Page 19 (1/2)

The gym is situated at the back of the school There are several buildings behind it, shops and a factory No direct way through, except for a narrow alley included at the insistence of the local authorities

Trev’s ducking through a sone ahead He looks back as I rush after hinizes me, then stands aside and letshis ar?" I snap

"We’ve got to help the rest of thehting with those who’ve been turned into zoh the et to the skylight s that lead to the roof, but they’ve no hope - too sh, no ladders or ropes Others have collapsedtheir heads, hoping the zombies will leave them alone or that they’ll wake up and find out this was just a dreaet about them," I tell Trev

"But we can’t just - "

"If you keep on shouting, you’ll alert the zo after us?" He stares at et out and call for help, Trev It’s their only hope"

Trev looks around the gyh after me

We’re in a small corridor, me, Trev, Ballydefeck, Suze, La Lips, Elephant, Meths, Linzer, Copper, Stagger Lee, Pox, Dunglop Tyler’s with us too, and a few others, two black guys, an Indian, three Muslims, a white kid called Rick

"Where’s Kray?" Trev asks

"One of theot him," Suze sobs "It cracked his head open I saw it his brains it"

"What the hell’s going on?" the tallest of the black kids roars "How’d they get in? Where’d they coht"

We stare at hi "We’ll ask questions later Let’s get out of here before the brain- bastards find us"

We hurry down the corridor The eency exit’s at the end It opens out into the alley that runs between the two buildings behind the school I’ve been through it a few tiht I’d have to do this for real, or that I’d be running froets to the door first He sla happens

"Out of the way," the tall black guy snaps He bangs the bar down and shoves hard

Nothing happens

"Everyone," I shout "Push together"

We crowd around the door I get soers on the bar It slides down sive, not even a crack

"Forget the bar," Trev says "Focus on the door"

We strain, silent, red-faced, sweating, shoving with everything we have

The door doesn’t move

"It’s jah?" Tyler asks

"With what?" Pox yells He got his nickna of facial scars left behind when he had the chicken pox The scars aren’t normally very prominent, but now that his face is scrunched up with terror, he looks like a rabid monkey I almost make a joke out of it, but this isn’t the tionna die," La Lips wails

"Shut up," I tell her "Trev?" I look to hi he’ll have an answer

"There’s another exit to the alley on this side of the building, on the floor above," he says "Or there’s the front door"

"Which do you think we should - "

A screa fro her way down to the bone

Pox screairl into the wall She doesn’t let go He jabs at her face with the fingers of his free hand In a swift ers Catches therinds down Pox screams louder and falls to his knees

I start towards theirl too There’s a flick knife in his right hand He slashes the blade across the girl’s chest She loses interest in Pox and pushes her attacker away Looks at the gash in her chest Gurgles, then throws herself at the teenager with the knife

He keeps his cool Ducks the girl’s attack, then jabs the knife at her face She winces when it strikes He winces too I can see horror in his eyes He’s never done anything like this before But when the zorits his teeth and digs the knife deeper into her head She swipes at hiers

"Hold her down!" he roars

Trev and I react quickest and wrestle her to the floor She snaps at the black kid again but he keeps his fingers clear of herAgain Blood flows Bone splinters He doesn’t stop Mo sobbing noises The girl shudders, ri and her eyes go steady in their sockets