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

“Come on!” someone bellowed. Ellie turned to see Ernie Stasiolek jump from the conservatory roof, flare in hand, slashing at the creatures with it. Julie and Phil Robinson careered down the rake of the roof behind him, one after the other; they were both still clambering down when Charlotte Famuyiwa landed on the conservatory, then leapt from it like a dancer to land in a crouch a few feet from Ernie. “Have that, you bastards!” she screamed, laying about her with her flare. “Come get it! Not so fucking hard now, are you?”

The combined glow from the flares now lit most of the lawn, forcing the creatures back. Ernie and Julie ran to the ruined shed; Phil knelt by the firepit, clawing out handfuls of snow.

“Charlotte,” Ellie called, ducking as yet another missile flew past her head. “Charlotte! You watch that side. I’ll take this one. Keep the fuckers back.”

The girl nodded. “Right.”

Up on the roof-ridge, Milly and Kate Beck shuffled forward so they were above the conservatory; Milly manoeuvred herself around to face Kate.

Phil ran to join Ernie and Julie. The firepit was now clear. A projectile glanced off Ellie’s shoulder; not ice this time, but a piece of wood. Even the fire mightn’t save them, she realised; the things could just pelt them with anything that came to hand. But they could have done that before, at the Height – there’d been heavier objects that could have killed and maimed Ellie outright – and hadn’t.

Maybe they wanted you alive and whole. Remember what they’re wearing.

The fabric swaddling the creatures flapped in the wind. Ellie felt sick.

Kate tossed her flare onto the conservatory roof, and Milly steadied the girl as she awkwardly dismounted the ridge. Then Kate slid clumsily down the rake.

A fragment of brick narrowly missed Ellie’s head. Phil and Ernie now crouched beside the firepit, layering wood and firelighters. Julie had run back to the shed, where she’d left a flare burning, stuck in the ground; she came back with two armfuls of wood and the kerosene.

“Here we go,” said Phil. Smoke was rising from the nest of split logs, and the first flickers of flame.

“Ernie,” Ellie said. He looked up. “Take over from me.” She sprinted over to the conservatory, where Milly was trying to climb down from the roof, short legs swinging in the air. “Hang on, Mill. I’m here.” She dropped the flare to the ground and helped her friend down. The two of them reached up to assist Kate.

With a loud whoosh and a bright orange glow, the fire shot up. It dwindled quickly, but now the flames had taken hold. Julie grinned weakly, and put down the kerosene.

The rain of missiles abated; they couldn’t do anything to put the lights out now. Ellie picked her flare back up; then she and Milly helped Kate over to the fire.

36.

36.