The Undead World (Book 2): The Apocalypse Survivors by Peter Meredith Page A

going to eat her no matter what, and crying felt like the best thing to do at the moment.
    In his terrific anxiety Ipes was squirming like mad against her chest. At least throw a magic marble, please.
    It was all she had the strength and will to do. The marble flew through the air, landing at the feet of the nearest child monster and releas ed its magic. Just as it clacked on the wood the last of the kid monsters came through the gym doors, which shut behind it, halting the stream of light. The dark was so complete, it was as if she had blinked and forgot to open her eyes again.
    After the sewers the dark no longer frightened her, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say she gained strength in the comforting safety of it. The monsters were as blind as she and their headlong rush became a jumble as monster ran into monster. When this occurred, there would be a savage thrashing noise intermixed with growls, and then just as quickly the two would part again, only to run into another of their kind , seconds later.
    Now will you go? Ipes begged.
    The very idea of crossing forty yards of open floor with monsters flying all about had her sagging again. It would be a deadly game of blind man’s bluff and she couldn’t see herself coming out the winner. And yet she had no choice and so she stood, leaning against the chained door trying to force herself to leave the meager safety of it.
    Her magic marbles had been so effective that before making the dash across the gym she chucked one to the far end of the gym where she had last seen the big monster. If there was magic in this marble it wasn’t apparent. Above the roaring and the moaning, and the constant crashes that shook the walls, the sound of the marble was a little thing and if any of the monsters were distracted there was no way to tell.
    We don’t have a choice , Ipes told her. You have to make a run for it. Just don’t drop me, whatever you do.
    With a deep breath Jillybean plunged into the chaos. After a bare two steps she plowed directly into something huge and fleshy, and bounced off again, losing her footing in the process and thumping to the hard wood floor.
    It was the giant. Above her the air roiled with its stink and swished with the passing of his clawed hands as it swept at the dark, hunting for its meal. Madly she kicked away from it only to have another of the monsters trip over her in the dark. She could hear its nails scraping at the wood as it tried to right itself in time to get her, however fear had a good hold of Jillybean's mind and she jumped up and began running with her hands outstretched, going in the wrong direction, but thinking that any moment she would find the right doors.
    Instead her lead foot struck something hard and unyielding. Whatever it was had an awkward shape like strange stairs, only there weren't any stairs in the gym.
    They're bleachers , Ipes said. You went the wrong way! She turned to her right feeling the old wood with her left hand, running her fingers over carved letters and splintered boards; though it was only for a few steps and then Ipes was pounding his soft hoof onto her arm and saying, No. The other way. Go back the other way .
    Making sure to keep at least one hand on the bleachers, she turned but was forced to pause as there came a violent shaking along the wood. The vibrations grew in intensity, coming closer, and all she could do was cringe, but then they stopped altogether and Ipes urged her forward. She ran in a shuffle until the bleachers became air beneath her trailing fingers.
    To the right, Ipes said with excitement.
    She did as she was told, moving right until she hit the wall , where she splayed her fingers and swept her small hands all around. Seconds later the metal of the door was against her palm, and there was the bar, that when depressed would...
    Yes! Ipes cried in joy as the light struck them full force. At that moment the chaos behind them ceased as though a switch had been thrown. Run and don't look