My Story: The Winchester House [Completed]

6: Luke

I walked down the hall with one arm carrying my basket of clothes and the other hand holding up Freud's book. I was so into it that I didn't notice the yelling between three men until I ran into them.

"Samantha, are you okay?" Max asked as I tried putting the clothes back into the basket. Like bent over to help me and his fingers ran over my book.

"I'm fine," I said as I took the book from Luke and put it in my apron. Luke picked up the basket and Braxton helped me stand.

"You need to stop running into people," Max joked and I fixed my hair that was all over the place.

"Maybe you three should stop arguing in the middle of halls," I rebutted as I took the basket back.

"We weren't arguing," Braxton said and I rolled my eyes as I walked toward the laundry room.

"Allow me to carry that for you," Luke said as he took the basket from my arms. We walked in silence for a moment. "Freud. That is heavy reading."

"Indeed. Mrs. Winchester gave the book to me," I told him and he nodded.

"Samantha, I think we got off on the wrong foot," he said. I stopped and looked at him.

"I do not think that was the case at all," I told him. He sighed and he was silent as he tried to figure out what to say.

"In this house, people talk and people form opinions on people without really getting to know someone," he told me slowly. I nodded and cocked my head to the side.

"You are concerned that they told me something that is false in order to make me not talk to you?" I asked and he shrugged.

"That sums it up," he told me. I nodded and continued walking.

"Well, is there any reason for me to listen to them?" I asked and he chuckled.

"I guess it depends on how you view butlers. I try to make sure that I am fair but I am still running the house to the best I can," he shared with me. I laughed a little as we passed Josh working on a new stairwell. Ten up and eleven down.

"The way you run the house seems fair and yet you seem bored at times," I told him as I waved to Josh.

"We do not have many visitors since Mrs. Winchester wants no one near the house," Luke told me and I looked up at him.

"Why is that?" I asked and he shrugged.

"I do think that she is haunted and I lie when I say I don't see a spirit in the house. But do understand that I want people to work and not worry about spirits," he told me. I nodded as we turned the corner.

"And your spirit?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I am not completely sure. I believe it is a bride from the Confederacy," he told me and I nodded as we entered another bedroom. "Can you take the sheets?" he asked. I nodded as I went to the bed to take the sheets off.

"Do you think that she is off her rocker at times?" I asked and he chuckled as he leaned against the door frame.

"I think we are all off our rockers. We are the ones that want to work for a haunted lady," he said. I laughed and he smiled at me with gentle yet firm eyes. I looked at the sheets and smiled to myself.

"I assume that you are right in that assumption. We all know why this house is being built," I agreed with him.

"Then again, Mrs. Winchester is not someone to take no for an answer. She does care about us more than other people do," he stated. I chuckled.

"Maybe she is just adding to our craziness," I said and he nodded.

"That must be it. I mean why else would we stay here in the house?" he told me and I smiled at him.

"I can think of a few reasons other than Mrs. Winchester," I said as I dropped the sheets into the basket and picked up the basket again. He took the basket and I smiled at him.

"I think I can think of a few more reasons too," he said as he stared into my eyes. I looked away and he touched my cheek.

"Like, this is blasphemous. I am the maid and you the butler. We need to stay to our jobs," I told him as I took the basket from him and started walking to the laundry room. He ran to cut me off and put his hands on either wall.

"Samantha, you must understand that they are jobs while we are working," he said.

"Which is all the time, I am afraid," I told him and he looked at the ground.

"Then no one has to know," he said. I slid under his arm and he looked at me as I walked backwards.

"I am sorry, Luke. I can't do this right now," I said as I walked towards the laundry room. I ran up the stairs to the laundry room and the girls in there already looked at me as I looked as I walked quickly to the open washing board.

"Are you okay?" Gillian asked me as she picked up her washed clothes to hang them. I wiped my forehead and nodded as the sink filled with warm water.

"Samantha, are you sure? You look like you have seen a ghost," Madalynn asked as she touched my face and I smiled a little.

"We work in a haunted house. We all see ghosts," I said and Madalynn laughed a little bit.

"I guess that you are right," she said as I walked to get a bar of soap to wash with but my hand froze when my eyes lingered on the paper on the shelf. I picked up the paper and looked at the napkin with drawing on it before putting them into my pocket.

I decided that I need to give them to Luke.