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

“In how their victims died,” said Madeleine. “Some sort of divination. That’s what Tony was to them.”

“Like you reckoned, Ell,” Milly said. “’Member? Bet you’re right. Bet if we checked how many hypothermia deaths we got out here – Thursdale, Wakeman’s Edge, Fendmoor, Slapelow – betcha it’d be well above the rate for anywhere else in miles.”

“A few of them wake up each winter,” said Madeleine. “Come up to the surface, hunt somebody down and watch them freeze to death. Look for some kind of sign. And this year they found it.”

“And took our families.” Kate’s voice was brittle. She looked at Charlotte.

“Started at the fringes,” Charlotte said. “Places that weren’t in the village proper. Warming up. Right?”

“Okay, so that was the first night,” Ellie said. “Last night was the second. Tonight –”

“The third,” said Jess. “The night of the Dance. That’s what Mum said. When the giants wake up.”

“So how do we stop it?” Charlotte said. “I mean, we can stop it, right?”

No one answered her.

“I’ll keep looking,” said Madeleine. “But it’s not like this lot had any interest in stopping it once it started. For them it’d be like Judgement Day and the Second Coming for me or Milly.” She grimaced. “Not that I ever fancied still being around for that one.”

Ellie rubbed her eyes. “If we’re gonna do anything, it’ll have to be before it’s dark again. Mad, does it say anything else about the... creatures? Any way to hurt them? Fight them?”

Madeleine grimaced. “The folk who wrote all this were more interested in being their best mates. But they’d have to be able to protect themselves to get the chance to do that. So you can bet they did their homework there. But pretty much the only thing that seems to hurt the fuckers was light. Fire, sun, whatever. Which makes sense. Creatures of the night and all that. Trolls were supposed to turn to stone in daylight, weren’t they?”

“Trolls?” Charlotte demanded.

“Trolls, goblins, little people,” Madeleine said. “Maybe this is where all the stories come from, eh? Some of them, anyway. But yeah, light’s the big one as far as I can tell.”

“Nothing we didn’t already know, then.”

“Better than nothing at all.”

“Can light kill them?” said Ellie.

“Don’t see why not. If they’re alive, they can die, right?”

“Let’s bloody hope so.” Wincing, Ellie got to her feet; Reuben stretched and rubbed against her leg. “And let’s try and get ourselves ready.”

52.

52.

“Watch what you’re doing. Fucking retard.”

“Sorry Mum.”

“Stop fussing. Now give us that and piss off. And stop gawping at my tits.”

“I wasn’t –”

“Yeah, right. Men. All the same. Now go on, buzz off. And take that with you! Pour it down the sink.”