“Girls, time for s’mores!”
“OK, Mom!” I hollered.
“This backyard campout was a great idea. It’s super fun!” Olivia exclaimed as we unrolled our sleeping bags in the tent. We dashed out to roast marshmallows over the campfire with my cat, Trixie, at our heels.
“You girls all set?” Mom asked.
“Yep!” Olivia and I said.
“We laid out our sleeping bags, pillows and flashlights,” I added.
After we had stuffed ourselves with s’mores, we played that funny game where you stuff a million (OK, as many as you we can) marshmallows in your mouth. Olivia won because she has a bigger mouth than me.
Anyway, we finally slipped into our sleeping bags and after an hour of giggling we dropped off to sleep. Well, at least for a little while… until Olivia shook me awake.
“What time is it?” I asked as I yawned.
“Two a.m.,” Olivia replied. “Just listen. Do you hear that?”
I listened, and sure enough I head a scratching noise.
“It sounds creepy, doesn’t it?” Olivia whispered.
Scratch, screech, scratch.
“It’s scary alright,” I whispered back. “I wonder what it is?”
“I don’t think that I want to know!” Olivia shuddered. “What should we do?”
“Maybe we should pray,” I said. “I don’t think that either of us want to venture out of this tent.”
“Okay,” Olivia agreed, “it’s like that verse from the Bible, you know, the one that says, ‘Do not fear, for I am with you.’”
“Isaiah 41:10,” I finished.
Then together in the dark, we prayed for God to help us to “fear not” and to protect us. Finally, we fell to sleep.
“Morning, girls!” mom remarked the next morning as we walked into the house for breakfast. “Trixie was left outside by the campfire yesterday evening, but in the middle of the night she decided she wanted in the house. I hope she didn’t wake you with all of that scratching.”
Olivia and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.
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