I shivered in my huge wool coat. The train's walls were supposed to keep out the frigid outside air, but didn't do a great job. The seats weren't cushioned, and the economy cabin was stuffed with tired and grumpy citizens. As much as I was freezing, Amber seemed to radiate heat. I huddled next to my twin sister for warmth. There were no windows in the train, but I knew it would be snowing outside. It nearly always was. I looked up at my sister, noticing her mournful face.

"Hey, second place isn't that bad," I consoled.

"Alek, you don't know anything about archery, I screwed up, big time," she replied sullenly. She was shivering as well, even though her coat was thicker and her muscular body retained heat better than my beanpole figure. I was cold all the time, which wasn't a great adaptation to have in this climate.

"You're right, I don't understand. Everyone is saying you did amazing, what's so bad about silver?" I asked, trying to cheer her up. If she was grumpy, I was grumpy. Maybe it was a twin thing, but I always felt happier when she was smiling.

"Alek, I've had near perfect scores all this season, and now, representing our capitol city, I miss on the final shot and lose to our rival. How is that okay?" She pouted.

"It's not your fault, no one expected you to get this far anyways. You know as well as I do that Arcadia couldn't send that many archers this time, and two people didn't even make it past the qualifier." I smiled at her and pulled her closer, blowing her silver hair out of my face. Our hair colors were nearly identical, although mine shone less in the light. Hers glowed like strands of silver dangling from a headpiece, and fell to her shoulders, mine dangling near my neck.

She sighed. "I know Alek... It's just... I expected better of myself. I mean, the season's over, so I can't do any better."

"Hey," I started, "at least you have next year, and kick boxing season is starting up again, so there's that to look forward to."

"I know, I guess I'm just tired," she responded.

"So you admit it!" I grinned triumphantly.

She groaned and pushed me away. "You're mean," she stated, but her voice was filled with laughter.

"No," I protested, "Amber, come closer, it's cold!" I tried to grab her again, but she laughed and scooted towards the isle. I finally got up next to her, pulling her back to me along with her warmth.

After a few seconds, she spoke again. "Doesn't it seem more cold than normal?"

I nodded. We had been taking the train everywhere for the past week while she participated in tournaments in the surrounding area. Usually we were fine in our thickly lined coats, fuzzy socks and warm pants, but today the air was frigid. A few hundred years ago, autumn supposedly used to be above freezing temperatures, and people could grow crops out in the open air. In this day and age, that was completely false.

She leaned over, resting her head against my shoulder. Her hand barely brushed my own. Everyone on the train was tired and grumpy, anxious to arrive at our capital. 

I heard the people behind me giggle and laugh. There were some kids behind us, they were probably just fooling around. I felt a bump of the back of my seat and frowned. I didn't want to deal with annoying kids the rest of the way home. 

Amber gripped my hand. The reassurance was comforting. 

I felt a bump to the back of my head, and then a gasp. I swiftly turned around and glared at the kids. Once was holding a bright red ball with a guilty look. 

"Oh my lord! I'm so sorry for these brats," a woman exclaimed, most likely their mother. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "I'm alright."

"Are you sure? Timothy has a fierce throwing arm," she mumbled, concerned. 

I rubbed the back of my head. "It only hurt a little," I lied. Amber suppressed a grin. 

"Well, again, I'm so sorry," she insisted, taking the ball away from the little boy, who I assume was Timothy. The girl next to him was trying not to laugh. 

I turned back around, leaning back in my seat. I looked over to Amber, who had let go of my hand. 

"Thanks for the save," I whispered. 

She smiled back, not saying another word. Really, she shouldn't be protecting me in public, but that throw was hard. I was very pleased that I didn't have a large bump right now. I leaned against the back of the seat and tried to relax again. 

I heard the train slowing down. I looked to Amber, both of us confused. It should've taken us at least 20 more minutes to reach Arcadia. We huddled closer to each other, but the train didn't stop. It kept going slowly. The rest of the passengers looked just as confused as us, but no one said a word. They just looked at their friends and family and shrugged.

She looked at me, scared. "Alek... what if the church is stopping us to take me away?"

I shook my head. "Amber, I told you, there's no way they could know."

She gulped and pulled our coats around us, muffling our conversation. "I'm scared," she admitted softly. "Maybe I'm just tired and paranoid, but the church has been hunting more actively. They..."

I looked at her in the dark of our makeshift sanctuary. "They what?" I asked. Her dark, near black eyes wouldn't reach my gaze.

She took a shaky breath of air. "They came into my class last Friday..."

"What?"

"It wasn't for me specifically or anything... but they were explaining things... ways to recognize a witch, how to report them, that sort of thing," she whispered.

"Amber, why didn't you tell mother and father? Or me!" I exclaimed quietly.

"Because I didn't want you to freak out like you are now!" she responded.

She made a little gap in our coat tent and let some cold air in. Our breath was making the cave unbearably hot and moist. After a few seconds she sealed it again. "I wasn't going to tell you, except... I'm getting more worried. People are more suspicious, blaming innocent people of witchcraft. A couple weeks ago someone fell on top of me, I don't think they noticed, but they fell on a nail as well."

I breathed out, my heart racing. "Have they said anything about it?"

She shook her head. "I really don't think they noticed. I mean, if they were hurt they might, but an absence of a wound, that's a little different. People don't notice things that are missing as often."

I closed my eyes, grateful. My twin sister Amber was my closest friend and my family. If I lost her... I don't know what would happen to me. We've been together for our whole lives, nothing separated us for long.

When she was a young child, she developed a strange ability. When our mother was trapped outside the house with her and me one day, holding us in her arms, me and my mother didn't freeze like you'd expect. Amber was the only one affected. Eventually she got us into a neighbor's house and got us warm, but Amber was the only one that was cold. Strange things kept happening over the next years. Whenever Amber was with someone, they somehow avoided accidents or any harm. We eventually discovered that whoever has touching her was impossible to harm. Unfortunately, the ability didn't extend to herself.

It wasn't a problem until a few years ago. Back when we started high school, the church started a new campaign, to catch witches with 'impossible powers'. We knew Amber would be targeted, so she hid her powers as best as possible. They haven't been too successful, finding only a few witches here and there, but they've been gaining momentum over the past months.

"Amber, everything will be okay, I promise," I said as I hugged her closer. Maybe her shivering wasn't from the cold, but all I could do was be there for her. It didn't hurt that she was warm and comfortable. I must have dozed off because before I knew it we were stopping.

"We're here." She nudged me.

"I fell asleep?" I half asked, half stated.

She laughed a little, in much better spirits. I stretched my stiff arms as the people around us began to get up. We were all tired from the ride, which seemed to be very late. As we grabbed our bags and stepped off the train, Amber explained to me why the train slowed down.

"Apparently," she started, "The cold got into the engine room because of a faulty insulation installation, or that's what I heard. They had to slow down the train to preserve heat, or something. I didn't really understand everything the guy was saying. Do you have your gloves?"

"Yeah, they're in my pocket," I replied, taking them out and waving them in her face. Amber has always been protective of me. She was always stronger, taller, faster, and she had that weird ability. The ability went hand and hand with her nature, to care for others before herself, especially me. Our mother called her altruistic, meaning selfless and generous. I guess over the years it stuck, and we've been calling her ability altruism. It suits it, and helps us to hide talking about it in public.

As we neared the exit we helped each other zip up. Out in the open air it was usually under zero, especially during the months close to winter. It was vital for everyone to be completely covered before they went outside, and we couldn't be outside for long. Frostbite was dangerous, and many people lost fingers and toes to the cold. Amber helped me position my goggles and zip up my jacket, and I helped her put on her gloves. It was a dual effort every time we went outside, and I'm just grateful we were usually together.

Fully sealed up, we finally stepped into the open air. As usual, it didn't seem cold for the first few seconds. It took the air a few minutes to break through the thick leather jackets we wore.

The train station stopped right outside the city, but we still rushed to get in the gates. No longer able to communicate by talking, Amber and I had developed a sort of hand-arm communication over the years. It was very simple, as our finger movements were bogged down by thick gloves, but it worked very well. She pointed out the road we'd walk to get home, and we started to lightly jog. It was important not to work up a sweat outside, as that could lead to frostbite.

I admired the city as much as I could through my foggy goggles. It truly was a wonder of engineering. From above, the city looked like a giant farmland with straight cracks everywhere. One might assume that the whole city was underground, but it was built above ground, with farms built on top of all the houses. It was a strange idea originally thought of by Saint Jeremy around 300 years ago, and cultivated by him and the church. The houses below the farms were in charge of keeping the furnace running at all times, thus heating the ground above the house and providing a suitable climate for root vegetables to grow. It eventually was appended with many other, more complicated mechanics for ideal growth, but the basic concept stayed the same.

Although most living areas were above ground, after the temperatures plummeted even further, many things were moved underground, like the animals we raise for food, or wealthy people who can't deal with the cold. I've only been underground a few times, once during elementary school to see the irrigation system and a few trips to see a movie for a special occasion.

Amber and I turned right very sharply, making the final stretch to reach our home. Our parents were supposed to be there when we arrived, but they worked so often it was hard to know for sure.

We quickly went in the first door which was unlocked, as usual. It was too difficult to use a key out in the cold. Closing the door quickly behind us, we waited a while for the temperature to adjust. I pulled off my mask and Amber did the same, leaving our cold clothes on the floor.

The little room that was in nearly every home was an essential to live comfortably. I called it a foyer (pronounced foi-yay for some reason), but my mother always told me that a real foyer was much different. It was lined with thick insulation and wood, and stored all of our cold winter gear.

"Do you think I should tell mother and father?" asked Amber suddenly.

"About what?" I responded.

"About the witch thing in school, what else?" she replied, exasperated.

I thought for a second. "I don't know, I guess it's your choice."

She nodded, still conflicted.

"But," I went on, "If I were your parents, I'd want to know."

She sighed. "That's what I thought you would say. C'mon," she said, hanging up the last of her outer-wear. "Let's go in."

As we entered the inner door of the foyer our parents greeted us with open arms. We all hugged for a few seconds, a fuzzy entanglement of soft underclothes and gangly limbs.

As we stepped apart I looked at my parents. They were both smiling so proudly, and were relieved to see us home safely. My mother looked like me, sort of short, skinny and with sharp features. Her hair was blonde, unlike my father's nearly pure white hair. He resembled Amber more closely, with a softer nose and freckles. They smiled and led us into the kitchen.

Our house was tall and skinny, located in a middle-class area of the city. The floors weren't big, but we had three stories. The first floor contained the kitchen and dining room and a small living area. It was all open with no interior walls. I liked the first floor because it had the furnace in it, making it the warmest room in the house.

The second floor had the main bathroom and the family room. The radio was located there, as well as some board games and old toys. Amber's desk was in a small nook, but my mother's office was in a separate room. I didn't go in there often, but I knew it had a large desk and lots of books. She was an elementary school teacher, and knew a lot about many different subjects. It's from her books that I learned most of what I knew about history and Saint Jeremy. Regular schooling didn't teach the details about his inventions, and the church's records were sealed to low scholars and non-clergy. My scholarly interests were vast, and wouldn't be possible without my mother.

On the third floor were out bedrooms. My parents slept together, and with their own bathroom too. That was a luxury we all were grateful for each day. Irrigation systems were expensive to install, but the previous owners of the house did it for us. Me and Amber also had separate rooms, although they were very small. They were originally one big room, but we built a wall in the middle. My room was slightly smaller, but I didn't mind. All I had was a desk, a dresser and my bed. Other than the fact that my room was a mess of papers, borrowed books and blueprints it was well suited to my needs.

My father had made us dinner, and it was already sitting out on the table. The meal was still steaming, even though our train had been late.

"We heard when the train arrived, the horn went off a couple times," explained my mother as we sat down to eat. My father was an excellent cook, he had made us stew with meat in it, a fairly deluxe meal for such a small occasion.

"Amber, why don't you lead us in prayer tonight?" suggested my mother, although it was more of a command.

Amber nodded quietly. She took a deep breath. "Lord, thank you for this bountiful meal, and the chance to enjoy it together with family. Thank you for delivering us home safely to warmth and home. We are forever in your debt, Amen."

"Amen," we all replied, practiced from years of repetition.

The food was delicious. Meat was a delicacy we didn't get to enjoy very often. It wasn't as expensive as fruit, but it wasn't a food we bought every day.

"Um... mother? Father?" started Amber, looking up from her stew.

"What is it honey?" asked our mother, a hint of concern on her face.

"Well, last Friday, before break, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry, and well, I hope you don't worry now because I know it's really scary but I think everything will be okay—"

"It's okay sapling, tell us what's going on," urged our father.

I shrunk back in my chair as Amber explained everything. Just thinking about my sister being captured, tortured, killed, for an ability she didn't ask for, was... horrifying. It wasn't even an ability to do harm, its sole purpose was to protect people. Why the church should harm her for something like that was beyond me. Yes, it was unnatural, but it wasn't bad.

My sister was my only friend. I don't really get along with people at school, even the shy kids like me who enjoy mathematics and history. Not many people are kind like my sister, and nerds usually have weird inferiority complexes that make them unfriendly to anyone smarter. So it's truthful to say I don't have any friends beside my sister. It doesn't bother me, not really. I prefer to spend my time pursuing more intellectual endeavors anyways. Sometimes I feel lonely, but it's nothing I can't handle.

I got up from the table and went up two flights of stairs to my room. All Amber's talk of church interrogations and witch hunts were scaring me.

I fell on top of my frail bed violently, nearly hitting the wooden frame. A few pieces of paper flew up into the air dramatically, and while I liked the flair, it was going to be a pain to find them later. I lied on my back, staring at my ceiling. There was nothing special about it, just a plain ceiling. I mean, the farm was pretty much right above it, so that was kind of cool.

I looked around at the rest of my room. Researching engineering was a hobby of mine, so the walls were plastered with blueprints and drafts and half cooked designs. I don't think anyone has ever seen them except my sister, and she wouldn't understand it anyways. I was sort of proud of them, and it kind of disappointed that no one else would see them, but it didn't bother me too much.

I let out a long exhale and turned out the lights. It was never good to use electricity when the sun had set, because the power was limited during the night. It could effect other essential devices. Solar power was amazing, but sometimes it could get irritating.

I started to think of the train. It was really strange how it slowed down in the middle of the journey. Amber said it was something about heat loss, but that didn't make sense, as the insulation developed over the past century is excellent at keeping heat inside and the cold out. Perhaps there was a hole in the exterior?

My mind leapt at the chance to think of anything except Amber. The train usually didn't break down like that. It had to be something strange that happened, like a lack of coal, or perhaps a faulty insulation installation. That wouldn't make sense though, because it would've been found earlier, it wasn't like it was a brand new train on its first trip. It was a mystery. Maybe next time Amber had a competition he could ask someone at the station, or maybe he would hear about it in the paper.

In the meantime, my mind began to wander off, reliving the day and preparing for tomorrow morning. The first day back to school after fall break. It had been a week-long competition for Amber and me, but the other students had enjoyed a week-long resting period. My mother tells us that her grandfather wasn't required to go to school, but now everyone went.

Amber and I went to a decently sized school near our house, so it wasn't too far of a walk. We'd have to get up early though, to try and beat the morning crowds. The streets in Arcadia were thin and plentiful in an attempt to reduce heat loss. It worked pretty well, but it also made rush hours worse. People packed the streets, so Amber and I tried to leave early. Of course we were also early to school, but that didn't matter much to me.

I snuggled up in my blankets, the cold air against my face and feet chilling my body while the weight and warmth of the blankets soothed me like nothing else could. My thoughts finally drifted into nothingness as sleep's hold finally took me into blackness.