COMPLETED // i don't want to hurt anymore - enoch o'connor x reader

Chapter 9 - Escape

(Y/N)'s P.O.V

I stopped and stared at it for a couple of seconds, frozen with shock. Then I snapped to my senses and screamed, "HOLLOW!" Horace stumbled to his feet, and sprinted away from the creature and back in the vague direction of the house, losing his top hat in the process. We followed him, me at the back yelling the whereabouts of the hollowgast as no-one else could see it, and Bronwyn leading.
It was gaining on us, and I knew we wouldn't last much longer. I was already panting, my limbs burning, and I thought I could collapse at any moment. And then I had a thought.
"Peculiarity!" I whispered aloud to myself. I closed my eyes for a second, knowing that the hollow was almost upon me, and willed it to feel sharp and deep pains in it limbs. And it obviously did, as it let out a screeching howl and fell to the ground.
I caught up with the others. "Guys, it's not going to stay down for long! We have to do something." Emma looked up at the sky, as if asking for help from the heavens. Then her mouth opened, and her eyes widened. "I've got it," she hissed. "Look, I'm going to climb up that tree, and, you see that branch? Well, I'll burn it off at the trunk and let it fall on the hollow. If we're lucky, it'll kill it." I looked sceptically at her, and Horace grunted. "Are we ever lucky?"
"How do you know you're going to be able to burn it off in time?"
Millard stepped in. "It's the only plan we've got, (Y/N). Let's just get on with it before it's too late."

Emma scaled the tree as quickly as she could without alerting the hollow, and placed herself in a fork between a slim branch and the thick branch she was hoping to drop onto the monster's head. The rest of us ducked behind a rock and watched the slowly arising creature, staring with bated breath as it groaned and slowly picked itself up from the ground. It then started to make it's way towards us, and I looked up at Emma. She's only half the way through the branch, I thought, how is she going to make it in time? The hollow was gaining speed, coming ever closer to the tree and us. It reached the tree, and I had just enough time to think, shit, we're not going to make it, before I heard a sickening 'crunch' and watched the branch fall splat on top of the monster, pushing it to the ground.

We let out a collective sigh. Horace was trembling, so I went up to him and put an arm around his shoulder. He leaned into me, and I saw a tear roll down his cheek. "It's okay," I whispered, "I'm scared too. But you were so brave, Horace. To be so close to that creature and not break down altogether is quite something in itself."
"But it's not okay, (Y/N). This is exactly why Enoch calls me a coward. Because I am one! When did I help in that situation?"
"I didn't help either, Horace. Emma did most of it. And don't listen to Enoch, you and I both know he's a dick." Everyone else had fallen silent, and I weirdly had a sick feeling in my stomach. Something was missing. Or rather, someone. Someone who's sarcastic retorts are the reason I was having this conversation with Horace in the first place. I subconsciously did a head count, something I'd picked up after volunteering at my local GirlGuiding branch.

And there were only 5 of us.

"Where's Enoch?"