The day began not with the clatter of Mallory stumbling around her apartment, but with a tense silence that lingered in the aftermath of the battle at Raven's camp. The group had packed up their gear, collected new supplies, and readied themselves for what promised to be a journey unlike any they'd taken before. Mallory, for her part, made a dramatic show of tying her sneakers as though she were preparing for a marathon.
"You know," she said, gesturing to Blinky perched happily on her shoulder, "we could just go back to the apartment and wait for this mysterious zombie overlord to come to us. Much less walking involved."
Vanessa shot her a flat look, slinging a bag over her shoulder. "And let them send more of those mechanical horrors to rip through every camp in the area? Great plan."
Mallory sighed. "Fine. But if this ends with me carrying everyone's stuff again, I'm revolting."