The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 405

Chapter 405

+16 Benus

For the Harvest Festival, Alex went on the broadcast to wish everyone in the community a happy holiday.

Nobody was under any illusions about their situation. Even so, the familiar holiday greeting brought back a small piece of the world they had lost.

He even shared a short motivational message.

It might not mean much to someone starving or on the brink of death, but most people had just received supplies from the authorities the day before and gathered enough hail for water. The sweet potatoes they had planted were also nearly ready to harvest.

The timing wasn’t bad.

That was the skill of a psychologist. Nicole made a mental note to read more in that field.

That night, the four of them marked the holiday in their own way.

Nicole remembered they still had a few holiday treats tucked away in storage. It took some digging to find them. Pecan pie bars, fruitcake, sugar cookies, and powdered shortbread.

She preferred the pecan bars. She took a couple of bites, then handed the rest to Zeph.

Poppy didn’t eat much, either. A bite of a sugar cookie, a nibble of the shortbread, and she passed the rest over.

Zeph looked at the growing pile in front of him and said nothing.

In the end, Cola stepped in. When it came to food, he never hesitated. He cleaned up several without pause, loyal

as ever.

“Good dog.” Zeph tossed him some beef as a reward.

After being stuck indoors for days, not allowed to do much, Nicole felt restless. She insisted on getting some movement and took a bucket downstairs to collect water.

At the well, she noticed the water level had dropped again. The old well digger and two others were at the bottom, digging deeper. Piles of yellow mud had already been hauled up.

The people above looked grim. They had been digging for hours, and barely any water had come up.

If the drought kept going, the sweet potatoes would wither, and even drinking water would run out. They had no idea how much longer they could last.

If this place failed, where would they go?

Nicole felt the weight of it settle in her chest.

The heat wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

She turned back with her bucket when something landed on her face with a soft tap.

It was warm. Almost hot.

Bird droppings?

Then, another drop hit.

She touched her cheek and stared at the moisture on her fingers. It was wet, but there was no smell.

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She slowly looked up.

More droplets landed on her face.

It was rain.

“Rain! It’s raining!” one of the workers shouted, his voice cracking with excitement.

But it didn’t take long to realize something was wrong.

The rain was hot. It was raining, but the water felt warm enough to soak sore feet in.

The workers grabbed the ropes immediately, trying to haul the people up. “Hurry! Pull them up! It’s raining!”

The ropes were coated in mud. Now, with the rain, they turned slick. No one could get a solid grip.

The hot rain came down harder, blurring everything.

The well was deep, over 200 feet. Several people were still down there. If they didn’t get them out in time, rising water or runoff could trap them below.

Nicole ran back and grabbed the rope with them, but it was too slippery. The friction burned her hands. She dug into her pocket, pulled out a hand towel, and wrapped it around the rope.

Rain struck their faces, forcing their eyes shut.

The heat made it worse. What if it kept rising? What if it got hot enough to cook them alive?

Fear spread through the group.

Someone stripped off his shirt and wrapped it around the rope. Together, they pulled.

One person came up. They dropped the rope back down and hauled up the next.

The patrol team, sheltering nearby, saw what was happening and rushed over, adding their strength to the line.

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+15 Benus