The Hut in the Fog

Beth and her brother Ted go for a walk in the mountains. The morning is sunny, so they take a small bag, a map and water. At two o’clock, a thick fog covers the path.

“I can’t see the signs,” says Ted. They walk slowly for an hour. They are cold and tired. Then they hear a bell, soft and far away.

They follow the sound and find a small wooden hut. The door is open. Inside, there are two beds, a stove and a warm blanket on each bed. On the table, a notebook is open.

“It is a visitors’ book,” Ted says. Many people write in it: thanks, dates and drawings of mountains. One page says: “The fog comes fast. Light the stove and wait.”

They light the stove and drink tea. At six o’clock, the fog goes away and the stars come out. A sign by the door says: “Ring twice when you are safe.” Beth pulls the rope two times. Far below, a light flashes twice.