STARING DEATH RIGHT IN THE FACE

The Grim Reaper’s long shadow covered me as he took a couple of steps forward, his heavy scythe sliding across the dry grass. I was glued to the ground. When the robed figure was no more than a scythe length away, he lifted an arm, and a long white finger pointed directly at me.

“Rafe Khatchadorian,” the Grim Reaper said, his voice like dust. “This time you have gone too far. Your time as the Hills Village art representative has come to an end. Your career as an artist is over before it even started. It is time to pay.”

My mouth went dry. I tried to say something but I couldn’t. Besides, what would I say? “Sorry”? Did the Grim Reaper have a court of appeal?

The Grim Reaper ran a finger along the scythe before pushing back the hood of his robe to reveal a familiar face.

“Mom?” I said.

“No, it’s me.”

I opened my eyes to see Ellie’s face floating above me.

“Can you hear me?”

“You’re floating,” I said.

“No,” Ellie said. “I’m not. You’re lying in a ditch.”

Ellie had clearly lost her mind, and I was about to tell her exactly that when I realized she was right. I was lying in a ditch. I couldn’t remember getting there or why I would be there. I didn’t even like ditches.

And then it all came back to me, just like that. Bunyip. Fire. Explosion.

Ellie, Nico, Sal, Mikey, and Dingbat came into view. Mikey’s eyebrows were singed and Dingbat’s head was smoking, but other than that, they seemed fine.

I got to my feet, brushed off the worst of the dirt, and breathed a sigh of relief. This was bad—really bad—but at least I hadn’t killed anyone.

“Everyone okay?” I said.

“We’re fine,” Dingbat replied, “except you did have your butt in my face when we landed.”

“You had your butt in my face,” Ellie said with a shudder.

“We’re all good,” Nico said. “No one’s hurt.”

We staggered up to the top of the embankment and stood in silence, watching as a great plume of fire and smoke rose from what remained of the toilets and our zombie bunyip.

“Whoa,” Dingbat said.

“Whoa” was right. “Whoa” just about covered all the bases.

Lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed closely by a crack of thunder. The storm that had been threatening earlier was about to hit.

I glanced up just as a fat raindrop landed on my head. Within three seconds, the skies opened and the heaviest rain I’ve ever seen came down on us. The fire on the remains of the bunyip spat and hissed and then went out like someone had thrown a giant bucket of water over it. In the distance I could see red and blue flashing lights headed our way.

You know how in movies, at moments like this, someone always comes up with a smart line that sums everything up and is kinda cool and tough at the same time?

That doesn’t happen in real life.