the house in which

Forbidden Appearance: It is forbidden to bring trappings of the outside world (such as new shoes) into the House and discuss life outside of it.

Rejection of past names: when entering the House or moving to a new group, the child forever loses his name from the Appearance and receives a nickname (Sphinx, Blind, Tabaki), which defines his essence.

Inviolability of the leader: the leader has absolute power within his group, and the Master of the House (the Blind One) has absolute power over the entire House.

The right to a duel: any conflict between leaders or contenders for leadership is resolved through a knife fight according to strict canons.

Taboo on talking about the Upside Down: the mystical, hidden side of the House ("walkers" and "jumpers") cannot be spoken aloud to the uninitiated.

Acceptance of the House: If a person tries to impose his philistine order on the House, the building itself and its inhabitants reject the rebel

Khtrakhovnik is the abode of the youngestAll children up to a certain age lived on the first floor in the Khtrakhovnik (younger group). There was no division into adult packs, but there were children's gangs: "Junk" (garbage collectors)"Singers" (screamers and musicians)"Damned" (outcasts and the most severely disabled)The law of the jungle reigned in the Junk. Educators almost did not interfere in the affairs of children, so older or stronger pupils cruelly mocked the weak.Growing up of the main charactersIt was in childhood that the characters and injuries of the key characters were laid:The grasshopper (Sphinx) was an absolutely defenseless, timid boy without arms. He was bullied by everyone except the Smoking Man (who was very small at the time) and Stinky.Stinky (Tabaki) was already a wheelchair user, hung with garbage, but he collected not amulets, but scraps and trash.Blind was a wild, unsociable child. He slept under beds, could not speak, and communicated only through bites and scratches. The only one who was able to tame him was the tutor Moose.Death (Red) was nicknamed Death because of his frightening pallor and terrible scar instead of eyes.Wolf and the era of "Dogs"When the children grew up, they moved to the second floor. The leader of the Fourth Group then was Wolf - a handsome, charismatic, but very cruel guy. He renamed his group "Dogs".Under the Wolf, the cult of strength and weapons reigned in the House (mainly homemade knives and brass knuckles). The "Dogs" kept the whole House in fear, constantly staging bloody skirmishes with the second group - the "Moors" (future "Rats").The First Jump and the Appearance of the SphinxThe turning point of the childhood era happened when the Grasshopper (Sphinx) could not stand the cruelty of the House and made his first Jump to the Upside Down. He disappeared from the real world for several days (he was in a coma in the clinic).He spent "a whole life" on the Upside Down, and when he returned, he completely changed: he lost all his hair, gained incredible inner wisdom and strength. It was then that he changed his nickname to Sphinx and became the main defender of the weak, stopping the tyranny of the Wolf.

A pack that has lost its pride and turned into dudes. Pompey is the leader of the Lair, killed by the Blind in a duel. Knave (as a child - Magician) - a stubborn guy who does menial work in the group. Later, he ran over to the Vulture. Tiger is a strong walking guy, a bully. The leopard is a fashionista who flaunts beautiful things Appearance. The Bull Terrier is an aggressive pupil from the old Dogs squad.

The Blind (Blind in childhood) is the leader of the group and the absolute leader of the House. Sphinx (Grasshopper in childhood) is an armless sage, the best friend of the Blind Man. Tabaki the Jackal (Reeky in childhood) is a wheelchair user, the Keeper of Time and myths. Lord is a fine elf wheelchair user, the strongest Walker. The Macedonian is a former "angel" from the sect, who takes care of the life of the whole room. Humpback is a pacifist flutist, the owner of Nannette the crow. Black (Sportsman in childhood) is the main realist of the House. He came from the former Sixth Group ("Dogs"). The Smoker - Transferred here from the First Group at the beginning of the novel.

Vulture (Rex in childhood) is the leader of the group, "Mourning Dad". Shadow (real name Max) is Vulture's deceased twin brother. He is considered an unspoken, ghostly inhabitant of the room. Ar Gul (aka Ghoul) is a Jumper who lives in his own, detached world. The drone is the executive assistant to the leader. Butterfly is a guy prone to depression and oddities. The Fly is a quiet pupil, unquestioningly obeying the laws of the Birds. The cuckoo is a secretive and introverted member of the flock.

A pack of punks, anarchists and rock musicians. Redhead (Death in childhood) is an armless punk with green glasses, the leader of the group. Larry (born Nerd) - Red's right-hand man, a rebel and a fighter. Hybrid is a loyal pack fighter. The Rabbit is a quiet and timid pupil who was often attacked as a child. Zebra is a bright representative of the band's punk wing. Half-Red is a younger pupil, faithfully copying the manners of the leader Red.

The first group is "Pheasants" (formerly "Skull Layers")A pack of exemplary order and discipline. Skull (in childhood - Skull) is the permanent leader of the group. Brutus is a mute boy who reads lips masterfully. Jin is a lover of solitude and silence. Goopy is an executive and proper member of the pack. Smoker - Lived here in the beginning, but because of his rebellious spirit and green sneakers, he was exiled to Four in disgrace

Larry is one of the most vivid, violent and at the same time tragic characters of the House. He belongs to the Second Group ("Rats") and is the right hand of the leader Red. Larry is one hundred percent embodiment of the spirit of the Rats: pure rock 'n' roll, fights and rebellion.Appearance and styleOutrageous punk: Larry is insanely proud of his appearance. He dyes his hair poison green or neon blue, wears insane mohawks, and paints his nails black.Wardrobe: His calling card is ripped jeans, leather jackets with chains, pins, and rivets, and heavy combat boots. Larry is incredibly hot-tempered, aggressive and always ready to use his fists. He loves adrenaline, speed, loud music and is constantly looking for a reason for conflict. He is infinitely loyal to Red and his pack. If one of the "Rats" is offended, Larry will go to destroy everything in his path.Secret Romantic: Despite his image of a "dirty punk", Larry is secretly in love and knows how to feel very deeply, although he desperately hides it so as not to lose the authority of the tough guy. He does not have a mystical gift, does not know how to go to the Upside Down and does not understand the fairy tales of Tobacco or the Blind Man. For him, Home is just walls where you can hang out with friends. Because of this, he is terrified of the Release: he understands that in the Outside, his punk romance will end and a gray, cruel life will begin, for which he is not ready.

The humpback is one of the kindest, quietest and brightest inhabitants of the Fourth Group. He is a rare type of person for the House - absolutely non-aggressive, creative and living in harmony with nature.Appearance and nicknamePhysical features: Has a pronounced hump, from which he got his name.Style: Dresses simply, often wears things that do not restrict movement. His appearance does not have the pathos of Lord or the outrageous Tabaki.Attributes: He almost never parts with his flute and is often surrounded by some animals or birds.Personality and characterPacifist and good-natured: Gorbach organically does not tolerate violence, cruelty and fights. In the Fourth Group, which is full of explosive characters, he plays the role of peacemaker.Connection with nature: He has an amazing gift for getting along with any living creatures. He treats injured birds, feeds stray dogs, and collects medicinal herbs. His music has a therapeutic effect - it is able to calm the inhabitants of the House during fits of rage or fear.Connection to the House and the Upside DownJumper/Walker status: The Hunchback is closely related to the Upside Down, but his magic is not frightening, like the Blind Man's, but natural. On the Upside Down of the House, he feels like he is in an endless, pristine forest.Forest Dweller: The Underside of the Humpback is pure nature, where he can understand the language of animals and live in absolute peace, away from human cruelty.

One of the most important characters in the novel. It is through its perception that the reader first gets acquainted with the House. He plays the role of the reader's "eyes and ears": an ordinary, rational person, thrown into a crazy and mystical world.Appearance and nicknamePhysical features: Moves in a wheelchair.Style: Dresses neatly and simply. He wears ugly but beloved green sneakers, which wildly annoy the old-timers of the House.Nickname: Got the name "The Smoker" because of his habit of constantly smoking, often non-stop, especially in moments of stress and reflection.Personality and characterSkeptic and realist: The most down-to-earth inhabitant of the House. He has critical thinking, he looks for logic and common sense in everything. Artist: He has a rare talent - he draws amazingly. Through his paintings, he tries to comprehend and capture the elusive reality of Home.Lonely and outcast: Nowhere does he feel fully at home. It is too difficult for the disciplined "Pheasants" and too simple (or "blind") for the mystical Fourth Group.The path in the House: from the Pheasants to the FourthThe Smoker begins his journey in the First Group ("Pheasants"), where a strict regime, study and cleanliness reign. However, due to his rebellious spirit and unwillingness to obey stupid rules, he comes into conflict with the group. As a punishment (and as an experiment), he is transferred to the most unpredictable Fourth Group - to the Sphinx, the Blind and Tabaki.Attitude to the magic of the HouseThe Smoker is not a Walker or a Jumper. He is completely closed to the mysticism of the House.Those around him see him as an "outsider" and a "deaf".When miracles or movements to the Upside Down occur in the room, the Smoking Man either falls asleep or sees only the delirium and strange behavior of others.He desperately tries to unravel the mysteries of the House, questioning the Sphinx and Tabaki, but they only brush him off with fairy tales, realizing that he is unable to perceive the underside reality.

the leader of the second group ("Rats"), one of the most colorful and underrated characters of the House. It represents pure protest, punk culture, and rebellion against any rules.Appearance and styleVisual marker: Fire red hair dyed in incredible colors and crazy hairstyles (most commonly mohawk).Clothing: Wears leather jackets, studs, chains, and ripped clothes. Completely copies the aesthetics of British punk.Physical features: He does not have one arm (he is armless, like the Sphinx, but does not wear prostheses), and his face always flaunts silk green glasses to hide the absence of eyes or a severe injury (the text mentions "empty eye sockets").Personality and characterRebel and anarchist: Redhead despises authority, discipline and framework. His band ("Rats") is a gang of hooligans, foul-mouthed and rockers, living in constant noise and chaos. He genuinely cares about his "rats" and is ready to fight for them to the last.Craving for Appearance: Unlike the Blind Man, the Red is not fixated on the mysticism of the House. He loves rock music from Appearance, cigarettes, alcohol and the external paraphernalia of freedom.Role in the plot and Upside DownWalker status: Redhead - Walker. On the Upside Down of the House, he turns into the leader of a pack of real rats or takes the form of a dangerous werewolf. The underside for him is a place of even greater, wild freedom.Relationships: He has a difficult but respectful relationship with other leaders. He keeps to himself, not entering into conspiracies, but his gang is a powerful force in the House.

The leader of the Third Group ("Birds"), a clever and sinister strategist, who lives in the eternal death cult of his twin brother Max.Personality: Manipulative, aesthete, melancholic. He surrounds himself with houseplants and a bunch of rules. Seems insane, but in fact he is one of the most calculating leaders.Physical traits: Limp (one leg is shorter than the other), wears strict black clothes, always in deep mourning.Connection with House: Vulture is a strong Jumper. His "goals" on the Upside Down are always related to the search for his deceased brother. Home for him is a crypt of memory.Ideology: Conservation of the past. He is terrified of the Release, as the Appearance will destroy his fragile world of memories.

A former athlete who lost his health and was exiled to a boarding school. The main antagonist of the mystical way of life of the House within the Fourth Group.Personality: Rational, pragmatic, stubborn. He desperately clings to the norms of Appearance (sports, regimen, studies) and despises the tales of the House.Physical traits: A strong, physically developed guy, but suffering from a hidden ailment (heart/lung problems).Connection with the House: The House rejects the Black, and the Black rejects the House. He does not see the Upside Down and considers the others to be crazy or malingerers.Ideology: Common sense and preparation for real life outside the walls of the boarding school. Despite the eternal conflict with the group, his position causes the Sphinx to take a critical look at the House.

A newcomer to the Fourth, who has a dark and terrible past in a religious sect, where he was used as a "saint".Personality: Meek, quiet, hyper-responsible. He tries to atone for past sins by serving the whole group: cleaning, cooking, brewing coffee and taking care of the bedridden.Physical features: A guy with a shock of red hair. On his back, under his clothes, there are huge scars that look like severed wings.Connection to Home: Possesses real, frightening mystical power. He is able to make rain, control things, bring good luck and take away someone else's pain. In the House, he finds a family that does not demand miracles from him, but appreciates him. To protect this peace, he commits Clap (killing the Wolf).

The most beautiful, proud and furious pupil. He came to the House from a wealthy family who tried to "cure" him of the Upside Down.Personality: Hot-tempered, aristocratic, loyal to friends, but merciless to enemies. Has a keen sense of justice.Physical features: A wheelchair user with an elven, perfect appearance and long blonde hair. In a rage, he becomes deadly.Connection to House: The Strongest Walker. On the Upside Down, he appears in the form of a beautiful White Dragon or horseman. Home for him is the only place where he is accepted for real.Ideology: Uncompromising rejection of the falsity of Appearance.

Tabaki (Stinky) - Keeper of Time and TraditionsThe most mysterious, noisy and insane inhabitant of the House. An elder who remembers things that even educators do not know.Personality: Jester, trickster, collector of gossip and garbage, poet and philosopher. Gushing with stories, songs and stupid rituals, behind which ancient magic is hidden.Physical features: A wheelchair user, hung with a bunch of amulets, watches, knives and trinkets. Never washes of his own free will.Connection to Home: Tabaki is the Master of Time at Home. He is able to stretch moments into years, move into the past and change the fate of people. It is he who gives the House new circles of existence.Ideology: Absolute living of the moment "here and now". He is the soul of the House, protecting its myths and fairy tales from the destructive influence of Appearance.

The Sphinx (Grasshopper) is the Sage and GuardianThe main philosopher of the House and the only one who can argue on equal terms with the Blind Man. As a child, he was a defenseless green Grasshopper, but after a hard Jump to the Upside Down, he returned changed, losing his hair, but finding an inner core. He is the "anchor" of the Fourth Group, to whom everyone goes for advice.Physical features: Armless (wears prosthetics), completely bald, with delicate facial features.Connection with House: Sphinx - Jumper. The Upside Down crippled his mind as a child, so as an adult, he consciously chooses Appearance and the real world, rejecting the magic of Home.Ideology: Believes that Home is a trap, an infantile paradise from which to grow.

The Blind Man is the most mysterious and frightening leader of the House.The main traits of his personalityMerging with the House: He perceives the boarding school as a living deity. He has no personal ambitions - he is only a blind executor of the will of the House.Animal habits: Due to blindness, his senses are sharpened. It is silent, agile and dangerous like a predator. Long nails serve as a weapon for him.Secretive introvert: Sits still for hours. Paradoxical leader: Does not manage the group in everyday life, but his authority is absolute. Defending order, he is ready to kill without a drop of pity.Loneliness: He loved only the dead tutor Moose and the Sphinx.

the death of Pompey, the leader of the Dogs, comes at night in the gymnasium of the Burial Ground after an unsuccessful duel with the Blind Man. Pompey dies from a precise knife strike, which leads to the disintegration of his group, its transformation into the "Jackals" led by Cherny and a radical change in the balance of power in the boarding school.

The death of the Wolf was the result of his cruel blackmail of Macedon, who had the supernatural essence of a "dragon". Unable to withstand the psychological pressure, Makedonsky in a state of passion used his powers to mentally "push away" the Wolf, which led to the instant death of the blackmailer. This tragic incident, which became a severe emotional trauma for Makedonsky, forever changed the balance of power in the House, transferring the leadership in the pack to the Athlete.

the money changer was a place where the inhabitants of the House gathered to exchange things. Clothes, records, books, cigarettes and various trifles from the Appearance were brought there. Each thing had its own history and value.

Money changers took place on Tuesdays, so this day was called "Money Changer Tuesday". On this day, the House became especially noisy: residents of different flocks met, argued, bargained and exchanged news. Through the money changer, the House seemed to maintain contact with the outside world.

Walkers

"Walkers" are those who can navigate the Upside Down more consciously and confidently. While a "jumper" might suddenly fall into the Upside Down, a "walker" can navigate and "walk" between worlds almost intentionally.

Jumpers

"Jumpers" can "jump"—that is, escape from ordinary reality to the other side of the House, to the Upside Down. This isn't just a fantasy or a game: the book depicts it as a real transition to another layer of the world. Typically, such transitions occur in sleep, trance, or altered states. Not all House inhabitants are capable of this.

In the book "The House In Which..." The residents of the boarding school were divided into packs, and each had its own atmosphere. The birds were quiet, thoughtful, and seemed to live in a world of their own. Next to them, there was always a sense of mystery and tranquility.

Rats, on the contrary, were noisy, harsh and loved disorder. They were feared because of the constant fights and outbursts of aggression.

The dogs were distinguished by their strength and discipline. They carried themselves confidently, spoke little, and gave the impression of being the most dangerous.

Pheasants seemed to be the most ordinary: they tried to live by the rules and believed less than others in the strangeness of Home.

Special was the Fourth Pack, where the Blind Man, Tabaki and the Smoker lived. It mixed chaos, friendship, strange traditions, and a true understanding of the House.

All the packs were very different, but they were the ones who created the atmosphere of Home, a mysterious world with its own laws and secrets.

The coffee pot was hidden in the depths of the House, behind a long dark corridor, where the teachers almost never entered.

There was always semi-darkness, the smell of coffee, cigarette smoke and old things. On the walls there are drawings, other people's nicknames and faded posters. The chairs and chairs looked as if they had been collected from all over the House.

The Coffee Pot has never been truly quiet.

Someone was laughing, someone was arguing, someone was playing cards, and someone was just sitting in the corner and silently smoking.

Tabaki was almost always behind the bar, noisy, disheveled, and always talking about everything at once. He poured coffee into mugs, came up with strange drinks like "Moon Road" and knew more about the House than any person should know.

Money in the Coffee Pot was almost not paid.

They paid with cigarettes, stories, services or just good attitude. Sometimes Tabaki poured for free, if the person was "one of his own".

And some of them were not accepted by the Coffee Pot at all.

Then the conversations inside subsided, and Tabaki just looked up and calmly said: "No.

And the person left.

Because arguing with the Coffee Pot was like arguing with the House itself.

The House tried not to talk too loudly about the Upside Down.

Especially at night.

No one really knew what it was. Some considered it to be the other side of the House. Others are his dreams. And someone said that the Upside Down appears when the House ceases to pretend to be an ordinary building.

They got there by accident.

I turned into the wrong corridor at night. I followed the familiar steps. I stared into the darkness outside the window for too long.

And the House opened the door.

Everything looked familiar on the Upside Down, and that was why it was becoming scary. The same corridors, the same staircases, only too quiet, too long and as if alive.

Time flowed incorrectly there.

You could wander for hours, but a few minutes passed in the House. Or vice versa.

Some returned from there changed: too quiet, too calm, as if some of them remained somewhere among the dark corridors.

The blind man understood the Upside Down better than anyone else. He walked along it as calmly as if he could hear the breathing of the House itself.

And Tabaki once said: "The wrong side does not take people. She simply asks if they want to go back.

After that, no one walked around the House alone at night.

The house stood on the edge of the city, old, gray and silent.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary boarding school: peeling walls, old windows, rusty radiators, long corridors with dim lamps.

The people of Appearance had never noticed anything special about him. For them, the House was just a place where difficult and unnecessary children were sent.

But the children themselves knew: The house is alive.

During the day, he still tried to seem ordinary. He endured the teachers, calls, checks and the noise of the canteen. He creaked the floorboards, listened to the rain outside the windows and pretended that he was just an old building.

And at night he woke up.

Then the corridors became too quiet. The lamps flickered for no reason, the pipes hummed as if someone was talking inside the walls, and the shadows in the corners seemed alive.

Dom listened.

He memorized the steps. He could distinguish voices. I felt fear.

That is why almost no one used real names here.

Common names belonged to the world behind the fence — the Outside. A place where people lived a normal life and never heard the walls breathe at night.

There were only nicknames in the House.

Blind. Tobacco. Vulture. Lord. Red.

Sometimes the nickname stuck to a person so tightly that the real name was completely forgotten. It was as if the House was taking it for itself and giving it something new instead.

His own.

In the House, children were divided into groups and packs. Each had its own rules, its own habits and its own leaders. Someone lived noisily, someone quietly. Someone was laughing too loudly, as if they were trying to shout over the House itself.

But even the noisiest spoke quieter at night.

Because Dom didn't like to be talked about out loud.

Sometimes he was angry.

Then the doors stopped opening immediately, footsteps were heard in the empty corridors, and familiar rooms suddenly began to seem strange.

Sometimes it is the other way around.

As if he was happy.