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It happened too quickly foras I reached out for a desk I was too slow, and fell to the floor with a loud thu across the roo had settled The house went still Noah’s eyes ide as they traveled from me to the open door and the shadowed hallway beyond

Froht pitter-patter of footsteps They see fro on the roof The sound was low at first, and then grew louder, like dozens of tiny feet running up the stairs

I felt them before I saw them: a rush of cold, as if I had just fallen into an icy lake Goose buot closer, closer; the cold air enveloping ht I could barely breathe

A pale figure e toward us Another followed behind hi--followed by another, and another They wereas they ran

Noah’s voice boo his hand, I pulled myself up

We clambered down the narrow back stairway,to knock hi hallway, lined with faraphs and doors On the other end I could see the s of the kitchen, and beyond that, a back door

We began to run for the door when I sahite blurtoward us from that direction

Noah skidded to a stop, the oriental carpet bunching beneath our feet as I slid into him He turned tothrough the htly beneath their footsteps They were getting louder, closer

"What now?" I said, searching the hallway, looking for a way out

Noah ran to ed froray They didn’tfor our sound He couldn’t have been older than six I watched hi in his worn pants, his bare feet, his wild hair; then I realized that he was blind

Two others stumbled down the stairs behind hi their heads as if trying to figure out what I was

I felt Noah behindat us like that?" he whispered

"They’re just interested," I uttered, cringing every time their blurry eyes met mine "They’re only children, remember? They don’t knoe are Just don’t let the to the s out of the inside pocket of Noah’s coat

Slowly, I walked backward toward the line of doors, hoping one of the at ainst ed with dirt as he grabbed athi off three sether, I pushed through therabbed at our ankles as I turned the knobs of the last door It was pitch-black inside, and dank A base down at the cement staircase Just then, an Undead boy wrapped his hands aroundthe Undead boy withinto round I tried to kick hi at my skirt, my ar out in pain as I toppled down the stairs, the ce my back

I felt the boy’s face close to round The unfinished floor scuffedhirow bloodshot They rolled back in his head I gasped as he twisted his neck one way and then the other, as if in pain; faster, faster, until he rithing on the floor

Noah grabbedat the boy’s slied with dirt "He’s dying We have to help him"

"Leave him!" Noah said

"He’s just a child!" I said

"He isn’t any else, Noah took me by the waist and pulledstone basement filled with bales of hay and rusty farm equipment