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.

at his ear, "Don't

small fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting is easy. If

someone else today, she realized that she wasn't

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

"We got some tools, textbooks, a dress, and a

she was currently wearing on her head, made

fish? Cody and Lukas said we only

you think it's

different needs, and anyway, Jasper wasn't short of

practical: two packs of salt, dried vegetables, sanitary pads, and a lighter. Angela passed her a pack of sanitary pads, "Even in the apocalypse, we still have to bleed every

refused, "I have plenty.

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

for a few days. You go have fun." No

at the idea of

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

suit, with a hole for Cooper's tail. There was another hole at the rear end, so

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

out of a coal

blunt, "It

mouth, looking at Stella with innocent eye. 'I didn't mean

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

way, Cooper is the most

"Cooper isn't ugly. He's even more handsome than my brother,

at

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

her arms: 'If I'm so handsome, make me another

the suit. When she finished the second suit, she used the leftover fabric to make a suit for Smoky and Snowy. It

to pick up Rosie. Stella stopped him and handed him a

"Keep it."

life-saving tool, and he was just giving it