A shadow near the cooler moved. Suddenly the quiet campground wasn’t quiet anymore.
Zippers rustled as heads popped out of nearby tents.
“What’s going on? What if it’s a bear?” someone yelled.
No one laughed. Everyone remembered Ranger Miller’s warning that animals loved food as much as people did.
“What if WE’RE the food?” Leo said, his voice tightening.
Excited chatter turned into panic. Someone suggested making a mad dash for the car. Another camper pulled a sleeping bag over {text:child_gender_1} head and started to whimper.
{text:child_name} remembered the ranger’s words. “Stay calm. Make noise. Don’t run.” Fear pounded in {text:child_gender_1} chest.
Courage doesn’t mean fear disappears. It means staying calm and deciding what to do next.
“Stay where you are. I know what to do,” said {text:child_name}.