Our ANZAC In The Attic

• Chapter 14 •

{ Eli Shearer }
"Clear the board!" I yelled as I dragged another sheep through the yard gate.
"Sorry, I'm sorry," the young roustabout apologised, quickly grabbing the wool and throwing it on the table. I shook my head, yanking the sheep into position, the last sheep of the day.
"Right go," I ordered myself pulling the cord. The blades glided through the wool, freeing the sheep swiftly of its coat.
"Watch this bloke here Drew, boy can he can shear," Dion stood back with his arms folded and the roustabout stood stiff.
I looked up at them, my hands still moving. Then we all started laughing, our laughter echoing through the shed startling the sheep and causing me to jump. The sheep kicked and pounced across the board, half shorn, I tried to catch it but I felt myself falling, never hitting the ground...
-
My eyes flickered open, I looked down and saw my arm, still secured in a sling and my leg still plastered. My heart sank, I loved shearing, it's not just work for me, it's a passion, a talent that had been passed down through generations. Today was the day whether I found out if the muscle damage was healed or would heal. My wedding was in a few months and I wasn't going to walk down the aisle in a cast and a sling. I could hear Elouise rustling around in the kitchen, I rolled out of bed and grabbed my crutches.
"Hey, I was about to come and get you," she smiled sweetly, coming over and placing a kiss on my lips.
I smiled and slumped down at the kitchen table grabbing out Shearer's diary. In the past two months, he explained that not a lot had happened on Gallipoli.
"The Turks advanced, we fell back, we advanced, they fell back. It was just a constant game of tug-o-war and we both just wanted to win."
"Read the one when he meets the Lighthorse men, I love that one," Lou pleaded, we'd read it about 10 times and were now into August 1915 but she insisted almost every time I pulled the Diary out that I read it.
"Ok hang on," I flipped the pages gently to May 30th 1915.
"Dear Lucy, an amazing thing happened today, well maybe not that amazing but it was a relief to have new faces to read and new stories to hear and new voices to listen to," I read aloud.
Elouise sat across from me resting her chin in her hands.
_____
{ Angus Shearer }
I could hear my heart pounding as I crawled behind a bush. I was shirtless, and covered in filth and grim. My hat was lodged on my head with the brim pulled down to shield my cheeks from the blistering sun. Perspiration dropped into my eyes as I perched silently in the dirt. I wrapped my fingers around the barrel of my rifle as I raised it at the Turks sniper station that looked like it'd been there a while.
There was a man sitting beneath the open tent, shovelling bully beef into his mouth or at least I'm assuming it was bully beef. Another man sat beside him, pointing his rifle at me. The breath hitched in my throat, as he fired. I dropped instantly feeling the bullet pierce the top of my hat, I gasped in shock. I aimed my rifle as he sat back down and I fired it with my eyes closed. I opened them and saw the alive Turk rush to his aid, he was pale as he rose his hands.
"Min fadlik la tabadul li'iitlaq alnnar!" he cried falling to his knees.
"PLEASE DO NOT SHOOT!" he bellowed again. I thought my heart stopped as I stared at him.
"Min fadlik la tabadul li'iitlaq alnnar! Please don't shoot," tears fell down his cheeks as he pleaded.
"You won't shoot me aye?!" I questioned keeping my cover.
"No Australia no! My gun is broken!" he replied. I was about to take a huge risk, I swallowed hard, blinking a fly from my eye and rising to my feet.
"Don't shoot, don't shoot," I whispered, under my breath.
Our eyes met, his were dark and sad and I'm guessing mine were too.
"Run Australia! Run!" he ordered and that's what I did. Bolting across the cliff face almost running side ways, sliding down loose dirt and trying to keep my breathing steady.
'Don't stop Shearer just keep running,' I told myself, racing through scrub and dead bodies. I could see paths start to emerge and tents pass by me. I felt my body collide with another, I gripped the other guys shirt, stabilising myself.
"Sorry mate," I gulped looking up at him.
"Watch what you're doing abo!" he yelled. The emu plume in his hat flickered in the hot breeze.
A Light horse man, I thought.
"Do you wanna try being a sniper then?!" I shoved him, my eyes flared.
"Shouldn't you be up at your post?!" he rebutted.
"Hey settle it Trig, you know who he is right?" his mate behind him placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Well no," 'Trig' stated.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr Shearer, we've been told you're one of the best snipers on Gallipoli, I'm Frank," his mate put out his hand.
"Oh well thanks it's a pleasure to meet you to but I'm not the best," I swallowed shaking his hand.
Trig's jaw dropped, his eyes were wide and he looked exactly like I did when I saw Billy Sing.
"He heard about you shooting over 50 Turks in one day and hasn't stopped talking about you since," Frank explained.
"I'm so sorry mate I had no idea Shearer," Trig fussed. I smiled,
"No worries, good to meet you cobber," I put out my hand. Trig shook it, his hand shaking with embarrassment.
"It's stinkin' hot up here!" a soldier complained, taking off his hat and wiping his brow.
"Wait till you get to the trenches, then you'll know heat," I explained.
______
{ Elouise Green }
"So I showed the light horsemen to our trench, I wasn't sure where they were meant to go but I shoved them in with Ollie and Harry and the other boys anyway. They've all settled in now but still haven't quite gotten used to the whole war thing yet. Sending big cuddles for baby Alistair and lots of kisses for Mamma Kiwi, I miss you both immensely and can not wait to be safe at home. All my love, Shearer," Eli breathed out, closing the little diary.
"I will never get over that story," I smiled pushing out from my seat.
-
"Mr Shearer," the Doctor Willson came back in with the huge x-rays.
We were in Gawler, a large town on the outskirts of Adelaide. Eli hated hospitals, like more than words can describe but he knew his fear was minute compared to others. After reading the diaries Eli and I really learnt how to put everything in perspective.
"Yes sir?" Eli looked up at him with worried eyes.
"The muscle damage to your arm was very severe, in fact we were considering amputation, but since April you have come a long way. Take your sling off and slowly straighten your arm," he ordered.
I slowly unclipped it and took it off Eli's arm. Straightening his arm, he forgot how easy it was, I could tell it didn't ache and when the doctor told him to pick up his cup and then his chair, my heart began to race.
"Now I want you to pick up Elouise," the doctor nodded at me.
Eli turned to me, both of us had our lips curled in with excitement. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lifted me with ease. We looked at each other, happiness written all over our faces. We cheered, our lips falling together as he spun me around, tears tickling his eyes. Eli sighed, the world lifting off his shoulders as Doctor Willson cut off his cast, he could finally be free.
Free from guilt.
Free from restrictions.
Free from the loss of his best friend.
Free, and released into the world of the unknown.
_________
What will Elouise and Eli discover about Lucy and Shearer?
Will Shearer hold his own?
Will two worlds collide?
Hey guys!
Please please please leave me feedback!
I love to improve on my writing, I love to hear the emotion in which the stories within the story brings to the reader.
Love always
Chloe xoxox
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️