The moment he woke up, he rushed to Natalie's side. Natalie raised her eyebrows. The rooster was suddenly acting affectionate. He had never behaved like this before. Back then he strutted proudly, head lifted high, as if no one was worthy of his attention. She was about to scoop Cash up for a closer look when he dropped two little pellets on the floor. Natalie blinked. Right, she had nearly forgotten about this little problem. Roosters weren't like dogs. You couldn't train them to use one spot. She was ready to grab him and scold him when he bolted toward the entryway and snatched up a cockroach that had crawled inside.Well, fine. He was still the fearless bug slayer. With skills like that, what was a little poop in comparison? Pinching her nose, Natalie cleaned the mess. After thinking it through, she cut a mask apart and turned it into a makeshift diaper, strapping it onto Cash's backside. Problem solved. She gave herself a quiet round of applause for the idea. Just then, a piercing scream broke the silence outside. "Snake! There's a snake!" Natalie frowned and walked to the window. Before she even looked down, a slick black snake slid across her windowsill, its tongue flicking as it stared straight at her. The snake swarm had begun. Natalie remembered. After the snakes came, the temperature would rise to 140°F, and the ground itself would burn near 200°F.Outside, chaos erupted. Snakes slithered in every direction, twisting through alleys and crawling up stairwells. People who had just celebrated beating the cockroach infestation, finally convinced they wouldn't starve, now screamed as serpents poured into buildings. The stairwell echoed with panicked cries. Natalie checked every door and window, making sure they were locked tight, then turned up the TV volume. She scooped up the dog and returned to her movie as if nothing were happening outside. It wasn't until dawn, when she heard the front door of the building open, that she finally cracked open her own door. It was Olivia. The moment she spotted the door of 1402 open, Olivia beamed. "Nat, you're brilliant! The snakes are everywhere! Thank God we spread clove oil earlier." Natalie studied her carefully. "Are you okay?" Olivia nodded quickly. "I'm fine. Harold had clove oil with him. We mixed it with alcohol and rubbed it on our clothes. Not one snake came near us." "Keep your windows shut too," Natalie warned. "I just saw one right on my windowsill." Olivia shuddere and rubbed her arms. "They're everywhere out there! I don't even know which ones are venomous and which ones aren't. They're crawling over the stairs and railings—everywhere! My legs nearly gave out climbing up." Natalie had lived through this before. It was terrifying, yes. But this time she was ready. She didn't have to risk her life scavenging for food anymore. She was all stocked up.She tried to calm Olivia. "The good thing is, we've got enough food and water for now. We can just stay inside until it ends." Olivia patted the metal drum beside her. It was filled with gasoline. "Exactly. We searched all night and only found this one drum. I doubt there's more out there. I'm not leaving again anytime soon. But what if this never ends? What if the snakes take over everything?" Natalie chuckled and shook her head. "Don't let your imagination get away from you." The truth was, it wouldn't last. Snakes couldn't survive in such huge swarms. The venomous ones, though dangerous, would eventually be wiped out by king snakes—nonvenomous, aggressive, and notorious for hunting other snakes. Once the king snakes cleared them out, people could finally start hunting snakes for food. In fact, without them, most people would have starved during the apocalypse. Natalie said, "Look at it this way. At least we don't have to worry about mutant rats anymore." Snakes were natural rat killers. Olivia grimaced. "I'd rather deal with rats than share space with snakes." Natalie laughed at her expression. "Go home and get some rest." Olivia nodded. "When I wake up, I'll call you. You can come over for needle therapy." They had agreed earlier that Olivia would help regulate Natalie's health and treat Ghania's mania. They chose Olivia's apartment because she knew Harold, and Natalie's place had plenty of supplies.Even though everyone got along, boundaries were a must between friends. Olivia had no intention of snooping in their home. Her own supplies, on the other hand, had been gathered with them during the apocalypse. Everyone knew exactly what she had, so she had nothing to hide. Holding the sessions at her place made sense. Natalie replied, "Sure. But if you're too tired, we can wait a few days. I'm not in a rush." Olivia shook her head firmly. "I'm fine. Come tonight." She had always been diligent and tireless. Now she could read pulses and place needles with precision. Treating them not only helped others but also sharpened her own skills. Without practice, all that book knowledge meant nothing.