Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 29: Downpour, Toad, Cold Snap 4

The toads that appeared this time had smaller, more densely packed bumps on their skin. Their color had changed from the previous dark brown to a blackish green, and their already bulging, round eyes seemed to protrude even more.

Evelyn Ford wasn’t sure if these new toads were still edible or if they had mutated. She caught one and brought it back, preparing it the same way as before: cutting off the head, skinning it, and removing the poisonous glands. The color of the broth after cooking didn’t change, but the aroma had grown much richer. Evelyn desperately wanted to catch a rat to test it on, but ever since the torrential rain began, all the rats had drowned. It was impossible to find one.

She tested the broth with a poison detection strip and found no issues, but Evelyn still didn’t act rashly.

Just then, a faint, fragrant aroma drifted from the floors above and below.

The new toads were edible. Someone had eaten one and suffered no ill effects. As for where the toads came from, no one cared anymore. To the survivors struggling on the edge of existence, nothing was more important than being alive. If they could live just one more day, they would.

The next morning, Evelyn Ford was woken by a knock on her door. When she opened it and saw Lauren Keller, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

"What happened?"

Lauren Keller shook her head, simply holding out a potato. She wanted to trade it with Evelyn Ford for an extra-large plastic bag. Looking at her expression, Evelyn understood at once.

Lauren Keller’s grandfather had killed himself. He had used one of his few remaining moments of lucidity to write a farewell letter to her.

Lauren carefully wiped the ligature marks from Keller’s neck, dressed him, and then lifted his body into the bag.

"He’s so thin. I can’t believe I lifted him so easily."

Lauren Keller carried him to apartment 601, which had become Building D’s graveyard.

Lauren’s apartment felt exceptionally empty. She clutched the letter, curled up on her bed, the light gone from her eyes.

"I have no family left. My grandparents, my mom and dad... they’re all gone. I don’t have a home anymore. I don’t have a home," she murmured to herself.

Evelyn Ford added some firewood for her, pulled up a chair, and sat by the bed, silently keeping her company.

Evelyn could empathize, but she had no words of comfort to offer.

To avoid becoming a burden to Lauren, Keller had chosen to end his own life. The letter he left for her contained only a few short sentences.

[To my dearest granddaughter, Lauren Keller:

I’m writing this for you in a moment of clarity. Don’t be pained or saddened by my choice.

It is my last wish to not be a burden to you and to leave with dignity.

Finally, I hope you live well and become a more resilient and courageous person.]

"Evelyn... being alone... it’s hard, isn’t it?"

Evelyn Ford looked at her. Lauren Keller was crying silently.

"I was the happiest person in the world. My grandparents and my parents all loved me so much. They worked hard, scrimped and saved their entire lives just to buy me an apartment downtown after I graduated. From elementary school to college, I was always the most hardworking, a model student. I wanted to get a good job and become a top lawyer. I always tried to do good deeds and never did anything wrong. I donated blood, money, and old clothes. I even signed up to be an organ donor. I really thought I was a good person."

Lauren Keller clutched her chest, her expression pained.

"So why did God still take my entire family away?"

"Leaving me to live all alone... How am I supposed to go on? I can’t."

Lauren’s suppressed sobs turned into a complete breakdown. She beat at her chest, tears of despair streaming down her face.

After losing one family member after another, Lauren Keller had even started to get gray hairs.

—

Outside, the floodwaters had already submerged the fifth floor. The residents there were either dead or had moved on.

When the torrential rain would stop was still a mystery. Everyone was growing numb. Perhaps no one believed they would survive anymore. Death was just a matter of time.

Lauren Keller managed to pull herself together. She started asking Evelyn Ford to go out with her frequently to search for supplies and firewood. In one old hotel, the two of them found a good number of wooden beds and cabinets.

Most of the time, however, Evelyn Ford still went out by herself. She had secrets and was better suited to traveling alone. As for her dimensional space, Evelyn would never tell a soul.

The inflatable boat was moored below a private hospital. Evelyn didn’t know if the equipment and medicine inside were still there. Without hesitating, she climbed in through a window, ready to scavenge.

As soon as she got inside, Evelyn noticed many footprints and signs of rummaging. Tables, chairs, and stools were all in disarray. Evelyn took everything that was still clean into her space, including the beds and cabinets from the patient rooms.

This was a sizable private hospital. Compared to the conventional design of public hospitals, this place was downright opulent. A huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling still reflected Evelyn’s figure. It looked less like a hospital and more like a hotel.

The hallways were teeming with toads, a dense swarm, just like when the poisonous moths had appeared.

Evelyn reached the operating room. Seeing the lightly used equipment inside, she cleared off the toads clinging to it and stored it all away directly.

In one of the rooms, there were several bodies, frozen stiff.

Two hours later, Evelyn was about to leave. Just as she was preparing to jump down from the windowsill, she saw three people in an inflatable boat heading straight for her.

Few people went out to look for supplies after the cold snap. Evelyn had scanned the area and seen no one, so she had left her inflatable boat on the water. She hadn’t expected someone would nearly steal it.

"Holy shit, there’s someone there."

"Is this inflatable boat yours?"

The speaker sounded young, around twenty years old. Evelyn jumped down into her boat, not planning to engage with them.

"Hey, are you mute or deaf? We’re talking to you! What’s it like up there? Was there nothing? How come you came down empty-handed?"

It was three young men. They had two large bundles in their boat, and long knives lay beside them. One of them pointed his knife at Evelyn, looking like he had no intention of letting her leave.

"Go up and see for yourselves."

"Whoa, a woman? You’re a woman?"

The young man pointing the knife at Evelyn got excited, as if he hadn’t seen a woman in ages.

"My god, that’s amazing! You’re out looking for supplies all by yourself? I’m telling you, we just saw several groups get swept away by the floodwaters. Aren’t you scared?"

Evelyn had no interest in chatting with them, but the three were clearly very interested in her.

"We’re students from Corinth University. You sound young, too. Are you a student? We’ve set up a temporary base. Want to come with us? Since you have an inflatable boat, we can make an exception and let you in."

Evelyn...

"No, thanks."

Evelyn picked up the crossbow from her feet and aimed it at them.

"Move. Don’t block my way."

"Whoa, you actually have a crossbow! That’s awesome! What’s the range on it? Was it expensive? Do you have any extras? Could you sell me one?"

"..." ’Have I run into some kind of nutjob?’ Evelyn wondered for a moment.