Season 2: Episode 3 – “The Hollowborn”
1323 Words
Cold Open
The episode opens with a scene from the past—a flashback to Black Hollow’s founding in the early 1800s. The land is wild, untamed, and dark, as settlers carve out a home amidst the overgrown forests. We see a Thorne ancestor, an eerie figure in tattered clothing, standing before a ritual circle carved into the earth. With a blood-red sky above, the figure raises a knife to the heavens, chanting in an ancient tongue.
The ground trembles as something unseen stirs beneath the soil, its presence marked by a slow, deliberate whisper.
The Hollow is born.
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Act I: The Arrival of Ana
The episode picks up in the present, where Lily, Caleb, and Isa stand at the edge of the graveyard, still reeling from the latest disappearances. The Hollow’s influence is becoming more obvious, manifesting in strange ways. The air feels thick, as though reality itself is beginning to warp under its pressure.
They receive an unexpected visitor: Ana, an 11-year-old girl, who is found wandering the streets barefoot, completely silent. She’s covered in dried blood and wearing a torn dress that seems out of place for the time.
When Isa attempts to question her, the girl only murmurs fragments of cryptic words:
> “The Hollow eats time… It’s swallowing me…”
“You’re too late…”
Despite their best efforts to comfort her, Ana remains distant, her eyes empty and glassy. Lily feels an inexplicable pull toward the girl—a strange kinship. Something about Ana feels like a warning.
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Act II: The Hollowborn
After taking Ana into their care, Lily, Isa, and Caleb begin researching the strange girl’s past. They discover a disturbing pattern: Ana’s family had lived in a town far away, one that had experienced a series of mysterious disappearances decades earlier. The town had been marked by the same symbols Lily found in the cemetery, leading them to one chilling conclusion.
Ana is one of the Hollowborn—a child born into the Hollow’s influence, someone tied to the curse before they even took their first breath. The Hollow has a way of marking its own—taking children and shaping them into conduits for its power. They’re born from the very darkness that flows through the land, and their lives are tied to the Hollow’s existence.
Caleb, who’s spent years tracking the Hollow’s movements, explains the gravity of this discovery:
> “The Hollow doesn’t just consume bodies. It feeds on time, memories… identities. Ana’s not just a victim—she’s a key. A compass to the heart of the Hollow.”
Ana’s presence in Black Hollow confirms a terrifying truth: the Hollow is spreading beyond its original boundaries. And now, it’s using children like Ana to extend its reach even further.
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Act III: A Growing Connection
As Lily gets closer to Ana, she begins to experience strange phenomena. Her thoughts feel clouded, and the line between her memories and the visions she’s experiencing becomes blurred. She dreams of a city filled with endless streets, where the Hollow’s roots stretch through every crack in the walls. The voice in her head grows louder.
> “Let it in.”
Ana’s influence is leaking into Lily’s own thoughts. She can feel the Hollow inside her, urging her to embrace it, to let the darkness consume her. But Lily isn’t ready to let go. She fights against it, desperately trying to maintain control.
Yet, Ana seems to pull her further into the Hollow’s web. The girl’s quiet presence is disturbing—every time Lily looks into her eyes, she feels like something inside her is fading. She watches as Ana scratches at the walls in a frenzy, whispering to unseen forces.
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Act IV: The Toll of the Hollow
As the days pass, the town’s situation grows more dire. The disappearances continue, and now, people are reporting strange phenomena: objects moving on their own, whispers in the wind, and a sense of dread that hangs heavily over the town. The Hollow is eroding the fabric of reality itself.
Isa is the first to notice it: people are acting differently. It’s subtle at first—an offhand comment, a strange gesture—but soon, it’s impossible to ignore. Neighbors are starting to forget things. Faces become unfamiliar, and voices begin to sound wrong.
People are starting to vanish from memory.
Lily realizes that the Hollow isn’t just erasing people physically—it’s consuming their identities, erasing their very existence from the minds of everyone around them. They’re becoming shadows, forgotten by the world.
Caleb explains, “The Hollow doesn’t just claim bodies—it claims who you are. If you’re tied to the Hollow, it will eventually pull you into its endless night, and no one will remember you. Your name will fade. Your face will disappear.”
Lily shudders, understanding the terrible cost. The Hollow is close. Too close.
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Act V: Confronting the Hollowborn
Desperate to save Ana—and herself—Lily decides to take matters into her own hands. She can feel the Hollow pulling at her, ready to claim her as its own, but there’s one thing she knows: Ana is the key.
She takes Ana to the cemetery one night, believing that if she can understand the child’s connection to the Hollow, she might be able to sever it once and for all.
As they stand among the gravestones, the ground begins to tremble again. The symbols etched into the stones glow, pulsing with an unnatural light. Ana starts to chant softly, the words falling from her lips like an ancient lullaby.
Suddenly, the air shifts. The ground cracks open, and from the depths, something rises—a massive root of darkness, spiraling upward like a twisted tree.
It’s the Hollow itself, or perhaps something that represents it. Its tendrils reach out, wrapping around Ana, drawing her closer to its center. The Hollow’s hunger is insatiable, and it is using Ana to gain more power.
Lily rushes forward, determined to stop it. She grabs Ana’s hand, but the moment their skin touches, Lily is struck with a vision of a twisted future—a world consumed by the Hollow, where everything has been erased.
In that moment, Ana’s eyes flash with recognition—she knows what Lily is trying to do. And as the Hollow’s tendrils tighten, Ana embraces it.
> “It’s too late. The Hollow wants me.”
Lily looks into her eyes, and for a moment, she sees something far darker than a mere child—something ancient, something alive.
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Final Scene:
The Hollow erupts in a burst of light, sending Lily flying backward. When she opens her eyes, she’s lying in the cemetery, alone.
Ana is gone.
The Hollowborn child has merged with the Hollow, becoming something more than just a victim—a vessel for its power.
And now, the Hollow has a new champion.
As Lily gets up, she feels it—something is different. She’s not just marked by the Hollow anymore. She feels a strange surge of energy inside her. It’s like the Hollow itself is speaking to her.
> “You’re mine now,” it whispers. “Just like her.”
- Writer
