18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 121

And so, they spent five whole days making pie.

In apartment 1801, where they worked side by side, each contributing half the ingredients to the cause. To prevent the crust and filling from freezing, they kept a lively coal fire burning.

Jasper contributed the coal while Rosie helped, and Stella provided generous helpings of chives, cabbage, and parsley.

Jasper was in charge of the filling, sneaking in the chopped vegetables without Rosie noticing, and then mixing it with a bit of pepper.

Rosie, only six years old, was clever but not enough to realize the trick. She was thoroughly fooled.

Each household received a whopping 200 pies, enough to last for quite a while.

Stella's share was kept in Arcadia for preservation, while Jasper's was left out on the balcony to freeze for an hour, after which they were harder than rocks.

No need for a refrigerator, they just stored them in boxes and cooked them whenever they felt like having some.

Stella had wanted to make some bread as well, but the cold weather made it difficult for the dough to ferment, so she gave up on the idea.

After spending some time together, Stella realized that Jasper not only had good fighting skills, he was also a boy who loved reading and learning. He was actually reading books on automotive repair, and he seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly.

Stella, while a good driver, knew next to nothing about car repair, so she couldn't help but ask, "Why are you reading that?"

She felt a bit sorry for his old truck, even if it hadn't been swept away, the months of submersion in water and extreme cold weather had drastically deteriorated its material properties, making it practically useless.

Once the flood had receded, all vehicles were practically written off, getting another one would be no easy task.

"Just passing time," was his response.

Stella didn't believe it, there was no such thing as "just passing time" for a man who had been in the military.

Days crawled by, but they also flew past.

Stella didn't have a six-pack yet, but the constant training with Jasper had managed to bring out her abs, making the daily grind seem worth it. She also no longer felt sick and dizzy when using her mind to farm in Arcadia.

In a month, their potato sprouts had grown lush and green.

Rosie, who was craving some vegetables, asked, "Stella, can we eat the sprouts?"

"No," Stella took the opportunity to give them a lecture, "Potato sprouts contain solanine, eating too much of it can lead to dizziness, vomiting, and in severe cases, death."

Rosie was curious, "What's solanine?"

"Poison, it can kill you," Stella figured explaining wouldn't make sense to her, so she simply warned, "Just remember, don't eat it."

"I don't want to die. I want to be with Jasper, Stella, and Cooper."

After successfully scaring the two, Stella left with a sense of satisfaction. She pondered that Angela and the others had been working for a month, and there had been no news. She wondered how they were doing and realized it was almost time for their break.

She was woken up early one morning by a loud knocking at the door.

Cooper was there, looking fierce, scratching at the door incessantly.

Stella opened the inner door, and the fierce-looking dog suddenly started wagging its tail. As soon as the outer door opened, he darted out.

Lukas' voice could be heard, "Cooper, did you miss us?"

The three of them had returned as planned, carrying their bedding and fresh clothes.