Safe Haven

Chapter Sixteen - Oliver

"Are you starting to warm up?" I asked gently, taking a seat on the long log we'd pulled to the campfire for Matilda's comfort. Her hands were outstretched towards the fire, the blanket sagging over her shoulders.

"Yeah. I guess I'm not really used to being in the cold," she mumbled back. It made sense. If Matilda had obeyed the curfew the community had set for most if not all of his time there, she wouldn't often have to experience the cold. Though, I did wonder idly about winters in the community, but I thought it would be best not to ask.

"Well, Ben's making some soup, so that'll probably help warm us up." As if on cue, Matilda's stomach grumbled angrily. I chuckled slightly, trying to make light of our terrible situation.

Soon, Cameron joined us on the other side of the fire, sitting close enough the light illuminated the entirety of his face. He was slender and had relatively deep cheekbones and thin lips. I got the impression that he hated me with his entire being, but I couldn't for the life of me understand what I'd done to annoy him so badly. He glanced up at me for a moment, then dropped his eyes upon seeing my stare.

"Could you not look at me like that? Thanks." He stated curtly.

"I'm just trying to understand how you got to be so ugly," I retorted.

"Oh, screw off, asshole." He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, looking a bit cold. He wasn't wearing a large jacket like Ben, Matilda and I, only his long-sleeved shirt. Without the sun warming the Earth, it was quite cold now, even with the fire blazing. I said nothing.

"Soup's ready," Ben said upon checking the can that had been tucked in a pile of hot coals. He grabbed the can using his jacket sleeve and set it on the ground in front of him. "I don't have any bowls in here, but I do have forks, so we'll probably just have to take turns with the can." I nodded. The situation wasn't ideal, but I guessed it could have been worse. Plus, I made it out and that's all that mattered.

"I'm starving," Matilda stated. Cameron nodded in agreement.

"Me too."

"Me three"

"Yeah, same."

"That's the first thing everyone's agreed on since we escaped." I marveled.

"No, everyone definitely agreed that you were annoying they just didn't verbally express it," Cameron said. My eyes narrowed for a moment, but my reply was cut off by Ben delivering the can of soup into my hands, which I'd also covered protectively with my sleeves.

"Eat some," he instructed firmly. "We don't have all night."

The four of us took turns eating the soup, and although one can split into four quarters wasn't nearly enough to fill us at all, we were relatively satisfied by the time we began to settle down.

"We can take turns keeping watch," Cameron stated. "I'll start."

Matilda was already laying on the ground, covered by the blanket. When Ben joined her on her right, she rolled over to face away from him. I got down on the ground, using the last little bit of the blanket to cover myself. It was a good thing that only three of us were sleeping at a time because that blanket was already too small for three of us.

Within moments of resting my head down onto my arm, I was asleep. Exhaustion was quick to pull me into quite possibly the deepest sleep I'd ever had. Despite being on the hard, cold ground of a forest, it was quite comfortable compared to walking all night and day. I could barely wake up when Cameron began to shake me for my shift of watching the site.

"Wake up, stupid!" He hissed. My eyes slowly opened, then opened quickly when Cameron delivered a kick, which, though not overly harsh, was enough to wake me up immediately. And realize that it hadn't been the first one he'd given me.