Grimly, she realized that clocks don't make a sound that even remotely resembles ticking, tocking. It was more the sound of a hammer, upside down, hacking methodically at the earth. It was the sound of a grave.
Markus Zusak (2014). “Markus Zusak: The Book Thief & I Am the Messenger”, p.263, Knopf Books for Young Readers