18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 7

She didn't even blink before blocking him. The phone rang not even a minute later. It was an unfamiliar number. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was one of Hector's pals or Hector himself.

Stella was not about to be duped again. If they managed to get even a crumb from her, she’d have lost. She turned off her cellphone, only to find that Rosie had fallen asleep on the sofa. She was curled up tightly, even in her dreams, she looked uneasy.

She checked her temperature, the fever had dropped to 100.4°F. Stella wanted to be stealthy so as long as Rosie was here, she couldn't continue her culinary adventures. As Stella ate her sloppy pasta, she found it surprisingly delicious.

The balcony had an escape window, while the rest were covered with frosted glass stickers. Light can pass through into the room, but the situation inside cannot be seen from the outside.

Stella took out her planting pots and soil, and a few pounds of potatoes. She cut the ones that had sprouted into chunks, coated the cut ends with wood ash, and planted them in the pots. She planted around 20 pots and placed them all on her patio in Arcadia. She also planted a few pots of garlic, green onions, lettuce, and spinach. She took out her hanging hooks and hung the pots on the railings. As long as she took care of them, she could have fresh vegetables anytime.

Before she could wash her hands, there was a loud knock on the door, "Stella, Stella!" The voice was unfamiliar. If she wasn't mistaken, it must be one of Hector's friends. Apparently, they were truly desperate.

"Stella, we know you love to cook. Can you spare us some food?"

"We'll pay double, no, five times the price."

"Just accept the friend request. We'll send the money right now."

"I mean, we're all friends here. We'll see each other again. Do you have to be so ruthless?"

Despite the two stainless-steel doors separating them, their voices were loud and their words grew increasingly offensive, even resorting to kicking the door in frustration.

Stella grabbed a knife from the kitchen and flung open the door, brandishing it, "Who kicked my door!"

Three guys stood outside. They were initially pleased to hear the door open. They all knew Stella was smitten with Hector, and they figured she'd never let her man go hungry, right?

Their snacks had run out last night, and they'd been starving all morning and afternoon. They couldn't hold on any longer. All they had left were a few bottles of beer, which only made them hungrier.

Hector had described Stella as a strange girl with a hoarding habit. She had plenty of food stashed away, so much so that most of it would expire before she could finish it. They'd often made fun of her behind her back, but now their mockery had come back to haunt them.

Before they could utter a word, Stella swung the knife at them. They scattered in terror, and anger flared up, "Stella, have you lost your mind!"

Stella stood in the doorway, her expression icy, "Get lost. I wouldn't want sons as shameless as you."

The guys were taken aback. Once they'd recovered, they started hurling insults, "Stella, what the hell do you mean!"

"Since I'm not your mom, why should I feed you?" Stella threatened them with the knife, "Kick my door again, and I'll chop you up for dinner."

She'd survived three years in a post-apocalyptic world, had been in fights, and killed. She'd seen the worst of humanity.

Facing her menacing demeanor, they were terrified, "You... we're all friends here. And we're not refusing to pay."

"First of all, I don't have any food, and even if I did, I'd rather feed it to dogs than give it to you. You think I don't know what you say behind my back?" Stella glared at them. "If you despise me so much, why come begging when you're hungry? You become so spineless after skipping just two meals?"

The guys were flushed with embarrassment, shaking with rage.

"Tell Hector not to be all lovey-dovey with the cheerleader on one end while asking me for food on the other. Eating a free meal and trying to act high and mighty – isn't that cheap? If he comes to bother me again, I'll expose him on the school forum and neighborhood group. Let's see if he still has any dignity left."

Just because they were hungry didn't mean they had no dignity. And Stella, wielding a knife and with a crazed look in her eyes, looked like she'd been pushed over the edge by Hector's relationship with Sadie.

"We'll see." With that, they slunk away.

Stella stayed silent, driving her knife into the wall, scaring them into running away. That should keep them at bay for a while.

Stella closed the door and found that Rosie had been woken by the noise. She was on the verge of tears, looking terrified on the sofa. The girl was not in a good state. She must have been deeply traumatized.

Leaving the knife in the kitchen, Stella softened her voice, "Rosie, don't be scared. Those were bad guys. I drove them away."

She checked Rosie's temperature again. The fever had gone down. Hearing Rosie's stomach growl, Stella asked, "Are you hungry?"

Rosie nodded, then shook her head, "Where's my brother?"

The guy from 1801 hadn't returned yet. Stella excused herself to the kitchen and returned with a bowl of oatmeal from Arcadia.

Rosie was starving. She ate while stealing glances at Stella, as if afraid she might suddenly get mad.

She was so sensitive; she must have suffered a lot. Stella gently stroked her head, handing her a lollipop.

"Thank you, ma'am." Rosie was very well-behaved, quietly snuggling on the sofa.

Stella was scrolling through her phone when she saw Hector's plea for help in the group chat. Hector had a handsome and cheerful appearance, making him quite popular at school. He was skilled at maintaining good social relationships and, with many students renting apartments in the same neighborhood, it didn't take long for him to attract the attention of beautiful women.

"I have bread and hot cocoa. You can come and get them if you need them."

She clicked on the girl's profile picture. She was a tenant on the 12th floor, a cute, petite girl from the accounting department, and another one of Hector's admirers.

Both parties were willing, so there was nothing much to say, but she probably didn't realize that it wouldn't just be Hector coming over, but a whole bunch of people. They were like a swarm of

locusts, leaving nothing behind.

Stella had seen her carrying groceries home. She probably cooked at home and had food stored. If she was wise enough to realize what was happening after being mooched off a couple of times, she could still cut her losses in time.

Stella thought for a moment and then posted a message in the group saying she was hungry. No one responded. Then, she offered to exchange $20 for bread but still, no one responded.

The storm raged outside. The old windows of the building next door shattered, letting in the howling wind. The water level on the streets was rising.

It turned out to be a once-in-a-century super storm. Many people were starting to panic. The group chat was a lot quieter than it had been in the morning.

Rosie fell asleep again. Stella covered her with a blanket to keep her warm. There was another knock on the door, "Rosie."

When she confirmed it was the guy from 1801, Stella finally opened the door.

Dressed in raincoat, dripping wet, he was holding a sticky note she had slapped on his door, "Is Rosie at your place?"

Stella nodded, "Rosie caught a cold and was feverish. She cried until she vomited and almost choked. I've given her medicine and her fever has subsided. You can take her home and continue giving her the cold medicine."

Taken aback and worried, he asked, "Are you a doctor?"

"Sort of."

He stepped inside and felt Rosie's forehead. He was about to take Rosie away when he suddenly spoke, "Sorry for the intrusion. My name is Jasper, I just moved in last night, and my place is practically empty. Given the hurricane, I doubt it'll stop any time soon, and I need to go out to get some supplies. Could Rosie stay here for a bit? I'll come and get her tonight."

Stella was surprised, "You're going out in this hurricane?"