Smoke Screen

“I’m hot” Sheila complained as she plopped her plump body under the shade of a eucalyptus tree. Marley rolled her eyes in frustration, “it’s always hot” she said flicking a stray leaf out of her hair that blew in on the midday wind. “Yes, but lately it’s been hotter than normal, don’t you think”. Sheila continued ignoring her friend’s obvious indifference.

“No hotter than yesterday” Marley said slowly moving her whole body from the branch she was perched on to the trunk of the rainbow-colored tree. “Where ya going?” Sheila protested. “Water. I’m thirsty” Marley made the few steps from tree to the pool of water that collected near by. “Yesterday it was missing koalas, today it that the weather is too hot, what next the sky isn’t the right color either?” Marley swirled the water playfully between her paw staring in to cool blue water. “Now that you mention it yes! It is like the clouds are falling from the sky and moving closer and closer towards us” Shiela perked up her ears pointing high in agreement. “Sheila. You must have fallen from a tree a little too far off the ground. Nothing is changing here, nothing has changed here in the bush for centuries! Everyone goes on a bit if a “walk about” at times, no one is missing and the sky is not falling”

Marley made her way back to the tree branches and began striping the leaves from the branches filling her fluffy face with the fragrant leaves. Sheila made her way up the tree trunk and took up residence on a neighboring branch and began chomping down on the leaves until both koalas had full belly’s and settled in to nap. Deep into their rest both koalas slowly woke to a slight tickle in their throat. A small cough formed at first but what woke them from their slumber was the intense heat that didn’t seem to subside as the sun went down. Why was there a bright glow that flowed up to the sky, lighting up the bush almost to the point of daylight? Marley was the first to climb to the highest point on the tree. Looking in every direction all she saw was strange low clouds and flickers of orange flames of fire bursting towards the sky and consuming everything in its path.

“Fire! Fire!” Marley yelled quickly scaling down the tree only to choke on the thick mass of smoke the lower she went. “We have to go down!” Sheila screamed between coughs. “No up! We can’t breathe down there” Marley and Sheila climbed to the top of the tree. The smoke that was quickly rising and the two koalas searched desperately for a way out. Off in the distance they could see a group of firemen. The two koalas began to scream. “HELP! Help! We’re here and trapped!” Off in the distance a fireman John paused before slamming his ax into the tree brush! “Eh! Can you hear that?” John stopped, “civilians trapped by the fire, women about sounds of it. Maybe that direction”.

The fireman, backs wet with sweat and heavy gear began following the pleads for help that echoed in the thick smoke that blanketed the area. “They’re coming!” Marley squeaked with glee! The level of smoke had now reached their bottom paws. Both koalas began shrieking in fear yelling for help and pleading for it quickly! They heard a fireman call back on a “we are coming!” Marley watched in horror as the neighboring tree became engulfed in flames and fell to fiery death. She watched as the flames of a mischievous spirit consumed one life and jumping to another. Sheila gripped tighter to the trunk as a smoke crept up her body, she was almost certain death was in sight! “we’re going to die! Marley we are going to die!” Sheila cried in fear.

“No! No! We are not dying here Sheila” Marley yelled. John called out, “What is your name?” “Marley and Sheila hurry!” Marely yelled across the smoke. “We are coming, an airlift is on the way!” John tried to sound as reassuring as possible! “Can you tell us where exactly you are?” Marley gathered all the breath she could and yelled “We’re in the big eucalyptus tree the one call Old Man. It’s the largest one here! Please! Please come get us!” Marley said every word with an intensity. “Take a deep breath Sheila” Marley said the last words as the smoke rose past their bodies and up to the sky. The flames began to consume the base of the tree. Through breaks of smoke Marley could see Sheila’s puffy grey cheeks bursting. The all-encompassing spirit that was this fire began to slowly climb the tree. In a final act of desperation Sheila uttered the words, “I’m sorry” and released her grasp, disappearing into the thick smoke.

“Help her. please help” Marley’s lungs filled with smoke as she fell out of the tree, coming in and out of consciousness along the way. As John reached the base of old man blasting water, extinguisher, helping the men that ran around the tree screaming for Sheila and Marley. Marley could see their boots, her throat too burned to utter anything louder whisper, “help”. Her paw grazing the boot nearest fireman. John looked down to see what to him looked like a stuffed animal covered in ash. Reaching down and embracing the toylike animal they locked eyes as Marley muttered, “Sheila”.

In the distance the sound of a rescue chopper got louder and louder. “John! There is no one here! Not a human in sight! This heat is getting too intense we have to go!” another fireman called. Running to the chopper John tucked the animal under his jacket.

The pilot called to John “You bringing that thing with us?” John looked down at the koala bulging out of his jacket. “Yea. It’s funny I thought I heard it speak”.