Lost Girls (40 page)

Each face was
inscribed, carved into the rock face, with a short story of the
life and loss of a girl, simple things like date and place of
birth, home town, favourite things. The final part was a short
story of what brought them to this land and of where and when they
died.

Below these
inscriptions were other plaques telling the stories of other
missing “lost” girls and some missing men too. Half a dozen adorned
each face but there were many more to follow.

For Cathy and
Susan there was no inscribed rock faces, that was too permanent, an
abandonment of hope. All knowing these girls were determined to
still find hope. But still they were lost to those who loved them
most.

A simple bronze
plaque told for both the story of what had brought them to here.
Susan’s faced east, on Amanda’s side, pointing to the place of the
river of crocodiles where she had left her lover and may have
returned. Cathy’s faced south, to somewhere between Coober Pedy and
Alice Springs where she was last seen. On her plaque was written
the poem from Mark’s diary. It seemed a fitting way to remember
her.

Anne walked
around the stone and came to a stop facing out to the sea,
searching for the warrior queen of a distant horizon. Somewhere
over the glittering sea, waves sparkling in the breeze she felt she
could glimpse her, Mark’s first loved Elin, forever going away.
Anne could see her clearly now, the girl with the golden hair, the
Elfin Queen, sailing a proud ship further and further out to sea.
She so wished Mark was standing beside his Elin, sailing to a
better place. Then this world of loss and heartache for so many
would have never been.

But if she
could have one wish and only one wish it would be to see her friend
Susan again, home safe, no longer another lost girl.

Vic walked up
beside her and took her hand. We will find her; I know deep down we
will find her when the time is right.