By Lacey Campbell

Ages 10+

*One chapter at a time!*

I stared off into the cave that fell beneath me. A mist of strong, icy winds was forming, I needed to leave. I start to run, I can’t look back onto what is probably a deathbed for most. I don’t want to cry. I must be seen as one strong and brave. I thought about it, looking back wouldn’t make it any better.

  When I arrived back at my tent, my team members had already eaten dinner.  I could smell warm soup.

  ‘Guess you’re too late.’ Fred laughed, drinking some water. Paime stood still.

  ‘I doesn’t matter. I’m not hungry.’ The laughter came to a stop. I walked off to my sleeping bag and slid myself into the crisp covers.

  ‘Good-night.’ No one said anything else.

  As the warm evening sunset turned to dusk, I could still hear their faint laughter and slurping of more soup. I turned to my side so I could peek at what they were doing.

  ‘Hey, guys? Could you please keep it–’ I froze. They were all asleep.

  I turned back. I couldn’t think much of it. We were leaving this melting ice tomorrow.

  As the morning sun rose, I turned back to say good-morning.

  ‘Good-morning!’ I said, rolling over my covers. They were gone. I saw a note. It read:

  Hi, Annalise. We had to leave early this morning to catch our ride back, but I couldn’t just wake you up now could I? Anyways, hope you have a good stay! Be nice to all the bears.

  P.S– Thanks for the jackets & boots!

  Bye–Fred

I stood, shocked. I tore up the white paper and wiped away my tears. My jackets were gone.

  ‘That monster…’ I mumbled, ‘he really is a beast.’ I slid back into my warm covers and thought.

  ‘FOOD!’ I yelled, wriggling out of my covers. I crawled over to where the food was kept and saw another note.

  Just to make it more  fun!

How could they…? I stared down at the already teared papers. How could they all be so selfish?! I feel tears start to roll down my cheeks. I really thought I was important to the group. But here I am, stranded all alone in the Arctic.

  As the morning sun began to rise even higher, my chances of being found seemed to decrease. Alone. I really was. I sat down in the deep, thick snow, covered in my warm sleeping bag.

  ‘I guess this is my new home.’ I sighed, staring off into the empty fields.

Paime

My hands felt like falling off. Like, one more step in the frosty, cold winds and my fingers would freeze.

  I stared out at a distinct shadow. I stepped back, taking deep breaths. I quickly turned around and snuck back into the tent.

  ‘Annalise!’ I heard a familiar voice call. ‘Please!’ I started to make out the sound of crying in their voice.

  ‘Paime!?!’ I ran out and back into the snow. I was freezing but nothing could keep me from her. All I had was a sleeping bag wrapped around my shoulders, and the basic long clothes.

She seemed to run so fast.

  As soon as I touched her, I lost myself in a hug. Tears ran down my cheeks,  like a stream.

  ‘Paime! I thought you had left me!’ I cried, my voice shaking in the cold.

  ‘I would never!’ She cried, hugging me tighter.

  ‘Where were you?!’ I asked, pulling away. I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing my best friend again was the best feeling.

  ‘The rest of the team had told me you had already left for the further station for the plane to pick you up. I didn’t want to believe them, but your covers seemed empty! So, I followed them. Only when I asked too many questions about where you were, did they drop me off at the far station. I knew I had to come back.’ To me, the story sounded like a white lie but, I believed her, I mean, I didn’t have anything else to believe!

  As we headed back to the tent, Paime told me where Fred and the others had hidden the jumpers and boots.

  ‘Yes!’ I screamed with excitement. It echoed in the emptiness of the Arctic.

  As we headed into the tent, I heard a loud roar. We both froze. I put layers of jumpers on, then took a peak. Paime walked out.

  ‘Paime!’ I whispered, as loud as a whisper could be. ‘Come back! We don’t know what’s out there!’ But, she wouldn’t budge.

  ‘I’ll be fine.’ She took more steps into the vast, open Arctic. I felt panic wash over me.

  ‘Paime!’ I called, ‘Paime!’ She just wouldn’t budge. I took one look back at our tent and left. I chased after Paime who was already running. I turned to look behind me. A polar bear.

  ‘Annalise! What are you doing?!’ She called, turning back for a second.

  ‘Well, I could ask you the same thing!’ She paused.

  ‘I guess so.’ We both heard another roar.

  ‘RUN?!’ I asked, starting to run faster.

  ‘Umm, YES!’ She screamed. I tried remembering what we were taught in training.

  ‘STOP! This is the opposite of what we should be doing!’

  ‘Oh, yeah.’ She turned back to me and the bear. We slowly stepped backwards. Not making any more noise…

Once we had finally tip-toed back to the tent, Paime sat down.

  ‘Let’s not do that again..’ We both giggled, knowing it would be one of the most scary things we’d ever see.