18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 13

Knowing that the tenant of 1801, Jasper, was aloof was one thing, but she didn't know he was prone to violence, especially towards children. Seeing Rosie's demeanor, it seemed like she had grown accustomed to the beatings. No wonder she was always running to Stella's apartment. Was she hiding from her abusive brother?

"Why does he hit you?"

Even though it was someone else's family matter, child abuse was too much. Stella didn't ask Rosie about her past, but from her observations of Rosie's skittish gaze and her somewhat sycophantic personality, she couldn't help but recall her own unpleasant childhood memories, "Rosie, is he your real brother?"

That was why she didn't turn Rosie away.

"He teaches me to box." Rosie rubbed her bruised arm and gave Stella a sweet smile, "I got hit because I didn't dodge in time, and I fell a few times too."

Only then did Stella understand that Rosie had been practicing boxing for the past few days, for as much as five hours a day.

"Ma’am, let me show you my boxing."

Without waiting for Stella's response, she walked into a spacious area and assumed a stance. Rosie, who was usually a timid and shy little girl, suddenly became fierce when she started to box. Her posture was as if she had transformed into a completely different person. Her boxing style was military, her movements were standard and powerful, and her posture was particularly sharp, her eyes fierce and full of spirit.

Stella was dumbfounded. Rosie was even better than her. Stella complimented her, which made Rosie blush, "You're so nice." Her brother never praised her, no matter how well she did.

The number of bruises on Rosie's body indicated that she had been trained harshly. It was a hurricane day, and this high-intensity training for a four- or five-year-old child was alarming.

It seemed Jasper was preparing Rosie for something horrifying, for her to have self-defense abilities in the future?

Rosie's movements were precise, something that couldn't be learned from videos alone.

Stella didn't ask any further. She then applied some herbal wine on Rosie's bruises, "Soak it in hot water tonight."

After getting some fresh air, Rosie kissed her pet bunny and reluctantly left.

……

The apartment building was chaotic. There were fights, curses, and people ready to physically harm each other at the drop of a hat. The terrible weather and living conditions brought out the worst in people.

The original residents of the 9th floor and the inhabitants of the 2nd floor who were squeezed in the corridor argued for half a day and almost resorted to knives. When the residents of the 9th floor woke up early in the morning, they found that their house had been burgled and the little food they had left was gone. The hurricane seemed never-ending, and this was their lifeline. Which bastard did this!

The inhabitants of the 2nd floor were huddled at their doorstep. If a thief had really entered, it was impossible not to notice.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Both families were dissatisfied and squabbled, causing a ruckus. The thefts weren't just limited to the 9th floor. Other floors also had their share of burglaries. Even if the homeowners were awakened, they couldn't see clearly in the dark, and the robbers always wore masks.

It was not just one or two, but a group committing robbery. Even though there were people living in the corridor, they didn't dare to move in face of the shiny knife, their eyes complex and dark, even gleaming with a light of schadenfreude. The victims deserved it; they should starve too.

Others who heard the cries for help didn't dare to help, instead they barricaded their rooms with refrigerators or sofas, praying that they wouldn't break in.

Stella adjusted her schedule, sleeping after dinner when it got dark, setting an alarm for midnight and then getting up to do various physical training exercises.

Just after a few days, she heard noises outside. She pressed herself against the door and listened, indeed someone was trying to pick the lock.

These past few days have been chaotic and crazy, with several groups knocking on the door during the day, asking if there was any food to spare, the children were nearly starved.

After being trapped for 10 days, with no water, electricity or gas, which family would still have stored food? Even if there were some, giving to this family but not to that one could potentially incite those starving to the point of desperation to swarm up and tear you apart.

From Arcadia, she took out a butcher's knife, put on her night vision goggles, and quietly opened the inner door, then suddenly pushed open the outer door.

The man picking the lock was caught off guard. The man with the hook was silenced before he could scream, and his abdomen was in severe pain.

Stella stabbed him a few times, pushed him aside and walked towards the second person.

A flashlight swung over, and seeing the bloody knife in her hand, the man was shocked and instinctively tried to run, but Stella caught him by the collar and threw him down.

There were a total of four men trying to break in, two of whom turned and ran, but one suddenly bumped into a figure. Before he could make a sound, his neck was twisted and broken. Without even a chance to fall to the ground, his body was thrown out of the window.

Stella looked up, a tall figure was efficiently killing and disposing of bodies. To her surprise, the knife brutally slit the second man's throat. The man clutched his throat tightly, opened his mouth but couldn't scream, his body thrashing around uncontrollably.

The apartment building was rife with rumors that 1802 had a lot of food reserves, and Stella was not only beautiful but also lived alone. They came in the dark for the food, but also wanted to have their way with her.

But they never expected that such a beautiful young woman was actually a demon.

Stella pulled off the man's mask, and it was him, the one who moved to 1803 in her previous life, the one who had tried to break into her apartment multiple times. This was the ugliness of human nature; even if given a second chance, he would choose to do evil.

Stella sneered, and without hesitation, stabbed the man in the heart. She stood up, knife in hand, and warily watched the man not far away. Her vision was unclear in the dark, but judging from his build, it seemed like Jasper?

Jasper walked over, dragged the man who had stopped breathing to the window, and threw him out.

Seeing her standing still, her expression tense and solemn, he said softly, "You did nothing wrong. These people are a menace."

Was he trying to comfort her?

He seemed unperturbed by tonight's events, killing and disposing of bodies calmly, his dark gazes unfazed.

Stella had speculated about his identity; judging from his demeanor and posture, he was either a soldier or some kind of police officer. But now it seemed that he was more like a cold-blooded killer. Regardless of who he was, at least for now, he posed no threat to her, even helped her kill and dispose of bodies.

Stella nodded, agreeing with his words. If she really let them go, who knew how many people would suffer?

She wiped the blood off her face, cleaned the corridor with a mop and cloth, and Jasper fixed the damaged lock on the stairwell door overnight.

Neither of them spoke, each retreating to their respective rooms.

Stella went into Arcadia's bathroom and took a shower, washing her bloodstained clothes until they were spotless. Despite everything she had been through, she laid in bed with a surprising calmness. She swiftly drifted off to sleep.

By the next morning, the water level had risen significantly.

Standing on the balcony, Stella had a doughnut and coffee for breakfast. The doughnut was golden and crispy, the coffee rich and aromatic. Eating it brought her immense pleasure, even lifting her mood.

The water was filled with household garbage, bags of various colors floated in the water. There were a few corpses, floating to unknown places with the flood.

During her breakfast, she saw several people jump into the flood and swim away. Without exception, they were all braving the storm in search of food.

Every day people left, but Stella never saw any of them return. Perhaps some did, but she just hadn't seen them.

The banging at the stairwell door resumed. Stella paid it no mind, brushing her teeth and rinsing out the taste of food.

As noon approached, Angela came by. "Stella, the knocking is getting more frequent. We need to be extra careful these next few days."