A Campfire, And A Small Lie.

• Isaac Underwood, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2015

Two Plot Details Challenge. The Challenge is to make you engaged into our story by using two random given plotlines. A campfire. A small lie. Enjoy!

The blazing heat from the campfire is enough to keep both Isaac and Thomas warm.
“Do you think they will catch onto the story?” Thomas asked Isaac.
“Unlikely,” Isaac assured. “They gullible like crazy.
“True, but we are pulling a really dumb trick on them. Like really dumb,” Thomas added.
Isaac picked up a large log and carried it over to where they had set up a large, blinding bonfire.
“Tom, you need some trust in me. It’ll work. Far as they’re concerned, we invited them to a nice bushy forest where we sleep under the stars and eat junk while we talk gossip.”
Tom is unassured but agrees. He smiled, “I guess you’re right. What are we going to tell them?”
Isaac said quickly and joyfully reported, “we are gonna tell ‘em that miners used to own this property but were all killed by the nazi’s… or something. Then we will tell ‘em that they haunt these lands at night, and will kill on sight. When they go into their tent at night, we will use shadows to make it look like there are miners outside their tent.”
“This’ll be super funny then. When were they killed?”
“Well, I dunno man like the 40’s?”
“Which year?”
Isaac thought, “Uhhh, nineteen fourty-nine. Does it really matter?
“Adolf wasn’t president in nineteen fourty-nine so yes it is important,” Tom spat back
“Bah, whatever!” Isaac shouted. “They won’t know the difference.

The sun was only just setting, making the sky look very pink.
“I think we are done with the fire for now,” Tom exclaims.
“Good,” Isaac spurts. “I’m tired.”
“So, you never really told me about your old place,” Tom mentioned. “How was it?”
“Look into my eyes, and you will know how it was,” Isaac said.
Tom looked deeply into Isaac’s eyes. He saw danger, fear, pain and sorrow.
“Okay, sorry for asking,” Tom added slowly.
“Sorry for answering,” Isaac spat back.
Isaac was brought up in a rough neighbourhood. Everything there has scarred him to be a rough, tough bloke in personality, even though he is as skinny as a twig physically.
A silence fell over the pair.

“Are the girls still out taking photos of the sun?” Isaac blurred.
“I guess so,” Tom spoke.
“Argh, maybe find ‘em and tell ‘em to hurry up.”
“No need,” Sarah pitched in.
Four girls ran into the camp area laughing.
Lara huffed, “So guys, have you heard the story about the miners?”
Isaac and Tom look at each other with wide eyes, and their jaw dropped. All the girls laughed.
“Nice try boys, but we heard everything you said.”
“We didn’t say nothing of the sort,” Isaac assured.
Tara walked close towards him and whispered in his ears, “watch out for the miners. They come at night.”