Hades III

housekeeper?

Stella

I stood, having finished eating. I wasn't sure I should even be here, and exploring all the less, but I needed to find answers, and no one in town knew anything.

I climbed the steps and looked up at the tall, intricately ornated door.

Hesitantly, I knocked. I stepped back and drew my leather jacket tighter around me.

It felt like forever, before someone eventually opened the door.

It was the girl from the dining hall that first day, however long ago that was. She was still pregnant, but she didn't appear to be burdened by it.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," I said. "Uhm, can you help me?"

"Help with what?"

Her hair was white as snow and loosely curling around her lovely face.

"I have questions, about here. Why I'm here. What this is." I admitted.

She put her head to one side. "Okay." She said. "It's not the norm to come here, but come in." She opened the door wider, and I stepped inside. It was a huge hallway, a massive staircase led to upper floors. It looked sort of modern, but in a retro way. Everything was dark wood, but it was lit by the many windows and equal amount of lamps.

"This way," the girl said.

I nodded and followed her. We went into a room on the right. The room was like an office. Or a conference room.

We sat down, and she looked at me. "You have questions?"

I nodded. "I'm Stella, by the way."

She shook my hand. "Macaria."

"I understand that this is the Underworld, the place we go when we die. But I remember my life on Earth, is that normal?"

She hesitated just briefly, but I noticed. "You will forget eventually."

"But I've been here for weeks." I said. "And most of them I've arrived with look at me like I'm an idiot when I say something about Earth."

Macaria smiled. "Some forget faster than others."

I sighed. "I'd also love to do something. Work or whatever. Just something."

Macaria knitted her brow. "Work with what?"

I shrugged. "For a start, just work. I need to do something."

She smiled. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

It was nice to know I wasn't weird for feeling like that.

"We have a girl working here, or we used to. Someone to help cook, clean, just make sure nothing is falling apart at the seams."

I leaned back. "Like a housekeeper?"

"Sort of," Macaria said. "A housekeeper who dusts, someone is washing the floors and doing the laundry, and who can cook. It doesn't have to be finery French cooking, just food so we don't have to."

"We?" I asked.

"Me, my husband and Hades." She explained.

I nodded.

"He's been meaning to find someone, but if you are willing to work here, I beat him to it." She smiled. "Groceries are delivered, it's just nice not to have to look after everything in this giant castle."

I nodded. Somehow I knew I shouldn't, but I needed to do something, and you weren't allowed until you'd been here for some months, maybe even a year.

"I know you're new here, but I can make an exception." She said.

"How will I get from town to here?" I asked.

"Bike," she said. "Horse. Or if you want to, you can get a room here?"

I bit my lip. "Maybe I'd like the bike, for starts." I was not getting near a horse.

Macaria nodded. "You can start whenever."

I could feel myself relaxing. "Now?"

"Sure," Macaria said. "I'll make sure there's a bike for you when you ready to go home."

I nodded.

"Let me show you the kitchen."