DAWN WILL RISE 

Part 2: HEROES 

    It was like a scene from hell, flames rising behind him, drawing closer, roaring, rearing like so many dragons - unstoppable. Mark felt a terror of fear engulf him. Then two things happened - the woman collapsed with her baby and a tiny wombat (he thought it was) staggered to the small boy. He grabbed it, wrapping it in his torn filthy shirt.
    As the huge truck paused, the boy ran to the man high in his cab and yelled: "Stop, stop or I will kill you, you mean bastard!" With little fists clutching the singed animal, he beat hard on the truck door, and then turned and held his baby as well. "Help my mum, you drongo!! Move!!"
    It was a nightmare but the man's fear backed off. Keeping his engine running, fearing it would not start again, he left his haughty high seat, grabbed the woman, hefted her somewhere in the back sleeping area, threw in the pernicious pest of a kid together with the baby and the animal. He swore he would kill him if he made a sound, then drove like a burning ball out of hell, far faster than the truck thought possible, smashing through small falling branches well-aflame, and drove and drove.
    The kid was trying to lift his mum on the bed, putting the baby and himself o it as well. "Get the water," yelled Mark, "and save me some!"

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