The Mansion

"Here is the key to the mansion"

"Thank you" Allicia stated softly, a slight smile lit up her face and her deep brown eyes glinted with pure innocence.

The middle-aged man nodded, a hint of satisfaction flashed across his face. He appeared to be pleased with the young lady. She was a lady like every other one that had worked in the place before but at least, she had a peaceful demeanor that neither of the ones from the past had. And those doe-like eyes of hers did not conceal greed and curiousity like the others that he had met before. If she contained herself well during this period, perhaps, she could survive the next three months of the recovery…

"Ahem-" The middle-aged man cleared his throat and drew back from his drifting thoughts. He placed the bunch of keys in the opened palm of the girl. "You can call me Felix by the way" he added.

"Yes, Master Felix" Allicia voiced politely. Her pearl white teeth shone as she smiled. She carefully hid away the bunch of keys that she received in the pocket of her skirt. It made a weird shaped bump appear at the corner of her skirt. She did not mind this at all.

"Hm-" Felix made a small throaty noice. "Now that you are going to work here, do you still recall the three grand rules you have pledged to obey?" He questioned the girl dropping her gaze to meet hers.

Allicia nodded and swiftly moved her gaze away from his. Her cheeks tainted slightly as she blushed. Pardon her innocence for she was only a young girl who was yet to see much of the world. How could she bear to look at the good-looking man who looked nothing like his age for that long?

She intended to steal a glance at him but she was afraid to be caught by his sharp gaze. The gaze that reminds her of her father, he used to look at her sharply like that when he was still alive. She used to be so afraid that she would easily hide to avoid his gaze. She was eighteen years now but she was still so afraid to meet other people's eyes. Even if she was so fierce, she would not meet other's eyes.

Inspite of this challenge, Allicia was rather pleasantly surprised each time she stole a glance at the man's face. His elderly face was wrinkle-free, he had thick dark brows, honeyed dark eyes and his dark hair that crowned his head. Aside from the pictures of the celebrities that she often saw a few times on the front page of a magazine she saw in a stranger's hand on the bus, she had never met anyone so good-looking up close. She blushed and gazed at the floor while playing with the hem of her dress nervously.

Unaware of what was playing in the head of the girl, Felix looked at her seriously. "State the rules" he suddenly ordered.

Allicia almost felt her heart jump but she was certain it skipped a beat when she head the man's deep voice again. "Uh… Stay away from the room at the extreme end of the east wing... Be quiet as much as possible.... Leave at once when the second hand struck 5pm, not a second late!" Those were the three grand rules that she received when she first came to the place, she knew them by heart already. Even if she was asked in her sleep, she was certain she would repeat the words without missing a letter.

Felix smiled and nodded. He was pleased with her response. Compared to the others he had met before, this one appeared to be smart. Hopefully, she would not be a disaster like the others were.

Just as he had done to her, everytime he employed a new caretaken for the mansion, he would always give them the same rules. It was indeed easier to know the rules by heart but they always happen to break the simple rules.

For some reasons, they disturbed the peaceful atmosphere of the mansion, attempted to sleepover, or snuck into the forbidden room… The ending was never good.

"It is good that you remember, I hope you keep the rules with all your heart" Felix commanded sternly.

Allicia nodded seriously, she promised to keep the rules. She really hope she would keep the job for the three months it was going to last.

"Very well then, I will be out of town for a while and I will only return on the fifteenth day of each month before your last working day. If you work as you should, a huge reward awaits you after the three months. Miss Allicia, I look forward to a great coorperation with you" Felix uttered and stuck out his hand.

Allicia shook hands with him shyly before drawing her hands back.

"I will be leaving now" Felix said, he threw one last look at Allicia before turning around and picked his steps.

Allicia quickly followed him out of the mansion. She stopped at entrance of the mansion and did not take any further step forward. She watched as Felix looked back at the mansion, nodded at her before he got into the car that was waiting for him. The car drove out of the lawn, Allicia watched until it disappeared from her sight. The car quickly disappeared from her and was buried under the covers of the woods around the mansion. It was funny how anyone would build a mansion in such a lone place. She shrugged and turned around. Just as she was about to walk back into the house, she paused and tilted her head to a certain direction. Something flickered across her eyes and she arched a brow. She pursed her lips slightly, she thought something was there… Her intuition was always on point. But, she erased the thoughts and walked into the mansion.

Just then, at a corner in the dark place, two figures exchanged glance.

She did not see us right? The first figure spoke with his eyes and the other just shrugged, I bet she did not. He answered without speaking. Just like that, they ignored the girl and kept guarding the place in the dark.

With that, Allicia's life began...