Page 38

Cleaning had never been so fun and exciting. Hazel had cleaned up the room in less than an hour, a record she'd break herself.

It usually took her at least three hours to get things done but now that she thought about it, she was either thinking while cleaning or taking her time while doing it.

But she wasn't taking her time today. She needed to get his room clean quickly so she could go see Annie and maybe the Aunts too.

She could hear their happy chatters from downstairs and she wanted to be a part of it, to be honest.

Finally done with cleaning, she pushed the huge trolley down the stairs where the women were gathered.

"Good morning aunt!" Hazel greets with a smile

Millie's face brightens even more with a radiant and graceful smile.

"Afternoon my darling. I was starting to wonder when I would see you this morning" Millie said, her tone a bit curled with worry

"I had to take care of Mr Vincenzo's room…." She explained

"What's with the formality? Mr Vincenzo? Call him Vincenzo or Vincent…"

"Or Enzo," Yin said with a mischievous grin.

Hazel smiled

"Mr Vincenzo is my boss" she explained

"And you spent the night with him" Millie teased

Hazel's jaw opened in shock, how on earth did they know she spent the night in Vincenzo's room?

"I can…I can explain aunt" Hazel stammered

Yin laughed

"There's nothing to explain darling. We know" Yon said with a meaningful look

Hazel looked puzzled at first at the weird look this woman was giving her except for Rose whose concentration was on a book.

The book looks rather old but there was something golden lurking on the surface.

It was a dancing rune. It disappears and reappears in seconds. She could almost say she didn't see it when she did.

"Know…what?" She dared to ask

"Everything darling. Especially when you were cold" Yin said a bit apologetic

So they do know what they were talking about…

"How did you…." She asked

"Tell us dearly, did Vincenzo make you feel good" Yin asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Hazel knew what she meant by those words alright!

"Aunt Yin!" Hazel called

"Come on darling, we are all women, tell us," Yin said

"It must feel great. You're so red in the face" Millie teased

Hazel glanced around the living area, luckily none of the staff was in sight. The guards seem not to care about any of their discussion and that was a good sign, right?

"You have no shame, you two. And you!" Rose snapped, staring at Hazel.

"You're going to stand there and listen to them aren't you? What's the difference between you two then uhm?" She asked

"You are no fun, Rose! If you're going to Bury your head in some book why don't you use the library ?" You snapped

"And while you are at it, change the type of book you're going to read would you? What's with the historical books? Read some romance and make yourself happy!" Millie snapped

"I'm done with the two of you " Rose slams the book shit and heads to the library.

"Be careful on those stairs, you might trip if you stump them too hard!" Yin teased

Hazel watched as Rose took her to leave, wondering why she was so different from the rest. probably she was the more reserved one and wouldn't want to act out of place for any reason.

The typical rule abiders.

Not that Hazel would want to have Rose teasing her about her night with Vincenzo, but she'd like to get to know her.

The sad thing is Rose doesn't seem to like her that much and Hazel wondered why.

"Go get rid of that trolley and come tell us how it went!" Millie teased

"I'll go make sure lunch is on its way" Hazel smiled and hurried away

Her face was boiling warm from all their questions and she knew she could take any more other air.

Maybe it was a bad idea to have wanted to meet them in the first place.

Hazel shows the trolley into the store room and slammed the door shut. She almost bumped into Orna on her way to the staff room.

"Goodness, careful will you?" Orna said, trying to help Hazel to her feet.

"Orna" Hazel cried, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"What's the occasion? You're not planning to leave me here are you?!" Orna accused

"I wouldn't dare" Hazel chuckled

"My life has been a rollercoaster and I don't even know reality from a dream anymore" Hazel whined

"First of all, you are hugging me. That's a reality" Orna steps away from Hazel, a worried look on her face.

"Did you start hallucinating again?" Orna asked

Hazel shrugs

"I don't even know but whatever it is, am happy here" she smiles

"Hazel…"

"Is there something you need to tell me? I can get Ella on the phone right now …" Orna afforded

"Ella promised to get back to me soon. I can always tell Mr Vincenzo and take a day off just to see her" Hazel replied

"Is it that serious?" Orna asked

Hazel felt terrible. Orna happened to be her seatmate back in high school. If things were fair, they'd be best of friends.

Hazel felt bad, she had to tell her the truth

"Orna, I don't have hallucinations. For sure" Hazel announced

Orna looked confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked

Hazel drops her voice to a whisper.

"It's Vincenzo" she offered

Orna's eyes went wild

"You don't say…"

Hazel shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. She can't tell Orna about this, not until she knows what is going on.

"Hazel?" Orna called

"I need time to see Chole right now, she's been probably worried about me since last night…" Hazel hurried off

Orna's face falls watching Hazel hurry off to the kitchen. Hazel was about to tell her something, she could almost feel it.

Why the change of mind?

Hazel walks into the kitchen, earning that weird look from Sharon and Tina.

"If it isn't the Mrs of the house" Tina offered without a care in the world.

"That's pathetic Tina, grow up" Hazel snapped as she walked past her.

"If you're going to keep disappearing in one, I promise you a seriously hard time!" Chole snapped on seeing Hazel

"Where have you been? " Chole asked

Hazel dished and shrugged once more.

"He's giving you a hard time isn't he?" Chole asked

"Not exactly," Hazel said in his defence

"Not exactly? You barely have enough rest and so early in the morning, you are up again, rushing to get things done for him" Chole said

"Well…"

"Do you bathe him?" Chole asked in seriousness

"Wait, what, no!" Hazel replied

"Why is your browser creasing? I'm right, aren't I?" Chole asked

"He's got both hands working just fine, Chloe, why would he need me to bathe him?" Hazel asked

"Honestly, I can imagine you handing him the bath gel when he's in the bathtub" Chole offered

"Chole! " Hazel cautioned

"You can't deny the fact that I'm telling the truth" Chloe replied

"I don't. That's a promise" Hazel assured

"Just take a rest while you can. " Chole advised

"Mind swapping places with me?" Hazel asked

"Hazel darling, I love you so much but taking your place, I can't do that" Chole offered plainly.

"And you love me? I'm starting to doubt the authenticity of that love trust me" Hazel said wearily

"I'm going to be fine. Whenever you don't see me in bed at night and no sign of me in the night, then you know whose fault that is" Hazel chuckled

"I'm starting to think if how we could escape this place" Chole offered

"We are not in a prison remember? Just tender your resignation and you're good to go" Hazel reminded

"True"

"Don't worry about me. I'm doing great for real" Hazel assured

Chole shrugs, Hazel had the highest tolerance level amongst the three of them. Maybe she could handle this…

"I'm starving Chloe" Hazel whined

"Your food is in the microwave. Made sure they left some over for you"

Hazel took out her food and munched on it hungrily. She didn't have as much water to drink all day and this toast was her remedy right now.

Everyone was busy cooking and getting lunch ready and Hazel had watched while eating.

Suddenly she felt her stomach clenched tightly and then she felt weak in the knees. She stared down at the toast she had in hand and the colour on her face drained; dark matter.

A shiny dark matter had replaced her toast and now she's in serious trouble.

Hazel collapsed on the floor, and a series of plates that were neatly stacked beside her fell off the table as well. A piece of the broken plate cut her head, arms and legs.

"Hazel "

Chloe was close but it felt like she was hearing her voice from miles away. Her face paled and her breathing gradually seized into heavy ones.

The last image she saw was Aunt Millie and then darkness….