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Chapter 1
Kate rested her against the rough bark of the tree she was climbing, letting her eyes close for a moment.
She could hear the breeze rusting through the treetops, and felt the tree trunk sway slightly beneath her. Kate clung more tightly to the tall tree's trunk, trying to summon the energy she needed to make the climb down.
The stresses of the last two months had been taking their toll on her sleeping pattern; lately she had found herself sleeping lightly or not at all, kept awake by the sound of the surf, noises from the jungle, sand in her bed or clothes, or even, sometimes, nothing at all. Last night had been no exception.
Kate shook herself back to full alertness and tightened her grip when she felt herself slipping downwards, realising with a shock that she had almost fallen asleep twenty feet up a tree. Kate wondered how that would have ended… maybe with Jack handcuffing her to something to prevent her from ever climbing anything again. Or maybe – Kate quickly shut the door on that unpleasant possibility, and concentrated on slithering down the tree to the ground, where it was somewhat safer to take an involuntary nap.
As her feet touched the ground, she let out an exhausted sigh. She turned and, leaning back against the tree, slid to the ground with her heavy eyelids already falling. The dangers of the jungle slipped from her mind as the blessed fog of unconsciousness rolled in.
She never heard of bare feet on dry leaves that signalled the approach of someone who had been watching her from the safety of some nearby bushes…
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Someone had been watching Kate; something she would normally have noticed in an instant, but had missed in her sluggish state. Kate's observer had watched as she fell asleep at the foot of the tree, and then cautiously crept forward to investigate.
Her small feet and light build raised minimal noise from the jungle floor; soon she stood mere centimetres from the object of her curiosity. The child inspected Kate for a moment, somewhat warily, before apparently deciding she was not a threat, nor likely to become one anytime soon.
The child took another step toward Kate, reaching out a petite hand to touch Kate's springy brown curls and, after a moment's hesitation, stroke her cheek. Kate smiled slightly and murmured indistinctly as she shifted in her sleep. The little girl snatched back her hand when Kate stirred but didn't move to run away.
When Kate settled, the little girl knelt beside her and, ever so slowly, lay down to rest her head on Kate's shoulder. As her eyes began to close, the little girl slipped her thumb into her mouth and relaxed against Kate with an exhausted sigh.
Kate unconsciously moved her arm to cradle the child who had joined her, and they both slept peacefully for a while.
