The system gave us three days to prepare. Ryker and I’s house was identical to Valerie’s. To cope with the upcoming extreme weather, I first bought insulating materials to wrap the house. Since our budget was limited, after purchasing essential cold–weather clothing and bedding, all the remaining money went into buying food and water. I wasn’t sure if these supplies would last a month.
After Valerie finished preparing her house, besides food and water and extreme weather gear, she also prepared a good amount of firewood for heating, medicines, and even books to pass the time.
Three evenings later, the cold front arrived as promised. Along with the wind and snow, the temperature plummeted. Ryker and I huddled under thick comforters, playing rock–paper–scissors on our makeshift heated bed to decide who would cook. Cooking meant getting up, and outside, water froze the moment it hit the ground. Inside, if you opened your mouth, your breath plumed in the air. Actually, no matter who lost, Ryker always ended up cooking. It wasn’t that his cooking was exceptional, but cooking required water, and that water was ice cold. He didn’t
want me to suffer.
At first, it was only minus twenty or thirty degrees, but then it got colder and colder, reaching extreme lows of minus fifty or sixty degrees. Our already limited firewood, burned day and night without interruption, quickly ran out. That night, our heated bed grew cold, and I woke up several times, shivering. Ryker used his body heat to warm my feet, but they were so cold they wouldn’t warm up.
“I’m so cold. Are we going to freeze to death?”
“No, you won’t. I’m here.” Ryker held my icy hands, tucking them into his chest. His body was so warm. I felt his abs and couldn’t help but slide my hand further in.
“Don’t move.” Ryker’s body stiffened, his breathing grew heavy, and a suspicious flush crept onto his face. I hugged him, pressing my face against his body.
