Nicole hesitated, then agreed.

If he had supplies, she would be safer. Better for him to go out and look than to start eyeing what she had.

He glanced around the living room of 1801. “Thanks for looking after Poppy.”

“You helped me yesterday. It’s only fair,” Nicole said.

Nicole was cautious by nature. She had already hidden her stockpiles. The kitchen only had a few low-key items like squash and cabbage.

Zeph nodded and left.

Her cooking plans were interrupted.

Nicole turned on the bathroom light and pulled the organ meats out of the storage space to keep cleaning them. Halfway through, the power suddenly went out.

She shut the door and slipped straight into the storage space. Inside, the lights were still.

The relief hit hard, then came a deeper sense of confidence about surviving the dark days ahead.

People couldn’t be trusted. Even with a child around, Nicole stayed careful.

That night, she cooked a simple bowl of soup noodles with cabbage. She skipped the eggs, not wanting anything too heavy while Poppy had a cold, and sliced in a hot dog instead.

Poppy ate it happily.

Once Poppy relaxed, she wasn’t as timid anymore. “You’re a great cook. Zeph always ruins the food.”

Zeph was barely in his twenties. Not knowing how to cook was normal. Seeing Poppy eat so well, Nicole added another half bowl.

By six in the evening, the sky was completely dark.

Crownview Residences sat on higher ground, but floodwater had still reached the entrance.

The group chat was still active, but far fewer people were showing off food. The storm and blackout had finally scared them. Anxiety spread fast.

Nicole raised her offer to six dollars for instant noodles. Still no response.

Part of it was pride. Selling to neighbors would make things awkward later. Part of it was fear. In weather like this, everyone had their guard up.

With the power out, the entire city sank into darkness. The glittering lights of before were gone, replaced by a heavy, shapeless unease.

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