Outback Read Online Free

“When I was ten, he gave me a bunch of explosives and stuff and let me build my own fireworks in his backyard. Just about blasted my hands off.” I don’t mention that I covered for Mel, telling my mom that I snuck the chemicals out of his garden shed, or that I still have bad burn scars from that incident. She’s probably already noticed anyway. I look like I was born with webbed fingers that were repaired by someone who skipped the cosmetic part of his surgery training.
    â€œIt’s more than just being odd,” Nat says. “No offense, Jayden, but he’s crazy.”
    I hear something move nearby. “What was that?” I snap my flashlight on and swing the beam around.
    Mel is standing ten feet away, arms folded. “Time for bed, don’t you think?”
    I wonder how long he’s been standing there, listening.
    The next morning, we pack up the tents at sunrise and set off again. The truck jolts and shudders its way north, the impact jarring my spine and the noise making conversation impossible.
    Around us, in every direction, red earth stretches to the wide blue horizon. The desert isn’t as sandy as I’d pictured it, nor as barren. Clumps of spiky grass grow everywhere, even down the middle of the track, between the wheel ruts.
    â€œI didn’t think anything grew in the desert,” I say.
    Mel gives me a look. “My dear boy. How would any animals live out here if nothing grew?”
    I shrug. “You’re the biologist.”
    â€œIt’s spinifex,” he says. “Porcupine grass. It’s everywhere. Covers a fair chunk of the continent and provides a nice home for a lot of lizards and rodents.”
    â€œAboriginal people traditionally ground its seeds for food,” Nat says.
    I look at her in surprise. Did she just speak to me voluntarily ?
    â€œAlso they used to build shelters from it, burn it, use its resin…” She breaks off, shrugging. “I don’t know. Just stuff I read online.”
    I raise my eyebrows. Is she actually blushing? I open my mouth to say something, but the truck suddenly slows as the wheels spin in the deep sand. Mel swears under his breath and bangs on the steering wheel with both hands.
    â€œIf we get stuck, we’re so screwed,” Nat says. “Mel, hit the gas! Try to get out of the ruts—they’re too deep!”
    â€œShut up,” Mel says. “Just shut up.” The truck bumps to a standstill. The engine roars and a cloud of red dust flies up around us.
    The morning sun is still low in the sky, but already the heat is pressing down, making it hard to breath. Through my sunglasses, everything has an eerie orange glow, and I fight off a feeling of panic.
    â€œCan you reverse?” I ask. “Nat and I can get out and push.”
    Mel wipes the sweat from his forehead. “You two get out,” he says. “But we’re going forward, not back. We can get through this. We’re not giving up.”
    I look doubtfully at the track ahead. “I don’t know, Mel. I don’t think—”
    â€œGet out, damn it.”
    I get out. Nat follows without a word, and we both put our hands on the rear of the truck. Nat mutters something under her breath that contains the word crazy , followed by a highly creative chain of swear words.
    â€œPush! Come on! Push!” Mel shouts.
    The engine roars and the wheels spin, digging themselves deeper into the sand and choking Nat and me with fine dust. I lean in, pushing as hard as I can. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Nat’s arms, wiry and lean, muscles straining.
    â€œAgain!” Mel shouts. “Harder!”
    â€œRight,” Nat mutters.
    There is no way. The truck isn’t going to budge.
    We walk around to Mel’s window, and he glares out at us, his blue eyes piercingly bright and his face red and sweaty. “You two aren’t strong enough,” he says. “The truck’s