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

Mustn’t think of that. Just get back. Drive. Focus ahead. But she couldn’t stop herself glancing at the rearview mirror, and saw they were still behind her. She caught glimpses, snatches, of them, scuttling up the road in pursuit.

And they were gaining on the car.

25.

25.

The shotgun was on the backseat but Ellie might as well have left it at home, all the good it could do her now. She had to laugh at the absurdity of that thought – and did, out loud, a high jagged noise that sounded so hysterical, so utterly unlike her own voice, that she stopped as soon as she heard it.

But it was absurd. What would she have done? Fire one-handed through her own rear windscreen (Thelma Graham’s rear windscreen, rather, and wasn’t that going to be a fun discussion when or if she made it back?) while steering blind with the other? Might as well put the barrel in her mouth and have done – quicker and easier that way.

The creatures were fast, impossibly fast. How far up the road had she come? The bend, where was the bend? It was as if the road had lengthened since she’d come down it. If she missed the bend – if she was going too fast and didn’t turn in time – she’d go through the crash barrier as if it was paper. A car crash might still be better than letting those things get hold of her – the sight, the very thought of them made her skin horripilate – but only if it killed her outright.

The image of being trapped, helpless, maybe paralysed, in the wrecked car while the creatures closed in on it and peeled it open to get to her, like children unwrapping a gift, was as vivid as it was appalling. And then there would be no-one to warn them in Barsall. Someone had to, and Ellie was the only person who could. She was a police officer, she reminded herself. She’d taken an oath. I will, to the best of my power, cause the peace to be kept and preserved and prevent all offences against people and property. She had to make it back if for no other reason for that.

And so she had to focus on the road – and, for now, to forget about the creatures. She needed to watch for the bend, or it would finish her as certainly as they would.

Ellie gritted her teeth and eased her foot off the accelerator a little, cutting speed. She didn’t look at the rearview or what might be gaining – couldn’t, mustn’t. She leant forward, squinting through the windscreen.

They were closing in – they’d be on her any second –