18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



The Arctic chill was biting, and Stella worried that Snowflake, inexperienced as she was, might struggle to take care of her newborn pups. So she busied herself knitting little sweaters, figuring it was better than sitting around doing nothing.

Meanwhile, Jasper threw himself into the wolf-training program with enthusiasm.

No one seemed to notice that Rosie, their younger sister, appeared more forlorn by the day.

She used to keep to herself, not wanting to intrude on the cozy couple unless absolutely necessary. Back when Cooper was around, they'd have a blast hurling snowballs at each other and engaging in playful snowball fights.

But now... it was as if Cooper had forgotten all about her, his attention divided between seeking Stella's affection and hovering around Snowflake. On clear days, the two canines would frolic in the snow, chasing each other with abandon. But Cooper no longer beckoned her outside for their usual shenanigans. She tried calling him out, only to find him rolling around with Snowflake instead.

Change had come swiftly, and Rosie felt utterly out of place. Suddenly, she felt a pang of being superfluous. Adolescence had a way of making one overly sentimental.

In the past, when she was down, Rosie would confide her secrets in Cooper's furry embrace. But now, she was at a loss about whom to turn to. Only after finishing her tasks did Stella notice Rosie's plight. "Rosie, what's up with you?" she asked.

Rosie's face was devoid of color as she curled up on the couch, silent. "Big sis, I got my period, and it hurts."

"Why didn't you tell me you were on your period?" Stella asked with concern. "Do you have enough sanitary pads?"

As she spoke, she fetched some raspberry leaf tea from the pantry, a soothing remedy for Rosie's discomfort. Learning that Rosie had run out of pads, Stella promptly handed her a few packs.

After a nap, Stella glanced over to see Rosie sitting on the couch, lost in thought, while the dogs snoozed contentedly by the charcoal stove. She took a step back, mulling over recent events, then mentioned to Jasper, "Rosie seems a bit down."

Jasper pondered for a moment, "Cooper's found a mate and isn't playing with her as much."

Mental health issues were common in the post-apocalyptic world, and Stella, accustomed to company, shuddered at the thought of suddenly being alone again. Though Stella and Jasper were technically her brother and sister-in-law, they were as good as parents to her. Aware of Rosie's mood, they made a point of engaging her in activities, chatting with her, playing cards or chess whenever they could.

But barriers remained, and when they had a moment to observe, Rosie still seemed melancholy. Stella understood that Cooper's preoccupation with his mate wasn't the root of the issue-it was loneliness.

A family living together, with a brother and sister-in-law so in love, and Cooper orbiting his partner, left Rosie feeling the sting of exclusion-similar to the loneliness Stella had felt as a child, watching her classmates being picked up by their parents while she had no one.

Empathy drove Stella to select a few psychology books, hoping they'd help Rosie. Whenever the weather allowed, Jasper would call Rosie out for patrols, with Cooper eagerly tagging along.

Snowflake's belly grew rounder by the day, and within a fortnight, she was due. Growing quieter, she seldom ventured out into the snow, often sticking close to Stella. Not only was there meat to eat, but leftovers to stash away.

Stella was squatting by the stove, gently feeling Snowflake's belly, when the wolf-dog suddenly stood up, alert and tense. Such behavior hadn't been seen since Snowflake first arrived.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.

Quickly catching on, Stella pulled out her gun and instructed, "Snowflake, stay put. I'll go check it out."

Despite the relative peace of late, her vigilance hadn't waned. She stepped outside and climbed atop a snowdrift, surveying the surroundings with her binoculars. Jasper was out patrolling with Rosie and Cooper. Several shadowy figures appeared a few hundred meters away, swathed in fur, only their eyes visible, their statures towering.

Clearly, they had spotted Jasper too. Stella lay prone on the snowdrift, sniper rifle at the ready...

Snowflake followed, crouching by her side, her amber eyes fixed on the distant figures, ready to spring into action at any moment. With her litter imminent, Stella reassured her, "Snowflake, stay calm. Cooper will be alright."

Wolves were cunning and patient, and Snowflake seemed to understand, staying still as commanded. There were five of them, and upon spotting Jasper in the distance, they raised their guns.

Stella didn't hesitate-she aimed and pulled the trigger...

The shot missed, jostled by a sudden movement, but it knocked the gun from their hands. Preparing for a second shot, Stella realized the figures had dropped to the ground. The thick snow concealed them completely, making it impossible to take aim.

Though she couldn't see them, they seemed to be shouting something indecipherable from this distance. They were brandishing weapons, yet Jasper, inexplicably, did not open fire.

What was going on? This wasn't like him!

Through the scope, Stella saw Jasper motioning for Rosie and Cooper to head back, while he

communicated something to the et

strangers as he retreated. Stella kept her sights trained on them, ready to act should Jasper and Rosie come to harm.

Rosie and Cooper retreated first, Jasper backing away with his gun trained on the strangers until they were out of effective shooting range, then turning to leave. Knowing there was a sniper in the distance, the strangers didn't act rashly. One by one, they slowly stood up, unarmed, signaling a truce.

Then the second, the third...

Seeing no further aggression, they turned their backs, retrieved their weapons, and quickly departed.

Once the trio returned safely, Stella, anxious and concerned, demanded, "Who were they?"

"Russians."

Russians? Stella hadn't expected other survivors to venture this far north. She frowned, "Why didn't you take them out?"

Jasper had been ready to act, but the Russians had shown no intent to fire. "They were out looking for medicine, not looking to start a conflict with

us."

Years of disaster had taught them to distrust even their own kind, let alone the belligerent Russians. Their pleas for peace might have been genuine, or perhaps they were merely at a disadvantage. Next time could be different.

Jasper shared her concerns, "There are other survivors in the Arctic, and they'd recently clashed. These men had come out to find medicine for their wounded."

He was closer, saw more clearly than Stella. "Their guns are just firing blanks. They've run out of real ammo a long time ago."

That was the reason Jasper let them go-they posed no threat to him.

If there were indeed other survivors up in the Arctic, the enemy of one's enemy could become a friend. Having some Russians as a buffer didn't sound like a bad deal for them.

Stella furrowed her brows, "How many survivors are we talking about?"

"He didn't give specifics, but it seems like there's a good number, and they've banded together."

"You speak Russian?"

"Nope, but one of them used to be a videographer, and he knows a bit of Chinese."

When they found out he was Australian, they bombarded him with a few phrases in Chinese, making him almost too embarrassed to pull the trigger.

Ganging up to take on the Russians?

Stella pondered for a moment, then had a pretty good guess which countries the survivors were from.