I wake up to the hustle and bustle of people talking and moving equipment from here to there outside of our tent. I take a second to let myself wake up a bit before sitting up, my sleeping bag sliding off of me in the process. A gentle coldness greets my skin and goosebumps pop up all over my arms from the lost layer of warmth. I stand up quickly and cross to the other side of the tent with the intent of getting dressed.
Even in my groggy state of mind, I think to turn around and check if anyone else is still in the tent with me. Wes must have woken up a while ago because his stuff has been tidied up already. Robert, on the other hand, is sleeping peacefully with the covers pulled up to just below his mouth.
I smile at how calm he looks. I've never seen him sleeping before. My smile grows even larger as I remember what it was like to kiss him last night, even if it wasn't for very long.
I fight a giggle, partly because I would rather not wake up Robert when I'm a blushy mess, and partly because I know my friends would make fun of me if they knew just how flustered I could get over a boy. A very pretty boy, though. Who is incredibly intelligent. And has an extreme soft spot for animals.
I shake Robert from my mind and quietly rummage through my bag for work clothes. I pull on my normal khaki shorts and tuck in the Australia Zoo shirt, still ecstatic to be adorning their logo. I tug on two long socks, patterned with rubber ducks, and slip on my sneakers. My hair falls into my face as I lace up the plain shoes. I blow the soft strands from my eyes and finish tying up the laces. I head to leave the tent, but hesitate before zipping it open. I turn back towards my duffel bag and rummage through it for a hair tie. My hand eventually lands on a soft and bunchy material. I enclose my fingers around it and pull up a light blue scrunchie.
I drag my fingers through my hair and manage to coax the twisted mess into a low ponytail. Robert seems to stir behind me as I zip open the tent and slip into the warm desert breeze. The air is heavy, and the earth underneath my feet is damp. I suppose it must have rained sometime in the night. I hope I didn't wake Robert with my noise and tread through the wet sand towards an easy-up tent.
Wes and the rest of our crew are sitting underneath it in fold-out camping chairs. We had brought along one table with us, which was mostly covered in camera and tracking equipment rather than food. After all, it's conservation above all else.
"Mornin', Ms. L/N," Wes greets. I nod in his direction and smile in response. No matter how much of an early bird I was, it took me a bit to wake up. Wes takes a sip of his coffee and returns to conversing with Chandler Powell. I hadn't spoken much to Chandler, but I knew he was kind and very good with crocodiles.
I head over to the table and pick up the one thing that is set out in preparation for a meal. It's a portable water heater, which looks just like a kettle. The useful bit of the little contraption was its ability to heat up on its own. This way, you get warm water without needing an outlet. I look through a nearby bag for a bowl and a packet of oatmeal. I prepare my breakfast and bring it over to an empty seat.
I sit and eat and wonder how helpful I am actually being on this exhibition. After all, with no crocodiles to photograph, I'm not actually doing much. There was the occasional bird I would capture to fill out my portfolio… but I wasn't feeling very important.
I force down as much of the oatmeal as I can so I won't feel hungry during the day, and toss my paper bowl and the rest of its contents into our garbage bag. I grab my tripod and camera and drag it over to the side of the lake. The water looks less calm than usual, and I wonder if a fish swam up to the top of the water to get food. Though, the fish haven't done that since we've been here.
I extend the legs of my tripod slightly so the camera will have more of the lake in-frame. I secure the cameral, and jiggle it gently to ensure it is locked in place. Once everything seems safe on its own, I kneel down next to my set up. I brought along the mic but don't think there's any point in setting that up. After all, it appears that there's still nothing to photograph. Therefore, there is no action for people to talk about, and no need for a Mic.
A few minutes float by as I crouch down next to my camera.
I watch as a sudden ripple of water forms in the lake. As soon as that ripple fades out, another one starts with a swish of something in the water. I rush over to my camera to focus more clearly on whatever is making the water move. I wait a minute staring at the suddenly still water. I'm almost convinced that whatever it was must have been my imagination when the water starts moving in gentle circles once again.
In the middle of the rings is a yellow-green and grey speckled snout. I watch as it splits in two, and a set of sharp fangs present themself. I snap a quick picture as evidence that there is, in fact, crocodile life in this lake before scooching backwards from my camera.
I rise up carefully, so I don't scare away the crocodile, and turn around. Another small splash reassures me the crocodile is still there and I take off running towards the tents. I quickly unzip the flap of the tent and dash in.
Robert is still sleeping so soundly, but I know he wouldn't want to miss this, so I kneel down and grab him by the shoulders. Unfortunately, the mere impact of my hands gripping him did not suffice to wake him up. I frown and shake him a bit. Robert's eyes fly open, and his entire body flinches.
"Sorry!" I stand up and move away from Robert so he'll feel more comfortable. "You'll want to get dressed, I think we've found something."
Robert rubs his eyes groggily and sighs. "What is it?"
"Just hurry up and meet us by the edge of the pond, okay?" I rush out. There was no time to explain, I just needed to find someone to confirm my beliefs.
I run over to the rest of the crew by the tent, who have been focusing their attention on other animals we found in the area. A few were researching behavioral patterns in a group of echidnas, and seeing if they coincided with the findings of a prior study. The scientists never wanted to "waste" an exhibition. They were always trying to make the most out of inopportune situations, and I admired them deeply for it. But it isn't exactly ideal in this particular moment.
"Crocodile!" I shout. Everybody who remains at camp turns to look at me. Among the few left, Wes and Chandler seem to be the most alert. Perhaps from all that coffee. I wave my arm, beckoning them to follow me and yell, "I saw a crocodile in the water! Just a minute ago!"
I jog back over to the spot I had set up my camera with Wes and Chandler hot on my tail. More crew members are preparing equipment in the event that what I saw was genuine. I sigh in relief that the croc did not try to mess with my camera once I reach the spot I had left it. Chandler is not far behind me, and he too stops on the small hill above the water.
We look out into the water, and again see nothing. Chandler sighs and gives me a sympathetic look. I can tell he wants to believe me but cannot until he sees some evidence.
By this time, Wes and Robert have both come up behind the two of us. We're all surveying the water, straining to see something pop up. My frown deepens and I begin to think I might have been mistaken.
"What did you see, Y/N?" Robert asks. He sits next to me, and looks out into the lake.
"Well I was sure I saw a crocodile," I sigh. "But now I'm starting to think… Maybe I just wanted to see one. I mean, where would it have been all this time anyway?"
"Well hold on, now, Ms. L/N." Wes emphasizes. "It rained this morning."
Chandler and Robert both visibly perk up at the mention of rain. Robert even glances down at the damp dirt beneath our feet as if he hadn't noticed. But I still feel lost as ever. Thankfully, Chandler notices my confusion.
"Sometimes, when there's a long drought, crocodiles will dig dens and hibernate in them," Chandler explains. "This area may have been experiencing a dry period. When we arrived, the area was drier than usual. Even if it wasn't by much."
"The most recent rainfall could have revived the area just that much more to wake the croc," Wes gasps. "Y/N, was your camera on when you saw this crocodile by any chance?"
My eyes light up when I remember the picture I had managed to capture of the crocodile before it disappeared back under the surface. Wes, Chandler, and Robert all crowd around the screen and rest their eyes on the croc's powerful jaws.
"Yes!" Robert yells. His smile is the biggest I've ever seen. I'm glad he's finally feeling accomplished. In fact, the whole group's mood seems to have lifted considerably.
"Well, we ought to get to it then, eh?" Chandler smiles. "Would you help me get the trackers, Wes? We've got a croc to observe!"
"I'll get my camera!" Robert dashes off towards our site as Wes and Chandler head towards the trucks. I feel my face pull up into a large smile. It's time.
A/N
Hello. Long time no see!
I'll explain more soon.
Lots and lots of love,
Write_with_tea