Budjerra of Reestal River

It was a holiday weekend and Montana’s birthday. Mum had promised her that she could spend the three days camping with her friends. Their family lived on a cattle property along the Reestal River and often camped near a billabong, but this time it was kids only, no grownups allowed. They rode with their gear on the back of dad’s old ute,. He’d loaded firewood and everything they needed for their stay.

          Her Dad built a fire for the barbeque while the kids set up their camp. A circle of stones surrounded the flames, and a round steel plough disc waited for the wood to burn into coals to cook their dinner. Sausages and soft drink waited in the cooler ready to make up their feast. Happy with his work and the sausages sizzling, dad looked around and knowing they were safe headed home.

          Giggling and laughing, they were pleased to be on their own. Swigging down their soft drink, and after a night of telling ghost stories, the girls could feel creepiness in the air. It was time to turn in, but Emily wanted to wash her face and she ran to the water’s edge, the vibrations from her loud footsteps waking the fearsome monster.

Hiding under the water Budjerra waited, Emily kneeled to splash her face, as her fingers touched the water it was Budjerra’s time.

          His head was green and tiny, like a kitten’s head, he had a very long body with a short tail. What no one knew was, he had knives poking out of his back looking like a porcupine. Yellow blood stained puss oozed from his wounds.

          His tongue, it was like the arm of an octopus, it flicked out hitting her leg. Its suckers, leech like began drawing blood threw her flesh. Terrible screams filled the air, and as quickly, as they could the other girls ran to Emily. They saw Budjerra sucking her flesh. Montana grabbed a stick from the fire and waved it under his nose. The flames scorching his tongue, his eyelashes on fire, Budjerra’s tongue released Emily’s leg, dropping her, and in a hiss of bubbles, he was gone. Montana had saved the camp.

           They hurried through the scrub, ending up back at the farmhouse so mum could tend Emily’s wounds. The adults didn’t believe their story and told them not to lie, but the girls weren’t lying. This would be a birthday they would never forget, a horrible night to remember.