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

her brother. But after getting into a fight with someone else today, she

Stella asked, "Rosie, what did you get for

got some tools, textbooks, a dress, and a

wearing on her head,

lose out on brother's fish? Cody and Lukas said we

think it's worth it,

had different needs, and anyway, Jasper

and Cody got in exchange were more 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 month. It's

refused, "I have

"Lukas and Cody are hooked. They want to

home for a few days. You go have fun." No need to

at the idea of a

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 called him over, "Cooper, come here." The suit was black, to hide

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

there should be another hole. Not wanting to put diapers on

out of a

blunt, "It looks

and immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella

this ugly thing off me. It's ruining my

Cooper is the most handsome dog in the

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

looked at

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

with that and nuzzled into her

dark green fabric. While making the suit, she observed Cooper's reactions. Unfortunately, his thick fur meant 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

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

"Keep it."

tool, and he was