Lost Protocol

Lost in the Woods

Guys...," she said weakly, her voice trembling. Her legs gave out as she stopped, almost collapsing.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked, stopping alongside her.

"I'm tired. I can't go on anymore," she confessed, her knees shaking with exhaustion.

"Same here," Carrie added, plopping down on the forest floor. "I can't even feel my legs."

Joe sighed heavily. "So what now? We're just going to sit here in the woods?"

"We don't really have a choice," Logan said, glancing around at the thickening shadows of the forest. "It's getting dark. Maybe we should camp here for the night."

"Yeah, I agree," Laura and Carrie echoed, nodding.

"But we don't have tents or anything," Joe pointed out. "How are we supposed to camp out here?"

"We'll make do with what we've got," Logan said, his eyes scanning the area. "The leaves around here are pretty big. We can use them to build something."

"I once watched a video on how to make a tent using leaves, twigs, and vines," Carrie chimed in.

"Well, Carrie," Joe said with a teasing smile, "looks like you're our tent expert. Care to show us how it's done?"

"Sure," Carrie replied, standing up, her fatigue momentarily forgotten.

"Great, let's get to work," Logan said, taking charge. "Joe, you're the strongest. Can you gather some sturdy twigs? Carrie, you and Laura can collect as many leaves as you can. I'll handle cutting the vines. Carrie, may I borrow your scissors?"

"Of course," she said, handing him the tool.

"Does anyone have any objections to their tasks?" Logan asked, looking around.

Everyone shook their heads in agreement.

"Alright, let's begin."

With their roles assigned, they set to work. Joe gathered up thick, sturdy twigs while the girls scoured the area for large leaves. Logan used the scissors to cut long vines for binding. With Carrie's guidance, they managed to construct a makeshift tent, simple but enough to keep them sheltered for the night.

"And finally," Carrie said, wiping the sweat from her brow, "we'll need more leaves to act as bedding. Everyone grab as many as you can."

The kids gathered leaves, laying them carefully in the makeshift tent until they had a somewhat comfortable place to rest. By now, darkness had fallen thick over the forest.

"We need a fire," Logan said, breaking the uneasy silence. "It'll get cold later, and it'll help keep wild animals away."

"How exactly are we supposed to make a fire out here?" Joe asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"The way early humans did," Logan replied confidently. "We've got dry wood and stones. There are two methods I know of-either by striking stones together or rubbing dry sticks."

"I saw that in a movie once," Laura added.

"Alright, let's give it a shot," Joe said. "Carrie, Laura, you two work on rubbing the sticks. Logan and I will try the stones."

"Sounds good," Logan agreed. "Joe and I will gather more wood, too. We'll need enough to keep the fire going all night."

With everyone on board, they set off to collect as much dry wood as they could find. They came back with armfuls, only to head out again, repeating the process over and over until Laura finally said, "I think this should be enough."