The Time Bubble Box Set 2, стр. 44

They exchanged a little small talk as they travelled up thecoast. Alice told Vanessa all about her trip while Vanessa fabricated acompletely fictitious account of her career in the local film industry.

“Say, we’re filming today in the bush a few miles outside ofBrizzie,” said Vanessa. “Why don’t you come down and take a look – we’re alwayslooking for extras.”

“Sounds awesome,” replied Alice, excitedly. That’s what thisbackpacking was all about as far as she was concerned – having adventures,going with the flow and embracing new experiences.

“Cool,” said Vanessa, Alice’s enthusiasm increasing hersatisfaction. The happier her victim was, the more she would enjoy the momentwhen it was time to reveal her fate.

“We turn off here,” she added, indicating left as she tookthe slip road off the Pacific Highway onto a smaller road.

Alice sat back and relaxed, enjoying the cooling air flowingall over her, blowing her blonde hair all around. There was something soinvigorating about riding in an open-top car on a hot day. She was so glad shehad decided to take this gap year. If she had stayed at the university shemight never have found the time later to enjoy this experience.

Vanessa turned off onto an even more minor road, headingfurther inland, and they drove on for miles, signs of civilisation becomingincreasingly sparse. The landscape was changing, with the trees and plantsbecoming more and more spread out. The road was also no longer tarmacked, butlittle more than a dirt track.

They had been driving for a good couple of hours now and itseemed to Alice as if they were heading into the middle of nowhere.

“Just how far is this film set?” she asked Vanessa.

“Not much further. Listen, you better hold on tight. Thiscould get a little bumpy.”

With that, she suddenly pulled the steering wheel to theright and the jeep lurched off the track into the wilderness.

“Where are we going?” said Alice, her excitement starting tobe replaced by apprehension for the first time. Still, she couldn’t be in anydanger, could she? If she was with a man she might fear being raped, but shehad stuck rigidly to Ellie’s advice and only accepted lifts from females all theway from Sydney.

“Not much further, you’ll see,” said Vanessa, as the jeepbounced and jolted across the uneven terrain.

After about fifteen minutes, she finally stopped the jeep atthe edge of a small canyon. The landscape here was predominantly rocky andalmost devoid of plant life. With the car stopped, Alice became aware just howbaking hot it was in the early afternoon sun. She was about to reach behind herfor the water in her backpack when events took an unexpected and frighteningturn.

“Can I borrow your phone?” asked Vanessa. “I just need tocall the director and let him know we’re going to be late.”

“Of course,” said Alice, handing over her iPhone.

“Good,” said Vanessa, as she casually tossed the phone outof the right-hand side of the jeep directly into the canyon below. “You won’tbe needing that anymore.”

“What did you do that for!?” exclaimed Alice, as she heardthe distant sound of her device shattering on the rocks some fifty feet below.

“Now get out of the car,” ordered Vanessa, ignoring Alice’squestion. When Alice stayed put, she pulled a futuristic-looking weapon fromthe side door pocket. To Alice it looked like something out of Star Trek.

“What the hell’s that?” she asked. Her first thought wasthat it must be a prop from the movie Vanessa was supposedly making, butVanessa’s next move swiftly dispelled that.

“Allow me to demonstrate,” said Vanessa, as she turned theweapon on the rocky red walls on the other side of the canyon and fired.

The gun discharged with a familiar high-pitched whine and asingle bolt of blue light zapped into the wall opposite. There was aspectacular explosion and a large chunk of rock was shattered, small shards ofred rock scattering everywhere, leaving a glowing, superheated patch of barewall behind.

Why did it sound familiar? Where had Alice heard that soundbefore? Then she remembered – it had been shortly after she had been droppedoff at the garage earlier in the day.

“Do as I say and get out, or that will happen to you,”commanded Vanessa.

Terrified, Alice complied, reaching for her backpack as shedid.

“Leave that!” barked Vanessa.

“Are you going to kill me?” asked Alice, looking fearfullyat the gun.

“That was my original plan,” replied Vanessa. “But then Ithought it might be more amusing for me and more painful for you to let naturetake its course.”

“But why? What have I ever done to you?” said Alicedesperately, as tears of desperation began to well up in her eyes. It wasmoisture she couldn’t scarcely afford to lose. She was already feeling dehydratedin the remorseless heat of the sun.

“It’s not so much what you’ve done, more what you’re goingto do,” replied Vanessa. “Except that you’re not going to get to do it now.We’re miles from anywhere out here and with no water and no shelter in thisheat, you won’t last long.”

“Why didn’t you just kill me back at the garage, rather thendrive me all the way out here?” asked Alice, in desperation.

“Oh no, that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun. One shotand it’s all over. I want to get my entertainment value. Soon you’re going tofind out what dying from dehydration’s like. It’s slow, and it’s terrifying andit’s painful. And once you’re dead, it won’t be long before you’re just a pileof bones. It might look deserted out here but there’s no shortage of wildlifelooking for its next meal.”

“At least tell me why you’re doing this. You owe me thatmuch,” said Alice through tears of despair. “What did you mean by it being moreabout what I’m going to do?”

“Oh, it’s quite straightforward really. I’m from the futureand there’s a man there that I want. You’re in the inconvenient position ofbeing married to him. So, I came back here to erase you from history before youeven met him, thereby solving the problem. Have you heard the expression‘prevention is better than cure’? Because this is a classic example.”

“What man?” said Alice. “And