The aftermath of their encounter with the Security Guard Psycho lingered in the air as the group moved carefully down the deserted corridor, adrenaline still pumping through their veins. Lex led the way, her spear gripped tightly in one hand, her eyes scanning every shadow. The mall had grown eerily quiet, the silence pressing down on them like a weight.
"I can't believe we made it out of that alive," Damien muttered, wincing as he rubbed his shoulder. "That guy was insane."
"Insane and dangerous," Lex replied, her voice tense. "We’ve taken him down, but we can’t get comfortable. This place is crawling with threats, and I doubt he’s the last one."
"But for now," Brandon interjected, a hint of a smile breaking through the tension, "we could really use a break."
"Yeah, preferably with something warm," Maya sighed, her voice carrying a tired hopefulness. "Like coffee… even if it’s cold."
"Good luck finding that in a place like this," Sophie said, glancing around. "But hey, if anyone’s going to survive a zombie apocalypse, it’s coffee addicts, right?"
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Just as they rounded a corner, Sophie stopped short, a grin spreading across her face. "You guys are not going to believe this."
The rest of the group followed her gaze. Nestled between a closed-down jewelry shop and a kids' toy store was a familiar neon sign: “Dunken Donuts.”
"Well, speak of the devil," Damien said, his eyes lighting up. "Maybe there’s some coffee left. Even if it’s stale, I’ll take it."
**"If we’re lucky," Maya said, perking up a bit. "And maybe some donuts too? I could really go for something sweet right about now."
Lex chuckled. "Let’s take a look. But stay on guard—nothing in this mall is as innocent as it looks."
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They approached the Dunkin' Donuts cautiously, Lex in the lead. The door was slightly ajar, and a faint, stale scent of old pastries and burnt coffee lingered in the air. The once-cheerful posters of coffee cups and sprinkled donuts seemed to mock them, the bright colors faded and covered in a thin layer of dust.
"Smells promising," Damien said, sniffing the air. "If you’re into expired caffeine."
"At this point, I’d drink anything," Sophie said, shrugging. She pushed open the door, and they all stepped inside.
Brandon headed toward the counter, inspecting the coffee machines. "Looks like they still have some pods here. If we can get one of these machines working, we might be in luck."
Maya moved toward a display case, peering through the glass. "There are some donuts here. They’re probably hard as rocks, but hey, food is food."
"Grab what you can," Lex said, keeping her voice low. "We’ll take whatever energy boost we can get."
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Just as they began to relax, a low, menacing growl echoed from the back of the store. Lex froze, raising her spear, and the others fell silent, turning toward the sound. The growl grew louder, accompanied by the soft scratch of claws against tile.
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"Tell me that’s not what I think it is," Sophie whispered, her eyes wide.
Out of the shadows, a shape emerged—a dog, or at least what had once been a dog. Its fur was matted, patches missing entirely, revealing rotting flesh beneath. Its eyes glowed with a sickly yellow light, and its mouth was twisted into a snarl, saliva dripping from its fangs.
"Zombie dog," Damien muttered, taking a step back. "Of course."
The creature locked onto them, its body tensing as it prepared to pounce. Lex adjusted her grip on her spear, her heart pounding. "Spread out. Don’t let it get too close. We don’t know how fast it is."
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The dog lunged, moving with terrifying speed. Lex barely had time to raise her spear before it was on her, snapping its jaws inches from her face. She managed to shove it back, driving the tip of the spear into its shoulder, but it didn’t stop. The creature shook itself, growling, and turned its glowing eyes toward her again.
"It’s strong," Lex called out, gritting her teeth. "We need to distract it."
Brandon grabbed a metal tray from the counter, flinging it toward the dog. It bounced off its head with a loud clang, momentarily dazing it.
"Good one!" Lex said, repositioning herself. "Keep it off balance!"
Maya scanned the area and grabbed a handful of stale donuts from the display, throwing them at the dog. "Here, fetch!" she shouted, chucking a chocolate-glazed donut directly at its head. The donut smacked into the dog’s snout, throwing it off guard.
"Really, Maya?" Damien asked, but he was laughing despite himself.
"Hey, it’s working, isn’t it?" Maya retorted, tossing another donut. The creature snarled, snapping at the air, giving Lex a chance to strike.
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Taking advantage of the distraction, Lex darted in, driving her spear into the dog’s side. The creature let out a high-pitched yelp, staggering as it tried to turn on her. Sophie, quick on her feet, grabbed a nearby coffee pot, empty but heavy, and smashed it over the creature’s head.
The glass shattered, and the dog stumbled, disoriented. "It’s still moving," Sophie said, backing up. "This thing’s tougher than it looks."
"Let’s end this," Lex said, nodding at Damien, who had grabbed a long, metal stirring spoon from behind the counter.
With a quick nod, Damien charged forward, using the spoon like a makeshift staff. He swung it hard, landing a blow across the creature’s face. The zombie dog let out one final snarl before collapsing onto the floor, its body twitching before going still.
For a moment, the group just stood there, breathing heavily, the silence settling around them again. Then, almost in unison, they burst into relieved laughter.
"Did we just take down a zombie dog with donuts and a spoon?" Damien asked, grinning.
"And a coffee pot," Sophie added, smiling. "We’re really getting creative with our weapons, huh?"
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Brandon, still holding a donut he’d picked up during the chaos, raised it in a mock toast. "To Dunkin' Donuts: officially the weirdest battleground I’ve ever seen."
"I’ll drink to that," Lex said, chuckling. She picked up an empty coffee cup and raised it in return.
Maya shook her head, smiling despite the lingering tension. "You know, if we survive this, we should open up our own donut shop. ‘Zombie Busters Donuts’ or something."
"As long as we don’t have any real zombies working the counter," Brandon said, taking a bite of the stale donut with a grimace.
They all laughed, the moment of levity a welcome reprieve from the nightmare that surrounded them. For a few minutes, they could almost forget where they were, almost pretend that they were just a group of friends hanging out at a donut shop.
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But as the laughter faded, Lex’s expression grew serious again. "Alright, we’ve had our break. Let’s grab what we can and keep moving."
**"Agreed," Damien said, stuffing a couple of donuts into his bag. "Next time we find a food court, maybe we’ll score some actual fresh food."
"Don’t get your hopes up," Lex replied, but she was smiling. "But maybe we’ll get lucky."
They gathered up the remaining donuts and coffee supplies, stashing whatever looked remotely edible. As they exited the Dunkin' Donuts, Lex took one last look at the creature they had defeated, a reminder that even in moments of humor, the danger was never far behind.
"We should find more supplies," Lex said, glancing at Sophie. "See if we can find some real gear. There has to be something useful in this place."
Lex nodded. "Then let’s go and explore."