18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 345

Acid rain usually had no scent, but this cataclysmic downpour was different. The acidity index was so high it was lethal, eroding materials and leaving a foul stench in the air. Stella was busy disinfecting the house, then turned on the air purifier with a sigh of relief.

Confined indoors, she spent her time organizing the knowledge she had accumulated these past weeks, not forgetting to tutor the siblings in medical science.

Cooper didn't understand a word, but he might as well have thought himself human the way he stubbornly sat by her side, fighting sleep and refusing to leave.

Next door, bored out of his mind, Austin would occasionally buzz over the walkie-talkie, "Hey, Stella, fancy a game of cards? We're one short."

Stella, ever the spirited one, replied with a grin, "Sure, if you can make it over here."

The acid rain had been relentless for days, showing no signs of a break in the clouds. To everyone's surprise, Austin actually made it, decked out in a protective suit that was the same brand as Stella's. What a copycat.

It wasn't just the neighbors; Bran showed up too, asking, "Stella, got anything to eat?"

He was something else. Not only did he have a top-notch protective suit, but his dog did too, obviously custom-made.

Buddy, clad in his own gear, walked awkwardly but was still eager to see Cooper despite the acidic downpour. The two dogs played around downstairs while Rosie and Dylan practiced boxing on the rooftop. The card games were addictive, so much so that cooking was the last thing on anyone's mind.

Stella offered half-heartedly, "We've got some expired instant noodles, you want some?"

Bran, who had lost all his usual finickiness, replied, "As long as it doesn't kill me, I'm in."

"You'll find out if it's lethal once you've eaten it."

She wasn't kidding; the noodles were indeed a year past their prime, taken from a stash in her Arcadia hideout.

some dried mushrooms, beef balls, and fried eggs, serving up heaping bowls

considered low-end junk food, now found himself relishing every bite as if it were a gourmet meal,

him a look, "Your family owns a farm. Making

a farm, and they tried to protect it with glass domes, but who could have predicted the acid rain would

end. Stella shook her head, "Who

of reverence

perhaps fewer lives would have been lost. Instead, it lulled everyone

noodle soup, "Exactly. It's like it's playing a cruel joke on

card game when suddenly, sunlight streamed through the windows. The acid rain had stopped, and the sun had broken through. The post-rain rainbow

erupted from the rooftop as people rushed up,

He grabbed the walkie-talkie and cursed, "Have you all lost your damn minds? Didn't you learn anything from last

of the Homeowners Association, his temper had grown short, his insults coming quick and sharp. Those who had lost their senses to excitement might have resented his words, but no

hour later, the acid rain

was surprised; Bran had matured. Had he not stopped them, the acid rain

spared, but as for the outside world...

that the acid rain might return intermittently and that even when the skies cleared, people

the acid rain continued on and off, a new crisis loomed: water

frugal use wasn't enough. The community's water supply was dwindling fast, and even if it didn't run out, it would spoil. Boiled or not, the water was undrinkable,

no one was willing to part with it, not even if they had some to spare. In times of crisis, self-preservation trumps

the requests, and the shameless ones had nothing to do but call out

Eventually, everyone played dead.

Stella did the same.

be available at the town square for residents to collect. Everyone cheered at the news, but the joy quickly turned to worry. How would they transport