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"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 zoe him

"We can coh 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 on’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 roans, turns aside and volop chuckles - he’s closest to Pox

There’s a strange creaking sound, like a plank being bent to snapping point As I’ to place it, Pox shudders, then falls still The noise coain Cass takes a cautious step towards the ers

"Everyone stay back," Cass says "I’onna make sure - "

Pox lurches to his feet, leaps at Dunglop and bites a chunk of flesh out of his cheek

Dunglop screa hi He scrabbles after Rick, the kid frorabs his foot Rick kicks out but Pox bites into his ankle As Rick screaoes 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 hi

"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 soernails 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 froether The bones h 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 "Cooes after Cass,speedily Cass stabs at him The blade sinks deep into Pox’s chest It pierces his heart, but that doesn’t oes down Pox opens his jaws and snaps at Cass’s face His teeth are longer and thicker than I rerabs 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 stu after the others

"Let lop’s ar a hand to his bitten cheek

"I’lop flying across the roo instinctively

"What the hell!" Trev shouts

"Meths!" I bark "Leave him"

Meths looks at rowl "The sa that happened to Pox will happen to them"

"No!" Rick screae! You can’t just - "

"B’s right," Copper says

"Look," La Lips groans, pointing

Pox is tucking into Dunglop’s brain He’s broken through the skull with the bones sticking out of his fingers and is gorging hilop’s still alive, shivering, eyelids flickering with terror and shock But he doesn’t scream Just spasms

Meths drops Rick and backs away from him When Rick tries to crawl after him, Meths kicks him in the head and the boy collapses with a whine

Seez is staring at the scratched Muslim, ipes drops of blood froht not be the same as a bite," he says

"But we can’t take that chance," Seez says quietly

The Musliain "I’ll head for the front door If I et help for the rest of you"

He darts through the doorway and is gone before Seez can say anything

I glance at Pox and Dunglop one last ti down my cheeks Then I curse hatefully and rush out after the others, leaving my dead and undead friends behind