Cradle

“Patrick’s offered to give me a lift for the trip,” I told Mum.

She poured me a glass of water, nodding her head once as she handed it over to me.

“Thanks.”

I accepted the drink, starting to feel the heat of the upcoming summer.

“Are you alright with that?” I checked, then took a sip.

“Yes, of course,” Mum permitted. “You’ve travelled on the mainland for months, you’re allowed to go in Patrick’s car.”

“Thank you.”

I breathed out, feeling relieved. Patrick arrived to pick me up, with Sloane and baby Joey already in the back. We greeted each other silently, given that the baby was asleep. She seemed to have grown so much, since the newborn she’d been when I left for Victoria. The four of us travelled up in the one car, with the others trailing in another vehicle. Finally, we arrived at Cradle Mountain. It was after dark, but we managed to get the tents up. I blew up an air mattress, rolling onto it and pulling a blanket over my body, to keep me warm. It was just before midnight when I glanced at my watch. Eventually, I must have fallen asleep.

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Jumilah Fioray is a recent high school graduate from lutruwita, Tasmania. Her parents, Catherine and Adriano Fioray, met at the University of Melbourne in the 1990s and returned to Hobart after finishing their degrees, where they raised their daughter and worked in agriculture. Jumilah's passion for conservation reflects her grandparents' work running a sanctuary in Sumatra.

Abbey Sim is the founder of Huldah Media. She is a creative writing, law and theology student who lives on the lands of the Dharug people in Sydney, Australia. Abbey has long had a passion for the weird and the wonderful of stories, sport and zoo animals. 'From the Wild' is her first anthology.