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

“Dogs.” Madeleine looked up at Ellie. “My dogs. I left them. At the Vicarage. Only thought I’d be out for a few minutes.”

Ellie squeezed her arm. Madeleine blinked up at her. “Anything happens. To me I mean. Tomorrow. Can you go there Ellie? Please. Make sure that they’re okay. All I’ve got.” Her gaze shifted to Milly. “Sorry.”

“What for, love?”

“I know. Noel out there. And me worrying about dogs. Stupid. Sorry.”

Milly took Madeleine’s hand. “Not stupid at all, love.”

“I’ll pray for him.”

“I’ll check,” Ellie said. “Promise.”

Madeleine’s eyes closed. Her lips moved; a prayer, maybe.

The fire crackled. There was no other sound; the screams had stopped. A relief in some ways, but how alone did that silence mean they were?

That suddenly seemed a very abstract concern, though; one Ellie couldn’t really care about. Whatever energy had got her through the night so far was gone. She could barely keep her eyes open, let alone move.

She had to stay awake. The creatures might still attack. She couldn’t drop her guard. But her eyes wouldn’t stay open. So tired. Exhausted. She could rest them for a minute; that couldn’t hurt, could it? So Ellie closed her eyes.

PART III

PART III

A wrathful moon

21st December

Sunrise: 0818 hrs

Sunset: 1550 hrs

7 hours, 32 minutes and 18 seconds of daylight

Midwinter’s Eve: the longest night of the year

37.

37.

Jess wasn’t stupid, whatever Mum or Keira reckoned. She’d planned things carefully, and all inside her head. Writing them down might have made it easier, but it’d have been a risk: Paul would be on the prowl in search of new secrets to hold over her, and there was no telling what Keira might do out of pure spite.

Her plan was complicated enough, and vulnerable in a dozen places to the wrong person looking the wrong way at the wrong moment. She mightn’t be the fool they thought her, but even when she’d got herself and Baby Joel away from Barrowman Farm she’d have a long way to go in foul conditions; dangerous enough at the best of times. So many things to get past. So many hurdles where she could fall.

By rights, she should leave Baby Joel behind. Going out in the cold like this, it was so easy to meet with an accident, or simply underestimate the cold’s deadly, killing strength. A baby would be so vulnerable to that, and would slow her down. Might be safer to leave him: let Paul change his nappies. That almost made Jess laugh, the image of Paul trying not to spew up all over the kitchen while he tried to change a pair of shitty Pampers.