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

Four flares left in the box; Ellie stuck three through her belt, uncapped the fourth, safetied her shotgun and slung it across her back. Then she grabbed two blankets from the floor and ran for the stairs.

She’d almost reached them when the cracked door split open and a white arm lunged into the hallway, and seized her with a thin white steely hand.

32.

32.

Ellie screamed, in revulsion as much as out of fright or pain. The creature’s claws sank through the blankets over her shoulder and her jacket; only her stab vest prevented the talons from piercing her skin.

The creature forced its upper body through the gap, its blind muzzled face swivelling to and fro in its cowl of stolen skin till it pointed directly at hers. Tatterskin. At the end of the blunt, bullet-like muzzle, the yellow rat-like incisors glistened and gnashed. Ellie fought towards the stairs, against the pull of that arm, and began striking the metal cap against the tip of the flare.

The shutters in the front room had split apart – she could see that much in the dying glow of the electric lanterns before they flickered out, and the long thin body of another creature was writhing through, tearing at the carpet tiles.

In the kitchenette, the back door splintered and broke. Ellie kept striking the tip of the flare.

Ellie’s attacker forced its other arm through the door, tearing at the wall as it pulled itself towards her. Behind it, more thin white shapes swarmed in to surround the surgery.

The flare caught, erupting in smoke, sparks, and red, glaring light. The creature recoiled; its grip on her weakened. Ellie lunged forward before it could pull back through the shattered door, and thrust the flare into its face.

Until then, the creatures had been absolutely silent, making no sound even when shot or crushed, but now this one screamed, loud and shrill, an amalgam of wounded child and furious beast, nails on blackboards and forks on steel, and let go of her arm. Ellie ducked as it flailed with its claws, but then it dragged itself back outside, in pain, terror or both.

The one that had climbed in through the front room window crawled backwards, away from her and the stairs. And for a moment, Ellie realised, the house was still; the sounds of splintering wood and buckling metal had stopped.

Ellie pulled a blanket from her shoulder and touched the fabric to the fizzing, spewing flare. At first, nothing happened. She backed up the stairs; it wouldn’t take them long to resume the attack, if they hadn’t already – the monstrosities could already be in the kitchenette, crawling silently down the hallway. But the fabric smouldered: embers caught and glowed in it, tiny grains of light that blossomed into flames.