“I don’t want whatever’s out there to get me!” Marlon said.

  “Me neither!” Nadia yelled. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled. “OK. Let’s just close it together.”

  Marlon and Nadia looked at each other. Together they slowly approached the tent opening. As they were about to reach for the zipper, lightning flashed. Whatever was outside burst into the tent and jumped on Nadia!

  “Get it off of me!” Nadia yelled.

  Marlon started laughing when he realized what they’d been so afraid of: a Jack Russell terrier, licking Nadia’s face.

  “It’s just a dog,” Marlon said. He grabbed the dog’s harness and pulled it off Nadia. “He’s probably hungry and lost, just like us.”

  Marlon pulled the soaking-wet dog over by the heat lamp to help him get dry. Nadia got a wipe from her backpack and wiped the dog slobber off her face.

  “He’s got tags,” she said. “What’s his name?”

  Marlon checked the dog’s collar. “Colt. Welcome to the squad, Colt,” he said. He rubbed the dog’s head. Colt wagged his tail.

  Outside, loud cracks of thunder and lightning continued to crash all around.

  After one particularly loud boom, an animal howled. It didn’t sound far away.

  “What do you think that howling noise was?” Nadia asked.

  Marlon looked worried. The tent suddenly seemed less safe and secure.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “And I don’t want to find out.”

  CHAPTER 6

  SLEEPLESS NIGHT

  In the middle of the night, the rain and thunder roared. The wind from the storm rattled the tent.

  The heat lamp kept them warm, but Marlon couldn’t sleep, even with Colt and Nadia in the tent. Instead, he closed his eyes and thought of all the things he should have done differently.

  My parents are probably worried sick about me. I should have paid attention to them, he thought. I should have listened to the ranger when we arrived. I should have taken this seriously.

  Marlon huddled deeper into his sleeping bag, wishing he was safe and sound with his family. Even the cabin sounded good at this point.

  As he lay there, Marlon’s stomach growled loudly. Trail mix hadn’t been a very filling dinner.

  I wish I was eating Mom’s fried yuca strips and tamales right now, he thought. I wish I was in my own bed.

  “I want to go home,” Marlon whispered quietly.

  “Same,” Nadia said. “This tent is nice, but it’s not a real bed.”

  Marlon hadn’t realized she was awake too. Somehow that made him feel better.

  “Every time I think I hear something outside, it wakes me up,” he admitted. “I wonder if our parents are out in this awful weather looking for us.”

  “We should both try to get some sleep,” Nadia said. “Tomorrow, when it’s light out, we’ll pull out our compasses and maps. We have to figure out where we are and how to get back.”

  Marlon wished he shared Nadia’s confidence.

  Just then, lightning struck again, followed by another loud boom of thunder. Marlon crept even deeper into his sleeping bag. His fears, meanwhile, began to creep to the surface.

  But what if we don’t find our way back? he worried. What do we do then?

  CHAPTER 7

  A ROOKIE MISTAKE

  The next day, Marlon and Nadia woke up early. The rain had stopped, and it was time to pack up the tent and their supplies.

  Nadia disconnected all the poles into smaller pieces and wrapped them together with Velcro tape. Marlon carefully folded the tent, then secured it using the tent belt straps.

  Using a loose cord that was in his backpack, Marlon made a makeshift leash for Colt. He attached it to the dog’s harness.

  “There you go,” Marlon said. “Now you won’t get lost again. We’ll get you back to your family.”

  The dog let out a whine. He seemed as anxious as Marlon felt.

  “Don’t forget to put your trail mix in your bear bag,” Nadia reminded him. She took a drink from her canteen. “And check to see how much water you have left. I’m all out.”

  “OK,” said Marlon. He fed Colt a handful of snacks, then set them down for a second so he could check his canteen and put on his backpack. “I’m out of water too.”

  “Well at least we’re near a river,” Nadia said. “We can fill up with fresh water.”

  The kids and Colt walked to the edge of the river. Colt began to lap up some water.

  “I think I’ll go a little upstream,” Marlon said. “I don’t want any dog germs in my canteen.”

  Nadia and Marlon took a few steps away from Colt. Nadia was about to dip her canteen into the water when Marlon paused.

  “Hey, I know I don’t know much about hiking and camping,” he said, “but our science teacher was just telling us that certain types of water can have bacteria in it. Is this water safe to drink?”

  Nadia paused and placed her canteen at her side. “You know, you’re right. I completely forgot about that.” She rummaged through her backpack. “I always carry a water filter in case of emergency. It filters out bacteria and other stuff when we drink from it.”

  After a moment, Nadia pulled out what looked like a huge handheld straw. She frowned.

  “Oh geez, it’s busted,” she said. “It must have broken when we took the tumble down the hill.”

  Marlon took off his backpack. “Let me check mine,” he said. Moments later he pulled a massive straw out of his own pack. “This is what we need, right?”

  Nadia grinned. “Yep! You’re a lifesaver, Marlon!”

  “Thanks! Feels good to actually help for a change,” Marlon replied.

  He handed Nadia the purifying straw first. She knelt down and dipped the straw in the water, taking a few big gulps.

  “Oh, that’s good,” said Nadia. She handed the purifying straw to Marlon, and he took a few big sips as well.

  Once they’d finished drinking, Marlon stuck the purifier back in his bag. They might need it again.

  After that, he and Nadia finished putting on their backpacks. Then Nadia pulled a map of the trail from her pocket. She unfolded it so they could look at it together.

  “What are these little triangles with numbers all over the map?” Marlon asked, studying the paper.

  “They’re markers that are placed around the woods and trails. If people get lost, they can look at a map, get their bearings, and figure out what they’re close to,” Nadia explained.

  Marlon turned around and looked in the distance. “There’s a sign a little ways down the river,” he exclaimed. “I’ll be right back!”

  He set off, and sure enough, about forty steps away, there was a marker attached to a pole in the ground.

  Marker fifty-seven, Marlon said to himself. He quickly turned around and made his way back to Nadia. “We’re near marker fifty-seven!” he announced.

  Nadia looked over the map. “I found it!” she said. “We can hike three miles south, along the hillside. That should lead us back to the regular trail and put us a few miles away from our cabin!”

  “That’s great!” Marlon said. He exhaled a sigh of relief.

  But his relief didn’t last long. Colt began to growl. The dog was focused on something.

  “Hey, what’s wrong, Colt?” Marlon asked.

  He and Nadia looked up from their map, and at the same time, they both froze. There, blocking their path back to the cabin, was a baby black bear. It was eating Marlon’s trail mix.

  Nadia looked alarmed. “I thought you put your snacks in the bear bag!” she said quietly.

  “I meant to!” Marlon whispered back. “But then we started talking about water straws and how to get out of here, and I got distracted.”

  The bear was just a cub, but even Marlon knew what that meant. Where there was a cub, there was likely a mother bear close by.

  Black bear mothers were very protective of their young. If she arrived and thought Marlon or Nadia was a threat, things could get ugly quickly.

  Nadia took a deep breath, but her hands were shaking. “We have to stay calm,” she said. “Do not panic.”

  Marlon didn’t even have time to panic before things went from bad to worse. A larger bear—probably the cub’s mother—lumbered out of the trees.

  Colt let out a whimper. Marlon wanted to whimper too. They were in serious danger.

  CHAPTER 8

  BEWARE OF BEARS

  “What do we do?” Marlon asked.

  Nadia kept her voice low. “I did some reading about bears in the area before we came on the trip,” she said. “We have to stay calm. Start slowly walking backward, away from the bears. Keep eye contact with them to see how they react. Do not run. Keep walking back until we’re out of sight.”

  Leaning down, Nadia scooped Colt into her arms. That way he couldn’t run off.

  “OK,” Marlon replied. “But they’re blocking our way back. How are we going to get back now?”

  “Let’s figure that out once we’re away from the bears,” Nadia said. They began to slowly walk backward. “It’s important to talk to them in a calm voice so the mom doesn’t view us as a threat.”

  Marlon nodded. He was willing to do whatever Nadia said if it meant getting out of harm’s way.

  “Hi, bears,” Nadia said. “Please have the trail mix. We hope you like it. We mean you no harm. Easy there. Easy now.”

  The mother bear stayed close to her cub. It was still happily rummaging through the bag of trail mix. Marlon, Nadia, and Colt crept backward, staying close to the river, getting farther and farther away from the bears.

  After a few minutes, they were around the bend, out of the bears’ sight.

  “Do you think we’re OK now?” asked Marlon.

  “I don’t know,” said Nadia. “The mama bear can probably still smell us. And bears have a great sense of hearing. But if she wanted to chase us, she probably would’ve done it by now.”

  “You learned all this stuff about bears from the trail website?” Marlon asked. He was impressed.

  “That, and I had to write a report on them for school a while ago,” Nadia replied.

  Marlon was tempted to stop and check the map to figure out where they were going. But even though he could no longer see the bears, he heard a low, deep growl through the trees.

  “What was that growl for?” asked Marlon.

  “I don’t know, but the farther away we are from it, the better!” Nadia said.

  Marlon nodded. The map would have to wait.

  CHAPTER 9

  HELP!

  Marlon and Nadia kept moving until they’d put some safe distance between themselves and the bears. Only then did they stop to check the map.

  “Let’s keep heading north,” Nadia said, studying the route. “There’s a trail shelter that way.”

  Marlon nodded in agreement, and the kids and dog set off. Eventually they made their way back to the main trail. It had taken much longer than expected, but they’d avoided any more wild animal encounters.

  “I can’t wait until we get to the shelter,” Nadia said as they walked side by side. “I love the outdoors, but this is too much for even me. What’s the first thing you’re going to do after we get back to our parents?”

  “Take a long shower,” Marlon said with a laugh. “Then eat some pancakes. Trail mix is fine and all, but I need some actual food.”

  “Same here,” Nadia said as Colt began to bark. “I think Colt wants some real food too.”

  Marlon and Nadia laughed as they continued toward the shelter.

  “Thanks again for helping me survive this,” said Marlon. “I would have been lost out here without you.”

  “You helped too,” Nadia said. “I wouldn’t have wanted to spend the night out here alone either.”

  “You wouldn’t have had to if it wasn’t for me,” Marlon reminded her.

  Nadia smiled. “That might be true. But think how much you learned,” she told him. “You managed to set up and break down a tent. And you had a working water filter.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Marlon said. “Parts of it were even kind of fun.”

  “It’s OK to have fun in the great outdoors,” Nadia agreed. “You just need to be aware and prepared too.”

  After a few miles, they passed marker fifty-four. “Almost there!” said Nadia, taking the lead.

  “That’s great, I can’t wait to—” Marlon’s voice suddenly cut off. He and Colt both yelped as they fell.

  “Marlon?” Nadia said, turning around.

  Where Marlon and Colt had been moments before was a hole about three feet wide. It was hidden from sight by the taller grass along the trail.

  “Down here! We’re down here!” Marlon yelled. Colt barked and yelped.

  Nadia stared down into the hole. From up above, it seemed extremely deep. She could just barely make out Marlon and the dog at the bottom of it.

  “Are you OK?” Nadia called.

  “I don’t know,” Marlon called up to her. “My ankle hurts a little. I broke Colt’s fall, so he’s OK.”

  “Can you climb out?” asked Nadia.

  Marlon stood up slowly. His ankle was throbbing, and the hole was damp and muddy. He tried to get a grip on the thin roots along the wall, but it was too slippery. Every step he took sent him sliding back to the bottom.

  “I can’t climb up. It’s too slick,” he called up. “Do you have any rope in your backpack?”

  “Hold on!” Nadia said.

  She took off her backpack and pulled some rope from one of the compartments. She tossed one end down the hole, but it was too short.

  “This isn’t going to work,” Nadia said, frustrated. “Listen, the shelter isn’t that far away. I’m going to get you some help. Hold on. I promise I’ll be back!”

  “Be careful!” Marlon yelled.

  Nadia took off running in the direction of the shelter. As she ran along the grassy trail, she kept an eye out for any other holes. She didn’t want to end up like Marlon.

  Suddenly, over the hill she spotted a small wooden cabin with windows and an overhanging roof. The shelter!

  Nadia ran even faster to get to it. Within moments, she was at the front door and quickly opened it.

  A ranger looked up from her desk as Nadia burst in. “Are you OK?” the ranger asked. “What’s wrong?”

  Nadia panted for breath. “My friend and I got lost yesterday,” she said. “We were on our way here when he and our dog fell into a big hole! I think he hurt his ankle really badly!”

  The ranger shook her head. “Those old trap holes are everywhere. Hunters used to use them to trap animals. Every time we think we’ve filled them all, another one pops up. Don’t worry, we’ll get your friend and your dog out of there.”

  The ranger gathered her crew. They grabbed a rope ladder and a first-aid kit.

  “Show us where your friend is,” the ranger said.

  “Follow me!” said Nadia.

  * * *

  Marlon and Colt sat in the hole, waiting. “I hope Nadia’s OK,” Marlon said, looking at Colt. “What if she got trapped too? Then who’s going to rescue us?”

  Colt began to lick Marlon’s face. “OK, OK, I’ll stop worrying,” he said.

  Suddenly Marlon heard a rustle of footsteps and people talking. Then he heard Nadia’s voice. “Hold on, Marlon!” she called.

  A moment later, a rope ladder fell in front of Marlon and Colt.

  “Are you OK?” another voice called. Marlon looked up to see a ranger peering down into the hole from above.

  “I think so. But I can’t put a lot of pressure of my left ankle,” said Marlon.

  “That’s OK, we’ll come down and get you out of there,” the ranger replied.

  “I told you I’d be back!” Nadia shouted. “I got us plenty of help!”

  The rangers used spikes to secure the rope ladder. Then the lead ranger went down to rescue Marlon and Colt.

  “Thank you so much for helping us,” said Marlon when he and Colt were back on the trail.

  “That’s what we’re here for,” the ranger replied. “Now tell me, how did you kids end up out here all alone?”

  Marlon and Nadia exchanged a look. “It’s a long story,” they said in unison.

  CHAPTER 10

  SAFE AND SOUND

  Inside the ranger’s office, Marlon’s and Nadia’s parents waited for their children. As the door opened, they jumped up. Nadia and Colt walked in with Marlon limping behind them.

  “Nadia, you’re OK! Thank goodness!” Nadia’s mother exclaimed. Her parents swept her up in a big hug. “We’re so glad you’re OK. We had search parties looking all over for you two!”

  “Have a doctor look at Marlon’s ankle,” the ranger said. “He may have a bad sprain.”

  Marlon’s parents held tightly to their son.

  “Mom, Mom, I can’t breathe. You’re hugging me too tight,” Marlon said.

  Marlon’s mom eased up a bit. His dad gave him a big hug. “You had us worried, son. What happened?” he asked. “And where did you find this dog?”

  “This is Colt,” said Marlon. “We found him the first night that we were lost and—”

  Before Marlon could finish, Colt bolted out of the office.

  “Hey!” Marlon yelled. “Where are you going?”

  He limped back out of the office. Nadia and their parents followed. Outside, a little girl and her family surrounded Colt.

  “Colt! There you are! I’ve been worried sick!” The little girl held Colt close, then turned to Marlon and Nadia. “Are you the ones who found my dog?”

  “Yep,” said Marlon.

  “Colt is really smart,” said Nadia. “He alerted us about bears!”

  “Bears?” Marlon’s mother repeated.

  “I’ll explain it all later,” Marlon said, “but first I owe you and Dad an apology. It was my attitude and behavior that got Nadia and me into this mess. The wilderness is no joke, and the trail can be dangerous if you’re not paying attention.”

  “I wish it hadn’t taken getting lost on the trail to teach you that lesson, but I’m glad you understand now,” Dad said. “But more than anything, I’m just thankful you’re OK.”

 

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