18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 376

Stella spotted him too-no doubt about it, he was a beggar. Dressed in tattered rags, barefoot, and wandering aimlessly. "Another soul driven mad by the apocalypse," she sighed to herself.

Just as she was reflecting, the sound of a car caught the beggar's attention. Surprisingly, he turned and waved frantically to flag it down. "Robbery tactics are getting more and more creative," she thought. "This guy could very well be a decoy for an ambush."

Stella cocked her gun, ready to take him down if he showed any sign of threat.

"Hey, stop the car, stop the car!" the beggar shouted.

Stella scanned the area but saw no sign of an ambush.

Jasper didn't hit the brakes and just drove past.

"Damn it, stop!" the beggar yelled, flipping them the bird.

Stella squinted, recognizing the figure in the rearview mirror.

"Stop the car," she commanded.

Seeing the truck pull over, the beggar's mood swung from irritation to hope. He limped over and asked, "Buddy, could you give me a lift?"

He hurried over but froze in shock when he got a better look.

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him in the dead of winter.

Without a word, he covered his face and turned to leave.

"Bran," Stella called out.

It was as if his heart had been pierced; his entire body stiffened.

His dignity, once guarded, now trampled into the mud.

But Stella didn't mock him or ask how he'd come to this. "Get in. We're still a good ten miles from the base. If you walk, your feet will be shredded."

proud son of a wealthy family, now reduced to a destitute beggar by natural disasters. Fate had a cruel

in the cab, so Bran had to

nightmare come true. But what could he do? He climbed aboard, the

set, the fallen rich kid sat atop a pile of garbage, numb to the jostling

the base and drove up to the recycling

and

and after weighing, they

sustain a family for a

meant no prying questions about where the steel came from,

didn't plan to keep the credits. She went straight to the base's

these ten packs could last

of a real-life Robinson Crusoe

credits left, Stella spotted coal for sale but decided to save up and buy a whole load at once, for the day when it might come in

for other supplies, aside from a

days on the road, the family was eager to

word, probably a matter of

took a deep breath inwardly, not sure what

then, on the way back to their private compound, they crossed paths

some meds with me a while back. With things as chaotic as they are, I can't keep them safe anymore. When

not expecting the usually covetous

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

probably head out scavenging again after

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

the compound and exchanging goodbyes without much fuss, they parted

drive away, feeling his heart, already battered by

the trio and their dog enjoyed a

beat the comfort of home-cooked food after days on the

satellite? Bran gave us a lot of meds as thanks. I think he added

Goldbridge except Bran. With all the disasters, looking

of military skills and his prideful nature, asking him

turned to scavenging, a dangerous and unglamorous

reduced to a pitiful state, it was a poignant