An unexpected Christmas Eve ✔ (Divergent Fourtris Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

It doesn't take long until I start to feel cold and my body starts trembling even under the many layers of clothing, now that I'm not longer moving to keep myself warm.

"You're cold?"

Four has obviously paid attention to me.

"Yes, cause we're just sitting here. It was okay while we were walking around outside, but now I feel like I'm freezing."

He holds my gaze for some seconds, and I can see him think. It's funny that he sometimes is so easy to read when there are other times when his words or actions don't make sense to me at all.

"Maybe we should go outside and collect some wood. I have waterproof matches and fire accelerant in my backpack, which should help us to light a fire even when the wood is cold and wet."

"Yes, let's do that. We can't go back to the train tracks during this storm anyway." I get up from my chair, and so does Four.

"Even if we could, I'm not sure if the trains are even running in this weather. We'll find out about that later, but for now we should start a fire and warm ourselves up."

I didn't think about the possibility that the trains would have to be stopped, but it's only reasonable.

The moment I step outside, a sharp blast of air blows right into my face, making it hard to breathe. The air is so cold that it hurts to let it into my lungs. I choose to ignore that and start gathering firewood. The faster we're done with that, the sooner we'll be sitting in front of a warm fire. The thought alone makes a shiver run down my back in anticipation of the warmth that's going to embrace me.

We have to dig into the snow to pick up branches that have already fallen to the ground. The cold of the frozen crystals on my skin causes a burning pain at first, until it is soon replaced by numbness.

"Do you know how to light a fire?" Four asks me after we've each dumped the second armful of wood next to the door.

"Yes, I think I can do that," I say, sounding more confident than I actually feel. I've watched the Factionless start a fire numerous times back when I was helping to bring supplies into their territory, I've just never done it myself before. But it can't be that hard.

"Okay, why don't you go inside and get it burning and I fetch some more wood. I don't think we'll be able to leave this place soon, and I'd prefer not having to go out again once I'm comfortably warm and dry."

"Yeah, sure," I say and pick up the same branches I've put down two minutes ago to carry them inside. I pile them up in front of the wall beside the fireplace, where it will eventually dry faster than in the hall once the fire is heating up the place. Right now it is so wet that it will be difficult to light it. I look around at the old pieces of furniture. There are four chairs around a table, and then there's another, smaller table in front of a green couch. In one corner there are two shelves, one stacked with some yellowed books, the other one empty. Maybe I could use that one to get the fire started.

I take out the toolbox we used earlier and look for the right screwdriver, then start to dismantle the shelf. I need to use some extra force to loosen the old screws, but it works. I use the smaller parts to build a pyramid with it and then tear a book apart to use its crumpled pages to light them first underneath the wood.

When I've set everything up, I walk over to our backpacks. Now that I grab Four's, I notice that it's much heavier than mine. Don't we have the same equipment inside? I can ask him about that later. What's most important is the fire. I rummage through his backpack until I find the matches and accelerator that he told me about between various supplies of food, tools, bags and boxes.