18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 65

The first time Rosie got into a fight, it left a deep impression on her young mind. She clung to Jasper's neck, "When I grow up, I'll protect you too." "Alright."

"I'll protect Stella too, and Cooper."

"Alright."

Next, they sold fish, with Jasper showing her the ropes.

Stella listened silently. Jasper's teaching methods were rough, but in a world where order had collapsed, maybe Rosie would have been worse off if they'd stuck to the old ways of kindness and gentleness. "Yes, what your brother taught you isn't wrong."

Curious, Stella asked Rosie, "Have you ever been hungry or been beaten up?"

Rosie lowered her head, nervously fiddling with her clothes.

"That's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"When Jasper didn't come home, I was so hungry. My cousin bullied me, and my aunt scolded me."

"Do you want to go through that again?"

"No!" Rosie shook her head vehemently, her voice tinged with a sob. "I don't want to."

"Well, remember that feeling. If anyone ever treats you like that again, you fight back. Don't be afraid. They can't beat you."

"But my aunt said the police would take me away."

"As long as you're not the one starting trouble, the police won't take you away." Stella comforted the little girl, "Today, when you fought, the police didn't come to get you, did they?"

Relieved, Rosie said, "I'll listen to Stella and Jasper. No one will bully me anymore."

Cooper growled his agreement from the side.

ear,

as she declared, "Fighting is easy. If anyone dares to bully me, I'll beat

fight with someone else today, she realized that she wasn't weak. Jasper was just too strong. The boy who tried to

the subject, Stella asked, "Rosie, what did you get for

responded quickly, "We got some tools,

was currently wearing on her head, made her

fish? Cody and Lukas said we only got useless

long as you think it's worth it, it's

had different needs, and anyway, Jasper

in exchange were more practical: two packs of salt, dried vegetables, sanitary pads, and a lighter. Angela passed her a pack of sanitary

have plenty. You keep

hooked. They want to go again tomorrow. Do you want

few days. You go have fun." No

at the idea of

homework, Stella sat on the couch to continue her project. Finally, she had finished her first thermal suit for Cooper. She called him over,

thermal suit, with a hole for Cooper's tail.

be another hole. Not wanting to put diapers on Cooper, she

like he had just come out of a coal mine with

blunt, "It looks

mouth, looking at Stella with innocent

Cooper bit at the suit: 'Get this ugly thing off me. It's ruining my

is the most handsome

"Cooper isn't ugly. He's even more handsome than my brother, and the suit Stella made is

at Stella, "Woof!"

his head, "I'm not lying, my dog is the most

nuzzled into her arms: 'If I'm so handsome,

he didn't feel the change in temperature now, so he didn't react to the suit. When she finished the second suit, she used the leftover fabric to make a suit for Smoky and Snowy. It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't about looking good. As long as it kept them warm, it was

came to pick up Rosie. Stella stopped him and handed him a nail gun, "I

"Keep it."

a life-saving tool,