THE LANDLADY by Jay Jay.

QUIET BEFORE THE STORM.

It had been about eight weeks since the first people had moved into the big house. The flat was chugging along well. No dramas so far. Ash had invited Dean around for a beer one night, since then Dean was a regular visitor and the others found he was quite likeable. Cindy from the agency was another regular visitor, at first it made everyone uneasy. Who wants a property manager hanging out at your flat, even if she wasn't in charge? But her and Len kept largely to themselves, and everyone relaxed.

The weather had been fine, though cold at night, perfect for this time of year. Winter was hanging in the wings, ready to come down hard, but so far not a drop of rain. It was great for exploring the gardens, walking the dogs was something Darren, Ash and Sissy did every night after the guys were home from work, and sometimes others joined in. The mysterious garden seemed to go on forever, no-one had yet found a boundary marking the end. All paths would eventually twist their way back to the big house. Just like Alice found when she went through the looking glass, Audrey said. At least no-one ever got lost, Raewyn said, and they laughed, uneasily. Better not to think about it too much.

Len and Cindy's love affair continued, intense, passionate, physical, as evidenced by the noises coming from the front room. Honestly, these old houses were so poorly insulated. At least the living room was at the other end of the house. Neither Len or Cindy were ready to see each other's faults, at the moment love was pure, good, fun. At work, Louise prayed that Cindy's love would last forever. Cindy was so easy to work with now.

Sissy and Megan settled in well. Megan was barely home anyway, distracted by her latest love interest. A man called Mark, a shifty looking guy who seemed reluctant to socialise with the people in the flat. He would appear in an old car, and Megan would fly out the door, leaving her yapping dog behind for Sissy to look after.

The dogs were untrained, undisciplined, full of bad habits. Darren sighed, set to working with the dogs in his spare time, training them gradually to behave. Buddy helped with the odd threatening snarl. He tolerated them. Frankly, he found some of the cats better company.

Mrs Jones had been bringing her guests to the garden almost every day, and a peculiar bunch of people they were. But Dean was used to them now, Dean was enjoying his work. He was getting creative, he would dance, put on small comedy skits, a little play or song. He persuaded some of the others to join in. Mrs Jones was delighted. She loved the little spoofs of Romeo and Juliet, or some T.V. shows, or the barber-shop quartet with Dean, Sissy, Audrey and Raewyn. Even if some of the notes were a bit off. 

Her guests were equally charmed.

"You see why I am delaying matters," she said to them after one particularly inspired performance.

"Yes," the tall man by her side agreed. "Most entertaining."

"But I am sooo HUNGRY," the short fat woman complained.

"Yeah, when are we going to get our meal?" whined her equally fat husband. "I'm wasting away here, see how loose my belt is!"

Mrs Jones, however, was reluctant to proceed. The trouble was, these young people were so NICE! She was growing quite fond of some of them. Was she getting soft in her old age? She was pushing 500 years old, she might be getting sentimental. She agonised about it all, decided it was time to push her subjects into some bad behaviour.

Zane was the first target.

Zane was staying home more and more. His grades had been falling, but he hadn't told Raewyn. She thought everything was fine. He was becoming withdrawn. She thought that he was working on a tough assignment, and he did not put her right.

Sissy seemed to be home every day, despite telling everyone that she had a job at the local supermarket. She started to spend more and more time in Zane's company.

One day they went for a walk through the garden. And found a path they hadn't seen before.

The path led through a small forest. It came to a hedge. Sissy and Zane followed the hedge and found it was enclosing a large square. At the opposite end of the square, there was a heavy wooden door. 

Despite them both pushing and pulling, the door was firmly locked.

"Maybe there is a key," Zane suggested. 

They started looking.

"Found it!" Sissy said, holding a rusty key aloft. Zane took it from her, tried the lock.

The door creaked open.

"Shall we?" he said.

Sissy's eyes were wide. "Do you think we should?" she asked. "It might be off-limits."

"I think that key was far too easy to find," Zane said. "Lets go in. Ladies first."

Sissy giggled, entered the enclosed square.

A secret garden, with benches and a fountain and wild flowers, just for them. It looked slightly neglected, which meant no-one came here too often.

There was a heady perfume in the air. Zane assumed it was coming from the flowers. There was a datura bush with apricot trumpet flowers by the gate. There were herbs and wild flowers growing around the space instead of a lawn. There were statues and benches and a narrow channel of marble to take the water away.

"It is perfect!" Sissy ran to the fountain, brushed her hand through the clear water. "Oh, that is cold!"

"It looks like a fresh spring must be here, and they've taken advantage of it," Zane said, wondering how the fountain worked. 

Look at these statues!" Sissy giggled. There were figures in marble, beside the hedge. Men and women, very naked and very well endowed.

"Doesn't leave much to the imagination," Zane said.

"Oh, didums, are we feeling a bit inadequate?" Sissy asked.

"Well, I mean, look at him!" Zane said, feeling annoyed suddenly.

"Ah," Sissy teased. She reached down, taking Zane be surprise. "Lets have a look."

"Sissy!" he pleaded. "What would Raewyn think!"

"Raewyn won't find out," she said confidently. "She's hardly ever home. No-one knows we are here. I'm going to lock the gate, from the inside. Zane, lets have some fun!"

Zane felt incredibly guilty, but by now Sissy was all over him, making her intentions very clear.

It just seemed too perfect.

Zane decided to taste forbidden fruit. Sissy willingly let him.

And outside, somewhere secret, Mrs Jones and a few of her cronies were perving the young lovers. Indeed, it was disturbing how the tall man was slavering at the mouth, how some of the others were breathing so deeply.

Mrs Jones had a secret building, somewhere hidden away in the depths of the garden. The rooms had huge screens. The screens showed all the rooms in the big house. There were some showing Dean's house and folly. There were some showing the garden. Mrs Jones could watch anywhere, anytime.

Her friends all had access to the building, anytime they wished.

So far this lot had been pretty nice and boring. Oh, for the hedonistic times in the past. This generation just played games on their devices instead of exploring sexual freedom. Time to put some temptations around, get some emotion going. Mrs Jones and her friends loved emotion. Maybe because some of them were a little short of emotion themselves.

Why analyse it?

Look at those two, enjoying their forbidden day out. Ah, he was ready to go a second time! Go, boy, go!!!!!

Beside her, the short man groaned with pleasure.  

Wasn't young love entertaining to watch?

Deceit, betrayal, drama. 

This was going to be fun.