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Chapter 9 - The Crystal Conundrum

After her encounter with Carl, Jenna couldn't stop thinking about what he had said. Crystals inside the brain? They made zombies stronger? How had she missed that? She had been hoarding supplies when, all this time, *brains* were the real prize! It was time for a team meeting.

Jenna gathered her loyal zombie squad in their usual spot at the warehouse—well, they more or less shuffled over to her when she groaned at them. The gang stood in their usual disorganized fashion: Bob, who constantly tried to bite his own arm; Lenny, the one who had half a face; and Margie, who seemed perpetually lost.

Jenna clapped her hands together. "Alright, everyone! Big news. We've been hoarding stuff, yeah, but… it turns out there's something *way* more important than canned beans and old blankets." She paused for dramatic effect. The zombies stared blankly at her, drool hanging from their half-open mouths.

She sighed. "Guys, we've been missing out on the real treasure: *brains!*"

The zombies groaned softly, as if they were almost interested. Jenna took that as a sign to keep going.

"Yeah, I know we've been going after stuff like food and tools. But Carl—you remember Carl, right? Tall, dark, and broody with the sparkly powers?—he told me there are crystals inside human brains. CRYSTALS! And these crystals make us zombies stronger!"

The zombies responded with a few low, uncoordinated growls. Margie let out a particularly long groan that echoed through the empty warehouse.

Jenna continued as if she was leading a business meeting. "So, the new plan is simple. We keep hoarding supplies—obviously—but now we've gotta focus on getting brains too. The more brains we get, the stronger we'll be. Maybe we'll even get cool powers like Carl!"

Lenny, who had been chewing on a piece of rope, made a strange gurgling sound. Jenna interpreted this as an agreement.

"I mean, think about it!" Jenna waved her arms excitedly, her dull brain somehow convinced she was onto something genius. "All this time, we've just been eating brains because it's fun, but now we can do it *strategically*. If we get enough of those brain crystals, we'll be unstoppable!"

The zombies shuffled in place, their eyes glazed over. Bob let out a loud grunt, causing Jenna to jump slightly.

"Okay, Bob, calm down," Jenna muttered, raising a hand. "I know it's exciting, but stay focused. I need you all to be sharp for this plan."

The zombies groaned again, louder this time, but they were mostly just staring at random corners of the room. Jenna sighed. "Alright, so maybe you're not, like, *super* into the planning part. That's okay. I'll handle the brains, and you guys can keep being... y'know, zombies."

She gave a thumbs-up to her silent, groaning audience. "So, to sum up: brains equal crystals, and crystals equal power. Let's make this our new mission! We're gonna get so strong, no human will be able to stop us."

The zombies just stared at her, drool still dripping. Margie suddenly dropped a random can of beans she'd been holding for who knows how long, and the clang echoed loudly in the room.

Jenna paused, blinking. "Uh… yeah. So… meeting adjourned!" she announced, throwing her arms in the air.

The zombies began to shuffle off, either unaware or uninterested in the grand new plan Jenna had laid out. Jenna watched them go, feeling a strange mix of pride and disappointment. At least *she* knew what the plan was, even if her zombie team wasn't exactly the most communicative bunch.

"Alright, guys, tomorrow's the big day," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "We're gonna find those brain crystals. Even if I have to do it alone."

With that, Jenna turned to her newly hoarded pile of random junk, feeling strangely motivated. She may not have understood everything Carl had said, but one thing was certain: the future was going to involve a lot more brains.

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