Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 79: A Person’s Difficult Survival 3
Evelyn Ford fell asleep right there in the chair. That night, she had another nightmare. In her dream were all the people from Building D, torrential rain, floods, poisonous moths, toads, and swarms of snakes... With a kick of her leg, Evelyn Ford jolted awake.
She looked around in a daze. She was still in the mountain hollow, with her car beside her, a large umbrella overhead, and a fire pit at her feet. The firewood inside had burned away, and even the embers were extinguished.
Evelyn Ford took out a Pine Torch and lit it with a lighter. She then added some dry firewood, and the fire roared back to life.
Mina was nowhere to be seen. Evelyn Ford stood up, stretched, and limped into the RV to inspect it. The water stains inside had all dried, and there was no longer any smell. She took a new mattress and bedding from her space, laid them on the bed, and then began to admire her new RV.
While cleaning yesterday, Evelyn Ford had also found several bags of rice in the vehicle. In one of the refrigerators, there were even refrigerated steaks, beer, and red wine.
There were also several barrels of gasoline in the RV’s storage compartment. ’Taking this RV was a brilliant decision. I really scored big time!’
The weather was getting colder and colder. ’Good thing I decisively chose to head up the mountain after the earthquake. If I’d stayed put or headed toward Wyrmrest Base, I probably would’ve run into endless trouble.’
After eating breakfast, Evelyn Ford got to work. After thinking it over, she decided a small log cabin would be safer than the RV. ’If a snowstorm hits, I can light a fire for warmth. If I stay in the RV, I’ll have to keep burning gasoline for power, and in extreme cold, I might not even be able to get the doors open.’
Evelyn Ford grabbed her chainsaw, intending to cut down half of the fir trees in the hollow. ’The cabin doesn’t need to be particularly large,’ she thought. ’Twenty square meters will be enough.’
The fir trees in the hollow grew densely with straight trunks, making them the perfect building material. Evelyn Ford worked all day, felling the trees, sawing them into logs, and stacking them neatly in one spot.
’Good thing I removed the doors from my house and put them in my space. Now I have ready-made doors and windows. And I have enough fir wood, too—for the pillars, the beams, and even the moisture-proof floorboards.’
In the evening, Mina returned. Having been off gallivanting all day, she looked a little tired. By the time Evelyn Ford finished her work, she was already asleep inside the RV.
After being in the cold wind all night, Evelyn Ford felt a bit congested today. She would have to sleep in the RV tonight. Now that the RV was ready, she could put away the smaller runabout car.
For dinner, Evelyn Ford took out a packet of hot pot soup base. ’My wound is mostly healed anyway,’ she thought. ’Time for something spicy.’
Evelyn Ford set up a table next to the fire, placing a cutting board and knife on top. She took a Grass Carp from her space, sliced it thinly, and marinated it for a few minutes with some fish seasoning powder.
She put a solid alcohol fuel block into a small stove, lit it, and placed a wok on top. Once the wok was hot, she added the hot pot base and poured in some water. After the water came to a boil, she could add the fish, tofu, bean sprouts, and other ingredients.
Evelyn Ford looked at the campfire. ’Looks like I’ll have to build a proper stove,’ she mused. ’Then I’ll be able to cook on it.’
Drawn by the aroma, Mina ran out from the RV. Evelyn Ford offered her a piece of fish with her chopsticks. It gave it a lick and immediately started squealing from the spiciness.
"Haha, that’s what you get for being greedy." Evelyn Ford poured her a cup of fresh water. Mina buried her head and took a few gulps, then looked up at Evelyn Ford listlessly.
The hot pot was especially spicy, and beads of sweat formed on Evelyn Ford’s forehead and the tip of her nose. ’Still,’ she thought, ’on a day this cold, you need some spice to warm your body up.’
After a deeply satisfying hot pot meal, Evelyn Ford was in an exceptionally good mood as she washed the dishes.
"Spicy girl, spicy! Spicy girl, spicy! Spicy girls ain’t afraid of no spice! Spicy girl, spicy! Spicy girl, spicy! Spicy girls just love to eat spice~"
Evelyn Ford’s tone-deaf singing echoed throughout the entire hollow. Mina covered her ears with her tail, her expression pained.
She placed two particularly thick logs on the fire next to the RV, ensuring it would burn until dawn. Then, Evelyn Ford entered the RV, ready to wash up and go to bed.
The washroom in the RV had already been cleaned and stocked with her things. She connected a storage battery to the power supply, and the vehicle immediately lit up. Evelyn Ford began to heat some water; she’d worked up a sweat after a long day and desperately needed a hot shower.
She took out a cactus she had planted previously and placed it on the table beside her. Then, Evelyn Ford picked up a book on building log cabins and began to read.
Seeing that Evelyn Ford was ignoring her, Mina snuggled up to read the book with her. Evelyn Ford let out a mischievous chuckle, then scooped her up and carried her into the washroom. ’This little rascal needs a bath, too.’
Mina wasn’t afraid of water at all; in fact, she happily splashed around in it. Her head and tail were soon covered in suds, and Evelyn Ford styled the foam into various shapes. Worried she might catch a cold, however, Evelyn took her out after a little while. Her tail was stunningly beautiful once it was all fluffed up with the hair dryer. Evelyn Ford couldn’t resist taking out her phone, turning it on, and snapping a few pictures of her.
"Mina, where did you go today?"
Mina chittered for a good while, but Evelyn Ford had no idea what she was trying to say.
"Alright, you go to sleep now. I’m going to take my shower."
Her hair had grown quite a bit, but Evelyn Ford didn’t plan on cutting it. The mirror in the bathroom was large. As Evelyn Ford looked at her scraped forehead, she felt a wave of relief. ’Thank goodness I wasn’t disfigured.’
A hot shower really did wonders to revive her spirits. Once her hair was dry, she regained her pre-apocalyptic beauty. Aside from her gaze, which had grown much colder and fiercer, she was still her old self.
Wrapped in a military greatcoat, Evelyn Ford sat on the bed and continued to study the book. ’I’ve watched a lot of wilderness survival videos. And while I’ve never built a house, it shouldn’t be too hard for me. After all, my space has everything. I’ve hoarded tons of supplies, from nails to cement and sand.’
The cold wind howled outside. Evelyn Ford checked the fire outside one last time, and seeing no issues, she closed the RV door and got ready for bed.
The bone in her lower leg wasn’t hurting as much anymore, but her arms were a little sore from using the chainsaw all day.
She applied a medicinal plaster to her arm, then slipped under the covers. Mina, who had been in her own little nest, saw Evelyn lie down and immediately jumped onto the bed, settling down to sleep at her feet.
Evelyn Ford didn’t shoo her away. ’It’s 9:30,’ she thought. ’Time for an early night.’
At eight in the morning, Evelyn Ford opened her eyes. She saw that Mina was already awake, so she played with her for a while before getting out of bed.
"Good morning. Time for a little exercise. Stretch a leg, bend over, clap my hands, shake my head... Alright, wide awake now."
After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and putting on some moisturizer, Evelyn Ford pulled on a wool hat and a windbreaker. Fully geared up, she began a new day.
She opened the RV door and added some more firewood to the fire. Then, grabbing a saw and a ruler, Evelyn Ford marched determinedly toward the pile of fir logs.
She had already selected a location for the cabin’s foundation. To block out the wind and snow, the foundation was crucial. The house didn’t need to be very tall, but it absolutely had to be load-bearing. Evelyn Ford had a general plan in mind, but she knew she had to proceed carefully, one step at a time.
