Chapter Two - Unfamiliarity
I slowly opened my eyes, blinking rapidly. The sudden brightness was difficult to adjust to. Where was all this light coming from?
I was all the more confused when I realized I had a dreamless sleep. The mistress usually haunted me every night through nightmares after nightmares. Sometimes in a form of past encounters with her or illusions, my mind had created, all with the same underlying purpose of scaring me. And it did its job quite well.
I moved my knees to untie the knot from being bent all night, as I always do, but for the first time in years, my knees didn't feel sore at all. It surprised me that I haven't woken several times yesterday. I was also lying on a bed, not a futon, and not my window sill.
This was not my attic.
A window across the bed informed me that I was on the ground floor. I could see children running around the grass, under the sun with large dogs chasing them. A lone flower pot obscured a portion of the window as it sat on top of a white dresser. The scene felt welcoming that the first time in four years, a smile appeared on my face.
Am I dreaming? Where was I?
A door to my left was suddenly opened. Tensing, I immediately went under the thick blankets that weren't mine.
"Oh, you're awake!" I was midway into hiding when a high-pitched voice spoke, giving me a mini-headache.
I willed for the tingling to go away as my hands slowly pulled the duvet down that looked too white and clean for me to be touching, my eyes darting from the ceiling and towards the floor. I was finding any reason not to make eye contact as the thought made me anxious. I stayed alert, knowing that there was another person in the room and the fact that I was in a very unfamiliar place.
Her footsteps alarmed me to the roofs.
"I'm glad you're awake. The doctor told me you would be up by now and he was right." Her frilly voice entered my ears as she stopped at the foot of the bed I was laying on, her silhouette covering my view of the window.
I steadily scurried away 'til my back touched the headboard.
She was wearing something I haven't seen a woman wear before. Pants. The women I've met previously, all wore the same long gowns and skirts, including myself. I've worn the same white dress for the past four years. It was all dirty by now and had long faded its beauty. I've made it ugly.
Looking down to check the dress that I had been wearing, it's been replaced by a sky-blue dress. Lovely color in my opinion.
"I'll just call the pack doctor, okay? I'll be back in a minute." I heard her say. I only nodded meekly, without looking up.
The moment the door closed, the gnawing feeling in my stomach intensified. The mistress was probably looking all over for me. I could imagine her going berserk if she'd find out I have escaped. If she did, I'd tell her that I never tried to and I only wanted to save myself from the fire and that a man came to save me too. Maybe, she wouldn't scold me so much for it or cut my meals. Thankfully, she'd never beaten me and always caught herself midway in the action. She badly wanted to lay her hands on me but never did for reasons I wouldn't care to ask. At least, she never painted me purple and that was something I should never question but just be internally grateful for.
Staring at the window across the room, I decided to take a peek outside.
I lifted my feet to sit on the edge of the bed, my feet hanging so I dangled it for a moment. It made me lighten up. The window sill back in the attic was too low for my feet to dangle in the air. I wished I could have this bed with me forever.
I frowned, realizing that I couldn't afford anything.
I jumped down. My vision turned white for a second, making me balance myself by placing both of my hands on the bed. My hands caught my attention when I noticed something strange. There was a tiny tube attached to it. My eyes followed it to where it led to and found a bag of water connected.
Not really minding it, I continued my walk towards the window.
My sight had long adjusted to the brightly lit room and my only goal now was to look outside. However, not a couple of steps in, and I was stopped by the tube as it stung to walk even further.
The tube was pulling at my skin and it stung. I tugged at it and immediately knew that somehow, the tip that was covered with tape, probably was inside of me. A thought which was terrifying. How I came to that conclusion, I don't know. The visible red color making its way up in the tube only solidified the idea.
Is that blood?
I almost yanked the thing out when the door once again opened with one more person and the same girl. This new guy was wearing a white cloak, a weird material hanging around his neck. The two were conversing which I blocked myself out. I was not allowed to listen, no matter what. In a spur of the moment, I've accidentally made eye contact with each of them, my other hand going still mid-action. When the guy noticed what I was trying to do, he took big strides in my direction, startling me at the same time.
My eyes widened from the sudden intrusion so as a response, I jerked away, pulling the tube along. The bag of water that was hanging on a metal stick fell with a loud clang, making me tense once more.
I hung my head low in shame, hoping that I have not angered them.
"Are you okay?" The girl asked. She was beside me in a matter of seconds and was about to pat my shoulder but that only made me jerk away. I was skittish about everything especially now when I was trying not to hyperventilate.
Where was I? Who were they?
I peeked a look as the two strangers stared into each other before looking back at me. I hurriedly looked down at the floor, my right foot moving behind the other to release some of my anxiety.
They whispered among themselves and left after a few minutes, leaving me alone yet again for some time after that.