Read the story Lost in the Woods: I never thought departing the trail just a little would be a big deal. My parents had cautione
d me so many times about wandering off and how easy it is to get disoriented. But, I wasn't planning to go very far. In fact, I kept looking back to make sure I could retrace my steps. Looking back didn't work. All of the trees began to look the same, and nothing looked familiar. It wasn't until I finally decided to make my way back that I realized I was lost! I had gone much farther, and for much longer, than I had planned. The warmth that the sun had brought to the forest in the daytime was now quickly disappearing. My parents' warnings came racing through my head. What did they tell me to do if ever I got lost? Over and over they drilled into me, "The most important thing to remember is S.T.O.P.!" It's an acronym for sit, think, observe, and plan. I stopped, sat down on the forest floor, and pulled my knees in close. It was cooling off, and a light drizzle was dampening the forest. I was lonely and scared. I knew that to survive, I had to stay warm, and I needed to drink water. Before I got any wetter, I made a very crude lean-to from the nearby branches and foliage. I managed to collect a bunch of dry leaves for a mattress. It was dark now. I took off my T-shirt and wrapped it around my legs, pulled on my hoodie, and curled up on the bed of leaves. I couldn't sleep. It was a cold, dark, and spooky night, and I was hungry. It felt like forever before the dawn filtered through the trees the next day. I knew I had to remain calm and make my whereabouts known. My family would be searching for me. I pulled out the only tool I had brought with me, my voice! I began to yell as loudly as I could, "Help! I'm over here!" Soon, very faintly at first, I could hear voices. I knew it was the search party, so I kept yelling and then listening. They kept calling out my name, and I kept replying until we were together. My dad was holding me close when he reprimanded me, "Don't you know you were
