I Never Wanted to Hurt You

I remembered

Rita was reading her favorite book, the one that help her fall asleep every single night, when her phone rang. "So annoying! Just when I was about to get sleepy this happened. She let her phone rang three more times when she finally decided to answer it. "Hello? Who is this please?", answered Rita in her pretentiously sweet voice. Her eyes opened wide upon hearing the voice on the other end. She was now nodding her head, agreeing to the voice she's hearing on the phone. "Okay madame", she said and tapped close her phone. Rita hurriedly put her robe on and went outside her room.

Mandy was standing in front of the door at the end of the hall in the west wing. The same door that was shut closed from the inside just a few minutes ago. She was reaching now for the door when she felt someone grabbed her from behind. "Rita, what the hell! You scared the guts outta me!" "Sorry ma'aam. May I ask what are you doing here at this hour?" Mandy was staring at Rita, a bit confused and wondering. "How did you know I'm here?" "Well, I was reading my book when... to cut the story short, Madame, Mrs Compton called and said to check on you if you need anything." "At this hour?", Mandy asked in confusion. Rita nodded her head and smiled. "Well", Mandy said, " I was thirsty and I wanted to get some water from the kitchen." "Kitchen's downstairs ma'am." Rita said sweetly. "Well, i was about to go there but I though I saw you went this way so I just followed." "No worries ma'am, i'll just get you your water. I'll guide you back to your room." Rita held Mandy's left elbow and turned her around towards her room. "Madame will be here in a moment. She decided to come back tonight instead." As they were both going back, the slightly opened door at the end of the hall in the west wing slowly closed on its own. Rita heard the door shut tight, and she jumped a bit in fright, and did the sign of the cross.

Mrs Compton, now riding on a taxi, was feeling a bit worried and afraid. She was touching her silver cross necklace pendant while looking outside the window. She was a bit startled at the thought of something bizarre. She shook her head, as if letting out something from her hair. It was a small brownish dried leaf. Mrs Compton took it from the seat, looked at it and remembered, it was from the tree just near their fence. Maybe, it fell on her hair when she hurriedly left earlier. She put the leaf inside her coin purse just a like a new found lucky charm. She was now looking at her watch and then took out her outdated mobile phone and started dialing Rita's number. "Ring..ring..ring.." no answer. "I wonder where she is right now?", she thought. The old man, driving the taxi, the one Mrs Compton was riding was, drove the streets very carefully, too careful (slow), in driving, that it took Mrs Compton over an hour to get to the mansion. She took some change from her purse and handed them to the old man and said, "Next time try to drive a little faster", she winked at the old man and went out the taxi. She then pressed the button on the left side of the huge gate that covers the whole mansion, it buzzed, and slowly opened. Mrs Compton walked inside the gates and was now walking really fast at the entrance going to the mansion. Her heart was pounding so fast and she's sweating heavily even if it's too windy outside at this time of the night.

Three knocks on the door, Mandy got up from the sofa inside the room where she's occupying for the time being while waiting for her friend, Chloe, to arrive, and that won't be until Thursday morning. "One more day", she thought. Mandy slowly opened the door on her room and saw Rita with a big basket full of goodies and a tray with a glass full of iced water. Rita carefully placed the tray on top of the round table in front of the grey sofa and put the basket of goodies down on the floor. "What's all of these?", Mandy asked Rita. "Oh, well, Mrs Compton just arrived and saw me bringing the water so she called me and gave me this basket of fruits and other items, in case you feel hungry in the middle of the night. I need to sleep also Ma'am", Rita was smiling now. "Yes, yes, how silly of me. I should have said thank you. Anyways, thank you for all of these Rita. How's Miss C? Tell her I said thanks. You should get going now and have your beauty rest. I need to get some sleep, too", Mandy laughed a bit with her sarcasm. Rita nodded, and took the tray with her and eventually left the room. Mandy locked the door and drank the ice cold water straight up. "Wow!" She looked at the contents of the basket Rita just brought her. Inside were two boxes of chocolate chip cookies, a pack of gummy candies, an apple, a carton of chilled pineapple juice, a pack of cinnamon bread and some mini chocolate bars. "I wouldn't be able to sleep now with all these", she whispered.

Rita went straight to her room. Removed her white silky robe, placed it on the chair near her room's coffee table and hopped into her comfy bed. She wanted to read some more but she saw the time on the wall clock just at the top of her door. It's already past midnight. She needs to sleep now before her phone alarm sound come 4:30 am. She cannot wake up later than that now that Mrs Compton is in the house. She thought Madam will arrive the next morning. Rita was about to close her eyes when she heard a knock from her door. "Rita?, Open the door." It was Mrs Compton. Rita was a bit annoyed. All she wanted was a couple of hours of sleep before her duty starts again. If not only for her brother, she wouldn't be a "assistant/maid" in this creepy place. She needs to earn well to help her brother in his studies. Their parents split up when she was close to eight years old. Luckily, her mother is a dear friend to the Madam and helped her with her schooling. Rita wanted to become a teacher but she couldn't pass the exam to get a license, so Mrs Compton suggested she be her "assistant" in the meantime. The pay is good though, so Rita decided to work in the mansion and leave after her brother finished his studies.

"Hello Madam, you need anything?", Rita asked Mrs Compton. "Sit down and let's talk", Mrs Compton said. She asked Rita what happened in the mansion while she was away. Rita told her about the incident on the west wing and asked the Madam if there's ghosts in the mansion. Rita has been working in there for quite sometime now, but there was never an incident where she saw or felt actual ghosts lurking inside. All she experienced were sounds of dropping things on the roof that can be just cats or birds playing in the middle of the night and clanking sounds in the kitchen that can very well be just big insects of pets looking for food. Nothing other that those. "Starting tomorrow, I want you to keep a close watch on our guest. Make sure she doesn't go near the west wing again." "Why is that Madam?", Rita was confused now with what the Madam has just told her. "Just do as I say, sleep now and be up at exactly 4:00." "4:30 Madam", Rita said. Mrs Compton stood up and left Rita's room. Rita was a bit confused, but she was so sleepy by now. She closed the door, locked it and turned off the light and dropped to her bed to sleep.

"Hey Chloe, I can't sleep. Call me when you get this message okay? I miss you, I really do. Good night bestie love you!" Mandy left a voice message on her friend's phone. She couldn't sleep now after eating two chocolate bars and an apple. She couldn't access the internet either, "Unstable Connection" keeps popping out on her phone. There's no TV or even radio in her room. Only books. "I hate books", she uttered in disgust. Mandy lied down the bed and closed her eyes trying to fall asleep but she couldn't. It's almost one in the morning now. She sat up, and saw something hanging from the book shelf. She got up and walked towards it. It's an old photograph. She took it and sat in the sofa. It was a photo of a man. A very handsome young man. As she looked closely, Mandy saw that the handsome man in the photo were with companions. Two women. One with a very long hair that is braided with red ribbon ties and the other with a semi curly, no, wavy brown hair. "What the hell", Mandy uttered. "She looked exactly like me."