BooksBarbecue
Back The Hollows
Chapters (77)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. PART I
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. PART II
  15. 9.
  16. 10.
  17. 11.
  18. 12.
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. 31.
  38. 32.
  39. 33.
  40. 34.
  41. 35.
  42. 36.
  43. PART III
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. 40.
  48. 41.
  49. 42.
  50. 43.
  51. 44.
  52. 45.
  53. 46.
  54. 47.
  55. 48.
  56. 49.
  57. 50.
  58. 51.
  59. 52.
  60. 53.
  61. 54.
  62. 55.
  63. 56.
  64. 57.
  65. 58.
  66. 59.
  67. 60.
  68. 61.
  69. 62.
  70. 63.
  71. 64.
  72. 65.
  73. PART IV
  74. 66.
  75. 67.
  76. 68.
  77. Acknowledgements

Ten feet to the BMW. But when she moved, what then? Why were they keeping back from the light? Did it hurt them, somehow, or was extinguishing it before they attacked part of a ritual? If the second, stopping Ellie getting away would likely take precedence over strict religious observance, or whatever in hell’s name this was.

More glass broke at the rear of the BMW. One headlight now remained; when that was gone, they’d attack.

And then Ellie remembered, and crouched beside the box she’d hauled from the Land Rover, popping the lid. The creatures’ heads shifted at the sound, and she froze. But the ice pellets kept ricocheting off the X5, and more glass broke.

If the remaining headlight went, she was finished. She reached into the box, pulled out a road flare and fumbled at its paper wrapping, fingers thick and clumsy in the gloves. She tugged one off with her teeth, tore at the paper to expose the cardboard cap.

More glass cracked, but the light held. The pellets might be breaking windows instead, or chipping the light’s glass cover. But it wouldn’t last. They’d only one target to aim for.

Ellie removed the cardboard cap. There was a metal striker on one end; hitting the tip of the flare with it should ignite it. Like striking a match. Should. Depended on the flare’s age. How old were these? And she’d no lighter or matches –

But the flare caught on the second strike, and sparks and smoke erupted from it. The line of creatures wavered as the red glare spilled out across the snow; Ellie threw the flare towards them. It fizzed on impact with the ground, but continued spewing smoke and light. The thin grey shapes unfolded their long arachnid legs and scuttled backwards.

An ice pellet flew past Ellie; another caromed off the side of the BMW, but most were hitting the ground where the flare had landed, kicking up puffs of fallen snow. Ellie grabbed another flare: the second time was easier, and the flare caught on the first strike of the cap. She hooked her left arm under the box, raised the flare in her right, then ran towards the 4X4.

The shapes to her left hung back. The line to her right swayed back and forth, wanting to keep her from the car but recoiling from the flare. She reached the X5 and hesitated, trying to get a hand free to open the door. There was a scuttle of movement, and she glimpsed in her peripheral vision the creatures rushing towards her.