Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 31: Downpour, Toad, Cold Snap 6

Evelyn Ford made a pot of mutton stew with radishes. Mutton helps to ward off the cold. After a trip outside, it usually took her two or three days to recover her strength.

By evening, Evelyn had succumbed. The cold had seeped into her body. At first, she only felt dizzy and nauseous. She took some medicine and crawled into her quilt, hoping to sweat it out. But after several hours of sleep, she was still cold. Evelyn felt as if she were frozen solid. Fortunately, she still had plenty of the herbal medicine she had brewed last time. She retrieved it from her space and downed a large bowl. Cold sweat started beading on Evelyn’s forehead. Her constitution was fairly good, so she thought she’d be better by the next day after toughing it out for a night. But when the next day came, a dull ache started spreading through her bones.

Evelyn suspected she had developed rheumatism. Rheumatism could lead to joint deformities, and in severe cases, rheumatic heart disease or even paralysis.

A short while later, her lower back began to ache as well. Her coughing intensified, becoming completely unstoppable. It felt like she was about to cough up her lungs. Her throat was dry and itchy, making it excruciatingly painful to speak or eat.

Evelyn took out her Silver Needles, preparing to give herself some acupuncture. She placed a mirror beside her and slowly inserted the needles into her lower back.

Lying on the bed, Evelyn looked at her reflection in the mirror, her back covered in Silver Needles. She clicked her tongue. ’I look like a porcupine.’

By the afternoon, Evelyn felt much better. The pain in her back and bones was gone, though her cough and nasal congestion were still quite severe. The downpour was also gradually subsiding, but the cold wave was so frightening that few people dared to venture outside.

Many people had suffered the same fate as Evelyn, the penetrating cold triggering rheumatic flare-ups. But Evelyn didn’t have the energy to treat others. For the past few days, she had barely left her bed except to eat and use the bathroom. She took out her tablet and played a downloaded reality TV show, watching the celebrities act silly while playing games. Evelyn couldn’t help but laugh.

In her past life, Evelyn had once seen a celebrity who was wildly popular before the apocalypse get mugged during a heatwave, then beaten to death by a mob. The apocalypse was a great reset; power, status, and money would all turn to ash.

May 15th was Wendy’s birthday. The little girl was turning three and would sweetly call her "Miss Ford." The Graham Family invited Evelyn Ford and Lauren Keller upstairs to celebrate. Despite the harsh conditions, they had still managed to create a birthday party with a sense of occasion for Wendy.

Lauren Keller brought two cans of food, and Evelyn Ford brought two packs of instant noodles.

In the Graham family’s living room, a homemade iron rack held an iron pot, inside which a toad hotpot was simmering. With Officer Graham in the family, their situation wasn’t too bad; at least they had enough firewood and food. The moment Wendy saw Evelyn, she rushed into her arms.

"Miss Ford, are you feeling better?"

Evelyn picked her up and sat down, casually setting down the instant noodles she was holding. Lauren Keller greeted the Graham family and sat down next to Evelyn.

"I’m all better now. Did you miss me, Wendy?"

"Yes." Dressed in a thick, padded jacket, Wendy turned to look at Lauren Keller.

"Miss Lauren, why is your hair all white? Are you old now too?" In Wendy’s mind, only old people had white hair, like her grandparents.

"Miss Lauren dyed her hair."

Wendy’s eyes widened. "Then I want to dye my hair too! Can I dye it red?"

Lauren Keller shook her head. "Not right now. You can when you’re older."

Wendy wasn’t disappointed. Instead, she looked at Mrs. Graham and pleaded in a sweet, childish voice, "Mama, when I grow up, can I dye my hair? I like red."

Mrs. Graham glanced at her. "Didn’t you say you liked purple yesterday? Changed your mind already?"

"I won’t change it, I won’t! I’ll like red forever!"

Everyone chuckled at her antics. Mrs. Graham brought the table over and took out some snacks.

"Chester brought back a bottle of coke last time he went out. Ford, Lauren, you two drink it."

"The cold got into me before, so I can’t have any soft drinks."

"I haven’t been feeling well these past couple of days, so I’m avoiding cold drinks."

Since they both refused, Mrs. Graham had no choice but to put the coke away. She then insisted on giving them sunflower seeds. They all sat around the fire, cracking seeds and chatting idly.

"It’s been forty-five days."

"Sigh... who knows when this huge downpour will ever end."

Evelyn stared into the flames, lost in thought.

’That’s right, day forty-five,’ she thought. ’If nothing unexpected happens, the rain will stop in another fifteen days.’

The hotpot was ready. It also had potatoes and chili sauce in it, and it smelled pretty good.

Everyone sat together, celebrating Wendy’s third birthday. She clapped her hands, cheering and jumping with joy. She asked Officer Graham when they could go to an amusement park, then asked Mrs. Graham if she could go to kindergarten.

Just then, a deafening roar echoed from outside. Evelyn nearly dropped her chopsticks. Everyone exchanged glances. Terrified, Wendy shrank into Mrs. Graham’s arms, her expression shifting from glee to fear.

"I think... the flash flood is here."

Officer Graham said the words with difficulty. Unlike the flooding that followed the downpour, a flash flood was caused by factors like landslides, upstream riverbank collapses, or dam breaches.

Evelyn Ford and Lauren Keller said their goodbyes and headed home. As they were parting ways in the hallway, Lauren suddenly called out to Evelyn.

"Evelyn, you have to stay alive."

Evelyn’s eyes stung. They stood in silence for a long time. Evelyn walked over, patted her on the shoulder, and nodded firmly.

"We both have to stay alive."

Back in her apartment, Evelyn pulled open the curtains and quietly looked outside.

The clap of thunder, the roar of the approaching flash flood, the drumming of the downpour, and the howl of the gale all mingled together, composing a deadly symphony.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky—purple and blue flashes intertwining. The earth-shattering RUMBLE of thunder followed.

Evelyn plugged her ears with earplugs and curled up under her quilt.

Half an hour later, the flash flood reached Prosperity Gardens. Assault boats were swept up in the torrent. The floodwaters were like roaring ocean waves, crashing one after another. SMACK! A heavy surge of water slammed against her balcony glass. The thud of rocks, carried by the current, striking the glass echoed through the room.

The world just beyond her wall had transformed into something fantastical and terrifying. Having experienced a flash flood in her past life, Evelyn knew just how horrific it could be.

Once swept away by a flash flood, a person had almost no chance of survival.

A car was lifted by the current and slammed violently into the seventh floor of the opposite building. The CRACKLE of shattering glass was followed by desperate screams and cries.

Evelyn’s scalp tingled with fear. Time ticked by, but the roaring outside didn’t stop. She got out from under the quilt and began to pace anxiously around the living room.

A corpse was slammed hard against her glass by the current. Evelyn saw an unrecognizable face. She clutched her head, shut her eyes, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

’Let it end, please, let it end, let it end...’

Evelyn squatted on the floor, clutching her head and praying over and over again.