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~CHAPTER 12~

Tearing my gaze away from that hideous thing looking back at me from the mirror, unable to bear the sight of the battered and bruised person staring back at me.

I walked towards the shower and carefully began to strip off my dirty underwear, wincing from moving my sore limbs.

The cool air of the bathroom kissed my skin, making me shiver. I looked down at my naked body, and my eyes welled up with tears.

The bruises, the scars, the memories – they all blended together, telling a story of pain and suffering.

Stepped into the shower, and I looked at the complex contraption before me. Shit, I don't know how to turn on the shower.

I stared at it blankly, like an illiterate person confronting an unfamiliar script.

I wasn't completely illiterate, though; I had managed to teach myself to read simple words from the books I'd secretly taken from my father's library.

That room was off-limits to me, a place I haven't seen him set foot in, yet it was always spotless and organized.

Often, I would sneak in, careful not to make a sound, and snatch books that caught my eye. Those stolen books became my teachers, helping me learn the basics of reading.

Shocking, but that's not all because as for bathing, I hadn't used a shower in ages. My usual cleaning routine consisted of using a damp cloth and bucket "my father" had been merciful to spare that for me to wipe myself down when I felt too sticky or sweaty.

Standing now, in front of this unfamiliar space, I remember how helpless of a child I was and useless in not knowing how to perform even the simplest tasks.

"Dear." A gentle knock at the door broke the silence; I turned to face the door, remembering the kind lady who was waiting for me. Had I taken too long, prompting her to check up on me?

"Yes?" I called out, trying to sound calm.

"Do you need help?" said the kind lady. I looked back at the shower in embarrassment.

I had no idea how to turn it on or operate it.

"I didn't hear the shower running, so I thought..." She trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air while I quietly walked towards the door and gently opened it, using it as a shield to cover my naked self.

She was standing in front of me with a look of inquiry, her face having wrinkles from old age but she was still beautiful.

"I...I..." I cleared my throat in slight embarrassment "Can you help me with the shower?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

She smiled warmly at me and I pushed open the door further, allowing her to pass through.

She walked over to the shower, pressed a button, and I watched in amazment as water began to pour down from the showerhead.

Quietly, i walked over to her, my eyes fixed on the buttons, she began pointing to. "This is for cold, this is for hot, and this is for shampoo and this for soap." She demonstrated each function while pointing to the corresponding buttons.

I looked at the buttons intently, imprinting them to memory.

The kind lady turned to face me, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to say,"

She walked towards the door but before she could leave, I quickly spoke up, "Thanks, Mrs...." I trailed off, realizing I didn't know her name.

She turned back to me, a gentle smile on her face. "Stella," she said gently.

Stella

Repeated her name, committing it to memory. "Thanks, Miss Stella," I said, with gratitude towards this kind stranger.

Miss Stella smiled again, making me quickly say my name," Katya, my name"

"Beautiful, just like you" she said before she gave me a quiet nod and walked out of the bathroom, leaving me to bathe in peace.

Beautiful, just like you, yeah right, that's a lie. I walked in and stood under the warm shower, feeling the gentle water cascade down my wounded skin.

It stung in some places, but it was a soothing kind of pain, like a balm to my battered body.

Carefully using the soap and shampoo, marveling at their luxurious feel and scent.

The aroma was familiar, yet unfamiliar – I'd smelled it before, but couldn't quite place it. It smelt like a fruit, I can't really put the name as I don't know it.

The soap glided smoothly over my skin, cleansing away the dirt, and the shampoo washed away the tangles, knots, and blood in my hair.

After rinsing off, I stepped out of the shower and reached for the white fluffy towel that hung from a nearby rack. I wrapped it around myself.

I dried myself and caught sight of the mirror again, and my gaze was instantly drawn to my reflection.

I looked at myself, really looked, taking in the array of bruises and my one swollen eye that looked haunted.

I looked like a zombie, even after the bath, my ugliness was still potent, making me glared hard at my reflection, before sighing and turning around and walking out of the bathroom, back into the bedroom.

I shouldn't care about my reflection, it's not like I had someone to impress and who the hell would want to look at a hideous thing.

Miss Stella was quickly standing in front of me, her usual gentle smile on her face. "Take this," she said, holding out the neat bundle of clothes. But before I could fully take them from her, she gently pushed me back towards the bathroom. "Get dressed,"

I looked at the maid's uniform she'd given me, and I saw a bra and underwear folded neatly in between the dress.

I quickly picked them up and put them on. Then, I slipped on the maid's dress, which looked like a luxury from the ragged clothes I was used to.

The dress wasn't too long or too short; it was average, but it dwarfed me, it was a loose fit that drowned my skinny frame.

The bust area was so big and hanging loosely from my shoulders like a sack. I looked like a child playing dress-up in her mother's clothes.

A mother I haven't met.!!!, why are you so negative minded, I scolded myself.

Fiddling with the dress, trying to adjust the shoulders countless times, but they kept falling down. I huffed in frustration, finally giving up. I walked out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, where Miss Stella was waiting.

As soon as she saw me, she burst out laughing. Nice "Oh dear!" she exclaimed, walking towards me with a warm smile. She looked me up and down, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Look at you! So cute!" she cooed, lightly pinching my cheek.

Cute!, please. I scowled, feeling a bit embarrassed, but a red blush spread across my cheeks despite myself.

Miss Stella chuckled and patted my shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, dear. By tomorrow, I'll make sure it fits you perfectly. But today, we have things to do."

She gave me some shoes before turning and walked towards the bedroom door, beckoning me to follow. I quickly wore them before trailing behind her, feeling a bit more at ease despite the awkward dress.

She opened the door and we stepped out into the hallway.

We passed the large, covered frame on the wall, and my eyes lingered on it, curiosity getting the better of me, AGAIN. I wondered what could be hidden beneath the cover and I must have slowed down without realizing it.

"Come quickly, dear," Miss Stella turned back to look at me, making me snap my eyes away from the frame, quickly walking to catch up with her.

I saw the elevator and assumed we would step inside it and glide down to our destination, but instead, Miss Stella walked off towards a corner of the hallway. I quietly followed behind her, turning the corner.

A staircase was leading down into God knows where and I looked back at the elevator, confused. Why were we taking the stairs instead of the elevator? It looked like a waste of time, trudging down the stairs when we could have glided down effortlessly.

But Miss Stella knows what she was doing as she descended and I quickly trailed behind her. We went down about 10 stairs before reaching a new hallway.

We stepped into the hallway and I saw two elevators standing side by side. Miss Stella walked towards one and pressed the button. The doors slid open, and we entered. I stood silently, unsure of what to say or do. The elevator moved downwards.

After a few minutes, the doors slid open, revealing a familiar hallway. My heart completely stopped beating as I recognized the surroundings.

Why are we here?, what's going on, don't tell me...

Miss Stella walked out of the elevator, but I remained frozen, my eyes fixed on her till she turned back towards me after noticing my footsteps weren't behind her.

"Come on, dear," she said gentle, as usual. But I shook my head, fear washing over me. Was she taking me back to that room? Had she been nice to me all along just to lure me back to that place?

What a sneaky human, she is?!!!!