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

small fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting

hard every day, but was no match for her brother. But after getting into a fight with someone else today, she realized that she wasn't weak. Jasper was just

"Rosie, what did you get for

tools, textbooks,

which she was currently wearing on

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

as long as you think

and anyway, Jasper

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

have plenty. You keep

didn't insist, "Lukas and Cody are hooked. They want to go again tomorrow. Do you want

a few days. You go have

laughed gleefully at the idea of a

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

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

be another hole. Not wanting to put diapers on

out of a coal mine

blunt, "It

and immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella with

insulted Cooper bit at the suit: 'Get this ugly thing off

comforted him, "No way, Cooper is the most handsome

more handsome than my brother, and the suit

looked at Stella,

not lying, my dog is the

and nuzzled into her arms: 'If

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

and handed him a nail gun, "I

"Keep it."

was a life-saving tool, and he was just giving