Chapter 688: The Death of Zion Lowell
Chapter 688: Chapter 688: The Death of Zion Lowell
"It’s snowing?"
When Wendy returned from the hospital, her hair and clothes were still dusted with snowflakes. She announced that it was snowing outside, but no one quite believed her.
"If you don’t believe me, ask Joy Ford! She just came out to get me and saw the snow too. It’s coming down hard, and the sun is gone."
"Is it really snowing? Weren’t we just dealing with a brutal heatwave a few days ago, with temperatures breaking forty-five degrees?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "It really is snowing, and there’s some hail mixed in. The wind outside is incredibly strong. Roof tiles are flying all over the courtyard. When I went out to get Wendy, I heard someone screaming for help."
"So the weather’s getting bizarre again. *Sigh*."
"Wendy, what are you doing back?" It was a fair question; Wendy only ever came home on weekends. Today wasn’t the weekend, it wasn’t her day off, and at this hour, she should have been at the hospital.
"I saw how bad things were getting outside and rushed back. I was worried something might happen."
Officer Graham patted her on the shoulder. "All that matters is you’re back."
Hail and light snow suddenly fell over Eldoria. The base’s broadcast system crackled to life, declaring a state of emergency. Fortunately, the grain from the communal farmlands had already been harvested, so the base’s administration wasn’t overly concerned about the hail. Most residents, relieved that the heatwave was over, were celebrating the cooler weather inside their apartment buildings.
Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick came out of their space and built a fire in the courtyard kitchen to roast sweet potatoes. Curses and a child’s crying erupted from next door. The raging blizzard, combined with the child’s screams and wails, created a hellish cacophony.
Evelyn Ford handed a roasted sweet potato to Ronan Kendrick. Just then, a few roof tiles were swept into the courtyard, shattering on impact. The gale immediately snatched up the shards and scattered them elsewhere.
"It’s a bit cold."
"This wind isn’t going to stop anytime soon, and the snow’s getting heavier. We should go back into our space."
Evelyn Ford shook her head. "Let’s watch a little longer."
They each munched on a sweet potato, the fragrant aroma filling the kitchen. After finishing hers, Evelyn Ford washed the soot from her palms with a little water and sat back down by the fire to warm herself.
At two in the afternoon, the temperature plummeted from seventeen degrees to seven. Ronan Kendrick bolted the courtyard’s main gate, and the two of them instantly vanished back into their space.
Quincy and the others were harvesting rice, and Leo Denton had brought other soldiers over to help. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick were always careful not to enter or exit their space in front of them. As a result, Leo Denton and his men still had no idea where they truly were; they assumed they were in a new Undercity constructed by the base.
Hearing that the wind and snow were still raging outside, everyone grew even more anxious.
"Don’t tell me we’re going back to the extreme cold."
"It can’t be. I hate the extreme cold."
"Why is it so hard to get just a few days of peace?"
Everyone grumbled about the hellish weather outside as they worked. Just then, Taylor Vance came running to the edge of the rice paddy, shouting Evelyn Ford’s name.
"Evelyn! Evelyn, come quick! Something’s happened to Zion Lowell!"
At his words, Evelyn Ford dropped her sickle and scrambled toward the path bordering the field, with the others hurrying to follow.
"Mr. Vance, what’s wrong with Mr. Lowell?" Leaping onto the dike, Evelyn Ford grabbed Taylor Vance’s arm and asked anxiously.
"He told me he was very tired and wanted to take a nap. I just brewed a pot of tea, and when I went to his room to call him for a cup, I couldn’t wake him."
A jolt of fear shot through Evelyn Ford, and she spun around, sprinting toward the wooden cabins.
Inside the cabin, Zion Lowell lay on the bed, looking as if he were sound asleep. His face was peaceful, a faint smile on his lips. Evelyn Ford reached out to check for breath, then took his wrist to feel for a pulse.
"Evelyn, what’s wrong with Mr. Lowell?"
Zion Lowell had passed away. His breathing, his pulse, his heartbeat... all had stopped. He had left them all in his sleep.