The Day the Hollow Went Quiet

This is an excerpt from Book One, chapter one, set in Still Leaf Hollow.

That morning just didn’t feel like every other one.

No birds squabbling over seeds.

No cheerful bells ringing from the edge of the Hollow.

And definitely no Juniper doing something they really shouldn’t be doing before breakfast.

Bramble Rootbeard picked up on it right away.

He paused mid-boot-tying, one foot dangling in the air, listening. Or really, noticing how there was nothing to listen to.

Still Leaf  Hollow was… quiet.

Not the soft, sleepy kind of quiet. Not the early morning hush.

This was a quiet that felt like it was holding its breath, waiting.

Bramble gently set his foot down, standing there still for a moment. His beard, usually rustling with every little movement, seemed to have decided to take the day off. Even the tiny leaf stuck near his chin didn’t budge.

“Well,” he finally muttered, mostly to himself, “that’s new.”

Stepping outside, he looked around the Hollow. The mushroom houses were right where they always were. Lanterns still flickered faintly from the night before. A thin layer of frost clung to everything like it hadn’t quite realized the day had begun.

Normally, there’d be someone humming, or maybe a couple of folks bickering, or someone laughing too loud at a joke that wasn’t really funny yet.

But there was nothing.

Bramble moved a bit further down the path, the crunch of his boots sounding way louder than it should have. It felt like the Hollow was hanging on to every single sound.

That made him frown, just a bit.

He walked past Pippa’s garden. The plants stood there, all dusted with frost, looking patient. Pippa was there too, hands resting on her basket, eyes shut. She didn’t seem surprised. More like… deep in thought.

“You catching this?” Bramble asked.

Pippa cracked one eye open. “Depends,” she replied. “Are you talking about the quiet or the vibe?”

Bramble thought about it for a second. “Both,” he finally said.

She nodded. “Good. I wasn’t sure if it was just me.”

What happens next? To find out, download the PDF now.