George found Nick next to the old fountain in the garden after everyone from the wake had drifted away.

‘Remember when we used to splash in the water round this,’ George said. ‘It belongs to you now, along with all this,’ George gestured to the large gardens and the manor house behind them.

Nick patted the odd, square shaped fountain. George leaned on the other side of it. One of the squares he rested on depressed into the side of the concrete. There was a click. The entire fountain and the base they stood on started moving to the side, with a slow grinding noise. A brick stairway leading into the ground was revealed.

George looked at Nick. ‘After you big brother.’

They edged down the uneven stairs. They reached the bottom. A solitary light bulb hung from the ceiling in a small dark room. George found a switch in the wall next to him. The light bulb flickered on.

In the centre of the room was a metal chair, with restraints for wrists, ankles and a head brace. Thick electrical cables led from the chair to a lever on the wall. On a table there was a row of metal instruments – scalpels, pliers, secateurs, and discarded syringes. Everything was covered in a layer of thick dust.

Nick looked at George. ‘Remember Dad said Aunt Phylidia did something important for the government during the war.’

George nodded.

Written as part of Sunday Photo Fiction. Write a story of around 200 words based on the photo prompt given (above). For more details visit HERE.

For more stories based on this prompt, have a look HERE.