(18+) Someone in the dark

Ch. 9: Grey windows

I felt like a walking dead the rest of the morning. But after making breakfast for Mr. Jackson and injecting three large cups of strong coffee into the hollow shell I called a body, I actually felt revived. Halfway, at least. Mrs. Lee came by, and as usual, her sudden appearance secretly scared the crap out of me. But it's fascinating what you get used to after a while.

"Good morning, Ms. Thomas. Did you sleep well?" she asked in a tone that told me she didn't really care.

"As always," I lied, and fought the urge to roll my eyes. The dark bags under my eyes made me look like I'd been in a solid catfight, and I felt like a balloon slowly deflating, leaving my skin wrinkly and lifeless. It was like someone sucked all the colors out of me and left me gray and dull. Over dramatic as fuck, I know, but that's how it felt.

"Today, I want you to clean the hallway and the stairs. And Mr. Jackson told me to postpone the dinner for about an hour."

I raised an eyebrow and sucked on my cheeks for a moment.

"Sure. So eight thirty, then?"

"That's correct. Questions?" she asked, but I knew she didn't really want to answer whatever question I had. I still had to ask, though.

"I was wondering if I could clean the windows today. Like, instead of doing the hallway, clean all the windows outside? Inside too, of course, but the weather is so nice today, and..."

I let the sentence drift off because she already knew what I meant. That was clear by the way she narrowed her cold eyes and stared at me over a bony nose. It was like she scanned my brain for any signs of plotting a grand escape.

"If you do that..." she started and dragged the words while squinting at me. "... in addition to the hallway, I'll give you permission to do it."

Permission? She should be glad I bothered! And I annoyed myself because I nodded like a coward and couldn't meet her gaze.

"Anything else?"

I was about to shake my head when I remembered something.

"What's the name of the dog?" I asked, and not surprisingly, she squinted even more than before.

"There is no dog," she drawled, and the chill in her voice sent a shiver through my body that lingered for several seconds.

"But I see him every night. He comes into the kit..." I started, but she cut me off by leaning so close, she demolished all kinds of personal space. Then she spoke even slower than before and emphasized each word as if I was mentally disabled.

"There is no dog."

Then she turned and ended our conversation by the use of her body language.

"When do I get to call my mom?" I yelled after her, but right after she'd went through the kitchen door, she was gone.

"Today is not a good day," I grumbled, knowing that was her usual answer. "There's never a good day for anything here."

<><><>

I cleaned the hallway, except for the floors and the stairs. That could wait. I wanted to get the most out of the sunlight as I could. So I finished up quickly and hoped Mrs. Lee didn't come to inspect before I was done. I cleaned the coffee table, wiped off the couch, the chandeliers, and the paintings on the walls. Then I carefully brushed a soft cloth over two antique lanterns and a bust of a lady in a position that must have been extremely painful.

I was just about done when I spotted a little frame on a small sideboard next to the door to the REDRUM. That shouldn't be there, should it? There was supposed to be a lamp, and only that.