All Chapters of The Family Survival Fund and Apocalypse Revenge: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

I had just gotten off work when my father, Stanley Reily, came looking for me. He didn't bother with small talk, asking anxiously, "Amelia, I heard through some back channels that an extreme-heat apocalypse is coming. You work at the National Weather Service—you should know best. Is that true?"I thought for a moment before answering. "I can't be certain either, but we can start preparing ahead of time."The moment the words left my mouth, my mother's face drained of color. She grabbed my arm. "Then what are we supposed to do? You're the expert—think of something, quick."My father looked at me, his expression heavy. "Amelia, why don't we set up a family survival fund? We'll put you fully in charge. If the apocalypse really comes, at least we'll be ready."I agreed without hesitation. "All right."He continued, "You've been working for years since graduating. You've saved up quite a bit, so naturally you'll be contributing the largest share—"Before he could finish, I took out

Day by day, time slipped past, and the moment of the apocalypse drew closer.The oppressive heat in the air grew more pronounced. By afternoon, the sunlight carried a searing sting against the skin.A few days later, the central air conditioner at home broke down, its cooling power drastically reduced. After checking it, the repairman said the compressor had aged and needed replacing—it would cost over three hundred."Replace it! It has to be replaced!" Daisy fanned herself irritably in the living room. "It's hot as hell already. How are we supposed to live without air-conditioning?"Stanley was drenched in sweat as well. "It does need to be replaced. Amelia, the money…""Dad, I already said it before," I replied evenly. "Not a single cent from the fund should be touched."Seeing Stanley's temper about to flare, I shifted gears. "But since everyone's having such a hard time, I do have a compromise.""What is it?" they asked at once."One of my coworkers has a rental house in th

The next few days passed in absolute comfort for me.I slept until I woke naturally, did yoga, watched old movies I'd downloaded before the apocalypse, studied recipes, and treated my stomach to something different every day.Meanwhile, the rental house had turned into a true living hell.Back then, they had moved into this "safe haven" I'd carefully selected for them, overjoyed and full of anticipation.It did, indeed, have a basement—enough to temporarily block out the initial waves of heat.But they soon discovered the truth: there was no air-conditioning, the windows were pitifully small, ventilation was terrible, and worst of all, it was right next to an abandoned pig farm that reeked of a suffocating stench.Once the apocalypse officially arrived, that so-called refuge quickly transformed into a massive, airtight oven.Surface temperatures soared to seventy degrees. The concrete walls grew scorching hot under the sun. The air inside thickened like congealed glue—every brea

"Amelia, honey, I'm sorry… Please…" Stanley struggled to lift his head, staring at the pitch-black crack in the door."Let us in… we'll give you everything… all the gold… we don't want anything else anymore… we just want to live…""Yes… Amelia…" Daisy lay sprawled on the ground, tears mixing with blistered fluid from her burns, smearing her face. "I'm begging you… I treated you badly before… I see that now… Please, just take pity on us…"Denise was nearly dried out, her body on the verge of collapse.I didn't respond. Instead, I pressed another button.A mechanical arm slowly pushed a metal tray out through the narrow gap in the door.On the tray sat three plain buns and a single 500-milliliter bottle of mineral water.This was the last bit of "mercy" I was willing to grant them.The moment they saw food and water, the three of them seemed to forget their pain entirely. A feral light burst into their eyes.Stanley was closest. Mustering all his remaining strength, he writhed f