The Orienteering Race
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Imogen and Dax follow a misplaced trail marker during their school's orienteering race and have to find their way back before time runs out.
Imogen and Dax are partners for the school's orienteering race through the forest reserve. Each team gets a map and a list of five checkpoints to find. Teachers wait at each checkpoint, ready to stamp the card and offer quick words of encouragement. Whoever finishes fastest, with every checkpoint marked, wins the trophy.
At the third checkpoint, they follow a trail marker that turns out to be wrong. Another team probably kicked it sideways by accident. Imogen and Dax walk nearly a mile before Dax notices the trees don't match the map at all.
"We should turn back," Dax says, checking his watch nervously. Imogen agrees, though she hates losing the time. They retrace their steps carefully, watching for the real trail marker they missed.
When they find it, it's half-hidden under a fallen branch, exactly where the map says it should be. If they hurry now, they might still catch up to the other teams. Imogen breaks into a jog, and Dax follows right behind her.
They reach the fourth checkpoint just as another team leaves it. The two teams exchange a quick, friendly wave before splitting off in different directions. The fifth checkpoint sits at the top of a short, steep hill. Imogen's legs burn, but she keeps climbing, since stopping now would waste everything they've done.
At the finish line, they aren't first, but they aren't last either. Their teacher checks their checkpoint card and nods with approval. "Getting lost and finding your way back counts for something too," she says. Dax grins and admits he has never been so relieved to see a parking lot.
