My Life As A Maid

A.N. Here we are again! I don't know what I did in the last chapter at all... Now I'm confused X_X Even so, I hope this will be a... well, an okay chapter!

I screamed then. A loud, piercing scream escaped me, and I didn't do anything to stop it. Which, I was soon to learn, was a mistake. I clamped a shaking hand over my mouth. Tears filled my eyes for reasons I couldn't understand. I tried to stop myself from screaming, tried to back out of the room. But I was rooted to the spot; my body was stiff as a plank.

It was only when I ran out of breath, my throat scorching, that I stopped screaming. I heard footsteps. Someone was sprinting up the stairs to the top floor. I whirled around, my body filled with sudden energy –most likely adrenaline. Shutting the door with a bang, I stumbled out onto the corridor, my breathing shallow.

The footsteps sped up, and they were close by. Too close for my liking. I didn't want to run into anyone. I backed up, away from the stairs. I turned to run into another room, but my hands were shaking, and I fumbled stupidly with the handle. By then, it was far too late.

"What are you doing?" Flippy asked. He was dressed in a plain green shirt and dark jeans; his feet were bare. His voice was low, and had a dangerous edge to it. A green beret was flung lazily over his head. It cast a dark shadow over his face, but this only brought out his eyes more, sparking and inquiring. One thin eyebrow was raised in question. I struggled to breathe, to think of an answer.

"I asked you a question. What are you doing?"

I opened my mouth and shut it again. I repeated this multiple times until I could manage to say anything. Flippy waited.

"I-I... N-Nothing I... I w-wasn't doing a-anything..."

Flippy took a step closer, and I reached behind my back for the door handle, trying to keep my eyes on Flippy. My hand found the handle, and I gripped it tight, ready to fling open the door. Flippy took another step towards me, and I heard one of my knuckles crack. They were turning white, I was holding on so hard.

"You look a little scared, neko," stated Flippy, starting to smile. "Any reason for that?"

I shook my head too fast. I realized I had a splitting headache. My legs started shaking, and I moved to grip the door tightly with my other hand to keep myself standing.

"You screamed. Why was that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I-I... Oh, I f-fell." I immediately regretted what I said. What kind of an excuse was falling?

"I see," said Flippy. "And where did you hurt?"

"M-My legs."

"Hm."

Flippy stepped closer, and inspected my legs. I was shaking so badly, my knees were knocking against each other. I tried to steady my breathing.

"Nothing there, neko. You sure it was your legs? Or maybe you're lying to me?"

"I-I... N-o, it was m-my arms," I said, and held out my arms. They were frail as a leaf in the wind. The bruises from No Mercy and Flippy's other games were starting to disappear rapidly but there will still a few sore spots. Flippy looked at them, and I held my breath.

"They look like older bruises to me, sweetheart," said Flippy. He straightened up, and I flinched under his stare. He smirked.

"Your eyes, neko. So frightened, and so timid. It's quite hilarious, you know."

"I-I have t-to go clean, F-Flippy," I said, making an attempt at ducking under him. He stopped me by extending his arm quickly, and I stumbled into him. Flippy grinned.

"In a rush, aren't we neko?" he commented. "Stay here. I'm not done with you."

I stood on the spot, and squeezed my eyes shut. Hindsight was a terrible, terrible thing. Realizing things too late was a particularly bad habit of mine. I'd forgotten my cleaning things and left them in the old room where Flippy's mother rested. Flippy had noticed this too.

"Where are your cleaning things?" he asked. He sounded curious, but there was a hidden suspicious edge to his voice that I detected immediately.

I debated over telling the truth or coming up with a lie that would only sink me deeper into trouble. However, either answer I gave Flippy would result in trouble. If I told him my cleaning things were in there, he'd look. And he'd already know his mother was in there.

But, maybe he didn't know? Maybe someone had laid his mother there and kept her a secret from Flippy. Had his Father told him a lie when he was younger? That his Mother had passed away when he was just a baby? It was possible, and in my head it all seemed very realistic. My thoughts wandered to the clothes and toys I'd seen. Had they been kept a secret too?

But, it was possible that Flippy knew about his mother. In fact, that was most likely. Those clothes and toys must have been his from when he was younger. Maybe he'd even...

I shook my head as a horrible thought came to mind. No way.

Flippy laughed. "You look like you're arguing with someone," he told me. "Well? Where are they?"

"I-I left them b-behind..."

"Where?"

I paused. Hindsight. So terrible.

"I-I mean, I th-think they might have f-fallen. D-Downstairs. When I f-fell, I mean."

"I didn't see them," said Flippy, both eyebrows raised. He crossed his arms.

"O-Oh, um... M-Maybe it's in th-this room."

I gestured weakly to the door behind me. Flippy nodded.

"Maybe. Go check."

I nodded, and heard faint bells ring in my head. I opened the door and walked inside, shutting it quietly. I stood in the centre of the room and I felt tears fill my eyes. Fear seemed to do this to me. I just broke down.

"Oh... What will I do..?" I was pacing now, trying hard to think of something. I needed to avoid that room, but Flippy had total control of the situation. It had been obvious I was hiding something, but now his suspicions had been confirmed.

I wondered what he was doing out there in the hall. Or was he still there? I froze when I thought of him looking inside that old room. He'd know immediately I'd been there. Flippy would storm in; he'd shake me until I was unconscious. I'd be fired. Flippy would...

"Flippy is not a murderer," I whispered furiously. As much as I did try to convince myself, horrific thoughts crept into my mind. I shuddered.

"Get a grip of yourself, Flaky. Nobody's going to k-kill you."

I hugged my arms and prayed in silence for some help, some advice. None came.

"Neko? You're taking awful long in there. Something wrong?"

"N-No," I called back. My voice was high-pitched, it sounded almost hysterical. I must have looked delusional. I certainly felt delusional. I walked unsteadily towards the door and pushed it open, taking my time. Flippy was leaning casually against a wall, regarding me with an empty, emotionless gaze.

"Not in there?" he asked. As if he didn't already know the answer.

"N-No. I d-didn't see th-them."

"You didn't see them?" asked Flippy. "So, I might be able to see them? Or are you implying that they're not in there at all?"

"Th-They aren't in there."

"Ah. And where else would they be?"

"Th-They could be a-anywhere," I said. "I'll keep l-looking. You d-don't have to."

"I want to."

And that decided it. I couldn't tell him to go away or not to bother himself. I was the maid. So instead of dismissing him, I waited for what he had to say next.

"What about this room?"

Flippy lifted one hand and pointed with a finger to the room where his mother lay, smirking at me. I froze up immediately. Flippy noticed it too. He nodded, and strode purposefully towards the door. I watched his left hand flexing as he walked, clenching and unclenching. I stood watching, my body numb and tingling all at once. I wanted to run, to throw myself down stairs at full speed and run out the door. But my feet remained rooted to the spot; I was unable to move.

Flippy placed one hand on the door knob, twisted it around, and kicked the door open gently with his foot. It creaked as it swung open, and the old, musty chill of the room swept over the hall, enveloping us. I shivered, and watched as Flippy took a look inside. A smile spread across his face, but didn't reach his eyes. I squeezed my left hand with my right, so hard I thought I might break it. But I couldn't help it. My bones were rattling inside me I was shivering so hard.

"Your cleaning things are in here all right," called Flippy. He had made his way inside the room. Without meaning to, I followed him to the doorway. Flippy was a silhouette, standing over the clothes that had been thrown to the side of the woman's corpse. Flippy was standing over his mother.

He turned to grin at me. His eyes shone like a cat's in the darkness, his white teeth flashing. I lost my balance for half a second and stumbled back a step.

"I see you've met my Mother, neko," said Flippy.

A.N. And another chapter is finished! Wow, two updates in one day! Not this story, of course. I hope that was okay ;~; Tell me what you thought of it! Until next time!