Rain Street was one of those places where everything seemed too ordinary to be interesting. Houses in rows, rustling maples, mottled dogs being walked on the same walks. But amidst this predictability, there were signs that were impossible to ignore - at least if you kept your eyes open for small wonders. Alice, Philip and David were neighbours who were united not only by their school desk, but also by a hunger for what was hidden beneath the surface of everyday life. It was Philip who first discovered that the abandoned house at number 17 was not as deserted as it seemed. One evening, coming home late, he saw a faint light in one of the windows. Weak, greenish, pulsating like a breath. The next day, all three of them - armed with torches, a notebook and countless questions - walked closer to the gate. There was silence all around; even the dogs avoided the house by a wide margin. They stood for a while, soaking up the atmosphere of tension, until David boldly touched the gate. It creaked so loudly that everyone jumped up. Inside, the garden was more jungle than lawn, and a path led to a door on which someone had painted a strange mark, resembling both a letter and a key. Alice recognised the symbol from a book on ancient alphabets. "It's an opening rune," she whispered, and Philip was already about to ask what it meant when suddenly the door swung open of its own accord, as if inviting them inside. Inside, the air smelled of dust, dampness and something else - a warm light that could not have come from any ordinary lamp. In a room at the end of the corridor, an old wardrobe stood against the wall, and a green glow oozed from behind its door. David reached out his hand for the handle, but at the same moment they heard a soft sound - as if someone was whispering their names from behind a closed door. The three of them stood, holding their breath, aware that here they were crossing a boundary after which everyday life would never be the same again. Philip raised his torch, Alicia clutched her notebook, David touched the door handle. The wardrobe door began to tremble, as if something - or someone - was waiting on the other side....