"Alright, maids. Meet your new co-workers, number ten." She said with a wide smile and faced me.
"Nice to meet you number ten." They said in unison as they practiced it every day. I don't know what to react so I just looked at them uneasily.
"You can start now. Your room will be number four and number six room. Lend him there would you?"
The two boys with numbers four and six number hurriedly pulled me away. We run to the dark dim hallway until we reach an old white door. They pushed me inside before both of them went in and closed the door. The room wasn't big and wasn't small, just enough for three people. There are three single beds, which were only meant for one person each and one window. It was mostly clean, other than the fact that dust from the wall had found itself around the baseboards.
I watched number four as he walked towards the closet before opening it. He took the same pair of clothes as their's and give them to me.
"Hurry and change your clothes before the masters arrive." He said and even I don't have any idea of what is going on, I took the clothes and stared at them for a while. It's dirty and stinks just like their clothes.
"Don't be a picky newbie and wear that quickly." Number six said with the hint of impatience in his voice but I could tell that he's scared?
I didn't waste any time and hurriedly strip before changing my clothes to the stinky ones. Once I'm done, I almost gagged with the smell as my stomach twisted. Why we should wear this kind of clothes?
"I'll take this." Number four said and throw my clothes even my shoes and socks inside of the closet.
I sat down on one of the beds in the middle, unsure of what to do. The more I sat there in silence, the sicker I felt. I ended up asking them what's going on. Number four-hand me the paper bag with the number ten printed on it.
"Wear that when you go outside. Remember to not take it off not when you are inside of our room." Number four calmly said but I can hint at the fear in his voice.
"Why?" I asked, looking at the paper bag.
"Let me tell you the rules of this house." Number six said and sat on one of the beds. "Rule number one. Don't take off your mask like what number four told you. Rule number two. Only call us by our numbers especially when you're outside of this room. Rule number three. Always bowed politely in front of the masters and don't ever try to talk to them unless they told you. Rule number four. Don't idle around especially when the masters are here and don't even dare to go outside when it's night."
"Why? How can I pee or drink water then if I'm thirsty?" I cut him off.
"Don't worry about the bathroom. There's a bathroom here." Number four answered. I don't know what kind of expression they making now. "And we don't drink water."
"What? Why?" I asked in shock. How can they survive without drinking any water?
"Look newbie...the most important rule for our maids is..." He paused for a while. "...don't ever show your face in front of the masters." Number six interfered as if trying to cut that topic. "Don't ever let them see your face especially if you are the boy they longing for."
My head furrowed in confusion. What is he trying to say? I don't get it. Why we can't show our faces to the masters and what's up with that weird rules?
"What will happen if they see my face then?"
They paused for a while before hearing them sigh. "We don't know. And if you are the boy they waiting-looking for...he's a treat for us. If they knew, they're going to kill us all." Number four said.
"So! Even we don't want to kill him...we have no choice. We want to live and only killing him is the only way of escaping from this hell." Number six seriously said but a little threatening.
I open my mouth to ask more questions but a weird loud tapping on the floor made me froze, not just me but both numbers four and six too. "Quickly! Put that on!" Number four said in a panic.
I did what he told me. I wear the paper bag and thankfully, the smell hasn't reached the inside of the paper, or else I would gag again. As soon as I put the paper bag on, the two boys ran out from their rooms, leaving the door open and leaving me out alone. I quickly ran up to catch them down on the stairs and followed where are they going until we stopped beside the entrance. Our conductor showed up and told us to quickly gather up and form a line. I was standing next to number seven but number eight shove me away causing me to fall on the dusty floor.
"Follow the numbers quickly and just don't lay down there!" Number two shouted at me and I immediately stood up, standing next to number nine.
Another ten children of all different ages, wearing all black old suits and old dresses lined up on the opposite side. My eyes widen once I saw them. They were all wearing black as if they're going to attend the funeral. A dirty rag with two holes and bloodstains sewed in their skin, linking it together around their eyes so they couldn't take it off. They aren't wearing any shoes too and scratches and open wounds are visible on their skin. Most of them are girls. They look pale and thin just like the others.
Seriously? What is this?
"Listen up kids!"
Another woman with the same face as our conductor but shorter came in front of the entrance, clapping her hands together. Smiling at all of us widely.
"The masters are here." That's the only thing she said before opening the door.
The first thing I saw was when the woman open the door. A boy, who looked to be in his twenty-one walked calmly inside as if he's in his royal palace. He's wearing an old suit with a shade of light brown, a cane on his hand. His extremely pale as if the color of his skin turns into gray color. Stitches all around his skin and very visible like his wounds have been sewed up in a thick black thread. Black drain liquid leaves on the sides of the wounds; peeping through the holes and cuts in his wounds. His face was screaming no emotions at all but he look so depressed. I paled up in a confusion about what is this guy is? Is he even human? Why is his blood are black? Why does he even look like that?
I stared at his face and I could doubt that he wasn't ugly at all. His eyes are piercing and he looked like a cat. His face is beautiful and he looks very charismatic especially when he walks. He looked like a celebrity. His hair was brushed up to the side giving us the full access of showing his slight upward eyebrows and sewed forehead like Frankenstein.
"Welcome back master Lee." They said in chorus. It's too sudden that I don't have the time to greet him too.
I froze in the spot when he suddenly stopped in front of me. Moving his head towards me, glaring at me with his piercing eyes. Did I do wrong? Are my late reflexes is wrong? I quickly looked down on my bare feet. Waiting for what he could say but I was surprised when he jabbed his cane on my stomach, right where my stitch is. I yelp in pain and slightly bent down while holding my stomach.
"I-I'm sorry..." I apologize and just then he finally leaves me. Moving forward to the stairs.
I feel number nine nudge my shoulder. "You're lucky. Master Lee didn't give you a hard spank on the face." She said. "Oh...well...he forgets everything."
Yeah, maybe I was lucky today. Just this time.
A young one came inside, running as thought chasing master Lee. We hadn't greeted him because of him running past us. The man who chased master Lee, with a blonde mop of hair and a lithe body. And it seems that his voice is almost sinister and deep but that doesn’t match the voice at all; his voice is a deep bass, while his face is soft and almost fairy-like. A smattering of freckles lay across his nose and cheeks, only adding to the fairy impression. Doe-like eyes blink at master Lee when he shoves him hard, almost as if in shock. He’s really pretty. But the thing is he has double stitches around his neck and long cuts across his face.
"Do you know, that is master Lee. They are brothers. To hit the difference, we calling him master Leelex." Number nine whispered. "He's the sunshine among them. He always brightened the mood but most of the time, he always locked himself in his room to play with the dead plants and do insects experiments. So don't wonder if you can't see most Leelex all the time."
Another boy with plump lips seemed it almost gone dry walked in. He's much younger than the first one; around just like my age. He looks so charming. He's the tallest one and most likely a visual. His hair is so dark it’s almost completely black and if I imagine it, long hair will perfectly fit him. It suits the taller so well though. It doesn’t matter what style of hair he sports, he’s still gorgeous. This boy has milky skin but is pale and a small mole under his eye, adoring how that tiny detail makes him even more unique. Like the first one, he also has stitches all over his skin and around his neck.
I was almost caught off guard when they bowed their heads politely. I quickly followed, hoping the second master wouldn't notice.
"Welcome back master Hwang." We greeted him back. Master Hwang stopped in front of me all of a sudden that stunned me on my ground. I didn't raise my head not until the others to do so. I'm scared I might get messed up again.
"You...voice..." I heard him whisper, almost vulnerable.
I slightly glance at him through my mask but that's a wrong move because I saw how his face is so close to mine. Out of the blue, I took a step backward. My heart start to thump incredibly fast inside as I waited for his next moves. Why it's always me? I'll be gonna keep messing up? Who knows what these kids will gonna do to me? They're weird and I don't know what kind of a person are they. Where are the parents and why do they look like that anyway?
"Master Hwang, he's the new maid." The conductor interfered but master Hwang didn't even move and just keep staring at me.
"I thought I heard it..." He whispered before walking away. Just then I sigh in relief but then another two came in.
I immediately stand straight, watching the two as they walked inside. The other one is much younger than me. He looked to be in eighteen or seventeen and he's holding a creepy doll that has stained with blood. It's a rag doll. It's traditionally home-made from spare scraps of material.
The doll was made in dirty-rough fabric with so many patches all around the body. It's home-made by their grandmother or mother? It's looked so old. I stared at the doll's button eyes. Why do I feel like it's looking at me and why do I feel like the younger master is also looking at me too? Just like the doll?
I immediately averted my eyes from the doll and examine the younger monster instead. He looks innocent and cute. I bet he's the odd baby among them especially when he smiled at the black-clothed people on the opposite side. His face batted in wrinkles whenever he smiles as his foxy eyes turn into a thin line and shouts innocent aura. He looked so mature although he was still eighteen or seventeen he's kind of adorable too. His voice is very calm and sounded like a peace in the ear whenever he talked to them. As if they are the most precious dolls in his whole life. But the fact that he has wide stitches on the left side of his mouth makes him a bit scary.
My eyes move to the kid beside him. I kept on watching him with adoration in my eyes. Staring the boy and observes his face meticulously even I'm too scared to even look at him in the eyes. His skin looks so soft even he's extremely pale and his cheeks are adorable as he’s all relaxed, his mouth close, breathing calmly through his nose. His hair has colored a shade of light brown and it’s silky and smooth that illuminate through the sun. Unlike the others, I can't see stitches on his face except on his wrists. He looked normal than the others but pale.
We bowed once again. "Welcome back master Han and Master Yang." They said while me mouthing along with them. I'm scared I might do a mistake again. Just when they both walked to the stairs, I whined in disgust because of the disgusting stench coming from them. It's coming from the masters. They smelled like a manhole and rotten flesh, and dead rats. They all completely smell horrible and even this house.
"They stinky!" I whispered lowly and number nine nudge me again.
"Don't say that if you don't want to get punished by the masters!" She scolded me and I just huffed an air.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the entire mansion as another master came in. He looked upset and displeased. He just walked past us, really fast that I couldn't catch a glimpse of his features. But I'm sure that he has a good face, a cat-like face just like master Lee and master Yang, and just like the rest. I think he's just around my age too. From behind him, there's one particular kid who creeps me out. He has very dark hair while his skin is really, really pale that it almost turns gray or white. His wounds and bruises are colored in black aside that he has many stitches in his whole skin. There's a mole near his right eye that adores him just like master Hwang. Both of them look unique.
He looked to be in twenty and looking very scary. Both of them didn't notice us and just went upstairs while barking at each other.
"The master who has snow-white skin and spaghetti hair is master Park. While the other one is master Yang. Master Yang has dolls and the master Yang who is always bad mood is his younger brother. We call him master Yangs. Just added the s." she chuckled. "You must memorize who they are or else they gonna punish you." Number nine said in a hushed tone.
Before I could ask her why another kid that looked like my age came with a serious face. He looks smart. He was wearing spectacles and holding a hardbound book. I guess he's the genius kid among them. He looks adorable too like a little puppy.
We quickly bowed and greeted him with a welcome back. "Welcome back master Kim."
After the greeting, I know that seven masters live in this old mansion and all of them are incredibly pretty. So I wonder why we can't show our faces in front of them? They all have beautiful faces and I see no reason for them to be angry with those with beautiful faces. All I could think at first glance was that they didn’t want to see our faces because they were ugly but there seemed to be another reason.
"Here," one of the maids snaps my thoughts and causes me to look at him. I can read the number one on his paper bag. By the looks of it, he was much older than among the rest of the maids. I looked down at the stuff he drop beside me. It's dirty water. "dirty the kitchen before the chefs came in."
"Why making it dirty? Isn't this weird?" I asked with confusion evident in my voice. This mansion is so weird. The looks of the masters and odd behavior of the maids...then the cleaning-dirty process of this job. And why I can't see any older maids other than this teenager, number one?
"Everything is weird in here but you'll get used to it." He says, grabbing his mop and starting swiping the floor. Almost like making it dirtier.
"This is really...too sudden. The conductor just grab me then drag me here," I bit my lip when I remember what happened before I drag here. "I didn't even get to see my hyungs."
"As she said, forget your life in the outside world. Your life is here and you'll be going to be stuck here forever."
My head furrowed. What does he mean by that? Is he saying that we don't deserve a day off or vacation? Are we just going to stay here for the rest of our lives? I picked up the old bucket with dirty water on it and placed it on the sink. What is this job?
"Aren't we deserve a day off or vacation?" I said as I start scrubbing the sink, making it dirtier than what he told me.
"We aren't allowed to go outside unless the masters told us. But we barely go outside once or twice in a year."
I gasp in horror. I couldn't believe the masters have the guts to do that to their servants. Aren't we deserve the fresh air for once? Not just once...I sighed and asked more questions. Just then, a sudden tang on the bell made me stop. We both stopped cleaning and I glance over number one. I can't see what face he's making right now but with the way his hands shake, I could tell that he was scared.
"Oh my, no." He mumbled, his voice is trembling in fear.
"What? What's going on?" I asked. So many questions I wanted to ask but I know there's a time for that.
"It's playtime and guess what who will handle the game?" He asked me instead and I shrug in response. "It's master Yang. If it's master Yang...maids is allowed to play his games too."
"Game? That's fun--"
"No!" I was taken aback when he suddenly yelled at me. "You're still new here and you wouldn't understand!"
He pushed me out of the kitchen before grabbing my arm, dragging me back to the room where I was going to stay. He pushed the door open and throw me inside. I almost stumble but I manage to regain my balance and didn't fall. I looked at him in confusion.
"Don't ever get out from your room until the game finish." He told me but I only frowned even though he can't see my face. "Listen...the other conductor; the one who hired you. She's bad and once she finds out that you aren't in the game...you're dead. She'll bring you to master Yang and I'm sure you don't want to know what he's gonna do to you."
"Why are you--" Before I could finish my questions, he was already out of sight. I run to the door and slammed it shut. I don't know but I'm kinda feeling scared right now. Why is he helping me? Isn't it fair for everyone?
I sat in silence on the bed. Waiting for the time to come to an end, waiting number four or six to return, or number one who told me to stay out of the halls. I listen to the air and I could hear the footsteps downstairs as if they already gathered in the living hall. I'm afraid they will notice that I wasn't there, I'm afraid that one of the masters will barge in and find me here then punish me. I don't know what kind of punishment they'll gonna do. I don't know what's the rules and regulations in this house. I'm clueless and I feel like I want to back away already, run back to the city; to Jinki, and say sorry to him.
I flinched when I heard loud footsteps coming up this way. Just then, I heard what one of the masters said. "One maid is missing. If you could wound him and bring him to Yang..." Those are the only words I heard.
Do they notice? Is number one did this on purpose?
I immediately stopped, placing my hands on my legs, I looked at the door with pure horror. Slowly, I stood up. The fear in my gut only grew. I listened, and I heard it. It was footsteps, slowly coming up this hallway. At that moment, I kneel to the bed, crawling underneath it. I didn't know what was happening, and I was so scared but what thing for sure that they are looking for me.
It was dark under there, and I could feel like I was in the horror movies. My heart can't stop pounding so fast. I looked upon the door in silence. The footsteps only grew louder as I heard my heart pumping in my head. I began to hold my breath. I know, hiding here is the dumbest way but where I could hide in this instant situation? Everyone was determined to find me and even...hurt me? Are they going to hurt me?
Once I heard those dreaded footsteps outside the room, my eyes began to water. I fell into complete silence once the footsteps reached outside the room. I was so terrified. I could feel my whole body shaking and my breathing is ragged. My whole body stops when I saw the door creak open. I can see two people coming inside, wearing black clothes so I guess these are not maids. Footsteps come inside the room, only nearing closer to the bed. I squeezed my eyes shut in horror.