I woke up, my head pounding hard and everything seemed spinning around me. I was laying on my stomach, shirtless but I could tell that someone bandages my stitch well now...or so that was just my thought? I looked around the room. This room is unfamiliar but it's nice than master Hwang's and the infirmary. I twitched, and my whole body immediately shot in a burning flame. I winced and whimper a lot. My ass is still hurting, same as my butt cheeks. Did master Kim squeeze it tightly while pressing himself into me? I remember master Kim did something funny in my body but didn't claim me yet as master Han did. On the other hand, master Park is just watching me being harassed by master Kim with a fond smile. I don't know what he's thinking but I don't care.
I attempted to push myself up but it would end up in agonizing pain. I began to sob again, thinking about all the torture I went through in just a day. I could hear voices in my ears but it was dim as though I was partially asleep. Until I noticed the door open and number three walked inside before shutting the door shut. He gasps after seeing me fully awake. He run to me and sat beside me. He took off his mask before checking my wounds. I could taste the metallic flavor on the side of my lips.
"Are you okay? Look at you...they hit you hard huh?" He said, sighing. I remain silent. My lips are aching even my neck. "Your lips are all red and swollen. You have a lot of hickeys too. You've been wrecked number ten."
He didn't say anything after that. All he did was look at the scratches on my face and the cuts on my whole body. "Sorry, we couldn't bandage you up. You see, masters hate bandages and medicines. But there's an ointment! I don't know where it belongs too but I'm thankful because somehow we can heal a little by this." He said with a slight smile. I started at number three's face. He looks fine other than he has a few bruise and scratches on his skin. I winced when he slathered the creme on my wounds. I squeezed my eyes shut as the medical liquid seeped painfully into the cuts on my neck, making my body burn.
I didn't adjust to the pain yet when he flip me over and pulled down my pants, exposing my bruise asshole. I didn't have the time to question him when I noticed that he was holding something I don't know.
"Don't be tensed, this capsule is like an ointment. It can heal your insides. I know it's bleeding inside you right?" He said as though he can read my mind.
I feel his two-finger spread my butt cheeks that cover my hole. I whimpered when I felt something cold inserting inside me followed by number three-finger, pushing the capsule deep down into me. It's cold and a bit warm. After a while, I felt something dissolve inside me. Maybe it's the capsule. Number three pulled up my pants, putting up some clothes on me before tucking the hem, linking the two big belts around my abdomen and my torso. Even the other two belts along the way up on my shoulder down to my back.
After done changing my clothes into normal ones. He hands me a paper bag with a different numbers on it. It's number twenty.
"What? It's not number ten." I said and he nodded.
"It's the only way for you to hide from them. If they don't know your new number, and as long as you don't show your face to the masters, your safe."
I smiled and put the mask on. "How did your punishment went go?" I asked.
He put his mask on before answering me. "It's pretty ashamed if you ask the toys. Barbie is the bitch who punished us but she's way too careless to handle heavy things so it ends will good for us maids." He said and chuckled.
I sighed in relief. That's good then. "Oh, good for you. It's a relief you all safe and not hurt."
"Seulji is the only maid who got hurt. Her ankle got burned but don't worry. She finds now."
Our eyes went to the door when we heard it open and we saw Seulji peeking us through the doorway. She's way better than me except for her ankle that has an old rag blanket around. I'm glad they are all safe, I'm glad but hurt at the same time that I am the only one who got damaged so badly. Only number three knows how I went through my punishment. I didn't ask number three about it. We have no time especially when the masters called us for going back to work. I know sooner or later they'll notice that number ten wasn't here anymore. I hope the conductor wouldn't notice that.
My worst fear came one night. The masters noticed that number ten or I can't be seen anywhere. The rest of the numbers or the maids finally be freed from master Yang's grasp after seeing my number. The conductor never questioned us about it either the rest of the maids or maids-have-numbers. The masters began to go insane and every night, they will call toys in their room and do something like claiming. Master Kim is the angriest among them, second is master Han then master Hwang and the brother Yang. Master Lee hasn't been going out of his room after the game so I don't have any idea of what is he doing. Same as his brother master Leelex. Beom and San told me to plan wisely. First of all, we need to observe. I, Yeonjun, and Juyeon are the people who will observe the house. I told them that I saw an old vent in master Hwang's room and they listed it down onto the old sketchbook in the attic.
Sichen and Jaemen were assigned to observe the outsides if there's anything we can hide if ever we manage it outside. Since both of them is the only maids who can go outside to get some candy to the masters. They said, there's a small cabin near the mansion but they told me that it was Mr. Lawrence's house. There, he brings young adults to be his meal or to be masters' meal. It's too risky to go direct in the cabin or pass in front. While the rest of us is going to observe the masters and the other servants' moves. Only Seulji is the girl who will check if there's an upcoming event or when the masters will leave.
Everything was going smooth until maybe even months passed. I wasn't sure. I began to lose track of time. The battery on my phone is long dead and I need to go somewhere to charge it.
The routine in this mansion hasn't changed at all but the difference is, everything went back to normal just like before I got here.
It was all the same.
Us-the ten of us didn't disobey after that day, not once, or at least we weren't caught but many of the maids didn't make it last. Everything is a nightmare within one month. A lot of the maids took their own life by disobeying the masters or worst, making them angry. Triggering them using my code name; 'number ten'.
All of us were so cautious, so afraid. Things happen a lot within two months, games for the toys happen and I can tell that it was worst than ours. They let the toys play hide and seek in the forest full of traps, and because of Barbie's selfishness, many of them have died. The two conductors need to conduct new toys after that.
Things were normal, well, normal for masters. The bodies of those toys lasted until now, so Mr. Lawrence didn't have to hunt innocent people from outside. My wound hasn't healed at all, it still aches every time I ran. I still had trouble moving around freely especially when the masters are here, but I had gotten used to it now. Seulji was healed as well, along with the rest of us who got punished.
Dinner-lunch time hasn't gotten easier at all. But when it's mealtime Beom, Yeonjun and Seulji always remind me to eat. Swallow it fast as possible. I was thankful that the mealtime is not the same as the previous one when I got my first meal in this mansion. The other servants didn't join us and we were only allowed to eat at night time after the cleaning which is good.
We all also got a lot closer, leaning on each other for protection and safety. But still, avoiding the toys especially Barbie who has always her nose to us. Juyeon always reminds me not to speak and pretend to be mute as possible. The masters or anyone in this mansion never questioned me about it.
Things are all normal but it has gotten far worse. The doll of master Yang would check up on us more often which hasn't been happening before, to where we couldn't sleep at all, deranging our senses far worse than they already were. Maybe, they still hope for me to be found in the mansion. Another month has passed and I can tell the change of the masters' behaviors along with the atmosphere of this mansion. Master Han and master Yangs are often leaving to go to the city and come back after five days. Master Lee hasn't gone out of his room if there's nothing special like occasions or important matters. But we do see him leaving the mansion with his butler to do some errand in the town. I don't have any idea that there's a town here. Master Leelex once got out of his room one night when we preparing our meal and he often joined us.
I heard from the gardener that there was a near two town here but didn't say about it. I should go to the library sometimes to search some about this place. Speaking of which, master Kim is going back to his reading and he even wrote especially poems but every time the maids or the toys who passed in the library, caught him get angry out of the blue. Throwing something, ripping every book that was near him. The same goes for master Han. Whenever they came home from the city master Han will frantically fall into a fit of rage, screeching and throwing things around in his room until he got drunk enough to forget what happened, and Master Hwang is no exception. But Barbie will take advantage of their wreck situation and go to master Hwang's room or onto the two youngest and do something, who knows what she's going to do. They did it even in the morning. As for master Yang, his eyes were always on us as if he doesn't want to miss any of us or hope to see me again. And for master Park, he wasn't done anything yet. But most of the time he will greet us and smile, even helping us in our jobs that weren't happen before. It's new for us.
But things got to a point when winter has finally come. All the masters except master Lee, master Leelex and master Park will come up to us. They just spawn behind the maids, watching our movements. And when the first person who does the light mistakes like accidentally breaking the vases, their dead eyes would land on the culprit and she/he would be hit or punished in some way or form. To say it simplify everything I said, the masters have become more insane than before.
As of now, we are all alert to any danger. All of us young maids are cleaning the messy kitchen. We know this is not our job but I want to at least remove the broken glasses. That's what the other toys want too.
"Oh bro...it's almost mealtime. I do hope Barbie is already in the masters' room." Seulji said as she swipe the broken shards into the dustpan.
"We can't eat if one of them is awake. What if they see twenty's face? We are all doom!" Sichen whispered.
It's already midnight I guess. San made an hourglass. It helps us a lot while my phone hasn't changed yet. "I rather not eat," Xion said, shaking his head.
We all now seating comfortably at the table while Seulji is the only one who finished the works. "Hey! Who wants to check the cooking area?" Juyeon whispered and I immediately raised my hand. Yeonjun sigh before shaking his head but stood up otherwise.
But someone suddenly walked in. It's Barbie. Glad that we weren't having supper right now. She stopped after spotting us. She's not wearing any toys clothes or blindfolds anymore. She's wearing a black gown, just what she likes the most. Her board shoulder has been exposed and we could see hickeys and bruises all over her body. There is even a stitch on his right shoulder just like mine -but my stitch is on my stomach to my abdomen. I believe the masters did that for trying to claim someone; other than me.
"Why are you still--" A loud faint scream echoed that caused Barbie to roll her eyes. It's still new for us to see Barbie's blindfolds have been removed. The memory of Hawon's head starts to hunt me. I shook my head. That can't be Hawon. I know, she's a bitch but she doesn't deserve to die. "That slut already claimed by Master Han. Don't you think?"
"Who cares anyway? As if we have something to do with that. We are maids as you know." Seulji said with a hint of sarcasm. "The only thing we need to do is take care of the mansion."
"Why Barbie bitch? Are you jealous because master Han never once claims or touch you yet?" Juyeon mocked and giggled.
"Shut up! They all going to fall for me sooner anyway!" She hissed.
Just when we saw master Lee walked in and stop behind Barbie. Barbie seems doesn't notice that master Lee is behind her. We all piled up and hurriedly went back to our work.
"Why the sudden back-to-work maids? Are you afraid now because you realized that I caught you idle around?" Barbie laughed and Sichen need to cover Jaemen's ears again.
We ignored her and do of what our previously doing not until master Lee walked inside. Barbie took notice of master Lee passing her and she quickly apologized and walked away but without bowing politely.
"Young maids." Master Lee said for the first time before I first meet him. His voice is kind of soft and it is almost like a sense of peace in the air just like master Yang. But his voice is way too smoother than master Yang. We all stopped in our works and faced master Lee. He signs us to gather in front of him.
We stumble to form a line in front of him. He looked at us intently as though trying to read our minds. "You've been a good maid for us." He paused then laughed sadly. "I know Sunoo never come back. I didn't believe Hwang when he said he was finally back."
I blinked my eyes. He knows my name. It's my first time to hear him say my name. I stared at his face. A crystal tears escape from his face, it rolled down on his face. I noticed that he become paler every time the tears would escape from his eyes. His eyes are lifeless and dull, all sullen and swollen. He doesn't look angry at all unlike the others, he's also not leaking. He seems to look like a normal person who has been in a long heartbreak. I feel sorry for him. I somehow want to comfort him. Master Lee maybe look scary but I didn't know that he have this side. He's already breaking down in front of us.
"I wish I could bring back time. I really, really miss him. I really do." Just like what I thinking. He finally broke down. Crying messily in front of us.
San hurriedly helped master Lee and guide him to seat on the chair which Seulji pulled out under the table. Master Lee took a seat, still crying messily and ugly. The more he cried, the more his skin changed into gray.
"Is master Lee always like that?" I whispered to number eight and he gasp. Smacking my arm.
"Don't talk! What did I tell you? We're not in our room and master Lee is in front of us!" He hissed lowly and I quickly sign my apology to him.
When I turned to look at master Lee I caught him staring at me while still in tears. I felt a sudden uneasy feeling. Did he hear my voice? Is he like master Hwang?
Did I do the mistake again? Why I can't stop my mouth from asking?
"Twenty," master Lee suddenly called which made me jump in fear. I'm scared he might find out that I'm number ten but he wasn't going out of his room. So, how he will know. "All of you, go back to your room." He demands and the maids quickly made their way out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with Master Lee.
"I know it's you Sunoo. No need to hide it from me."
I froze. What? Did he know?
How did he know? When? How long?
A while ago master Lee was crying messily but he's smirking right now. An evil smirk that I don't want to see. His skin came back to its original color. Has he acted all along?
"Let me tell you the truth Sunie. I'm the only one who brings you to the infirmary. I asked Kim to take care of your wounds. I'm so worried that time but I didn't know Kim took advantage of your worst state." He leaned on the chair, still staring at me with a smug face. "I'm the one who told number three to change your mask and give him the medicine. Han wreck you so badly and Kim hurt you."
Master Lee stood up and walked closer to me. He raised his hands. All I thought was he will remove the paper bag but he only placed his both hands on my shoulder. "I can't see you being hurt. I cared so much for you."
He leaned close to my face and kissed my forehead through the paper bag. "I'm helping you because I want you to stay here long with me-with us. I love you so much. I can't lose you again." He whispered. Master Lee back away and fixed my mask. "Please keep this in your mind. You can't escape from us. If you do, you'll be punished."