CHAPTER 12
The masters were happy to see me back again in their mansion. It's not like I escape from this place. But master Park convinced me that I'm still a maid and master Kim still has the trigger whenever he sees human faces, and so I decided to cover my face using the paper bag. Somehow, I feel relieved that they didn't bother me after that day but their eyes were always glued to me as if they doesn't want to leave me in their sight. Everything went back to normal at least but the thing that they still having fun with the girl-toys especially Barbie is very uncomfortable indeed. I can always catch them doing dirty at every corner of this mansion.

"You know, this rook is a traitor!" Master Yangs said as he eat Barbie's pawn.
Barbie gasp and claps her hands together as though the game was interesting. Barbie and master Yangs, right now are playing games here in the garden and it's so nice to go outside once in a while. But the cold is burning our forefeet from the snow. Maids aren't allowed to wear slippers or shoes, it's a sign that they can't get out from the mansion but for some reason, the masters told us to clean the garden.
"My goodness! It's so freezing in here! I can't feel my whole body in cold!" Seulji said, her voice is shaking from the cold and she was almost hugging the broom she was holding.

"I feel you! We feel you! But we can't feel our bodies anymore! Well, look at Barbie, she's wearing winter clothes." Xion shakingly said.
Few of us maids can barely move from the cold. Every time we move, the cold wind will strike us and freeze us to our ground. I hugged myself, unable to even move. Sichen and Jaemen almost hug each other, Juyeon will sneeze and San is forcing himself to move but shaking after then. Doyoung and Beom and Yeonjun are inside to dirty the mansion. While we, removing the snow from the garden. I heard that they love plants but all of their plants are dying from the lack of care. The gardener is not even shaking in the cold. He moves like it's a sunny day.
"Aww, poor maids. Baby Yang, why can't you give them a jacket? They seem cold." We heard Barbie say and Seulji will roll her eyes and mumbled, 'Bitch'.
"Let them be. They are pawns and pawns need to take orders from the higher officials."
"Is master Yangs degrading us?!" Xion whispered lowly.
"Also, pawns are nothing but a poor rat."
"You mean thrash? Then why? Why are you so in love with that maid number twenty?!" Barbie suddenly burst out, almost in tears.
I pretend to be deaf, pretend to be naive, and don't want to hear anything. I'm shivering in cold and I don't want to hear their cold words.
"Are you jealous?" I heard master Yangs ask.
"Of course I am! I've been waiting for you to come and propose to me! But--"
"You're just a toy. We don't love you." Master Yangs quickly cut her off using her coldest tone.
"And don't take everything seriously. The thing is that making sex with you because we can't have sex with Sunie yet not until our turn will come."
My heart began to race inside my chest. I can feel the piercing stare of master Yangs on my mask. I peeked up at master Yangs and caught him staring at me with lust in his eyes while licking his bottom lip. I quickly averted my gaze from him and continue to swipe the garden.
"That's unfair! How could you say that! You heartless monsters! You think that piece of thrash will love you?!"
I turned to Barbie. She's saying the words that will trigger the masters. If she continues that, she'll die. I drop the broom and run to Barbie. I glance at master Yangs and see him looking in threatening eyes at Barbie. Barbie hasn't flinch at the sight. She's a way get used to them that much and even can throw feet of tantrums to the masters: that didn't scare her.
"He's not gay if you know! And even he is, he will never lo--" As soon as I make it to Barbie, I shove him hard causing him to fall on her chair. "The fuck is that you piece of shit!" Barbie screeched angrily. Her face is flushing red.
I whimpered once I felt master Yangs' arm sneak on my waist, pulling me close to his body.
"How adorable. I forgot that it's my turn to claim you." He whispered and I feel his lips on my shoulder.
I immediately thrash away. There's no way I would let them claim me.
I get back to my work and master Yangs chuckled, watching me but when he heard Barbie's whines, he rolled his eyes and walked back to the mansion. Not even helping Barbie.
"Serves you right bitch! Do you think even you are the toys that don't mean the masters will love you? Never bitch!" Seulji mocked and Barbie just screeched angrily before marching back to the mansion. "That was so satisfying. Thanks for pushing her like that." She said and I nodded in return.
After done removing the snow, we all hurriedly back inside, shivering in cold. Beom meet us with a bunch of old and stained jackets on his arms. We took it and hurriedly put them on, don't care if this jacket looks old and dirty. We are talking about the winter when we heard the clip-clop from the carriage outside. We all run to the window and peeped outside. We saw a carriage coming to the mansion. Just then, we noticed all the masters are all getting ready with their butlers serving them.
"What do you think is that?" Doyoung asked.
"I don't know, maybe a visitor?" Seulji answered.
"It's obvious. See how are the masters preparing for their leave?" Juyeon nodded to himself as his thoughts were right.
"Maids."
We hurriedly pushed away from the window once we heard that deep and demanding voice from one of the masters. We turn around to face master Leelex, wearing a nice England suit with huge lace of ribbon on his neck. He smiled at us.
"We'll be going to leave. Take care of the mansion and don't ever think of escaping especially you twenty." He eyed me. "Anyway, while we are away the caretaker will have a watch on you. So, don't ever come outside of your room alright?"
We all nodded even I'm confused about what the caretaker will watch us? Is he like our babysitter? Master Leelex walked to me and kissed my adam's apple. When he parted, he wink at me then walked away. We watched the masters leave, leaving us all alone in this mansion. I can't see any of the elderly maids and while the conductors are out in the city I supposed. The house was quiet and I can't hear anything besides something has been cooking.
"What is the caretaker? That's the first time I heard that." Doyoung asked and I nod in agreement.
"It's a horrible creature. I once encounter him. He's very scary." Yeonjun said.
We paused once we heard someone is whistling from somewhere in the house. When he stopped, ragged breathing came next then he will whistle again.
"What is that?" I whispered but Beom pulled me and we all run to the empty room. I believe this is Doyoung and San's room. We all gathered there. The room isn't small at all so it's just right for the ten of us to fit in this small room.
"It's the caretaker! Listen to me." Beom starts, clicking his tongue. "There's a way to avoid that monster. Don't make any noises. He's deaf yes but he can hear even small sounds just like master Hwang. He is not blind indeed but he can't see us as long as we don't make even the slightest sound. In his vision we are invisible."
"Then...what will happen if he hears us?" Jaemen asked.
"He will sew your eyeballs and your eyelids on your face before cutting your tongue."
"Oh... that hurts." Xion hissed.
"We actually don't know," Yeonjun said, shaking his head.
"How we will escape then? This is the right time to escape." Seulji said.
San stood up and pulled me up with him. "Led the way where you found that secret tunnel."
"But I'm not sure if that tunnel will lead the way out. I only saw is that a ruined living room and fine bedroom." I hurriedly said before San could even pull me away out of this room. I'm too afraid to encounter the caretaker. I can't deny the fact that I'm a coward.
"Are you sure? Did you search it carefully?" San asked while looking at me with his brows are furrowed. I recall the time when I'm there. Indeed, I didn't search it whole because I'm too scared to stay there long, knowing the masters' will might find me. I slowly shook my head.
"Well...we don't know anything about this mansion. Who knows there's another way out? Or there's even a real or fake tunnel. You know what I mean." Yeonjun said and shrugged. He has a point though. We can't risk going back to the library.
"There's a vent I saw in master Hwang's room. We can go there and investigate." I said.
"Well? Then...we should go to master Hwang's room then." Sichen agreed, nodding his head. "But the only problem is that monster outside."
"Ok, I'll go," Doyoung said before standing up from the ground.
"Me too. I'll go with you guys." I said and raised my hand.
"I'll come with you then. You need an elder to guide you." San chuckled.
After the long discussion about the plan, I, Doyoung, and San finally made our way out of the room. Even I'm too scared right now, I need to do this. I have enough of their games and I want to go home, eat normal food and continue my postponed studies. With the help of a lamp, we manage to see through the darkness. Nothing can see in the dark hallway but I can hear the slow footsteps downstairs.
Yeonjun mentioned that the caretaker is moving at a very slow pace that even a turtle can get ahead of him. But once he heard something and got all hyped up, his movements is faster than a normal speed. We can be safe as long as we keep quiet until we made it to master Hwang's room. I don't have any idea of that caretaker's appearance but I don't want to find out either. I have seen enough already. The masters leaking face is enough for me to feel terrified.
We sneaked through the dark hallway and shone the light in every dark corner we passed. I can still hear the footsteps that the monster is creating from downstairs. I can feel my heart pounding inside my chest out of fear and my head hurt at the horrible smell that lingers in the place. Every step we took, it's making a creaking sound. San is the first one in the line and was holding the lamp, he suddenly stop. We also stop and looked at him in confusion. He signs us to be quiet. Just then, we heard the footsteps already going up the stairs.
"He heard." San mouthed. I shivered upon getting that. Is the creaking sound is loud enough for him? San signs us to keep it slow and doesn't make any noise.
We crouched down and silently walk in that position. I can feel Doyoung holding me for his dear life. I search his hand and hold it. I can't see anything but a ruined hallway.
"There's another hallway there. That's the first time I see that." Doyoung whispered suddenly caused us to stop.
San and I looked over Doyoung but he only give us a confused and shocked look. "Did you say that?" San mouthed and Doyoung began to tremble. He immediately shook his head before mouthing "No."
"I can't see another hallway here thought. I only see is the same hallway we walk every day." I whispered. "But who the heck whispered that?"
"No idea," San shrugged. "But we need to keep going. That whisper? It's nothing to be terrified..."
I nodded but I can still feel Doyoung shaking in fear. I squeezed his hand to make him feel safe. "That's a wrong direction!"
We jump when he heard San's voice this time and it looks like the voice is angry. We stood up, knowing that we are screwed. We all tensed while looking at the sign of the caretaker but the slow pace from him remain like that, away from our direction. Wait, the monster didn't hear that scream?
"Turn around..." My hair in my body raised once a low whisper of a child passed through my ears. Is she asking me to turn around? But why? I'm scared. I can't move because of fear. What's up with those voices? Why? Why are they bothering us?
"Red room...black room..." Another whispered came again. Wait, red room? Black room? Isn't the black room is the toys' room?
I took a deep breath. "Is there...anything here like red room?" I whispered and both of them looked at me with a frown.
"You hear the whispers too?" Doyoung asked and I nodded.
"I don't know anything like that. But we need--"
"Turn around!" Another scream from some random voices echoed in the entire hallway.
Do they want us to turn around? But why? I closed my eyes before taking deep breaths. I open my eyes and looked over Doyoung and San. We all look at each other, ready to do anything if something comes wrong. We held each others' hands and turned around. We see nothing but a black door that we just pass.
We sneak to that door. San pressed his ear on the wooden concrete to listen to what was inside but I guess he doesn't hear anything. Doyoung holds the knob before slowly twitching it around making a soft click-sound from it. San carefully pushed the door open and caused a creaking sound. We can't see anything but an empty room. There's a small bed with drained blood all over it and a broken lamp beside it. There's nothing here, or maybe there's a secret door here? But, what's in the red room? Is there anything here like that?
Doyoung carefully closed the door behind us. "Maybe there's a secret door here?" he said.
"Maybe. Start searching then." San said and start grasping the wall.
We both do the same action, mimicking him, touching the dusty wall and all. I stopped as soon as I touched something hard on the hard concrete under the bed. It was what seemed to be a small handle of some sort. It was almost invisible in the darkness. I crawled closer and felt it, it was a handle of something. I hurriedly crawled out from under the bed. I told San and Doyoung that I see discover something on the wall from under the bed. We need to move the bed first.
"How we can move this? It's too heavy and I'm sure that this will make a loud sound." Doyoung sighs.
"But we need to move it or else we can't figure out what's behind that secret door," San said.
We decided to just move it to the side. We carefully carry the bed and move it to the side. It was almost a success though we made noises that will attract the caretaker from outside. And I was right. I can hear his footsteps running to this room. We start to panic. I immediately kneel and wiped the handle, I slide it open and the first thing we see is a dark vent. San crawled inside first before Doyoung and me. We crawled fast but carefully. I have no idea of where this led to.
We continued to crawl forward until we were to be expected to reach the end, but no matter how much forward we went, San wouldn't stop.
"Just how long this vent?" I heard Doyoung whisper.
"No idea," San replied.
As we go further, we began to drag across something rough and hard-something resembling concrete or rotting wood. The shadows ahead only grew darker and the tunnel is smaller than we are currently in. San stopped and so we are, looking over to San who was ahead of us and holding the lamp. I can see the rotting wood ahead of us. It's something new.
San looked over to us and was about to say something but something like sharp pierced the vent, near me. I can feel the stinging pain on my barefoot. I whimpered quietly and my eyes began to water.
"I hear you~" He sang.
My blood rushed as I freeze on my ground, same as San and Doyoung. The voice, it's one of the masters. It's probably the youngest master, master Yangs or Yang.
Master Yang pulled what it seems like long spikes out of the vent. I covered my mouth and whimpered against my palm.
"What?! The masters are already here?!" I heard San hissed. "Come on! Hurry!"
We crawled through the vent and to the wooden concrete. We didn't scream but we continue to crawl. My palms start to sting along with my feet and knees too. I could hear the distanced footsteps underneath us as though making their way close to us from outside the tunnel. I looked down on the hard concrete and with the help of San's lamp, I can see the concrete we crawling right now. I start to cry silently in fear and pain after knowing that this tunnel we are in right now is full of broken glasses.
Other sharp spikes pierced the tunnel and we scream. We hurriedly crawled as soon as the master start getting us stabbed with his spikes. We can hear him insidious laughing from underneath.
"Whoever you are, I'll make sure to punish you until you regret doing something out of orders!" He shouted. His voice is different and sounds so sinister but a little high-pitch with different mixed voices.
We continued to crawl deep in this tunnel, dodging every master's attack and not minding the stinging pain on our hands and knees. As we go further I could see the changes in the scenery. I can no longer hear the master's insidious laugh. I looked ahead of me and noticed the walls were bland, and they looked like formed concrete as a tunnel. I began to feel squeamish as it felt as though the walls were closing in and shrinking. It's too scary to go further and the tunnel we crawling is near to break. There's no way of turning back now, if we do then the master will catch us.
We continued to crawl until we heard a creaking sound from the wood. The first thing we knew was that we fell. I didn't know how long we fell, but I landed on the ground below us. I wheezed, pain shooting up my back. I couldn't breathe in, the pain being too much. I felt as though my stomach has been stabbed. I coughed, as the dirt and dust got into my lungs. I winced. I can't hear anything aside from the sound of a creaking. I open my eyes and it was pitch black, I couldn't even see my hand in front of me. I tried to move and stood up but a horrible pain in my stomach made me stop. I touch my stomach and whine. I felt something hard and it seems like it was stuck on my stomach. I hold it and pulled it out with a painful scream. I caught up my breath, forcing myself not to cry.
"Doyoung? San?" I called but I can't hear anything aside from the creaking sound.
I crawled my way and touched the wall, trying to figure out where I'm in right now. I used it to stand up. Where are they? Where am I? I can't see anything. It's too dark and I'm scared. The fear only grew inside my stomach. I grasp my surroundings until I felt something hard. I get the object and felt its shape. I gasp silently after knowing that it was a flashlight. I open it and I was terrified to find myself inside of an infirmary.