{4 one sock she slid it over her cold white toes, and she did the same with the other sock. She wiggled her toes inside them. Shar rocked herself forward onto her feet and pulled herself up. She turned around and looked at the street light, then the gate. “There’s got to be somebody out there right now,” she said. “Blackie wouldn’t have barked. Well, I’m going out there right now and get my sleeping bag.” “Your sleeping bag’s right next to mine.” Jodie again was awake. “Are you having a bad nightmare? Or are you talking in your sleep?” She sat up with her bag around her shoulders: Her short brown hair was tangled and matted. “Listen, Jodie, somebody stole my sleeping bag. It just isn’t here. Now don’t go and yell something; just be quiet. If anybody finds out they’ll all be screaming and I don’t want mom or dad to find out.” She squatted down next to Jodie. Jodie looked to the spot where the sleeping bag had been. “Tt’s gone, Shar. Your sleeping bag’s gone. Somebody stole it.’”’ She was almost screaming. “Jodie, we’ll have to go out and get it. Maybe they just slid it under the fence and left it on the grass,” Shar said calmly. “They? They who?” Jodie asked. “Well, you know. Whoever took it. Let‘s go see. Will you come with me?” Shar said losing her calmness. “Well, I don’t know. I’m kind of scared,’ Jodie said. She sat for a moment huddled in the soft dawn of gray. “Okay, I'll go. But you have to go out first.” “Okay. Let’s go. Be quiet though.”’ Shar whispered. She stood up and then bent over from her waist to help Jodie with her zipper of her sleeping bag. She took hold of the metal prong and pulled it down about half the length of the sleeping bag. Jodie flipped back the top covering which sent a gust of dust from inside of the bag into Shar’s face. It smelled like an old rusty attic and the dust that got into Shar’s mouth and down her throat tasted like a piece of old candy that had been in an old wool pocket. Jodie slid herself out of her sleeping bag on her legs and bent her knees toward her. She gave a shove and pulled herself up onto her feet. She was about four inches taller than Shar and had short brown hair. she followed Shar over to the gate where she suddenly stopped. “Shar, I’m scared,’ Jodie whispered. Shar’s fingers closed over the metal door knob to the unknown blackness on the other side. She turned it to the left and gave a hard push. The door flew open and revealed the dark back lawn with the big hedge around the entire backyard. And there was next to the fence on the grass Shar’s sleeping bag. They silently tip-toed over to the sleeping bag. They were about two feet away when Shar, in one quick movement, stepped forward and grabbed the end flap. She folded it back. There inside was her dog, Blackie. Jodie gave a little jump and then fell on her knees and began to pet and hug Blackie. Shar began to laugh silently. _ Together they picked the sleeping bag up and carried it into the patio. They laid it down between the fence and Jodie’s sleeping bag. 28 Shar stood with two feet in her sleeping bag. She stooped down and sat on her pillow. She opened the flap wider and slid her body down inside of it. She laid her head down on the pillow and pulled the top flap up over her head. “This time I suggest that you stay in your sleeping bag.” Shar heard Jodie say: “It will be harder for them or whatever it is to pull it. It takes longer, too and maybe one of us will hear you. Then we can get you back. Are you listening Shar?” Shar just lay there in the darkness of her sleeping bag, unable to go to sleep because fast now. ae Was quiet. of the excitement. Her heart was pounding but not as Then she heard Jodie get inside of her bag and then everyquiet. She turned over to get comfortable and then she was THE GAME Tip it, tip it dribble, dribble closer, closer watch him pass it dribble, dribble shoot it, shoot it tenson mounts. Foul! Tip it, tip it dribble, dribble heart pounds faster, faster speed builds Made it! Score is tied dribble, dribble screams and yells hold the bleacher shoot it, shoot it time is passing Point! Dribble, dribble pass it, pass it time is idle idle, idle nails dig deeper, deeper Time! Diane 29 Donoviel