Unstill Life Art

Rideten, Five Years Before

The Rideten School of Art was set in what must have been one of the original estates of Rideten, the mansion set well back from the road, with an expanse of green lawn, ornamental wrought iron fencing, and truly massive, ancient fig trees separating it from the road. The gates were open when they arrived, and they followed the long drive to a carpark. The original building was used for the school, and a series of outbuildings, barns and coach houses had been converted into accommodation for students.

Aislen was allocated to a room in the groundskeeper’s cottage, a quaint little house with low lintels and tiny, wood-smoke-stained rooms. The front door was unlocked and opened into a small snug dominated by a chalk board that declared: “Artists contained within. May Bite. Enter at your own risk!"

"Well, that explains a lot," Patrick observed dryly.

“Oh,” a young girl poked her head into the room. “Are you the new girl?”

“Hi,” Aislen said warily. “I’m Aislen