A tiny cream balloon settles beside the rocking chair, its stitched envelope lit from below by a small blue flame. The woven basket hangs just above the pine boards. Over its rim, a delicate rope ladder has unrolled until the lowest rungs curl onto the floor. Behind the chair, a woman in a soft cream jumper and brown wool skirt holds a knitting needle still as she watches the unexpected arrival.

The chalet remains warm around this strange event. Fire glows inside the tiled stove, an oil lamp burns on the table and a half-knitted scarf hangs over the chair arm. A bowl of chestnuts sits beside the sheepskin rug, with carved pumpkins on the window sill. Dark branches move beyond the open shutters. Wood grain, fuzzy mohair and the fine weave of the basket make the change of scale feel close enough to touch. This Halloween photograph suits a quiet fantastical tale, a portrait wallpaper or a seasonal print that invites attention to the smallest part of the room.