18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 232

Facing his younger sister's confusion, Jasper explained, "The sun is hidden behind the clouds."

In this post-apocalyptic world, lightning was an uncanny phenomenon. For safety's sake, Stella decided not to use the solar lamp and instead lit up an old kerosene lantern she'd kept from Arcadia.

The light was dim and yellow, but it was a beacon in the darkness.

Rosie was curious, "Stella, what's this?"

This was an antique from a bygone era. Stella started to tell her about the hardship of the old days.

Rosie nestled in Stella's arms, while Cooper, frightened by the thunderstorm, sought refuge in the arms of his trainer, whimpering.

Rosie had claimed his owner!

The thunderstorm lasted half an hour, eventually subsiding along with the heavy dark clouds. Bright light returned quickly, but the heavy rain continued relentlessly. The temperature of the rainwater began to drop. It was no longer scalding hot, but rather carried a refreshing chill.

Rainwater collecting continued. The siblings were responsible for gathering water, while the dog joyfully ran in the rain, making Stella almost want to abandon him.

In the refugee camp, not many people had belongings left. Driven by thirst, they rushed into the rain, drinking water from the sky and washing their bodies, "It's raining. Finally it's raining."

There were those who laughed, those who cried, and those who spun in the rain, seeming almost mad.

Rosie crouched in front of the plant pots, her face full of worry, "Stella, will the sweet potatoes survive?"

"They should. We'll know by tomorrow."

The initial rain was indeed scorching hot, but they were shielded by a tent. The plants likely wouldn't be scorched to death.

What was disturbing was that once the rain stopped, the heat from the ground started to rise again, turning the environment into a sauna. The sticky humidity was incredibly uncomfortable.

Back in their room, they turned on the air conditioning. Just as they were about to rest after turning off the lights, Jasper moved closer, "Did you get burned?"

Stella touched her face, "No, it's just a bit red."

Stella stayed indoors, Jasper took his sister to teach class, and Cooper took himself for a walk. He ran around Eastwood Eden twenty-odd times before coming back, even climbing a tree to help catch a runaway mouse, nearly getting bitten in the process.

At noon, the siblings returned with Cooper.

Jasper washed his hands before the meal, "Stella, it doesn't seem as hot today."

"Really?" Stella was in her temperature-controlled clothes enjoying the air conditioning and hadn't noticed.

At first, Jasper hadn't noticed either, but Cooper's reaction was more obvious. His tongue wasn't hanging out as much.

Stella decided to measure the temperature on the balcony. It was 58 degrees. It had indeed dropped, even if only by 2 degrees.

After a heavy rain, it was normal for the temperature to drop a bit.

In the evening, after being cooped up inside all day, Stella came down with a bucket.

The underground water level had risen significantly after the deluge. Water was now bubbling up from the ground, available in unlimited supply. So, Stella made several trips.

For those in the refugee camp who needed things to store water, Mark gathered a collection of pots and pans that had been found during the earthquake relief and sent them over.

Several metal buckets had been crushed, but they could still be used after being beaten back into shape.

The temperature continued to drop, about one or two degrees each day. When it dropped to 55 degrees, the survivors who had been enduring temperatures around 60 degrees for a long time were much more comfortable.

Human life truly was resilient. They miraculously survived, and with several consecutive days of ample water, their health significantly improved.

Some even formed teams to go out and collect resources from nearby collapsed buildings or villages, bringing back clothing or bowls.