20 SHADE OF FORBIDDEN TABOO

Episode 8

OLDER

SISTER

SHARES

SLEEPING

BAG.

Cold. I was so damn cold. I tossed and turned, trying to bundle myself up with my blanket in any way that would provide the most warmth. Unfortunately, I had zero luck. Wrapped up like a human burrito, I was still freezing.

The cold hard ground of the tent's floor sent chills down my spine. Ice cold night air crept around me and any part of my body not encompassed by the blanket froze. I was shivering, leaving my teeth chattering and bones shaking. I couldn't remember a time when I was ever that cold.

We were on our first family camping trip of the spring, sleeping in a large one-family tent. My parents and their two kids, my older sister Claire and I. Our family loved to camp and we made it a point to go right from the spring to autumn. We were seasoned campers, but for this trip, I had been unprepared. I was playing video games the previous morning and left packing until the last minute. In the rush I forgot my sleeping bag, leaving me in the freezing predicament I was in.

For a late spring camping trip, it was warm during the day, but got cold at night, sometimes creeping below freezing. Yet there I was in a sweater and pants, wrapped up in a thin extra blanket my mom packed for sitting next to the campfire.

I looked around the tent at my sleeping family and envied them. They were all fast asleep unaffected by the cold. We all had thermal sleeping bags that maintained warmth, so I was sure none of them even felt any signs of the cold. I was on the edge of the tent, Claire slept right next to me and then our parents were on the opposite side. "I'm so stupid," I thought to myself.

Nonetheless, there I was, trying to find any way to conserve any body heat with the blanket I was given, which proved to be an impossible task. The blanket was too thin and too small. I would feel the cold on a part of my body and shift to wrap it up in the blanket, only to leave another part exposed to the cold due to the blanket being too small.

It must have been a few hours into the night by the time Claire had had enough of my moving around. I guessed she wasn't as fast asleep as I thought she was

"Are you ever gonna stop moving? I can't f*****g sleep." She whispered, angrily.

"Sorry, I'm freezing to death here. This blanket is so thin," I responded, also whispering to not wake our parents.

I faced the wall of the tent, so Claire's voice came from behind me. I didn't bother turning to face her because I was scared to lose any heat if I moved.

"Maybe bring your sleeping bag next time."

"Ha ha..."

"Are you seriously that cold?"

"Yeah... Can't you hear my teeth chattering?"

"Just put on some more layers."

"I'm already wearing my sweater and pants. Any other clothing I would have to climb over Mom and Dad to get to my bag."

"Wow... You really are unprepared for everything."

"Okay... I don't need any more scolding."

"Well stop moving then. I can't sleep with you bumping into me or moving every ten seconds."

"I'll try not to... Night."

"Night.”