‘I’ll hold your hand if you want,’ he offered.
Rosie sniffed and wiped her eyes. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘But I’m fine.’
That was the last I heard before Ameena pulled the door closed behind us. We were standing in the corridor that led to the back door of the station. Just a few weeks ago, Mr Mumbles had chased us along it. It felt like a lifetime ago.
‘What’s up?’ I asked.
‘Nothing,’ she replied curtly.
‘Oh. Right. Why’d you want to talk to me then?’
She shrugged. ‘I didn’t.’
‘Um... yes, you did.’
‘I don’t like her,’ she said, matter-of-factly.
‘Rosie?’ I asked. ‘Why not?’
‘Because... she keeps crying all the time.’
I nodded. ‘Yeah. But then, she did just watch her family get killed.’
‘She didn’t watch them, don’t exaggerate,’ Ameena replied, rolling her eyes. ‘She barely saw a thing.’
‘No, but—’
‘And what’s with all the hugging and the hand-holding? Why’s she so touchy feely?’ Ameena demanded. ‘There’s no need for it. She doesn’t even know you. There’s no need for it.’
A realisation suddenly hit me. ‘Wait,’ I said. ‘You’re... you’re jealous.’
‘Of Goldilocks?’ she snorted. ‘Please. Don’t flatter yourself. I just don’t trust her, that’s all.’
‘Because she cries all the time.’
‘Yeah. Exactly. Because she cries all the time.’
I nodded. ‘OK. We’ll keep an eye on her.’ I turned to the door. ‘We’d better go back through.’
‘Wait.’ Ameena’s grip was like steel on my arm. ‘I need to show you something.’
I turned back to her. Her eyes were wide and worried. ‘What is it?’ I asked. She didn’t say anything, so I asked her again. ‘What is it?’
‘Earlier on. I... uh... I lied,’ she told me, her voice a hushed whisper. ‘When you asked if I saw any screechers.’
‘Oh. Right,’ I said. ‘So... you did see some?’
‘One,’ she replied. ‘I saw one.’
‘Oh,’ I said again. ‘Right.’
‘He, um, jumped out at me from behind a car.’
My mouth suddenly felt dry. ‘You got away, though.’
‘Yeah, I got away. I got away,’ Ameena said. There was a crack in her voice I’d never heard before. ‘Just. But not before he gave me this.’
She slowly and carefully pushed her sleeve up. My chest went tight, like all the air had been sucked from the room. There, just above Ameena’s wrist, was a semi-circular tear in her flesh.
‘He bit me,’ she said. ‘The screecher... he bit me.’
y whole body felt numb when we walked back through to the reception area. Ameena had rolled her sleeve back down before I could even speak, then pushed past me, mouthing a low, ‘Don’t tell anyone,’ just before she opened the door.
‘Aye aye,’ Billy said, waggling his eyebrows. ‘What you two been up to?’
‘Shut up, Billy,’ we both said at the same time.
‘I was only joking,’ he muttered.
A red mist of rage descended over my eyes. I changed direction, mid-step, and stormed over to the front desk where Billy stood. A few weeks ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of even looking at Billy without permission. He’d seemed like a giant. A monster.
But I’d met real monsters since then. And Billy didn’t even come close.
‘Don’t joke!’ I snarled, pushing him against the desk. ‘All right? None of this is funny, Billy. No one’s laughing.’
‘I know!’ he said.
‘No, you don’t! You’re acting like this is some sort of game. Racing around in that car, all that “destroy the brain” stuff. It’s not a zombie movie, Billy, it’s real!’ The anger was swelling my chest now. Billy looked smaller than ever.
‘Rosie’s parents are... missing,’ I said, narrowly avoiding saying the word “dead”. ‘My nan is missing. She’s out there somewhere, and I don’t know where, and you stand there and—’
‘They took my sister.’
The rest of my rant caught in my throat. I looked at Billy, but he didn’t look back.
‘What?’
‘Lily,’ he said quietly. ‘They took Lily.’
‘What?’ I said again. ‘Who did?’
‘The zombies. Screechers. Whatever you call them.’ Billy looked at his fingernails, still avoiding my gaze. I could feel Ameena beside me. She’d had more to do with saving Lily from Caddie than I had.
‘When?’ she asked.
‘During the night,’ he said. ‘My mum and dad went out into town. Down the pub. I was babysitting. Again. They were meeting my uncle, so Guggs came round to the house. Lily hates Guggs, though.’
‘I knew I liked that kid,’ Ameena said.
‘She asked me if I’d stay in her room with her when she went to sleep,’ Billy said. His eyes glistened and it took him a moment to carry on. ‘I said “no”.’
He walked away from us then, past Rosie, who was standing in the middle of the room, looking out of place, and over to the tatty couch that sat in the corner of the reception. He flopped down on to it, as if his legs could no longer hold him up.
‘Guggs and me, we played Xbox, and he drank a few beers. I don’t know what time I fell asleep, but it was Lily’s screaming that woke me up. I jumped up and ran to her room, but they were in the hall and I couldn’t... I couldn’t...’
Billy finally broke. We could barely hear his next words through the sound of his sobs. ‘I left her. Guggs told me to leave her and I just left her. I left her there with them... things.’
‘Oh, God,’ Ameena whispered. ‘You didn’t.’
Billy could only nod. He was hugging his legs now, rocking back and forth, weeping silently.
‘You let them take her,’ I said. ‘You let them.’
‘N-no,’ Billy cried. ‘There were too many of them. They were in the hall. They were in her room! What could I have done?’
I didn’t even try to hide the contempt in my voice. ‘You could have tried.’
For a while, no one spoke, each lost in our own thoughts. It was Rosie who eventually said something.
‘What are we going to do?’
Ameena slapped her hand down on the reception desk, making everyone jump. ‘We need to take stock,’ she said, jumping up and sitting cross-legged on the desktop. ‘Try to figure out what’s going on. What do we know so far?’
I blew out my cheeks. ‘Not a lot.’
‘That doesn’t help. What do we know?’ She counted off on her fingers. ‘We know there’s at least one monster roaming around out there. We know something’s happened to the people in the village to turn them into... whatever it is they’ve been turned into.’
‘We know there’s snow,’ Rosie said, trying to get into the spirit of things.
Ameena rolled her eyes. ‘Yes, thank you. Very helpful.’
Rosie smiled, missing the sarcasm completely.
‘We know they don’t die,’ Ameena continued. ‘The cop, she should’ve been dead at least twice, but she wasn’t.’
‘They’re strong too,’ I added, remembering the dents in the car boot, and the way the man in the shop had bitten clean through the sledge. ‘Freakishly strong.’
‘Right. What about practicalities?’ Ameena asked. The rest of us looked at her, blankly. ‘Phone lines? Food? Weapons?’ she explained. ‘Where are we at?’
‘Not great,’ Billy replied. ‘There’s a packet of biscuits and some teabags through the back. Phone’s still dead, and the only weapon I could find was this.’ He held up the baton, then lowered it again.
‘Right,’ Ameena sighed. ‘What kind of biscuits?’
‘KitKats.’
She nodded. ‘Not bad. Not bad. Pity we’re screwed on everything else.’ She hopped down from the desk. ‘So, what else do we know? How did all those people become... the way they are?�
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‘They got bit,’ Billy said.
Ameena rounded on him. ‘Did they? How do you know that?’
He shrugged. ‘That’s how it works, innit? In films.’
‘Yes, but we’re not in a film, are we?’
‘No, but... the policewoman,’ I said. Ameena turned to look at me, and I could tell she’d already thought the same thing. ‘At my house. She’d been... hurt. And she changed.’
‘Like in the films,’ Billy nodded. ‘Like I said.’
‘Shut up, Billy,’ I told him as Ameena turned away and touched the sleeve that covered her bite mark.
‘What else do we know?’ she asked, moving the conversation on.
‘We know my dad’s involved somehow,’ I said.
Ameena spun back to face me. ‘He is?’
‘What?’ Billy frowned. ‘I thought you didn’t have a dad?’
Ameena shook her head. ‘He’s not Jesus, Billy, of course he’s got a dad.’ She stepped in closer to me. ‘What did he say?’
I shrugged. ‘The usual.’
‘Well, where is he?’ Billy asked, standing up. ‘Can he help us?’
‘No,’ I told him. ‘He really can’t.’
‘That thing,’ Rosie said. We all turned to look at her. ‘What did you call it? The Beast?’
‘What about it?’ I asked.
‘Could it have done something to change everyone?’ She brushed her hair back over her ears and seemed to wilt beneath everyone’s gaze. ‘I mean, I haven’t seen the people you’re talking about, but it seems like a big coincidence if they’re not connected.’
Ameena used her fingers to perform a drum roll on the reception desk. ‘And the award for most obvious statement ever goes to... you! Of course they’re connected. We just don’t know how yet.’
‘Well, however they’re connected, we can’t stay here,’ Billy said. ‘It’s Monster Central out there. How long are we going to last sitting around here?’
‘The streets are filled with those things. The routes out of town are blocked. What do you suggest?’ Ameena asked, but Billy had no answer to give her.
‘I think I remember the route we came in,’ Rosie offered. ‘If we can get a car, I should be able to get us back on to the main road. There’s no snow there.’
Ameena thought about this for a minute. Eventually she turned to me. ‘What do you think?’
‘I have to stay,’ I told her. ‘I have to find Nan.’
‘Then I’ll stay too,’ Ameena said. ‘But the rest of you should go.’
Billy nodded. ‘No complaints from me.’
‘We’ll send help,’ Rosie added. ‘When we get to the town.’
‘Right. Good,’ Ameena said, nodding her head. ‘Oh, and – just so we’re absolutely clear – we’re keeping the KitKats.’
‘Fair enough,’ replied Billy. ‘Now all we have to do is find a car.’
‘There’s a little car park out the back,’ Ameena told him. ‘There’s usually a cop car there.’
‘How do you know that?’
Ameena glanced at me, then back to Billy. ‘Long story.’
‘So, is it decided then?’ I asked. ‘Me and Ameena will stay. Billy – you, Rosie and Guggs will try to get out of the village. Rosie, stick with Billy. He’ll look after you. Probably.’
‘And watch out for Huggs,’ Ameena added. ‘He’s a groper.’
‘I’d better go get him,’ Billy said. He sounded reluctant. It was clear that he disliked his cousin almost as much as everyone else did. He started to walk towards the door, but it opened before he was halfway there. Guggs strode through it, sounding out of breath.
‘Billy,’ he said, hurrying over to the front doors. He looked through the glass at the street outside. ‘Check it out.’
Billy joined him at the window. Curiosity got the better of me and I followed on behind. Ameena and Rosie came over too, and soon we were all lined up, peering out through the glass.
In the time since we’d come back to the police station, the daylight had begun to fade. What was left of it reflected off the snow, making the ground look like it was faintly glowing.
‘What am I looking at?’ Billy asked.
‘Wait for it,’ Guggs muttered. He was looking along the street, to where the corner of a neighbouring building blocked the rest of the road from view. ‘The fog’s lifted. You can see the whole street from the roof,’ he explained. ‘I was looking that way when— There, look!’
Billy made a sound that was halfway between a sob and a cheer. He stared – we all did – as a little girl in pink pyjamas trudged determinedly through the snow.
‘Lily,’ he whispered. ‘It’s her. It’s Lily. She’s still alive!’
illy banged his fists against the door. ‘Lily!’ he cried. ‘Lily, over here!’
Outside, his sister did nothing to indicate she had heard him. Billy scrambled for the key that would unlock the doors. He’d just got a hand to it when Guggs grabbed him and pulled him back.
‘What are you doing?’ Guggs demanded. ‘Have you gone nuts?’
Billy shook his head. ‘It’s Lily, Guggs. It’s Lily, she’s all right!’
‘You don’t know that,’ his cousin spat. ‘For all we know she’s one of them.’
‘No, she isn’t. She’s... she’s just Lily!’ Billy grabbed for the key a second time. ‘I have to get her. I’m not leaving her again.’
Guggs caught him by the arms and held on to him. ‘It’s too late,’ he snarled. ‘It’s too dangerous. You’re not going out there. No one’s going out there.’
Click. Rosie turned the key in the lock. ‘She’s... um... she’s his sister,’ she said, too scared to meet Guggs’ glare. ‘It, uh, it should be his decision.’
Ameena nudged me in the ribs. ‘D’you know,’ she said, loudly enough for everyone to hear, ‘I’m really starting to warm to that girl?’
Billy lunged for the door, but this time it was me who stopped him. ‘Hold on,’ I warned him. ‘I hate to say it, but Guggs is right. It’s dangerous out there.’
Yanking his arm away, Billy looked at me in horror. ‘I’m not leaving her alone. Not again.’
‘Of course not,’ I said. ‘But let’s be careful. I’ll come and watch your back.’
‘And I’ll come and watch yours,’ Ameena told me.
Rosie moved closer to me. ‘I’m not staying in here with him,’ she said, glancing briefly at Guggs.
‘You’ll be safer in here,’ I said.
‘It’s fine,’ said Ameena, ‘I’ll watch her.’
‘Right. OK. Is that it? Can I go and get my sister now?’ Billy snapped.
I gave a nod and he swung the door open. The snow crunched beneath our feet as we stepped on to the pavement.
‘Hang back here,’ I whispered to Ameena. ‘Keep your eyes open.’
‘Roger that,’ she nodded. Keeping Rosie beside her, she took up position just outside the door and began scanning for danger.
Lily was still trudging slowly along the street. The snow was almost to her waist, and we could see a long, straight trench showing the route she had walked to get here.
‘Don’t shout to her,’ I warned, stopping Billy just as he opened his mouth. ‘You’ll attract attention. Let’s just go and get her.’
Billy didn’t wait to be told twice. He hurried forwards, stumbling through the blanket of white on the ground. I stuck close behind him, keeping one eye on Lily, and one on the streets around us. The mist had mostly lifted, but now the darkening sky made it difficult to see.
We closed the gap between the station and Lily in less than twenty seconds. Billy slowed when we got close to her. She was walking away from the station now, and we’d approached her from behind.
Softly, Billy cleared his throat and spoke her name. ‘Lily?’
The girl in the pink pyjamas stopped.
‘Lily,’ he said again. ‘It’s me. It’s Billy. It’s... it’s Bro-Bro.’
There was no reaction from his sister.
I looked at her frail back, covered only by a thin pyjama top. She was half-buried in snow. Presumably her feet were bare. And yet, she wasn’t shivering.
‘Billy, wait,’ I said, as he reached a hand out towards her. There was no stopping him, though. His big hand clamped down on her narrow shoulder, and at that, she turned around.
Her eyes were like two black holes in her face. Her little head twitched like a bird’s as she looked from Billy to me and back again.
‘Aw, no,’ Billy croaked. His hand was still on Lily’s shoulder. I pulled him back, putting some distance between them. ‘Aw, no, not Lily,’ he whimpered. ‘Not her.’
Lily’s bottom jaw dropped open. Clouds of white breath rolled from her mouth as she threw back her head and let out an ear-splitting cry. All around us, other voices screeched in reply.
‘Kyle!’ Ameena’s shout was high-pitched with panic. I whipped around and saw dozens of figures come running from the darkness on all sides, crashing and hurdling through the snow towards us.
‘Inside!’ I bellowed, already dragging Billy back towards the station. ‘Get inside, now!’
Ameena shoved the door. From fifteen metres away, I heard her gasp. ‘Locked it. He’s locked it!’ She hammered her clenched fists against the glass. ‘Open the door,’ she screamed. ‘Open the damn door!’
Billy and I reached the door at the same time. Guggs stood beyond the glass, grinning out at us. Behind us, the screechers closed the gap. Lily hadn’t moved, but the others were now only twenty or thirty seconds away.
‘Guggs, open the door!’ I said. ‘Come on!’
‘What, so you and your infected girlfriend can get back in? Not likely.’
He saw the surprise on my face. ‘I heard you when you were in the corridor,’ he said. He pointed at Ameena, right between the eyes. ‘You got bit.’
‘They’re getting closer,’ Rosie wailed.
‘Come on, cuz, open up,’ Billy begged. ‘Please.’
‘Self-preservation, Bill,’ Guggs shrugged. ‘I told you not to go outside.’
Rosie grabbed me by the sleeve. ‘They’re coming!’
‘Smash the glass!’ Billy yelped.
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