Together they fight against the elements and the mysteries of the dark, with beliefs and rituals as deep as the Dreamtime.

Eventually, he befriends an Aborigine boy named Neji, who is on a journey into manhood. Once he discovers that he is lost, he continues to make his way through the bush, but not without its perils.

One mishap leads to another until he finds himself alone in the dark and unprepared to face the unknown that envelopes his surroundings. His curiosity continues to get the best of him, when he sets off on foot to explore a trail to a waterfall and plunge pool. While slipping away from the care of his guardian and sister at the airport in Darwin, he decides to take a tour bus to a Crocodile Farm, which inadvertently continues to take him hundreds of miles deeper in the outback and into Kakadu National park. When a rebellious youth named Donovan leaves his home in Europe for a family trip to Australia, he quickly determines another course when he takes advantage of an opportunity to seek out adventure of his own. Then he flipped the reflection skyward so that the angle could be seen from the monolith.Īn outback adventure fiction novel now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle Ebook. When he looked into the rear view mirror, the corks fell into place. He licked it for luck and shoved the hat back on his head.

Then he ran his index finger down the razor tip, which pricked a module of blood. With the cunning of a death adder, he reached beneath the seat and clasped the jagged edge. The navigational map was the first thing that was wedged into his roll. Then he drove on further until he met a clump of trees and brush. With an instant jolt, he was racing backwards into the grassy field before halting once again. He shifted gears again, and this time grinded the clutch as the metal screeched into reverse. Throwing the shaft into first, the tires spun rapidly, which sent a shower of dust all around the deranged man as he choked and cursed each breath. With a sharp turn of the wheel, the rear end sank into one of the three foot holes. He could get hair to grow out his ears, down his neck and across his back, but the oblong dome that housed his brain as slick as his tongue. He removed his hat with the dangling corks and smoothed a grimy hand across the oily patch of skin. The jeep came to a bouncing halt as the driver caught a glimpse of the white rings dissipating into the clouds above the monolith. And beyond that, a dirt road potted with deep holes and rock protrusions. Only four miles beyond the mountain of stone and thick barrier of forest laid spread an open field of grass. Spirals of smoke lofted into the air like white billows of vapor rising from a steaming roast. Something in the predawn hours ignited a spark in the dormant ashes of the rock pit just outside the cavern.

The Great Empty by Anita Melillo