The storm raged outside the mall, sheets of rain and howling winds creating a cacophony that drowned out even the eerie silence of the apocalypse. Inside, the group had settled into a small makeshift camp in the mall's central atrium, surrounded by overturned tables and salvaged goods. Despite the semblance of safety, an unspoken tension hung in the air.
Mallory leaned against a display counter, tossing scraps of jerky to Scraps while Blinky balanced precariously on a mannequin's head nearby. The little alien had developed a habit of mimicking human poses, which Mallory found both endearing and unsettling.
"Remember Greg?" Mallory asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Kaelyn, who was sharpening her knife, looked up with a raised eyebrow. "The loudmouth with the terrible jokes?"
"Yeah, him," Mallory said with a smirk. "I wonder how he's doing. Probably cracking puns at a zombie horde somewhere."
