By: Vivona Xu

Every morning at 6 am, poised figures wearing black and white walk in and out of the house next door. The house was like a grand manor. Marble gargoyles perched on shining pedestals guarded the black pointed gate. The asphalt driveway swerved left and right before stopping in front of the marvelous sandstone manor. I carefully opened my blinds to not be discovered by the quiet and calm people nearby. They carried an assortment of lavish items and placed all of it in a secluded garden engulfed by acres of land.

I ducked out of sight while grabbing the fuzzy, baby blue blanket on my bed and counted in my head: One…Two….Three… Once I knew the fifth servant had hurried along, I leapt to my feet and tossed my blanket on the ridge of the roof before I climbed out the window myself. There, I crawled to my spot behind the chimney, covered myself with my blanket, and watched.

From the roof, I could see the dark green grass that wrapped the garden floors and the rows of white narrow archways with yellow sunflowers intertwined within the net above. I squinted, and I could see the morning dew glinting in the sun as they slid off the colorful silk flowers.

One by one, the people precisely placed the objects to take shape into a small tea set. Two wooden chairs with most of the paint peeled off were placed facing each other. Between them was a small and round dark oak table covered with a white cotton fabric. A singular glass teapot was placed in the center of the table accompanied by two porcelain teacups. Eventually, all the maids and butlers filed inside with their work being complete. Then, near seven, an old woman who always wore the same yellow dress would walk out of the house and sit in the garden, as if waiting for someone that never came.