me.
‘Toodle-pip!’
With a sick chuckle, he slidespast and exits, leaving me in the boiler room with his darlings. Their excited cries as they search for each other don’t sound quite so cheery now. In fact they sound eerily like the screams of the damned.
I’m led into the arena for another gruelling bout. I keep hoping that the guards will grow careless. I’ve gone along with them meekly each time, acting as if my spirits have been crushed, obeying their every command, eager to please. Praying that theymight stop regarding me as a threat. All I need is a small slip, a glimmer of a chance.
But so far they’ve followed their guidelines impeccably. They truss me up expertly, slip a collar round my neck and check the steel lead a few times before forcing me out of the mess. There are always extra guards around, guns cocked and aimed, ready to cut me down if I revolt.
‘Here’s our girl,’Dan-Dan chortles as I’m guided in. He’s back in his sailor’s costume. The other zombies are already in place, still held captive by their guards. They always release us at the same time, so they can exit together.
‘How have you been, my dear?’ Lady Jemima asks, faking concern. ‘You were struck a nasty blow last time. We were worried about you.’
‘I’m fine,’ I mutter, trying to ignorethe throbbing at the back of my head where I was clubbed in my previous fight.
‘You don’t look too lively,’ Justin says critically. ‘Perhaps you’d like to sit this one out? We can send you back to the mess if you’d prefer.’
I’d love a good rest but I’m wary. I don’t think I’ll be returned to the mess if they judge me too weary to fight. Once they reckon I’ve run out of steam, I figureI’ll be delivered straight to Dan-Dan’s quarters.
‘Nothing wrong with me,’ I sniff. ‘I’m all fired up and raring to go.’
‘Very well,’ Justin smiles. ‘Release the beasts.’
Our handlers taser us, set us free and retreat. Once I’ve recovered from the shock, I roll my arms around, limbering up, and check out my latest batch of opponents as they surge towards the glass and paw at thepanels, trying to break through to the six smug humans on the other side.
There are seven zombies, five men and two women. Each looks like they had plenty of experience of fighting when they were alive. One of the women is wearing a karate outfit. She must have been training or taking part in a competition when she was attacked.
I’ve faced all sorts of opponents here, but most have beenbruisers like this lot, especially in recent battles. The Board are pushing me to my limits, waiting for me to break.
‘I bet she comes undone this time,’ Lady Jemima says as she studies the muscles on the two zombies closest to her.
‘How much?’ The Prince asks.
‘This,’ she says, flashing a diamond ring at him.
‘Nice.’ The Prince whistles. ‘If you throw in the rest of the ringson that hand, I’ll wager my crown.’
‘Done,’ Lady Jemima smirks.
‘I didn’t think you would risk so treasured a possession,’ Vicky Wedge notes.
The Prince shrugs. ‘There will be plenty of crowns to choose from when the world is ours.’
I decide to get things under way. I move forward wearily and make a nuisance of myself, angering the zombies, luring them away from the glass, focusingtheir attention on me.
We begin our waltz of death. Once they’re riled up, I manipulate every last section of the arena, buzzing around like a fly, grabbing poles and whipping myself into the air, utilising the walls and ceiling as much as the floor. I know this area inside out and I use that knowledge to my advantage.
I jump and grab hold of one of the overhead pipes as two of the mencharge towards me. From that position I can lash out at both of them at the same time with my feet.
A couple of poles are set close together in one zone. I grab the woman in the karate outfit and propel her towards them, then angle her head down and ram it between
‘Toodle-pip!’
With a sick chuckle, he slidespast and exits, leaving me in the boiler room with his darlings. Their excited cries as they search for each other don’t sound quite so cheery now. In fact they sound eerily like the screams of the damned.
I’m led into the arena for another gruelling bout. I keep hoping that the guards will grow careless. I’ve gone along with them meekly each time, acting as if my spirits have been crushed, obeying their every command, eager to please. Praying that theymight stop regarding me as a threat. All I need is a small slip, a glimmer of a chance.
But so far they’ve followed their guidelines impeccably. They truss me up expertly, slip a collar round my neck and check the steel lead a few times before forcing me out of the mess. There are always extra guards around, guns cocked and aimed, ready to cut me down if I revolt.
‘Here’s our girl,’Dan-Dan chortles as I’m guided in. He’s back in his sailor’s costume. The other zombies are already in place, still held captive by their guards. They always release us at the same time, so they can exit together.
‘How have you been, my dear?’ Lady Jemima asks, faking concern. ‘You were struck a nasty blow last time. We were worried about you.’
‘I’m fine,’ I mutter, trying to ignorethe throbbing at the back of my head where I was clubbed in my previous fight.
‘You don’t look too lively,’ Justin says critically. ‘Perhaps you’d like to sit this one out? We can send you back to the mess if you’d prefer.’
I’d love a good rest but I’m wary. I don’t think I’ll be returned to the mess if they judge me too weary to fight. Once they reckon I’ve run out of steam, I figureI’ll be delivered straight to Dan-Dan’s quarters.
‘Nothing wrong with me,’ I sniff. ‘I’m all fired up and raring to go.’
‘Very well,’ Justin smiles. ‘Release the beasts.’
Our handlers taser us, set us free and retreat. Once I’ve recovered from the shock, I roll my arms around, limbering up, and check out my latest batch of opponents as they surge towards the glass and paw at thepanels, trying to break through to the six smug humans on the other side.
There are seven zombies, five men and two women. Each looks like they had plenty of experience of fighting when they were alive. One of the women is wearing a karate outfit. She must have been training or taking part in a competition when she was attacked.
I’ve faced all sorts of opponents here, but most have beenbruisers like this lot, especially in recent battles. The Board are pushing me to my limits, waiting for me to break.
‘I bet she comes undone this time,’ Lady Jemima says as she studies the muscles on the two zombies closest to her.
‘How much?’ The Prince asks.
‘This,’ she says, flashing a diamond ring at him.
‘Nice.’ The Prince whistles. ‘If you throw in the rest of the ringson that hand, I’ll wager my crown.’
‘Done,’ Lady Jemima smirks.
‘I didn’t think you would risk so treasured a possession,’ Vicky Wedge notes.
The Prince shrugs. ‘There will be plenty of crowns to choose from when the world is ours.’
I decide to get things under way. I move forward wearily and make a nuisance of myself, angering the zombies, luring them away from the glass, focusingtheir attention on me.
We begin our waltz of death. Once they’re riled up, I manipulate every last section of the arena, buzzing around like a fly, grabbing poles and whipping myself into the air, utilising the walls and ceiling as much as the floor. I know this area inside out and I use that knowledge to my advantage.
I jump and grab hold of one of the overhead pipes as two of the mencharge towards me. From that position I can lash out at both of them at the same time with my feet.
A couple of poles are set close together in one zone. I grab the woman in the karate outfit and propel her towards them, then angle her head down and ram it between
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