ASHLEY'S POV
I sat on my bed with my head resting against the headboard. My hands were bandaged and resting on a sling which hung round my neck. The doctor had come and he bandaged my hands. He said that the fracture would have gotten worse if we didn't call for medical help.
Thoughts of why Master didn't return me back began to run through my head, I felt like I saw really in a strangers land and I didn't know my destination. Did master hate me for refusing to spend the night with him or for not telling him about my fractured arm? It was very hard to know Master's thought from his expression because his expressions were always blank and plain.
Just then I was snapped out of my thoughts by a gently knock on the door, I wondered who it could have been. It seemed like Master was at work at this time of the day so it could only be a servant or maid.
"Come in" I said loud enough for the person at the door to hear.
The door opened slowly with a brown- haired maid standing in front of it, she was a bit familiar
"Good day Miss" she said.
Her voice made me certain that I had seen her or had conversation with her. I decided to keep calm so as not to scare her or any possible thing I could do to her ego.
"Yes?" I said softly and in a friendly manner.
"Miss, I'm Janet, one of the maids you saw in the kitchen, the one who took you to your room" she said.
That's when I remembered her, she was the one who told me she couldn't give me any information. I didn't hate her for it anyways. I felt weird because she was calling me Miss, she seemed like she was few years older than me.
"Please just call me Ashley" I said.
Though I was just eighteen, I had the body of a twenty year old.
"Miss…Ashley how is your hands now" she asked
"They're okay" I answered moving them a bit to back up my words.
"Miss…. I mean Ashley, I want to tell you something? Something about Master" she stammered and I could tell she was nervous.
"What?" I asked with my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Umm… please don't let anyone know I told you" she said, it looked like she was sweating a bit.
"Okay, what is it?"
"About what you were asking me yesterday, the thing is that ….um… Master...… no there's a rumor that Master is a blood sucking Monster...… not really a rumor, it's kind of true" she said as she fidgeted with her fingers.
I didn't really believe her, I didn't really want to because that would mean my life was at stake and I didn't want to think about that now.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Ever since I've worked here like a year ago, Master should have brought more than hundred girls here and every one of them died in less than five days. The longest one to ever live died just less than a week" she said with an even lower voice.
I was shocked and really scared, I didn't want to believe that, I'll soon die or I won't live up to a week.
"Why? What killed them?" I asked in panic and worry.
"There are rumors, some say it's masters blood lust, some committed suicide, some were poisoned and some just died" she said.
Her words scared me badly, I was very sure I wasn't going to sleep peacefully this night. I wanted to run away or disappear. I was very sure it was obvious that my eyes were filled with worry and panic.
"Please don't tell anyone, the servants and maids were threatened by Catherine and Austin. We were threatened to keep our mouth shut" she said.
"Why did you decide to tell me?" I asked with confusion.
"I feel you're different from the others, you're not as proud as the other girls that came" she said with a hint of admiration.
I was still shocked about the blood sucking master story. Master attitude last night, the way he sucked the blood off my lips like he was intoxicated by it. I couldn't deny that she was telling the truth but I still decided to deny it in my head for my sanity sake.
I decided to shove off the thoughts as I felt a sudden desire to draw.
"Miss…. I mean Ashley, may I go?" she asked.
"Look we're in private, forget all this formalities and behave like Janet not just a maid"
"Yes Miss… I mean Ashley"
She was about to leave.
"Wait! Please" I asked.
"Yes" she turned back.
"Would you take me to the art room please?" I asked politely.
The art room was so beautiful and professional but it had a weird vibe, an empty and void vibe. As an artist which is what I call myself, your workroom should at least have some of your works but this one seemed like no one had used it.
There were lots of art supplies used for both drawing and paintings. Janet had already told me that I was allowed to use anything as no one used it. Thank fully it was my left arm that was broken and I was right handed so I made use of my right hand to draw.
The first image that appeared in my head was the gate of the villa. This house fascinated me so much that I had lots to draw about. I started a detailed realistic drawing of the gate.
All alone in the quiet room I drew my heart out for what would have seemed like hours.