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

Ellie put her arm around Milly’s shoulders as her friend cried. One by one, the other survivors sat around the memorial. Tom Graham’s X5 had been flung away from the monument and onto its side, half-on and half-off the pavement. The Coopers were looking after the boy from under the sink; the Kennards held hands; Josh Pidcock stared around the village with a lost look on his face, then sat down too.

Milly was crying too hard to speak, face buried in her hands. Ellie could think of nothing to say and hugged her close, looking at what had been Barsall, trying to process it. So many people she’d never see again. They were just – gone.

“Milly?” said a voice.

Ellie yelped in alarm at the sudden noise; it had come from the High Street, along which three figures – one very familiar – were approaching the memorial.

“Milly.” Ellie shook her. “Look. Look!”

Milly wiped her eyes and focused on the approaching trio. “Jones?” She jumped to her feet and broke into a run.

Noel and Milly hugged tightly; his companions were Amy and Kevin Lee, who ran the Chinese chippy.

“Hey,” Ellie said.

“Hello, Ellie,” Amy said, managing a smile. Kevin raised his hand in a silent wave.

“I was bloody lucky,” said Noel. “Was round here when it all broke loose.” He shook his head. “They were all over the High Street in seconds. Most people didn’t stand a chance –” He rubbed his mouth. “I was near enough to the chippy though. Amy and Kevin got me inside. There’s a meat locker in the back. Steel door. Shut ourselves in for the duration.” He kissed the top of Milly’s head, looking around. “Bloody lucky,” he said again.

“Jones?” she mumbled into his chest.

“Yes, love?”

“Shut up.”

Noel chuckled weakly, met Ellie’s eyes and winked. “Yes, love.”

41.

41.

As if at a secret signal, more survivors began emerging along the length of the High Street, far more than there’d been along Halliwell Way. Maybe all the store rooms in the shops had helped.

Ellie was relieved to see familiar faces like the Brailsfords, and Laura and Tara Caddick. Laura carried her shotgun over her arm; not much use against the creatures, but it heartened Ellie to see her. Laura was steady and tough; God knew they could use that now. And at least she’d be spared a repetition of the slow grim house-to-house search she’d had to carry out on Halliwell Way.

Several people had fallen and injured themselves in the rush to find a hiding place and one woman, pressed against the woodburner whose light had kept the creatures back for hours, had suffered severe burns. It was enough to keep Milly occupied for a little while. Ellie wasn’t as worried for her friend as before given Noel’s survival.