Home Sweet Gnome

She didn’t look like she had ever been to a construction site before. She barely looked capable of pushing a wheelbarrow on her own.

“And you said the boss hired you? To do what exactly?” He asked.

The scrawny young woman was clearly able to sense his skepticism, but she didn’t let it deter her.

“I’m a consultant. Your supervisor was a little vague on the details, but she made it clear she needed someone with my background to assist with this issue.” She explained. Her eyes narrowed. She could tell he wasn’t buying it, but she did her best to hide her nerves behind a veneer of professionalism. Unfortunately, the cheaply printed business card she had given him wasn’t helping her case.

Hazel LeFay, Witch for Hire

“And what background is that exactly?” He asked.

She was about to respond, but was interrupted by one of his colleagues emerging from behind the barriers sat up to keep people out of the construction area.

“Is that the consultant?” The young man spoke in a hurried voice. “The forewoman needs her right away. Come with me.”

Hazel followed the young man past the barriers and into the construction site.

“Keep the business card, you might need it someday.” She said with a wink as she disappeared inside.

***

“So, you’re the witch?” The forewoman asked as soon as Hazel stepped into the trailer. She was a well-built, middle-aged woman with rich brown skin and coiled hair jutting out from under a white hard hat. She greeted the young witch with a mischievous smile as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her office chair. “My name is Michelle, I’m in charge of this site.“

“Nice to meet you, Michelle, I’m Hazel. I take it this is the first time you’re working with a witch?”

“It was my wife’s idea.” Michelle clarified. “Normally, I don’t believe in any of this superstitious hoodoo, but I have to admit, I can’t think of any logical explanation for what we’ve been seeing since arriving at this job.”

Michelle’s email had been vague on details, Hazel still didn’t know what was actually going on.

“What have you been seeing? The more I know the better I’ll be to help.”

“Why don’t I just show you? You’ve arrived just in time for the demolition.”

Hazel was supplied with a hard hat, earmuffs, and a pair of goggles, as well as a reflective vest three sizes too large for her. While the new getup technically matched the rest of the crew, she felt ridiculously out of place as Michelle led her to the demolition area behind a concrete barrier with a large plexiglass window.

They lined up with several other construction workers behind the barrier. Through the window, an old, three-story, clapboard house was visible in the distance. Hazel wasn’t overly familiar with architecture, but she estimated it could easily be over a hundred years old. It was a miracle it was still standing to this day.

She noticed an old man with a white beard and half rim glasses standing next to the construction crew. He was wearing a hard hat and earmuffs, but no vest, and he appeared far too old to be working in a place like this. He seemed almost as out of place as she did.

“Who’s that?” Hazel gestured towards the old man.

“That’s the former owner of the house.” Michelle explained. “Gunnar something. Normally, he shouldn’t be here, but we haven’t been able to get rid of him. We decided it was safer to keep him close than let him wander around unsupervised.”

“Ever seen an implosion before?” Asked a mustached demolition expert as he positioned himself between Hazel and Michelle.

“I can’t say that I have.” Hazel replied, her curiosity piqued.

“Don’t get too excited.” Michelle said, drily. “Ready to implode?”

The demolition expert pushed a button, and a loud boom filled the air. Milliseconds later the area was covered in dust. Hazel stepped back as the massive cloud collided with the plexiglass window in front of her.

As the dust settled, she expected the house to be reduced to rubble, but instead it stood perfectly intact, just as it had before. The surrounding area was covered in dirt and residue, but the house itself remained entirely clean, not a single speck of dust settling on the building exterior.

Hazel was no stranger to unusual phenomena, but even she had never seen anything like this before.

"This is our third attempt." Michelle explained. “We’ve been at this for weeks. We tried bulldozers, excavators, wrecking balls, even chainsaws. Whatever we try, we can’t seem to leave a single scratch on this house. Normally we would have cleared the area long ago and be halfway through with the new construction project, but we haven’t been able to make any progress.”

The old man quietly chuckled to himself before wandering off.

Hazel narrowed her eyes. She didn’t know what could possibly be behind this, but there must have been some kind of magic at work. Had to be.

“You were right to call me. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I think I can figure it out. Any chance I can get a closer look at the building?”

“Normally I would say it’s too dangerous to get any closer than this, but the house is completely intact, so it should be safe. What do you think, Ken?”

The demolition expert simply shrugged as he lit a cigarette.

“Good enough for me. Get in my truck.”

***

The interior of the house was perfectly intact after the attempted implosion, just as the exterior had been. A fact which didn’t surprise Hazel. What did surprise her was how the house was fully furnished. Various pieces of furniture and decorative items filled the space, some of which were brand new, but most dating back decades. Dusty curtains stretching ceiling to floor hang near the large Palladian windows. The room was decorated with pots of fresh flowers and family photos going back generations, some black and white, others brand new. It was clear this house had been inhabited for generations and had only recently been abandoned.

“It’s still fully furnished. Shouldn’t all this have been cleared out before the demolition?” Hazel asked.

“Normally, yes,” Michelle shrugged, “but the former owner refused to remove any of his belongings. There was nothing of value, and we were going to bulldoze the whole thing anyway, so we decided to leave everything as it was.”

“The owner?” Hazel wondered out loud. “That old man who was watching the implosion? Gunnar?”

Michelle nodded.

Something definitely seemed strange about the old man. He likely had something to do with whatever was going on here.

“Would you mind if I explore the place on my own for a few minutes?” Hazel asked.

“Knock yourself out. You’re on my payroll, so I’m almost 70 percent sure you’re covered by our insurance.” Said Michelle. “Just run if the place starts creaking.”

Hazel gave the forewoman a smile as she knocked on her helmet. Moments later she was left to explore the place undisturbed.

“What do you think? Could the old man be a witch?”

A ghostly figure materialized next to Hazel. It was her mentor and granny, a powerful witch in life, and a helpful companion and mentor in death. Transparent and devoid of color, the ghostly old woman floated through the air with a big supportive smile.

“He could be, but I’ve never heard of a spell able to keep an entire house from collapsing. I suspect there’s something else going on. I’ll have a look around if you don’t mind.”

Hazel nodded as Granny floated through the nearest wall, allowing the two witches to explore on their own.

Hazel fished her foundation out from her purse and drew a third-eye sigil on her forehead while mumbling an arcane chant. A simple spell that allowed her to see through basic illusions and detect magical energies. To her disappointment, it didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary at first glance.

The house appeared to have furniture and decorations from the past several decades. An old piano that could have easily been there since before the World Wars, unlikely to still function. A colorful rug looked like it could have been from the 1970s, and a microwave oven that appeared to be a very recent model. Though devoid of taste, it no doubt felt like a home.

She stopped by a series of family photos. She recognized Gunnar in several of them. A newer photo depicted him with a happy extended family of nieces, nephews, and their children. Some of the much older photos showed him as a young man. In one picture, he was happily posing with a beautiful young woman in what appeared to be a wedding photo. Some even appeared to show him as a young boy with his parents and siblings. He must have lived here his entire life; no wonder he had a hard time letting go of the place.

On the other hand, there were so many memories in this house, it seemed odd that he didn’t want to save these items before the building was demolished. Unless of course he somehow knew the demolition would fail.

“Hazelnut, I think I found something!” Granny shouted from one of the other rooms.

Hazel found Granny floating near a window, pointing to an empty porcelain bowl resting on the windowsill.

A quick sniff revealed the subtly sour scent of old dairy.

“Cream.” Hazel said. “Someone’s been trying to appease a local fae being.” She wasn’t surprised.

“You think you can bind it?” Granny asked, Hazel responded with a confident nod. This was one of her specialties.

She produced a piece of chalk from her purse and began drawing a binding circle with various arcane sigils on the floor. As the place was about to be torn down, she figured she wouldn’t have to worry about making a mess. Only the most powerful fae beings would be able to leave the circle, should they step inside.

She wrapped up by placing the bowl in the middle of the circle. Fresh cream would no doubt be a more effective lure, but she had to work with what she had on hand.

They didn’t have to wait for more than a couple of minutes in the next room before they heard the bowl scraping against the floor.

Sure enough, a small creature was bound within the circle, unable to cross its boundaries. A knee-high humanoid being with large, pointed, ears, comically exaggerated facial features, and a long, white, beard that reached the floor. He was wearing only brown and gray clothing, with the exception of a large, red, pointy hat, as tall as the length of the creature’s entire body.

Hazel had encountered a fair number of so-called small folk throughout her career as a witch, but she couldn’t recognize the creature at first glance.

“Looks like a… gnome?” She said, glancing at Granny for guidance.

“I’m not a gnome!” The creature yelled before she could respond. “Wait… you can see me?” He was almost as surprised as he was annoyed.

“I see you’re not accustomed to witchcraft.” Hazel said. “We humans may not be as magically inclined as you denizens of Faerie, but some of us have learned a few tricks of our own.”

“I’ve seen what you humans are capable of.” He scowled. “Explosions, big scary machines, but none of it stands up against the magic I draw from this place. This is my home, and you’re not getting rid of me!”

“Your home? Not the old man who lives here?” Hazel asked.

“I’ve allowed his family to live here for a few generations, sure. They’ve been good to me, and I would prefer it if he stayed, but I have bound my essence to this house, so I’m its true owner. No one can take it from me! Especially not you two!”

“Two?” Granny looked shocked. “You can see me?”

“Of course I can! This place is mine, I can sense anyone who tries to enter my domain, living or dead.”

Hazel sighed. This wasn’t going anywhere. The creature was stubborn, but so were most of the other magical beings she had to deal with on a daily basis.

“Look, I understand this place is important to you, but by human law, it belongs to someone else now. The demolition team is not going to stop coming, so you’re gonna have to find another place to live before you, or someone else gets hurt.” She spoke as patiently as she could. “If you don’t have another place to go, I’m happy to help you find…”

Before she could finish her sentence, something grabbed her from behind. Soft, but sturdy, like a tentacle of silk.

It was one of the large antique curtains. It wrapped itself around her body like it had a mind of its own. Her arms and legs were restrained, as she was raised from the floor, and hoisted to the top of the window, just beneath the ceiling.

As she hung helplessly above, she could see the small creature only because he allowed it.

“Let her go!” Granny shouted. Unable to interact with the material world around her, all she could do was plead.

Still trapped within the circle, the creature extended his stubby little arms towards the wooden floor. The floorboards rearranged themselves, disrupting her binding circle, allowing him to freely exit its boundaries.

“You don’t seem to understand.” He sneered. “This place belongs to me, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it. I’ll allow that old human to stay here with me, as I like his company, but your explosions, your machines, and your pathetic human magic have no power here.”

“Wait, I’m sure we can…” Hazel was unable to finish her sentence before another layer of fabric wrapped around her mouth and eyes. She felt the curtains moving, before making contact with a fragile surface which shattered on collision. The soft fabric shielded her from the brunt of the impact as she was flung through the window and tumbled onto the ground outside the house.

She felt the constraints of the curtain lose their grip on her, but she was still impotently wrapped in solid fabrics. She struggled to free herself for several seconds, before being met by the glare of the sun, as she once again found herself on the ground of the construction yard.

Still blinded by the sudden burst of sunlight, she could hear a loud chuckle from an approaching figure.

The figure stretched out a hand and helped her to her feet.

“I see you’ve met Lech.” He said. It was Gunnar, the former owner of the house.

“Is that what it’s called?” She said as she dusted herself off. “You used to live with that thing?”

She glanced back at the house. The window she burst through seconds ago seemed to have already repaired itself. Granny was floating towards her with a concerned look on her face.

The old man gave her a warm smile.

“For as long as I have been alive. That’s a lot longer than I would like to admit.” He explained. “Although I never actually got to see what he looks like. Come with me, I would like to hear what you saw. I’ll buy you a slice of pie.”

Hazel returned the man’s smile and accepted his invitation. He seemed like a kind soul, and this may be a great opportunity for her to learn more.

***

The café felt like the kind of place that had been around for ages. Perhaps not as long as Gunnar’s house, but quite possibly longer than Hazel had been alive. Illuminated almost entirely by the light from the antique windows, the place smelt of aged wood and coffee grounds. She was by far the youngest customer. Not that there were many people here besides herself and Gunnar.

“This pie is incredible.” She exclaimed. “Dare I say, magical?”

Gunnar released a genuine chuckle that seemed to warm up the entire room.

“I said the same thing the first time I came here with my mom over half a century ago. I’m happy to be spreading the word.”

“So, you’ve really lived there your whole life?”

“More or less,” he said with a mouth full of pie, “I spent around six months in the city when I first started working. I got a small apartment, but moved back to take care of my mother when she got sick. I had a few good memories of that place, but it never really felt…”

“Like home?” Hazel finished his sentence. Gunnar replied with a smile.

“So how long have you known about… Lech? Is that what you called him?”

“That’s what my family used to call him,” said Gunnar, “and that’s how long I’ve known about him, for as long as I can remember.”

“So, he was always there when you were growing up? Like a member of the family?” She asked.

“Not exactly. I never actually saw him, but we’ve always felt his presence. Sometimes chores would seemingly take care of themselves. Messes would be cleaned up on their own, minor repairs would get done while no one was home. When I asked my parents what was going on, they always said it was the tomtu protecting his home.”

Hazel gave Granny a knowing glance. Lots of cultures had legends of household spirits, tomtu, nisser, kobolds, domovoy, brownies. Countless languages had words describing what appeared to be the same kind of entity. Small humanoids who drew magical powers from their chosen home and fiercely protected it. This was the first time Hazel had encountered one in real life, but she had read several accounts of them.

“And you would leave him little offerings? Like the bowl of cream I found?” she asked.

“You’re an observant one. But yes, sometimes just a bowl of cream, sometimes cakes or cookies, or other little snacks. He always seemed to have a sweet tooth.” Gunnar had a wistful smile on his face. Talking about these memories seemed to dissolve his sense of time and space. “It’s a tradition my mom started, and I’ve continued it my whole life. It used to drive my wife crazy, God rest her soul, but she came around eventually. It’s become a force of habit, I barely even think about it anymore.”

It was all starting to make sense to Hazel. Gunnar and his family had lived in the house for generations, treating it as their only home, and giving offerings to Lech. The attachment Gunnar and his family felt towards their home fueled the magic Lech was able to draw from the place, which explained how he had gotten so powerful.

“So, you’ve lived there since you were a boy, but now the house is being torn down? I take it that wasn’t your idea?”

“The house is in my name, but the land it’s built on, not so much. I won’t pretend to understand the legal jargon, but the company that owns the land has a vicious team of lawyers. It’s my word against theirs, and they’ve been trying to make it look like I’m too old to live on my own. They threatened to have me moved to a retirement home if I refused to leave the house.”

“Wow… That’s awful. I’m sorry to hear that…”

“Yes, and the worst part is they don’t even need it.” He sighed.

“What do you mean?” Hazel asked.

“They’re not planning to build anything new on the land. They just don’t want the old eyesore to lower the property value of their fancy, nearby, developments.”

“But I guess they forgot to ask Lech before tearing the place down?” Hazel smirked.

Gunnar let out his heartwarming chuckle.

“I guess they did. And unless they find a way to get rid of him, they’ll be forced to give up.”

“And you get your childhood home back.” She smiled.

Hazel was used to dealing with all kinds of magical creatures. Lech was undeniably powerful, but she had dealt with much worse. Would she be able to banish him from the house or not? Maybe, but even if she found a way, it didn’t feel right. Gunnar had lived there his entire life, and no matter what those lawyers said, he didn’t deserve to be forced into a retirement home, just as Lech didn’t deserve to lose the home he had bound himself to.

The two of them finished their pie and shook hands before Hazel returned to Michelle’s trailer.

“I can’t do it.” She stated. “I’m afraid this place is protected with much more powerful magic than anything I’m used to dealing with.”

“Well, at least I’ll get to tell my wife ‘I told you so’.” Michelle replied.

“So, what will you do now?” Hazel asked.

“We’re not giving up just yet. Hiring you was always a long shot, but I won’t pretend we have any other tricks up our sleeves. We’ll keep at it for another week or two, but if we aren’t able to make any progress, we’ll have to move onto the next assignment. Let’s hope for fewer complications on the next one.”

“Yeah, same here.” Hazel replied. “But what about the house? What’s gonna happen to it?”

“I reckon the company that owns the land will let the old man move back. Probably for a small fee.”

That was exactly what Hazel was hoping to hear. As she didn’t actually finish the job, she wouldn’t get paid this time around, but nevertheless, she was in a good mood when she left the construction site that afternoon.

***

“…but… is he coming back?” The woman was struggling to hold back her tears.

Eight of Cups. He wasn’t coming back.

“Well… anything is possible,” Hazel lied, “but probably not in the immediate future.” She gave the distraught woman a sympathetic look. ”In this case, I think you’re better off moving forward on your own. Don’t be afraid to get out there and meet new people. Just make sure to take care of yourself first. Whatever that means to you.”

She wrapped up the reading and received an awkward hug from the crying woman. Doing tarot readings at the seasonal market was a nice way to make a little extra cash, but spending the whole afternoon doing readings for strangers was exhausting. Fortunately, the crowds seemed to be thinning.

She stretched her back and started lazily shuffling her cards, but was rudely interrupted when her phone started ringing. She dropped a single card on the ground as she picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello? Hazel? This is Michelle,” she sounded distressed. “I hired you to investigate an old house a few months ago, remember?”. It was clear from the background noise that she was driving.

Hazel sat up in her chair.

“Yeah, I remember. What’s up?”

“Apparently something’s going on with the old house, I’ve been called in to go check it out, but it sounds… it sounds like we might need your… expertise on this one… Where are you now?”

“I’m at the summer market, not too far from the old construction site.”

“Great, that’s on my way, I’ll pick you up in my truck.”

Michelle hung up before Hazel could ask any more questions. Looks like she’d be wrapping up for the day.

She picked up the card she had dropped from the ground.

The Falling Tower.

***

As Michelle’s truck pulled up by the old house, Hazel immediately noticed the old construction barriers were gone, but the ground was still covered in gravel.

At first glance, the house looked like it always had, but they didn’t have to wait long to realize something unusual was going on.

After a few seconds, the roof caved in on itself, but before the house could collapse, the tiles quickly flew back into place, reforming the roof as if time rewound itself. Moments later, the walls would start to break down, but reform themselves just as the roof had done. This process would repeat itself every few seconds, as if the place was caught in a time vortex. The house would start to fall apart, but immediately repaired itself.

“That’s… impossible.” Michelle said, dumbfoundedly. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I’ve seen some crazy things in my life, but nothing like this.” Hazel agreed. Granny remained quiet.

“Do you know if anyone is inside?” Hazel asked.

“I don’t know, but from what I heard, the old man still lives here. I have no idea if he’s still in the house.” Said Michelle.

Hazel knew she had to go check on him. If nothing else, Lech would most likely still be in there.

It was with a lot of trepidation, and more than a few protests from Granny, that Hazel stepped back into the old house. Michelle had provided her with another helmet, and she had cast a third-eye spell before entering, but it hardly felt like sufficient preparation.

To her surprise, the house was completely quiet. There was no audible or visible sign of the partial implosions once she stepped inside. As she walked further inside, however, she noticed a faint sound coming from one of the rooms.

The sight that met her as she stepped into the small bedroom was exactly what she had been afraid of.

Gunnar was lying in his bed, pale and exhausted, with a serene look on his face. Sitting on the nightstand next to him, a small humanoid figure was tending to the old man.

“Well, hello there. Glad to see someone has come to keep me company.” The words struggled to come out of Gunnar’s mouth.

“You’re never alone in this house, Gunnar, you already know that.”

He started chuckling, but it soon turned to a painful cough.

“Well, at least you’re better company than that old gnome.”

“I’m not a gnome…” Lech replied, his large nose sniffling as he tried his best to hold back his tears.”

Hazel pulled up a chair and positioned herself next to the brownie.

“We wants you to know, he’s…”

“Not a gnome. I know.” Gunnar smiled.

They remained silent for a moment.

“So, this is the end, huh?” The old man asked.

Hazel glanced at her ghostly Granny.

“I’ve come to think of it as a new beginning.”

“I knew you were gonna say that. You spiritual types are all the same.” Gunnar forced out another chuckle. “I don’t know what’s waiting for me on the other side, but I’m glad I get to spend my last few moments with a lovely young woman like yourself.” He glanced at Hazel. “And my oldest friend, of course.” He looked directly at Lech.

“Wait… you see me?” Lech asked.

Gunnar didn’t reply, he just gave his old friend a warm smile.

“Domovoi draw their magic from homes.” Granny explained. “If there’s no one left to call this place home, your powers won’t work anymore. Not even your invisibility.”

Lech looked back at Gunnar. His smiling face remained frozen as he drew his final breath. There was no one left to call this place home.

The brownie buried his head in the bedsheets, no longer holding back his tears.

Hazel did not wish to interrupt the moment, but what she had to say couldn’t wait.

“Wait… If Lech doesn’t have his powers anymore, doesn’t that mean this place is going to…”

Loud creaking sounds could be heard all around them. The magic keeping the house from imploding had disappeared with Gunnar’s last breath.

Without hesitation, Hazel grabbed the doll-sized brownie in her arms and started bolting towards the door.

Windows shattered around them, dust scattered across the room, and planks of wood fell from the ceiling as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

She only barely managed to jump through the main doorway before the house collapsed behind them. Breaking her fall, she rolled across gravely dirt, clutching the brownie in her arms.

The door to Michelle’s truck opened up, as the forewoman stepped out. A number of other cars had arrived, with members of the construction crew coming to see what was going on.

Hazel looked at the small creature in her arms, no longer invisible, and impossible to explain to anyone unfamiliar with the magical world. Without thinking, she took off her hard hat and forced it onto the poor creature, trying her best to hide him.

“Are you okay?” Michelle asked. The mustached demolitions expert and several other construction workers huddling behind her.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.” Hazel panted, sitting on the hard hat, trying to keep Lech from escaping.

“That’s good to hear, cause I looked into the insurance thing, and I’ve got some bad news…”

“I’m fine. It’s fine.” Hazel reassured her.

“Well, I guess that means construction is back on!” Michelle sounded pleased, looking at the massive pile of rubble in front of her. “Which means you’re getting paid after all.”

“All in a day’s work.” Hazel said exhaustedly, giving the crew a thumbs up.

***

Hazel usually did her best to keep her apartment clean and tidy. Unfortunately, her best wasn’t enough. Her bed was unmade, the kitchenette was full of grease stains, and her coffee table had rings from old teacups. A variety of spellbooks, bestiaries and scrawled notes on various rituals and magical creatures were scattered across every empty table, and less-frequented corners were covered in dust and cobwebs.

She opened her purse, allowing the small creature to come out.

“Finally! Do you have any idea how little space is in here?”

“I’m sorry, I had to hide you somewhere until I could get home. I enchanted the purse to make it bigger on the inside. I hope it wasn’t too cramped.”

“Human magic…” He muttered.

“Hey… I know we didn’t really get off on the right foot, but I’m genuinely sorry for everything that happened. Are you okay?” She asked, trying to cut through his grumpy demeanor.

“You mean how I lost my home, how my only friend died, how my magic disappeared, and how I almost got crushed to death?”

She gave him a concerned nod.

“No, I’m not okay… but I will be. I just need to find a new home. Eventually my magic will start to come back, and things will get back to… some kind of normal.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay in my apartment for as long as you need to.” She gave him a careful, yet encouraging smile.

He peeked out from the enchanted purse. The tiny studio apartment was an absolute mess, and only a fraction of the size of his old house.

“I don’t know. Making this place livable is gonna take a lot of work, especially since my magic isn’t what it used to be,” he said, “maybe I should give the purse another chance.”

“Hey, I know it’s not much.” Hazel smirked. “But at least it’s home.”