you?”Matthew asked, “what are you going to be doing?”
Sam smiled as she picked up her own bow and arrows, “Me, Matthew? There’s something I need to collect.” Sam’s voice faded as she walked away towards the heavy wooden gates, guarding the entrance, “I won’t be long, good luck!” she shouted back waving her hand towards Claude and Reuben. Receiving their orders, the two boys heaved those wooden gates open, allowing Sam to disappear into the distant darkness.
Matthew turned to ask Andrew, “What did she mean? Something to collect?”
“I’m not to sure,” Andrew continued, “she doesn’t really explain a lot, but don’t worry she’ll be fine,” he said smiling nervously at Matthew.
Mesmerised by those gates, longing to disappear beyond them, Matthew felt his hand starting to throb. The more Matthew thought of Darkmoor, the more the pain increased. Feeling his body draining of energy as the pulsating throb continued, Matthew just about heard Andrew calling from across camp, “Matthew, are you coming? Come on!”
“Yeah!” Matthew called looking down at his wounded hand, “I’m coming!”
Matthew and Catherine spent all afternoon learning how to use their bow and arrows. Catherine picked it up almost immediately (much to Matthew’s annoyance) but after a lot of determination, eventually Matthew managed to pick it up too.
“So, don’t forget, you only fire at them if you really need to, one clear shot will kill a wolf-lizard immediately,” instructed Andrew.
“Have you ever killed one?” Catherine asked turning to Claire and Andrew.
They both looked at each other, “No thank goodness, but you two, well you know,” Claire replied, biting her lip.
“What Claire is trying to say,” Andrew continued for her, “you will have Sam with you so you’ll be fine!”
“Yeah, we’ll be alright, I think?” Matthew muttered.
Archery class was soon over, Sam returned back to camp, and was once more accompanied by a dead rancid wolf-lizard.
Night time descended, once again everyone gathered around the camp fire. No one spoke for ages (not even Nathan), an awkward atmosphere grew as they thoughtfully watched the flames flicker.
“How did you get on today, Matthew?” Reuben asked breaking the silence.
Lifting his head, Matthew realised everyone (including Sam) was waiting for him to answer. Coughing to clear his throat, Matthew muttered out, “Good thanks, Reuben.”
“Cathy,” a delicate little voice spoke. Isabella’s beautiful smile lit up the whole camp, looking innocently at Catherine, Isabella continued, “When you see my mummy and daddy, will you tell them me and Tom are ok, they will be really worried about us you know, won’t they?”
A lump formed in Catherine’s throat, opening her arms she invited Isabella up onto her knee. Hugging her tightly, Catherine whispered, “I promise.”
Matthew watched as Catherine brushed her fingers through Isabella’s curls. Sensing a cold icy stare coming from across the camp, Matthew lifted his eyes to meet Sam’s stare through the smoky fire.
“What did you go out of camp for, Sam?” Matthew asked.
“This,” Sam remarked in a matter of fact tone, as she held up a telescope.
Taking her eyes off Isabella, Catherine looked up, “What is it?”
Sam walked towards Matthew and Catherine and held it out for them to have a closer look.
“It’s a telescope,” Matthew said sarcastically before taking it off Sam.
Putting his eye over the lens of the telescope, almost immediately an expression of astonishment swept across his face.
“Wow,” Matthew gasped, “camp looks so bright, I mean, wow!”
At first glance it appeared to be a normal telescope, having one large and one smaller glass lens at either end. The lens was fixed firmly in place by a brown leather bind. It looked like a piece of average kit, but was clearly different to a ‘normal’ telescope.
Again, Matthew took another look through the lens and again
Sam smiled as she picked up her own bow and arrows, “Me, Matthew? There’s something I need to collect.” Sam’s voice faded as she walked away towards the heavy wooden gates, guarding the entrance, “I won’t be long, good luck!” she shouted back waving her hand towards Claude and Reuben. Receiving their orders, the two boys heaved those wooden gates open, allowing Sam to disappear into the distant darkness.
Matthew turned to ask Andrew, “What did she mean? Something to collect?”
“I’m not to sure,” Andrew continued, “she doesn’t really explain a lot, but don’t worry she’ll be fine,” he said smiling nervously at Matthew.
Mesmerised by those gates, longing to disappear beyond them, Matthew felt his hand starting to throb. The more Matthew thought of Darkmoor, the more the pain increased. Feeling his body draining of energy as the pulsating throb continued, Matthew just about heard Andrew calling from across camp, “Matthew, are you coming? Come on!”
“Yeah!” Matthew called looking down at his wounded hand, “I’m coming!”
Matthew and Catherine spent all afternoon learning how to use their bow and arrows. Catherine picked it up almost immediately (much to Matthew’s annoyance) but after a lot of determination, eventually Matthew managed to pick it up too.
“So, don’t forget, you only fire at them if you really need to, one clear shot will kill a wolf-lizard immediately,” instructed Andrew.
“Have you ever killed one?” Catherine asked turning to Claire and Andrew.
They both looked at each other, “No thank goodness, but you two, well you know,” Claire replied, biting her lip.
“What Claire is trying to say,” Andrew continued for her, “you will have Sam with you so you’ll be fine!”
“Yeah, we’ll be alright, I think?” Matthew muttered.
Archery class was soon over, Sam returned back to camp, and was once more accompanied by a dead rancid wolf-lizard.
Night time descended, once again everyone gathered around the camp fire. No one spoke for ages (not even Nathan), an awkward atmosphere grew as they thoughtfully watched the flames flicker.
“How did you get on today, Matthew?” Reuben asked breaking the silence.
Lifting his head, Matthew realised everyone (including Sam) was waiting for him to answer. Coughing to clear his throat, Matthew muttered out, “Good thanks, Reuben.”
“Cathy,” a delicate little voice spoke. Isabella’s beautiful smile lit up the whole camp, looking innocently at Catherine, Isabella continued, “When you see my mummy and daddy, will you tell them me and Tom are ok, they will be really worried about us you know, won’t they?”
A lump formed in Catherine’s throat, opening her arms she invited Isabella up onto her knee. Hugging her tightly, Catherine whispered, “I promise.”
Matthew watched as Catherine brushed her fingers through Isabella’s curls. Sensing a cold icy stare coming from across the camp, Matthew lifted his eyes to meet Sam’s stare through the smoky fire.
“What did you go out of camp for, Sam?” Matthew asked.
“This,” Sam remarked in a matter of fact tone, as she held up a telescope.
Taking her eyes off Isabella, Catherine looked up, “What is it?”
Sam walked towards Matthew and Catherine and held it out for them to have a closer look.
“It’s a telescope,” Matthew said sarcastically before taking it off Sam.
Putting his eye over the lens of the telescope, almost immediately an expression of astonishment swept across his face.
“Wow,” Matthew gasped, “camp looks so bright, I mean, wow!”
At first glance it appeared to be a normal telescope, having one large and one smaller glass lens at either end. The lens was fixed firmly in place by a brown leather bind. It looked like a piece of average kit, but was clearly different to a ‘normal’ telescope.
Again, Matthew took another look through the lens and again
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