The continuous motion of waves lapping at his feet pulled him from darkness. Overhead, the sun was setting. Orange colours swirled across the sky and the first of the brightest stars were beginning to emerge. A hand stroked his hair and at first he thought it was his mother’s. Drifting back into proper consciousness, Ned shot up and seized the stroking hand in a powerful, angry grip. Lara lurched back. ‘It’s me. Are you okay?’ Ned shuffled backwards, panting wildly. He was on a beach, a very pristine, tropical beach with white sand, mangroves, and endless ocean. He looked out towards the sea, the sun settling lazily to his right, and simply remained staring as if he had not seen water in years. Where was the desert? The Ord? The red, scorched earth and the dry fields? This was not the Kununurra. This was not where he slept last night. He stared back at Lara. She was kneeling beside him and also covered in sand, as if she had only woken up minutes before him. He then noticed what she was wearing: Elizabeth’s pyjamas.
