365 Beginnings of 2017 - Adventures in Dubbo - Exploring the Night
Adventures in Dubbo - Exploring the Night
Dubbo, New South Wales
31 March 1997
It was nearly 6:00, when twins Daniel and Christina Stanton arrived home, after a day out at the Zoo. Daniel unlocked the door and let his sister in. “It has a long day,” Tia (as Christina preferred to be called), said.
“I agree,” Daniel said, as he followed Tia inside.
“But I'm not completely tired,” Tia said.
“Of course not.” He was wondering what his sister was getting at. He did have some idea. He lowered his voice (though he was rather quiet to begin with). “You mean, you want to start tonight?”
“Yes,” Tia answered.
“Sure.”
9:00. Daniel and Tia's parents thought they were in bed. But they weren't. The twins had slipped out of their bedrooms and into the attic. “Is it safe?” Tia asked.
“You're the one who wanted to start,” Daniel said.
“Yes,” Tia said, as she rubbed her hair. She was nervous, but she knew that Daniel would back her up. She made a decision, they would do it. She grabbed two torches.
Daniel grabbed some ropes and harnesses. “Ready?”
Tia looked him in eyes. “As I'll ever be.”
Outside, it was a clear night. The waning quarter moon was still quite bright, outshining the street lights, as seen from the first floor of the Stanton's residence. Daniel and Tia looked out over the city from the balcony outside their rooms, on the west side of the house. Beside the torch, and one of the ropes, Tia held a map. “We'll stay close to home tonight, maybe just on this block,” she said.
“A good idea, we can get home quickly if there's trouble,” Daniel agreed.
“Let's start,” Tia said. And so they set off.
From the south end of the balcony they stepped over the railing on to the front verandah roof, for that was what they were doing, exploring the city's rooftops. They thought they were alone, but they would soon find, that they were wrong.
The city was unusual. There was a peculiarity, as in all the footpaths had covers over them. It was one of these that the Stanton twins had walked onto from their house. They held each others hands for balance as they looked to the west along the street.
Dubbo, New South Wales
31 March 1997
It was nearly 6:00, when twins Daniel and Christina Stanton arrived home, after a day out at the Zoo. Daniel unlocked the door and let his sister in. “It has a long day,” Tia (as Christina preferred to be called), said.
“I agree,” Daniel said, as he followed Tia inside.
“But I'm not completely tired,” Tia said.
“Of course not.” He was wondering what his sister was getting at. He did have some idea. He lowered his voice (though he was rather quiet to begin with). “You mean, you want to start tonight?”
“Yes,” Tia answered.
“Sure.”
9:00. Daniel and Tia's parents thought they were in bed. But they weren't. The twins had slipped out of their bedrooms and into the attic. “Is it safe?” Tia asked.
“You're the one who wanted to start,” Daniel said.
“Yes,” Tia said, as she rubbed her hair. She was nervous, but she knew that Daniel would back her up. She made a decision, they would do it. She grabbed two torches.
Daniel grabbed some ropes and harnesses. “Ready?”
Tia looked him in eyes. “As I'll ever be.”
Outside, it was a clear night. The waning quarter moon was still quite bright, outshining the street lights, as seen from the first floor of the Stanton's residence. Daniel and Tia looked out over the city from the balcony outside their rooms, on the west side of the house. Beside the torch, and one of the ropes, Tia held a map. “We'll stay close to home tonight, maybe just on this block,” she said.
“A good idea, we can get home quickly if there's trouble,” Daniel agreed.
“Let's start,” Tia said. And so they set off.
From the south end of the balcony they stepped over the railing on to the front verandah roof, for that was what they were doing, exploring the city's rooftops. They thought they were alone, but they would soon find, that they were wrong.
The city was unusual. There was a peculiarity, as in all the footpaths had covers over them. It was one of these that the Stanton twins had walked onto from their house. They held each others hands for balance as they looked to the west along the street.