Natalie didn't give Dorothy a chance to catch her breath. She grabbed her by the throat and dragged her all the way to the door on the 14th floor. She kicked Dorothy hard, knocking her to the ground, then pointed at the pile of filth on the floor. "Eat it. All of it." Dorothy was coughing, almost choking. She lay on the floor sucking in air like it was the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted. It took her a few seconds to understand what Natalie had just said. Her eyes went wide. "You want me to eat what? Are you insane?" Natalie pressed her boot down on Dorothy's hand and twisted hard. Dorothy screamed in pain but still refused. Natalie grabbed her by the hair, yanked her head back, and whispered in her ear. "Do you know why there are so few people living in this building?" Dorothy winced, her scalp burning. "They ... they were all killed by the disaster." Natalie chuckled. "Wrong." She pulled out a triangular bayonet from behind her back and stabbed it straight into Dorothy's shoulder. "I killed them." "Ahhh!" Dorothy's shoulder had only just healed from an old wound, and now it was torn open again. Blood poured out fast, soaking her clothes. The blade was sharper than any butcher's knife in her old village. In seconds, blood was gushing down her arm. That was when Dorothy finally realized the truth—Natalie wasn't bluffing. This girl was a real killer. Dorothy thought about the handful of neighbors she had seen here and felt her spine turn cold. Natalie wasn't lying. She had killed them. Terror broke her will. "Don't—don't kill me! I'll eat it! I'll eat it!" Natalie yanked the bayonet back out, then shoved her forward. Dorothy clutched her bleeding shoulder and crawled toward the pile. She regretted everything. If she hadn't squatted down earlier, she wouldn't be facing this humiliation now. The stench made her gag. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't bring herself to bite. Natalie sneered at her hesitation, then grabbed Dorothy's head and shoved her face into it. Dorothy's face was smeared with filth. Natalie's cold voice rang in her ear. "Faster. If you don't finish in one minute, I'll kill your son." The moment she heard that, Dorothy snapped. She started shoving it into her mouth, swallowing chunk after chunk. She gagged and dry-heaved but forced it down. Natalie felt sick just watching and stepped back. Before long, Dorothy had "cleaned" the floor. Natalie looked at her disgusting, pathetic face. It still wasn't enough. After a moment of thought, she said, "Go home. Wash yourself. Then come back." Dorothy glared at her in fear. "I did what you wanted. What else do you want from me?" Natalie smirked. "Food. Don't you want it?"Dorothy crawled closer in desperation. "Yes! I want it!" Natalie wrinkled her nose at the filthy face. She backed away. "Then hurry up and get out of here. Do what I said." Dorothy muttered thanks over and over, then ran off. She didn't understand why Natalie would give her food or why she had to be clean first. But she didn't dare disobey. When she came back, scrubbed clean, she knocked again on the door of the 14th floor. This time, the door opened quickly. Natalie was holding a heavy box. "What are you standing there for? Help me." Dorothy thought she was being asked for a favor. She smiled and hurried over to help. "Pretty girl, when do I get the food you promised me?" Natalie shot her a glance. "After you carry all this downstairs. Then you'll get food." She added coldly, "Be careful. If you break anything, you get nothing." Dorothy nodded at once. Her whole body still ached from the beating. Her shoulder was still bleeding. But the thought of food for her son gave her strength. She hauled the heavy boxes down, one after another. By the time she was done, it was dark outside. People were starting to come out again. Natalie directed Dorothy to place the boxes right on the main road out of the complex, the busiest spot. Then, true to her word, she tossed Dorothy a box of crackers.Dorothy clutched it happily, ready to run home. But Natalie yanked her back. Dorothy panicked. "What are you doing? I need to give this to my son!" Natalie reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a long rope. "Not so fast. I'm not finished with you yet." Dorothy's face went pale. She finally understood why Natalie had made her wash up earlier. It was because Natalie planned to tie her up. She thrashed wildly. "What are you doing? Let me go!"