Chapter 50
1019 Words
Everyone noticed the sudden change, and the previously warm atmosphere turned cold.
I looked very serious. "Everyone, make the fire burn brighter. Don't let the temperature drop inside the cave."
They quickly followed my command.
I put on my snow jacket and returned to the cave entrance, looking outside seriously. The temperature had been steadily dropping, but perhaps because the process was slow, and our warming measures were adequate, no one had felt the full impact yet.
If I hadn't seen it myself, I would find it hard to imagine such heavy snow. The wind and snow were relentless, the snowflakes drifting as if they were going to float to the ends of the earth and bury everything.
It felt like God was an unfeeling tyrant, howling with the wind, declaring its majesty with snow and cold, leaving all creatures to cower and tremble.
The ground quickly accumulated a thick layer of snow. Such deep snow undoubtedly made movement difficult. Even the simplest walk now required tremendous effort, each step consuming a lot of energy.
What was more dangerous was that, under the thick snow, everything looked the same. But one step could reveal hidden pitfalls, bottomless crevices, or fragile ice surfaces.
One moment you could be walking calmly through the snowfield, the next you could be buried in snow, unable to escape, ultimately meeting a tragic end.
I suddenly thought of the boat at the beach and quickly looked in that direction. Unsurprisingly, the coastline was also covered in snow, and our boat was likely buried under the snow. Our plan to sail away was ruined.
It wasn't our only problem. In such weather, finding food would be even more challenging. Although we had stored a lot of food earlier, we had consumed most of it while busy building the boat. The nightmare of scavenging for food was upon us again.
Eva's letter had warned me not to go deep into the forest, but it seemed I would have to ignore her warning.
"This is so beautiful!" The girls lit the bonfire and ran to my side to look outside. "Such heavy snow!"
From the tone of Zoe, Susie, and Stella, it was clear they hadn't realized the danger of this severe weather. Especially Stella, who foolishly walked into the snow, wanting to play in it. I quickly pulled her back. Only Mandy and Crystal looked a bit scared, obviously realizing the danger. "Aren't we stranded on a tropical island? How could it snow so heavily here?"
Recently, the cold weather had seemed incredible, but we could still come up with some far-fetched scientific explanations, like the influence of cold currents or cold waves, or some rare geographical phenomena. But now, it was snowing heavily!
I sighed and said to the other girls, "The snow has indeed delayed our plans. But it's okay, as long as we get through this storm, we can leave. Everyone, stay optimistic."
These words were for the other girls and for Mandy and Crystal. We must never lose hope. I knew that even if we all kept hope and worked hard, survival was not guaranteed. But if we gave up hope and abandoned everything, we would surely meet our end. Even if the chance was slim, we had to fight. What if we survived?
"Zack, you are right. I will follow your command!" Crystal playfully saluted, showing her support for me.
After spending some time together, I understood why Crystal, despite her lack of skills, managed to climb to a leadership position in the workplace. This woman was truly unrestrained and knew how to flatter. Every day, she would find a way to ingratiate herself with me. Even if I simply chopped some wood, she would shower me with praise.
Susie, realizing our precarious situation and feeling she couldn't match Crystal's sweet talk, feared being left behind. She immediately approached me and said, "Zack, don't worry. I'll follow your orders. Please don't abandon me..." Her voice was choked with tears, and she frantically looked for something to do in the cave, afraid of being seen as useless.
Seeing this, Crystal redoubled her efforts, coming over to me and acting coquettishly. The other girls, especially Zoe who had just confessed her feelings to me, were furious but unwilling to give in. So, they also came over, showing concern for me.
Stella was angry, but seeing all the other girls fawning over me, she felt uncomfortable and joined in. However, this clumsy girl spilled hot water on my pants while trying to pour me a cup, almost scalding my genitals. I couldn't tell if she did it on purpose!
I finally managed to end the commotion and began discussing serious matters. "We need to go out and look for food today, but the weather is too cold. I'll go alone," I said, frowning.
Although we had animal hides for warmth, in such extreme weather, their effectiveness was limited. Only the snow jacket, combined with the animal hides underneath, might withstand the coldness.
Before setting out, I gathered some branches from the firewood pile and asked Crystal to bring me some ropes. The girls looked at me with puzzled expressions.
"I'm going to make a magical device to deal with the weather!" I said jokingly.
Stella snorted beside me. "You're always acting mysterious. A magical device? You've watched too many movies. So childish!"
I was used to Stella mocks and hadn't thought much about it before. But now... I suddenly reconsidered. Could she be trying to get my attention? It reminded me of when I was in elementary school. I liked the girl with long hair who sat in front of me, and I would tease her every chance I got, even pulling her hair. Once, I accidentally made her cry. Thinking about this...
"Stella, could it be that you have a crush on me?" I voiced my thoughts.
I expected Stella to get angry and hit me. To my surprise, she blushed and avoided my gaze, looking exactly like Zoe did earlier. After a long pause, she stammered, "You... You are so full of yourself!"
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