THE LANDLADY by Jay Jay.

Ash and Darren.

Buddy had not been a happy dog since they had moved into the new house. Buddy was a strong, muscular dog, a pig hunter type. Tan brown, short ears, thick strong tail. Slightly flat face, but not extremely so. Usually a confident, don't-mess-with-me type of dog, now acting totally out of character.

Darren frowned. Buddy had gone to work with him, been his usual self, but back here, he trembled, whined, wouldn't go into the rest of the house.

A walk. Time to explore the grounds attached to the house. Do them both good.

Ash decided to come with them. 

Outside, the dog was fine. He ran ahead, sniffing and peeing and chasing rabbits for fun, a typical dog again.

Ash and Darren discussed work, laughing at the foibles of their work-mates and, in their view, incompetant boss. They turned a corner, and there was Buddy, stiff and growling, and a man dressed in a ridiculous grey dressing gown, hugging a large tree as if he was trying to climb it.

"Call off your dog," he pleaded, as the guys regarded him in astonishment.

"Who are you?" Ash asked, as Darren called Buddy over to him.

"Dean, Ornamental Hermit," Dean said, outstretching his hand. "You must be the new tenants at the big house? I met Audrey yesterday."

"Ah, Audrey did say she'd met someone," Darren said, as Ash shook Dean's hand. "So you live near-by?"

"In the house behind the folly. I've been employed by Mrs Jones, to scare her guests. It's a weird job, I know, but it comes with money and lodgings." Dean looked slightly embarrassed. "Seems strange, when I explain it, but it's a fantastic job."

Darren looked at Dean with disdain. What a scruffy character. Darren did not want Dean to be a regular visitor. Dean would give Buddy his fleas.

"How far does this garden go?" Ash asked.

"It seems to go on forever, like it isn't contained, somehow. Does that sound creepy?"

"Yeah, sounds nuts," said Darren. And thought, nuts like you.

"I was exploring one day, and suddenly felt sure if I didn't go back, I'd be lost forever," Dean said. "So I don't go too far now."

Ash and Darren laughed. Dean scowled, then laughed too. "Yeah, stupid," he muttered.

"Well, we'll meet up with you later sometime," Darren said. "Right now, I need to take Buddy here on a long walk, tire him out. If it goes forever, then perfect."

"Yeah, see ya," Ash added.

They left Dean, carried on their way.

When they were out of earshot, Ash said, "He seems nice enough."

"I don't want him anywhere near our place," Darren said. "He looks like a thief."

"How can you judge him like that?'

"He's pathetic. Scruffy, unshaved, dressed in his P.J.s like some over-grown kid..."

"He was wearing a robe of some kind, not a dressing gown."

"You thought it was a dressing gown too, admit it."

"Well, yeah, but..."

The path divided into two, so they followed the dog's choice. The walk continued to divide and divide, paths led into the trees or the fields. They trusted the dog, and he seemed happy enough to trot on ahead. They carried on their discussion. However, Ash thought Darren was unusually critical of everyone.

It was starting to get dark, and still the dog trotted on. "Buddy, back," Darren called. The dog stopped, looked back, but refused to come.

"BUDDY! COME!"

The dog shook his big head, pranced a few steps away from them. He barked.

Darren and Ash went after him. The dog stayed out of reach, and finally Darren had to catch him by the collar and haul him back. "What's got into you?"

He clipped a chain to the dog's collar, and the dog walked back obediantly enough. His tail drooped and slid between his legs. He was not a happy dog.

It seemed a very long walk back to the house. Longer than Ash thought it should be. Maybe they had gone home a different path. The stars were starting to look pretty thick in the sky. It was very dark by the time they saw the house and its lit windows. The light at all the windows was a spooky red colour. The house was black against the starry sky.

"That is freaky," Ash said.

"No, there are just red curtains, the light is shining through red curtains." Darren marched the suddenly growling dog determindly towards the house.

"I don't remember red curtains," Ash protested.

"Come on," Darren said fiercely. "You're as bad as the dog! Shut up that whining!" He hauled Buddy's chain, and the dog came quietly.

When they entered, Buddy suddenly lunged, Darren felt the chain run fast through his hands. Buddy fled to the bedroom, and lay by the bed, quivering and whining.

Darren looked at the dog with disgust.

"I'm getting dinner, you can go without," he said harshly, and slammed the door shut.