After taking a deep breath, Johnny felt better. He walked over to the fountain. As he got closer he could see that outer wall of the fountain was surrounded with foot the stone gnomes.
"Well, there's no accounting for taste. At least there are no pink flamingos," Johnny said as he stepped up on to the fountain wall and surveyed the area. He knew the house was one way, and he could tell which way he had come from, but he wasn't sure how far the garden extended in the other directions or whether they might lead to a breach in the wall. He also notice that there were stepping stones visible just above the murky water that filled the fountain leading to the pedestal. He decided that he'd have a much better perspective from the top of the pedestal.
He carefully tested the first slimy stepping stone. It was solid. He stepped out on to it. Then he tried the second, and third, and finally, he confidentally stepped on the fourth and last stone. It began to wobble and he jumped on to the platform at the center of the fountain. He then began to pull himself up on the pedestal. When he was about half way up, Johnny froze. He heard tiny laughter like little kids, but figured it was probably just the rustle of leaves. He continued to climb to the perch on top of the pedestal. It was amazing he could see the door he'd exited from the house from the top of the pedestal. He thought he saw movement by the door, but it looked wrong as though it were a foot all man's shadow. Probably just an optical illusion. He raised his arm and waved toward the shadow, as the door closed shut.
"W-a-it!" he shouted, but his voice sounded oddly hollow.
Johnny stared at his outstretched arm. It was strangely pale, and stiff. He couldn't lower it. He couldn't move.
From below him, Johnny heard high-pitched squeaks and the scraping of stone against stone. He couldn't bend his head, but he could move his eyes still. He looked down to see the gnomes climbing up the pedestal toward him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to run. He wanted to do something, but he couldn't.
The first gnome to reach him immediately went to work tugging and tearing at Johnny's jeans' leg. Dozens of others quickly swarmed over his body also tearing at his clothing. In a matter of moments, Johnny was completely naked. The gnomes formed a circle around him, and began to walk around him in the circle scratching their chins and heads and muttering.
Then a gnome appeared with a satchel and started handing out chisels and hammers. If Johnny could have made his eyes go wider, he would have, but he was totally immobile. He wanted to scream as he felt the cold metal chisel touch his skin, and heard the first tap. He had expected pain, but instead he experienced something more akin to a bump. A piece of him crumbled and fell as stone dust. The gnomes swarmed again, and quickly went to work the sound of metal scraping stone echoed throughout the garden.