The Castle's Cleaning Lady - Twisted Wonderland Reader insert

Chapter 6: It's Free Real-Estate

In spite of the wooden-boarded up windows, [Name] woke up rather early to the morning sun breaking through the cracks. She groggily blinked at her surroundings and murmured; hair sticking up all over the place like she was an unkempt witch.

"This wasn't a dream after all..."

She surprising had slept very well in the god-knows-how-old bed and mattress and admired Grim, who was still softly asleep. She let him rest a while longer, slowly pulling herself away from the covers he was slithered between. Making a start to her day, she decided to explore the dorm, after all, she was going to be staying there for a while, and she might as well become accustomed to the area. Just in case, she equipped herself with the pink sparkly bat and as quiet as she could muster, crept outside into the hallway.

"Heeheehee... Don't you two have to be up to clean the school? Up so early too, it's 6 am!" A voice immediately chuckled behind her and she groaned, turning to face not one - but all three of the ghosts.

"Rather early for this no?" [Name] deadpanned before gazing around the hallway, it looked even messier in the daylight. "Ganging up on a defenceless girl, you should be ashamed of yourselves! And look, this house is in shambles, did you not think once to clean this place?"

"Well... You're not exactly defenceless with that bat... And... we never thought too." The ghosts glanced at each other, shrugging and all rather hesitantly agreeing with the statement; eyeing the dreaded pink bat rolling in [Name's] palms.

[Name] soul already left her body with how much she appeared to sigh. "You know what, I don't care. If I'm going to be living in this house with you three, I'll help you clean it and make it liveable."

"And... I'm sorry on my behalf and Grim's we beat you up yesterday," [Name] rubbed the back of her neck, cheeks blaring with warmth. "You were here before us and prank me all you like, this was your home first and we shouldn't have disturbed you. But we both need somewhere to live and we don't have many options. Can we find peace?"

"Aren't... You scared of us?" The smallest ghost queried. All the ghosts appeared confused and kept exchanging glimpses at each other - like they couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"You are... a strange human let's say that. No living mortal has ever asked to coexist in a house we've haunted. This isn't technically is home too, you know?"

"I guess I'm the first then! And together, it could be a home, you know." [Name] smiled. She reiterated her question, holding out her hand to shake and leaning her bat against the wall to show she genuinely didn't mean any harm. "Peace?"
The ghosts faltered, before smiling at each other - not a malicious grin but something hopeful and excited. They all shook her hand. "[Name], was it?"

[Name] nodded, grinning broadly before asking the ghosts if they could give her a tour of the house, which they did, rather feverishly in fact as they escorted her around the house while giving her some trivia about the dormitory.

For over 150 years the dormitory had been abandoned, and for what reason they were unsure. The ghosts, hinting at a ghost-haunting house crisis among the apparitions, had simply claimed the house and continued to impede anyone who dared to step inside - apart from now with [Name's] and Grim's arrival.

The ghosts were helpful enough to show [Name] the kitchen, though the shelves were devoid of cans and food to cook with and cobwebs in their place. Thankfully, the ghost recounted there was a wild garden in the back of the dorm where there were a few vegetables and... wild blue chickens? Strange but not the weirdest thing the girl could have witnessed in the school.