18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 353

Alice and Tom weren't rushing to head out. They waited for about an hour, understanding that leaving too soon to gather supplies might mean running into familiar faces.

Alice gazed out the car window, a hint of sadness in her voice, "I want to say goodbye to Dylan."

Tom nodded, "Go ahead."

In their neighborhood, there were plenty of kids, but Alice was always selective with her friends. Over the years, she had grown particularly close to Dylan.

But sometimes, being close wasn't the best thing, especially in a world torn apart by disasters. Emotional ties could lead to heartache or even gut-wrenching pain when faced with separation or death. Alice handed Dylan a drawing, "Dylan, I'm leaving. This is for you."

Dylan looked stunned, handing her a rag doll in return, "Alice, when I grow up, I'll replace you."

Alice paused, then smiled warmly, "I'd like that."

In no time, they were no longer kids. Alice was as tall as her Aunt Stella, and Dylan was nearly as tall as his dad.

In a peaceful world, they might still be considered youngsters, but in this harsh new reality, they were seen as adults.

Dylan knew there was a gap between him and Alice. He wasn't ready to join the Kindle Society yet, but he believed he would be one day.

As he turned to leave, he grabbed her hand, panic and resignation in his voice, "Alice, will you wait for me?"

Alice knew the Kindle Society might not be the best choice for her brother and sister-in-law, and the future was uncertain.

But looking into Dylan's hopeful eyes, she couldn't bring herself to be brutally honest, "Sure."

Striving for the Kindle Society was a good goal and wouldn't hurt him.

Dylan stood at the door, watching her walk away.

Austin put his arm around his son's shoulders, "Come on, stop looking. When you're strong enough, you'll catch up to her."

Dylan stared in the direction Alice had disappeared, silently vowing to himself.

Once they left the neighborhood, the chaos was overwhelming: people crying, screaming, looting, the situation was utterly out of control. What to do? Oh God, show us a way to survive!

Wearing tattered clothes, eyes hollow, no food, and shoes with holes.

Staying put was a death sentence, let alone trying to make it to Goldbridge, hundreds of miles away. Just the thought was hopeless.

A woman stood on a rooftop corroded by acid rain, her foot half off the edge....

A man rushed to her, pulling her back, as she screamed hysterically, "Leave me alone; I don't want to live, let me die!"

Holding his frantic wife, he cried, "If you die, what about me, what about our child?"

"Our child is gone," she beat his chest, "All three of our kids are dead."

"It will get better, everything will," the husband pleaded through tears, "I promised your parents I'd take care of you all my life."

"It's pointless, I don't want to go on, please just let me be."

Below, people hurried by, some alone, some in groups, no one spared a moment to attend to a potential suicide.

Most people still wanted to live; it was human instinct, even if they were walking corpses, they didn't give up.

500 miles; they'd go as far as they could.

The official evacuation time was short, and most people traveled in groups, from the same village or the same building, sticking together in hope of surviving the disasters. While the lower-class survivors relied on their feet, officials transported essential goods and personnel using trucks, setting off first to secure locations.

Amidst the crowd, cars could hardly move fast, and honking was out of the question.

Many survivors had nothing left to lose, and in their agitation, they were quick to violence. Blocking the way was the least of the problems; others threw stones at car windows. In more extreme cases, people climbed onto the roof of a car that wasn't moving.

If you didn't open the doors, they would stomp on the roof.

Dare to step out, and another group would rush to hijack the vehicle.

Bring it on, it's just another bad day!

Even with military and police trying to maintain order, it was futile; people had lost the will to live, preferring a swift end to their misery.

Tom had experienced this in a past life, so they purposely kept their distance from the evacuation points and took back roads out of the city.

Even in their armored vehicle, they were careful not to let their guard down.

Ordinary people weren't the only ones trying to escape; criminals were too, robbing as they fled, and you never knew when a grenade might come flying your way.

So, they took turns driving and keeping watch.

In the back seat, Alice and their dog Cooper remained on high alert.

The dirt roads were rough, and many survivors had formed impromptu caravans, trying to get ahead of the main groups.

Several robberies and brawls occurred along the way, a stark reflection of reality.

Preying on the weak was never as profitable as targeting the wealthy; their Hummer had become a tantalizing target.

To the bandits and desperate refugees, their vehicle was like a juicy steak, signaling with hands or glances, plotting to make a move.

Stella, never one to be trifled with, was clad in a bulletproof vest with a steel helmet secured. Lowering the window, she faced the man with a metal pipe approaching and without hesitation, pulled the trigger.

A headshot, and he dropped dead.

The crowd froze, unsure of whether to continue or make way.

Stella waved a grenade at them, her smile cold and sinister.

Damn, who could mess with that!

The crowd almost cried in frustration, reluctantly stepping aside to let the Hummer pass.

Watching the vehicle drive away, someone grumbled, "Our leader's dead, what do we do now?" What to do? Move on and replace a new one!

Repeated encounters like this, a few bullets each time, were enough to keep the threats at bay.

The migration wasn't limited to the residents of two cities; those near Mount Oak were also on edge. Those who were well-informed and could afford it were packing up and driving away.

Once they were out of Griffith, the numbers of on-foot migrants thinned, but they still encountered private cars also fleeing the chaos.

After driving dozens of miles, it was around midday when Tom found a secluded and defensible spot to rest.

They got out to stretch their legs, being careful not to stray too far from the car while taking care of nature's call.

Not far from the road, they couldn't indulge in a feast. They settled for bread and hard-boiled eggs, and the thermos was filled with cool water.

They took turns eating while the other kept watch.

Just as they were about to get back in the car, the ground trembled, and the car shook.

A massive, muffled boom seemed to echo from the distance.

Thinking it was an earthquake, they instinctively looked for open ground to seek shelter.

The trembling didn't last long, thankfully, and soon enough, peace was restored.

"Quick, look over there!" someone shouted in the street.

They were pointing in the direction of Mount Oak.

Stella pulled out her high-definition binoculars and, sure enough, Mount Oak was where the trouble had started...