The Dead

‘No we ain’t,’ said Brooke. ‘We done it. We went out there and we merked them good! We won them. We wasn’t just sitting around biting our nails and going “Deary me, whatever can we do, we’re all going to die.” We fighting back, yeah? That’s what we go

‘You said it, girl.’ Courtney bumped Brooke’s clenched fist, then turned to Aleisha. ‘They not so tough. By theyselves they rubbish, just weak and, like, stupid, yeah? But in big groups they way bad, they can, like, overdo you. No. What’s the word? Not, like, overdo. Over something? Overword? Overwell?’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ said Brooke. ‘What word?’

‘When you get, like, overwhelmed by something.’

‘That’s it! That’s the word.’

‘What?’

‘Overwhelm, you idiot.’

‘Oh yeah, I said it. Overwhelm!’

The three of them laughed. It felt so good. Whenever they laughed it felt as if heavy weights were being lifted from their backs.

Aleisha let Froggie go and he ran off. Aleisha watched him for a while then a cloud passed over her face and she grew serious.

‘Are we alone?’ she asked, sitting down.

Brooke looked at her.

‘How d’you mean alone?’

‘I mean – is this it? Us here. Are we, like, all that’s left?’

‘I don’t know. Can’t answer that.’

‘Is only because we haven’t met no other kids since we got here. And we didn’t see none out on the streets today, did we?’

‘Don’t mean there ain’t none out there,’ said Brooke. ‘I reckon there must be loads more kids around. Somewhere. Hiding. All in they own little groups. I’ll bet you there’s an identical group of kids to us going through all the same things as we are, having their own adventures, living, dying, finding food … laughing.’

‘Farting,’ said Courtney.

‘I’m serious, Courtney. We ain’t alone.’

‘And I’m serious too.’ Courtney gave an evil grin and then the others smelt it. They jumped up from the bench and backed away, holding their noses and cursing Courtney.

Frédérique ran past, her long hair flying. Eyes and mouth wide. She was chasing Zohra, who was screaming happily. Frédérique screamed too, copying the younger girl, forcing out a long, thin, impossibly high note that seemed to fill the whole atrium. It was the only way she could shut out the other sounds the kids were making. The loud breathing, hearts beating, blood flowing through veins, food being digested, the thoughts yammering inside their heads. So many voices. Drone, drone, drone, gibbering on about nothing.

It wasn’t just her hearing that was better; all her senses had been boosted. She could smell so much more, feel so much more, see so much more. Things were so bright it hurt her eyes, blinding her. The light burrowed into her head. She could feel it as it came in through her eye then down the optic nerve straight into her brain. Like someone was shining a torch into her mind, lighting it up.

Everything was very clear now. Clear and sharp and glowing and bright. She understood so many things she hadn’t known before. The light had unlocked all this hidden stuff, sent her brain spi

Because that’s all they were. Children.

Stupid-stupid-stupid …

What did they know? Her brain was supercharged, like a sports car; they wouldn’t understand that. They were wandering in the dark, like cave people. Their brains were solid and heavy and slow; hers was spi

She bit her knuckle, tasted blood. Like touching battery terminals with your tongue. A flash of electricity, metal, food, red, water, life.

She was changing. That was it. Evolving into a higher being. Like a caterpillar becoming a chrysalis becoming a butterfly. Her brain was turning to liquid and it would reform as something spectacular.

Yes.

She was becoming a super-being.

Not like these stupid-stupid-stupid … what was the word?

Enfants.

She laughed. Why had she been scared before? There was nothing to be afraid of. She was changing into something … magnificent.

Froggie and Wiki ran away from Frédérique and hid behind a tank.

Froggie was fighting to catch his breath.

‘She’s scary,’ he gasped. ‘I hope she doesn’t catch me.’

‘You’re fast,’ said Wiki. ‘You can outrun her.’

‘It feels really weird to be going crazy in a museum. You’re never usually allowed to run around.’

‘It’s actually quite fu

‘No,’ said Froggie. ‘What?’

‘Bedlam.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Its proper name was the Bethlem Royal Hospital. For mad people.’

‘A loony bin?’ said Froggie, his big eyes wide.

‘Yes. It was nicknamed Bedlam. It’s where the word comes from.’

‘What word?’ said Froggie.

‘Never mind.’

‘Is there anything you don’t know?’ Froggie asked.

‘There are lots of things I don’t know,’ said Wiki seriously.

‘What’s the weirdest thing you know?’

‘I know how to say “the toenails of my grandfather’s elder brother are stiff” in Indonesian.’

‘Yeah? Go on then.’

‘OK – Kuku-kuku kaki kakak kakekku kaku kaku.’

‘You made that up.’

‘No I didn’t. It’s true. “Kuku-kuku kaki kakak kakekku kaku kaku” means “the toenails of my grandfather’s elder brother are stiff” in Indonesian. Now look out! She’s coming!’

Frédérique could smell them. Hiding behind the tank. Oh, they were ripe. Fresh and ripe. Not like the muck she’d been forced to eat at lunch. That had been poisoned, she was sure of it now; the other children had tried to poison her – they’d never liked her. She was different in some way. And they knew it. She wasn’t one of them.

She was French.

They’d been hiding the good food. Keeping it for themselves. But she knew how to get at it. It was inside them.

The smell of them was making her salivate. Her mouth was full of liquid. It spilt over her lips. God, but she was hungry.

There they were, the two boys, two little piggies. She breathed in their stench, could already taste them. The smaller one, Froggie. He would be so tender. The soft flesh. The blood. Young and fresh and alive, electric, pulsing, pure, and full of red, red life …

She was gripped by a spasm that sent her whole body rigid. It felt like all her bones must break, snap under the strain. Electricity was ru

Zohra was watching Frédérique move in on Froggie and Wiki.

‘Get away!’ she shouted, glad it wasn’t her over there. Frédérique was too good at this game. She was making it too real. Froggie and Wiki were bumping into each other and yelling as they tried to dodge the tall girl’s grasping hands.

‘Run, Froggie!’ Zohra was laughing so much she thought she might be sick. The boys looked like something out of a speeded-up comedy film.

Then Frédérique howled and grabbed hold of Froggie’s arm.

Froggie shrieked.

‘She’s caught me!’

Frédérique bared her teeth, brought Froggie’s arm up to her mouth and bit down hard.

52

‘Jack, Jack … I’m sorry, Jack.’

‘You moron. You could have killed me.’

‘But you’re not dead. Thank God. How bad is it?’

‘What do you think? You shot me, you moron.’

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you. I thought …’

‘Well, it was me …’

‘Jack, what have I done?’

‘You know what you’ve done. You’ve shot me.’