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

“A new world of gods and monsters,” Noel said, which sound like a quote from something, though Milly’d no idea what. “Be a very scary world to live in, wouldn’t it?”

A fallen world always was, Milly thought but didn’t say.

“If it did just happen here, though,” said Noel. “I mean, this has happened before, hasn’t it? Or something like it. And they kept it quiet.”

“Think they were right, doing that?”

“I honestly don’t know, love.”

“Me neither.”

Milly huddled closer to him.

That afternoon, when the sun hung low and red, Jess, Ernie and Charlotte walked along the hill road, then down from the Height to Barrowman Farm. Tara was looking after Joel again; Jess would take over when she got back.

Her chest still ached, but that was all. Bruises and two cracked ribs, Dr Emmanuel said. Jess knew, like Ellie and Charlotte, that it had been more and worse. None of them would ever say so aloud. But they’d always know.

Ernie limped, leaning on a stick. They climbed the wall and crossed the snow-covered fields, still marked by Jess and Charlotte’s footprints. This time, though, instead of making for Barrow Woods, they went the other way, towards the farmhouse. And this time, they hadn’t a gun between them. Which might or might not prove a good idea when they encountered Dom.

Smoke drifted from the chimney, across the dim pale sky. As they reached the back yard, the door opened.

Ernie Stasiolek drew breath in through his teeth. “Easy,” Charlotte whispered.

Jess held up a hand and went forward alone.

Dom stepped outside, the dogs slinking at his heels, a shotgun in his hands.

Jess stood, looking at him.

Dom looked from her to the others and back again. He stared at her for what must have been nearly a minute, and Jess stared back. And then, at last, Dom broke the shotgun, raised a hand, smiled shyly and waved.

68.

68.

Ellie Cheetham caught a few hours of fitful sleep, then spent the last of the daylight hacking at the frozen ground of the Vicarage’s garden with pick and shovel, till she’d dug a hole a couple of feet deep. In it she placed the cold, stiff bodies of two dogs, an old black Labrador and a little Jack Russell terrier, before shovelling the earth back on and piling a few chunks of rubble atop the grave. Reuben had sat there throughout, watching.

Now, as the sun set, Ellie left the village, walking down the icy road to the Height, a packet of cigarettes in her pocket – tomorrow she’d quit – and Reuben trotting at her heels.