Chapter 1: Heaven Sent
Chapter Text
It was raining.
You were lost in the woods, and it was raining.
Great. Just your luck. Honestly, you should've seen it coming. With the clouds that'd been rolling into town throughout that afternoon, any logical person would know that a storm was brewing. But you? No, you just had to agree to go out with you friends that evening. You just couldn't resist the call of games fit for a middle school girl's sleepover. It hadn't started out that bad, just a few normal dares like eating something gross or doing something embarrassing, admitting crushes, a prank call or two, all good and normal fun.
But then.
Oh then.
You just HAD to defend yourself when a friend said you didn't have the balls and dared you to go into the woods alone, just to the little abandoned fire pit that laid not too far in. You knew they were joking around with you, but that pride of yours is your Achilles' Heel, and you couldn't say no. You made your way to the fire pit with ease, and decided to take one of the crumbling stones with you as proof that you made it there. As you leaned down to pull off one of the stones, you felt the wind beginning to pick up and heard the leaves on the trees rustling, the temperature around you dropping slightly. You stood back up and shivered, the thin jacket you had on barely helping. You started walking back the way you came, but the forest seemed... different. You could no longer hear your friends, just the wind whistling and thunder beginning to rumble. You tried not to panic, you figured you must've made a wrong turn somewhere, right? You turned back around, and realized the fire pit was gone and no longer in your sight. Great. Then began the downpour of cold rain, within minutes you were soaked.
Fucking perfect.
Now, you were wandering around trying to find some kind of marker that could tell you where you are. The wind had picked up considerably, lightning lighting up the dark sky and thunder booming seconds after. You were tired, cold, wet, and hungry, and you were pretty sure that you're starting to hear voices in the wind, beckoning you to follow them. Suddenly, you heard a branch snap, and you frantically looked around. You remembered the urban legend surrounding the forest that told of a monster that hunted and preyed on disrespectful hikers and campers. Or was it an axe murderer? You couldn't remember at the moment, you just hoped that the branch that snapped was just you, and the legends were just that- legends. You continued on, albeit a little more cautious.
It felt like you had been walking for hours, so close to giving up and laying under a tree when you saw lights in the distance. Filled with a sense of relief and adrenaline, you started jogging, then broke into a run thinking that if you didn't hurry it would disappear. As you broke through the tree line, you saw it. A looming mansion, illuminated by the occasional flashes of lightning and the lights from inside. You tiredly walked up the steps of the porch to the front door, and knocked thrice. You heard the knocking echo from inside, something that made you anxious. You waited, at least the porch was somewhat shielded from the rain. Finally, you heard something shuffling behind the door, a click of a lock, and the heavy door groaning as it opened. Standing before you was a man with ash blonde hair, fair skin, and the most peculiar lime green eyes. His eyes almost looked like they were... glowing? Strange, but you decided to ignore it. He first looked at you in confusion, then his demeanor quickly changed to one of worry.
"Oh, what happened to you?! You look like you've been through hell!" He laughed lightly, trying to make light of your situation. He must've noticed your look of displeasure, as he quickly added, "Let's get you out of the rain, come on inside." He ushered you in through the door and shut it, locking it. You stand in the entryway shivering with your arms wrapped around yourself, looking around at the foyer. The lights were dimmed, so it took a moment for your eyes to adjust and see the ancient tapestries on the walls, the light of a fire glowing softly nearby, and what appear to be portraits on the walls.
The man walked past and stepped out in front of you, and you took a better look at him. His eyes definitely do seem to be glowing, though if he knows that he doesn't seem bothered by it. He's wearing an emerald green jacket zipped up about halfway, a black shirt, dark grey pants, and black shoes. The man looked you up and down, and stifled a laugh. "You look like a drowned rat!" You simply glared at him.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" You hoarsely asked, a little peeved at his strange sense of humor and just the fact he seemed to find your situation funny.
He was unable to control his laughter and doubled over, holding his stomach. You continued to glare at him as he stood back up, his laughter easing. "Haha! I'm so sorry for laughing, I make myself laugh all the time! But, seriously, if we don't get you warm and dry now you'll end up getting sick, and we can't have that happening now can we?" He gestured to you and where you stood. "You stay there for now, I'll go find and have someone come and get you in a moment." Before you could protest, he was already gone, and you were alone in the entryway.
"Well shit." you muttered, looking around again. You figured the day couldn't possibly get worse from here, I mean you're in a mansion now but the company could be nicer. You sighed, thinking that maybe it'll be alright. You heard the fire in the other room crackle, and it eased your nerves a bit. Though, if you listened hard enough, you could swear that you heard voices whispering in your ear. You tried to ignore it and figured that it was just your ears still ringing from the rain and thunder. Sure, yeah, perfectly plausible explanation.
You heard footsteps echoing in front of you. You tried to train your eyes to see the source of the steps, but it was simply too dark to see. From the darkness, a woman stepped out. She had what appeared to be a long sleeved maid dress that reached her ankles, black low heeled mary janes, dark hair, and dull amber eyes. Her expression was emotionless and her hands were clasped in front of her as she walked towards you. She stopped in front of you and looked down at you, her expression still unreadable. "My master has instructed me to take you to your temporary room. Please, follow me." she stated flatly. She briskly turned around, and began walking back the way she came, not stopping to see if you were following. You finally registered what she had said and quickly tried to catch up to her. She didn't stop once, leading you up a staircase you didn't know was there before. You and the maid walked in silence for a bit, until you decided to speak up. You had never been a big fan of complete silence, and figured a few questions wouldn't hurt.
"So... how long have you served the mansion's owner?" you asked anxiously.
"My entire life." She responded in the same monotone voice.
"Okay... Well, do you like working here? You know, doing... whatever it is specifically you do?" you tried, attempting to coax her into saying more than a few words.
She was silent for a moment, and you were scared that what you asked offended her. You were about to mutter an apology when she responded with, "You ask too many questions. Master might not like that." Her voice never faltered or waivered once, and you began feeling uneasy at her... well, everything. Something about her seemed too off to you. Was it the fact she only spoke when told or prompted to? No, you could be the same way sometimes. Maybe it was her voice, and how it changed not once when she did say something? That could be it, though that wasn't it. Could it be her dull, seemingly lifeless eyes? That did unnerve you when you saw her, but even with those reasons something still felt off. You decided to think about that later. She led you down a hallway, eventually stopping at a door. She turned to you, her expression hadn't changed once. "This is the room you will stay in. My master has allowed you to stay for the night and next day." The air around you suddenly went cold and she leaned down to meet you at face level. "Do not," her voice was still monotone, but carried a threatening message, "leave this room unless allowed to or escorted out." Her eyes were boring into yours, and you tried to take a step back but found yourself to be frozen.
As if nothing had happened, she stood back up and opened the door for you, and you walked inside with her following. The maid flipped a light switch, and the room was illuminated in a soft light. The room looked incredible, so much better than the college dorm you shared back in town. The bed was large, with rich forest green plush pillows and a big, fluffy comforter of the same color. There was a vanity across the room from the bed, though the top of it was desolate save for a single hairbrush. The walls were painted a muted sage green, and surrounding the perimeter of the bed was a creamy beige-colored rug. The bed frame and floor was dark-colored wood. There was one set of doors by the vanity, and another door some feet away from the bed. The maid walked towards the door closest to the bed and opened it, revealing a fancy-looking bathroom with the same wall color.
The bath was already drawn, steam still rising. You wondered when and who drew you this bath, though the maid's voice snapped you from your thoughts. "Leave your wet clothing hanging on the door when you're ready. I will take them to dry and bring you fresh clothing. Try not to take too long, master has invited you to dinner and they dislike waiting." With that, she left the bathroom and stood with her back turned to the door. You walked inside and shut the bathroom door and quickly peeled off you cold, soaked clothing before doing as the maid instructed. Closing the door once more, you stepped into the bath finally relieved to feel some kind of warmth. Maybe all this wasn't so bad? Although, the maid's warning did frighten you. What would happen if you left your room without someone, or permission? You took a deep breath and decided you'd think about and ask the owner of the mansion at dinner. For now, you just wanted to warm up.
Chapter 2: Come and Get Some
Notes:
sorry this is so late i was depressed and started a new job (the two are unrelated don't worry) uh! yeah shit happened i guess but anyways here have this, i might rewrite/change some stuff another time it's late as hell at the time this was published
Chapter Text
You were beginning to nod off to sleep when a sharp knock at the door startled you. You quickly sat up, some of the water sloshing while you tried to quietly catch your breath.
"Dinner is soon. Your new clothing is hanging on the door, please use this time to get ready." It was the maid from before, and you sighed, tempted to roll your eyes. But, you didn't, because you figured that maybe her job here was tedious, like your retail job back in town. If that was the case then you could relate, but she still unnerved you. You did figure that it was time to get out, you were starving and you didn't think you should keep the maid, or whoever her boss was, waiting. You washed yourself before you quickly and carefully stepped out of the bath to dry off. You grabbed the new outfit from outside the door, shutting it, and quickly put the undergarments on. The new shirt is a candy red with a ruffled front and long sleeves with golden buttons, the sleeves opening up at the wrist with a similar ruffled look. The pants were a rich caramel brown with working pockets and decorated with a slightly darker shade of embroidered leaves. Your new clothing hugged your body, but they weren't so tight that you couldn't move. Included was a pair of soft black socks and black ankle boots. You found it odd, though, because it seemed as if your new clothing was specifically made and tailored just for you.
You stepped out of the bathroom and back into your bedroom, the maid standing by the vanity. She nodded at your appearance before beckoning you to her. You walked over, and she motioned for you to sit on the vanity's bench. She picked up the lone brush, and you noticed the word DARLING carved messily into the back of it.
"I'm going to do your hair for you now. Do you want a simple style, or something more sophisticated?" The maid asked, gently holding a lock of your hair.
You thought for a moment. "How about simple?" you said, looking up at her in the mirror. She nodded, and began brushing your hair carefully as to not pull or tug on any knots and tangles. She hummed softly as she brushed and styled, probably the most feeling and emotion she had shown you so far. You didn't hate it though, the feeling was actually very nice. Soon enough, she was done, and you looked at yourself in the mirror. Yeah, it was just a simple style, but it felt like she had put care into it.
"We must be going now, dinner will be served very soon." The maid flatly said as she set the brush down and began walking to the door. You got up and followed her as she opened the door, and followed her out.
"Please, stay close to me. We wouldn't want any accidents to happen so soon." She said as she looked down at you. Her words unnerved you yet again.
"What do you mean by accidents?" you asked, a little worried.
She turned away from you and began walking away. "Nothing you need to worry about right now. Come along."
You had let out an exasperated sigh, and began following her again. 'What's with everyone around here and being so weird?' you thought to yourself. Between the strange man and his even stranger eyes and the maid in front of you, you were convinced that somehow you probably stumbled into your death. Whoops. Another thought had lingered in the back of your mind though. 'What if this place is haunted, and the people I've seen so far are ghosts?' You quickly pushed that thought away, you didn't believe in ghosts and the paranormal, just that these people are strange as hell. Although, they were nice enough to allow you to stay, and they were giving you some nice clothes and they're basically feeding you, you figured maybe you should be nicer. The maid led you down the same stairs from earlier and into a darkened hallway. You wondered how the hell she could even see through the inky darkness when you couldn't even see her, you were relying on her footsteps as they echoed throughout the hall. The steps stopped, you stopped, and you heard the clicks of two doors being opened. Dim light flooded the hall, and you noticed you were just behind the maid, thankfully. She opened the two large doors further, revealing a massive dining hall. Perched high above was a beautiful crystal chandelier, and directly below was the dining table. It wasn't a long one, maybe seating five or six others, with two chairs at either end and three chairs along the sides. The maid led you to the seat at the end of the table, pulling out the chair for you to sit then pushing it back in. She turned around and stood off to the side against the nearby wall.
You were only seated for a few minutes when you heard another door being opened and hurried footsteps clacking on the wooden floor. You looked up and recognized the same ash-blond man from earlier quickly taking a seat on the right side closest to the head of the table. You watched as he tried to catch his breath and fix his hair and got an idea.
"Wow, you look like hell." You said with a chuckle, mocking what he had said to you when he first let you in. He quickly turned his head to look at you, and for a moment you though he was going to get angry. But, he let out a chuckle.
"Making fun of me with my own words, huh? I can respect that" he responded, sitting back in his chair. He seemed more relaxed now, yet you could tell he was studying you carefully.
"So, what's your name? I can't remember if I asked earlier, sorry" you asked him, breaking the silence. You were aware that you didn't ask earlier, but you didn't want to seem rude. A little white lie never hurt in the name of politeness, right?
"You didn't ask earlier, and I'm sure you know that" he replied slyly. Damn, never mind. You cursed yourself mentally, hoping that he didn't think you were trying to be rude or trick him.
"Yeah I know, I'm sorry..." You respond, not actually that sorry. Well, maybe you were that sorry, a little. Jon laughs lightly, giving a genuine smile.
"Oh it's alright, I was messing with you!" He looked over at you again, but his demeanor seemed a little more serious. "You might not know it, but names are a powerful tool. Sometimes, you don't want to give your true name away, just in case."
"Why's that?" you asked, curious yet also just a little freaked out.
"Just some superstitions that people have! You know, if you give your name to the wrong being they'll have power and even control over you, that sort of thing!" he said, as if it's something everyone knew. You nodded as if you did know that, wondering what the fuck his point is.
"I mean, I would consider myself a nice person, I wouldn't... control someone using their name? Sure, I sometimes think about throttling some of the customers I have to help but I think that's understandable." you rambled, hoping that maybe he'd agree or understand you.
"Hm. Well, I guess you're right, you don't seem like the kind of person to hurt anyone" he thinks for a moment, before saying, "My name's Jon. What's yours?" You could have sworn his eyes flashed that same bright green...
You give him your name, and you two began to talk with very little awkwardness. You learned that Jon had lived in the mansion with the owner for quite some time, and that he helped with the daily chores of the mansion, even with all the help around apparently there's still a lot to do. As you two talked, however, you could slowly feel the air turn colder. It's barely been 5 minutes, how did it get so cold? You shivered a little.
"Was it always this cold?"
"What are you talking about? I don't feel any change to the room, maybe you're still cold from earlier." he responded nonchalantly. You sigh, unsure if he meant that or was just joking. But, that does remind you.
"I forgot to thank you for helping me earlier, I'm not sure what I would've done if I didn't find this place" you dryly chuckled. Jon's face brightens, and he smiles.
"It wasn't a problem at all, don't worry! You should thank the owner though, it's his home after all."
"Speaking of which, who is the owner?"
The moment you asked, the air turned colder, and Jon visibly shuddered. Guess he did feel the cold after all. The door at the other end of the dining hall opened with the groan, and footsteps echoed throughout. From the shadows, a pale, well dressed man stepped out. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a black tie and black shoes, and had black hair and... unnaturally black eyes as if he were dead. He had a small smile as he approached the head of the table, it didn't waiver even as he began to speak.
"Many apologies for being late, I had... something to take care of" they explained as they sat at the head of the table across from you. Their accent was hard to place, it was there and yet so light. You shrugged it off, you'd ask about it later. They looked over at you, a sympathetic look on their face. Less so their eyes, they still looked black and dead. Weird.
"You must be our guest! You must be famished, waiting all this time, correct?" they tilted their head slightly, their gaze nor smile never breaking.
"Uh... yeah, I'm a little hungry.." you answered, trying not to make it obvious that you could eat a horse and still be hungry. That's a poor example, but you were too hungry to think of anything better.
They nod, and from seemingly nowhere three butlers stepped out of the shadows carrying silver plates with domed lids. You swear that if they were there the whole time you would kill someone. Not literally, hopefully. They placed the plates in front of you, Jon, and who you assume to be the host before taking off the lids and revealing a steaming plate of... pork, whole mini potatoes, and roasted assorted vegetables. It seems normal, but you can't help but feel uneasy for some reason. Eating utensils were placed on the sides of your plate, and you looked up at your host, watching them pick up a fork and knife. You cautiously did the same, and began cutting into the pork. You cut off a small piece off and had hesitantly raised it to your lips, you could feel eyes on you as you did so. Your uneasy feeling never once went away, in fact it seemed to get worse. Your anxiety increased until you took a bite.
It was a well-seasoned piece of pork. Nothing more, nothing less, just very delicious. You heard a low chuckle as you slowly continued eating, your anxiety subsiding but never leaving.
The rest of dinner went by in uneventful silence, as did a simple dessert of warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream. When you were finished, the plates were taken by the same three butlers from before, who again seemed to simply vanish into the shadows beyond the dining table. Jon stood up and thanked the host for dinner, whispering something in his ear. He leaves, leaving you and the host alone. Uh oh. You figure you should be polite and thank him for the meal. That's the way to go, right?
"Thank you for dinner, it was lovely" you stated, a small smile on your face. The host returned your smile hearing your compliment.
"You're very welcome, my dear, I'm glad you enjoyed it!" They sounded genuine with their words. Did they make dinner themselves? Is that why they were late? It seemed likely. But, something told you that there was something strange going on, from the odd behavior of the staff to how Jon and the host seemed to watch you as you ate. Your mind continued going down the rabbit hole of wanting answers when the host cleared their throat. You looked back at them, not realizing you were spacing out. Damn it.
"Huh?" you questioned.
"Pardon me, I asked how your room is. Is it to your liking? There's many other rooms if you'd like another."
"Oh, that's not necessary! The room's perfect" you quickly answered. You didn't want them to think you were ungrateful, that's just poor etiquette and rude in general. "It's really pretty, honestly, and cozy" you added.
For a moment, his eyes seemed to shine at your words. "I'm very glad you think so! The last guests didn't think so, unfortunately." Their voice shifted when they mentioned the last bit, their eyes seemed more dead than before and the air felt suffocating. He stood up from the table with an annoyed huff before looking down at you. "Apologies, I must retire for the night. Thank you for joining us for dinner, goodnight." With that, they walked off without waiting for a reply. The air felt breathable again, and you couldn't help but feel a little bad for them. You heard footsteps approach from the side of the room, and saw your maid approaching. Though, she seemed... unsettled, to say the least. The first actual emotion you'd seen from her, and yet it freaked you out.
"Dinner is over, follow me back to your room." She stated simply, her voice wavering only a little. That freaked you out too, was the sudden change in the host's tone that worrying? Best to get to your room sooner rather than later then. You stood up from the table, pushed in your chair, and followed the maid back to your room, the walk was silent. Not a sound was heard, aside from your breathing and the constant torrent of rain against the mansion and it's windows. Upon arriving to your room, you found a soft raven-black long sleeve pajama shirt and matching pants folded neatly on your bed. You change into them, immediately feeling tired. Weird, you didn't feel this drowsy before, but oh well. The bed was comfy and you couldn't help but fall asleep quickly, the events of the day seemed a distant memory.
Hunnie_Merrigolde on Chapter 1 Fri 28 Apr 2023 05:26PM UTC
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xerophylloom on Chapter 1 Sun 07 May 2023 08:19AM UTC
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Abyss Lurker (Guest) on Chapter 1 Tue 30 May 2023 01:20AM UTC
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Hunnie_Merrigolde on Chapter 2 Thu 09 Nov 2023 10:47AM UTC
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aethrr on Chapter 2 Wed 25 Sep 2024 01:07PM UTC
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harana_sa_gabii on Chapter 2 Sat 26 Oct 2024 02:42PM UTC
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