello, love,’ he said as he took Nell in a hug.

  She hugged him back. ‘Hi, Dad.’ When she let go, she said, ‘Sorry I wasn’t here when you got home. Annet only just told me.’

  ‘That’s all right. I haven’t been here long.’ He turned and sat on the sofa. ‘Come and tell me what you’ve been up to while I’ve been gone. Are you enjoying your holidays with Sam?’

  ‘Yeah and a heap of people came up to ride the horses last week. That was fun.’

  ‘Yes. I’ve been thinking how lonely it must be for you here. Maybe we should move to somewhere where you can have friends close by all the time.’

  ‘Leave here? Oh, I don’t think I’d like to leave here forever. I mean, I like going away sometimes but I really like coming back. And I love the Fredericks. I’d miss them way too much.’

  He laughed. ‘I know you do, love. I do too. However, you are getting older and you can’t stay isolated all your life. Never mind, we’ll talk about that later. How about you clean yourself up and make me some coffee. I’ll join you in the kitchen after I’ve unpacked.’

  She pushed her hair behind her ears.

  ‘I think we need Annet to trim those curls of yours.’

  ‘No. I like it long and I’ll keep it neat. Promise.’

  He smiled. ‘We’ll see.’

  Not for the first time, she wished her mother was there to take her side. Asisa had black curls and fair skin too but her eyes were brown. Nell had blue eyes like her father. But that’s where any similarity ended. His hair was straight and blond and his skin tanned easily. She sighed. She could wish until the world ended but nothing would bring her mother back. Asisa had died the night Nell was born.

  Her father tilted her chin up to him. ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Yeah. Just thinking about Mum is all.’

  ‘I know, love. It’s hard with only two of us. I’m hoping that will change in the future and I won’t have to spend so much time away from you.’

  ‘How will it—’

  ‘Hold any questions until I get back.’ He rose to his feet and headed for the foyer.

  She stood up and called after him. ‘Okay, but don’t be long.’

  Nell walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. Annet had helped decorate the whole house, but the kitchen was the only room where she had full rein. The curtains above the sink opposite were full of vivid parrots. Jars of every colour in the rainbow lined the bench top on both sides of the stove and a sturdy wooden table stood against the side wall. Nell and her father ate there when they were by themselves. No. She couldn’t stand not spending some of her life in that room if they moved away for good.

  While she waited for the water to boil, she poured herself a glass of sarsaparilla and sat down. The jug clicked off. ‘Hurry up, Dad,’ she mumbled. Leaving the coffee unmade, she sat back and drank her soft drink. By the time she’d finished, her father still hadn’t joined her. What was keeping him? She had so much to tell him and especially wanted to let him know about university. He would be proud of her.

  Humph. Annet was worried when Nell asked her to help her with the enrolment form. She said they should get David’s permission first. Nell had pushed though. She said she’d spoken to her father about uni and he was all for it. It wasn’t really a fib. At the start of grade twelve, she had asked if she could go on to university. His reply was vague as usual. He said, ‘We’ll see when the time comes.’ That wasn’t a no. And he seemed okay with it at the time.

  Nell wasn’t sure how long she’d sat there but it seemed like forever. She decided she’d go and hurry him up.

  The doors to the foyer were closed. That was strange. Her father’s voice floated through from the other side. He was probably talking to Carl.

  A man spoke. His voice was the deepest Nell had ever heard. Not Carl.

  She breathed out. Goose bumps sprang up all over her skin. No one ever visited them. She reached for the doorknobs, but hesitated. She hadn’t fixed her hair. Blast. She pulled the band out and hurried in front of the wall mirror above the sideboard in the dining room. Using her fingers to comb her hair back, she pulled it as tight as she could into a ponytail and tied it. Not bad.

  Back at the doors, she couldn’t make out any words the throaty stranger said but he sounded agitated.

  Maybe she shouldn’t interrupt. She shrugged.

  Opening the doors wide, Nell stepped in front of the stairs. She wasn’t sure whether it was the sound she made or her father’s eyes darting in her direction, but the visitor promptly concealed what looked like a dark-green beret on his head with the hood of his lime-green cape. Who on earth wore thei
r hats so tight over their heads? She didn’t see the beret properly, but it looked like it had crooked lines all over it. And what was with the cape and the weird brown uniform? Now that was the weirdest fashion she had ever seen, especially during summer in the tropics.

  The men stood in front of the palm-filled alcove created by the sweeping staircase. Her father was tall but his visitor was a full head taller.

  The stranger kept his back to Nell.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, plucking on the remaining hair-band around her wrist.

  Her father pushed his hand through his golden hair. ‘Wait here. I will see to my daughter.’

  The man let out a low chuckle as her father stepped around him and clasped Nell’s hand to turn her around.

  ‘Wait,’ she said, pulling up. ‘Can I meet your friend?’

  ‘Not now.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because I said, not now.’ He yanked her towards the living room.

  Her presence appeared to annoy him. Too bad.

  Before her father could guide her out of the foyer, she pulled her hand away from his and moved in front of the man. She gasped at the sight of his green, scarred face.

  The man spun away and wrapped his green cape around his body.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said. So that’s why he didn’t want her to see him. Poor thing. He must have been in some horrific accident and embarrassed by his appearance. Yeah. That would explain the scars but why was he green? Maybe he was burned.

  The stranger gave another low laugh, ‘It’s all right, sweet child.’

  His accent was one she had never heard before, not in Cape Hollow or on television or even when she went down south with the Fredericks. She wanted to talk to him even more.

  Her father pulled her into the living room. ‘Wait for me in the kitchen,’ he commanded.

  She turned back to the foyer and looking up, she blurted, ‘Would you like a drink?’

  ‘Nell,’ her father said louder than usual.

  She jumped. He’d never yelled at her like Sam’s father yelled at him to do something or other. But that was probably because Sam was always ignoring him when he was busy doing something else.

  Nell’s father moved back to the visitor. ‘I see we have to cut our conversation short, friend.’ He put an arm around the man’s shoulders and showed him to the front door. ‘I’ll speak to you soon,’ he muttered into the man’s hood.

  Without a word, the stranger nodded and left.

  When her father turned towards her, he smiled. ‘Come on, young lady, it’s time we had that talk.’

  She followed him into the living room and through the dining room. A low rumble of thunder sounded over the ocean and she glanced through the open French doors. A storm brewed on the horizon.

  In the kitchen, her father gently pushed her into a chair. She was surprised she sensed his anxiety but when his brows knitted together, he looked angry. A cloud must have blocked the sun because the room darkened. Even the vivid curtains failed to brighten the room.

  Relief washed over her when her father’s expression softened.

  Nell pointed to the front of the house. ‘Who was that?’

  ‘Kandar. A friend. He … Don’t worry about him.’

  A green, scarred man dressed in strange clothes visits and her father tells her not to worry about him, as if she was an annoying child. And what about that name? Where did a name like Kandar come from?

  ‘But his face was green.’

  ‘There’s a logical explanation for it appearing that way. We’ll talk about him another time, when you get a little older.’

  Ugh. They were getting along great before the stranger turned up. Now it was all different. He acted as if he didn’t know she was old enough to go out into the world on her own so she was more than old enough to talk about some poor man’s accident.

  He patted her knee.

  At his touch, the atmosphere surrounding Nell prickled. Her senses had definitely heightened. Maybe an electrical storm was on its way.

  Clasping his hands, he rested his forearms on the table. His shoulders appeared heavier than the last time she saw him. Maybe he couldn’t find what his company wanted on his trip.

  ‘Nellen, it’s important that you listen to me.’

  He rarely used her full name. She lifted her head. He looked tired and troubled all of a sudden. She couldn’t remember detecting other people’s moods before. Maybe it was because she was about to turn seventeen. People probably gained a type of sixth sense as they grew older.

  She wished he would hurry and tell her what was going on so she could tell him all her news.

  A frown reappeared between her father’s brows.

  He had more than the visitor on his mind. Great. He probably didn’t want to hear anything she had to say, about university or especially, her dreams. The last time she told him about them, he was more irritated than worried. He didn’t want to hear how she flew with four magnificent wings or swam with strange sea creatures. If she told him those dreams had become nightmares, he’d probably dismiss them and tell her to forget about them again. It probably wouldn’t matter how old she got, he’d still treat her like a child.

  Bored, she studied his hands. His fingers were long and smooth like a pianist’s might be. She inspected his other features.

  She wasn’t sure how old he was. If she asked him, he’d shrug the question off and say, ‘Forty-something.’ She sighed. He never really answered any of her questions.

  He moved his chair closer and Nell breathed in his aroma. He always had the scent of the ocean around him. Sometimes she wondered, was it cologne or did he naturally smell of the sea – clean and salty?

  ‘You need to stay close to the house from now on.’ His blue eyes didn’t flicker. ‘I don’t want you to go any farther north than the Frederick’s and no more than fifty metres south.’

  That meant she would be stuck there with nothing to do. ‘Why?’

  His lips narrowed. He wasn’t going to answer that question either.

  ‘Because I said, that’s why.’

  ‘Have I done something wrong?’

  He smiled. ‘No, you haven’t done anything wrong.’

  Great. Grounded without a reason. ‘How long? From now until I go to uni?’

  Her father’s expression was confused. ‘University?’

  ‘JCU of course. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to go there because Sam was already. I got my acceptance just before Christmas.’

  ‘I’ve never given you any reason to believe you would be going to university. Why would you think such a thing?’

  ‘Because pretty well everyone goes now days and Annet helped me apply.’

  ‘You won’t be going anywhere this year, not to James Cook University or anywhere else. You will continue to be schooled at home by correspondence. If Annet can’t spare the time to help you anymore, I will.’

  The kitchen dimmed even further at her father’s words. Not go to uni? Stay at home? Her insides were as empty as the beach. Hot tears pooled in her eyes.

  ‘You’re treating me like a child, Dad. Do you even know that I’m nearly seventeen?’

  Through the haze, the anguish on her father’s face confused her. Why would he look like that? He was hurting her, she wasn’t hurting him. Her hands shook as she rubbed them together, so she wiped them on the sides of her jeans hoping the movement would quell her tears. She didn’t want to cry. She wanted to be angry.

  ‘I’m sorry, love. I probably should have told you sooner, but you should begin to notice changes in your body and mind this year.’ He placed his hands palm down on the table and pushed himself onto his feet as if his body was a great weight.

  Nothing he told her made sense. He was a bit late for ‘the talk’. That was how much attention he took. He hadn’t even noticed she had already changed.

  ‘That’s no reason to keep me here. Annet’s already told me everything years ago.’ Rage flared through her. ‘You can’t
stop me from going. I am old enough to do what I want. And you don’t have to pay. I’ve applied for help with the fees.’

  ‘Nell.’ His voice was low, but commanding as he leant forward.

  She held his gaze.

  Finally, he sighed. ‘We’ll speak more when my sister arrives.’

  His sister? ‘You have a sister?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Why haven’t you ever told me? Why haven’t I met her before?’

  ‘You will understand why when she gets here. She’s bringing your birthday presents and they will help explain the things I’ve avoided for too long.’ He reached for her hand.

  A glimpse of curiosity sparked in her mind. Sister and presents? It didn’t matter. She was going to uni whether he liked it or not. She snatched her hand away. ‘I don’t care. She never bothered to see me before now.’

  ‘There are reasons, Nell. Reasons why you have to stay close to the house and why you can’t attend university. Please, love, trust me.’

  ‘No. You can’t stop me.’ She pushed her chair out from under her with such force it crashed to the floor. ‘I hate you,’ she screamed, and ran out of the kitchen. Hitting the sideboard with a closed fist, she stormed onto the side veranda.

  She stood still and shivered. Tears made tracks down her cheeks. She shouldn’t have said that. She didn’t hate him. She loved him with all her heart. Oh, Mum, she said silently, wishing again her mother was there. She loved Annet but she wasn’t her mother and never would be.

  Calming down a few minutes later, she felt silly for her tantrum. The croc’s words stung her mind. She sighed and had to admit she had acted childishly. Ugh. Being an adult wasn’t so great after all but she’d try harder next time.

  Dwelling on her sadness, she was aware of the breeze rustling the coconut palm fronds, the scratching animal noises under the house, probably lizards, the ebb and flow of the ocean pulling and pushing the sand. A prickling sensation filled the air and a sense of impending danger made her skin itchy. She rubbed her arms and looked out over the ocean. Dark clouds stretched across the horizon. She was right. A huge storm was on its way.