Out of the Darkness

Chapter 11

The next morning, Martha came for me early, as the sun rose over the horizon. She looked just as dour as I felt. I stood there in the servant's quarters, among a small group of servants, who must have returned to the servants' quarters after I had fallen asleep. They looked burnt out and weary, much like how I felt.

"Good morning, everyone," Martha greeted us. "I trust you all had a pleasant night?"

Most of them nodded and mumbled a soft "yes."

I could hear the weariness in their voices; it was almost as if they were too tired to care. Their eyes were hollow and lacked any trace of emotion, but they also seemed compliant. Had they accepted their fate?

"I hope you're all ready to start your work today," Martha said.

"Yes," we all chorused.

"Good," she replied before beginning to distribute duties.

My eyes roamed around the room as she spoke, taking note of the other servants. There was a woman, who I suspected was in her early thirties, who had curly brown hair, and was wearing a drab grey dress. Another one was a boy. He had dark hair, a muscular build, and looked to be about my age. I wondered what his story was and where he came from, but I didn't get a chance to ask.

"Now let's see," Martha said, after assigning tasks to the other servants, she turned her attention to me. "Kat, you will be working along side me today. I will be showing you around the castle."

I nodded in response. I didn't have a choice.

"Follow me," Martha said as she led me out of the basement, up the dimly lit steps, to the hallway above. I was nervous as we left the room, afraid that I would mess up and disappoint Martha, unsure what punishments might come from my mistakes.

We walked for quite some time, passing numerous hallways, chambers, and rooms. She tried to explain to me the different rooms, and where each hallway led, but I was still confused. The castle was so big, and the corridors so winding, that I was sure I'd never find my way around on my own.

Eventually, we stopped in front of a large wooden door with an ornate design carved into it. It looked similar to Celtic symbols I had seen, but much more intricate in detail. I glanced around and noticed that there were no other doors like this one along the hallway.

"This is the master's chambers," Martha informed me. "You should never enter here without expressed permission. If you do, the punishment will be severe."

I gulped in response, not wanting to know the punishment. I felt my heart hammering against my rib cage. Was I going to be punished just for standing here? My eyes roamed over the door, admiring the beautiful patterns carved into the wood. The intricate detail and craftsmanship were impressive, as was the overall beauty of the design.

Martha looked at me, raising an eyebrow. I could feel her disapproval of my inaction. "Do you understand, Kat?" she asked in an impatient tone.

"Yes," I replied hastily, not wanting to get in trouble for her to be angry with me.

"Good," she replied in an annoyed tone, "let's continue."

She turned away from the door and proceeded down the hallway, but I hesitated, my eyes lingering on the door for a few more seconds before I finally caught up to Martha. She had already opened another door at the end of the corridor, and now stood waiting for me.

"These are the kitchens," she declared as we entered the large room. There were large woodburning stoves, with steaming pots, holding a variety of exotic foods. The island in the center of the kitchen held vegetables, meats, grains, and fruits. The scent of fresh bread and spices filled the air.

A stout woman stood over one of the stoves, stirring the contents to perfection, while adding small amounts of different herbs and spices to get it just right.

"Gertrude," Martha said, announcing their arrival. "I've brought the new servant. Master would like her to work with you in the kitchen this evening."

As the stout woman finally looked up and turned toward me, I let out a shocked gasp. She wasn't human. Her skin was a pale shade of green, her features were sharp, and her eyes glowed brightly. She opened her mouth and revealed sharp teeth that seemed more suited for a carnivore than a herbivore.

"What is she?" I asked, in a hushed tone.

"A goblin," Martha responded with a hint of impatience.

"Am.. am.. I.. in hell," I stuttered out, not understanding what I was seeing. I briefly contemplated that I had died during my captivity and that everything I had undergone since was some kind of personal hell.

"No," Martha scoffed. "This is not hell."

"Where is this then?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from wavering.

I could tell by the look on Martha's face that she was enjoying my discomfort. She had no intention of reassuring me, as if she was satisfied with my fear.

"This is the Castle Delarosa," she declared with an air of superiority. "You're going to be serving here, or don't you remember your previous introduction?"

"I mean where is the castle? Is this on earth?" I asked again, knowing she wasn't going to tell me anything.

She scoffed in response. "What does it matter? All that matters is that you serve the master."

"You're in the otherworld now," Gertrude interjected, not enjoying the way Martha continued toying with my emotions.

"The otherworld?" I asked in surprise. "What is that?"

Martha shot Gertrude a displeased look, and you could tell she wasn't happy with the way Gertrude had interfered.

"Enough already," Martha ordered angrily. "We didn't come here to talk. We came here so that you can learn what your job is."

"Gertrude," she said, turning her attention back to the goblin. "She needs to help make the evening meal, and the Master wants his dinner served no later than 7pm. Understood."

"Yes, ma'am," Gertrude said in a slightly sardonic voice, which made me question if she was actually subservient to the Master or not.

Martha abruptly turned on her heel, leaving me alone with Gertrude. Her yellow eyes studied me as I stood there in silence. She seemed to have no words for me, and so the two of us remained in an uncomfortable silence for what seemed like ages. Finally, Gertrude spoke. "Follow me," she said. "We have a lot of work to do."

She led me to the corner of the kitchen, where a large bucket of potatoes waited. She had me peel them while she chopped them up. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I was working in the kitchen of some mythological creature. But I knew better than to ask her any more questions. So instead, I remained silent.

As I peeled each potato, I took a moment to think about what my life would be like if I had never been captured. I thought back to Adam, my high school crush. Would I have been able to get his attention at my birthday party? Maybe we would be dating now. I thought about finishing school and going to college. Would I have majored in science or history? So many questions about my life left unanswered. Instead I was stuck here, wherever here was.

"Stop day dreaming and focus on the potatoes," Gertrude commanded in a sharp tone.

I dropped the potato I had been holding into the bucket and went back to peeling more, trying to keep my mind on task. Once we had finished with the potatoes, Gertrude had me start chopping up carrots while she prepared the meat. As the meat sizzled in the skillet, the aroma filled the room. It reminded me of my mother's home-cooked meals. The scents were so different from one another, but the memories they brought back made me feel a wave of sad nostalgia. I wondered if I would ever be able to return now, even if I did escape. If I wasn't even on earth anymore, how would I ever find my way back?

Once all the ingredients were cooked to perfection, I ladled them onto a plate and placed them on the tray with a crystal decanter of red wine, a spoon and fork. Gertrude handed me a stack of linen napkins, along with a pitcher of water and a basket of bread. She led the way to the master's chambers, as I followed her closely.

"Follow me," Gertrude ordered. "Do not speak, unless he asks you a question."

I followed closely behind her as she led me down the corridors to the Master's chambers. My hands trembled as I tried to keep the tray steady, scared to make any type of mistake. My thoughts were racing, thinking about what might happen if I dropped something or messed up. I tried to push those thoughts aside, and focus on keeping the tray level and on my course.

Gertrude knocked on the door, only opening it after receiving the Master's permission to enter. She then turned back to me, ushered me into the room before her. I walked forward on shaky legs, still clutching tightly onto the tray, taking in the sights and smells of the room. The carpet felt plush beneath my feet, and the furniture looked old, but in pristine condition. Everything was finely made and luxurious in every way. I couldn't help but think that this room had been designed by a collector of fine arts, rather than the home of the master of this castle.

" Master," Gertrude spoke in a slightly snarky tone. "I have brought you your dinner as you requested."

"Thank you, Gertrude," the man responded, his voice like honey. "And you may leave us now."

"Yes, sir," Gertrude replied before promptly leaving the room.

I set the tray down on the table next to the chair he was sitting on and began setting it up for his dinner, making sure the napkins were neatly arranged on the plate and the food was neatly plated.

"Poor me some wine," he ordered me.

I poured some of the wine from the decanter into a small crystal glass. My hands shook under his cold gaze and I was afraid I was going to spill it. I managed to get it into the glass, then offered it to him, my hands shaking. He grabbed it from me, before taking a sip and nodding his head in approval.

"Very good," he praised, before placing the glass back on the tray. "You can leave now," he told me dismissively.

"Thank you, Master" I said, before quickly turning around and exiting the room, closing the door behind me. As I walked back down the hallway to the kitchen, my whole body shaking with relief, tears spilling from my eyes.When I finally arrived back at the kitchen, I found Gertrude there alone, waiting for me.

"Well done," she said, patting me on the shoulder.

"What?" I was stunned, not expecting praise.

"It's not often someone can bring food to him without spilling it," she explained. "Usually everyone gets a severe punishment on their first day, and you managed to pull it off. That's impressive."

I looked at her in shock, not sure what to think. She had praised me for bringing a meal to a man who was likely my captor? A man who owned me? It didn't seem right, and yet I felt a sense of pride at the words. It wasn't long before Martha returned, her heels clicking down the hall, announcing her presence.

When Martha marched through the kitchen door, her face held a look that showed displeasure and frustration.

"What is it?" I asked nervously, wondering what I had done wrong.

"The master," Martha began. "He wishes you to be punished."

"Punished?" I asked, not sure I heard her correctly. "What for?"

Martha glared at me as if I should know. "He says that you were too slow to serve him dinner," she informed me.

"That's rubbish," Gertrude chimed in angrily. "Not only did she bring him the food on time, she didn't spill a single thing."

"Master's orders," Martha sneered. Martha turned to Gertrude, "Get the whip."

"Yes, ma'am," Gertrude replied, and promptly headed off to get the whip.

I looked at Martha, hoping she might take my side, but her eyes were unsympathetic. She was doing this out of pure spite, I was sure. She was angry with me for working faster than she expected and for doing everything right my first day.

When Gertrude returned, she handed Martha the whip and she motioned for me to move forward. I did so reluctantly, feeling tears welling in my eyes. What had I done? Why was I being punished for doing what I was told? Martha raised the whip high, then swung it down towards my back. I felt the sting on my skin before the sound of the whip could reach my ears. I screamed out in agony and collapsed to my knees, feeling blood run down my back.

The whip came down again and again as Martha continued to beat me. Tears were streaming down my face, as I struggled to stay conscious. The world seemed to spin around me, before I finally collapsed into darkness.