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.

his ear, "Don't encourage Rosie

up, her small fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting is easy. If anyone dares

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

"Rosie, what did you get for the fish you sold

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

was currently wearing on her head, made her

on brother's fish? Cody and Lukas said we only got

as long as you think it's worth

anyway, Jasper wasn't short

sanitary pads, and a lighter. Angela passed

"I have

want to go again tomorrow. Do you want to

few days.

at the idea of

of the day teaching Rosie math 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

Stella had made a onesie thermal suit, with a hole for Cooper's tail. There was another

hole. Not wanting to put diapers on Cooper,

looked like he had just come out of a coal mine

was blunt, "It

immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella with

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

way, Cooper is the

ugly. He's even more handsome than my brother, and the suit Stella made

at Stella,

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

pleased with that and nuzzled into her arms:

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

handed him a nail gun, "I almost forgot

"Keep it."

life-saving tool, and