Chapter 8
“There’s not much at home, it’ll be fine if I’m careful.”
Stella hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. If he had food supplies, her safety would be ensured. It was better for him to go out and get supplies than to target her.
Jasper glanced around the living room. Thanks for looking after Rosie.”
“You’re welcome. You helped me out yesterday too.” Stella was a cautious woman. She had stored away her hoardings early. The kitchen only had some understated butternut squash and cabbage.
Nodding, Jasper left.
With her cooking plans delayed, Stella turned on the bathroom light and continued her struggle with the pork she hadn’t finished cleaning from Arcadia. Halfway through, there was a sudden power outage. She closed the door and slipped into Arcadia. Arcadia still had power. Stella was ecstatic, and her confidence in the dark apocalypse grew.
People were unpredictable. Even when dealing with a child, Stella was extra cautious, cooking simple pasta for dinner. Stella added a slice of ham which Rosie ate with great delight. Once Rosie was more comfortable, she was less fearful. “Ma’am, your cooking is delicious. My brother is a bad cook.”
Being in his early twenties, it was understandable that Jasper didn’t know how to cook. Seeing that Rosie had a good appetite, Stella gave her an extra half plate of food.
By six o’clock, it was completely dark.
The Sunrise Sanctuary was located on high ground, but the floodwater still reached the front gate of the residential area. Although the group chat was still lively, there were noticeably fewer food pictures. The raging storm and power outage had made them feel fearful and anxiety was spreading.
Stella raised the price to 30 dollars, but still, no one responded. Firstly, they were neighbors. If they were greedy for money, it would be awkward in the future. Secondly, they were also scared and had become cautious of the dreadful weather.
The power outa
outage plunged the entire city into darkness. The once dazzling city lights were no more, and a sense of unease pervaded the air. Stella closed the curtains and turned on the solar lamp. Rosie was scared and instinctively grabbed the corner of Stella’s clothing. Stella wasn’t used to dealing with children, so she continued to play cartoons on her tablet.
Around eight o’clock in the evening, Jasper came back. He was wearing dry clothes and carrying a bag. “Stella, thank you for taking care of Rosie.”
The bag was quite heavy, containing potatoes, cabbages, two pounds of noodles, a box of
1/4
cold medicine, an alcohol stove, and solid alcohol tablets.
Jasper reminded her, ‘The power is out, and there might also be a water outage. You should stock up.”
Stella thanked him and accepted the supplies. Once he left with Rosie, Stella immediately closed the doors and windows and turned on the gas stove. She started to cook more dishes. She cooked until the early hours of the morning. When she went out to throw away the kitchen waste, she noticed wet footprints on the corridor floor. The wet footprints disappeared at Jasper’s door. He went out during the day, and again late at night?
Ignoring the danger, he was hoarding supplies day and night. He didn’t just remind her to stock up on water, but also gave her valuable supplies.
Back in her room, Stella fell into deep thought. This Jasper guy was not simple.
The rain was slightly chilly, making it a comfortable sleep. It was still dark outside, so Stella continued to sleep. When she finally got up, it was already past ten in the morning.
She went to the balcony and saw that the outside world was a dull gray. It was impossible to distinguish where the sky ended and the water began. There was a faint noise from the ground floor. When Stella looked down, she saw that the floodwater had entered the residential area. The ground floor had just started to flood.
Yesterday, when the power went out, the group chat was much quieter, but there were still people posting pictures. The water had already reached their ankles.
Emergency calls were not being answered, and even if they were, it was of no use. The police station had been flooded.
The residents swore and cursed as they frantically moved their belongings upstairs. This place was close to a university town, so very few houses were vacant. Even those that weren’t occupied were rented out. Some savvy residents were already asking in the group chat if anyone could provide temporary shelter. Normally, neighbors would help each other. But now, not only was the power out, but the gas was also cut off in the morning. With no rescue in sight, no one would dare to take in strangers. It was easy to invite trouble, but hard to get rid of it. What if they refused to leave once they moved in? How would they solve the problem of accommodation and food?
The fear of causing trouble was evident in the silence of the group chat. The residents on the ground floor were depressed. Surely they couldn’t just block the corridor? With the ongoing typhoon and flood, how could they live in the wet corridor? It was okay for adults, but what about the children?
Many people were unwilling to accept their situation, so they started knocking on doors, asking floor by floor. If there was no other way, they were willing to pay to stay like in a
hotel.
The residents either didn’t respond, or they claimed that their houses were already full. There was nothing they could do.
When her door was knocked again, Stella was surprised by the speed of the people from the ground floor. But it turned out to be Jasper. He had just woken up and looked slightly tired. “I’ve replaced the door at my place. Can install the old one at the staircase?”
Stella was gladly to do that and quickly went to assist him. Both of them worked together to install the old door at the staircase leading to the 18th floor.
Although Stella said she was helping, Jasper did most of the work. She only held the door while he installed it. In the end, she even got the keys.
When the residents from the ground floor came up, they turned livid at the sight of the door at the staircase. Swearing under their breath, they turned around and left. Stella listened to the commotion from upstairs. This was perfect. It saved them a lot of trouble and danger.
This door temporarily kept the trouble at bay, but it might not in the future. When that time. came, they could install her door as well. If two doors were installed at once, anyone could tell that there were hoardings on the 18th floor. If they all rushed up, even a few more doors wouldn’t be able to stop them. They could wait until it got extremely cold to
take it out.
With the gas cut off, Stella dragged out a gas cylinder from Arcadia, fiddled with it for a while, and installed the stove. She closed the doors and windows and continued to cook. Even if the smell escaped, the rain would wash it away. It was uncomfortable for her though. The kitchen was humid, oily, and felt like a sauna. Stella was soaked in the smell. But if she didn’t cook now, she would be even more afraid of cooking later.
After a hot and spicy meal, she was sweating profusely. The spiciness made her feel refreshed.
The water level continued to rise, reaching halfway up their calves. To avoid anxiety, Stella turned off her phone, took a comfortable nap, and then went into Arcadia to clear the land.
Looking at the countdown timer with a pitifully small number, Stella rolled up her sleeves and
got to work. Time was life. She wielded the hoe vigorously, and her delicate hands soon formed blisters. Ten square meters didn’t seem much, but it was particularly tiring to turn over. After turning the soil and smoothing it out, Stella divided it into four grids. She scattered different vegetable seeds in each grid, not forgetting to plant some eggplant and bell pepper seeds at the corners. The space was limited, so she had to make good use of it without wasting any.
Chapter 8
Arcadia’s time was synchronized with the outside world, but it seemed to be unaffected by the seasons. After some thought, Stella planted an orange tree and a grapevine at the
corner.
Even though she was quick, it still took two hours. Stepping out of Arcadia, she realized the water had stopped running and the internet was spotty at best. It felt as though the whole world was on the brink of coming to
a standstill.
