Outbreak by C.M. Gray Page B

does explain the smell coming from your room sometimes.’
    â€˜I don’t think that’s ’cause I’m a zombie,’ I said truthfully. Then I added, ‘But I’ve got some more bad news.’
    â€˜What?’ asked Mum nervously.
    â€˜I forgot my report card.’
    Mum and Dad laughed. ‘Hmm,’ said Mum. ‘I think we’ll let you get away with it this time.’
    By the time we stepped out through the front door, the sky was filled with stars and the streetlamps were glowing.
    â€˜Wow! That’s bright,’ said Sophie gazing at the closest one.
    â€˜You’ll get used to it.’
    â€˜Do you think I’m . . . ?’
    I nodded. I’d realised the truth when we were leaving. I’d switched to infrared vision and it was then that I noticed Sophie glowing blue like me, instead of orange like normal humans.
    She stopped in shock.

    â€˜Don’t worry,’ I told her. ‘Nobody else will notice that you’re now completely brain-dead.’
    â€˜Great! Thanks a lot!’
    â€˜Plenty more where that came from,’ I told her with a grin.
    â€˜But why don’t I want to attack anyone?’ she asked me.
    â€˜I wonder,’ I said slowly. ‘I saw Nurse Nellie adding white powder to the medicine earlier. Maybe she mixed sugar in with the formula. Maybe she tweaked it so you’d want lollies instead of brains?’
    â€˜I really could murder a lollipop right now, I know that,’ agreed Sophie. ‘But why?’
    I shrugged. ‘It could’ve been accidental. She probably didn’t realise it’d make you crave sugar.’
    â€˜What is that thing ?’ Sophie said suddenly, gazing again at one of the streetlamps, where a bright blue shape could now be seen swooping at the insects clustered around the light.
    I recognised the shape straight away. ‘Corvus,’ I explained. So that was why my pet zombie raven always wanted to go out at night!
    â€˜He’s beautiful,’ breathed Sophie.
    A trail of electric blue light followed the bird as he dived and plunged.
    Michael jogged up to us. ‘Did you see me blind her with the glitter? I was really fast. Like this . . .’ He windmilled his arms around, almost knocking himself off his own feet. ‘I just hateto think what would have happened to you guys if I hadn’t been there. You wouldn’t have had a chance!’

    â€˜Absolutely,’ I said, trying not to laugh. ‘You saved the day.’
    â€˜When the guys find out my brother is a zombie . . .’ he began.
    â€˜You can’t tell anyone,’ I interrupted.
    â€˜What?!’ Michael looked stunned. ‘But why . . .’
    â€™Cause I’ll be locked up,’ I told him. Then I added, ‘ If anyone believes you.’
    Michael’s face fell.
    â€˜Anyway, you’re better off pretending to be a Duff,’ I said.
    â€˜A Duff?’
    â€˜Someone who doesn’t know zombies exist. That way, if you get attacked, they won’t expect you to fight back,’ I explained.
    â€˜Especially not with glitter,’ said Michael, digging around in his pocket and pulling out a handful of glittering specks. ‘They won’t expect that.’
    â€˜You’re right,’ I agreed. ‘ Nobody would expect you to fight zombies with glitter!’

Also by C.M. Gray
    Zombiefied!
    Zombiefied!: Infected
    Zombiefied!: Outbreak
    Coming later in 2016
    Zombiefied!: Apocalypse

Copyright
The ABC ‘Wave’ device is a trademark of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and is used under licence by HarperCollins Publishers Australia.
    First published in Australia in 2016
    by HarperCollins Children’sBooks
    a division of HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited
    ABN 36 009 913 517
    harpercollins.com.au
    Copyright © C.M. Gray 2016
    The right of C.M. Grayto be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under