By Andrew Hillier (Key – Magic – Stone)
The door at number 23 was always closed, no-one knew why and to tell the truth no-one really cared, to most people number 23 didn’t exist. It was a big white building with a small garden that was surprisingly well cared for despite the fact that nobody seemed to live there and there was never anyone seen in the garden, but the grass was short, the flowers well cared for and the hedge always neatly trimmed. In the centre of the garden there was a small fish pond that was surrounded by smooth white stones. The pond was a perfect circle and the rocks were set in perfect symmetry. In the pond there were three fish which wasn’t unusual for a fish pond however they all swam in a procession round the edge of the pond which you must admit is a little unusual. The house its self looked just like any other except in the respect that it too was in perfect symmetry, the windows were perfectly an equally spaced, the front door and back door were directly opposite each other. Nobody noticed these things yet everybody noticed these things. Nobody looked at number 23 for too long it was strangely disconcerting, if you did look at it you felt uncomfortable but you didn’t know why yet if you tried to avoid looking at it then some strange force seemed to force you to at least take a peak.
Greg was a curious type of chap, and one day while walking past number 23 he stopped and looked and although he felt nauseas he continued to stare and as he stared he wondered what it was like inside. He then thought he saw a twitch at the curtains, but that was impossible everyone knew the house was deserted, “mind you” thought Greg “at one time everyone knew the world was flat” Greg put his hand on the gate and was about to push it when he held back. What was that he heard? He looked around but no one was there, he put his hand on the gate once more “Welcome housekeeper” Greg spun round but still no-one was there. Greg took a deep breath and opened the gate and then just stood there not wanting to take that step into the garden. Fear stole over him and he didn’t know why but he couldn’t leave, at the same time his body seemed reluctant to take instruction to move forward so he just stood there, rooted to the spot not knowing what to do. The sun was shining down and Greg was sweating and not just from the heat of the day. Greg made a decision and stepped inside and gently closed the gate. Greg walked towards the pond, he was so hot and needed to cool down and the only way he could see to achieve this was to cool of in the fish pond. Greg approached the pond and looked in and saw his reflection in the clear still water. It was like looking in a mirror every pore was reflected, every bead of sweat could be seen. Greg didn’t even notice the fish never mind the fishes strange behavior. He dipped his head straight into the pond and the cool water cleared his head, he was getting out of here and hoped that no-one was walking past and witnessing his strange behavior. He raised his head and ran his hands down his face to get rid of the excess water. As he opened his eyes he realized he was no longer outside. He looked around and saw the front door, he also saw that front door had no handle and the windows were one sheet of what looked like very thick glass that he couldn’t hope to break. Greg then noticed he was still sitting by the pond, the perfectly round, perfectly symmetrical pond with the perfect smooth white stones. This was not possible after all who would have a fish pond inside a house. “Welcome housekeeper” Greg looked around, there was no-one there, Greg bolted to the door but he couldn’t open it, he went to the window but there was no escape there, Greg looked out of the window in despair and noticed that the pond was gone. Greg went cold as he realized that he wasn’t getting out of here, or if he was then the pond was the key. Greg went back to the pond and looked, the water still showed him a perfect reflection, better than any mirror and then he noticed the fish and how they swam. “This is not normal” he said to himself. “HELLO” he called but there was no answer. Greg plunged his head back into the water then again he raised his head and ran his wands down his face to get rid of the excess water but he already knew what he would see when he opened his eyes as there was no birdsong, no wind and no feeling of hot sunshine yet still he hoped, he opened his eyes and saw the inside of a house, a door with no handle, a window, to thick to break or let any noise out. “Welcome housekeeper” said the voice again. Greg shook his head, this could not be happening, things like this didn’t happen outside films, there were no monsters, no magic, and no haunted houses, so why was he in one? Greg walked towards the staircase, he would check the rooms, he would find someone in this house and ask for help, ask to go home, even beg if it came to it. “HELLO” he called again. “Welcome housekeeper”. “Why do you keep calling me that, what does it mean? What do you want?” “You are the housekeeper, its secrets and its possessions, you are the housekeeper”. Greg continued slowly up the stairs “What does that mean”. “You are the housekeeper” the voice insisted. “What do you want me to do? How can I get home?” Greg was nearly at the top of the stairs. “You are the housekeeper this is your home”. “NO” Greg shouted and turned and ran down the stairs, he ran to towards the front door not daring to look behind him. He ran but he tripped on one of the perfectly smooth white stones and fell into the fish pond, He tried to get out but he couldn’t, the water was suddenly deeper, the dim light of the hallway suddenly so far away, his arms no longer wanted to work yet he could still breathe and he heard the words “goodbye housekeeper”
Outside Jason was walking past number 23 and he stopped and looked, he didn’t want to but he felt he had to. Without thinking he put his hand on the gate and pushed, he walked up to the pond and only saw a way to cool off, he didn’t even notice the four fish swimming in a procession round the edge of the pond. Jason dunked his head.
The door at number 23 was always closed, no-one knew why and to tell the truth no-one really cared, to most people number 23 didn’t exist. It was a big white building with a small garden that was surprisingly well cared for despite the fact that nobody seemed to live there and there was never anyone seen in the garden, but the grass was short, the flowers well cared for and the hedge always neatly trimmed. In the centre of the garden there was a small fish pond that was surrounded by smooth white stones. The pond was a perfect circle and the rocks were set in perfect symmetry. In the pond there were three fish which wasn’t unusual for a fish pond however they all swam in a procession round the edge of the pond which you must admit is a little unusual. The house its self looked just like any other except in the respect that it too was in perfect symmetry, the windows were perfectly an equally spaced, the front door and back door were directly opposite each other. Nobody noticed these things yet everybody noticed these things. Nobody looked at number 23 for too long it was strangely disconcerting, if you did look at it you felt uncomfortable but you didn’t know why yet if you tried to avoid looking at it then some strange force seemed to force you to at least take a peak.
Greg was a curious type of chap, and one day while walking past number 23 he stopped and looked and although he felt nauseas he continued to stare and as he stared he wondered what it was like inside. He then thought he saw a twitch at the curtains, but that was impossible everyone knew the house was deserted, “mind you” thought Greg “at one time everyone knew the world was flat” Greg put his hand on the gate and was about to push it when he held back. What was that he heard? He looked around but no one was there, he put his hand on the gate once more “Welcome housekeeper” Greg spun round but still no-one was there. Greg took a deep breath and opened the gate and then just stood there not wanting to take that step into the garden. Fear stole over him and he didn’t know why but he couldn’t leave, at the same time his body seemed reluctant to take instruction to move forward so he just stood there, rooted to the spot not knowing what to do. The sun was shining down and Greg was sweating and not just from the heat of the day. Greg made a decision and stepped inside and gently closed the gate. Greg walked towards the pond, he was so hot and needed to cool down and the only way he could see to achieve this was to cool of in the fish pond. Greg approached the pond and looked in and saw his reflection in the clear still water. It was like looking in a mirror every pore was reflected, every bead of sweat could be seen. Greg didn’t even notice the fish never mind the fishes strange behavior. He dipped his head straight into the pond and the cool water cleared his head, he was getting out of here and hoped that no-one was walking past and witnessing his strange behavior. He raised his head and ran his hands down his face to get rid of the excess water. As he opened his eyes he realized he was no longer outside. He looked around and saw the front door, he also saw that front door had no handle and the windows were one sheet of what looked like very thick glass that he couldn’t hope to break. Greg then noticed he was still sitting by the pond, the perfectly round, perfectly symmetrical pond with the perfect smooth white stones. This was not possible after all who would have a fish pond inside a house. “Welcome housekeeper” Greg looked around, there was no-one there, Greg bolted to the door but he couldn’t open it, he went to the window but there was no escape there, Greg looked out of the window in despair and noticed that the pond was gone. Greg went cold as he realized that he wasn’t getting out of here, or if he was then the pond was the key. Greg went back to the pond and looked, the water still showed him a perfect reflection, better than any mirror and then he noticed the fish and how they swam. “This is not normal” he said to himself. “HELLO” he called but there was no answer. Greg plunged his head back into the water then again he raised his head and ran his wands down his face to get rid of the excess water but he already knew what he would see when he opened his eyes as there was no birdsong, no wind and no feeling of hot sunshine yet still he hoped, he opened his eyes and saw the inside of a house, a door with no handle, a window, to thick to break or let any noise out. “Welcome housekeeper” said the voice again. Greg shook his head, this could not be happening, things like this didn’t happen outside films, there were no monsters, no magic, and no haunted houses, so why was he in one? Greg walked towards the staircase, he would check the rooms, he would find someone in this house and ask for help, ask to go home, even beg if it came to it. “HELLO” he called again. “Welcome housekeeper”. “Why do you keep calling me that, what does it mean? What do you want?” “You are the housekeeper, its secrets and its possessions, you are the housekeeper”. Greg continued slowly up the stairs “What does that mean”. “You are the housekeeper” the voice insisted. “What do you want me to do? How can I get home?” Greg was nearly at the top of the stairs. “You are the housekeeper this is your home”. “NO” Greg shouted and turned and ran down the stairs, he ran to towards the front door not daring to look behind him. He ran but he tripped on one of the perfectly smooth white stones and fell into the fish pond, He tried to get out but he couldn’t, the water was suddenly deeper, the dim light of the hallway suddenly so far away, his arms no longer wanted to work yet he could still breathe and he heard the words “goodbye housekeeper”
Outside Jason was walking past number 23 and he stopped and looked, he didn’t want to but he felt he had to. Without thinking he put his hand on the gate and pushed, he walked up to the pond and only saw a way to cool off, he didn’t even notice the four fish swimming in a procession round the edge of the pond. Jason dunked his head.