I burst out of the cave squealing, patting down the small dots of flame licking up my pants. Eve followed me out onto the cliff face, clapping her hands and laughing in delight.
‘Incredible,’ she chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. ‘Truly amazing stuff.’
‘You lit me on fire!’
‘Only a little bit,’ she rolled her eyes. ‘And you were there, you know how funny it was.’
‘I loved these pants,’ I mumbled to myself. Steeling myself, I glared up at Eve. ‘That’s it,’ I spat. ‘We’re done!’
‘Harry, please,’ she shook her head. ‘Not this again.’
‘Yes this again!’ I insisted. ‘I’m done with this weird prehistoric obsession you have! I’m going back to civilisation!’
‘And what will you do there, huh?’ she asked, eyes narrowing. ‘Work behind the counter of a fast food restaurant? Sell watches in a dark alley?’
‘I could work in the disability sector,’ I sniffed, holding my chin high. ‘Like my mum did.’
‘What?’ Eve looked genuinely confused – then she burst into laughter. ‘You’re going to do… what exactly? Give directions to the nearest hospital? Help when people ask where to find information on NDIS services? Please!’
‘I don’t know,’ I said gruffly, legs still warm from the fire. ‘But I want to do something useful in my life. Which means I have to leave you.’
She stiffened slightly, pressing her back against the rock wall of the cave. ‘Fine,’ she spat, venom in her voice. ‘Go then! Be a saint to the disabled residents of Adelaide! See if I care.’
‘I will!’
‘Good!’
‘Fine!’
She scoffed and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. ‘Where are you even going to start?’ she asked. ‘Tell me that.’
‘I don’t know,’ I shrugged. ‘Maybe in specialist disability accommodation? Adelaide has to need more people helping out.’
‘And that’s you, is it?’ she scoffed again.
‘It could be,’ I grunted. ‘It could be.’
‘Well, then,’ Eve sniffed. ‘What’s stopping you?’
I glanced at her, glanced back at the dingy cave where she’d been making us live. I slowly shook my head.
‘Absolutely nothing at all.’
And I began to walk down the cliff.