Again, here is the written version. I decided to release it a bit early! Enjoy!

Chapter 2 - Sleeping Out

There was still some light out when we started up on the trail to the hill. Bandit followed behind me, wagging his tail. I knew there weren't many clouds in the sky, but, from my experience, it was a bit windy. This means that the wind could push some clouds my way, and I didn’t want to get wet, or to lose my privileges outside.

I set up my sleeping bag under the great peach tree, brought out my oil lantern and my book. I was reading A Dog’s Tale. Through the warm light of the lantern, I could see my mom, accompanied by my sister, coming up to the hill. Drat, I thought. I was really hoping for some alone time, (considering how crowded our house was) and didn’t want to have my sister chattering about all night.

But, as they got closer, I saw that they weren’t carrying a sleeping bag. Instead, there was a plate and a glass of water. My mom handed me a small plate of bone-shaped cookies (and the water), and my sister gave Bandit a dog treat. We had a mini bedtime snack picnic, and then it was time for bed. My mom led my sister back home, and I blew out the light. I looked up. A million little stars winked back at me. As I closed my eyes, it almost felt like I was back at home, sleeping in my bed.

The great sky was my roof, with lights fixed upon it. The wind whispered, like my mom saying goodnight, and my sister getting in her last remarks. Bandit was still there, sleeping near my feet like he always had. The only thing that was different were these little glowing balls of light, hovering around the tree and hill, becoming my own little night lights. Fireflies. I looked once more at the star-covered sky, and fell asleep.

I awoke suddenly, to the sounds of barking and pebbles being thrown into a lake. I jumped up hurriedly, realizing that it was not pebbles, but big, fat, juicy drops of rain.

And coming down fast. Bandit is really terrified of water and was practically jumping all over me. I moved us closer to the tree, and hung a thick blanket overhead from the branches, to keep us dry. It took a while to calm down Bandit, (who was very traumatized), but he eventually, fell asleep. The thick leaves and branches, (as well as the blanket) kept us dry, and we slept soundly till morning.

When I opened my eyes, sunlight was streaming through the gaps between leaves. The grass around me was glistening with dew, and everything was bright and airy. It seemed like fairies had decorated this place with glittering jewels. I packed up and headed home. When I entered the front door, my dad was there to greet me. “Hey there kiddo!” I was still frozen because my dad had left for a business trip. “Wai-What? When did you get back here?” “Last night” Dad replied. “It was close to midnight, and it started raining. Your mom told me that you were camping out.” He looked over me carefully, then said with an amusing smile, “How come you’re not soaked to the bone?” As I recounted my stories from last night, my mom and sister came in, and we sat down for breakfast.