18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Months whisked by in the blink of an eye, and just like that, it was Christmas.

Jasper had a knack for making wreaths, and Stella talked him into making a few, which she gleefully plastered on the door.

Little did they know, Austin caught sight of them and requested two more for himself.

No matter what the weather was, the mastiff came every day, having become a fan of Cooper. The two dogs often sparred at the gate.

Now, the mastiff didn't even see himself as an outsider, edging closer and closer to Jasper. If it wasn't for the pat-down they gave him before letting him in, Stella would have suspected him to be Bran's spy. Finally, they handed it a Christmas wreath, which it trotted off with.

Angela's gynecological issue was cured, but her depression remained rooted. It was something she needed to keep an eye on. She buzzed the walkie-talkie, inviting Stella and Jasper for Christmas dinner.

Their place was crowded, barely enough room to turn around.

After more than six months of bonding, Stella felt they were gradually returning to their old selves, so she proposed, "Your place is too packed. Even making a soup requires closing the windows. How about coming over to my place?" Angela and the others readily agreed, promising to come over on Christmas Eve.

The mastiff trotted off with the wreath, and surprisingly, returned with a bottle of red wine. Without a doubt, this had Bran's name written all over it. As long as he wasn't causing trouble for them, Stella couldn't care less, lest he got overexcited. On the 24th of December, the security team informed that someone was looking for them. Stella guessed it was Amber.

The Moore family was insistent on repaying the medicines with grain, and this was their third repayment.

Stella thought for a moment, handing her a pair of rabbits, two chicks that had hatched half a month ago, and a few easy-to-grow herb sprouts.

Out of the first batch of chickens they raised, a total of six survived, two of which were roosters. Stella kept one for breeding, and the other was slaughtered. The hens had not only started laying eggs but had given birth to the first batch of chicks. Rosie, who had hand-fed the chickens, secretly wiped away her tears when one was slaughtered. But when she tasted the chicken leg that night, her dimples revealed her delight, "Stella, this chicken is so delicious."

Surviving extreme weather made the chicken taste a hundred times better than the ones they initially hoarded from the supermarket. Moreover, the chicks that hatched from the eggs laid by the hens seemed to be much stronger.

The remaining fertilized eggs were all stored in Arcadia. Not just chicken eggs, there were duck and goose eggs too, multiplying and hoarding simultaneously.

Amber brought over 10 pounds of grain, not expecting to be able to take home baby rabbits and chicks. She was delighted, but also felt like she was increasingly indebted to Stella.

Mikey accompanied her. Three years had matured the once naive boy. He had become a lot more mature, albeit a bit too skinny.

But then again, who wasn't skinny these days? The Moore family had stable jobs and living conditions, which should be better than most people.

"Is Katie doing okay?"

"She's fine. She can't stand being idle. She's placed all the vegetables she's grown on the balcony."

The research institute was fenced off, much safer than the outside. Each household was finding ways to survive; placing the potted vegetables under the sun during the day, and bringing them in when it got cold. In short, everyone was trying their best to survive. After exchanging greetings, the Moore family waved goodbye.

Upon learning that people were coming over for Christmas, Dylan seemed displeased, "Dad, I want to spend Christmas with Rosie. We promised to have a big dinner together."

Austin didn't even blink, "Kid, who goes to someone else's house for dinner on Christmas Eve?"

"But aren't those adults coming over to our house?"

Well, well, the kid had learned to talk back.

Austin was pleased. His son was finally showing some spunk, unlike before when he would never oppose anything he said, bottling up his thoughts, good or bad. "Rosie's house is having guests too," Austin explained to his son, "Anyway, you see each other every day. How about inviting them for dinner after Christmas?" Dylan pouted, "Okay, I'll tell Rosie tomorrow."

"You're always talking about Rosie. Don't you want to play with other kids?"

Monkey and others all had children, yet he never saw Dylan taking the initiative to invite them over. Could he be harboring some ideas?

He observed his son, who seemed normal. Maybe their closeness was just friendship. Rosie was adorable and soft, anyone would like her at first sight. This neighbor was a good pick. Stella had chickens, ducks, and geese at home, and plenty of quails. They had eggs to collect every day.

Stella couldn't help but think of the Christmas dinner on the 18th floor. Almost four years into the disaster, and they were still able to gather for Christmas. Wasn't that a kind of happiness?

They slaughtered a chicken and a duck, and baked about 5-6 pounds of quail eggs.

Just as they finished breakfast and were about to start cooking, Angela and the others arrived. The security booth confirmed their identities before letting them in. Seeing the exquisite villas, they felt incredibly shabby and almost turned tail and ran. Thankfully, the sight of the bunker building allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief.

After not seeing them for a few years, Cooper looked stunned at first but quickly recognized them, "Woof!"

"Cooper!" Cody pounced on him, hugging his head and exclaimed, "Good boy, you've gotten bigger." Rosie came out to greet them, her dimples making her look charming and cute, "Cody, Lukas, Angela." "Wow, Rosie, you've grown so tall."

She jumped into Angela's arms, "Yes, I'm almost nine."

Every day was tough in the post-apocalyptic world, yet time flew by.

The four of them brought gifts, a pack of cigarettes, and two bottles of whiskey. The cigarettes were expired, but they could still fetch a good price in the post-apocalyptic world, and whiskey was equally sought after.

Cody and Lukas couldn't resist showing off, wearing their new clothes to the gathering. Especially Lukas, he started grooming himself whenever possible. And it worked, he didn't look as rough as when they first reunited. He looked a bit cleaner and more vigorous. During their last barbecue gathering, these two were down and out. But now, they seemed lively. Stella's condoms must have worked.

Stella couldn't resist a laugh. The two men didn't mind the jest and laughed along. All was understood without words.

After inviting them in, Stella put them to work, fearing they might feel awkward as guests. She handed the task of slaughtering the chicken and duck to Cody and Lukas. She took out the soaked soybeans, put them in the blender to make soy milk, and asked Angela to help her make tofu.

"Stella, you used to make this on the 18th floor. I didn't expect you to still know how."

"I've even sprouted some alfalfa seeds. We can toss them into a salad for lunch."

The atmosphere was lively, everyone engrossed in their tasks, occasionally reminiscing about the good old days on the 18th floor.

After half a year of nurturing, Angela's health had improved considerably, her body filling out, no longer the skeleton-like figure she had been when they reunited.

Although Kitty was still reticent, the sight of the jovial group touched her heart. To have such camaraderie in a post-apocalyptic world was indeed precious. Perhaps, deciding to stay and cease wandering wasn't a bad idea after all.

Kitty looked at Cody who was goofing off in the distance. Even though he wasn't the macho type, he brought her an unparalleled sense of ease and relaxation.