<em>~ Maddi and the girls, the last push before sleep at last ~</em><br/><br/>After some discussion they agreed to set up a temporary camp, just inside the trees, well away from the coconut palms, as they all knew how dangerous it was to rest under those.  They were just too tired to consider much else really, the priorities now that the rain had stopped, were getting dry, and warm, some food into them and then sleep, yes glorious sleep at last.<br/><br/>Once they'd cleared an area for a shelter and a fire, they each found their own tasks, or helped where needed.  It wasn't long before they had a fire going, the petrol they had and the flint in Maddi's pack enough to get even the damp wood started.  Kira was a wonder woman, where she got her energy from Maddi didn't know but she dragged more and more firewood into the little glade, both feeding the fire until it was a roaring away and also making a big stack beside it, ready to refuel from and drying out from the heat of the fire.<br/><br/>Maddi tipped out everything form their sleeping bags onto the spread out jib-sail and left Lizzie rustling up food and hot soup, the water too precious to use until they found a fresh water source they could rely on.  Maddi strung a rope tightly between two trees and hung the sleeping bags on it, spaced so they caught the heat of the fire too as well as the warmer sultry air.<br/><br/>She took a long line from the rope bag and shinned up one of the trees a ways, tying it off just above a branch so it couldn't slip down.  Then took it across and tied it to the base of another tree, using two turns to tension it and tie it off.  With Kira's help she dragged the mainsail over the line, the point of the triangle tied down to the same tree base and then they pulled it out, and up, so the two sides hung down either side. It didn't take them long them to pull those corners out and tie them down too, making a large tent-like shelter they could all fit into easily.  The mouth of the tent faced the fire and the beach, the back corner lay into the prevailing wind, so the smoke of the fire blew away from them and towards the sea.<br/><br/>By this time they'd all hung their life jackets and waterproofs up on a small bush to one side and Maddi made them all strip and hang their clothes on the line next to the sleeping bags, along with all the other wet clothing the other two girls had grabbed.  She found them all dry t-shirts and panties from her own waterproof stuff sack inside her back pack, it was all about sharing now, whatever they had was there for them all.<br/><br/>They hadn't spoken much, each of them either tied up in their own thoughts or just to dam tired Maddi supposed. So when they finally sat round the fire and tucked into the hot soup, cheese and crackers and slices of the fruit cake (which miraculously was still dry in its tin), Maddi nodded at the sleeping bags steaming from the heat of the fire saying, "Well it looks like they will be dry quite quickly don't you think?  I don't think I can keep my eyes open much longer, don't know about you guys but I'm so tired I can barely think straight." she smiled across at her two friends, so thankful they were both safe she felt a lump in her throat again,  "Thanks Lizzie for sorting out this food, it's so comforting to have something hot to eat." She paused swallowing and then said slightly huskily, "You know I don't think I could have manged this without you guys, I know it sounds real corny, but I love you both to bits, and I know together we'll make it, I know we will."