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

already riled up, her small fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting is easy.

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

what did you get for

got some tools, textbooks, a

was currently wearing on her

brother's fish? Cody and

as long as you think it's worth it,

different needs, and anyway, Jasper wasn't short

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 plenty. You

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

a few days. You

at the idea of a

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,

Stella had made a onesie thermal suit, with a hole for Cooper's

hole. Not wanting to put diapers

looked like he had just come out of a coal mine with this

was blunt, "It looks

her mouth, looking at Stella with innocent eye. 'I

bit at the suit: 'Get this ugly thing off me.

him, "No way, Cooper is the most

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

at Stella, "Woof!"

not lying, my dog is

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

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 the leftover fabric to make a suit for Smoky and Snowy. It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't about looking

up Rosie. Stella stopped him and handed him a

"Keep it."

This was a life-saving tool, and he was