Both nodded in agreement. Harold studied the cinnabar in his hand. "When we get back, I'll spread this around the doors and windows. Just as insurance. Hopefully we don't run into any situation that calls for this." The thought of slick snakes flicking their tongues made his skin crawl. "Don't forget the sewers," Natalie reminded him. Snakes, rats, and insects didn't always walk through the front door. Olivia glanced at the hen, rat poison, and clove oil she carried. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. "You both brought useful things. I don't really have anything valuable at home." Natalie was about to reassure her, but Olivia's eyes suddenly brightened."Wait. I can treat your bodies instead. "After we find the oil tonight, I'll come over every evening and give you needle therapy to improve circulation." Though she didn't have enough supplies, she would make up for it with her skills. Natalie swallowed her reply. Therapy for the body was a tempting offer. "I'm in," she quickly answered. Harold added, "I don't really need anything, but if you've got time, check on my mom. If you can calm her manic episodes, you can have all the chickens you want." Olivia quickly shook her head. "No way. I couldn't care for that many." They were chatting warmly when cries rose from below. "Dad! Dad, wake up!""Honey, please don't die! I should've never let you try that rat!" It came from the family in 1001, a unit on the tenth floor. Those who gagged at the sight of roaches and rats were the ones who still had extra food. The truly desperate didn't run when they saw vermin. They thought instead, Can we eat it? They were starving. The family in 1001 had a child, which made things even worse. The couple had come up with a desperate plan. The husband would eat the rat, the wife the cockroach. If nothing happened, they would feed it to their child. At least then, the family wouldn't starve. But the man had barely swallowed a bite when foam spilled from his lips. His body seized, and within minutes, he was dead. The woman and her child collapsed in tears. "Honey, wake up! Why? Why? I saw people online eat rats, and nothing happened to them!" Her screams pierced the building, but she didn't realize that rats carried bacteria even before all this. These bloated mutant rats were worse. They had gorged on corpses and trash soaked in floodwater, and their bodies were swarming with disease. Getting bitten was deadly enough. Eating them? That was a suicide mission. On the 14th floor, the three friends heard the cries. Their stomachs twisted. None of them felt like talking anymore. Natalie especially grew restless, thinking about Lucky. She had bitten into a rat earlier—blood and all. Panic struck her, and she rushed home.She needed to wash her again. She couldn't risk her getting sick. She shoved the door open and froze. The air inside was tense. Lucky and the rooster faced each other from two yards away. Both stood rigid, eyes locked. Lucky's throat rumbled with a growl, lips curled back, her body crouched to strike. The rooster held its head high, glaring without flinching. Dog fur and feathers littered the floor. Natalie's face darkened. They already had a fight? She was still thinking of how to make Lucky accept this new companion when both animals lunged. Lucky pounced like she was chasing a rat, snapping at the rooster's neck while swiping with her paws. The rooster fought back. Its head jerked, its sharp beak striking like a spear. It dodged Lucky's jaws and pecked her hard. Enraged, Lucky swung a heavy paw. The blow sent the bird staggering. She lunged again, jaws wide, but the rooster flapped his wings and leapt into the air. They clashed fiercely, neither giving ground. Natalie stared at the storm of fur and feathers and sighed. So this is what people meant when they said all hell broke loose. She had been so focused on the rooster's bug-catching skills that she had forgotten Lucky would never welcome a rival. Before either was hurt, Natalie rushed forward and kicked them apart. "Enough! Both of you, stop it!"But it was never easy to be fair as the parent. Lucky was her baby, her first love. Natalie's foot struck her, but she pulled back, and the force only knocked Lucky over. The rooster wasn't as fortunate. It went flying across the room before it made a rough landing. Lucky puffed up with pride, barking in triumph, until Natalie flicked his forehead with a sharp snap. "Both of you, listen. You're living under the same roof now, so you'd better get along. If you fight again ... " She glared at each of them and cracked her knuckles. "Then I'm going to get rough with you." Both creatures froze, cowed by her tone.