Lyrebird Glen

Sabrina

My hands shook with adrenaline, but that didn’t slow me down as I threw clothes into a duffle bag and then put my harnessed cat inside.

He worked the night shift, so now was the best time to escape.

I leashed my dog and we bolted down the street, away from my marital home. I cut through the multiple parks that dotted our suburb and eventually paused in one that was darker than some others so I could phone my best friend.

“Please, please, please,” I whispered, begging her to answer.

“Hey, Sabs,” Jodie answered cheerfully.

My heart leapt. “Jodie, are you still in the city?”

“Yeah, I’m leaving in the morning.”

“Please, can I come with you?”

I was grateful at how attuned to me she was; her tone was worried when she asked, “What’s going on?”

“I left.”

There was a sharp intake of breath, then the sound of her moving around met my ears. “Can you drive to me?”

“No, I left my car behind. I just left.” Tears threatened to overwhelm me but I pushed them back.

“It’s okay, I’ll leave now. Can you make your way to the carpark at the gorge? I’ll pick you up there.”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there.”

“Make sure you turn off your phone, Sabrina. Don’t let him track you.”

“I doubt he’d even know how,” I snorted derisively. My husband may have been aggressive, intimidating, controlling, and occasionally physical with me, but he wasn’t bright.

“Don’t give him the slightest chance.” Jodie’s tone was firm but then softened. “You’re doing the right thing, babe. Hang in there, okay?”

“I will.”

As soon as I hung up, I turned off my phone and pulled out the mini SIM card. Worried that it might not be enough, I smashed the phone until the screen cracked and snapped the SIM, then pushed all them into my bag.

Monty meowed.

“It’s okay, baby.” Wishing I was convinced by my own words, I tugged on my dog’s lead. “Let’s go, Willow.”

We made our way through the maze of streets towards the gorge. It was late enough on a Sunday for most people to be in bed asleep, but whenever I came across the odd house with its lights still on I did my best to avoid them. The last thing I needed was any witnesses to my escape to be able to tell him any information when he discovered I was missing.

When I reached the parking area near the top of the gorge, I hid in the bushland and sat on a rock. Willow sat down in front of me and she licked my chin when I patted her. I unzipped my bag to check on Monty. It was lucky that he’d gotten used to being out and about when he was a kitten so he had no desire to escape. Now we were on the biggest caper of our lives and I hoped against hope that it would work out for the best.

My terror over waiting for Jodie was kept at bay focusing on the love I shared with my animals, but if she didn’t hurry up I was going to have to move on so there was less chance of being discovered.

Headlights flashed through the trees and I got low on the ground behind the rock. The car pulled up and the sound of the door opening and closing was loud in the quiet. The soles of someone’s shoes crunched on the gravel as they approached. A mild panic rolled through me, but there was no way it was him: he was still at work until after sunrise. No one knew I was here except–

“Sabrina?” A hushed female voice whispered out. “Sabs, are you here?”Only one person called me by that nickname.

The word came out in a breath of relief: “Jodie.” I left my hiding place.

“Oh, Sabs.” She threw her arms around me but jumped when Monty meowed. She pulled away, noticing my animals.

“I couldn’t leave my babies with him,” I told her.

She cupped my cheek. “I get it.”

Considering she’d made a career out of her love of animals, I knew she understood. Now she was taking her career in a new direction, which was the reason for this trip.

We made our way to her station wagon where we put Willow in a small space on the back seat and I let Monty out of the bag.

“Settle in, it’s going to be a long drive,” Jodie said as she pulled out of the car park. Tears finally trickled down my cheeks and she squeezed my hand. “Everything’s going to be okay. You’re free now, and we’re going to my friends’ place, which is a long way.”

“What if it isn’t far enough?”

“We’re going deep into the Victorian Alps and it’s coming into the cooler months. You’ll be safe with us, I promise.”

Chewing my lip, I stared out the windscreen and hugged Monty to me. With his black, fluffy fur, he was difficult to see in the dark. I was grateful that he didn’t resist the hug. Maybe he could sense my need for comfort.

We drove all night, stopping a couple of times for toilet breaks, to get fuel, and stretch our legs. Jodie and I took turns driving so we could take turns sleeping. We really were going deep into the bush in another state and, the longer we were on the road, the more distance I had behind me, so I began to relax a little.

The Real Thing by Russell Morris began to play on the radio. “Oh my gosh, do you remember this song?” Jodie turned up the volume and began to sing along. It was an Australian classic; one we both grew up with thanks to my parents.

Jodie and I grew up as neighbors and went to the same school. Our parents were friends, so, even though we were two years apart in age, Jodie and I became close.

There was a stab in my chest when I thought of my late parents, who’d died suddenly in a car accident a few years back. The fear I was currently experiencing mingled with the grief I still carried within me, but I pushed it down and noticed that joining in with singing helped me relax further.

“We’re halfway there, my lovely.”

Flashing her a small smile, I said, “I’m looking forward to being lost in the mountains with no way for him to contact me.”

“There isn’t even a signal where we’re going. They have a couple of satellite phones for emergencies, but no one outside the property knows the phone numbers.”

“How did you end up with this job?” I asked, cocking my head at her.

Jodie bit her lip. “It’s not a job, exactly.”

My stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”

“Well…the reason I’ve been coming down here a lot is because, uh… They’re kind of more than friends.”

My mouth dropped open. “As in…?”

“I’m in a throuple relationship.”

“Oh.”

There was a short, shocked silence between us.

“Does that weird you out?” Jodie asked with a nervous grimace.

“No. I didn’t know it happened for real, that’s all.” After a beat, I asked, “How did you meet them?”

Jodie didn’t meet my gaze directly. “Um… you know when I went camping for a weekend last year?”

“I remember. It was in some tucked away bush property, right?”

“That’s the one. Well, it was a swingers camping weekend. I met them there.”

This time my silence was deafening.

“Sabs, are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s a lot to take in.” I stroked Monty as I processed this information. “It also sounds like it might’ve been a lot of fun. If they make you happy and treat you right, then that’s okay, then.”

Jodie relaxed and bounced in her seat. “I can’t wait for you to meet them.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” I was tentatively happy for her.

“They’re not the only ones who live there, either. Rhett, Jordan, and Bran are there as well. They all contribute to the group.”

“Jodie. Is this a cult?” I asked with a frown.

“No! It’s kind of like a commune without the drugs.”

“No crazy, extremist views? No ‘us against the world’ shit?”

“Holden and Marta are well-respected members of the local community. They run a produce store and provide homemade meals for the elderly.”

My concern eased. “Well, that’s nice of them. As long as I can have the space to hide and figure stuff out, I’ll be okay. I hope.”

Jodie reached over and squeezed my hand. “I know you’re anxious–of course you are. You have a lot to work through and a lot of healing to do. I promise I’m not leading you astray, I only want to help and make sure you’re safe.”

“I’m not sure what my next step should be.” I released a shaky breath.

“This is your next step, beautiful. Take it one day at a time.”

She was right. I needed to settle somewhere peaceful and forget about the future or what else might happen in the present. I needed to stop worrying about what would happen when my husband discovered I was missing.

I glanced at the time on the car’s clock and released another shaky breath. “He’ll be heading home by now.”

“And I swear he’ll never find you.” The fierceness in Jodie’s tone gave me a strength I hoped would last.