Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System novel Chapter 198

Brandon looked at the soup and smiled. "Wow, this looks so good. When was the last time we had a cooked meal? It’s even got meat!" _{frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓}

He bent over to pour himself a bowl when his wife grabbed his wrist.

"What’s wrong, honey?" he asked curiously. He could tell something was off by her expression.

Mila opened and closed her mouth a few times, then looked around to make sure no one else would hear her.

"I... I feel like this soup might be poisoned. I just don’t understand why they’re being so kind! And to insist that we stay here?" she whispered. Her hand started to shake as panic set in; she was truly frightened now.

Brandon stood back up and placed his arm around her. "Sweetie, don’t overthink it. They don’t seem like evil people. I think they were genuinely worried about us."

"You never watched crime documentaries! I have! And let me tell you, it’s usually the ones who appear the most innocent that do all the bad stuff!" she whispered, panic rising in her voice.

Brandon frowned. "Well, how about this: I’ll try the soup, and we can wait. If I’m fine after a while, then it’s safe to eat. It’ll just be sad if we have to eat it cold."

Mila looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. "Why do you always volunteer to do the dangerous tasks? Can’t you think of me for once?"

Brandon smiled and patted his wife gently. "If I don’t do it, who will? This is the responsibility I signed up for when I was elected the leader of our small group."

Mila’s eyes turned red, and she looked away. She saw the group looking eagerly at the pot of soup, hoping that they could eat a warm meal for the first time in months.

Brandon didn’t wait any longer and poured himself a single ladleful of soup. Before Mila could protest, he quickly drank it directly from the bowl.

"Why did you drink so much?!" cried Mila. She felt everything around her begin to spin. Thankfully, Brandon caught her before she fainted from stress.

He carried his wife over to her bed and gently covered her with a blanket.

Turning to the rest of the group, he cleared his throat. "If nothing happens to me in fifteen minutes, then we will begin to pass around the soup. For now, I will place the pot beside the pellet stove to keep it warm."

The rest of the group’s eyes widened. They hadn’t even considered that there might be something wrong with the soup.

Some were even jealous that Brandon got to drink it first, but after hearing his words, they quickly reflected on how selfish their thoughts had been.

Fifteen minutes later, Brandon smiled. "It should be safe. I feel perfectly fine! Actually, I feel better than before."

The rest of the group cheered at the good news and got up to pour themselves a bowl. There was enough soup for everyone to have two generous portions, so everyone patiently waited in line.

The stove kept the soup hot, so everyone felt a lot warmer after only a few spoonfuls.

David brought over a bowl to Laura, excited that she would finally be able to eat more nutritious food.

"I tried to scoop out extra chicken and vegetables for you," he said quietly.