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

On their third or fourth date, she and Stan gone ten-pin bowling. It had been a good evening. They’d been in love; neither had yet dared use the word, but she’d already known she felt something new and different for him, and later he’d admitted it had been the same for him. So much possibility lay ahead of her, the way he’d looked at her had made her feel beautiful, the belle of the ball, and the cherry atop the sundae, proof positive that she was skilled and brilliant and could achieve whatever she aimed at, had been how that evening she’d bowled ten-strike after ten-strike, knocking every single pin flying almost every time. It had been a good feeling, one long lost to her under a fog of time and grieving and antidepressants, and she’d almost forgotten ever having had it. For the briefest of split-seconds, though, Ellie felt that triumph all over again as the flare landed among the clustered creatures and sent them scattering across the lawn.

Madeleine lay face-down in the snow beside the still-burning flare, blood soaking into the spindrift around her. Flurries of white powder landed on her back. The creatures were flinging snow at the flare, trying to smother it.

Ellie ran forward – towards her friend, towards the light. Beyond that, she had no plan. Missiles glanced off her as she dived, landing beside Madeleine, and clawed for the flare, snatching it up and standing over the vicar, the flare held out ahead of her just as Madeleine had held out the crucifix.

Madeleine moaned in pain, and her legs moved feebly in the snow. Still alive, at least for now. But then the creatures moved to encircle Ellie, cutting her off from both conservatory and shed. Two of them were already plucking at the shed’s remains. She’d no idea how intelligent they were, whether they understood how fire was made or if they knew what the smell of kerosene meant. No doubt they’d scatter or destroy anything that could be used against them, if they recognised it as such.

A stalemate for now, but the flare would only burn so long. The creatures were crouching, waiting silently. That was all they had to do. Just as they no doubt had with Tony Harper, only they wouldn’t wait for Ellie to die of the cold. And already the flare seemed dimmer.