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

Runnels of water glistened on the stone floor; Ellie dropped the flare into one and ground it out with her boot. If the creatures sensed the pain-giving light even for an instant, they’d know there were intruders. Cold clammy blackness closed around them like a fist, and Ellie felt a sudden deep awareness of the yards of stone above them, the ancient structure the tunnel had bored through; how many more like it must there be? She visualised Thursdale and Slapelow Hill like an enormous chunk of Swiss cheese, so riddled with hollows it might collapse like a playing-card house at a single nudge or jolt.

She didn’t know how Charlotte had realised the creatures were on the move, given their silence. Even now, listening in the dark, she heard nothing – but, perhaps as Charlotte had – she felt it, as though a horde of the spiders in the web were crawling over her exposed skin. Everyone else was still, too; she didn’t think they even dared to breathe. The tiniest sound might bring the creatures running.

From the direction of the main cavern came the clink and rattle of loose bone – isolated sounds at first, but rising to a rapid, intense clattering as the creatures swarmed (Ellie saw it with absolute clarity, not doubting for a second it matched the reality exactly) over the hummock of bones, then up the shaft. They were going up into the Hollows, and then they’d be racing through Barrow Woods and over Thursdale, crawling up the hillside like spiders up a wall, surging down Halliwell Way towards the meadow and the last of the living. They’d encircle the camp; who could stop them, after all? Only the fires would keep them back; the dark around the camp would belong to them.

Bone sang and clattered, clinked and fell, rang on the cavern floor.

Then, at last, silence.

And only the cold and breathing dark remained.

58.

58.

“What are we looking for?”

“Bloody hell, Ernie, go lie down. You’re hobbling around like Long John Silver.”

Ernie Stasiolek put weight on his bad leg and grunted. “I’m fine. What are we looking for?”

“Think we’ll know when we find it,” Noel said. “Bloody things must have come out here somewhere. Maybe where the old church was?”

“Makes sense.”

Noel crossed the grass, probing ahead of him with the torch, rifle slung across his back. Best to keep himself busy; easier not to think of Frank Harper that way, trying to crawl away from the pain like a child. Besides, people needed someone to look to right now. Milly would care for them, but it was Ellie who’d always known what to do. Fair enough, it being her job. But she wasn’t here now, so he, Ernie and Laura had to fill the gap as best they could.