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

The flare. Where was the flare? Ellie still couldn’t see it as she forced her head and shoulders into the open again. Probably trampled out: maybe better if it had, if that can of kerosene had split open. Although even burning would be better than the creatures.

Another flare was burning on the conservatory roof, but the glow was faint, almost extinct. They were supposed to last longer. Perhaps it was a dud. The pale things crept away from Ellie, towards the dimming glow.

“Begone! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command you!”

Ellie had never thought Madeleine Lowe to be any kind of zealot, but that was definitely the vicar’s Wolverhampton accent she could hear, which added a hint of absurdity to the proceedings. Hell of a time to go all Praise-Jesus and try to exorcise the fuckers, Mad.

Ellie fumbled in her belt for another flare and twisted off the cap. The creatures had fanned out into a rough semicircle around Madeleine; they’d forgotten Ellie for now. Madeleine held a wooden crucifix ahead of her, her long face pale and determined. Overhead on the roof, red flare-light illuminated the others as they stared down, seemingly paralysed.

Ellie struck the metal cap against her flare. Nothing happened. The second time she got a single spark; the third produced the same again, together with a curl of smoke. Come the fuck on.

“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I command you to be gone.” Madeleine was no longer shouting; her voice was low and steady, very level.

For a moment Ellie almost believed. The creatures seemed to be held at bay, if not on the verge of retreat, by that slight figure and its faith. But at most it had been curiosity, and that curiosity was quickly sated; as Madeleine opened her mouth to speak again, the things rushed forward.

“Oh shit,” said Madeleine, and then they were on her.

Ellie struck the cap against the flare again and finally it caught, erupting in a vivid blaze of light as she ran forward. The pale things closest to it recoiled, the ones hunched over Madeleine – she was screaming, Ellie could hear her screaming – twisting round towards this new source of pain. She thought she could see Madeleine, crumpled under the scrawny leprous shapes, and Ellie threw the flare directly at her.