Mr Wilson folded his secateurs and
returned to the house. Somehow he
couldn't shake the feeling that had
been brewing within him for the last
few weeks, an odd sensation that
something was not quite right in the
garden. Things just seemed
somehow different each time he
stepped
out into the yard, and he
couldn't quite put his finger on it.
As he settled down with a nice cup of
tea under the verandah, he slipped
into a deep relaxation, staring off
into the distance, motionless.
Suddenly, a tiny movement in the
corner of his eye caught his
attention. He leapt to his feet,
determined to find out what was
going on, and rushed into the
garden.
Nothing. Everything was still,
butterflies danced lazily in the
breeze, and the water feature
gurgled peacefully.
Infuriated and mystified, Mr Wilson
shook his head and went inside for
his dinner.
Five minutes later, the motion
detector hidden in the arboretum
radioed the "All Clear" to the Stealth
Gnomes. Noddy the Gnome tilted his
fishing rod a few more degrees
towards the koi pond. Doc sidled two
inches to the left on his concealed,
motorised tracks. Grumpy returned
his pipe to his mouth from the jaunty
angle where it had rested since
Thursday.
One by one, the Stealth Gnomes
rearranged themselves by
infinitesimal, barely noticeable
amounts, and Mr Wilson's sanity
continued its downward slide.