June 27th

A man lay face down on the sandy beach, not moving. His face was turned to the side - he appeared to be still alive, as he was visibly still breathing. The waves lapped back and forth at his legs, and the small rocks nearby. The sea was a deep green-blue, and the golden sunlight was warming the sands and restless water.

Suddenly, a stone spear tip prodded the man's shoulder. A woman was standing over his motionless body a short distance away. Her appearance was striking in several ways - her hair, tousled and voluminous, was bright red. She was covered only by a patterned belt and loincloth, and a minimal handmade vest, held together by a strap running directly under her substantial breasts. Her body was also striking; featuring sturdy, muscular thighs, rounded shoulders and visible six-pack abs. Her golden tanned skin glistened in the sunlight. She had small, downturned lips and narrow, angular eyes framed by sloping eyebrows.

She poked the man again with her spear, this time more firmly on the back. Being stone, it was not not especially sharp, but he visibly flenched. This caused the woman to suddenly draw back into a squatting, defensive posture, keeping her spear in contact with the man's body. After discerning no further movement on his part, she edged back over to him cautiously - still squatting, and supporting herself on her knuckles. She leaned down and sniffed around the back of his neck. By her expression, she must have found the scent strange. She stood up and looked out to the sea, sniffing the air.

"Meer Kashe," she murmured, scanning the horizon.

Just then, the man let out a short groan, and moved his arm. The red-haired woman wheeled back around and eyed him closely. She was certain he was alive. Moving closer she examined his face - it was the first time she had ever seen a male human, and the first other human she had seen of any kind since she was very young. This, and the fact that he was fully clothed in (soaking wet) dress shirt and khaki shorts, confused her greatly. She nudged his face with her foot, still holding her spear with her hands in a semi-ready position. Nudging his cheek with her toe, she tried to coax life out of him. It appeared to work, as he inhaled, and suddenly lick her sole with his tongue. The woman hissed and jerked her leg back, while raising her spear. The man opened his eyes slowly, and moved to press himself up. Noticing the woman standing there, he snapped wide awake, and recoiled into a sitting position, facing her. She had withdrawn to a safe distance probably 10 feet away, and was agitatedly wiping her foot in the sand - apparently trying to rid herself on any potential venom. She was still watching him with her spear upheld.

"Who...Who are you? Where am I…?" The man asked - as much to himself as to the woman. She seemed to slightly relax at hearing him speak, cocking her head.

"I'm so thirsty…" He said, reaching his hand out to her, "Water, please…" He laid back, coughing, and lost consciousness again.

The woman stood still for a few moments, her heart still beating rapidly. Then, slowly relaxing, she lowered her spear and walked over to him. She nudged his side with her foot. She seemed to be pondering as she looked down at his face. Then, placing her spear over her shoulder, she squatted down and sniffed around the man's face and open mouth.

"Mahe," she said shortly, and stood up. Then, she reached down and grabbed his right leg by the ankle, and started to drag him along behind her along the beach. She had not gone far though, when he let out a semi-conscious groan of pain and discomfort. The red-haired woman stopped, and kneeling down, she slipper her arms under his underarms and pulled his upper body up into a sitting position. She then drove her shoulder into his chest and stood up in one quick, strong movement, so that his body was draped over her right shoulder. Although his height was nearly comparable to hers, she possessed surprising strength for her size. Nevertheless, it was not easy, as she slowly and carefully trudged up the beach and into the treeline.

The man snapped his eyes open and looked around. He was sitting upright in some sort of small hut, and it was dark outside. There was a small fire pit in the center of the room. It was not small; perhaps 20x15 feet in diameter, with a thatched roof an adult could stand up in. He became aware the his hands were tied to the log that formed the baseboard-like function of the hut's wall. He then became aware that he was completely naked. His thirst was gone, and his headache was not as bad as he remembered it being. He tried hard to remember how he got here, and how he got naked, but could think of nothing. He could also not wrench his hands out of the ropes. From what he could tell, he was in a treehouse.

Just then, a red-haired head popped up into the hut, apparently from what was a ladder leading up into the hut.

"Mahebi. Itaga mishe?" The woman said, watching him closely, but not unkindly, as she climbed up into the hut. She was carrying some sort of net full of fruits or various kinds, and a spear. Suddenly, the man remembered having seen her before, on the beach, along with a vague memory of her bringing him here. He also became immediately self-conscious about being naked in front of her, such that he drew his knees up instinctively, and tried to jerk his hands out of the ropes.

"Abe, abe, banga kishi," the woman said, faintly smiling. "Kadr ipi mahe'iga na-na, kadr ipi mahe daburee'iga. Banga kishir kad ipi mahe kuage, bana," she finished, deftly taking a seat by the fire, and dumping the contents of her fruit bag out onto the floor.

"What? If you think I understood any of that - who are you?" The woman looked at him curiously. He tried another tactic.

"Let me go you savage cannibal!" He tried to pull free again, kicking with his leg for momentum. It didn't work, and only succeeded in exposing his member again. The woman, still squatting by the fire, stared coolly between his legs at it.

"Jago Migahe ke," she said, still looking. A strong curiosity - if not eagerness - was written on her face. She crawled towards him slowly, sitting down in a cross-legged posture just out of reach of his legs. She seemed genuinely not interested in eating or killing him, that much the man felt, having calmed himself down a bit. It struck him how beautiful she was, and how stunning her body was. She was clearly somewhat rational; she had built this hut, he assumed, and was wearing some semblance of clothes at least. She looked hard into his eyes, and tapped on her chest with her palm. "Risty," she said furtively.

"Risty?" The man echoed.

"Risty," she repeated, lighting up at his apparent understanding.

"Risty, that's your name then? I'm Nat," he replied.

"Eymat?" Risty queried. She gestured towards him with her finger.

"Nat," the man said, "Nat," nodding downwards in an attempt to indicate himself, in the absence of hands with which to point.

"Nat...Nat," Risty said, trying to master the the strange new vowel sound.

"It still sounds like you're saying 'not', but whatever," Nat commented.

Risty stood up and walked back over to the fire, where she set about peeling one the fruits - apparently a mango - with a small knife she has produced mysteriously.

"I wish you would let me go; I wouldn't leave," Nat murmured, mostly to himself. Risty threw a chunk of the fruit into his lap suddenly, surprising him. He was hungry though.

"Tash hami mishe," Risty said, jerking her chin upwards. She cut a portion for herself and ate it noisily.

"How the hell am I supposed to eat it? My hands Are tied; did you forget?" He said sarcastically, to his own amusement. It was of course completely lost on Risty however. It did seem she had forgotten though, as she was busy stuffing her face into the fruit's insides.

"Hey!" Nat called. Risty jerked her head up and stared at him. She looked at the fruit on the floor in front of him curiously for a few moments, before realizing what the issue was. She crawled over on her knuckles, and stopped beside him.

"Kad mishe ke Risty ah bana koagani bi," Risty said near his ear in a low voice. Nat felt he understood clearly enough that this was an injunction to not try anything. Risty reached down behind his back and swiftly cut the ropes that bound him. She then coolly but quickly drew back several paces. Nat was very relieved to be free, but was careful not to make any sudden movements. He slowly brought his hands back around to the front of his body, stretched, and stroked his wrists a bit before picking up the fruit, and eating.

"Abe, abe, nang," risty cooed, now relaxed.

Nat was still very uncomfortable being naked around the woman, and continued to attempt to hide himself from her. Rousing herself, Risty walked over to the fruits, and started picking them up. She placed all but 2 in her bag again, and turned to climb down the ladder.

"Tash uda mishe," she said before disappearing. Nat wondered where she might be going, being dark as it was. Suddenly, he saw the ladder disappear from the porthole in the corner.

"Great," said Nat. Apparently, she didn't want him going anywhere during the night. At least, he noted, she had left him some fruit, and there was a straw bedroll-esque pad to sleep on.

"I always wanted a vacation in the tropics," he muttered, laying down slowly. He was still a bit sore.