Just beyond the front door is an almost circular antechamber with five doors leading off in different directions. The front door is so unused that many consider it as but a wall. The other five doors see far more activity, as the inhabitants of the Manse move from one wing to another. The antechamber has an elaborate Persian carpet, circular and almost covering the width of the circular floor, save at the edges where the floorboards may be seen.
The door that leads to the north is painted an azure blue and there are delicate designs of pearl white bordering the edges of the door. Seashells, seaweed, and seahorses are all depicted in the designs. You wonder where the door might lead.
The door that leads to the south is painted in a shade of green several hues more intense than sage. It is a door with herbs rustling over the door-frame. Slightly ajar, the bronze-knockered door opens onto a carpet of soft ferns and herbs. Beyond the crack between door and frame, the tall trees of a dreaming forest beckons at you.
The door that leads to the west is a faded brown someone forgot to paint. It is chipped and a key that seems partially lodged within a keyhole, partially held by some mysterious force against the threat of falling.
The eastern door is a pristine white. It has a beautiful stained glass feature upon which a white peacock is holding a crystal scepter.
The south-eastern door is a moon-door, shaped in a circle, painted a shade of silver so intense it is very nearly a shimmery black. There are no knobs, and no keyholes. It almost begs at you to knock, to see if the resulting sound is hollow,or if it is not.
The north-western door is as plain as the others are ornate. It is painted a serviceable tan, and has no defining feature apart from a silver door-knob.
A Mishgalen in a top hat is here, using a clockwork carpet cleaner that hums with a tetchy whirr. Behind him, a swan maiden perches on a large stone vase, tying on her ballet shoes.
(C) Anita Harris Satkunananthan. All texts are the copyright of (C) Anita Harris Satkunananthan. All Rights Reserved.
The Featured Photo is by Bernard Gagnon and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. Found on Wikimedia Commons.
