The Darkest Corners

The Darkest Corners
Barry Hutchison

The concluding part of this darkly funny, horror series Darren Shan called 'deliciously nightmarish'.Kyle is a bit of a problem child. He won’t do what his dad tells him. But that’s because his dad wants Kyle to unleash the scuttling, screaming, killer creatures of the Darkest Corners and bring about the end of the world. Now might be a good time to rebel…

Dedication (#ulink_7fccee2d-4302-5b1e-876a-ad586c26830b)

For my son, Kyle, the inspiration for this series.

This is it. Kyle versus Dad. You against me.

May the best man win…

Contents

Cover (#ued235af0-5f00-5827-9de9-65d57f0b00b4)

Title Page (#u520575d9-ee6d-52d7-9f94-08f786093172)

Dedication (#ulink_714723c7-0d24-5495-857e-f17b159ee2bc)

Prologue (#ulink_1bcd8416-b314-5ffb-9109-740ef5352a54)

Twelve Hours Earlier... (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One - The Beginning of the End (#ulink_52e6d7b9-ff1c-599f-9729-535262d46924)

Chapter Two - Power Struggle (#ulink_fc835820-a0dd-5a35-a9bc-5cb456d1f36a)

Chapter Three - The Tower (#ulink_0d43423c-9c46-5ad3-b7cd-4b6fbd5bdcdf)

Chapter Four - Familiar Faces (#ulink_9c514fde-2f70-5e9b-a500-87a0a49a25b3)

Chapter Five - Just Not Cricket (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six - Ready at Last (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven - Mr Lazy Bones Wakes Up (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight - The Truth is Out There (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine - Taking Blame (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten - Saying Goodbye (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven - Four by Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve - The Wrong Door (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen - Danger Doc (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen - A Cold and Lonely Death (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen - Hello There, Mr Squirrel (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen - The Long Walk (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen - Ring of Death (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen - Betrayed (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen - The End of the Beginning (#litres_trial_promo)

Thirty-Four Days Earlier... (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

Also available in the Invisible Fiends series (#litres_trial_promo)

Credits (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

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What had I expected to see? I wasn’t sure. An empty street. One or two late-night wanderers, maybe.

But not this. Never this.

There were hundreds of them. Thousands. They scuttled and scurried through the darkness, swarming over the village like an infection; relentless and unstoppable.

I leaned closer to the window and looked down at the front of the hospital. One of the larger creatures was tearing through the fence, its claws slicing through the wrought-iron bars as if they were cardboard. My breath fogged the glass and the monster vanished behind a cloud of condensation. By the time the pane cleared the thing would be inside the hospital. It would be up the stairs in moments. Everyone in here was as good as dead.

The distant thunder of gunfire ricocheted from somewhere near the village centre. A scream followed – short and sharp, then suddenly silenced. There were no more gunshots after that, just the triumphant roar of something sickening and grotesque.

I heard Ameena take a step closer behind me. I didn’t need to look at her reflection in the window to know how terrified she was. The crack in her voice said it all.

‘It’s the same everywhere,’ she whispered.

I nodded, slowly. ‘The town as well?’

She hesitated long enough for me to realise what she meant. I turned away from the devastation outside. ‘Wait… You really mean everywhere, don’t you?’

Her only reply was a single nod of her head.

‘Liar!’ I snapped. It couldn’t be true. This couldn’t be happening.