Chapter 35: The Onset of Starvation
By the third morning of the polar collapse, the illusions that had held Blackwood Crest together dissolved under the crushing reality of hunger. The luxury estates, designed with open floor plans, soaring cathedral ceilings, and imported Italian marble, had become cavernous freezers where the wealthy residents huddled around dying oil lamps. The bitter freeze had locked every road, frozen every pipeline, and severed every delivery route from the distribution centers inland, leaving the neighborhood to survive on whatever was already inside their homes.
Behind the carved walnut doors of the estates, the reality of high-society living laid bare its fatal flaw.
These were homes built for catered gala dinners, curated wine collections, and private chefs w
