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

“Sh,” breathed Ellie. Ignore them and they’ll go away: the bullshit advice teachers gave you about playground bullies, and it never worked on them. Fuckers like that battened on pain like leeches, or found their prey’s joy so intolerable they had to extinguish it at all costs. Either way, they kept at you until they drew blood and the only real way to be rid of them was to kick the shit out of the bastards so they were afraid to come after you, or put them in a state where they could never hurt anyone again. Both of which seemed impossible with an enemy like this.

Milly fumbled for the candles, and blew them out one by one. Another blow crashed against the front door shutter; now the one over the front window began to rattle too. The creatures had always known Ellie and the others were here, she realised. They’d just gone for the easier pickings first.

Everyone was looking at her, eyes glistening in the lamplight. What do we do now, Constable? Tell us. Show us. Do something. Please.

The shutters in the kitchenette rattled louder and louder. Then one of them crashed like a cymbal, and the noise rang through the house. Kate cried out, then put a hand to her mouth. The shutters became still; long slow icy seconds ticked by. And then the shutters at the front crashed and shivered, and the front window cracked across as the metal covering it buckled.

“Oh fuck,” said Julie.

Glass shattered in the kitchenette. The shutter panels there were buckling too. More of the things forcing their way in, like leeches after blood. The front window burst inwards, showering them with glass. Kate bit her lips to keep from crying out again. Milly made a strangled noise. Thin white fingers wormed through the crumpled steel panels, groping for a hold.

Ellie flipped open the box of flares. “Everybody, take two of these. Quickly!” the others rooted and fumbled in the box. “Now, upstairs. Do it!”

“Ellie –”

“It’s okay, Mill. Know what I’m doing.” She hoped. “Get ’em in the loft.” Milly frowned back at her. Thinks I’ve lost it. “Go on. Quickly.”

Still Milly hesitated, but the others were already at the stairs. Sound like you know what you’re doing and people will do as you say: one of the first lessons she’d learned as a copper. In their fear no one gave a moment’s thought to stealth, and the sound of footsteps thundering up the staircase made the creatures tear and wrench at the shutters all the harder. Milly stepped back. “Move,” Ellie mouthed, and Milly darted into the hallway and up the stairs as the front door cracked from top to bottom.