Chapter 162

• The wheel of the old metal encased lighter turned like the wheel of Fate determining our fortune. I watched as the first sparks flew about and then the weak flame appeared in the October night. I sobbed as I held it to the dry tender willing it catch fire. Slowly the flame crept among the leaves growing stronger and brighter. I fed more leaves for the flame to consume as it built and started to smoke.
• I willed myself to leave and scramble for another load of precious straws and leaves. Then another and another. I told Gayle to strip out of her wet clothes as I made another run to the bank. Now I picked up small dried twigs to feed to the fire. When I returned to throw them on the fire I noticed Gayle had not complied with my order.
• Again I told her to undress as I went back for another armload of leaves to persuade the fire to escalate to the ignition point of the wood I had placed on it. As I dumped the leaves on the fire and it smoldered momentarily. I angrily shook her and told her to get out of her fucking wet clothes before she died.