Outbreak (3 page)

I switched off the game, then slipped it into my pocket and headed back down. I couldn't be sure Michael had gone up the stairs at all. But if he hadn't, how had his game ended up there? And why hadn't he just gone and gotten it? It looked like there had been a struggle at the top of the stairs. How else could the footprints and the long drag marks be explained?

I was deep in thought as I made my way back through the hallways, which was why I didn't notice someone creeping up on me until I was suddenly grabbed from behind.

‘AAAAGGGHHH!' I leapt sideways and upwards at the same time. The next thing I knew, I was looking down from on top of the lockers. ‘Oops!' said Sophie. ‘I didn't mean to give you a fright!' ‘I guess that's what happens when you sneak up on someone!'

I was kind of annoyed. Didn't she know how dangerous it was to surprise a zombie? But I couldn't stay mad at her: I wanted to tell her what I'd just found. I jumped down from the locker and dragged her into an empty classroom, shutting the door behind us.

‘Where have you been? I waited for you outside class and when you didn't show—' she began.

‘Michael's been kidnapped,' I hissed.

‘What? What do you mean?'

‘I found this,' I pulled Michael's game from my pocket.

‘Did he drop it?' Sophie asked.

‘I doubt it. He loves this thing!'

‘Maybe someone stole it when he wasn't looking, then freaked out and hid it so they didn't get caught with it.'

I hadn't thought of that.

‘Michael's probably in class right now. Maybe he hasn't even realised it's gone yet!' She paused. ‘Did you think this had something to do with
you
, just 'cause you're a zombie?'

‘With
me
?' I tried to sound surprised. But that was exactly what I'd been thinking! Ever since I'd become a zombie, weird stuff
had been happening to me. Why else would anyone want to kidnap Michael? There was nothing special about my big brother. Except me.

‘I know you've got super-speed and super-strength and infrared vision and
whatever
, but that doesn't mean everything is about
you
!' Sophie sounded cross.

She was so frustrating! Of course
she
would never understand what it was like to be a zombie! ‘That's not—'

‘What's going on here?' said a deep voice.

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Mr Slender was the worst teacher at Seabrook High. Watching him walk down the corridor was like seeing a shark glide through a school of sardines. Everywhere he went, kids darted away from him.

Mr Slender could clear a corridor in seconds

I quickly slipped Michael's game back into my pocket.

Mr Slender glared down at us. ‘What makes you think you can cut classes?'

‘We weren't . . .' I began.

‘And where's your brother? Hiding here with you?' Slender peered around the room as though Michael might be lurking in a corner or under a desk.

Mr Slender was famous for hunting down students who were supposed to be in his class but who hadn't appeared. So if he was looking for Michael, then my brother
was
missing! But if Michael had been kidnapped because I was a zombie, I couldn't risk anyone finding out. What if my secret was revealed too? ‘He didn't come to school today,' I said.

‘That's not true!' cried Mr Slender triumphantly. ‘You are a hopeless liar, Mr Roy! Don't even attempt to deceive me!'

I knew he was right. Whenever I tried to lie, one of my eyes started twitching. It was a dead giveaway!

‘So you think it's funny to skip class on the last day of school? Well, you and your brother won't be laughing when you read your report cards!'

‘We weren't—' Sophie tried this time, but Slender ignored her.

‘And what's that in your pocket?'

Oh no! Gaming devices were banned at Seabrook High. ‘Nothing,' I said quickly.

But it was too late.

‘Give it to me.' Slender held out his hand.

‘I don't have anything,' I said, keeping my voice steady.

Suddenly Slender swooped down so we were eyeball to eyeball. His gaze was locked on my eyes. ‘What are you hiding, Benjamin Roy?'

He was waiting for me to slip up and give away my secret! Well, that wasn't going to happen.

‘Nothing,' I said firmly. So long as I didn't admit to having anything, there was nothing he could do.

‘Turn out your pockets!'

Except that.

Slender blocked my way to the door of the classroom. There was no escape. I slid my hand into my pocket. The device was still warm. I wondered how long it had
been lying there, under the door, with Princess Sparkle calling for help. I had no choice: I gripped the game and started pulling it from my pocket.

‘Tally-ho! Am I interrupting something?'

A face appeared over Slender's shoulder. It was Mr Bill, the headmaster. Mr Bill was so old he needed a cane to walk. Behind him hovered the nervous-looking school nurse, Nurse Nellie. Mr Slender straightened up. ‘This student is hiding something in his pocket. I believe it may be a forbidden item.'

‘Well,' Mr Bill swung his pale, watery eyes onto me. ‘Is it?'

‘Aaahhh, no?' I offered.

It came out as a question, but the headmaster didn't seem to notice. He turned to Mr Slender. ‘Apparently it isn't.'

‘But . . . but I can see the outline of something!' snapped Mr Slender. ‘Right there, in his pocket.'

‘My eyesight isn't very good these days,' said Mr Bill pleasantly. ‘I'm afraid I can hardly see a thing. Can I, Nurse Nellie?'

‘Not a thing!' said Nurse Nellie, who was standing behind him with her arms out as though she was worried the old man might fall over.

‘He's also late to class,' said Slender, trying a new tactic. He jabbed his finger at me like a mini hammer. ‘They were going to skip class! Perhaps a holiday detention is in order.'

‘A holiday detention?' repeated Mr Bill. ‘But who would supervise it?'

‘I would!' said Slender eagerly.

‘I have a better idea,' said the headmaster. ‘How about they spend some time helping Nurse Nellie instead of getting a detention?'

‘Well, I don't think . . .' began Mr Slender.

‘I'm sure she won't mind. She's a great help to me,' said the headmaster. Nurse Nellie beamed at him. ‘Perhaps they can help tidy up sick bay.' He turned back to Sophie and me. ‘Come along. Helping Nurse Nellie will give you time to think about your behaviour. And it means Mr Slender won't have to sacrifice his holidays for detention.'

Slender had no choice: he stepped aside as we followed the headmaster out into the corridor. ‘This way, this way . . .' The old man limped along while we trailed slowly behind.

Sophie raised her eyebrows at me and nodded. I knew what she was saying: she believed me now — if Michael wasn't in class, he had disappeared. But how were we going to look for him if we were stuck helping Nurse Nellie?

Mr Bill led us slowly toward the front of the school. ‘This used to be the main entrance when the school was a hospital,' he said as we stepped into the foyer, where the enormous front staircase led up to the first floor. He started slowly climbing the steps. ‘It was a grand old place, in its day.'

It seemed to take forever to get to the top. When we finally arrived, Mr Bill stopped and leant on his cane for a few seconds before creeping on through more long hallways. Eventually, we came to another room.

‘The Gallery of Portraits,' said Mr Bill with pride. ‘These are the old headmasters of Seabrook High School. One day I shall take my place among them. There were nine of them, before me.' He stopped in front of one of the paintings. ‘Interesting, aren't they?'

I wasn't interested at all! I mean, who cares about a bunch of men wearing old-fashioned clothes? They all looked the same to me, and anyway, I was distracted by something else. From around the corner behind us came faint sounds: the rustle of
cloth . . . the slight squeak of a shoe. Was someone following us?

‘This one was the first headmaster, but he was only here for a year,' said Mr Bill, gazing at a picture of a young man wearing a fancy hat. ‘They say he went insane and was last seen one evening just before dusk, running from the building wearing only his hat. If I'm not mistaken, it was the very one in that picture.'

‘Gosh,' I said, trying to sound interested, but I was barely listening. Every time I glanced back, the corridor was empty. But I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was there.

‘And this one was his replacement. Handsome fellow! Lasted a lot longer, too. Isn't that right, Nurse Nellie?'

‘Indeed it is,' said Nurse Nellie, who was still hovering behind him.

Mr Bill shuffled on then stopped again, this time in front of the biggest painting.

‘William Seabrook,' he explained, staring at the man in the picture, ‘the scientist who ventured down into the tunnels beneath the school almost one hundred years ago.' Mr Bill gazed at the painting thoughtfully. ‘Life wasn't easy for poor old Seabrook. He was an orphan, which was why he was named after the town. But he never let that hold him back, did he, Nurse Nellie?'

‘Indeed he didn't!'

‘He went off to university as soon as he was old enough,' continued Mr Bill, ‘and only returned years later, when he heard the rumours about something dangerous living down in the tunnels. Seabrook led a team of scientists down there to investigate but they all vanished. None of them was ever seen again. The tunnels were blocked off after that.' Mr Bill nodded solemnly as we all stared at the picture.

Well, I
pretended
to stare. Instead, out of the corner of my eye, I was watching the end of the hallway. Was it Mr Slender? Was he trailing us?

‘Now, I can see I've bored you for long enough,' said Mr Bill with a little smile. He shuffled around another corner. His voice echoed back faintly. ‘This way! Come along!'

‘Hurry up,' said Sophie, when I didn't move.

Reluctantly, I followed them around the corner. The corridor ended in a small, square room with a solitary desk in front of a window and large doors on the left-hand side. I peered around the doors and glimpsed the edge of a bed.

‘This is Nurse Nellie's office. My office is over here,' said Mr Bill. He limped toward a small door in the opposite wall that I hadn't noticed. ‘I will leave you in Nurse Nellie's capable hands. She'll sign you into sick bay. Wait there until the bell goes for your next class. And try to avoid Mr Slender for the rest of the day. Tally-ho!'

With a small wave, he turned and vanished through the door into his office.