18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 36

The dog had a human-like understanding. Its unflinching gaze was unnerving.

"We're dog lovers. Surely we won't eat dogs," Cody was the first one to back down. "Stella, can you ask him to stop staring at me like this? It's freaking me out!"

Angela totally understood her, but as a friend, she had some advice for Stella, "Normally, I'd back you up, Stella. But times are tough. Most of our food got soaked and ruined in the water. We were smart enough to stock up, but what you have will only last six or seven months. And who knows what the future holds? Plus, this sort of large breed dog needs a lot of food. You need to think this through."

Stella gently soothed the anxious Cooper. "To me, he's not just a dog. He's family. If we run out of supplies, we'll find more. I won't abandon him no matter what."

Angela decided not to meddle anymore. She knew Stella would make the right decision.

Once inside, Stella took some dog food from Arcadia and soaked it in goat's milk. She had found the milk from a supermarket. She couldn't stand the strong taste, and now it's perfect for Cooper.

After finishing a large bowl of food, Cooper's sunken belly finally filled out. He stood in front of the couch, staring intently at Stella. Tears started to well up in his eyes. There was not vigilance in his eyes, but some anticipation.

was sitting on the sofa. She held Cooper and cried, crying out her fear, unwillingness, loneliness and

that she hadn't abandoned him like his previous owner. Not only did she feed him, but she also cuddled him. Could he trust humans again? Stella and Cooper

to survive, to endure as long as possible. But now, she had not

body and was horrified at the

and applied some balm. She found a t-shirt from her old basketball days and put it on Cooper. "Once we fatten you up,

a sturdy old couch on top for Cooper to sleep on. He seemed to know instantly that this was his bed. It was soft and comfortable, a place he could finally call home. He soon fell

were shocked. "A million

found it in an office

grain had skyrocketed, and they could only buy a pound a day. And the grain was even salvaged from the water, so

either." Lukas, always keen on the news, said, "They said it was rationing, but actually the amount they put out every day is very small. People

grain dried from the water, could be sold at 2000 per kilogram. How ironic was it that one million can only

was catching those who were speculating and hoarding. If

More and more bartering is happening, and it's unpredictable when money will become obsolete. We need to find a way to spend it tomorrow." "We can't buy food. How can