The house seemed empty and given that I was locked in this compound, I decided to inspect the house for some clues as to where I could possibly be. The square foyer was spacious and there were stairs to the left and right to where I stood. These stairs formed a neat, railed, connected corridor overlooking the hall. The only source of illumination were lamps placed along the walls at regular intervals which burned dimly and reluctantly. I was obviously not alone: the coat stand by my side was burdened by an assortment of hats and coats and there was a continuous murmur which indicated an association of people somewhere nearby. 

 To the right of the hall there was an ornate ballroom, with a stage for musicians at one end of the room and large french windows on the adjecent wall revealing a poorly maintained, yet well designed garden.

The murmuring came from a large  dining hall with a U-shaped table to the left of the hall. There were about twenty people seated there and they were in high spirits, eating and drinking what seemed like a lavish spread.

They seemed friendly enough and so I decided to find out exactly where I had ended up…

I don’t even remember now who they were, or where I was. I was behind an extraordinarily large wrought-iron gate, with cresent shaped ends on the top edge. The pathway I stood on led to a large abandoned country house. The gardens were unkempt with dying flowers and leafless trees. I was drawn to the house and the large brass knocker on the front door.