18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 63

They had almost exhausted the reservoir of fish, with fewer and fewer surfacing. Jasper and his crew had already hauled in almost 3000 pounds. Just then, the batteries of their fishing equipment died.

The wind was picking up, sending the rubber rafts adrift. Stella's inflatable boat, weighed down by their massive catch was unstable but remained afloat. Those on the lighter rafts found that no matter how hard they paddled against the wind, they were pushed further away.

Stella frowned. Something about the water flow seemed unusual. It was as if a powerful undertow was pulling them towards the reservoir’s sluice gate. Jasper felt it too, and instinctively turned to look at Stella. Their eyes met, both reflecting the same danger.

“Run!”

“Run!”

They yelled in unison, pulling on the cords of their boat engines.

“Lukas, hold on tight!”

Stella quickly started the engine and steered the boat in the opposite direction of the sluice gate.

Lukas and Amber, who were on the rubber raft, held onto the ropes for dear life. Jasper was no exception, and the father and son from the Moore family clung tightly to the sacks of fish.

Their boats sped across the reservoir like race cars.

“Boss, they're running away, let's chase after them.”

“Quick, don't let them escape. Come on, go after them.”

But before they could even start, a loud crash echoed from the distance. It was as if a crack had formed in the sky, and a deluge of water was pouring out.

Stella did not look back; she raced against the flood, heading as far as possible.

Lukas couldn't help but glance back, and what he saw was a gaping hole in the horizon, with relentless floodwaters pouring into it, carrying a destructive force.

The water level continued to drop as they sped forward. Finally, they managed to reach a safe distance. They kept the engine running to counteract the pull of the floodwaters.

Seizing the moment, Lukas jumped out of the boat and scrambled onto the shore. He tied the boat to a tree.

The Moore father and son did the same, securing their boat and rafts onto the shore.

Stella went ashore and took out her binoculars to observe the distance. The dam of the reservoir had collapsed, and the floodwaters were pouring out endlessly. It was as if an invisible giant squid’s suction cups were pulling the people on the rubber rafts towards the breach in the dam.

The tattooed men were too late to react. After some struggling, they finally managed to start their engines, but they still could not overcome the powerful suction of the floodwaters. They were like fish on a chopping block, helpless against the onslaught.

It wasn’t just them. All the humans trapped in the floodwaters seemed insignificant against the force of nature. No matter how hard they struggled, they were swallowed up in an instant.

Amber was pale and trembling, gasping for breath as she watched the water level continue to drop.

On the water's surface, the struggling people were growing smaller and smaller in the distance until they disappeared. Over twenty people were gone just like that.

If it hadn't been for the quick reaction of the Jasper and Stella, they would have all perished there.

Her heart sank with fear. Would this disaster ever end? Why was staying alive so difficult...

Without a word, Stella sat down on the grass, taking out a chocolate bar to replenish her energy. Her dog nuzzled up to her, his eyes filled with longing. 'Stella, give me some too!'

“It’s toxic for you. You can't eat it.” Stella warned, holding the chocolate under his nose, “Smell it. You can never eat this.”

She wasn’t joking. Dogs absolutely could not eat chocolate. It could kill them.

Seeing Stella eat alone, Cooper seemed unhappy and turned his head away in disappointment. Stella took a biscuit from her bag and stuffed it into his mouth.

Seeing the sacks on their boats, Gordon's hanging heart finally settled down.

The trade went smoothly, 3000 pounds of fish for 1000 pounds of dog food. They kept the remaining 200 pounds for themselves; after all, there would be no more fish to catch in the future.

“Joey, hold off for the next two days. I’ll contact you in a few days."

Each household could get a fair share of fish, probably enough for a few days. They couldn’t just gorge themselves all at once, could they?

They had almost risked their lives for these fish. Joey figured that even if Gordon wanted more, they wouldn't be able to get any.

“Sure, contact us when you need anything."

People can be unpredictable. If they knew this was the last trade, it was unclear if they would try to take advantage of them.

After Gordon took off, Stella and the gang began to divide up the loot.

The Moore family still got 1.5 shares of the dog food and raw fish. Stella ended up with almost 200 pounds of dog food and 8 fish.

"Phew! Stocking up on food for the dog is no simple task," Stella sighed. "It took two trips to get less than 300 pounds, but it should last a while."

Returning to their 18th-floor apartment under the cover of darkness, Stella spent a long time scrubbing with shower gel to get rid of the fishy smell on her.

Cooper, ever the self-aware golden retriever, laid down in the bathtub and pushed the shower gel towards Stella, "Come on, scrub me down."

Stella sighed. What had she gotten herself into - adopting a dog, or bringing home a demanding king?

But what could she do? She didn't come with any dignity. In this house, the dog was king.