Short Story: Being Brave is Scary Too

Shiloh sat straight up in her new bed. Her blue eyes were still heavy with sleep having stayed up late the night before to call her Auntie who lived on the other side of the country. The fan slowly waved good morning to her. She could hear the tip-tapping of Hattie the Dog outside her bedroom door, eager to greet Shiloh with a lick and a kiss. 

Shiloh slid herself off the lofted bed that Gaga had built her. “Mama! Mama, I’m awake now!” 

“Hi, Shiloh!” Mama peeked her head into the room. “Gaga made pancakes and bacon for your first day of camp!” 

“Oh, yay!” Shiloh, like her Gaga, loved bacon on a Monday morning. 

She rushed to the kitchen, not bothering to change out of her pj’s from the night before. “Bacon, Gaga!” Her dad smiled and slid a Shiloh-sized slice of bacon onto her plate. 

“Are you ready for the first day of camp, Shiloh?” Gaga smiled down at her, but she got quiet. 

“Shiloh?” Mama asked gently. “You ok?” 

“Mama, I am scared.” 

“Shiloh,” said Mama. “What did Auntie tell you last night? You can be both scared and what?”

Shiloh looked up, picked up the bacon on her plate, and said. “I can be both scared AND brave!” She puffed her chest out with pride and munched on the bacon slice. 

With breakfast over and the van all packed, Shiloh gave her dad a hug. “See you in a few days, my brave Shiloh!” 

“Love you, Gaga!” 

Mama buckled Shiloh into her seat, and they were on the road. Before getting to camp, they had to stop to pick up Hadley, Shiloh’s bestie. Shiloh and Hadley were going to the same camp for the week. 

Hadley’s mom buckled her into her seat. Shiloh noticed how quiet her bestie was being. 

“Hadley?” She was cautious to say the right thing. “Hadley, my Auntie told me last night that we can be both scared AND brave at the same time!” 

Hadley perked her head up and smiled wide. 

Monday was the first day of summer camp for Shiloh and Hadley. On the agenda for the two besties was a canoe ride around the lake. 

The pine trees grew thick all around the lake. The water licked the sand at the waterfront. Sail boats and row boats and canoes were all tethered to the dock. 

Shiloh dipped her toe in the murky water. It was cold. She shivered. She looked over at Hadley who had yet to feel the water. Hadley was still standing in the grass by the sand. Shiloh noticed again how quiet Hadley was. 

“Hadley,” Shiloh said. “Remember what my Auntie said?” 

Hadley shook her head. 

“You can be scared AND brave!” 

Shiloh took Hadley’s hand, and the two of them jumped feet first into the water right off the metal dock. As the cold water splashed on their faces, Shiloh looked over to see her bestie smiling and giggling. The two girls splished and splashed their way to the boats which would take them around the lake. 

Around the campfire that night, Shiloh thought of the wonderful moments she had on the first day of camp. What might tomorrow bring her? 

To the who-whooing of a barn owl, she fell asleep nestled on her top bunk in the cabin. 

On Tuesday, the second day of camp, Shiloh awoke to the sound of a bugle being played. The sky was a crystal clear blue, and the sun was bright. “Hadley! Let’s go! I smell bacon!” Shiloh shot out of bed, eager for a taste of home. But Hadley sat quiet on her bunk. 

“Bestie?” Shiloh said quietly. “You ok?” 

Hadley looked up with tears in her eyes. 

Shiloh said, taking her bestie’s hands in hers, “We can be both scared and brave.” 

Shiloh and Hadley skipped hand in hand to the dining hall. 

Later that day, they stood feeling small as ants staring up at a rock climbing wall. The wall was so high. Pieces of small rubber studs dotted the wall. The campers were challenged to grab onto each piece of rock and climb to the top. 

Shiloh didn't think she could do it. The wall was so high! What if she fell? What if she landed on the ground? What if she looked silly in front of her new friends? She was so scared! 

As the camp counselors strapped each camper into their harness, Shiloh felt something in her hand. It was Hadley! Hadley whispered to Shiloh, “We can be scared AND brave at the same time.” Shiloh felt a wave of relief and confidence. 

Both besties made it to the top of the climbing wall to ring the bell together. Shiloh closed her eyes and smiled. She wondered what new adventure she would find herself in tomorrow…

On the third day of camp, Shiloh woke up feeling very brave. She had already gone canoeing around a lake and climbed a very tall wall with her bestie. She stretched her arms way above her head, ready to face a new adventure. 

She looked out of the cabin window. Looking through the screen, the sky was dark. “It hadn’t been this dark yesterday morning,” she thought to herself. 

And then - 

BOOM!

The cabin in the woods shook with the force of the thunder clap. All ten girls in the cabin shrieked. Shiloh quickly jumped off of her top bunk and joined Hadley on the bottom bunk. Hadley was shaking with fear, zipped up tight in her sleeping bag. 

“Bestie, it’s ok!” Shiloh used the kindest, most bravest voice she could find. “Remember what Auntie said?” 

Hadley peeked her head out from the sleeping bag. Clutching the edge of the bag, she nodded at Shiloh and whispered very quietly, “You can be brave and scared at the same time.” 

Shiloh could barely hear Hadley’s whisper over another loud clang of thunder. 

“Come on,” Shiloh said to Hadley, pulling her by the hand out of the bag. “Let’s run really fast to the dining hall. I bet they’ll have more bacon!” Shiloh smiled at Hadley. “Plus, if we run, we won’t get as wet in the rain!” 

Shiloh was glad Hadley was willing to go to the dining hall with her. Deep inside, Shiloh was terrified of the thunder, too. But she held onto her Auntie’s words: You can be both scared AND brave at the same time. 

All outdoor activities were canceled for the day. Shiloh was relieved! She had only just learned how to be a strong swimmer. She did not want to try her new skills in a thunderstorm! 

The campers instead settled down in the craft shop at the top of the hill where they could watch the rain sweep its way across the lake water. Shiloh and Hadley made matching bestie cat’s eyes with string and popsicle sticks. They threw clay on a potter’s wheel, each camper making their own pinch pot. They looped string through a stick and poured wax to make a candle. 

By the evening, the rain had stopped. A cool breeze was blowing over the lake water. Trees were snuggling in for the night. And to the tune of the hooting owl, Shiloh thought of what adventures she would have with Hadley tomorrow as she fell fast asleep. 

Shiloh woke up on Thursday to a wispy fog being burnt off the lake water. This was a sign that today was going to be a scorcher! 

“Hadley!” Shiloh excitedly got out of bed, ready for what the day would bring. “Ready to go to the dining hall?” 

Hadley smiled up from her bottom bunk. “Yeah!” 

The two girls skipped arm in arm to the dining hall. The scent of bacon and eggs floated through the camp. 

“Good morning, girls!” Miss Connie greeted the two campers at their table. “Are we excited for our hike today?” 

“Yes, ma’am!” The girls shouted together. 

The campers all gathered at the waterfront, ready to hike into the woods. The trail was an in and out trail where the campers would hike to the mailing dock and back to camp again. It wasn’t an easy trail as it was filled with roots crawling out of the ground, tree branches waving in their faces, and the possibility of encountering all sorts of woodland creatures! Bears, snakes, spiders, and other scary friends lived in these woods. 

“Everyone has their water with them?” Miss Connie was doing a head count. “And do we all have close-toed shoes? Don’t forget the sunscreen! It is going to be a hot one today, but the trees will provide some nice shade.” 

A chorus of “Yes, Miss Connie” echoed through the group. 

“Remember to stay close to your buddy! We’re going to be walking about a mile, mile and a half into the woods to the mailing dock. Then we will have a little snack before hiking the mile, mile and a half back out. Watch out for bears, snakes, and spiders! And be careful you don’t trip on any roots!” 

When Miss Connie finished giving instructions, Hadley turned to Shiloh. The two girls locked their wide eyes. 

“Bears?” Shiloh whispered.

“Snakes?” Hadley’s voice shook. 

“And spiders?!” The two said together. 

“Deep breaths, Shiloh!” 

“Yeah, deep breaths, Hadley.” 

Hadley took Shiloh’s hand and said, “What did your Auntie tell you? We can be both scared AND brave!” 

Shiloh took a deep breath, nodded her head, and said, “That’s right. That’s what my Auntie told me. We can be both scared AND brave at the same time!” 

And with that, the two girls marched into the woods. They saw some wonderful things on the trail! They saw what they thought might be bear fur, but Miss Connie said it was most likely the camp dog shedding. They saw a ton of red lady bugs, heard a woodpecker knock, and even came across a harmless garter snake. 

The campers had strawberries and celery sticks with their water at the mailing dock before the whole gang trekked back to the camp. 

Around the campfire that evening, Shiloh and Hadley remembered all the wonderful adventures they had during the week. “Tomorrow, we go home,” Shiloh said with a bit of sadness in her voice. 

Hadley nodded. “But think of all the scary AND brave things we got to do together!” 

Shiloh agreed with Hadley. The two girls fell asleep in their bunks that night knowing it would be the last night of the hooting owl saying sleep tight. 

Friday was the last day of summer camp for Shiloh and Hadley. That afternoon, Mama and Gaga would be picking them up. Hadley would be dropped off at her house, and Shiloh would go back to her house. Even though this was the last day of camp, the girls woke up ready for their next adventure! 

A funky smell was coming from the lodge. Shiloh and Hadley scrunched up their noses. 

“Ick! What’s that?!” Shiloh pinched her nose. “I don’t like that stinky smell at all!” 

“Blech!” Hadley pinched her nose shut as the two girls climbed onto the lodge porch. The smell was coming from open plastic containers which sat neatly in a row on the railing 

“Worms!” The girls squealed at the same time. “So gross!” They jumped a step back. 

“This is our fish bait for the day!” Miss Connie was looping a very thin line around a hook that was attached to a fishing pole. “We’re going fishing today, campers!” Miss Connie exclaimed as the other campers began to line up on the lodge porch. 

“I don’t know about this, Shiloh.” Hadley looked like she might be sick. 

“They’re all squishy and wiggly.” Shiloh put her face to one of the containers and poked a worm with her finger. “Ick!” 

“Worms are so gross.” Hadley turned her head so she wouldn’t have to look at them wriggling. 

“But Hadley…,” Shiloh began. 

“I know, I know! We can be both scared AND brave!” Hadley took a deep breath. “Even if it means being brave about something that is so icky!” Shiloh giggled as Hadley scrunched her face up. 

Each camper was handed their own fishing pole, and each cabin was given their own container of worms. The campers marched down to the waterskiing dock. Miss Connie helped all the campers bait their hook with the worms. Hadley peered at the end of her hook with one eye closed, holding the pole as far away from her as she could reach. She took a deep breath. “I am scared AND brave at the same time,” she whispered to herself. 

“We got this.” Shiloh stood next to Hadley on the dock. “Count of three! One, two, three!” The girls cast their lines into the lake water. The end of the line made a plooping sound as it hit the surface, rippling water across the lake.  

Then, all of a sudden, Hadley called out, “I think I got a bite! I think I got a bite!” She placed her pole on the ground and jumped around the dock with glee. 

Miss Connie came running over. “You got to reel it in when they bite,” she explained. “Looks like in your excitement, they ate your bait but swam away!” Miss Connie chuckled at the honest mistake. 

Suddenly, Shiloh stood straight up and began reeling her hook in as fast as she could manage. “Like this, Miss Connie? I felt it tug and started to reel!” 

“Just like that, Shiloh!” 

Out of all the campers who went fishing, Shiloh caught the biggest fish of them all! Hadley watched as Miss Connie helped Shiloh gently take the fish off the hook to be released. 

“Alright, girls,” Miss Connie blew her whistle to get their attention. “Time to get packed up! Parents will be here shortly to pick you up.” 

As Shiloh and Hadley skipped back to their cabin to pack up their things, Hadley said, “I am so proud of us, Shiloh! We were scared this week, but we were also brave!” 

“You’re right, Hadley,” Shiloh said, linking her arm with Hadley’s. “We can be both scared AND brave.” 

When Mama and Gaga picked up Shiloh and Hadley, the two campers told all about the adventures of the week. “Auntie was right, Mama!” Shiloh smiled wide. “How many days until camp next year?!” 

Written by, Amy Harrison