The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 841

Chapter 841

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Chapter 841

Poppy was resting in her room, but she came up through the hatch when Zeph called.

She looked around at the fruit and vegetables growing in the rich, dark soil, the thriving herb beds, and the rows

of trucks. Then she spotted the familiar cruise ship and yacht, her eyes widening in wonder. 1

She was surprised, but not as much as she might have been once.

They sat together on top of the submarine, and Zeph handed her a glass of juice.

“Poppy, remember how many times all this food, medicine, and these boats helped keep us alive?”

“A lot,” she said between sips.

“I’m sorry I lied to you.” Zeph looked at her. “This place is called a storage space. Nicole found it before the disasters started. It wasn’t a gift Mom and Dad left us to make up for not being here.”

Poppy followed some of that, but she still looked confused. “What’s a storage space?”

Zeph struggled to find an explanation.

“It’s a little like a magic bag. You can put things in it and take them out whenever you need them. Except there’s a whole place inside…”

It took him a while to explain how Nicole’s storage space worked.

“She found it before the disasters. You could think of it as a blessing. Maybe once all this is over, it’ll disappear,

too.”

Poppy thought about that. “Then meeting Nicole was a blessing for you, too, wasn’t it?”

Zeph smiled. “I must’ve done something right.”

He rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Poppy, this place belongs to Nicole. She gets to decide how it’s used. She shares it with us because she loves us, and being family doesn’t mean we can take that for granted.”

Poppy nodded. “I know.”

Zeph went on, explaining the principles he tried to live by.

“The storage space is a tool. Most of the time, we use it to hold our supplies. In an emergency, it can save our lives.

“But it appeared without warning, and it could disappear the same way. We can’t let having it make us lazy or greedy.

“We still have to learn how to take care of ourselves. We can’t count on this place always being here.”

Poppy looked around, then met his eyes. “I understand.”

Zeph ruffled her hair. “Do you love Nicole?”

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Chapter 84

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“Yes.” Poppy didn’t hesitate. “She’s like a mom to me.”

Zeph chuckled. “You two have always been close. Without her, you might not be here today. Promise me you’ll always respect her and look out for her.”

Poppy beamed. “I promise.”

Inside, Nicole finished checking the submarine’s systems and cleared the alarms. Everything else seemed to be working properly.

Footsteps approached behind her. She recognized Poppy’s steps without turning around.

Then Poppy threw her arms around her from behind. “Nicole!”

When Nicole turned to look at her, the girl was grinning from ear to ear.

Nicole smiled back. “There’s food on the table. Go eat before it gets cold.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Poppy stood on her toes, kissed Nicole’s cheek, and ran off to eat.

Zeph came in just in time to see the kiss and stopped in his tracks. Nicole stood still for a moment, just as surprised.

They exchanged a look, then both began to smile.

At the table, Poppy shared her food with Cola, humming happily between bites.