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"Huh?" Louise turned to Circe while she took off her dirty clothes.
"There are rules in this household that you will need to follow." She turned the brass handle and the water began to fill the tub. "If you want to survive the night." Louise nervously swallowed after Circe said that. What did she mean exactly by "survive the night"?
"What are they?" She averted her eyes when Circe strolled right past her to grab something from the cabinet. She searched through the dark shelves and eventually found two heart shaped bottles, a flask with something written on it, and a skull bottle.
"Number 1, never enter a room without knocking three times." The cabinet door squeaked loudly as she closed it and walked back over to the tub, which was full now. "If you do, then accept your new life as part of the eyes." The water soon ceased from the tap, coloring the tub a murky periwinkle.
"Number 2, Don't look at the eyes, they will enrapture you in their gaze." Circe beckoned Louise to the bath, which she promptly got in. The water was warm, like her mother's hugs which Louise couldn't seem to remember anymore yet this water felt so...soothing.
"Number 3, If you decide to talk to the members here, never ever give your real name." Circe filled a small black vase full of the bath water and poured it over Louise's head. "You will become a slave to them." Louise felt confused now. How many rules are there exactly? She thought to herself.
"Number 4, If you see anyone wearing a strange outfit, run. Run away and don't ever look back." Even though her voice and face showed no emotion, you could feel the fear and force behind her words like she was barred from showing anything besides calmness. She plucked the cork off of the heart shaped bottle and poured some of the liquid into her hand. It was clear yet had the scent of egg whites. Circe mixed it in-between her hands and then scrubbed it on Louise's scalp.
"Number 5, this one is the most important." She rinsed the shampoo out of her scalp and then used the skull bottle on a ripped and torn washcloth. Louise quickly realized it was body wash. As Circe rubbed Louise's arms and back, she felt small bits fall into the water. Picking up one of the bits in her hands, it looked like a...finger bone. This was not looking good. Louise began to feel sick now.
"Never forget where you are and the time." She rinsed her body off and Circe began to condition Louise's hair. The liquid this time smelled of roses and it looked like thick water. "If you forgot one or both of those things, you will have never existed." Her words pierced through Louise's mind like a knife and the meaning behind those words had so much force behind them that it felt like you were being crushed. "There are more that should cover the main things." After rinsing her hair, Circe helped Louise up and gave her a towel.
"Where are my clothes?" Louise looked around the bathroom for where she set her clothes. Circe simply clapped her hands and a new set of clothes appeared by the door. Louise tilted her head to look how that happened. A trap door? Another maid? Magic?????
"They were unfit to be worn so I managed to get you something better." Circe handed her the bundle, which comprised of a long black skirt, a simple cotton shirt, and a plaid shawl. Louise stared at the clothes; wasn't there some kind of rule about this? Circe smiled this time but like before, not a single emotion behind it. "Please dress yourself and then follow me." Louise finally took the clothes as Circe excused herself.
【 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝕭𝖆𝖞 】
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"Welcome." Was this a habit of all the staff? To say something like a tour guide when they entered the room? Louise shrugged it off and sat down on a stool.
"Why are we here?" Louise looked around the room, bottles of all shapes and sizes with strange labels pasted on them stood on old creaky shelves along with horrific images of the human body and other weird creatures. Circe dug through one of the drawer until she pulled out a roll of bandages.
"I noticed you had some injuries." She now went to the fridge and opened it, where it began to emit this horrible screaming noise. Circe seemed unbothered while Louise covered her ears with her hands and shut her eyes tightly. After pulling out a milk jug (or at least it looked like that), Circe closed the fridge door and walked back to Louise, who was shaking in her seat.
"So-so-sorry..." Louise finally took her hands away from her ears once Circe came back over.
"No need to apologize." She began to treat Louise's injuries by using the bottles and bandages. "It's understandable." After treating those injuries, she guided Louise to the door.
"So, I suppose I have to find the bedroom myself?" Well that's what usually happens in books I suppose. She thought to herself, while Circe stood beside her.
"I'm afraid so. I can not go beyond a certain point without Madam's permission. She bowed deeply. "I wish you the best on your journey." She smiled again but like before it was empty as can be.
"Okay then, goodbye Circe." She waved and finally opened the door.
"Souls and memories can do strange things during trance."
