First time for everything

As they reached the clearing, sweat was running down their bright red faces, running was not a usual past time. The tent they had set up earlier was in the middle of the clearing and they ran full speed until they were able to jump into the tent.

"Quick, get inside, do the zip, come on, the zip!" cried Avril.

"I'm trying" Jason squealed as he pulled frantically at the zip.

"I can't believe we did that" Jason turned to Avril, still panting with exhaustion and with a small cut to his face where he must have caught it on a branch.

"Sshhhh!" Avril said in a loud whisper and scowling "are you okay?"

"Yes, quick, lie down and pretend you are sleep" Jason grabbed his sleeping bag and hurried inside,

"We need to look like we are sleeping or something if they come!" Jason lay down and closed his eyes tight.

"I can't" Avril sat up straight " I'm too excited, my heart is racing"

"Get in your bag and shush!" demanded Jason "and look asleep!"

"But wh…" Avril started

"And be quiet, listen, someone's out there" he whispered and sunk down into the sleeping bag.

A dog barked in the distance and leaves fluttered in the trees as the wind blew through them.

"Is that them?" asked Avril, who had finally hidden in her sleeping bag

"I don't know, it could be or hopefully it is just a far-off dog barking, now pretend to be asleep"

"I am pretending but I can't just lie here waiting to be found"

"Ssssshhhhhh, please" Jason smiled out from his bag and winked at Avril, "It will be fine just lie there and be quiet for now"

The barking continued and eventually got louder as it approached followed by the sound of male voices chatting. The dogs stopped barking and started running around the tent sniffing and sticking the noses under the outer sheet to try and see what was inside.

"Are they in there?" said a deep, gruff, voice "good dogs, come 'ere"

"Right let's take a look" the second man said in a menacing tone.

He reached for the zip and pulled it down, "shine the torch in here mate"

They shined the torch in the tent just as the dogs ran in sniffing and jumping all around the tent.

They climbed in and flicked two empty sleeping bags, all that remained was an empty black hold all.

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Photo by Triston Dunn on Unsplash