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

She slipped down the hall to the front room. Baby Joel grizzled and she unfastened her shirt, offering a breast; he latched on and fell quiet. Could she hear noises through the cracked and boarded window, drifting across the valley from Slapelow Hill? She told herself she didn’t. Jess sat on the sofa and nursed her child, and reviewed the plans she’d made for the morning.

30.

30.

They didn’t even flicker: there was light one moment, blackness the next. The first screams were of confusion and shock. Then, from the direction of Blackfield Park, came a fresh outbreak of screams, and these were of terror and pain. They became a wave, and they got louder. Closer. Something was coming.

Milly caught Ellie’s arm. “Come on.”

“I –”

“Ellie, now!” Milly dragged her to the alleyway. “Can’t save anyone else if –”

“This way!” Ellie shouted. Madeleine was beside her, but Ernie Stasiolek stood frozen: his family were back the way he’d come, but no-one could have willingly gone towards sounds like that. “Ernie!” He turned, blinking at her. “Ernie, this way! Julie! Phil!” Milly didn’t look happy and Ellie saw her point – last thing they needed was a stampede in the alley – but she’d left Bert to his fate and couldn’t do that again, if she could help it. “Thelma!”

But Thelma Graham stood motionless, and if Ellie didn’t stop she’d still be shouting names when the monsters came. And so she let Milly drag her down the alleyway, and she didn’t look back to see who did or didn’t follow.

As they fled down the ginnel behind the surgery, Ellie heard Thelma scream.

Milly padlocked and bolted the back gate, although Ellie suspected it would only hold for seconds, then ran across the yard to the surgery’s back door. “Coming through,” yelled Milly, and the others scattered from her path.

Screams from the street and further afield seemed to hit Ellie from all sides, dizzying her. They were coming from all over Barsall.

“Come on, come on!” Phil Robinson, panic in his voice. “Get it open –”

“Quiet,” Ellie hissed over her shoulder, and stepped towards the gate. Had there been movement, out in the alley? She couldn’t tell, not with all the screams, the sounds of breaking wood and glass, tearing metal, shattered stone. The only sounds, she realised, were coming from people or things they owned or lived in, being broken and torn apart. The creatures themselves were silent.

The back door opened. “In,” Milly whispered. “You too, Ell.”

Ellie backed towards the door. Her heel caught on a loose paving-stone; Milly steadied her, then backed across the threshold too.