The Alchemist's Night

It was quite cold this evening, for a spring day. The horse-drawn carriage was going forward in Salisbury's streets for a few minutes. It finally stopped before an old house. Stanley alighted from the carriage, with two big suitcases, and said goodbye to the cabman. The vehicle went away and Stanley found himself in front of this old house.

"What an inheritance !" he thought while he was looking at the inscription written above the door : The Golden Door. It was his late uncle's former home.

Stanley didn't really know why his uncle Alfred left his property to him after his death ; they only met once during a family reunion. Nevertheless, he didn't care about that : he was happy to quit his little apartment in Southampton and to begin a new life after the failure of his fishing business.

While he was thinking about it, Stanley took the key, opened the door and entered inside. The first thing which stroke him was the darkness : it was darker still than his former home.

- Hello darkness my old friend ! he said entering the front room.

He immediately drew the curtains ; a pale light illuminated the room. He realized a few minutes after that there was electricity. It was rare enough to surprise him.

- I have never thought my old uncle had electricity ... but I can't complain.

After he switched the light on, the atmosphere became more enjoyable.

- Maybe it isn't the best place to live, but it is totally better than my former home.

Then he visited the house. On the left, the living room led to a dining room, which led to a small kitchen. On the right, it led to a corridor which went to two bedrooms and a bathroom. This was the perfect residence for him. He had to find a job now but, this evening, he especially wanted to make the most of his new property. He went back to the living room, lighted the open fire and sat in the armchair in front of the fireplace, before starting to read a gothic short story.

Everything was for the best when something strange happened. The night was falling, there was no wind, and the fire died abruptly. Stanley stood up to light again the fire but it went out straight after. There was something unnatural ; Stanley took a close look at the fireplace. He ended up discovering something queer : the bottom sounded hollow. Furthermore, there was a handle. Intrigued, he pulled it and opened a trapdoor.

He couldn't get over it : there was a secret passage hidden in the fireplace ! He decided to discover where it led. He entered the trapdoor, went down a ladder and found himself in a dark hallway. There was light at the end. His curiosity was stronger than everything : he went forward in the light's direction to arrive in a large room.

It was lit up by electricity, even though there was nobody, as if it was abandoned some hours earlier by a person in a rush. This room wasn't welcoming with its grey walls and its humid air, but it wasn't its goal. There was a strange machine in metal in the center, surrounded by workbenches. In addition to that, flasks, cauldrons, stills everywhere. Some of them were full of colourful liquids yet.

While Stanley was asking himself why there was a secret laboratory in the basement of his uncle's house, he heard a noise, like a draught. He turned over and screamed : there was a ghost just opposite him. Scared, he moved back and leant on a workbench, then he took a knife and trained it on the revenant, to defend himself. The spectre didn't move.

- Don't be afraid, he said.

Stanley didn't react. The ghost continued.

- I am ... I am Alfred Harrington. Your uncle.

Stanley didn't want to believe it. Nevertheless, when he regarded the revenant, he had the impression that he was really his uncle. He lowered his arm et asked him to continue.