Chapter 3

  I was taken aback by the question. Lady Blackwood looked at me through the mirror, I hesitated for a second before answering.

  “I’m okay, My lady.” I said looking down at the ground.

  “Oh, so you’re lying to me now.” Lady Blackwood said with a little chuckle. I could see her shoes pivoted towards my direction. “Look at me Scarlett.”

  I looked up at the lady, and she was smiling, but it seemed like a sad smile, a sympathy smile.

  “Hadley has worked here in the same time frame as you. She got here a year or so before. I know you both have become close in your own way. You had her to confine in and she also had you. You both being Blood Servants, knowing who to trust is the hardest thing to factor in. We... I mean, Blood Servants find that everyone, even your employer, are your enemies. That the road you walk is thinner than a string being gnawed on by a rat. But just know, I am here for you Scarlett. Please tell me the truth, are you okay?”

  I stared at her, Lady Blackwood has always been the kindest to her Blood servants, she even has her kids be as kind as they can fester up. However, Lady blackwood’s kindness has no bounds, and it always made me feel human again. My eyes started to fill with tears; I looked back down again.

  “I know I shouldn’t be crying, and I know she did wrong by running. I just can’t help but feel sad, she was the only one who would… who knew me and didn’t bring up my past and never condemned me for my sister. She never made it about herself or all about me, she was just a friend. A real friend, and now I’m going to lose that, and it hurts. But I’m not trying to be disrespectful to you or to any of your family. I know how this world works, and I know that she has done more of her own fair share of wrong. I-just… I-just … I’m sorry.” I started to cry. I couldn’t help it anymore.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Lady Blackwood was standing directly in front of me. Her hazel eyes were sympathetic yet dark. She pulled me into her chest and hugged me Tightly. She never said a word, and it scared me, but her hug felt genuinely warm and comforting all at once. When my body stopped shaking, she released me. Then she stared down at me with that same stare of sympathy with a hint of unknown. I didn’t know how to feel.

  “There is an outfit in the bathroom I have prepared for you.” Lady Blackwood began to say. I wiped my tears and listened.

  “There’s foundation, lipstick, and a pencil eyeliner I would like you to put on. If you need help don’t hesitate to ask me. When putting on the makeup make sure you put the clothes on first and wash your face as well.” Lady Blackwood pushed me toward the bathroom door. I looked back and nodded at her. Then I walked into the master bathroom.

  As I was closing the door, I saw that The Lady was still watching me. I nodded at her one more time before closing the door.

  I think my heart skipped about 2 times in the last 20 minutes. The master bathroom was huge, one of the biggest bathrooms I have seen in my lifetime. When you walk in, the black and white ceramic-looking tile floor was everywhere. There was a huge shower, it could probably fit 6 fully grown adults in it and still have room for one more depending on the person’s size. There is a bathtub to the side of the shower, two private toilets, and a changing room.

  The changing room has its own section, with only a curtain that shields it off from the other side of the room. I walked into the changing room to find a black dress hanging from the clothesline, an eggplant color shawl and black heels underneath.

  I walked up to the clothesline and felt the fabric of the dress. It felt smooth and nice to touch; Fabrics like this are out of my price range. I also have strict rules with what clothes I am allowed to wear. The clothes I am usually subjected to are, at times, harsh on the skin and may give rashes. Most of the clothes I wear are made from wool for winter purposes. Much of the Blood Servants clothing is well made but of old fabrics, things that would be thrown out ages ago by even the middle class.

  My uniform is the only thing that is well made and comfortable to wear. Nothing near this fabric, this feels like a blanket woven by the Goddesses themselves. This fabric is different not made from this side of town. Branches of shops who mainly supply from The District of Asia sit on the outskirts of Plato’s Village. Clothes with this type of embroidery are finely made and cost a good bit of money. However, the dress had a gold embroidered flower on top of the black cotton, the sewing style made by hand. I used to wear things like this when I was younger. I hesitated with the shoes, they were heels.

  Blood Servants are not allowed to wear anything higher than flats; sneakers are okay if written permission is given by their employer. Anything higher you can be killed on the spot if you are not with your employer at every turn.

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  I used to wear makeup when I was a teenager, my sister couldn’t completely control my life, even if I put it on at school and took it off before I went back home. Foundation was something I knew how to do because I used it, and I watched Lady Blackwood’s younger daughter have interact foundation and makeup routines before they went to school. Which has me wake them up at least 2 hours before their normal time to leave.

  I look at myself in the full-length mirror, the black dress curved my body nicely, sometimes I forgot how womanly I looked. The dress fell past my ankles, but not far enough that it touched the floor. The makeup made my face look nice in the aspect that I haven’t truly put make up on in over 10 years. The foundation was a little off from my original color, but it blended in well. The eyeliner made my eyes pop, but I feel like I put too much on. I have yet to put the shoes on because I am not sure about the reaction.

  I walked out of the changing room and back to the bedroom with the black heels in my hand. Lady Blackwood was sitting on her bed, with her legs crossed and a book in her hand. This is one of the things I truly love about Lady Blackwood, she always has a book in her hands, whether a novella, a novel or a textbook (which is what I call books that are 500 or more pages).

  “What’s wrong Scarlett?” Lady Blackwood asked without even looking at me. It caught me off guard, my mother used to do that before she… before she was killed.

  “Scarlett? You, okay?” I heard my mother’s voice intertwining with Lady Blackwood’s. This hasn’t happened to me in a while. I could see lady Blackwood stand up in a panic.

  “Scarlett, listen to the words I’m saying. Disregard any other sound that you hear. Scarlett, follow my voice…” I could hear both voices; they were starting to sound distorted. I couldn’t figure out who was talking. I tried looking at the Lady’s bed but, I was starting to see my old home. My old bed where Lady Blackwood’s bed lay.

  My mind was morphing into a memory rapidly; I haven’t had my PTSD take over this fast. Lady Blackwood’s bed was completely my old bed with the purple covered blankets. One of the presents I knew that both my parents worked overtime for. Then I saw her, my mother, in her favorite pink and purple Elcid Scrubs, her hair in a high ponytail because if not it would go past her shoulders, she wore her worn out orthopedic shoes. Her skin was a cool golden brown; it was shiny yet smooth from her lotion. In the days she was alive the winds hit so harshly that it could strip your face of all the moisture it once had. There were noticeable bags under her eyes. She gave me a smile and put her hands out.

  “Mom?” I hadn’t felt this much grief in a while now. I just want to sit with her and hug her until I can see her personally again. I see that she is trying to say something but, at the same time, I hear a faint bell ringing coming from a distance. It was like my mother heard it too, because she stopped walking towards me and looked over her shoulder. I looked around and realized I was fully immersed in a memory.

  The walls in my room were a choppy white color, most of the older buildings on the south side of Vanderbilt had these types of walls. It was said that if you wanted to come back and make it better that would be on you. They never cared about anything except money and making sure you leave their property as soon as you stop having kids. However, I am glad that this is from a good memory of my room. Before the deaths and before the rearrangement my sister had us do to make room for other things. My favorite blanket is neatly lying on my bed. It was a black blanket with pink ballet shoes on every part.

  When I looked back at the dresser that I had, I found my mother standing behind me. She didn’t tower over me like she would when I was younger. This means I am still somewhat responsive on the reality side.

  “Sweety, come and sit on the couch and we will look at that nappy head of yours.” I walked with her; I could feel her hands on my shoulder. I missed my mother so much, her genuine smile could always make my day better. She sat me down at the edge of the bed.

  *Ring*

  I heard it much louder now.

  “Scarlett, *ring*, your sister is not as, *ring*, so we have to be a little bit, *ring*, Okay, sweety?”

  “What did you say mom?” She lifted my head with one finger under my chin.

  “You’re not… Scarlett snap out of it.” Suddenly mother reverted to Lady Blackwood. My head started to throb. I think my mind was fading fully into the memory until it glitched.

  “What’s wrong… Scarlett, don’t listen to her, wrap your mind around your current reality.”

  *ring*

  The image of Lady Blackwood took over half of my mother’s body; it was like a distorted horror movie in my mind.

  *ring*

  “Even though it may hurt, you must make your mind remember. Remember that you are in Silver-Tong, you are 30 years old…” I could hear Lady Blackwood talking over my mother. I started to feel dizzy.

  I looked up to stop my head from pounding. When I felt something pull my body backwards. The images of my home circled like I was on a roller coaster, twisting and turning.

  My body felt like it was being pulled by a force I could not identify but I also could feel my feet firmly on the ground. My mind started flashing me back to later in the years.

  My room, covered in my parents’ blood and my sister shielding my eyes before I could see what was done to them. My parents’ funeral with my sister’s hand on my shoulder gripping like she was protecting me.

  My sister made me move all my things into the room closest to my parents’ old bedroom. While She took over the room of my late parents.

  My head throbbed more intensely as it flashed back to the court room where the judge sentenced my sister.

  “Briella Sara-Beth Thana, the counts of 78 murders in the first degree, Including the lives of Madison Thana-Gray and Michealson Thana. You are charged with death row. We will rejoin this court in 3 weeks for the execution of Scarlett Violet Thana.”

  The full pull of my brain pushes me to the memory where I was pushed down on my knees in front of a jury, 4 judges and Lady blackwood Herself.

  *ring*

  This last, *ring*, pulled me completely out of my memory and back to Lady Blackwood’s room.

  “Scarlett, are you back with me?” I looked down embarrassed and sad.

  “Yes, Lady Blackwood, I am terribly sorry for the … for putting you through my problems.” Lady Blackwood pulled me into her.

  “I’m just glad you’re okay. I will cancel my day for today…”

  “No! I am fine to accompany you. I will not let your work suffer because of me. Please, I am not supposed to be a burden on you.” I would not look at Lady Blackwood.

  “Okay.” She said softly. “If you insist.”