Struggling to Settle in

The pre-dawn light crept through the gauzy curtains of Laura and Blake's Camps Bay holiday home as Laura jolted awake, her heart hammering against her ribs. The same dream – always the same dream. She pressed her palms against her eyes, trying to hold onto the fading images: a golden statue, its surface gleaming with an inner light, its form constantly shifting between human and something else, something ancient and powerful.

The baby monitor crackled with Monique's soft breathing, the sound anchoring Laura to reality. She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Blake, and padded to the nursery. The room was exactly as they'd left it months ago, though Blake's parents had added touches during their absence – new stuffed animals, a mobile of African animals dancing above the crib.