shorts

"My da says there's no such thing as ghosts n' witches n' stuff" Johnny said as he dumped his knapsack ungraciously on the floor
"Your Da's got no 'magination" Carl replied breathlessley as he dumped his knapsack next to Johnny's and fell to his knees and then forward and rolled on to his back "Man thats a long walk!" he said
"Aye, but wouldn't be same if we brought us bikes" Josh had finally joined them, he had the largest knapsack and the tent as he was the biggest and the strongest of the three boys.

"My Da has so got magin, thingy" Johnny said fiercly "He writes books n' fings for the paper!"
"Aye but thats grown up stuff, Johnny, my mam says that when you grow up you dont see fings the same" Josh said trying to calm things down befoe Johnny attacked Carl with his fists that were curled into bunches at his side
"So grown ups dont see ghosts n' stuff then?" Johnny asked
"Nope! nor fairies or elves or goblins or.."
"Fairies!!!" Carl shouted gleefully interrupting Josh midflow "Only girls see faaaiiiriess" and he set off laughing rolling on the floor
"that why you see em! cos you're a girl! and he jumped on Carl and started tickling him "Ow! no! give up" Carl spluttered laughing and trying to roll away from the bigger boy, then Johnny joined in and the next ten minutes were spent laughing and giggling and tickling each other until all were breathless and laid on the cold grass while they calmed down.

"We best get tent up afore it gets dark" Josh said finally getting up and picking up the bag that held the tent, he emptied it out on the ground and each boy took the bits that were their responsibility, they had done this many times throughout the summer and were well practiced in erecting the tent quickly and safely. In no time at all they had the tent up and were going about preparing the fire which would keep them warm throughout the night while they told the ghostly tales that was the purpose of this trip.

They got a good fire burning and made sure there were plenty pieces of wood to keep it going through the night, each boy had extra thick clothes and a nice warm sleeping bag, at the end of October the weather was unpredictable and extremely cold, and as they boiled the old battered kettle, that they kept just for their trips, and made some tea the wind began to blow.

Josh looked up at the sky, hoping it wasn't going to rain, though his Ma had said rain wasn't predicted, and his ma was always right. Still he didn't like the look of that sky, it looked odd, somehow, a yellowish cast around the thick white clouds, he went and got the pans to make the food, none of this beans and bread stuff, his mam had packed sausages and bacon and eggs (though they might be broke, he mused to himself as he remembered the way that the knapsacks had been thrown down) black pudding, tomatos, and even taties so they could roast them on the fire, thick slabs of bread and butter, there were cooked pieces of meat, lamb and beef to have with their taties, which is why his bag had been so big and heavy, an army marches on its stomach gran had said and insisted on packing fruit and sweets as well. The others also had food, much along the same lines so no matter what happened they would have plenty to eat.

For the next hour as the light faded they busied themselves making food and setting out the sleeping bags, and when it was all ready they sat on their bags around the fire and ate the delicious food, funny how it always tasted so good done this way.

It got colder as night replaced day, and the wind though not too strong bit at the exposed hands and faces of the boys, as the night grew darker they began to tell ghostly tales in hushed voices, Josh telling the bst ones as he was the oldest and his Da had told him them before he had gone away. The two younger boys held on to his every word their faces round and white in the glow of the fire, Johnny the youngest looked round with quick eye movements expecting something wicked and ghastly looking to creep up on them.

He passed on telling tales much preffering to listen to Josh who he idolised, he had no brothers or sisters and Josh was the nearest thing he would have to a sibling, Carl told a couple, but they just made the others laugh, which annoyed him at first, but then he laughed too and all was well.

The village clock struck midnight and made the boys jump, it was eerie being able to hear it out here in the countryside, the wind began to gust and Josh got up and checked that the tent would hold. "Come on lets get the fire built up and get in the tent" he said to the younger boys "It'll be warmer in there"

Johnny was openly shivering and Josh gave him an extra thick jumper that was miles too big but he gratefully accepted, they crawled into the tent though it was big enough to walk into, and Josh closed the flaps, the boys clambered into their bags and laid there wide awake in the dark as Josh had turned out the lantern.

"Josh" Johnny whispered in a shaky voice
"What" josh whispered back
"Whats that noise?"
"What noise?" Josh asked sitting up slightly and trying to listen, it was a hissing sound, and Josh listened harder "Oh lordy, sounds like something hitting the fire, but cant hear rain on the tent, I'll go look" he said scrambling out of the warm bag and shivering as the cold air hit him.
He opened the flap of the tent to find thick white flakes falling in front of him, they were falling on the fire and making it it sizzle as they melted.
"Its snowing" he cried with the glee that only children can find in the freezing cold in the middle of the night.

He grabbed his coat and left the tent pulling it on and zipping it up, the others followed, laughing and catching snowflakes in their hands though they melted straight away. The snow had already covered the ground and they began to scoop it up and fashion it into balls to throw at each other, they ran around the camp site shouting and laughing and snowballing each other. The snow swirled thicker and harder, the wind began to whip it against their faces and their hands, which by now were icy and numb. The soft snowfall had turned into a raging blizzard and they could hardly see in fornt of them. Josh turned to go back to the tent, but he couldn't see it, he couldn't see little Johnny either, "Johnny" he called into the wind "Carl!" he called the other boy "I cant see you, where are you" he shouted
"I'm here" said a small voice at the side of him "I'm awful cold Josh" he turned and Carl was there, but no Johnny
"Lets find the tent and you can get in there while I look for Johnny" Josh said placing his arm round the younger boys shoulders, he headed in the direction he thought the tent was in, he couldn't see it, he headed in the other direction, nothing, he walked round and around in circles, now he was cold and though he wouldn't admit it to the younger boy he was scared too, not of ghosts and ghouls but of the snow and the freezing cold, and the fact he couldnt find Johnny.
"You boys shouldn't be out in this weather" said a gruff voice beside them, Josh jumped and turned to find a man all bundled up against the weather "young un's at my farmhouse just over here" he said to Josh "you best come too lest you freeze to death" and he turned to walk away, Josh hesitated, he knew about strangers, the man looked back, "You have a choice young un, you's come and be warm and safe or you's stay here and freeze in the open, he needs to get warm" he said pronouncing warm as though it rhymed with harm, and pointing at Carl.
Josh sighed, he had no choice, it was his job to keep the young ones safe, and he needed to see Johnny and make sure he was ok.
"This way" the man said and set off "Keep up, else the snow will hide ya"
Josh and Carl hurried after the man, in a few minutes they were passing through a gate and then through a door and into a huge kitchen with a blazing fire, in front of which Johnny sat with a mug that smelled very much like hot chocolate. The man took off his coat and took the coats from the boys and hung them up "Sit yesen down " he pointed to the fire, next thing each of them had a mug of steaming hot chocolate placed in their hands. He left the room and came back with blankets and pillows "make yesen comfy in front of fire, its gonna be a long night" and he once again left the room, switching off the main lights and saying a gruff goodnight.

The boys settled down in front of the fire, whispering about the man and the chocolate, and the snow and what could have happened and what would happen to their tent and stuff, gradually the blazing fire began to die down and the warmth made them drowsy and each one dropped off to sleep.

Morning came with bright sunshine and the smell of frying bacon and eggs, the boys eagerly gathered at the large farmhouse table and demolished the breakfast which was accompanied by huge slabs of bread and butter and jam, and huge mugs of tea.
"I'll take thee back to thee tent now" the man said
"We have to thank you, Mr.." Josh said in his best grown up voice "For helping us last night and for the lovely breakfast"
"You can call me Sam, and twerent no bother" the man replied as he put his coat on.

He led them back to the tent through the snow unerringly, and told them they should set off home.
They turned to the tent which had fallen down under the weight of the snow, and when they turned back, he was gone.
"Funny guy" Josh thought as he began to unearth the tent and the packs from the snow, thats what his mam said about people like that, they looked up when they heard the sound of an engine, it was Johnny's dad and mam, come to get them in the big jeep.

"We were worried about you, with this snow, we didnt know until this morning else we would have come last night, are you all right?" They asked fussing him, " come on in the jeep boys, lets get out of the cold"

Once back at Johnny's they found Carls mam and dad and Josh's mam waiting int the big warm kitchen, they immediately began fussing over the boys " we were fine" Josh said shoving his mothers fussing off "didn't see no witches or ghosts and stuff though"

"No but being out all night in that cold, its a wonder you aren't all ill"
"We wasn't out all night Ma" Carl said
"We were at Sam's farmhouse, he rescued us out of the snow when we couldn't find the tent, and we had chocolate and a huge breakfast and everyfink" he grabled in a rush
The Adults all stopped and looked at each other
"Who did you say?"
"He said his name was Sam" Josh said taking over "He took us to the farmhouse by the meadow"
"Josh, there is no farmhouse by the meadow" his mother said quietly
"Yes there is!" Josh retorted "We all were in it last night, we had hot chocolate, like Carl said, and he made Bacon and stuff....." he trailed off when he saw the looks on the faces of the parents as they looked at the kids and then at each other.
"Come on" Johnny's dad said and he took the car keys and made them all get in the jeep, he drove them back to the camp site and took them through the meadow where Sam had taken them the night before, there at the end of the meadow was the ruins of an old farmhouse, most of it had fallen down and just the shell was laft standing, no wondows and doors hanging off.

"A farmer called Sam Martins lived here many years ago" Johnny's dad said quietly " Once when me and your Dad Josh and Your Dad Carl, camped out and the snow came like last night, he took us in and fed us and kept us warm, he died that winter, over twenty years ago, trying to rescue his sheep, it was a bad winter"

The boys looked at each other and back at Johnny's dad "But you dont believe in ghosts" Josh breathed "I didn't, but maybe now I do" he said as he led them back to the car.

The boys followed quietly, maybe they dreamed it, but they knew they hadnt, they had camped out on halloween and had been saved by a ghost, wow how wicked was that!! thought Josh grinning.