The fire was nice and big. It had been a while since anything burned in that fireplace. Odd rubbed his hands and held them up close enough to get heated. With no heater or warm weather, the air in the house became cold. The sky grew darker as the group of cold friends sat and remained quiet.
    

     “So,” Odd broke the silence. “Talk about an adventure. What suspense!”
    

     “I'll say,” Ulrich breathed into his hands trying to keep warm.
    

     “'Suspense' is right,” Yumi agreed as she wrapped herself in her blanket.
    

     “I don't think I want to do that again,” Aelita shook her head.
    

     “Agreed,” William nodded.
    

     After that sentence, silence was again fell over the room. The sound of thunder cracked through the air outside. A flash of lightning filled the small room and reflected on the groups' faces. After the noise died they could hear the sound of the fire crackling and the wood burning. The rest of the room remained dark, with large shadows cast on the wall.
    

     Odd shivered. “I never realized how creepy this place is at night.”
    

     “Well, get used to it, Odd,” Ulrich said. “We might be here for a long time.”
    

     “That's what I was afraid of,” Aelita sighed.
    

     “There must be some explanation for this strange insanity,” William suggested.
     “Well, there is a reason for everything,” Jeremy said. “But, this time I'm not sure.”
    

     “Terrific,” Yumi said sarcastically. “No Xana, no virus, what is this?”
    

     “Man,” Odd groaned. “This is giving me a headache.”
    

     “That doesn't take much,” Ulrich laughed. “One math problem could do that.”
    

     “Now my eyes hurt, probably because I've been looking at Ulrich all day!”
    

     “Hey!”
    

     “Not now,” Aelita sighed. “Could you guys chill?”
    

     “Eh, sure. Anything for you, princess,” Odd smiled.
    

     “Kiss up,” Ulrich whispered.
    

     “This might be a long week,” Yumi rubbed her forehead.
    

     “Or just a long night,” William pointed out.
    

     “True.”
    

     “Either way,” Ulrich sighed. “It's going to be long.”
    

     Thunder burst through the clouds and everyone stopped in their positions.
    

     “That must have been right over our heads,” Odd shivered.
    

     “Well, it only took seven seconds for the thunder to sound after the lightning, I'd say it was about a quarter of a mile away,” Jeremy said.
    

     “You know Jeremy,” Odd sighed.
    

     “What?” Jeremy waited.
    

     “You'll always be the little nerd inside.”
    

     “...Uh, thanks? I appreciate that, Odd. I really do,” Jeremy shook his head. The fire light made his hair seem more blond than it really was. Aelita sighed.
    

     “You alright?” Jeremy looked up at her.
    

     “Y-yes,” she stuttered. “I'm fine, Jeremy. Honest.”
    

     “Ok, if you say so, Aelita.”
    

     “I'm hungry,” Odd slightly shouted.
    

     “There's a shock,” Ulrich mumbled. “So? Eat something, Odd.”
    

     “I didn't know if we could...”
    

     “Eh, sure,” Jeremy said. “Make yourself a sandwich or something.”
    

     “Yeah,” Yumi agreed. “Remember that we don't have any electricity, so it can't be anything you have to heat up.”
    

     “Unless you heat it over the fire,” William suggested.
    

     “PB&J sounds pretty good to me,” Odd laughed and grabbed the food bag.
    

     Aelita laughed and stopped to hear her stomach growl. “Hey Odd, how about making me one as well?”
    

     “Sure thing, Princess.”
    

     “Sounds good, actually,” Yumi said staring at the fire.
    

     “I'll make you one, Yumi,” Ulrich smiled.
    

     “Uh, thank you, Ulrich.”
    

     In a matter of minutes, everyone was eating a PB&J sandwich. The rain continued to thump against the windows heavily and the lightning flashed across the sky at least every five minutes. It wasn't too long before everyone became tired, the sound of raindrops bashing the house still remained just as loud. Odd began rolling out his sleeping bag, everyone else followed and did the same.
    

     “Well,” Odd said, pulling Kiwi out of his back-pack. “Looks like a it's going to be a long night.”
    

     “Yep,” Ulrich sighed.
    

     “The least we could do is get some sleep,” William told them.
    

     “True,” Jeremy agreed.
    

     The girls slept on the opposite side of the guys, a little bit closer to the fire, the boys were generous.
    

     “Well,” Aelita said. “Good night, boys.”
    

     “Good night, Princess,” Odd laughed.
    

     “Good night.” Everyone said it almost all at once.
    

     With those last words, Jeremy turned out the lights and everyone fell fast asleep.