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I instinctively raise h the speaker in my helmet "Easy, Becky Re and chill"

"Chill my arse," I mutter sourly, but I lower the spear and watch nervously as the zombies draw closer

The first to co distance is a woreen blouse and askirt There are bite ot out of control when they were ray, cloudy film over them, like a blind person’s, but by the way she focuses on h

The woman pauses in front of , sharp teeth are bared Sheready to attack My fingers tighten on the spear But then she reels away to sniff the others

I’ inside my helmet - I can’t - but I feel hotter than normal I keep a close eye on the zoers twitching I keep expecting one to realize that we’re different, attack and set off the rest of their undead pack But they don’t Because we’re not that different, not in the most important way - like them, we’re dead Zo

"That’s good," Josh et used to you"

"This is freaking me out," I croak

"No," he says "You’ve adjusted faster than the others did You’re the first to hold your nerve when e lashed out the first ti Of course it could be a load of bull and Joshit just to settle me down, but who can resist flattery like that? I treat e in a panic I’ll tease hi the zombies move around freely They don’t have , not even each other They creep in their own directions, swiveling to avoid collisions when they catch sight of one another but not co in any clear way

I start to feel sorry for them They were real people once, with families, jobs, friends, hopes, dreams What if some small part of them is still alive in there, if they can sense what they’ve become? Hoould that be?

"Okay," Josh says "We’re going to shake things up a bit Raise your spear"

I hold it up as Josh instructs, then wave it threateningly at a passing zombie

The zoain," Josh says "But yell this time"

I roar at a different zonores me like the first one did

The other zo to instructions We uide, someone to direct us individually

"Back up closer to the others," Josh says "Forhter circle, so the reviveds can’t pass between you"

I ease back as ordered, until ainst Danny’s and Gokhan’s Danny has a chainsaw, Gokhan an ax

"Exciting, innit?" Gokhan shouts, raising the visor of his helrin at me

The zombies close to us pause when they hear hiray "Yeah," Gokhan jeers "You didn’t expectWe’re gonna stoly arses I’ll cut your heads off with this ax and scoop out your brains What do you think of that, eh?"

The zohs and lowers his visor

"Get ready for action," Josh whispers

Rage has scorched the ceiling a couple of ti over the heads of the zoed but didn’t otherwise react Now he lowers his hose, points the nozzle at a thin young woman and lets rip Fire consu hoarsely, ar wildly

The other reviveds come to a standstill Their heads whip round and all eyes settle on Rage