sealed it shut,” the Muslim says. “We’ve been locked in.”
A scary silence settles over us. I find myself looking at Cass, and he looks back at me. His eyes are wider with fear than they were a minute ago.
“What’s your name?” I ask the Muslim.
“Seez,” he says.
“Seez, do us all a favor and shut up,” I tell him.
“Why?” he scowls.
“If you’re right, we’re screwed,” I say evenly. “So let’s not think about it, and keep our fingers crossed that you’re wrong.”
“But–”
“If we’re locked in here with a pack of rotten zombies, what good will worrying about it do us?” I challenge him.
“We can come up with a plan,” he says.
I laugh bitterly. “If someone’s blocked all the exits, there’s no plan, we’re done for. We have to believe that the door back there was a one-off. If it wasn’t, we’ll find out soon enough, and we won’t have to worry about it for long.”
Seez stares at me, then nods reluctantly.
“So what do we do?” I ask. “Hole up or try for the exits? Let’s vote. Who wants to stay?”
Everyone looks around, hesitant to be the first to vote. Then Linzer sticks up her hand. A few more start to rise. But before a decision can be made, Pox groans, turns aside and vomits.
“Gross,” Dunglop chuckles—he’s closest to Pox.
There’s a strange creaking sound, like a plank being bent to snapping point. As I’m trying to place it, Pox shudders, then falls still. The noise comes again. Cass takes a cautious step towards the motionless Pox, rolling his knife lightly between his fingers.
“Everyone stay back,” Cass says. “I’m gonna make sure–”
Pox lurches to his feet, leaps at Dunglop and bites a chunk of flesh out of his cheek.
Dunglop screams and staggers into Cass, knocking him aside. Pox is already moving. He scrabbles after Rick, the kid from a lower year, and grabs his foot. Rick kicks out but Pox bites into his ankle. As Rick screams, Pox turns on Suze and goes for her throat.
Cass gets in the way and jabs at Pox with his knife. Pox lowers his head and charges. I tackle him before he connects with Cass. Drive him sideways. He crashes into a desk and goes sprawling.
“Clear the bloody door!” I roar. As the others hurry to the piled-up desks and chairs, I face Pox, who’s back on his feet, snarling. There’s a strange green fungus growing over the places where he was bitten by the zombie. Only thin wisps, but I note their presence like some supersleuth with a keen eye for detail. And his fingernails are longer than they were.
No… hold on… those aren’t nails. Bits of bone are sticking out of each finger, scraps of flesh and nails shedding from them. I recall the creaking noise and put two and two together. The bones must have lengthened and snapped through his flesh as he was changing. I glance down and spot bones sticking through the tips of his shoes too.
Pox closes in on me but is distracted when Cass whistles.
“Here, boy,” Cass growls, beckoning Pox on. “Come and get it.”
Pox scowls and goes after Cass, moving speedily. Cass stabs at him. The blade sinks deep into Pox’s chest. It pierces his heart, but that doesn’t matter to Pox. He pushes on and Cass goes down. Pox opens his jaws and snaps at Cass’s face. His teeth are longer and thicker than I remember.
One of the Muslims grabs Pox before he can bite. Pulls him off of Cass and pushes him away. Pox falls, but one of his bony nails scratches the Muslim’s chin and draws blood.
“We’re out of here!” Trev shouts, and I see that the door is open. Everyone’s spilling into the corridor. Meths is dragging Rick, and Dunglop is stumbling after the others.
“Let me help you,” I pant, taking Dunglop’s arm.
“Thanks,” he moans, holding a hand to his bitten cheek.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, then whirl swiftly and send Dunglop flying across the room. He smashes into Pox, who goes down again and starts biting instinctively.
“What the
A scary silence settles over us. I find myself looking at Cass, and he looks back at me. His eyes are wider with fear than they were a minute ago.
“What’s your name?” I ask the Muslim.
“Seez,” he says.
“Seez, do us all a favor and shut up,” I tell him.
“Why?” he scowls.
“If you’re right, we’re screwed,” I say evenly. “So let’s not think about it, and keep our fingers crossed that you’re wrong.”
“But–”
“If we’re locked in here with a pack of rotten zombies, what good will worrying about it do us?” I challenge him.
“We can come up with a plan,” he says.
I laugh bitterly. “If someone’s blocked all the exits, there’s no plan, we’re done for. We have to believe that the door back there was a one-off. If it wasn’t, we’ll find out soon enough, and we won’t have to worry about it for long.”
Seez stares at me, then nods reluctantly.
“So what do we do?” I ask. “Hole up or try for the exits? Let’s vote. Who wants to stay?”
Everyone looks around, hesitant to be the first to vote. Then Linzer sticks up her hand. A few more start to rise. But before a decision can be made, Pox groans, turns aside and vomits.
“Gross,” Dunglop chuckles—he’s closest to Pox.
There’s a strange creaking sound, like a plank being bent to snapping point. As I’m trying to place it, Pox shudders, then falls still. The noise comes again. Cass takes a cautious step towards the motionless Pox, rolling his knife lightly between his fingers.
“Everyone stay back,” Cass says. “I’m gonna make sure–”
Pox lurches to his feet, leaps at Dunglop and bites a chunk of flesh out of his cheek.
Dunglop screams and staggers into Cass, knocking him aside. Pox is already moving. He scrabbles after Rick, the kid from a lower year, and grabs his foot. Rick kicks out but Pox bites into his ankle. As Rick screams, Pox turns on Suze and goes for her throat.
Cass gets in the way and jabs at Pox with his knife. Pox lowers his head and charges. I tackle him before he connects with Cass. Drive him sideways. He crashes into a desk and goes sprawling.
“Clear the bloody door!” I roar. As the others hurry to the piled-up desks and chairs, I face Pox, who’s back on his feet, snarling. There’s a strange green fungus growing over the places where he was bitten by the zombie. Only thin wisps, but I note their presence like some supersleuth with a keen eye for detail. And his fingernails are longer than they were.
No… hold on… those aren’t nails. Bits of bone are sticking out of each finger, scraps of flesh and nails shedding from them. I recall the creaking noise and put two and two together. The bones must have lengthened and snapped through his flesh as he was changing. I glance down and spot bones sticking through the tips of his shoes too.
Pox closes in on me but is distracted when Cass whistles.
“Here, boy,” Cass growls, beckoning Pox on. “Come and get it.”
Pox scowls and goes after Cass, moving speedily. Cass stabs at him. The blade sinks deep into Pox’s chest. It pierces his heart, but that doesn’t matter to Pox. He pushes on and Cass goes down. Pox opens his jaws and snaps at Cass’s face. His teeth are longer and thicker than I remember.
One of the Muslims grabs Pox before he can bite. Pulls him off of Cass and pushes him away. Pox falls, but one of his bony nails scratches the Muslim’s chin and draws blood.
“We’re out of here!” Trev shouts, and I see that the door is open. Everyone’s spilling into the corridor. Meths is dragging Rick, and Dunglop is stumbling after the others.
“Let me help you,” I pant, taking Dunglop’s arm.
“Thanks,” he moans, holding a hand to his bitten cheek.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, then whirl swiftly and send Dunglop flying across the room. He smashes into Pox, who goes down again and starts biting instinctively.
“What the
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