Thursday

The Last Light of Briar Hill

The wind tugged fiercely at Eliza’s cloak as she climbed the narrow path toward Briar Hill. Below her, the village lay quiet — too quiet for a festival night. Lanterns that should have glowed warmly in every window were dark, and even the old clock tower stood still, its hands frozen just before midnight.

Eliza tightened her grip on the brass lantern she carried. Inside it burned the last flame from the Hearthfire — a light passed down through generations to protect the village from the creeping mist that rolled in each winter.

Her grandmother’s words echoed in her mind:
When the clock stops, the light must rise.

At the top of the hill stood the Beacon Stone, cracked and covered in moss. It hadn’t been lit for fifty years. Eliza knelt, brushing away damp leaves and pressing the lantern against the stone’s hollow centre.

For a moment, nothing happened.

The mist below thickened, curling around rooftops like pale fingers. Eliza’s heart hammered. Had she been too late?

Then the stone began to glow.

Soft at first — a faint gold shimmer — before bursting into a steady beam that pierced the fog. The mist shrank back, retreating down the valley as though afraid.

Behind her, the village lights flickered on one by one.

The clock tower chimed.

Eliza let out a shaky breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. Briar Hill was safe — for now.

But as she turned to leave, she noticed something troubling.

The Hearthfire flame was smaller than before.

Retrieval Questions 

1. 1. Where was Eliza climbing at the beginning of the story?

2. 2. What should the village have been doing that night?

3. 3. What object was Eliza carrying?

4. 4. What was the Hearthfire used for?

5. 5. How long had the Beacon Stone not been lit?

6. 6. What happened to the mist when the stone began to glow?

7. 7. What sound showed the village was returning to normal?

Extension Activity – Inference & Deeper Thinking 

Answer in full sentences using evidence from the text.

1. 1. Why do you think the village was “too quiet” at the start of the story?

2. 2. What does the mist seem to represent — just weather, or something more dangerous? Explain.

3. 3. How can you tell Eliza is brave even though she is scared?

4. 4. Why might the author have ended the story by mentioning the flame was smaller?

5. 5. What do you predict could happen next in the story? Why?

Measuring Earthquakes