When The White Ghosts Came.

When The White Ghosts Came

Written By Mudga 

January 1788

Chapter One: A Silent Morning.

Kylie 

Kylie watched the vibrant red sun rise over the shimmering waves that crashed onto the cold sandy beach. Pink and orange streaked across the cloudless sky, and the sun's rays were just starting to turn the grey ocean into a tangle of aqua waves. 

The peaceful silence stood thick as ever, and Kylie shivered in the crisp morning air. 

Kylie stood still, only ever moving to wrap her possum skin cloak tighter around her bare shoulders. Kylie's woven grass dress stood no chance against the blowing gale that easily blew through her woven clothing. 

The silence was taken by the sound of a roaring fire in the distance. Kylie jumped, startled by the sudden sound, and with the sun now climbing the sky faster than ever, Kylie turned to go back to the camp, her peaceful morning had ended, far faster then she would have liked.

Chapter Two: Fish 

Kylie

The Bidjigal tribe sat around the campfire, the glow of the fire reflecting on peoples faces. Kookaburras sang in the distance, and animals scurried around the Bidjigal camp, hiding in the dark of night. 

Kylie held a small chunk of fish in her hands, chewing on it slowly to savour the taste. She hadnt had meat for a few months by now, as the trib had been moving around a lot, and their spears were kept for defence only, as they were limited at the moment. 

“Eat faster” commanded Kylie's mother Yindi. 

“Yes Yindi.” Kylie said with a sigh, beginning to eat faster. Yindi nodded in approval, she leaned back and smiled, happy after her meal. 

Kylie hurriedly ate the rest of her fish before following suit. 

A few minutes passed and soon the moon was shining so bright that there was no need for the fire. 

“Come, we must sleep.” Yindi said eventually, sitting up and pulling a loose strand of grass from her dress. 

Nodding, Kylie followed Yindi to their family's gunya.

One inside Kylie dipped her hands into a basket of water, and drank, she was parched from the smoke of the fire. 

Yindi scooped Kylie's baby brother Minjarra from a grass mat on the dusty floor and rocked him, trying to drown out the sound of his wailing. 

Yindi’s eyes piercing and fiery stared at Kylie, “sleep” she commanded, and Kylie straining to keep her tired eyes open dropped to the floor and used her possum skin cloak as a blanket. 

Chapter Three: A glimpse of land 

Captain Arthur Phillip 

Captain Arthur Phillip protected his face from the raging wind with his hands. He squinted hard, ignoring the pain that was begging to grow as his eyes fought against the hot sun. 

Phillip’s heart missed a beat, he pinched his arm to make sure it was real. And real it was. Phillip grinned at himself, 

“Sailors! Land-ahoy! I have seen a glimpse of New Holland! Hurry and turn us so we are facing North. For we have made it!” Arthur Phillip finished his speech with a last look at the shores of New Holland that were growing ever larger as they sailed ever closer. 

“New Holland, New home, new life.” he muttered under his breath. 

He watched the seemingly abandoned shores, This will all be a breeze with no locals. The land is ours for the taking! He thought. Little did he know that the shores of which he was landing on were already inhabited. 

Chapter Four: What is that?

Kylie 

Kylie was roughly shaken awake by Yindi. “Hurry! Hurry! Tjandamurra has seen something in the water! Get up now!” Yindi yelled, she already had Minjarra balanced on her hip and her possum cloak hung loose around her and the baby. 

“What did Tjandamurra see?” Kylie asked standing and dusting dust from her face.

“No one knows, now come” Yindi snapped before running out of the gunya and stumbling onto the sandy beach. 

Kylie's mouth dropped, a large floating object was walking on the water carefreely. 

“Yindi! What is that?” Kylie screamed in shock horror, she could not move anymore, she wanted to go closer, but her legs would not work, and when she spoke her voice caught in her throat most uncomfortably. 

“What is it?”

“Is it coming this way?”

“What do we do!” 

Everywhere people were shouting, children ran behind their mothers and babies wailed. Men and older boys jogged down to the water's edge, spears in hand, ready to fight. 

“Kylie!” Yindi shouted, she thrust Minjarra into Kylie's hands with such force Kylie stumbled a little. “Take him inside! He’ll be safe there.” Yindi spoke with such fear in her voice that it made Kylie more afraid. Kylie nodded her head before clutching her brother tight and running back to the Gunya. Kylie closed her eyes and thought; What is happening? Will we all die? And…..what is it?

Chapter Five: The Natives 

Captain Arthur Phillip. 

Phillip angrily brought his fist down onto the side of the ship, he watched as natives poured out of strange grass huts, flooding the beach on which they were anchoring. 

“Everything will be much harder now. They don't look inviting.” Phillip muttered to himself with a sigh. 

Men, who were almost naked, thrust spears above their heads, and angrily staring the ship down. 

Phillip opened a barrel, and pulled a small gun from the barrel, the gun was one of ten, and already Phillip wished they had more. 

Phillip took a deep breath as the ship slowed to a stop and the doors opened, he didn't feel ready to meet the locals, but if he waited until he was ready he would be waiting his whole life. 

Chapter Six: First impressions 

Captain Arthur Philip 

Phillip took a deep breath, trying to block all fearful thoughts from his mind, he stepped onto the shores of New Holland, the natives stared him down as he approached them. 

“Greetings. I am Captain Arthur Phillip. Who is your leader, I request a word with him.” Phillip explained. 

The locals stared at him dumbfounded. Blinking. 

Phillip repeated, slower and with hand signals, but there was still no response. 

“Palya!” said a nativ man, his face was covered in white and orange paint and he was mostly naked. He clasped a spear in one hand and he spoke in the strangest tongue Phillip had ever heard. 

“Sew ngapa. Miyaba naginda?” the man continued. 

Phillip sighed, he tried to show with his hands that he didn't understand. But they just couldn't understand each other. 

Chapter Seven: One Man Down 

Tjandamurra

Tjandamurra clutched his spear tighter than ever before, he watched in horror as a man stepped from the floating object. Tjandamurra gasped, almost fainting, the man's skin was a glossy white, he was so pale he looked dead, “Ghost!” someone yelled. 

Tjandamurra bit the inside of his mouth so as not to yell in fear. “Attention warriors.” he said, surprisingly calm. 

The white ghost placed a shiny black foot onto the sand, and walked up to them. 

“Greetings. I am Captain Arthur Phillip. Who is your leader, I request a word with him.” the Ghost said. 

Everyone’s eyes widened, the man spoke with a weird slur, his language strange, unknown and frightening. 

The ghost repeated his sentence, but no one responded. Tjandamurra pointed his spear at the man, he spoke to him, even though he knew he wouldn't understand him. 

The White Ghost then waved his hands around madly, people jumped back in fright, and feeling scared himself, Tjandamurra pressed his spear against the man's chest, which was covered in weird bright colour. 

The man shrieked in his own tongue, and pulled a strange shiny black thing from his pocket. Tjandamurra didn't back down, he needed to save his people. 

A large boom, crack! Split the air, Tjandamurra Grasped at his chest, in which blood poured from, everyone gasped in horror as they watched Tjandamurra fall to the sand. Dead. 

Chapter Eight: Our Leader, dead.

Kylie 

Tears stung Kylie's eyes as she watched Tjandamurra fall, blood going everywhere. 

All around her people screamed and cried, protested and wept. It was too much to take in, why would that White Ghost kill an innocent man? 

Another ghost appeared, leaving the floating object he trotted up to the first whit ghost, the spoke in hushed whispers, even though they could yell and we wouldnt know what they were saying. 

Finally the ghosts turned back to us, they then turned to the object and called, ghosts of all shapes and sizes poured out of the floating machine. 

Terror filled, everyone started fleeing back to camp, afraid they would be on the floor next. Running as hard as Kylie could muster, Kylie grasped Yindi’s hand and together they sprinted back to their Gunya.

Chapter Nine: They Are Taking Over 

Yindi 

(a few days after Tjandamurra’s death)

Yindi sat, perched on a rock watching the White ghosts. They had rapidly grown in numbers, they had poured out of the ship, there were hundreds of them.

Yindi watched as they continued building around a pole in which Yindi had heard them refer to as a ‘flag’. Even after just the few days Yindi had spied on them, she was picking up on some of their language. 

Yindi watched as the ghosts destroyed the bay, cutting trees done and putting holes in the ground. 

The white ghosts cleared the land of bush and scrub, replacing it with weird houses and buildings. 

Yindi had never wanted to cry so badly in her life. Watching strange people destroy HER bay. She couldn't bear it! And with Tjandamurra, The Bidjigal tribe’s leader dead, the whole tribe was in chaos. 

Half the tribe was dead now, ever since the whit ghosts appeared a deadly sickness had spread like wildfire. Almost everyone who got it waas killed. 

Yindi wistfully thought about her children, was there a future for them anymore? 

Chapter Ten: Goodbye Bennelong

Kylie 

“The White Ghosts did what?” Yindi cried, Murra, a friend of Yindi’s sighed again. 

“In the night they stole Bennelong!” Murra sobbed. Yindi scowled as she crushed some berrys and fed them to Minjarra. 

“Yes! It's horrible, but Gagalong says he saw it happen!” as Murra finished her sentence, Gagalong strode towards Murra Yindi, Kylie and Minjarra. 

“Morning.” he muttered, sitting down. 

“Coward! You saw it happen and you didn't do anything about it!” Kylie angrily said through gritted teeth. 

Gagalong looked down at the earth, “I was scared” he muttered. 

Yindi sighed, “No use yelling now, it's already happened. But, i do hope Bennelong is alright”

Chapter eleven: Sad Goodbyes. 

Kylie 

(A week after Bennelong’s capture.)

Kylie held water for Yindi to sip, trying her hardest not to spill any of the rare substance. 

“Drink. Please.” Kylie urged. 

Yindi stirred, her face pale and her eyes red. She had bags under her eyes, and her voice was merely a whisper. 

Yindi had caught the ‘Smallpox virus’ as the White Ghosts called it. 

But the Bidjigal tribe simply called it the ‘death’ 

Kylie watched helplessly as her mother slowly faded away into nothing, Kylie wasn’t sure she would make it. Minjarra wailed as he tossed and turned on the floor. 

Kylie ignored him, she had more pressing matters. 

“Yindi, Ma, how are you feeling?” Kylie crooned sweetly.

Yindi raised her eyelids just enough for her to peak out of them. 

“I….d-d-don't think...i will m-m-make….it.” Yindi stuttered.

Kylie burst into fits of sobs, Kylie watched her mother. This may be the last I see of her. I need to get help!

Kylie tried to pull herself together, trying to get control of her loud sobs. 

Yindi reached a fragile hand and placed it on Kylie's wet cheek, whipping away her tears. 

“You still... have… y-your whole...life...in front of y-y-ou. I am very… p-p-proud of you…” 

Yindi’s hand dropped to her side, her eyes slit closed, and her breathing stopped.  

Kylie watched her breathless Mother, Minjarra wailing in the background, Kylie had never felt so alone. 

Chapter twelve: The First settlement. 

Captain Arthur Phillip 

Phillip fixed his hat on his head, and watched smoke rise into the cool air. He stared proudly at the first settlement. 

There were still of course problems, including lack of working hands and almost no food. But as Phillip watched this small cluster of tents and one or two newly built structures, he felt nothing but great accomplishment. 

“We did well. New Hollands ours!” He spoke to himself.  He pushed, thinking;

The natives are a problem. Sooner or later they will try and take the land back, and must sort them out. Kill them? No to dark. ...At Least we won't kill ALL of them.

Phillip turned to look at the roaring fire that the natives always lit once evening fell. The clann of people sat around the flame, eating, some wept on others shoulders, some fed their young. The men stood guard, their speers in hand. Others simply sat there, in a daze. 

One girl stood out the most, she had long black matted hair and the look on her face could kill. Tears poured from her red eyes, she cradled a crying infant in her arms, and she kept looking longingly at a pile of newly dug dirt. 

Phillip watched the girl for a while, before turning back to his own people. I will think of some way to get rid of them. He thought. 

Chapter Thirteen: Runaways 

Kylie 

The moon cast an eerie glow on the gunya. Clutching Minjarra to her chest Kylie crept out of their home and slowly made her way into the bush. Gumtrees loomed high above the two kids, and Kylie shivered as a cold wind picked up. 

Kylie sighed, a single tear slid down one cheek. “Goodbye Bidjigal tribe. Miss you already.” Kylie muttered. 

And, disappearing into the night, Kylie and Minjarra crept away. 

Epilogue:

Kylie poked her head out of the small window that she had just latched open. She reached her hand out and snatched an apple from the apple tree that had grown next to Kylie and Minjarra’s underground house. 

Kylie lowered herself back into the house, she chucked an apple to Minjarra who caught it with perfection. 

“Thanks” he muttered. Kylie watches him, remembering the baby he used to be, now he loomed taller than Kylie herself. 

Minjarra, now ten years old, ate his apple with contempt. 

Kylie and Minjarra had never been more happy, away from the White Ghosts and the rest of the world, they were happy. 

The End. 

Hope You Enjoyed This Story!!

Make sure you comment! 

-Mudga