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All Stories © Sue Coulson 2016 All rights reserved.
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The Alms House
On the very outskirts of the village, set back into the trees at the crossroads stands the Alms House. Somewhat dilapidated now, it was once a fine house which has fallen into neglect. Many a weary traveller had passed within its walls on their way to or from somewhere, and spent a night or two before moving on. However when the last owner died without heirs the house stood empty for some while. Until one day a stranger came; claiming to be the long lost nephew of the owner. He produced some questionable documents which confirmed his story and in the blink of an eye he had taken up residence. Before very long The Alms house had gained a somewhat dubious reputation. It catered for those who would rather not be seen on their travels and came and went in the dark of the night. Strange characters were seen sneaking about on the fringes of the forest at the back of the house. Creeping warily to the back door; carrying with them objects hidden in sacks and boxes, speaking to an unseen presence behind the crack in the door, then crawling back to the dense cover of the forest minus their burdens. On occasion a bona fide traveller would approach and seek a bed for the night they were admitted but either left soon after arriving with a harried look or they did not appear for breakfast and were not seen again.
The original house had consisted of three shrooms, a stately blue stem with red cap; a fine green stem also with a red cap and a purple stem with green cap each sporting spots of blue, green and red respectively. It had been a fine house with many windows, bright and airy with that welcoming air only a well-
When the owner died unexpectedly, the house stood empty and unloved for some months. Not having someone to care for it, it began to wilt; when the new owner arrived the shroom revived somewhat but with the strange comings and goings and the lack of communion from the new owner, the shroom again looked limp and lifeless. Then a further three shrooms started to grow, these were brown stemmed with patches of red mould showing and although they grew as tall as the original stems they were dark and forbidding within. Small secondary growths appeared draining energy from the main stems; windows grew over making the interior dark and un welcoming. A web like net of fibres grew over the whole structure further draining the original structure so that the doors remained closed and the only true entrance was hidden at the back of the house which perfectly suited it latest visitors.
No one from the village visited the Alms House now, where once it was a meeting place for many of the villagers on their way to or from the next town they no longer went near, fearing the owner and his cronies. Even visiting dragons steered clear of this unsavoury residence, choosing instead to circle around to the other end of the village to approach from far downwind of the smell of corruption coming from the spoiled, desecrated shroom.
