Dear readers, tonight with us is an ordinary Australian citizen who found herself embroiled in extraordinary events. After her son is taken hostage, she must race from leafy suburbs to the dusty outback, confronting merciless soldiers and terrifying monsters.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in north-west Sydney. My parents have lived in the same small brick house in Eastwood since they immigrated from China, a couple of years before I was born.

They had this great backyard full of fruit trees. I used to climb the trees and make myself sick eating the fruit. My mother was always tearing her hair out trying to get me to do homework, but I just wanted to be outside.

A few years ago they sold half the backyard to a developer who owned a couple of properties next door. He whacked an apartment tower on them, so now they only have a small vege patch, and nothing grows well because it’s always shaded.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any treasured memories?

I spent hours jumping on our trampoline. This was in the 90s, so there was no padding or safety nets or anything, if you weren’t careful you’d land on the springs or the metal bars. One of my cousins fractured her leg falling off it.

When I was a teenager my friends and I would lie on it and talk for hours.

What did you think when you saw the Boneheads for the first time?

I was in shock. Just that morning Adam and I had been laughing at the rumours about the PM working with monsters. We thought it was a joke.

And the Boneheads were terrifying. Those black pits they have for eyes – they’re like something out of a nightmare. I watched them gun people down in the street. I’ve seen a lot of death since then, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop having nightmares about that.

You mentioned your husband, Adam. Can you tell us how you met?

We met through the church we were attending. I noticed him straight away – he had these vivid blue eyes and this blonde, surfie-style hair that was always falling into his eyes.

It took us months to get together. Bec kept telling me to ask him out, but I was too scared. What if he didn’t feel the same way about me, and it killed the friendship? Eventually he got up the courage to invite me to a movie. I can’t remember what we saw, I just remember him putting his arm around me for the first time.

Dan told me that the soldiers bombed Dubbo. He didn’t know Adam was there. My world was falling apart, and he made some joke about the Dubbo zoo animals.

You’re now one of the most wanted people in Australia. How did that happen?

Gees, you don’t pull any punches. I still can’t believe it myself. It started with Zhou – he was in trouble, and I tried to help him. Then the soldiers took Ollie away from me.

All I wanted was to rescue Ollie. I never meant to kill anyone. I didn’t even know it was possible to kill Boneheads!

What was the scariest thing about being on the run?

It was all terrifying. The helicopters. The Boneheads. The soldiers. Being tracked by those carnivorous wombat things. And Bec kept insisting we use these hopeless getaway vehicles.

I think maybe the worst time was when the soldiers caught up to us in Newcastle, and arrested us. That was Bec’s fault.

Bec is Rebecca Williams, I take it? Can you tell us about her?

You like to ask the hard questions, don’t you? Bec is – Bec. We’ve been friends since we were at uni together. I’m not sure we’d be friends if we met now.

Sorry, forget I said that, that was harsh. In some ways she’s a really loyal friend. I wouldn’t have been able to rescue Ollie without her. I wouldn’t have survived without her. But she’s a shameless liar. She’ll say anything to get you to do what she wants. And she uses people. She thinks it’s for the right reasons: she’s saving the world. But I’ve never believed that the ends justify the means.

Everyone thinks I’m this ruthless killer, but she’s way more ruthless than I am.

Speaking of killing, whom (or what) do you really hate?

Hate? Nobody. Don’t look like that – it’s true. I mean, we all want the Boneheads to piss off to wherever the hell they came from, but I don’t hate them. I  told you – I never meant to kill any of them.

Actually – maybe I hate the PM. Prime Ministers are supposed to look after the country, not unleash monsters on it.

What’s your favourite drink, and relaxing pastime?

Drink – coffee! When we were on the run there were days that Bec and I didn’t dare boil water. As if it wasn’t bad enough being chased by helicopters and monsters, we had to do it without coffee! I’m also a big fan of gin, with elderflower cordial, or tonic.

Relaxing pastime? Adam and I used to love hiking, but I’m not so enthusiastic about that after being on the run. I really miss our apartment – I’d give anything to just chill on the couch or the balcony with Adam and Ollie.

I hope the looters haven’t destroyed it. Not that it matters – I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back there. Sorry, I didn’t mean to tear up. I just expected to be raising Ollie in that apartment, not a tent, you know?

What does the future hold for you?

I don’t know. Everyone expects me to be some kind of Resistance fighter, and save the world. I’m the only one who can use the power to fight the Boneheads. I feel – trapped.

Maybe I can teach the other Resistance fighters to use the power. Then they won’t need me.

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

Sometimes I’m scared of the power. I know it’s saved me, and people I care about, more than once. But I’m not in control of it. What if one day it takes over?

No, that’s silly. Forget I said that.

Narelle King has a background in environmental science, which has led to her stalking giant pandas through bamboo thickets in China, wandering around the Australian bush at night with an unreliable spotlight and living for six months in the middle of a zoo. On one occasion, she caused the evacuation of a university chemistry lab, which is why she now works with words rather than dangerous chemicals. Whenever possible, Narelle escapes the real world by reading, writing or daydreaming about magic and monsters. Narelle lives on Gundungurra land in the Blue Mountains, Australia, with her son and ninja cat.

You can find Amber Yu on the pages of The Bonehead Resistance.

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