Emily Grace is nine years old and lives at number nine Coalpit Close on the edge of a large, old industrial town. Tall brick chimneys are still dotted across the town, from the old days when textiles were dyed and Emily discovers that the one casting its shadow over her house is a portal to exploring time past and future. With the help of the Ticking Box, she goes back to the beginnings and meets Adam and Eve and is gripped by the news that their garden is dying. Emily then travels onwards to see how the story will unfold...