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

Ellie only looked down once: the vague, blurred impression of thin shapes clinging spiderlike to the side of the house below was more than enough to prevent her doing so again. Her thighs and arms already ached; they’d need another break before too long.

She managed, just about, to get around the third chimney and pull herself about halfway along the roof-ridge, then stopped. It wasn’t only from tiredness, although that played its part. The firelight, already weak, shone no more than another six feet along the slates ahead of her. And white things moved in the dark beyond, their yellow rat’s-teeth bared.

34.

34.

The creatures kept to the shadows as ever, making any head-count chancy at best, but Ellie guessed there were a dozen at least on the rakes and ridges of the roofs ahead. She held up an arm to halt the others. “Two minutes. Catch your breath.”

She looked down, and saw more creatures clinging to the walls below her, one even hanging off the guttering. She looked to the other side: it was the same story there. “When I give the word, light the flares – not before. Then we carry on, same as we have been. They can last up to an hour, and we’ve all got spares, so nobody panic or rush. That’s more dangerous than anything right now. The light’ll keep them back.”

There was a muffled explosion behind them; Ellie clutched the ridge for support. The fire flared brighter, and the pale shapes on the next roof scattered from it.

Kate almost lost her balance; Ernie steadied her in time. “Fuck,” she said, with her usual clear, cut-glass precision. It made her sound far calmer than she probably was. “Fuck.”

“You’re all right,” said Ernie. “I’ve got you.”

“We need to move,” said Phil. “Whole bloody row could go up.”

“That would have already happened, if it was going to,” said Ernie. “They cut off the gas as well as the lecky, remember?”

Phil nodded, licking his lips. “Yeah. Sorry, guys.” Ellie heard the shame in his voice; everybody hoped to be the hero if a crisis came, but feared they’d be the coward, the one whose panic endangered everyone else.

“Phil, mate, it’s okay,” said Ellie. “We’re all freaking out here. Like I said, gives us a bit more light so we won’t have to break the flares out just yet – see?”

She gestured round. The light from the burning houses now lit both sides of Hollybeck Row so that it was clear of the creatures – except at the very end, which remained dark. It also lit the houses’ extensive back gardens. The house they were crawling along now had a conservatory out back, and a trimmed lawn no doubt used for garden parties in the summer and in the winter for –

“Down there!” Ellie pointed. “Milly, you see what I’m seeing? Ernie?”