At last! It was finished!
Well, not finished, but the first stage was complete! High up in the foliage of the old Hedge tree, there was now a small building. A single room shack, really. Built of scrap wood and painted a light green, with a sloping roof and even a small balcony (complete with a rope handrail), Sonnie Wu's new Hollow was affixed to the side of the tree.
It looked haphazard, like it was designed and built by some kids as their secret clubhouse. The supplies were scavenged from junkyards in the mortal realm, and what she couldn't find were purchased by Sonnie from Home Depot. She was no carpenter, or architect, but she muddled her way through to completion. The result was not elegant, but it was surprisingly sound and sturdy.
She suspected the Wyrd helped a little, correcting design oversights to fulfill her vision of the place. It was a bit like Hedgespinning.
The Beast stood inside, tired but happy. She'd spent nearly two weeks preparing and building this hideaway in the Hedge. Sure, it was but one room, and had no furniture or decorations, but it was hers. And it was just a start.
Safety before comfort. Her animal instincts had insisted upon that. The tiny Hollow was hidden by the thick leaf canopy of the huge tree. From the nearby trod, one would never even notice it. The trees of this copse stood amidst the Brambles, as well. Natural deterrents were always the best kind.
There were no stairs or ladders, either. Thus, it was impossible to even reach from the ground if you weren't a Steepscrambler like Sonnie (or you could fly?). These features, plus the lock on the door, made the treehouse as safe as it could be for now.
With a sigh of relief, the Courser squatted on the floor. The only thing in the room, besides the tools she'd been using, were her Goblin Fruit plants. This was the original point of the Hollow. A safe space to harbor her fruit garden. Each plant had it's own ceramic pot and were all positioned by the window for maximum sunlight exposure (except for the ones that preferred the shade). A case of bottled water sat nearby for the hedge flora that required it. The ertwens were still ripe, but she knew the blushberries would be coming into season in a matter of weeks. They always did in spring.
There was more to be done. She wanted more rooms, and she definitely wanted some creature comforts. A couch, a bed, a store of food. Maybe a TV, if she could figure out how to manage that. All in good time.
For now, the monkey had her awesome little treehouse, and she was happy.