When the World Ends, She Begins novel Chapter 2

Time was running short. Natalie quickly typed a stockpiling checklist into her phone's notes app, then rushed out the door.

In the neighborhood, elderly residents strolled in small groups, chatting leisurely.

Young couples strolled hand in hand beneath the shade of the trees, their faces aglow with happiness.

Natalie couldn't help but sigh. How long had it been since she'd seen such peaceful and harmonious scenes?

Sadly, in just a few days, such beauty would vanish forever.

She quickened her pace and headed straight to a nearby rental lot, where she hired a small cargo truck. Without delay, she drove to the largest farmers' wholesale market in Northlorn.

Her first stop was the grain and oil section to stock up on staple foods.

In a disaster, as long as a person had enough basic food and water, they could survive indefinitely.

She bought 500 bags of pasta, each weighing 50 pounds, 300 bags of assorted flour, and 1,000 pounds each of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn, as well as 500 pounds of mixed beans and 500 pounds of oats, buckwheat, and other grains.

This was enough staple food to feed a family of three for 70 years.

Although Natalie lived alone, she bought more than she needed. The extra could be traded later for other critical items.

In the apocalypse, food was currency.

During the late stages of flooding, even a bag of moldy rice could be exchanged for a young girl's night of companionship.

Fresh vegetables and fruit, however, could not be used for trade—especially when her storage space kept everything fresh. Trading fresh greens after several years of apocalypse would only raise suspicion.

She had learned her lesson. In this life, no one could ever know the secret of her storage space.

After stocking up on staples, she turned to cooking oils, purchasing 500 1.3-gallon bottles of soybean, peanut, corn, sunflower, sesame, and olive oils.

Next, she headed to the seasoning aisle, where she bought 600 pounds of salt and 300 pounds of various sugars.

She also picked up 158 gallons of different sauces and cooking wine, plus an additional 158 gallons of various vinegars.

Then, she grabbed 300 pounds of chicken stock, MSG, chili powder, black pepper, and other assorted spices.

Finally, she stocked up on a generous assortment of seasoning blends for fondue, barbecue rubs, meat marinades, and a wide range of sauces.

Each load was driven to an uninhabited area on the outskirts of town, away from surveillance cameras, and stored in her storage space.

It took her eight or nine trips before she finally cleared the purchases.

Natalie was about to head for the meat and vegetable section when her stomach suddenly growled.

She realized she'd been so focused on buying supplies all morning that she hadn't eaten a single bite.

As someone who had starved through the apocalypse, she instantly decided that filling her stomach came first.

Nearby, a lively food street buzzed with activity—fried chicken shops, milkshake stands, barbecue joints, spicy cuisine eateries, Cajun seafood spots, and pasta houses lined the bustling avenue.

This wasn't just a street of restaurants—it was something she had longed for every day through four years of hell.

She picked the place with the most variety and walked inside.

She ordered roast turkey, baked tofu nuggets, honey-glazed bacon, grilled fish, bourbon-glazed pork belly, Caesar salad, peri-peri chicken, grilled peas, and wild mushroom soup.

It shocked the waitress.

"Miss, you're ordering all this for yourself?"

Natalie kept a calm face. "I'm treating my friends. They're not here yet. Just serve the food when it's ready."

The dishes came quickly. They were perfectly balanced in flavor and texture and generous in portion.

Half an hour later, Natalie leaned back, rubbing her full stomach in pure satisfaction.

God knew how much I missed real food these past few years.

In the apocalypse, forget a meal like this—a person would fight tooth and nail just for a mouthful of expired bread.

For a long time, she had literally eaten dirt.

Not the joke people made online about "being so poor you eat dirt," but actual earth from the ground.

It was dry, tasteless, and difficult to swallow. Eating too much could cause constipation lasting days, and many even died from the resulting blockages.

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