Read Online Zombie Dog by Clare Hutton - Free Book Online

giggles. “Come on,” he said, leaning forward with his hands on his kneesand catching his breath. “Did you guys think I couldn’t see you sneaking over here? You are so un-ninjalike.” He straightened up, and looked curious. “So what are we doing? Are we going to try to get into the house?”
    â€œNo,” Becky said automatically. She really didn’t want to go into the house. She realized that the smell was much stronger here. It made her think of disease and rotting things. She remembered the sickening give of the wet fungus under her feet in her dream, and for a moment she felt overwhelmed by dizziness.
    â€œJake, you should go home,” she said. “It’s not safe here.”
    Her brother snorted. “No way!” he exclaimed. “You don’t get to have all the fun.”
    Behind them, something rustled.
    Becky whipped around. There was something moving back there, she was sure of it, shaking the line of bushes between them and the side of the house. One bush had withered, orange, bell-shaped flowers hanging from it, and several fell to the ground as its branches shook.
    â€œIt’s probably just a squirrel or something,” Nate said nervously.
    â€œA zombie squirrel, thanks to Dr. McNally,” Becky muttered, and Jake giggled delightedly.
    â€œCome on!” Jake said, and rushed in front of them. Before Becky could call him back, he’d disappeared around the corner of the house. Becky wanted to hurry after him, but somehow it seemed important not to run, almost as if running might inspire something to chase them.
    Nate seemed to feel the same way. He grabbed hold of her arm, and they hopped and stepped their way over the trails of dead grass and insects, across the side yard and around the corner, calling “Jake! Wait!” Becky’s heart was pounding — she couldn’t hear Jake anymore.
    Jake was there, bent over to peer intently into an unboarded basement window. “Hey, you guys,” he said. “Check it out.”
    â€œJake!” Becky scolded, her voice sharp with irritation. “Don’t run off without us like that.”
    Jake shrugged. “Sorry,” he said casually. “I just wanted to see what was over here.”
    â€œWell, you need to be careful, dummy,” Becky said nastily.
    Jake folded his arms, hugging himself defensively. His sharp white elbows stuck out, and he lookedreally young. Becky felt a little guilty for yelling at him. “We were worried about you,” she said in a nicer voice, and Jake relaxed, letting his arms hang free.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he said again, more genuinely this time. “But look, you can see into the basement from here.”
    Becky and Nate both leaned forward to look through the window, squinting to adjust their eyes to the dimness below.
    The basement was full of stuff — shadowy shapes stretching away into the darkness, beyond where the sunlight reached. Becky saw what looked like an old-fashioned sewing machine, a big chair covered with a sheet, and, farther back, a complicated mass of … something. Light glinted off the surface of whatever it was.
    â€œIt’s science stuff!” Jake said excitedly. “Paul was telling the truth!”
    Blinking, Becky made out the shapes of beakers, test tubes, and flasks connected by long twists of tubing. It did look like something that a mad scientist might have handy, but … “I’m not sure a chemistry set in the basement proves that Dr. McNally was making zombies,” she said.
    Jake had just opened his mouth to reply when the bushes beside the house began shaking violently again. Whatever was back there was coming closer to them, and coming fast.
    Something big and dark burst from the bushes, and all three of them screamed. Jake grabbed Becky’s arm, and she felt her heart race. Becky saw Nate’s eyes fly wide open, the whites showing all around the irises, as