The Midnight Bell at Black Hollow School
by Namu Marupudi
Book One of The Black Hollow Chronicles At 12:07 on an ordinary Tuesday, a bell that has been silent for fifty years rings out over Black Hollow School.
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About this story
Alex is finishing his math problems when a deep bell rings out — DONG! The clock reads 12:07, and every student stops and stares at the old brick tower above Black Hollow School, because as Mrs. Henderson says, that bell hasn't rung in fifty years. Alex and his friends Jamie (with her homemade copper-geared watch) and Sam (with her ever-ready sketchbook) make a pact to investigate after school. At 4:30, when the halls are empty and the shadows seem to move on their own, they sneak through the back door, climb to the attic, and find a hidden door behind old boxes — and under a loose floorboard, a shimmering brass key carved with strange symbols. It fits the tower's ancient lock perfectly, and as it turns, a soft whisper comes from everywhere: 'Find us... help us...' Then the steep tower stairs spiral up past ancient stone walls pulsing with soft blue light. Adventure number one of the Black Hollow mysteries begins.
- Investigate — to search carefully for answers
- Mystery — something strange that needs explaining
- Shimmer — to shine with a soft, wavering light
- Symbol — a mark that carries a meaning
- Ancient — very, very old
- Pact — a promise between friends
- Tingle — a prickly excited feeling, like adventure starting
- Whisper — a voice almost too soft to hear
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