She thought to herself as she stood at the gate.
What mysteries does that old house contain?
What thrills, excitement and fear shall I gain?
Shall I step through this night and make my claim?
Her eyes sparkled as her thoughts ran away.

Her childhood filled with tales to keep you away.
Haunted by ghosts and a goblin whom played deadly games!
An asylum for mad folk who had once misbehaved!
The boy who had died a horrible death!
When he hid there after running away.

The gate squeaked loudly trying to complain.
But she ignored its warnings and accidently trod on a snail.
She ran up the path, past the old rose plants.
Whose blood red petals had died for winter to come.
She looked at the door, her questions out laid.

Are you the door that opens to my dreams?
Are you the door that hides in my nightmares?
Are you the door that opens to ghosts?
Are you the door that protects the goblin?
The door did not answer.

Knowing the door could not help,
she sighed and looked elsewhere.
She crept past the windows, daring to look in.
Shadows moved against the walls within.
Her heart leapt in fear and joy wanting in.

She ran round the corner into the veranda.
An old swing chair hung, gently swaying in the wind.
She sat down and pondered the trouble she could get in.
Will she get attacked by bats and eaten by rats?
Would ghosts and the goblin take me away?

She then saw the window that was open.
She ran to the entrance and looked right in.
She then pulled herself up and clambered across.
She ran through a door and entered within.
She ran up the stairs and then she saw him.

He stood there all green and lumpy like.
He stood there with his ears pointed quite high.
He stood there picking his nose with a knife.
He stood there and smiled at his new delight.
“You want to play my game” he asked.

“What game is that” she asked with fright.
“It’s a game of chance” he replied suddenly hiding the knife.
“What can I win” she wanted to know.
“Your heart’s desire and some Crumpets”
“Crumpets?” she replied. “Crumpets” he replied.

“What can you win” she asked
“Your heart” he simply said.
“How do I play?” she replied with some disdain.
“Just take my hand” he easily claimed.
She grabbed his hand and they walked away.

They walked to the secret held in the loft.
They ate banquets in the dining room all covered in dust.
They entered the playroom where ghosts came to play.
Laughed at the rocking horse with only one rock.
The next thing they knew it was the light of the day.

“I must go now” he said, “The light it hurts.”
“Have I won?” she asked with a sadness inside.
“Yes you have” he simply replied.
“But you have lost then” she remarked with a frown.
“Oh but I have also won” he smiled.

She leant over and kissed him as he gazed into her eyes.
She whispered “I love you, you have my heart.”
He held out his hand and opened his fingers.
She took the crumpet with delight.
He smiled and said “And now we leave to live in the night.”