Zombiefied! Read Online Free Page B

around the back wall. There had to be a way to make it open again.
    â€˜It kind of stinks in here,’ said Sophie. ‘What are you looking for anyway?’
    â€˜When I was going to the toilets to wash my knee this morning, I found . . .’ I paused and swallowed hard. ‘I found a secret doorway.’
    â€˜Yeah. It leads to this janitor’s storeroom. Can we go?’
    â€˜Not this doorway. Another one. It’s here somewhere.’ I felt along the wall.
    â€˜What do you mean? I can’t see anything.’
    â€˜I know,’ I told her. ‘It’s a secret doorway. It opened when I was standing there, right where you are.’
    Sophie looked around at the piles of soap and toilet paper.
    â€˜Maybe I bumped something accidentally, a button or a lever,’ I said, running my hand over another wall.
    â€˜Yeah. Or maybe you imagined it.’ Sophie was staring at me like I’d gone mad. ‘Do you know how weird this sounds?’

    â€˜It was the wooden knob,’ I said suddenly. ‘I tripped and grabbed the knob on the end of the shelf as I fell. That seemed to close the door — maybe it will open it too.’
    I raised my hand toward the carved piece of wood, and wrapped my fingers around the knob. The wood felt smooth beneath my skin. I twisted.

8
    But the secret door didn’t open.
    I twisted my hand the other way. I pulled it forward, pushed it backward and side to side. Still nothing. Standing on tiptoes, I peered at the knob.
    â€˜It’s from the old library,’ Sophie explained. ‘I recognise the shelf. They installed new ones a couple of years ago, just after we moved here. All the old wooden shelves were taken away. I guess they decided to use some of them around the school.’
    How fascinating, I thought sarcastically. I was pretty sure I could have figured thatout for myself, if I ever went into the library.
    I didn’t say that though. I didn’t want Sophie to get mad at me again.
    â€˜I don’t know why it isn’t working,’ I said instead. I picked my way through the clutter over to where the door had appeared. It still looked like a completely normal wall, made of old planks. In fact, it looked like the last wall in the world where a secret door might be hidden.

    â€˜Where were you standing when you saw it?’ asked Sophie.
    â€˜Here.’ I stepped back outside the door. ‘I saw it open right over there .’
    Sophie stood behind me, staring at the wall.
    â€˜So you were here, in the hallway?’
    â€˜Yup. The door was swinging shut when I saw something move. So I pushed the door back open again and that’s when I saw it.’
    â€˜Maybe it was a mop falling over,’ said Sophie, nodding toward the wooden handles standing up in one corner, ‘and it just looked like something opening.’
    â€˜It wasn’t a mop.’
    â€˜A broom?’
    â€˜It wasn’t a broom,’ I said. I was starting to feel annoyed. I twisted the knob again. Nothing happened. I pushed it down. Thenup. I looked under the shelf at the wooden brackets that held it in place. If only the door would open — that would show her!
    â€˜Why didn’t you get closer? Why didn’t you go inside the cupboard?’ asked Sophie.
    â€˜I was going to,’ I snapped. ‘But I tripped.’
    â€˜Did you see it shut?’
    â€˜Yes! No . . . I don’t know. Slender was there, and when I looked back the door had closed.’
    â€˜Did Slender see it?’
    â€˜I don’t think so. He said it sounded like I hit my head when I fell off my bike.’
    â€˜Maybe you did,’ said Sophie.

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Did she practise being annoying?
    â€˜I’ve got to go,’ she added. ‘I’m already late.’
    â€˜Fine,’ I said, not looking at her.
    â€˜Why don’t you come over to my place? Mum just got me Zombie Attack 3 . I