Away to their left, a flight of cockatoos lifted from the gums and swung a pink cloud over the road and into the sun-burned bush. She watched them go, shielding her eyes and savouring the sight, knowing that was this could be the last time she ever saw a living bird. Not two weeks later she stood upon the edge of a frothing sea. The water was no longer tepid and refreshing, but bubbled and boiled, evaporating off into steam before her eyes. Behind her, society lay in pieces, crumbled along the ravaged earth that lay stretched out behind her – like a scar upon the planet. They were a…
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They lay on a queen sized bed, side by side, yet not touching. ‘How’s this one feel? It’s big.’ ‘Yeah, it’s okay.’ ‘Too big?’ ‘It’s okay. Could you move over?’ ‘Nope. Anything other than okay?’ ‘Not really. You’re too close.’ ‘The last one was bigger, was that better?’ ‘That was okay too.’ ‘Do you maybe want to use a word other than okay?’ ‘I like okay.’ ‘Ugh.’ A moment of quiet, then one—the taller one—begins to flop and bounce, wriggling around on the bed in a gyrating motion. ‘What…are you doing?’ ‘Testing the bounce.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Useful information. Uh, excuse me! Miss!’—an attendant rushes over, a questioning look on her face—‘Can…