⚕︎

THE TWO YOUNG MEN in front of me couldn't say a single thing. By how I'm acting, they must be in a state of shock. I didn't know both of them, but I'm guessing that the other alters know who they are. Well, I wouldn't even be in this mess in the first place if it wasn't for that damn Krimson. He forcefully pushed me out all of a sudden. To treat an old woman like this, he really got the nerves.

     "C-Claudio, is he alright?" the taller and much bigger man asks.

     So the other one is named Claudio.

     This doesn't look like the manor. I can't find Mr. Marcelino and Dr. Giovanni anywhere either. What on earth is going on?

     "I apologize, I should have told you sooner. Bishop has been feeling unwell since last night's event, that's why I've been giving him some medicine. This is the side effects," sir Claudio says while he helps me stand back up, surprising the other one.

     "I see. I suppose anyone who witnessed something like that would be a bit shaken. I think it's best if I head out so he could rest. I'll call you when things have been settled at the hospital," he then says.

     "Alright, thank you for dropping by."

     The man looks at me for one last time before finally heading out. As soon as he was gone, sir Claudio approaches me and quickly says, "If I'm not mistaken, you're Autumn, correct?"

     "T-that's right, I'm Autumn. How did you know?" I ask with furrowed brows.

     Sir Claudio takes a deep breath and brushes his hair back with his fingers. "That was such a quick switch, but I'm glad you came out instead. I'm Claudio Romano by the way, but you may know me better as Dr. Giovanni de Vincenzo. You're in my mansion right now, but I hope you don't mention any of this to Winter. I have personal reasons for not letting my patients know my real identity, and I hope you can respect that."

     "I see, so you're the doctor. Such a handsome face to only be covered by a hideous mask. But fear not, I won't tell. I also want to apologize if I suddenly came out unexpectedly. I hope I did not come out at such an inconvenient time," I say with an apologetic bow.

     "No, don't even worry about it. I'd actually want to ask you some questions, but would you like to take a seat first?" he says, holding onto my arm so he could assist me.

     "Oh, such a gentleman. Thank you, dear."

     I slowly take a seat and sigh in relief. I didn't know standing would be so tiring.

     "So Autumn, you mentioned Krimson when you got out. Did something happen?" Claudio asks as he takes a seat on the sofa across from me.

     "Yes, Krimson. He does this sometimes just out of pure pleasure. Like Bishop, he has the most control over us and this body, and at times he does stupid things just to make trouble," I explain to the doctor.

     "Does that mean no one can control him?" he asks.

     "Not that I know of."

     "Well, will you be able to switch back to Bishop? It seems like you were disturbed because of Krimson, and Winter told me that you get tired easily," he asks, which was actually going to be a bit of a problem.

     "Oh dear, I would love to help you sir Claudio, but I can't do that. I can only switch with Winter. Will that be alright?" I ask him instead.

     Sir Claudio pauses for a moment. I could tell that he was thinking about what he's supposed to do. But after a while, he stands from the sofa and says, "Alright, let me just change. While waiting, you can drink the coffee that Bishop made. I'll be right back."

     I nod my head and sir Claudio runs upstairs. While waiting, I grab the mug on the table and take a sip, instantly putting it down because of how bitter it tasted.

     "For heaven's sake, this boy really doesn't know how to make anything, be it a meal or a simple cup of coffee," I say out loud, but I couldn't help but smile despite the failed attempt. The boy hated the kitchen or anything related to meals, so I'm glad that he's at least trying to do something new.

     It's been such a long time since I took over, so while waiting, I suddenly remembered something important. Without any hesitation, I immediately look at my wrists. I sighed in relief when I saw that there weren't any fresh cuts or wounds.  

     "Thank goodness. As long as he doesn't come out, all of us will be fine. All of us will still have tomorrow," I whisper to myself before taking another sip of the bitter coffee.

     "Autumn," someone calls out.

     I immediately turn around and see sir Claudio standing behind me, now wearing the suit and the mask that he wore when Winter and I first saw him.

     "I changed as fast as I could, but will you be able to switch with Winter now? Rest assured, I will explain everything to him once he takes over," he tells me, and I nod my head and put the mug down.

     "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you sir Claudio. Until next time," I say before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Everything was dark and silent, but then I could suddenly smell something bitter in the air; probably coffee. I then open my eyes back and realize that I was in an unfamiliar room, and standing in front of me was the infamous Giovanni de Vincenzo, or better known as doctor Van.

     "Doctor Van!" I shout in surprise. "I-Is it time for my session now? Is it Wednesday already?" I ask, and doctor Van approaches me and kneels in front of me.

     "Don't worry, something happened, but it's not anything serious. We'll be going back to the manor and I want you to rest when we arrive, can you do that?" He asks with a soft voice. Even though I didn't know what was happening, I just nodded my head as an answer.

     "Did Bishop make any trouble? Is that why I switched with him. Is he hiding from you?" I then ask, and the doctor chuckles and pats my head before standing back up.

     "No, he didn't, but I think he might actually be hiding."

     I was about to ask where we were next, but then a car honks outside, almost making me flinch.

     "Looks like Marcelino is here. Head out first, I'm just going to clean up and grab my things," doctor Van says, and I nod my head and make my way to the exit.

     A car was parked outside, and then a tall man wearing military clothes went out. When I saw who he was, I couldn't help but smile. For some reason, I'm relieved that there's someone familiar here with me now other than the doctor.

     "Mr. M!" I call out, and Mr. M approaches me and suddenly looks at me with a mischievous grin.

     "Look at you looking so lively in the morning," he says, suddenly punching my shoulder. "So, how'd you enjoy your reward you little fucker? Can't believe the master was generous enough to please a newbie like you."

     I touch my shoulder and look back at Mr. M with confusion. "Reward? Master? What are you talking about?"

     "Stop playing innocent, I'm pretty sure you got fu—"

     "Don't say another word, Marcelino. That's Winter," Dr. Van suddenly says as soon as he appears behind me.

     Mr. M instantly looked flustered, but then he pats my back and says, "S-Sorry kid, I didn't notice. Just forget everything that I just said."

     I didn't know what they were talking about, but I knew that it was best to not ask any more questions. There are rare moments when we, the alters, get to talk to each other inside our consciousness, but most of the time they keep things quiet. They know when to tell and when not to tell certain details to the other. It keeps us all safe.

     "Come now Winter," Dr. Van says as he steps inside the car.

    I immediately ran and follow inside, and as soon as I closed the door, Mr. M drives off.

    While driving, I couldn't help but steal a glance at doctor Giovanni who was silently sitting beside me. He was still intimidating like the first time I saw him, but somehow, something inside me felt more terrified than usual. Did he do something to us? Did he do something that the others didn't like?

     "Winter, how are you feeling right now?" Dr. Van suddenly asks.

     "I-I'm still feeling a bit disoriented, but I think I'm fine," I politely answer.

     "I see. If you feel anything, just let me know," he says, and I nod my head as an answer.

     After our very quick conversation, Dr. Van doesn't say anything anymore, and the drive was quiet until we finally got back to the manor.

     Since it was already morning, I could see the manor better. The manor was bigger than the last time I saw it with my mother. It still looked old, but it was definitely massive. The land was still barren though so the overall vibe was as gloomy as before.

     Mr. M parks the car in front of the manor. Dr. Van steps out first, and I follow right after. At the entrance, I see a pretty girl waiting for us there. The moment I recognized her, a smile instantly appears on my face.

     "Adeline!" I shout. 

     I was about to run to her and greet her properly, but then my chest tightens all of a sudden, and for some unexplainable reason, tears start pouring out of my eyes.  I don't know why, but I suddenly felt so sad.

     Adeline looks at me with shock. I didn't know either, but the more I look at her, the more tears poured out from my eyes.

     "I-I'm sorry. I...I don't know why, but—"

     Dr. Van suddenly pulls me back and blocks Adeline from my view. "I told you didn't I? Head back to your room and rest, Winter."

     "Y-Yes...doctor Van."

     I wipe my tears away and run upstairs to my room just like what the doctor said. As soon as I arrive at my bedroom, I slam the door shut and drop on the floor, hugging my legs towards my chest, the door pressed against my back. The tears wouldn't stop, and I had no idea why. After a while, the tears turned into sobs.

     I cried and cried until I couldn't breathe. I hide my face on my knees and close my eyes, but as soon as I close my eyes, a voice suddenly says, "Get a fucking grip."

    I gasp and open my eyes back, looking around to check if I was really back at the manor. When I got a good look at the setting, I wipe my tears away and slowly stand on the floor. Looks like my alters suddenly went out. I don't know who went out, but I hope I didn't make any trouble.

     "I can't believe he felt the pain I felt about little Adie. Looks like we're more connected than I thought," I say as I walk towards the bathroom to look at my reflection.

     My eyes were red because of crying too much, but my right eye was a lot more swollen because of my contacts. I had no choice but to remove it and put it back inside the container, and then I took my solution and dropped a couple on my eyes to ease the irritation.

     "I'm a fucking mess."

     A lot of things happened just in a span of a day. I met the people at this manor, I went to a party, found out about Adeline's past, got assaulted, got fucked by master Claudio, met with sir Mateo who was actually a cop, switched with Winter, and then got back here as if nothing happened.

     "How much crazy will I be able to endure?"

     After washing my face and changing my clothes, I head out of my bedroom. I'm pretty sure that they're going to be making breakfast now so I might as well help Adie out before she burns the whole manor to ashes. I also have to face her without breaking down. Pitying her now won't change anything. It seems like master Claudio is planning to do something about that matter anyway, so I might as well wait for that day to come.

     And I have to remember, we're back at the manor now. I have to remember my role here, and that is to become an efficient butler for my master. The only time I can act as if I own him is when we're at that mansion.

     "Alright Bishop, let's fucking concentrate. Your fucked up emotions aren't important right now."

     I finally head back downstairs. Master Claudio and the others were no longer in the lobby, so I suspect Adie would be in the kitchen at least. But as I was about to walk my way there, someone suddenly knocks on the main door, making me flinch like a complete idiot.

     Did I really just get scared by a mere knock?

     "Hello? Is anyone there?" a voice from outside asks, making me sigh as I lazily head to the door to open it.

    I open the large door with all my might. I was expecting it to be a mailman or maybe even a newspaper boy, but then when I opened the door, my jaw drops when I saw a priest standing in front of me instead. He was wearing a cassock and holding a bible and a rosary, just like those religious fuckers back in town.

     "Oh hell no..."

    The priest was banging on the door midway, but when he saw me, a creepy grin suddenly appears on his face. He steps closer to me and grabs my hand to kiss it. The action honestly made the hair on my skin stand, but I couldn't pull my hand away from him for some reason.

     "Well hello there, young one. I'm Father Laurence, but you can simply call me Laurence if you want. If you permit me, I'd love to hear my name slide out of that lips of yours," he says, finally giving me the strength to pull my hand away from him.

    "I'm sorry, but what the hell are you doing here? As you can see, this isn't a haunted house. We don't need you to bless it. People like you aren't allowed here," I tell him as I cross my arms, looking at him from head to toe like I was some kind of mobster.

    The priest got ready to answer me, but Lino arrives in time and appears beside me.

     "Winter, who are you talking to? You should have called me when you heard them knocking," Lino tells me.

     "Oh Mr. M, you came just in time. I was being harassed by this suspicious man!" I say with a sarcastic tone while holding onto his arm, and the soft expression on Lino's face instantly changes into an annoyed one when he realized who I really was.

     Lino quickly pulls his arm away from me and glares at me right after. "Bishop..." he says, almost like he was spitting venom on my name.

     "What's wrong Mr. M? Aren't you glad to see me?" I ask next with a baby voice, making Lino push me out of the way so he could face this Laurence guy instead.

     "Why did you come here? Who are you? Do you even know what this place is, father? If you got lost, I suggest you leave now," Lino warns, showing complete dominance like the first time I met him.

     "Oh I know, this is the Hell House, so stand down soldier," Laurence casually answers.

     The two stare at each other like they were having a staring contest. I was about to break them apart, but then someone clears their throat, making the three of us turn around to see that the owner of the voice was actually master Claudio.

     "What are you three doing?" the master asks as he walks toward us.

     "I apologize master. We have an unwanted guest, but I'll handle this immediately," Lino says as he was about to grab onto the priest, but master Claudio immediately stops him and tells him, "That's not necessary."

     "What do you mean?" I ask.

     Claudio stares at the three of us, and then a grin appears on his face as he says, "Looks like you're all here now. Well, everyone, this is father Laurence Monet...our new cook."

to be continued...