Enjoy!
-0-
"Miss! I suggest ya 'urry before ya cause y'self to fall severely ill." She still shook, now from a mixture of fear the elderly woman had caused and the effects of the weather, she watched as the rain continued to fall however she noted it no longer directly touched her, glancing up she noticed the obnoxiously red umbrella the old woman now held, sheilding them from the harsh weather. Kagome tried to smile as best as she was capable and then nodded meekly. She saw the woman hold her frail hand out towards her and carefully, unsure of her strength, too concerned for he woman's health rather than her own. Kagome watched as she unlocked the gate beside them and then continued to pull her through, making sure to lock up behind herself, the woman then went on her journey, Kagome in tow.
Making their way down the barely there pathway, overgrown with moss and weeds, Kagome noted that at a first glace the whole area would appear to be abandoned, looking like it hadn't been touched in years. She peered at the elderly woman currently pulling her along, she seemed to give off a caring and nurturing aura, completely contrasting to the man she had faced earlier, he had just stared, his cold and narrow eyes judging her poor self... jerk.
" 'ere we are miss." The woman's voice brought her back from her drifting thoughts and when she lifted her head she was rendered speechless. Before her stood the most extravagant house she had ever lay her eyes upon, tall trees stood proud behind , beds of flowers scattered throughout the grass which surrounded the house. It stood in all its beauty, although it was rather dark which limited her otherwise perfect vision and the heavy downpour did not help her either, she could still see its imposing magnificence. Timidly she tailed behind the elderly woman, finding it challenging to climb the many stairs with her stiff muscles but eventually she managed to make her way towards the entrance. The woman opened the door and motioned her in, awkwardly she stood waiting for the woman to assist her on her way however she stood, slightly slouched, and examined her. She knew she was a mess, wet hair, clothing fully soaked through, shoes flooded and luggage forming puddles on the immaculately polished floor.
"I mus' apologise for bein' s'pushy but ya wouldn't 'ave s'vived any longer out there." Her smile instantly made her happier, she could feel the soothing warmth seep into her warming her up.
"Dear, if ya wouldn't mind, could ya tell me why ya were stood outside lookin' so 'orribly lost?" Carefully she took the luggage and set it aside, before motioning to follow as she hobbled her way towards a door situated on the far left.
"I was s-supposed to s-start working here today, I came at the time I was t-told to but I couldn't s-see any d-doorbell or intercom so I was waiting. B-but before you came I saw a man standing at the gate a-and I tried to tell him why I was there but he j-just walked away and left me." She scowled as I told her, deepening at the mention of being left alone in such weather. Clicking her tongue as she entered through the door she switched the light on, illuminating the room.
"Was 'e 'bout this tall?" She held her hand a small way from the floor and I nodded, "Round 'n chubby? Green with yella eyes?" I nodded again.
" 'At must've bin Jaken, that scrawny lil' man thinks so 'ighly of 'imself. I thought 'e was bad but this takes th' cake! T' leave such an 'elpless woman alone in th' rain, what an 'eartless git!" I giggled at the expression currently marring her face, and what a sour one she made. Rustling through a cabinet she pulled out a thick, woollen blanket and what appeared to be a nightgown.
"I'm 'fraid all I 'ave is this, s'not the best but I'm sure it'll warm ya right up! Please change in tha bathroom over there, I will wait for ya 'ere." She smiled again as I took the nighty and turned to enter the bathroom.
"Such a nice girl, rare these days, Hah! I s'pose she'd do this place some good! 'Bout damn time!" The elderly woman muttered away.
After she had reappeared, the woman asked for her name and when she told her she had one back in return. Currently she sat on a chair placed in the corner of, what she now knew as, the washroom. Kaede was a good woman, she had said she just needed to check if I was to be there and what I was in need of, clothing wise. The place so far was nice, although she had currently only met two staff members of, presumably, hundreds, she held a rather optimistic view of the time she will be spending there. Although 'Jaken' was a jerk, maybe he had just gone to check if I was to be expected like Kaede had done a few minutes previously? It's hard to justify leaving a lone soul in weather as harsh as that, however she didn't look very presentable so maybe he was big on safety?
Kaede appeared once again and ushered her out of the room and towards a grand staircase, they had took a few turns here and there and finally they had stopped, now standing in front of a pair of pretty, white doors. They were adorned with gold etched designs and as Kaede pushed them open slightly she gasped at the beauty of such a room. Unsure of whether she should've been placed in a room as beautiful as this she carefully set a foot into the room, Kaede chuckled and barged her way in.
"This is ya room deary, I know It's far away but 'am sure, with time, ya will find ya way 'round quick. 'Thou I mus' say, for ya to be assigned such a room is a lil' s'prising for me." Kagome's head quickly snapped towards the woman, she seemed to be too busy sorting out her uniform to notice Kagome's sudden tenseness.
"W-What do you mean? Am I in trouble?" She laughed heartily again and shook her head.
"No dear, ya in no trouble. T'isn't a bad thing, if anythin' s'a joy! To stay in such a luxury for ya stay. Any one 'ad think ya be a visitor not a worker!" She relaxed at Kaede's words, at least she didn't have any issues on her first day. Kaede started to mutter again before walking back towards the doors where Kagome still stood slightly rigid.
"Right, ya uniform is ready o'er there, am sure ya can dress y'self and 're not in need of assistance. Ya are 'spected to be ready 'n waitin' at 7am everyday, for the first day 'a will 'elp an assist ya so that ya get used to what's needed. S'now ya may get ready for sleep 'n I will see ya in the mornin'." She started to close the doors however Kagome quickly stopped her.
"W-Wait! Erm, what about the Taisho family? Am I going to see them at all?" She watched as Kaede thought for a moment before speaking in a hushed voice.
"With every new staff member I 'ave 'elped, they 'ave been 'spected to formally introduce 'emselves to th' family, but when I looked at th' log, it didn't say tha' ya were to do so. Am unsure of wha' this means, it may be 'cause of ya delayed arrival but I will ask t'morrow so don't worry f' now! Jus' get some rest deary! G'night." The doors slowly closed and Kagome stood awkwardly by them. She glanced around the rather spacious room, surprising even herself to see such luxuries in an employees room.
Scuffling across the room in the direction of the bed she sat on the end, relaxing her nerves slightly at the comfort it delivered. She still worried as to why she was not in line of the normal procedure, she had yet to meet the family and it had not indicated that she was even expected to. The face Kaede had mad stuck with her, only building her discomfort, she appeared just as perplexed as me and that was extremely uncomforting. Glancing around again she felt too out of place, the time was now nearing midnight, it hadn't felt like time had been rushed but the proof was beside her bed, the digits glowing an obnoxious red, just like Kaede's umbrella had earlier in the night.
Assuming that nothing else was to happen, she switched off the lights and lay quietly in her bed. It had taken a while before Kagome was able to drift into a deep slumber, thoughts plagued her mind as well as a mysterious sound she couldn't fully decipher, too quiet for her ears to fully hear what it was seemed to echo in the distance. The whole place was already too strange for her liking yet the plush pillows and luxurious comfort whisked her away into a dreamless state.
-0-
I know I'm going to have people who won't like how I set out my chapters, or they'll disagree with where I take my stories and I'm sorry for that! I only write what I think works and sometimes it just doesn't! Eventually I'll see that and change it but for now I'm going with it.
