Free Wagon Trail by Bonnie Bryant

it’s the scariest story in the world!”
    “Go, Stevie!” another camper called. “We want some more of yours!”
    “Okay, Stevie, you’re on again.” Jeremy laughed and sat down. Everyone’s eyes turned to Stevie.
    “Once upon a time,” she began, standing close to the fire so that the flames would make her cheeks and chin look scary, “there was a young man who feared rats more than anything in the world.…”
    A hush fell on the campers as Stevie wove her tale of murder and revenge. Little Eileen began to cry, and as Stevie’s voice rose in conclusion, all the campers gazed at her in rapt attention.
    “And every time you hear scratching that you can’t explain, just remember that man and what the rats did to him!”
    Everybody murmured approval when the story was over, and Stevie sat down to great applause.
    “Wow, Stevie, I’ve heard you tell that one before, but never that well.” Carole rubbed her arms and shivered. “You really gave me the chills.”
    “Yeah, Stevie, that was great!” Lisa said with a smile.
    Gabriel was halfway back to the campfire when Jeremy stopped him. “I’m afraid that’s all we have time for tonight. We’ve got a big day tomorrow. We’re going to be crossing the river, plus tomorrow night the dude ranchers are going to be joining us. I think right now all of us had better call it a day and get a good night’s sleep.”
    The campers stretched their legs and got up slowly, yawning as they made their way to their sleeping bags. Several people congratulated Stevie on her storytelling as they went to their own campsites.
    “Where shall we sleep tonight?” asked Carole when the girls reached their wagon. “Inside, outside, or underneath the wagon?”
    Lisa looked up at the twinkling stars. “Oh, let’s sleep outside. The ground is softer than the wagon floor, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. It couldn’t possibly rain again.”
    They pulled their sleeping bags to a grassy little dip in the ground and settled in. After Lisa and Carole had said good night, Stevie lit the oil lamp and reached forher journal. Her body was tired, but her mind was still wide awake from all the fun she’d had.
    Day Three
    Today was the best day yet. After a rainy, sleepless night, we woke up to beautiful weather. All our work went a lot easier, and we traded off jobs several times during the afternoon. After lunch Carole milked the cow and gave everyone fresh milk. At the campfire tonight I told two of my favorite ghost stories. The last one scared that little creep Eileen so much she began to cry, but I don’t care. After her stunt with the horses, it’s exactly what she deserves. Most of the people on this trip are really nice, and the campfire tonight was the most fun yet.
    She read over her words and smiled. This journal had been a great idea. She could read these pages when she was eighty and remember what a wonderful time she’d had. She stuffed the little book under her pillow and blew out the lamp, but instead of rolling over to sleep, she folded her arms beneath her head and stared up into the sky. A fragrant breeze was blowing from the southwest, and overhead a billion stars twinkled in the heavens. She sighed and thought of Phil.
Somewhere, perhaps a thousand miles away, he’s probably lying in a sleeping bag near a river, tired from a
day of rafting and fun, just like I’m tired from a day of wagon training and fun. Even when we’re far away from one another, we’re doing exactly the same thing at the same time.
Sighing happily, she started to gaze at one star that had a reddish twinkle and remembered what Carole had said about absence making the heart grow fonder. She pictured Phil’s warm smile; then suddenly Gabriel’s face flashed before her. She frowned. That wasn’t supposed to happen! Suddenly she heard a whisper.
    “Stevie? Why are you still awake?”
    Stevie turned and looked at Lisa. “I don’t know. I just am.”
    “What are you thinking