Lock Down Writing

THE HOLLOW OF TIME

I was just 13 years old when it happened. It was a beautiful summers day: there were butterflies fluttering all around me, there wasn’t a cloud in sight and the birds were singing a happy tune. It hadn’t rained in days; the grass was as dry as a crisp. My mum and I were out in the garden planting mint when I wandered off to the other end where all three of my dogs were. My mum wasn’t paying attention to me she was too busy planting. My dogs were sniffing my favourite tree. They had never done that before. The tree had white and light brown patchy bark all over it. The bark was mainly smooth but there were some bumps here and there. The bark near the top of the tree was smothered in vines with ivy popping out in every direction. On the branches there were enchanting green leaves with new buds gently unfurling. There was moss coating the bark like a huge blanket. The roots were twisted into each other making a ladder to the deep hollow below.

I climbed into the hollow, but something was different. I had eerie shivers down my spine, but I didn’t have time to explore what it was because my mum shouted it was time for dinner. I skipped into the kitchen and sat at the table. We ate shepherds pie, it was delicious. After dinner I read 2 chapters of my favourite book. Then my mum came into my room and said it was time to go to bed so I put my pyjamas on and brushed my teeth. I quietly opened my window and carefully climbed down the gutter. I tiptoed across the lawn and climbed into my favourite tree although still, something felt different but I couldn’t quite place my finger on it. When I went to sit down, I sat on something round. I immediately stood up and picked it up. It was cold and glossy. I couldn’t quite make out what it was, but then I realised what I was caressing. It was a glass eyeball. I got the fright of my life and dropped it out of fear. It shattered into 3 pieces. I picked up the 3 pieces and studied them carefully. I noticed there were carvings in the base of the tree. The carvings matched the pieces of

the glass eyeball, so I put the pieces into the carvings. Without warning there was array of light beaming through the tree. It blinded me so I closed my eyes but when I opened them again and I was back in time…

I tried closing my eyes again to see if I could go back, but nothing seemed to work. I was very puzzled. I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to explore. The roads were dry and crumbly. There were wagons coming from all directions. Some were made from flaky old scraps of wood, with pairs of horses pulling them along. It wasn’t a summers day. There were no butterflies or birds singing happy tunes. The sky was dark and cloudy. It looked like these horses hadn’t seen a brush in their lives. Their manes were all tangled, and they had dead hair all over them.

I walked over to the nearest building. It was a dress shop. I was in modern clothes, so I had to get changed to fit in. I stood outside the dress shop and peered in the newly polished windows. Suddenly the door opened, and a very posh lady exclaimed “You took your time getting here. I have some people who have been waiting a long time to meet you…”

By Dearbhla Newman