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

“Yeah. Which means we’ll have to look to ourselves. Mainly we’re gonna need food and fuel.”

“And stuff like this.” Charlotte tugged the blanket round her shoulders.

“We won’t be short of it,” Milly said. “God knows if there’s even anyone else left.” She had to stop thinking like that. They couldn’t be the only ones. There had to be others. Noel. She couldn’t even remember the last thing she’d said to him. Something flippant and off-the-cuff, no doubt. Not even take care, much less I love you.

“Most important thing,” said Ellie. “We need to be ready for nightfall. Dunno about you lot, but I’m pretty sure they’ll be back.”

“Oh, they will,” said Kate Beck. “They’re nothing if not persistent.”

“Right, then.” Milly stood. “Better get moving, hadn’t we? See who else’s made it.”

And, she thought – despite her best efforts – who hadn’t.

39.

39.

A lamb this time; a little variety couldn’t hurt, since she couldn’t give Them a human offering as originally planned. Ellie bloody Cheetham’s doing again, with her bloody interfering; with any luck, at least, she wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

Liz took the left-hand path through Barrow Woods, stopping occasionally to check on the lamb. It wasn’t struggling like the piglet had yesterday, and if it died on her she’d have to trek all the way back to the farm. Although she already wondered if that mightn’t be a good idea – bring a few animals this time, to be sure she kept Them happy.

But They’d have fed well last night, and on their favourite meat; any amount of pork or lamb came a poor second to that. It was what the sacrifice meant that mattered: we remember you, and pay you tribute. She hoped it’d be enough. Maybe a trip to Barsall was called for – round up a survivor or two. None of them would get through the coming night, anyway: they were food for Them whatever happened.

Or if all else failed, there was always Keira’s idea from last night. Liz had vetoed it at the time, but if it looked as though They wanted more than pig or lamb, the baby would do, if there was no other alternative. Jess was young enough to breed more.

At the Hollows, when she stepped through the gap in the broken embankment, Liz could already see the markings on the pink stone had changed: the second of the vertical lines had been rubbed out, leaving only a blurred black smudge. Another of the nights had passed. The last day, today: tonight there’d be the Dance. And after that…

Well. After that, they’d see. Hopefully, the family had earned their reward: survival. That was their goal, always.