Touchstone 1 - Stray

been puzzling over catching fish, trying to remember ways that don’t involve nets or fishing line. Pears won’t last forever. If I’m heading for Winter I’m in such deep shit.
    Progress-wise, I’m nearer the river, but have lost sight of it because I’m not up top of a good slope. I’m just aiming in the general direction, which is a lot easier in the afternoon when the sun drops and the shadows point the way. I’m not near anything resembling a good camp – just sitting down for a while – and I need to find water as well. One Fanta bottle doesn’t carry nearly enough.
    Back in the World
    So tonight’s the night of the Schoolies’ Cruise, and I’m supposed to be celebrating the end of high school. We didn’t want to fight the hordes at the beaches, let alone go up to the Gold Coast to be chased by Toolies, so about a hundred of us from Agowla and the Boy’s Tech were going on the Harbour. Her Mightiness (Helen Middledell, unofficial Queen of Agowla High School) was the cruise driving force and had all the say on the guest list, but since HM started her thing with Todd Hunter she’s been almost human, and didn’t try to keep everything to some sort of In crowd.
    I was really looking forward to the cruise. I had a great dress, blue and silver and not frilly or little girl. Alyssa’s dad was going to drive us in, so we wouldn’t have to ride the train, and we had taxi fare home. There was going to be a band, and the way HM was acting, it wasn’t going to be Awful Cover Band #36.
    Schoolies is a big thing. Not everyone’s planning on uni. Not everyone will get in, and not everyone will go to the same uni even if they do. The cruise was going to be the last time most of us would see each other. Nick was going to be there. I hate that I’m missing it. I hate that my unexcellent adventure is probably spoiling it for Alyssa and Nick as well.
    I might never see them again. I don’t just mean Alyssa or Nick. Or Mum. I mean anyone. Anyone. Ever.
    Monday, November 19
    Nice place for a holiday
    If there was a hotel and people and a way to get back home, I’d probably like it here. It’s the sort of place which would be wall-to-wall tourists if it was Earth.
    The animal I saw today definitely pushes me toward the not-Earth conclusion. It was pale gold, darkening to reddish along its back and tail and the top of its head. And bouncy. Not like a kangaroo, but like a jumpy lamb or a startled cat. It came down out of its tree and chased insects through the leaves. It has longish legs which look like they should be awkward, but aren’t. I’m calling it a tree fox, and even if it hadn’t been impossibly cute I don’t think I could have brought myself to try and kill it.
    Walking for forever
    Three days. Three and a bit days. I’m surprised I haven’t fallen apart by now. And I’ve had it easy, really. If I’d found myself in a desert I’d be dead. Even the bush just west of Sydney would be rough in comparison. But here there’s lots of water, and the days aren’t nearly as hot as Australia in November, though still enough to give me sunburn. I’m trying to make myself a hat.
    I found another red pear tree, but most of the fruit had been eaten, or was full of worms. Eating nothing but pears for three days running is NOT good for digestion, plus my throat has stayed scratchy. My horrible blisters are drying out, but it’s hard to keep them from becoming dirty, and they’re already infected. My feet are holding up otherwise. Sore and bruised, but nothing like so painful as it was wearing my shoes. A bunch of insect bites, too, but nothing fatal, obviously.
    I think I’m getting near the river. I’m a lot lower than I was, and the trees are spread out more. Most are a rough black bark, with branches which start spreading out low to the ground. I could probably climb halfway up one easy enough, but the high parts are thin and twiggy, making them not useful lookout points. If I see a wolf I’ll climb one. And probably find that it’s a tree wolf.
    If there were no predators on this world, the deer and tree foxes wouldn’t run away from me. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I’ve got to start thinking about trying to make a fire, or a weapon. How to do that with the contents of my pencil case, and a world of rocks and twigs is the problem. I’d make a terrible cavewoman.
    Tuesday, November 20
    Definitely not Earth
    Guess how I know this isn’t Earth? Not animals I can’t quite identify. Not the