You’re losing it, that’s all, he thought to himself. You’re going mad out here.

Tom walked off the path and though a gap between two gorse bushes, heading towards Tim. The boy had his back to him, still staring at the thing in his hands, and Tom was about to call his name when he saw a glint of light bounce off whatever Tim was holding. Tim twisted it one way and then the other and the glare of light winked off its surface like a signal. Tom squinted. The thing was too small to be a water bottle.

He took another couple of steps forward across the grass. Now he could see down into the dip. Tim was standing on the bank of what looked more like a large stream than a river. As Tom watched he crouched down by the water again, lowering his hands to the surface.

Tom took another step forward and a stick snapped beneath his boot.

Tim jumped up and whirled round, almost losing his balance. His left hand shot inside his front coat pocket and he looked at Tom with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. For a second they stared at each other, and then Tim let out a shaky laugh and shook his head.

‘Jesus Tom, you made me jump.’

Tom looked back at him without saying anything. He noticed Tim’s hand was still inside his coat pocket. The boy’s greasy dark hair was plastered down over his pale forehead, and his light brown eyes stared out from twin hollows in his face. Tom thought he looked ill.

‘Yeah, you really jumped there,’ he said. He saw the way Tim was looking at him and forced himself to smile. ‘I guess we’re all a bit jumpy at the moment.’

Tim nodded and smiled back. It looked incredibly forced to Tom, the type of smile teachers sometimes put on when they were trying not to scream at you.

‘What are you doing out here, anyway?’ Tom asked. He tried to keep the question light and casual.

Tim stared back at him for a moment, then looked at the ground. ‘Just came down to fill up my bottle,’ he said. ‘I’m running low on water.’

‘Ah yeah, I remember you saying.’ Tom held up the tube of his CamelBak and waved it at Tim. ‘I’ll come and join you if that’s alright.’

He walked steadily down the bank. He kept his eyes on the ground as he moved, being careful where he was putting his feet, and he could feel Tim’s eyes on him the whole time. When he reached the bank he looked up and smiled at Tim again. He smiled despite the gnawing in his stomach, which was suddenly so bad it was starting to make him feel sick. Tom went to take his pack off and then paused.