Tosia finds an old cuckoo clock in the attic and is swept, with Pod, into a strange forest where the trees shimmer and something mysterious waits between them.
Tosia lived in a small house on the edge of town, with a creaky attic above her room and a dog named Pod who followed her everywhere.
When her mum asked her to tidy the attic, Tosia was glad of the adventure. She climbed the narrow stairs, sneezing at the dust, and poked into every corner until she found an old wooden cuckoo clock hidden behind a stack of boxes. It had carved leaves around the edges and strange marks on its face, as if someone had pressed tiny stamps into the wood. Pod let out one sharp bark and wagged his tail so hard his whole body shook.
Tosia reached for the brass key. It fitted perfectly. She gave it a careful turn.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The clock grew louder and louder. Then the little cuckoo burst out of the door, flapped its tiny wings, and circled Tosia's head instead of staying on its perch. The attic spun. The floor vanished. Tosia grabbed for Pod just as the world tipped and whirled around them like a storm.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing in soft grass under a sky the colour of pale gold. Warm air touched her cheeks. Pod was beside her, staring with his ears pricked high.
They were no longer in the attic.
Tall trees rose all around them, their leaves shining red, blue, and green as if they had been painted by hand. Birds called from the branches, but their songs sounded strange and new. The air smelled of honey and wet earth. Far ahead, between the trunks, something silver flashed once, then vanished.
Pod gave a low, puzzled whine.
Tosia looked where the flash had been. The cuckoo was gone, and in its place, between two bright trees, stood a small figure watching them from the shadows.