Sam & Penny Short-Stories *English*

CALL OF THE WILD - Low Mood

When Sam woke up, he groaned softly. His night had been restless. He had woken up again and again and had looked at Penny, who seemed to be lying peacefully curled up in her sleeping bag among the other women. He didn't even suspect that she hadn't slept much better than he had.

At least she didn't look like she had fiber and after breakfast he watched closely as Helen changed the bandage on her hand. He had to find a plausible explanation for sleeping next to her again next night, otherwise he would be crawling on his gums back into Pontypandy. This hike took its toll on everyone both physically and mentally. He didn't want to give the lack of sleep a chance to drag him down even further. What impression would he make on Penny if he showed himself to her like that?! Although he himself noticed that the journey had not left her without a trace, she was still the blooming life every day. He, on the other hand, was more in the mode that he was on the verge of falling asleep standing upright. But still better than, for example, Ben, Tom or Lizzie. They looked like the others were going to have to think about building stretchers soon.

However, he had noticed that Jodie had brought Ben his breakfast this morning and woke him up for it. Since then the two of them sat together and it seemed to him that they were having a good time. He quietly dared to hope that Ben would get away from Penny thanks to Ellie's sister, and he had a feeling that Penny wouldn't be particularly upset about it, as uncomfortable as she seemed to have been with Ben's looks as he sang his song. Sam, on the other hand, since last night at the latest, couldn't wait for the day to end, and even less to take the guitar from Elvis and sing a song again. Everyone was excited when he sang, but none of them smiled as beautifully as Penny did - no one else interested him when he sang for them.

As they continued on their way, he often noticed that Moose kept sneaking up on something, jumping on it and then letting it disappear into his pockets. He also didn't miss the fact that Jodie and Ben were talking animatedly to each other all day. He kept picking up on details, but overall it seemed to be conversations about the sea and its inhabitants. As the day went on, Sam became increasingly relaxed that the two of them got along so well. He hoped that they would grow together a little more, while it made his stomach ache that around lunchtime Tom and Malcom also started collecting something from the bushes.

The women had been moaning for an hour when they finally found a clearing by a stream in the evening and Sam decided that it was probably better to give everyone a little rest instead of insisting on the missing kilometers that they still had to walk, to reach the daily goal. The mood generally fell throughout the day, but never as much like today. Hardly anyone said a word for a few hours. Everyone looked tired and worn out, but even more so in the evening than in the morning.

As Sam put his things down and turned away to collect firewood, he noted that the women were all laying out their sleeping bags and taking off their shoes to knead their calves and feet in the hope that the pain would subside. Even Penny was among them that evening, he noted worriedly...and Ben. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. He couldn't believe what a wimp the macho guy really was.

"Hey, Sam." He stood up again and pushed the stick he had just picked up under his arm to see Malcolm, who had joined him and was also collecting wood. He greeted his friend with a smile. "Are you and Penny okay?"

"Why should something be wrong?" Sam replied confused and continued to collect. He had no idea what his friend was getting at, but he wasn't going to let him get him off his guard. Presumably someone had revealed something to him during their hike, because everyone knew so much more about their emotional world than they did. This gossip was terrible.

"You haven't talked to each other at all today."

"Here everyone talks to everyone and everyone wasn't very talkative today, in case you didn't notice." Malcolm just smiled and continued collecting wood.