The second floor of a house hovers. Whatever holds it up is mysterious. The connection between the ground and it is air.
The stairs in this house are steep. There is a sharp turn at the top to take you to the landing place. At the end of the long landing there is a small, patterned window with a mirror on a ledge. It is spotted black, corroding all along its edges. Mother stands before it and puts make-up on each day, looking into it. The face looking back is not Mother, it's someone who looks like her but her expression is wrong. It is slightly twisted and a bit frightening for her little girl.
The bathroom is stark and bright, a large silvered lightbulb gives off heat, but not enough. The toilet opposite is sometimes an office where the secretary hands out bills for payment on Izal paper. Further along, the back bedroom is stuffed with beds. Its door is closed during the day so she knocks and asks if the guest is comfortable today. By night, television broadcasts are given from there and she will present the news.
The airing cupboard opposite is voluminous and dark and not to be entered, except on a dare. Someone will arrive shortly and demand that you come out in a terrifying voice that requires you to hide until they depart.
The front bedroom has a large family living in it, and she would like to check the children aren't interfering with the precious articles collected by the exotic aunt and uncle who travel the world. These are stored in the large, dark, shiny wardrobe in straw baskets and wooden boxes and must not be disturbed.
In the box room next door, lives a very old, very thin lady who is always very pleased to see the little girl. Her face lights up as she comes in and stands by her bed, though she has been crying and as the child hands her a tissue, she whispers ' don't tell your Mam Aggie ' and though that is not her name, the child nods and takes the tissue from the old lady's frail hand. She gently pats the covers over her stomach and as the old lady's face forms a wince, the child's face falls into sadness. She blows the old lady a kiss as she walks out of the room backwards and carefully closes the door until tomorrow.
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