Chapter 2: Sparking a Fire
1174 Words
The sun dipped below the horizon.
Night slowly began to blanket the earth.
"Whoosh!" A wave swept in, bringing with it a sea breeze.
Martin shivered suddenly.
Despite the scorching summer days, the seaside brought extreme temperature swings.
At night, the temperature was quite cold.
Martin glanced at Aimee, whose situation was no better than his.
Her clothes were thin, and her slender frame was almost curled up, shivering. Droplets of water dripped from her long hair, eliciting a sense of sympathy.
After a moment, Martin stood up.
Aimee saw Martin's movement and quickly looked over.
"Where are you going?" Aimee asked Martin, her cold voice tinged with a trace of anxious tremor, as if deeply afraid he might leave.
In fact, that was indeed the case.
On this unknown deserted island, it was just the two of them. If Aimee were left alone on this island, she would surely break down inside.
Although Martin had already been labeled as a shameless rogue in her mind, at least on this deserted island, he provided her with a sense of security.
Martin noticed the anxious tremor in Aimee's voice and offered a reassuring smile.
So, the ice queen does have moments of fear, he mused.
Martin felt a sense of relief, reminding himself that she was only human.
"I'm going to find some dry wood to start a fire, so we can be safer and warmer at night. Besides, you must be hungry. I'll find some food too," Martin said unhurriedly.
After speaking, Martin prepared to head towards the shore of the deserted island.
After all, the interior of the island was the only place to find dry wood for a fire.
Additionally, Martin needed to find a water source.
He couldn't find a flowing water source, but he had spotted some coconut trees near the beach earlier, the best natural water source.
"Wait!" Aimee called out to Martin just as he took a few steps.
Martin turned his head and looked at Aimee curiously, "What is it?"
Aimee hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and ran over to Martin, "I'll go with you. I can help a little."
Martin heard Aimee's words and secretly laughed to himself.
How could he not know Aimee's little thoughts? She must be afraid to stay here alone, which is why she said that.
However, Martin chose not to expose her and nodded at Aimee, "Alright, let's go together then."
Their shadows stretched long in the sunset's afterglow.
Before they knew it, night had fallen.
The night sky over the deserted island was dotted with stars, moonlight poured down, and waves rolled. Though desolate, the scenery was still breathtaking.
Yet, the hidden dangers beneath this picturesque scene remained unknown.
Martin and Aimee returned to the beach once more.
Martin found an open spot with a large rock and laid down the bundle of dry wood he was carrying. Aimee stood nearby, casually arching her eyebrows in curiosity as she watched Martin. "We don't have a source of fire. How are you going to start one?" To Aimee, this was a very serious and crucial question. Martin gave Aimee a speechless look. "Don't you know there's a method called fire by rubbing sticks?" "Oh? You can start a fire by rubbing sticks?" Aimee seemed doubtful. "Piece of cake!" Martin shot Aimee a confident look. Martin then crouched by the edge of the large rock and took out a bundle of dry, fluffy leaves from his clothes, rolling them into a ball resembling a makeshift bird's nest. Then, Martin picked up a piece of dry wood, fixing the rolled-up fluffy leaves onto it. Finally, he reached the most critical step, taking a thumb-thick, sturdy twig from the dry wood. One end of this twig had already been sharpened by Martin using a stone. The reason for sharpening it was to create greater friction, making it easier to start a fire. For others, starting a fire by rubbing sticks might be an incredibly difficult task. It might even be something they had only seen in books or movies. But for Martin, it was not a difficult task at all. Growing up in the countryside, he often used this method with his friends to roast fish and sweet potatoes. "Swish, swish, swish!" As Martin skillfully and forcefully rotated the sharp twig with both hands, the sound of friction filled the air. After a few minutes, wisps of smoke suddenly rose from the spot where Martin was creating friction. "It really worked!" Aimee, seeing the wisps of smoke rising, widened her eyes at Martin, her gaze showing newfound respect. Martin felt a bit proud of Aimee's newfound respect, stopped the friction, and carefully picked up the smoking fluffy leaves, gently blowing on them. A flame burst forth. He placed the flame onto the dry wood he had prepared earlier, and the fire grew larger, illuminating Martin and Aimee. The firelight brought them both a touch of warmth. Seeing the fire, Aimee seemed much more at ease, sitting down directly by the fire, her cold face revealing a smile at that moment. Martin, seeing Aimee's smile, was momentarily stunned. In his impression, the ice goddess had always been as cold as ice. Not only him, but many others also thought the same. Normally, it was difficult even to see the ice goddess smile, let alone meet her face-to-face. But now, the ice goddess was smiling warmly at him. A moment later, Martin's eyes involuntarily traced down Aimee's fair neck.Aimee's T-shirt, still wet from the seawater, clung to her body, accentuating her striking curves.
Her long, fair legs, casually stretched out beneath her snug shorts, looked even more enticing in the firelight.
Martin involuntarily swallowed hard at the sight.
After all, Martin was a young man full of vigor, and being inexperienced with such situations, it was natural for him to have some physiological reactions to such a scene.
However, Martin quickly averted his gaze.
If Aimee noticed this, the label of "shameless rogue" she had in her mind about him would definitely grow.
Martin maintained a straight face, pretending nothing had happened.
Aimee didn't catch on to Martin's unusual behavior. She suddenly looked at Martin, with a hint of apology on her face, her usual coldness softened a lot: "I misunderstood you earlier, that was my fault."
While searching for firewood earlier, Aimee had secretly observed Martin and found that he wasn't that kind of shameless rogue.
In other words, if he really were that kind of person, he could have taken advantage of her when she was unconscious.
"Also, thank you for saving me!" Aimee expressed her gratitude once more.
Martin knew exactly what Aimee meant, added some dry wood to the fire, and waved his hand at Aimee.
"It's nothing, we're classmates, we should help each other!" Martin replied with a generous smile.
In truth, he hadn't lost anything and didn't take it to heart.
"Classmates? Are you also from Hereward University?" Aimee asked in surprise upon hearing Martin's words.
- Writer
