Milthorne Manor [#Wattys2016]

Chapter 4

My heart jumps to my throat as my eyes land on the pale snake coiled beside my bed. I feel myself leap back, a strangled gasp yanked from my throat as I fight the urge to scream. Startled by my sudden burst of movement, Natalia takes a step back before peering around me to confirm the object of my sudden fear.

"Edith? Everything o--?"

I know I should be trying to stay calm, but my system saw the snake on the floor and dumped a lifetime's worth of fear-infused adrenaline into my system. I can't slow my breathing, I can't act like everything's okay. Hands held protectively to my chest, I take several steps backwards, hysteric shrieks choking at my airway. I can hear the half-contained gasps coming out of my mouth, and Hebe's snickers from behind me.

"Edith, it's just a stuffed snake."

"Yeah, noob, why else did you think this was called the Viper Dorm? Didn't you explain anything to her, Athena? You're worse at this whole mentoring thing than I thought you'd be."

"Hebe, if you know what's good for you..." Natalia's sentence trails off threateningly, and with a huff, our brash roommate stalks from the room, slamming the door behind her.

I keep telling myself that it isn't alive, that I'm okay, but it isn't until Natalia spins me around that I'm able to regain some semblance of normalcy. She looks at me with genuine concern written on her face, saying soothingly,

"Look at me, Edith; it's okay. Ouroboros won't hurt you. We'll move him to the other side of the room, alright? Deep breaths, Edith, take deep breaths."

I can't even bring myself to form words for a few moments, but I eventually manage to choke out syllables.

"Ourob-b...?"

"Ouroboros," She said gently, still clearly worried about me, "He's the dorm's mascot, you could say."

Realizing that I just had a meltdown in front of two total strangers, I shove my irritatingly-present terror down below the surface and plaster on a smile. Feeling more fake and brittle than ever, I take a deep breath.

"Fascinating. That's just... lovely. So," I seize the opportunity to turn my back on my "mentor," pretending that I'm absorbed in my still-folded uniform, "What do my prison togs look like?" I can't help but cringe when I imagine my mother looking disappointed and irritated, hissing at me that I'm being rude.

I can't restrain my eyebrow from arching sky-high as I lift the uniform from the bed. In my hands is a demure black skirt, and a high-collared, ivory blouse, a pair of matching ivory stockings just beneath them. A black velvet neck ribbon drifts down to the hardwood floor. As I bend to retrieve it, I catch sight of the well-polished black shoes tucked just beneath the bed.

"I don't know what I expected," I manage to say dryly, "but this wasn't it."

"You'd be surprised how common that response is." Natalia says. I can hear her moving away and shifting things around behind me. As my ears pick up the rasp of a zipper coming undone, I realize that she has already begun changing.

"Actually, I don't think I would be." I respond honestly. She laughs softly at my sarcasm.

"I like you, Edith. I think you'll fit in well here." Well, that's a new response to my antisocial awkwardness. I don't know if telling me I'll fit in is a compliment considering what I've seen so far, but I thank her and pray she meant it kindly. I wriggle into the bizarre, old-fashioned uniform and turn around.

"So, how do I look?" In response to my query, Natalia surveys me with soft eyes, before smiling gently.

"You look like a goddess in disguise." My ears perk at this unusual compliment, remembering that I had been called that once already today, but her question pulls my focus away, "How do I look? Is my ribbon lopsided?"