He awoke the next day in the pitch black room. He only now realized that there were no windows. He groggily sat up, stiff from sleeping in the same position all night on his back. He tried to look around the room, but it was too dark to make out anything besides vague shadows. He reached over to the bed side table and fumbled for the switch on the lamp. When he found it the room filled with light, and he had to squint until his eyes readjusted. He drank from the glass of water, and then noticed the piece of paper that had been underneath it.
Dear Alec Cale,
Seeing as your circumstances stand with your father we have decided to send all your money to them when it comes time to pay. The rules of this house are easy to understand as Rose will no doubt explain at a later date. But the one rule you must obey above all else is that this place is a secret to all whom have yet to enter its gates. This rule is to be upheld at the cost of your life and no less. Though perhaps you may not understand it you will soon enough upon our return to the mansion. Lastly there are things in this world that you must be open to, beyond all reason.
Get well,
Angelene & Dylan
He sat for a moment, trying to figure out how they had known about his father, but quickly his attention was pulled to the fact that this place seemed to be some big secret. ‘How could some mansion be a secret? Any one passing by would see it! Or maybe they’re the secret, after all who can be in a legal job and basically just give away money?’ He thought as he stood and stretched. He was again scanning the room, but he didn’t see much other then what he had the other day. He had his back to the door when it started to creak open.
“A-Alec?” Her voice was a whisper, like she expected him to still be sleeping. He jumped a little at her voice, and turned around to see her with bandages and clothes in her hands. “Oh you’re awake?” She said somewhat surprised. “Are you feeling better today?” She asked as she placed the things she was caring onto the now empty bed.
“Much actually.” He replied, noticing today she wore black sweat pants with little bats on them and a matching tank top instead of her maid uniform. When she noticed him looking she blushed and looked to the ground, he just laughed. “Still in your pajamas?” He said chuckling.
“Yeah, I was going to come and get changed, but since you’re awake I’ll wait until you’re all set.” She said going into the bathroom and turning on the light. “You should probably take a shower; I’ll make you some breakfast.” She said before she yawned like she had also just woken up. She turned on the shower, testing the temperature, and then she pulled a towel out of a cabinet and placed it on the sink counter.
“There you go.” She said as she also grabbed the clothes she had been carrying, she put those onto the sink counter as well. “These are your new uniform, I also put some other clothes in the closet of your new room, and I’ll bring you there later since I still have to clean the bathroom.” She then went to leave the room, but stopped in the door way, and watched him take off the bandage around his neck and then walk into the bathroom. After he closed the door she went to her closet, and got out one of her uniforms including her socks and shoes and undergarments.
She then walked out of the room, and shut the door behind her. She walked a little ways up the hall, in the opposite direction of the throne room. She came to room 16 and entered. She put the uniform on the bed and then got out of her pajamas, and quickly got dressed. When she finished she brushed her hair with her fingers. Once she was confident that she looked presentable she grabbed her pajamas from the bed and exited the room. She walked back to her room and heard the shower still running. She put her dirty clothes into the laundry hamper inside her closet, and then quickly walked down the hall, and right before the throne room she turned left, and went down another hall way to the end which opened into the kitchen. She quickly made someeggs and toast, poured some orange juice into a cup, and then put it all on a tray, and started slowly back to her room as to not spill anything.
Back in her room Alec stepped out of the shower onto the cold tile floor. He turned off the water, and grabbed the towel off the counter. He dried his hair, then his face. When he dried his neck he remembered again about the wounds on his neck and touched the spot where they were. Or-he realized- where they had been. He quickly turned to the mirror hanging above the sink and looked at his neck, but there wasn’t so much as a scar there. He felt chills go down his spine. Had it been a dream? But before he could think much about it he heard a knock on the bathroom door.
“Are you alright? Do you need help getting dressed?” Rose called from the other side of the door.
“No, I am perfectly capable of getting dressed on my own thank you.” He scoffed back to her. He finished drying off and then grabbed a pair of white boxers off the pile of clothes. Next were the black slacks and a white button shirt. As he went to grab the black jacket he noticed it was heavier than it should have been. He shook out the jacket and something metal fell out of it and hit the tile floor causing a loud bang.
“You okay?!” Rose yelled from the other end of the door.
“Yeah yeah, something just fell out of the jacket.” He said mildly annoyed that she had to stand there listening to him while he was getting dressed like he was some child. He looked at the floor and there was a hand gun, new and shiny silver, lying on the tile. He leaned down and picked it up, and found there was an engraving on the side.“Pawn?” He said aloud, and then he found a gun holder on the floor as well, made of thick black fabric. He attached it to his pants, and then holstered the gun before unlocking the bathroom door and opening it.
He still stood in the bathroom, but decided that if he had the door open at least she would stop asking if he was okay. He put on the jacket and buttoned it up, then grabbed the shoes and socks and went to sit on her bed to put them on. When he finished he stood and looked at himself in the full length mirror. “Eh, not half bad I guess.” He said mostly to himself.
“You forgot your tie.” Rose said as she walked over to him and handed him the tie. He looked at it for a moment before trying to put it on, but failing at it. She took the tie back and started tying it on him. “You should learn to tie it yourself. I’ll never get why boys don’t know how to tie these things, even master Dylan has help with it still.” She said, mostly meaning it to herself, but he started to chuckle as he heard her rambling.
“Well if we have girls to do it for us why learn?” Alec replied as she finished, he bent down slightly so they were eye level, and he had a mocking smirk on his face. Rose put her finger to his forehead and pushed him back before walking towards the door.
Before she exited she looked over her shoulder at him. “Because I doubt any girl enjoys doing things for dumb boys.” She giggled a little before leaving the room, him with a pout on his face.
‘The one time she laughs is when she calls me dumb? Great.’ He thought as he went to the bed side table and started eating the breakfast she had left him. ‘Stupid girl.’
When she left the room she went right to cleaning the bathroom in what would be Alec's room. She scrubbed the floors and the sink and bath tub. About an hour later the whole bathroom was spotless. She then left the room and walked back down the hall towards her room. When she got there she opened the door waiting for him to make some joke, but instead he was once again asleep. This time though she strode over and lightly shook his shoulder.
"Alec, wake up! I have work to do." she said as she continued to shake him. After a few minutes she started violently shaking him, which finally woke him, though just barely. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him; her hair slightly disheveled, and just started laughing.
"Did I mention I'm a sound sleeper?" He smirked as he sat up and combed his hair with his fingers. "So what'd you want?"
Rose put her hands on her hips and pouted as a lock of hair fell into her face. She blew on it to move it but it just fell back in to place. She then just pushed it aside with her hand and then turned to leave.
"You are my shadow today, let's go." She said as she turned and grabbed his wrist and dragged him down the hall.
