a rough indication of the main locations of the story

Woomera Detention Centre: where the story began …… was a real life detention centre for refugees, as was Baxter ….. I thought it fitting to use these two black spots in Australia’s history for ‘inbetween’ and ‘The Godkeeper’.

Baxter: old Central Command base where Sam is quarantined, where Ana, Jimmy and five other children have been hiding.

GOD underground research facility in the middle of the desert.

Raven’s mountain and the valley where the community found refuge are two places that do not exist in South Australia …… I put my home mountain and valley from Tasmania there for the story.

The city where George, Venus and Professor Higgins run the medical centre.

Shack on the beach which was used in ‘inbetween’ and hasn’t been used yet in ‘The Godkeeper’.

The photos I’ve used are photos taken in these locations ….. the desert, the beach, the city, the mountains, the valleys ……

below, chapter 31 from ‘The Godkeeper’ – the second book in the series ‘inbetween’ …… fiction set in one day tomorrow, with a touch of fantasy

chapter 1

The wind gusted, the kite lifted, tugging at the string. A simple construction of two sticks, a sheet of paper and string with paper tassels for the tail. Years since he’d flown one, an indication of its simplicity that he remembered how to make it.

Now to see if it enticed any of the others to come above-ground. Sam waited, listened to the wind flapping with the kite, then to the sound of footsteps coming up behind him.

He recognised Ana’s light little steps, the others were those of a bigger, more cautious child. Both stopped a short distance behind him. Sam continued playing the kite against the wind, didn’t acknowledge their presence. They were curious, fascinated by the kite, just as he had hoped they would be. He could feel their awe and wonder, the feeling children have when the world is still full of magic.

“You gotta give it more line,” the boy said. “Let it go higher.”

Sam held out his hand, offering the string to the boy.

A slight hesitation before the boy stepped forward, took the string, played out more line, feeling the wind, letting the kite soar. He glanced at Sam. “I’m Jimmy,” he said. “She’s Ana.”

Sam nodded. He knew their names without being told. “I’m Sam.”

Ana had edged closer to him and now took his hand. He felt her contentment, a warm, satisfied glow that radiated from her. The child was pleased. Had she persuaded Jimmy to come above-ground with her? Convinced him that the man playing with the kite meant them no harm.

Sam shared her feeling of self-satisfaction. In time, the rest of the children would come above ground. Of their own accord, when they were ready. As long as Dan and the other adults in his parents’ community didn’t try to rush things, didn’t interfere by doing what they thought was best for these children. They didn’t know what was best, Sam did. He could hear the heartbeat of each child, feel its deepest fears and insecurities, know what it longed for. Ana longed for a grown-up to love her like a mother and father would. Jimmy ….. Sam studied the boy, the smile on his face as he played the wind with the kite, the longing in his heart for his big brother’s return ……

Sam was Ana’s grown-up, he would be Jimmy’s big brother. The community would have to wait until these children were ready to join it.

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