The apocalypse of extreme heat had arrived. My best friend and my boyfriend tied me to a chair, together. They drained my blood, using it as their new water supply, and gleefully pulled out my bones, giving them to the dog to chew on. When I opened my eyes again, I saw my best friend, in tiny pink shorts, swaying provocatively in front of my boyfriend. This time, I was going to make them taste despair. “AC, Wi-Fi… If only we had some watermelon.” A familiar whine woke me up. The moment my eyes fluttered open, I saw Brittany, clad only in her underwear, dramatically complaining to my boyfriend, Damian. She was biting her finger, her bra strap conveniently slipping off her shoulder. Damian turned his head, glancing at the scorching sun outside, looking a little troubled. Then, his gaze landed on me. “Perfect, you’re awake.” “Brittany wants watermelon. She’s a guest, and your best friend, so why don’t you go out and buy some?” The scene before me was all too familiar. I had been reborn, two days before the high-temperature apocalypse officially hit. At this point, no one realized it was a disaster; people just thought it was a normal heatwave. Two days later, the water and electricity would cut out, and food and fresh water would become scarce. That would signal the official arrival of the high-temperature apocalypse. 2 In my previous life, after waking up and seeing Brittany’s attire, I had pulled her into the bedroom, reminding her to be mindful. “What do you expect me to wear in this heat?!” Brittany’s face had twisted in annoyance, and she’d reached up to adjust her fallen strap. “You don’t actually think I’m trying to hook up with your boyfriend, do you? Don’t be ridiculous! We knew each other long before you came along. If we wanted to be together, we would’ve been already! What would it even have to do with you?!” “Cassie, you’re misunderstanding Brittany. She’s your best friend. Don’t you know what kind of person she is?” Damian had leaned against the bedroom doorway, his tone dripping with accusation. “Go buy the watermelon. It’ll do you good to cool down.” Like hell I would! It was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and he wanted me to “cool down.” But now. I actually did want to go out. 3 “I’ll go buy the watermelon! It’s so hot, how can we let darling Brittany go without her watermelon?” I forced a smile, sweetly complying. The moment the door closed, the cold air from inside was cut off. The suffocating heatwave hit me almost immediately, threatening to choke me. My parents had already bought me a small villa in the suburbs. To spare Damian’s ego, I had never told him about it. After all, the carefully constructed image he maintained was always about *him* working hard to provide a happy life for the woman he loved. Yet, I was the one paying the rent for his apartment. After leaving, I headed straight for my villa. Buying this villa had been a stroke of luck. For a while, I had been obsessed with apocalypse movies, and this real estate company’s slogan was perfect: “Your Apocalypse Home.” The entire exterior of the villa was made of explosion-proof and fire-resistant materials, and it also had cooling and temperature-regulating functions. The roof was covered with numerous solar panels. The spacious basement was a natural giant refrigerator, perfect for storing massive amounts of food. Even better, the villa had its own ecological vegetable garden. With a complete hydroponic system, all I needed to do was plant seeds and add water, and the vegetables would be enough to meet my needs throughout the apocalypse. It did have its downsides, though. The villa looked ugly and was incredibly expensive. They hadn’t sold many units to date. 4 The villa came fully furnished with appliances. Though, they were all off-brand names I’d never heard of. When my mom came to add household items, she’d complained about the quality of these generic appliances and wanted to replace them. I looked at the ten massive refrigerators lined up in a row and couldn’t bring myself to let them go. After running back and forth three or four times, I finally managed to fill all the fridges. In addition to that, I bought a dozen more cases of crackers, instant noodles, self-heating hot pots, and various canned goods. Plus emergency medicines, feminine hygiene products, and other daily necessities. Only after the basement was filled to the brim with bottled water did I finally feel secure enough to splurge on snacks. My phone buzzed with a text message: [ATTENTION RESIDENTS: ABNORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. PLEASE STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES AND AVOID UNNECESSARY OUTINGS. ALSO, BE AWARE OF DISEASE AND BACTERIAL SPREAD IN HIGH HEAT.] Immediately after, Damian called. “Does it really take this long to buy a watermelon?” I explained that it was too hot, many fruit stores were closed, and I had to go far to find one. There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Cassie, you got the notification too, right?” Damian’s voice was heavy, like he’d just woken up. “Don’t worry about it. Experts say things, but who really listens? Those people hoarding supplies probably haven’t even finished the salt they bought last year.” I feigned a relaxed chuckle, making a joke. “It’s like fire outside. I’ll swing by and get some supplies on my way back. You two just stay in, I’d hate for you to overheat.” To dissuade Damian from going out shopping, I had to keep up the act. Just like in my previous life. That evening, I returned to the rental apartment with the supplies. *** [PAYWALL] *** In my previous life, I hadn’t realized the extreme heat apocalypse would be endless. I certainly hadn’t imagined that, when the apocalypse truly arrived, those two scumbags would hog all the supplies. They’d even tied me to a chair, drained my blood to use as their new water supply, and then gleefully picked my bones clean to give to Brittany’s dog as a chew toy. “How did you only get this much?!” Damian pointed at the meager instant noodles and crackers in the bag, clearly displeased. “Because the bottled water and watermelon were too heavy.” I deliberately twisted my wrist, looking a bit wronged as I gestured to the few bottles of water and the large watermelon. Brittany was happily gnawing on the watermelon, feeding the rinds to her beloved pet dog. But the dog clearly didn’t want the rinds, lunging to snatch a few bites of the red flesh instead. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just a few days of heat, the experts are just being dramatic! We don’t even have to go to work, how bad can it get?” Damian shot Brittany a disgusted look. Though Damian wanted to hoard more supplies, I had timed my return perfectly. The supermarkets and stores were already closed. In my previous life, I had always lived in the company’s employee dorms. When the apocalypse hit, I was forced to stay in this rental apartment. When I suggested staying overnight tonight, Damian was ecstatic. Brittany, however, pouted and linked arms with me. “Cassie definitely wants to stay and keep me company! We haven’t had a good heart-to-heart in ages.” Facing my best friend’s overwhelming enthusiasm, I naturally had to “repay” her. While they slept soundly, I installed long-lasting, omnidirectional surveillance cameras in every corner of the apartment. Who needs a movie when you’ve got a live feed like this? 5 The next day, the temperature rose another ten degrees. Roads started to melt, and major video platforms were flooded with clips of people fighting over supplies. Unlike in my previous life. Damian was visibly panicking now. He ordered Brittany and me to split up and rush to grab supplies. Brittany, however, complained it was too hot and refused to leave. The moment Damian and I split up, I practically sprinted back to the villa. My parents video-called me; they had already moved to the countryside. It was a retirement home they’d bought earlier, located in the north, not yet affected by the extreme heat. I reminded them to stock up on supplies beforehand and take precautions. They, however, looked worried, urging me not to skimp on money, to buy whatever I could, no matter the cost. It turned out they’d seen the news: because of that high-temperature alert, supermarket shelves had been cleared out, and some people were price gouging. Bottled water that usually sold for two dollars was now being scalped for a thousand dollars a bottle. I secretly congratulated myself on being a step ahead yesterday. Just as I was comforting my parents, Damian’s call came in. “Cassie, I managed to get supplies! Ten whole cases of bottled water!” His voice was brimming with barely contained excitement. Then, he lowered his voice. “The owner gave us a discount, it’s fifty thousand dollars in total, Cassie… don’t think it’s expensive, these are extreme times…” Expensive? For a thousand dollars a bottle, I thought the owner was being surprisingly fair. After all, in the apocalypse, money would soon be worthless. Yet right now, not having money was the absolute worst. “Tell me, are you buying this or not?! Don’t waste my time if you’re not!” “Owner, I’ll offer eighty thousand, give it to me!” A quarrel erupted on the other end of the line. “Not expensive, not expensive at all. Forget fifty thousand, even a hundred thousand wouldn’t be expensive.” I was practically giddy, watching the drama escalate. Damian’s voice changed with delight. “I’ll offer a hundred thousand, owner, give it to me. Cassie, you can transfer the money to my bank account later.” I readily agreed. Then I turned off my phone and settled in for a nap. 6 After a good, long sleep, I slowly got up and pushed my shopping cart into the pantry. I had transformed this area into a small supermarket. Only after I’d prepared a hot pot did I turn my phone back on. An avalanche of missed calls and hundreds of unread messages flooded my screen. I found myself added to a group chat called [Apocalypse Survivors’ Haven]. The group admin was the same person who had developed this villa community. Its members were all like the admin, friends interested in exploring apocalyptic survival. For me, an “unexpected resident,” the group showed a lot of concern. [B-02 resident, what’s the situation? Male or female? Alive or dead? Boss, can’t you check their info? — Admin] [How can I just casually check a resident’s info? They’re closest to me, I’ll get to know them eventually. — (Another Member)] My phone suddenly popped up with a friend request; it was the admin. [You live alone, and you’re a girl. Do you need any help?] Clearly, they had checked my information. I thought for a moment, deciding to wait and see. I set out the hot pot ingredients and turned on the TV. As soon as the surveillance feed connected to the screen, Damian’s furious face appeared. He was grabbing Brittany by the hair, his fists raining down on her face. Brittany’s wails filled the surveillance audio. Her dog, trying to protect its owner, was kicked into a corner by Damian, whimpering and cowering, daring not to approach. It turned out Brittany had heard Damian got water and opened one of the few remaining bottles of bottled water to feed to the dog. Damian, tired of hitting her, locked Brittany and the dog together, then picked up his phone and dialed my number. [Blocked one incoming call.] [Blocked one incoming call.] … [Blocked one incoming text message.] I stuffed a piece of hot beef into my mouth, leisurely opening the text message. [Apocalypse Haven Villa B-02, Cassie, so you’re here.] [You’re reborn too, aren’t you?] Damian licked his chapped lips, looking at my location on his phone, a cunning, greedy smile spreading across his face. Damian’s mood brightened considerably after locating me. He grabbed a towel and dabbed at the blood on Brittany’s face. “I have you to thank for suggesting we install that tracker on Cassie’s phone, back when we were sneaking around.” Brittany’s eyes were swollen into narrow slits, and she gritted her teeth viciously. “Cassie, that bitch! She wouldn’t even buy us water! When we find her, I’ll rip her bones out and feed them to the dog!” On the monitor, Damian’s face slowly twisted. He gripped his phone, the muscles in his cheekbones so taut they looked ready to split, his smile filled with suppressed rage and madness. [Blocked one message.] I tapped it open, another one from Damian. [Cassie, let’s make a deal.] 7 I looked out the window; the sun was still bright white, like midday. But it was already 9 PM. Damian knew that under such extreme weather, it was no longer suitable to go out. So, he chose to get down on his knees and weep, sincerely repenting. He said that in his previous life, he had been seduced by Brittany and only resorted to harming me out of desperation. He also claimed that after I died, Brittany tricked him onto the balcony, where he was baked alive. All because Brittany had heard in a group chat that human bodies could evaporate water. I told him I needed to see his sincerity. As soon as I unblocked Damian on SnapChat, he eagerly sent a FaceTime call. On screen, Damian held a gleaming boning knife, gesturing back and forth over Brittany’s pale, tender thigh. “How about a hundred dollars per cut?” “You know, Brittany is my best friend.” I frowned at the phone camera. “So I’ll need to charge more. Make it a thousand dollars per cut.” At first, Brittany thought Damian was just putting on a show to extort money from me. When I raised the price, a hint of triumph even flashed across her face. But when the sharp blade sliced through her skin, and the first piece of flesh was cut off, She let out a piercing scream. The dog, long without food, drooled, its tongue hanging out. “First the flesh, then the money. Is that sincere enough?” Damian’s facial muscles twitched with excitement. Brittany’s curses filled the entire room. “Damian, you bastard! You said we’d get the money first! You actually cut me?!” “I’m pregnant!” Brittany shrieked the last sentence, and Damian’s movements froze. I even slowed my potato chip crunching, tensely anticipating the unfolding drama. In my previous life, when Brittany suggested tying me up to drain my blood, Damian had hesitated. “I’m pregnant with your child! You choose, the child or Cassie, you decide!” “The child is innocent, after all. Cassie, just consider it an act of charity, sacrificing yourself for a new life.” Ultimately, Damian had tied me to the chair, and with one swift cut, ended my life. “Who knows if that child is even mine?” Damian suddenly scoffed, his words completely shattering Brittany’s composure. “You’re an animal! If you hadn’t said Cassie wouldn’t sleep with you and pushed me to come over every day, my boyfriend wouldn’t have found out about us and broken up with me!” Brittany’s curses grew fouler, and even the dog began to bark wildly. Damian picked up a piece of meat from the floor and tossed it far away; the dog was instantly distracted. Brittany stopped yelling. She stared blankly as her beloved pet dog ravenously devoured the fresh meat. “Ugh!” Before she could vomit, Damian was a step ahead, stuffing a sock into her mouth. Ugh, that taste. I couldn’t even eat my potato chips anymore. Brittany’s thigh was a bloody mess. Damian’s technique was unique; there were many wounds, but none were fatal. He understood that only a living Brittany could bring him more money. As soon as I transferred the money, Damian immediately started posting in the community’s swap chat, desperately seeking supplies at exorbitant prices. As a reborn individual. Damian knew very well that in the early stages, there were still people in the community group willing to sell things for money, desperate as they were. But later on. No amount of money would buy a single drop of water. And that was when the true hunt would begin for the real predators. I watched my caged prey on the surveillance screen. Comfortably, I snuggled into my comforter. 8 Three more days passed. Damian, relying on the supplies he’d bought at high prices early on, was still living quite comfortably. Brittany, however, didn’t have a single patch of intact skin left on her body. [Our whole family is dying of thirst, please, be merciful, sell me one bottle of water, I’ll pay a hundred thousand!] The rental apartment’s community chat was filled with many such pleas. But no one responded to them. [Please save my child, he’s only a few months old, I beg you.] [Video] The baby’s normally pink lips were now dry and pale. I scrolled through the videos, feeling a heavy weight in my heart. These people were the ones who hadn’t believed the pre-apocalypse warnings to stock up. That’s because, over the years, expert warnings had become tiresome. No one had actually believed that disaster would truly strike. [The child is innocent, let’s share some water with them. – Unit 2, Apt 301] Damian’s name in the group chat was his unit and apartment number. The moment my message with Damian’s unit number went out, the group chat exploded. Unit 2, Apt 702: [Exactly, your family bought so much water in the group chat a few days ago, share some with everyone!] Unit 6, Apt 502: [Hand over the water and show some charity! – Unit 2, Apt 301] Unit 3, Apt 401: [Brother, please be kind, just one bottle for my kid, I won’t tell anyone.] Damian panicked. He sent several messages to the group, explaining that all his water was gone. But how could people easily give up their only chance at survival? I opened a cold soda, enjoying the scene on the monitor. The crowd worked together to pry open the rental apartment door. Damian was beaten black and blue, cowering in a corner with the dog, which was now skin and bones, looking almost lifeless. These people, like pirates discovering treasure, ransacked all the supplies in the apartment. An old man arrived a little late. After surveying the apartment, he took Brittany, who was still tied to the chair and close to death, with him.
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