Christian Camp | ✓

Safe?

- Gavin -

It took almost half an hour for the fire engine to arrive, but arrive it did, with siren blaring at an ear-shattering volume. If it had been any other situation, Gavin would have watched on with intrigue, but the absence of Ginny and Matthew had snatched his focus. He was trying desperately to trust in God, yet with every passing second fear attempted to infiltrate his peace.

"Please, God, let them be ok." He mumbled repeatedly, as Tom began taking everybody's name down on a register - a routine protocol to check that every student of the camp was present and safe.

"Eliana?"

"Present!"

"Issac?"

"Yup."
"Ginny?"

There was a brief silence.

"Ginny Sykes?" Tom tried again, his voice tightening. Gavin cleared his throat, swallowing the rock hard lump that had formed there.

"She, uh, isn't here, Tom. I haven't seen her in ages. Actually, I haven't seen Libby, Matt or any of the other girls."

"Really?" Tom demanded. Gavin could tell that, despite his fight for the expression on his face to remain impassive for the sake of the campers, he was inwardly horrified.

"When was the last time you saw them?" He asked. Gavin hastily wracked his brain.

"Um, I think it was breakfast this morning. I haven't seen Gin all day. Matthew's missing too - but he was with me all day until the whole fire thing."

Tom slowly ran his hand over his face, letting out an almost inaudible sigh.

"Please, Jesus." Gavin heard him mutter, before he turned his attention back to him and offered him a hesitant smile.

"Keep praying for them. I'm going to have a word with the fire department."

Gavin nodded, yet the anxious expression in Tom's eyes hadn't done anything to quell the fear that was threatening to consume him.

"Dude, it'll be ok." Arthur told him, patting his shoulder reassuringly.

Gavin turned to him, feeling his resolve quickly crumpling.

"How do you know that? I know that Jesus is watching over them, but-"

"No, there's no buts. Jesus is. He will not let us down." Arthur cut him off, a sense of firmness in his voice. "Ginny, Matt and the girls will be fine. We have to have faith in dark times or why have faith at all? Trust in Him, Gav. Has Jesus ever let you down?"
Gavin stared at him as his words sunk into his mind. He was right. Suffering produced perseverance, perseverance produced character, and character produced hope. Jesus had never let him down - he had only ever let himself down. Would he really doubt God when he needed him the most?

No, Gavin resolved. He had the choice to let his heart be troubled. He had the choice to give in to panic and worry, or to trust in the One who had never let him down...

"Oh my gosh!"
"Is that Ruth?!"

Gavin whirled around and followed the wide-eyed gazes of his camp mates. Sure enough, five figures were emerging from the direction of the trees. They narrowly avoided the blazing mass of bark and leaves, scrambling across the boggy grass towards them.

"Thank you, Jesus!" Gavin gasped. He and Arthur, along with the majority of their camp mates, rushed over to meet the small group halfway. Ruth, Lillie and Brooke had soot splattered all over their clothes and faces, and Libby and Maisie were crouched over, pale-faced and wheezing - but they seemed uninjured.

"Are you ok?" Gavin demanded, gently grabbing hold of Libby's elbow and helping her to straighten up. "What happened? Where's Ginny?"

Libby let out a breathless cough, glancing desperately over her shoulder at the smouldering trees.

"I - I don't know... I thought she was just behind us..."

Gavin immediately swallowed down the spike of fear rising within him, setting his mind on God.

"God will look after her. We need to get you all to Tom."

He began steering Libby towards the direction of where Tom was still in conversation with the fire department staff, but she pulled harshly out of his grasp.

"No! I need to go and find her! Mum will kill me!"
"She's got Jesus. Come on." Arthur told her, appearing on her other side and claiming her other arm. Behind them, Gavin heard someone question Ruth about Matthew's whereabouts.

"What do you mean? Isn't he here with you?" She demanded in horror. "He must have come after us! Oh - I should never have told him where we were going! This was such a stupid idea!"

Gavin turned to see her glaring bitterly at Maisie.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Maisie gasped, sounding hurt. "You all decided to come with me! But I'm sorry. Ginny was right - we shouldn't have gone."

"Well, it's too late now, isn't it?" Ruth hissed.

"I'm sorry-"

"You should be!"

"Hey, guys! Cut it out!" Gavin interjected, fixing them both with a stern glare. "This isn't how God told us to deal with each other. It's no use pointing fingers at each other - we need to pray-"
The word had barely left his lips before the resounding sound of something snapping and then falling sliced through the air, followed by two screams.

"Ginny!" Gavin yelped, taking off towards the forest where a giant tree had just collapsed in a plume of thick grey smoke. He ignored the desperate shouts of his camp mates calling after him, knowing that he needed to reach Ginny and Matthew. Jesus would protect him. They needed him.

He clutched his hand over his mouth as he rushed into the wall of smoke, the smell of burning piercing his senses. He couldn't see anything. It was as if a dark sheet had been placed over his eyes.

God has not given me a spirit of fear. He chanted in his mind as he pushed through the mass of darkness. God has not given me a spirit of fear. God has not given me a spirit of-

"L-Libby?" A familiar voice spluttered. "Is that you?"

"No, it's Gavin!"

"Gav?"

"Oh my gosh - thank God!"

As Gavin squinted through the smoke, he clearly made out two figures making their ways uncertainly towards him, one considerably taller than the other.

"Matt! Ginny!" He exclaimed brightly. He wrapped his arms around Ginny's trembling form as soon as she was close enough, holding her close to him for a precious moment. Like the other girls, her hair was covered in soot and her shirt was splattered with dirt. 

She held tight to him for a brief moment before pulling away, gazing up at him in desperation.

"Did the others make it back to camp?"

"Is Ruth ok?" Matthew cut in swiftly.

Gavin took in his brother in Christ's dishevelled appearance and flashed him a small smile.

"They're all fine. Come on - we need to leave!"

He clasped hold of Ginny's arm, thanking Jesus for his friends' safety, and the three of them began to push through the smoke in the direction of the campsite. 

Guys... 

I am so sorry that this chapter took such a long time to write - once again, writer's block hit me!

I asked the Holy Spirit to help me write this... so here it is! 

All glory be to GOD Almighty!!

We're getting to the end of this book now... 

As usual, don't hesitate to leave votes and comments! 

God bless you all! Jesus loves you so much!!!!