The Lost Man

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death by suicide, physical and psychological abuse, and sexual assault.

In a desolate stretch of the Australian outback, a circle of footprints surrounds a local landmark known as the stockman’s grave. The grave usually sits undisturbed, seen only by the 65 local residents and the 100,000 head of cattle they manage. The closest houses are hours away. A body in a blue shirt lies on the ground, contrasting with the red dust. Later, locals will try not to think about how the circle was made. It is the track of the dead man who circled the grave trying to stay in its shadow. He lasted just under 24 hours before dying of exposure and dehydration.

Nathan Bright and his son, Xander, pull up to the stockman’s grave, where Bub, Nathan’s younger brother, is with the body. It is their third brother, Cam. Bub doesn’t know what happened. Cam was due to meet Bub at a place on the family’s property called Lehmann’s Hill to make repairs, but he never came. His body was discovered by sheer luck.