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

Laura nodded. “Gave her a hard time when she first showed her face. Shouldn’t have. Poor little scrap. If half I’ve heard’s true –”

“She’s here?”

“Back at the Assemblies. Half-frozen, poor kid, and that little one of hers.” Laura accepted a cigarette from Ernie. Ellie couldn’t remember if she’d always smoked, or if she was another one who’d started afresh today. “She was asking for you.”

“Yeah?”

“Said she had to talk to you. Wouldn’t speak to anyone else, even Milly.”

The hits just kept rolling on. “Better go and –”

Ellie stopped; Laura and Ernie had frozen too, looking up and past her. The same stillness spread across the field, the men and women who’d been gathering wood growing motionless and silent. And in that stillness, the noise they’d heard grew louder: a distant sound of engines.

46.

46.

Jess never slept deep, never had, even before Paul had done what he had. There was never any telling, in their house, when there might be shouting, sounds of violence – that, or Mum kicking down the bedroom door and dragging Jess out of bed for fucking up this or that household chore. No wonder she was always tired.

When she’d got to the village, she’d been close to falling down and near-frozen, unable to even feel her fingers. She’d been scared at first, too, when Mrs Caddick came marching out to meet her: Jess knew her by sight, knew she hated all Harpers and why. She’d shrunk from the look on Mrs Caddick’s face. But then Dr Emmanuel had been there, and she’d said something and Jess had seen Mrs Caddick’s expression change. Seen the pity in it. Better than being hated, anyway.

The pair of them had marched her into the church, through the huddled, shivering, wild-eyed survivors, to a corner at the back. Away from the rest. She wasn’t one of them, never would be. But at least she’d be left alone.

“Let’s get that off you.” Dr Emmanuel had helped Jess free of the rucksack. “Fuck me sideways. Weighs a ton. The fuck you got in here?”

She swore nearly as much as Keira, but it wasn’t the same. Keira’s words were sharp as glass, hard as rock or pebble, and she flung them at people – Jess especially – like things meant to hit and hurt. Dr Emmanuel’s had no cruelty or spite in them. They were like the bits of coloured paper people threw at the weddings Jess’d seen in films. Keira’s swearing made her flinch and shrink; this just made her smile. “Bible,” she said.

“Bible?”

“Family Bible.” Jess took the doctor’s arm. “Got to show Ellie. She needs to see it. It’ll help.” If anything could.