The cold ones. Part 1, In two worlds

Chapter 7 Like a puppet .

Three days later.

I sat up on the bed and started to get dressed for the day, just my usual jeans and one of my strap tops that were starting to smell a bit musky. I had noticed the corners of the room were damp and some of them covered in bits of mould, so by now I probably smell like an old piece of furniture that had been left out in the rain to grow new life! My armpits smelt and my hair was greasy. I hadn’t showered or bathed at all since I’d been here, I was too scared to use anything other than my own room. Just constant thoughts of what if I’m in there and somebody knocks? Is there a schedule for who uses what and when? And what if Lyra finds out? She’s constantly snarling at me every morning when I deliver their breakfast. Only yesterday she chucked her raw steak at me, claiming it was too small and the bloody steak stained the top I had on. Seeing as I still didn’t know where the washing room was, I chucked my dirty top into the dumpster in the kitchen.

I sat quietly, shut my eyes and listened for the birds. That was the only way I could tell if it was morning or not. I heard them chirping and my heart sank, cause all I wanted to do was lie back down and melt into the solitude of my room, but instead I put on my flat boots and sighed heavily, trying to mentally prepare myself for yet another day.

My door suddenly slammed open, and Lyra was stood in the doorway looking smug. “What are you doing?” She asked as if she just caught me stealing or something!

“I was just getting dressed, I’ll get your breakfast now”.

“Here!” She said as she chucked some white linen at me. “You’re wearing this from now on. It’s about time you start working off that debt of yours. Get our breakfast, then you are to clean our room! Stop slumping around like a lazy b***h and get to work!” She snapped at me with a sly grin as she flicked her hair, then left.

I waited until I could hear the click clacking of her stilettoes on the stairs and quietly shut my door again. I picked up the linen only to see that it was a big white top and baggy white trousers, it looked more like a chef’s uniform. I put it all on and looked down at myself in annoyance. It was twice the size of me! But you have no choice, just wear it! I told myself.

I fished out a hairband from the bottom of my bag, quite surprised I found one as I never put my hair up. I was ten when it was last brushed back into a ponytail. I loved my hair, it was long, thick and wavy, just like my mothers. People always said my light chestnut hair complimented my blue eyes and seemed to warm and deepen them, so I never liked to pull my hair back and hide it, but there it was, squeezed into a tight elasticated hairband, with my sulky, self- pity face on full view.

With my hand resting on the doorknob, I tried to quickly practice a fake smile, one meant for Lyra. I didn’t want her to know just how much she was already getting to me.

I rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen to see the happy little foursome already preparing breakfast and the smell of their fried bacon made my stomach rumble.

“Good morning”. I said timidly, trying to muster a smile.

“Good morning”. They all replied as they glanced back at me from what they were doing.

“Are you hungry?” Stuart asked with a big smile as he began to break some eggs.

I shook my head with a lie. “I just need to get Lyra’s food, she’s already inpatient for it”.

Melanie was staring at me with her eyebrow quirked. “What are you wearing?”

“Oh, uh, Lyra told me I had to wear this from now on. I have to get her food and clean their room, so I guess these are my new clothes”. I replied as I looked down at the trousers bagging on top of my boots.

“I see! And what are you planning to have for breakfast?”

“Oh, umm, I hadn’t thought of that. I want to get their room done as soon as I’m allowed in”.

“Well, take up the breakfast, then come back down and we’ll have something waiting for you”.

“No, it’s fine”.

“Nooo Ellie, we will have food waiting for you, we’re not about to let you starve. Come to think of it, apart from first thing in the morning, we never see you down here. Have you even been eating?”

I shrugged. “I’ve had bits here and there”.

“Well then, I want you straight down here afterwards to eat!” She said demandingly and I smiled at her effort to look out for me.

Faye handed me a tray with Lyra’s usual and just as I was about to leave, she stuffed a wrapped sandwich in my trouser pocket. I gave her a grateful smile, one that actually made me feel lucky, since I’d been here, mentally telling myself to eat it the minute I’m alone.

As I was walking toward their bedroom door, it suddenly swung open, with a furious looking Lyra as she glowered at me. “What took you so f*****g long? You need to pick up the pace, weakling”.

“Sorry, I’ll try to be quicker next time”.

“No! Don’t just try and actually be quicker! I may as well just get it myself!” She huffed as she took the tray.

Now that’s an idea, you self-entitled b***h! I thought only to myself. Then my spine tingled with fear, wondering if perhaps she could read minds! I had read that vampires have certain powers and I didn’t think until now that, that could be one of them.

But her reply assured me she definitely didn’t hear my thoughts.

“We’re going out after we eat. You have then to see to our room and I want it spotless!” She commanded before slamming the door.

I quickly rushed back down to the kitchen, realising I had no idea where any of the bedsheets or cleaning stuff was kept. In fact, apart from one of the bathrooms and the kitchen, I didn’t know much more about this place.

“Can one of you tell me where the sheets are kept and the cleaning products?” I asked when I got into the kitchen, to see them laughing as they cleaned away.

“Did the madam give you a hard time?” Faye asked as she rolled her eyes.

“No more than usual!”

She sighed. “Hopefully she’ll ease up, honey. What bed do you have? Double, queen size, king size?”

“Umm actually it’s a single.”

“A single?” She repeated in surprise. “I don’t know if we have many sheets for a single”.

“Oh, no, the sheets aren’t for my bed, it’s for theirs. She wants me to do it when I clean their room”.

“But we have other maids that make their beds, they do it every day”.

“Oh! Well, she’s told me to do it”. I said feeling annoyed, but it didn’t surprise me, she clearly has it in for me.

“Well, I guess to stay on her good side, it’s best to do it. The sheets are all kept in the room just out of here and on your right. All the cleaning stuff is kept in that cupboard over there”. She pointed to a long white cupboard at the back of the kitchen.

“Thank you”.

“Oh, the bed sheets for their room are marked with Zekan’s name on separate shelves. So, look for his, it’s all clearly labelled so you can’t miss it”.

“Ok”. I nodded and went off to the other room and scoffed as soon as I opened the door. It was three times the size of mine and there was even a separate walk in that held shelves full of neatly pressed sheets. I looked around and saw four shelves in a row labelled Zekan, but there were two other names with their own row’s, names I didn’t recognise. One name stood out to me though, ‘Lord Talon’! LORD! LORD! I shouted in my head. The head of this castle, top of the vampire chain! I completely forgot there was a lord here, I hadn’t seen or heard him at all. Damn this s**t just gets worse! I mumbled to myself.

I got what I needed and headed up to their room and knocked on the door. She opened it with, of course, a dissatisfied look at seeing me in front of her. “What do you want?”

“Umm, I’m here to clean the room!”

“We’re not done yet, you i***t! Wait here until we leave!” She slammed the door again and I just hovered around the hallway like a little lost cat waiting for its owner.

I could hear faint talking in the distance, many voices echoing around the walls and doors opening and shutting. But none of it was coming from where I was. Apart from Zekan’s room and my cupboard, no one ever came down here. I looked toward the staircase, listening to see if the voices were heading my way, when I noticed the hallway that led past the staircase had two sets of big wooden double doors, just like Zekan’s, and I have to admit, I never even noticed them before. It was quite a long hall, it seemed like the length of four houses at least, and all I ever did since I’d been here was keep my head down as I ran up and down the stairs. I never really looked up at my surroundings.

I was just a bit curious. I knew there were more vampires here, and today for the first time I could hear them, but why are those rooms empty?

I heard Zekan’s doors open behind me and I quickly turned around and stood to attention as he strolled out with Lyra, click clacking in her shoes as she always did, her hair looking effortlessly straight and neat, not one strand out of place.

“When you’ve cleaned the room, I want you to polish all of my shoes!” She glared as she strutted past me and Zekan just stayed silent as he rolled his eyes.

I did as I was told and headed to their room. I stood in shock at the sheer size of it! They had their own huge fireplace with black leather couch’s either side. Their dark red curtains hung half drawn and I frowned, wondering why they weren’t fully drawn to protect themselves, but to think of it, all the curtains downstairs were always half open too!

Just past the fire was an open door, which led to the bathroom and to the left of me was their wooden four-poster bed with a thick quilt and several fluffy pillows strewn messily across it.

I decided to start on the bed first and work my way around the large room. I wasn’t exactly new to cleaning. I had cleaned my home almost every day before work and I always helped clean the library, which was huge in itself. But I still couldn’t believe how big just one room was, and I just kept hoping Lyra would be satisfied by the time I finished.

I made the bed and began picking up all the clothes off the floor, noticing a laundry shoot in the wall, I started putting every item down it, when a sudden panic ran over me and made my skin feel cold. What if she doesn’t have her clothes put down the laundry shoot? What if they’re specially cleaned? s**t! She may literally have my head if her majesty never puts them in there! Half of her clothes were already down the tube as I stood there battling with what to do. So, I just bit the bullet and put the rest down, hoping I wouldn’t live to regret it when she gets back.

I was worn out and starving by the time I’d cleaned their entire room and bathroom, but not wanting to waste any time, I headed over to another set of doors, which I guessed was their closet, and opened them to see a whole other room just for their clothes. On the left, all of her dresses and outfits were hung without a crease in sight and on the right were all of Zekan’s clothes.

I walked in further and as I passed all of her clothes I stopped and took in each little cubby hole that held a pair of shoes. There were about ten cubby’s per row and seven rows with all of them full.

I sighed at the task of not only polishing each shoe but making sure I did it to perfection. I grabbed a pair and slumped crossed-legged on the floor and began polishing away, trying to get them to shine and sparkle as much as possible.

Time slipped by as I quietly cleaned each pair, my stomach gurgling, tempting me to take a bite of my sandwich, but I was much too scared that I’d take it out and with my first bite Lyra would walk in and be furious. There’s no way she’d want to see you eating when you’re supposed to be polishing her precious shoes! She’d probably rip off my fingers if she thought I’d get a crumb on her cream carpet! So I kept going until my eyes blurred, staring at shoe after shoe, my mouth dry from not having even a sip of water all day as I cursed my dad in my head over and over.