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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: HOT (08/10/17)
An Eventful Day

After a humid restless night she stepped into the shower. 'Absolute bliss' she thought relishing the cool water running down her body as it rinsed 'Ocean Breeze' away. Dried, she pulled on jeans, a cotton blouse and turned on the radio for the latest news and weather forecast.

'Temperatures to reach mid 40's with a strong northerly wind. Today is a day of total fire ban throughout the state. Stay tuned for latest updates from the Fire Authority. Fires in Mowbray and Stateham are now under control. Our next bulletin will be in one hour.”

Judith turned it off. 'Thank You Lord that you helped the fire-fighters and Geoff is safe' Yesterday afternoon, when Geoff was called to fight the fires, they had parted with prayer
and trepidation. Now there was relief.
Sophie and Jake were with their grandparents near the sea, enjoying themselves building sandcastles and looking for shells. No doubt they would be playing games indoors with 'Nanna' and 'Pop' in air conditioned comfort today.

After breakfast Judith decided to check on the chooks and sheep. The wind was already really warm. The sound of the screen door slamming had started the chooks squawking and clucking so she filled up their water and food. There were 3 eggs from 6 hens. At least they hadn't gone completely off the lay due to the heat. 'Boy the flies are really sticky today!' she thought, swatting them away as she closed the chook shed door.

Time to see to the sheep! Judith, grabbing a hat to shield her from the sun started up the quad bike and headed for the back paddock. As she gazed across their undulating property, now brown and bare of grass, she offered up a silent prayer 'Please Lord we need rain the country is so dry.'
'The temperature must be close on 30C already.' she thought as the sound of cicades, like thousands of tiny buzz saws, confirmed it was going to be uncomfortably hot.
“I had better get a move on!”
The shed was not far away and in the distance sheep, recognizing the sound of the bike, knowing it was feed time, started gathering at the feed station.

Judith, trying to decide if it was smoke or dark rain clouds on the horizon, didn't notice the old wombat hole!
“Oh No!” She cried as the handlebars were wrenched from her grip and the bike rolled over on its side. Her leg was trapped. She screamed in pain as she managed to free herself from under the overturned machine which, thankfully, had turned off. It was too far to go back to
the house. The sheep shed would give some protection from the sun. Her mobile phone was on the kitchen table so there was no way to contact Geoff or anyone else.
'Please Lord prompt someone to come and help' Judith prayed desperately.

Searing leg pain made it unbearable to stand, so using her arms to drag herself along,gritting her teeth and praying constantly for strength, Judith managed to reach the sheep pen. A shovel, left against the wall, enabled her to unlatch the door. She pulled herself into the shed, pushed the door closed nd lay there in the straw exhausted.

Having slept for a while she woke with a parched mouth – her leg throbbing very painfully. She spotted one of the children's drink bottles on the floor near some sacks and, reaching it, swallowed the luke-warm orange cordial. It was better than nothing.

Lying on the straw again she heard a pitiful cry. A little grey kitten emerged from behind some bales of hay. It came over cautiously and after a few pats, curled up and went to sleep. Judith still exhausted from her accident did the same.

“Judith! Judith! Are you alright love?” Startled she awoke. It was Geoff back from the fires after fetching Sophie and Jake. They were anxious to see their Mum and Dad again.
Judith burst into tears of relief to see them all. Geoff carried her to the car. They praised the Lord after an x-ray at the clinic revealed her leg was not broken, only extremely bruised.

When they were settled back home Sophie asked
“What shall we call the kitten? Something that will remind us of today!”
“I know” said Jake “ We'll call him Hot!”
As they all agreed, there was a peel of thunder – rain was coming!
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Loni Bowden-Horn 
08/21/17
This was a suspenseful tale. I could feel the anxiety of the MC.

I believe some of the transitions in the story could have been smoother.

I believe you meant to put and instead of nd in the following sentence: pushed the door closed nd lay there in the straw exhausted.

I liked that it had a happy ending.


Loni Bowden-Horn 
08/25/17
Linda,

Congratulations on your highly commendable award in the advanced division.