Fear of Darkness

Erin nodded, but unconsciously glanced towards Butler Trick before taking a step to follow Lola, it had to be said that this still very young looking butler was the one person Erin had sort of known the most since she had arrived here, so some sort of sense of security drove Erin to look over towards Trick.

"Miss Irene, I will say this: from now on you will stay here, if there is anything you can find Mrs Cooley or Lola, as for the castle in front of you, please don't go over there without orders or unnecessary work." That was all the advice Trick could give to the look Irene was giving him. Although Thomas did not tell him not to see her again, but with Trick's knowledge of Thomas, it seems that this Oriental girl is better off praying that she will not see Baron Thomas again.

"Wait, Tricky Butler ..." Seeing Tricky turn and prepare to leave, Irene, as if suddenly remembering something, quickly chased after him, but was blocked by that Mrs Cooley's tall and stout body when she was about to approach.

"Get out of the way, I want to talk." Erin looked up and glared at Mrs Cooley, not impressed with her so she wasn't afraid of her.

"If you don't want to starve every day, then be a good girl and go upstairs, and Lola will make a bed for you." Mrs Cooley saw in the dim oil-lamp light that Irene's dark eyes shone apart as if they were beautiful black gems, and at the same time were firm and unyielding, with a fearlessness and an air that made Mrs Cooley's voice, which had been accustomed to be loud, involuntarily lower.

"Yes, Miss Erin, I think you'll get used to it here, but only if you listen." Trick, who had stopped in his tracks upon hearing Erin call out to him, didn't even seem to be listening to Erin's explanations, but left after giving her one last piece of advice.

As the not-so-tall wooden door closed again, Erin felt the already stifling air of this hall thin out even more, as if she had been shut in an airtight container, and the tiny oil lamp did nothing to drive the darkness away completely, instead pulling the shadows of the darkness like a monster about to run out of the room because of the ever-dancing flames.

Subconsciously, Erin shrank her shoulders, a certain sense of fear bubbled up from the bottom of her heart, although she wasn't afraid of those stout and powerful men, the darkness and confined space caused an unspeakable uneasiness to well up in Erin's heart.

"Miss Erin, please follow me." Lola's voice rang out again and Erin looked up to follow the voice all she could see was a blurred back in the darkness. With another glance towards Mrs Cooley, who was tall and with eyes full of malice beside her, Erin chose to follow at a brisk pace.

Though still a million miles away from everything in front of her, Erin felt like she really needed a bed right now. Aside from wanting to get some rest, she wanted to blame it all on the nightmare, there was always the slightest chance that if she woke up from the nightmare, she'd still be the same stunt double.

The stairs were wooden, and although they didn't have the old "creak" sound, Erin's boots still made a louder sound on the wooden floor than Lola's. Lola had obviously heard her too quick steps. Lola obviously heard the sound of Erin's hurried steps, and stopped and turned to look Erin up and down, then pushed open a door to her right.

"Fast, fast ..." came from the door, "Rustling" sound, and then a girl's low greeting, visible this door in the girl just should be lying on the door to "watch" the fun. "Look" lively, this door was suddenly pushed open, inside the talent quickly ran back, should be hiding back on the bed.

"Kerlina, get two of your dresses out and share them with this Miss Irene." Lola didn't do anything about the little commotion inside the door, but remained stereotypical in her instructions to the inside.

"Yes." A childish female voice came from inside, and then there was another "rustling" sound, followed by footsteps to the door, and a young girl in a white cotton robe walked out barefoot, holding two black dresses in her hands, first curtsying and bowing her head to Lola before handing the dresses in her hands to Irene.

Looking at the young girl in front of her, who was about the same size as herself, but obviously younger, with a young but childish face with small freckles, Erin flinched for a moment instead of taking the clothes she was holding, and instead took a step back. In fact, in Erin's subconscious mind, perhaps taking the clothes and putting them on would mean a complete change in her identity, that she was now free, but would wearing the clothes here mean that this nightmare would be impossible to wake up from.

"Kerlina, take this Miss Erin inside and give her a lecture on the rules." Lola didn't pay any attention to what was unnatural about Erin's expression or movements, and it seemed as if everyone here was oblivious to the reactions of others, and would just carry on with what they wanted to say or do on their own, and you either obeyed or ignored it, but what ignoring it would result in, at this point, Erin didn't know.

"Yes, goodnight Lola." Kristina curtsied and bowed her head towards Lola once more and said "Goodnight" before holding the dress in one hand and using the other to pull Erin away, only for Erin to dart out of the way.

"Miss Erin, I think you heard Butler Trick's advice when he left." Lola finally reacted a little to Erin's defiance, and while her tone remained unruffled, its meaning was already tinged with warning.

"Miss Erin, it's late, so maybe you'll feel better if you come in first and get some sleep." Kerlina stepped forward again, this time not to pull on Erin's arm, but in a very low, soft voice of persuasion.

Taking one look at Kerlina, who was probably only fifteen or sixteen years old, and another at Lola, who was so serious and stereotypical as to resemble a statue beside her, Erin finally decided that she chose to listen to Kerlina, and followed her towards the room that was completely devoid of any lights, and looked even darker.

"Bang," Erin's front foot had just entered the door when the wooden door behind her was slammed heavily by Lola, the sound startled Erin, and the sudden complete darkness in front of her eyes made Erin even more at a loss for words, and she busied herself by calling out loudly, "Kerlina!"

"Yes, I am." Kerlina's voice was at Erin's side, but then Erin could clearly hear Kerlina's footsteps moving away from her. Erin's heart clenched violently, and she busied herself with reaching for it but grasping it in vain ...