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THE NEXT DAY CAME by fast and everyone was busier than yesterday. I, on the other hand, did not have anything else to do other than the assignments that master Claudio gave me. The first assignment was to make a sketch that reflects what I feel, which I agree can be very therapeutic. While the other one was to seduce a cop to gain his trust; two things that do not combine well with each other. 

     "Stay away from me you freak! I'm gonna bite your fucking dick off if you take another step closer!" A voice echoes down the hallway while I was on my way to my bedroom.

     I decided to head upstairs to where the patients were to see what the ruckus is about. There were a couple of nurses walking around, but one nurse, who was in front of room 01, was picking up food that was scattered on the floor.

    I approach the nurse and touch his shoulder, making him look at me. "Is there a problem?" I then ask him, and the nurse answers in a language that I did not quite understand. But with his body language, I could tell that he was having a hard time.

     "Where's Mr. M?" I ask instead, hoping he could understand me.

    "Not here," he thankfully answers, making me nod my head before looking at the room where the patient was.

    Patient no. 1, better known as Wednesday, was standing in the corner of her room, holding a metal tray that she must have snatched from the nurse. All the patients had a chain attached to their ankles last night, and Wednesday's ankle was already bleeding.

     "I'll handle it," I tell the nurse, and the nurse nods his head, standing up and waiting in front of the door, probably to guard me in case something happens.

     There is nothing more troublesome than a troublesome patient, but I understand why she's so agitated. If I knew that I was going to be experimented on, I'd be throwing a fit too. But of course, we can't have that here. As master Claudio said, I am to make sure that the patients here have a pleasant stay. I don't know how I'll do it, but I have to at least try.

     "Darling, put the tray down," I say as I carefully make my way inside the room.

     "Don't you fucking get any closer. I will fuck you up you little shit!" She aggressively shouts, threatening to throw the tray at me.

     "Alright now, that's not a very nice thing to say. Put the tray down before we inject you with that medicine from last night again. I bet when you woke up it wasn't very pleasant," I answer back as I take another step closer, and when I did, I noticed that she was already shaking.

     This girl was scared to death. I could tell because I've been in that state once.

     "Close the door," I instruct, probably confusing the nurse who was guarding outside the room.

     When he didn't do what I said, I quickly look back at him and said with a more commanding tone this time, "Door...close it." 

     The nurse doesn't say anything, but he finally closes the metal door, leaving me alone with Wednesday who's threatening to hurt me with a tray. Of course, I wasn't a hundred percent sure of what I was doing, but after reviewing Wednesday's profile, it's obvious that she's not comfortable around men, making her act aggressive instead.

     Besides, there's still a small window on the door so the nurse could check on me. If anything happens he'll be there.

     "To start off, let me introduce myself first. My name is Bishop. Our ages are close since I'm only 24, so why don't we try to get along? I'm sure we have a lot of common interests." I say, but Wednesday only spits on me before saying, "Fuck off."

     "Okay, let's calm down." 

     Wednesday still looked cautious, so I decided to remove the headgear that was covering my eyes. Wednesday looked surprised, probably because she wasn't expecting me to do that, or probably because she's never seen anyone with heterochromia before, but whatever the reason is, she was now starting to calm down.

     "See, I'm not so bad, right?" I ask her.

     "I'm here to be killed by you people, and that includes you. Everything about all of you is bad so don't give me that bullshit," she declares, hatred present in her voice. I couldn't disagree with her though since she's technically right.

     "Well, I never claimed to be a good guy anyway, but how about this. I'll bring someone who's actually...good. She's a bit old though so go easy on her," I say, and Wednesday looked back at me like I was messing with her.

     "Give me a second."

     I take a deep breath and closed my eyes, feeling the coldness of the room hugging my skin. Everything was dark, but then I suddenly felt a cold wind blow past me like I was in a forest filled with fallen leaves. I could almost hear birds singing and a calming sound of a river stream in the background. It was comforting, and I couldn't help but sigh in great relief.

     "What the fuck are you doing?" A cold voice suddenly asks, making me open my eyes.

    Standing in front of me was a girl holding a tray. She had bruises on her wrist, her ankle, and even her neck, but I could still see the innocence underneath her.

     "Oh, what a lovely and beautiful girl. You must be Wednesday. I've heard about you from the others. It is a pleasure to meet you," I say with a sweet smile, making her look back at me with furrowed eyebrows.

     "Are you fucking crazy?" She asks.

    "A little, but not to the point of insanity," I say with a playful chuckle before slowly walking towards the bed. "May I sit? My knees are killing me. I'm 72 years old after all."

     "Stop this nonsense..." She continues to say, but I still sat on the edge of the bed, grunting as I did so.

     The room was quiet as I turn my head to look out of the window. I could tell that she was staring at me, but I didn't scold her for it. I'm certain that she finds this situation strange, so I'll let her process it first.

     "You know, this manor isn't really pleasant, especially for a child like Winter, but Bishop wants to stay here so we have no choice," I say as I continue to stare at the clouds outside. "But if you look out the window and see what the world has to offer, it doesn't seem so bad, don't you think?" I ask, turning my head to look back on Wednesday.

     To my surprise, Wednesday wasn't staring at me anymore but instead was looking outside too. I couldn't help but smile as I look back at the window. "It's nice, isn't it?" I ask. "Calming and reassuring. That is what God's creation can do for us despite what we do to it."

     "God isn't real," she suddenly answers, making me look back at her.

     Wednesday was now staring at me with her empty eyes. She must have gone through so much to project so much hatred in that single sentence.

     "I won't disagree with you because I can't prove that he is," I say as I slowly try to stand from the bed so I could level her. "But you cannot prove that he doesn't either, so let's just leave it at that."

     I smile at her and Wednesday finally dropped the tray that she was holding. When she did so, I noticed how thin she was. She must have not eaten anything for days.

     "The people here might be bad but the food is good. The priest cooks well, so eat as much as you can. You have to fill your stomach with something at least," I say before noticing the food that's already on the floor.

     "Oh don't worry, I'll ask for a new one," I say, and Wednesday shyly looks away from me. I wanted to pat her head, but I knew that she wouldn't like that, so instead, I just nodded my head and took a step away from her.

    I picked up Bishop's eyewear on the floor and wore it over my head. As I got ready to leave the room, I suddenly heard a sweet and soft voice coming from behind me. I couldn't really hear it properly, so when I turned back around, Wednesday cleared her throat and repeated, "W-what do I...call you?"

     The question was a surprise to me, but I cleared my throat and stood up straight for her.

     "My name is Autumn, but if you would allow it, I'd be pleased if you called me nana. I told Winter to call me that but he wouldn't let me. I'd really love to hear someone say it," I answer.

     Wednesday looked unsure, but with a soft voice, she whispers, "nana."

     A smile instantly appears on my face as I finally head out of the room where a man wearing a gas mask was waiting for me. This must be one of the nurses that Bishop kept on talking about before.

     "Please bring this girl another meal. One that's still warm. After that, tend to her wounds," I say, and the man nods his head and walks away from me. I then look back at the little viewer on Wednesday's door and see her still staring out of the window.

     I wanted to stay a little longer, but then my body started heating up all of a sudden. I suddenly feel a gust of wind blowing towards me, almost making me lose my balance. I thought I was going to fall so I closed my eyes to prepare for the impact. Darkness instantly welcomes me, but suddenly, I was engulfed by flames.

     Gasping for air, I immediately opened my eyes to see if I was able to go back. When I realized that I was now back in the manor, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. Switching to Autumn always feels like I'm entering a pleasant dream, but switching back to me is a completely different nightmare.

     After recollecting myself, I looked back on Wednesday who was now calmer than earlier.

     "I knew you'd like her," I say before finally looking away.

     After my encounter with Wednesday, I decided to check on the other patients as well. I walk down the hall, quickly glancing at the windows on the door to see what the patients were doing.

     Most of them were still eating, except for Pacific who was literally licking the excess sauce on his empty plate. And then there's Hunter who—instead of eating—was doing pushups. We gotta look after that guy. Who knows, he might just suddenly bust those doors open and start causing havoc on all of us. You can never be too careful with a man who has a six-pack.

     "Bishop," someone suddenly calls out, making me turn around so I could check who it was. When I saw that it was just father Laurence, I turn back around and started walking away, completely pretending that I didn't see him because of my eye cover.

     As I was walking away, I was expecting Laurence to shout at me or say something clever again, but instead, he told me, "I'm heading to the town to buy ingredients. You wanna come?"

     That question alone automatically made me stop walking. With a bright smile on my face, I turned to father Laurence and told him, "Let me just change."

     "Fine. I'll wait for you downstairs."

     I ran to my room as fast as I could, taking off what I was already wearing so I could put on the butler uniform that master Claudio gave to me before. Since I am still considered Claudio's butler, I still have to look the part, especially when I'm in town.

     When I finally got ready, I ran downstairs and got out of the manor where father Laurence was waiting. Since he was driving the car, I got to the passenger seat and comfortably buckled myself up.

     "Alright, let's go."

     Getting excited about going to town is an understatement, but it's better than just staying at the manor all day with all those crazies.

     "You're heading to the market right?" I ask while looking out of the window.

     "I have to buy a couple of things. I don't know why the master is so picky, but he's very meticulous with everyone's food. Some of the patients are allergic to this and that so I have to make meals specifically for them. Don't know why I have to though since he's literally going to experiment on them anyway. A little food allergy should be the least of his concerns," Laurence says in a way that showed no sign of remorse or empathy whatsoever.

     I don't blame him though. Whatever the background is, they're still criminals. They did horrible things to other people, even Wednesday who Autumn seems to be very fond of.

     "People on death row get asked about their last meal before they get executed so that must be the reason. Since we're giving them medicine that might kill them at any minute, their meals should always seem like it's going to be their last," I explain, and Laurence gives me a funny look.

     "Is this Bishop I'm talking to or is it that old woman who almost fell down the stairs last time because her back started to hurt?" Laurence suddenly asks, making me chuckle.

     "No, this is still Bishop. Don't worry."

     "Well whoever you are, I just want you to stay in the car while we're there. Some of the townspeople know who you are. It would be troublesome if they start asking about master Claudio," Laurence then says, making me look at him angrily.

     "Why?! What do you think I am, a five-year-old?" I argue.

     With Laurence's eyes still on the road, he answers, "I don't know, maybe? Just...stay here. If you want me to buy you something then I'll buy it for you."

     I cross my arms like a kid and look away from Laurence. But after sulking for a while, and when we were now getting closer to the town square, I tell him, "Buy me a pack of cigarettes."

     Father Laurence doesn't say anything, but when I glanced at him, I could see him suppressing his laughter, which made me hide a smile too.

     When we finally arrived at the town square where the market is. Laurence heads out of the car and reminded me again, "Stay here, alright?"

     "Jeez, just go."

     Laurence slams the door shut and finally walks away. I sat on the passenger seat, trying to amuse myself by staring at the people who walked past me. There were people who looked tired, some with their families, while some were just happy to be there.

     "What's so great about this town anyway? Even master Claudio wants to plague it so there has to be something wrong about it," I say to myself.

    As my boredom starts to grow more and more with each passing second, I started bouncing my leg up and down. But when I was inches away from losing my mind, I saw an old man painting in the middle of the town square.

     Ignoring Laurence's warning, I stepped out of the car and ran toward the painter. I looked at his canvas and saw that he was actually painting the town. His perspective was a bit off, but it still looked good overall.

     I stare at his wrinkly hand making precise strokes on the canvas. He painted the sky, the buildings, and even the people; he didn't even mind that I was staring at him.

     "Mr. Lucius," a male voice suddenly calls out, making the old man stop painting.

     Both of us turned around, but when I saw who it was, my eyes instantly widened from shock. It was Mateo Ricci, the town's chief of police, and the man Claudio told me to seduce.

     I don't know why but I immediately looked away from him. I've seen him wear that shit before at Claudio's mansion, but now that I got a better view, I realized that he looks way too good in that police uniform.

     "Mr. Lucius, are you here by yourself again?" I heard him ask.

     Since I still haven't really thought about doing what master Claudio asked me to do regarding Mateo Ricci, I decided to pretend like I didn't see him and quietly head back to the car. But just before I could even walk away, the old man named Lucius suddenly points at me and says, "I'm not by myself. I'm with my son."

     "Son?" I confusingly ask as I look back at Mr. Lucius. "Old man, I am not your son."

     "Yes you are," he replies, suddenly painting on my nose with his paintbrush and then laughing.

     I was literally seconds away from fighting with this old man, but then sir Mateo finally got close to where we were, automatically making me stop whatever I was about to do. Well, there goes my chance of running away.

     "Mr. Lucius, I don't think that's your—" sir Mateo pauses and looks at me to check who I really was. When he got a better look at my face, he instantly recognizes me and says, "Wait, you're Bishop, right?"

    I fake a smile as I bow my head to him. "Officer," I greeted, which sounded way too stupid because it makes me look even more suspicious for some reason. Thankfully sir Mateo just laughs it off and says, "Please, Teo would be fine. Claudio doesn't like calling me that, but the rest of my friends do."

    "Teo?"

     Sir Ma...Teo...smiles upon hearing me say his name. He then tells me to wait for a little as he looks back at Mr. Lucius to tell him, "You should be at home. Your wife is going to be worried about you again. If you want to paint here, you should have someone accompanying you."

     "M-My wife?" Mr. Lucius asks with a confused expression, making me realize that this man probably has Alzheimer's.

     As Teo tries to talk to the old man, two other police officers arrive at the scene.

     "You two, get his things and send him back before his family starts to worry like last time," Teo says, and the two officers nodded their heads, assisting Mr. Lucius to their car while the other grabbed his painting tools.

     When they were now gone, Teo looks back at me, making me flinch for some reason because I never really grasped the idea that he was this big. It felt like I'd break if he embraced me.

     "Bishop, it's been a while since I've last seen you. I heard from Claudio that he's been very busy with his research so I haven't been able to visit the mansion."

     "I-Is that so..." I awkwardly said.

     I don't know if it's something that I said, but Teo suddenly chuckled, his dimples showing as he did so.

     "Is there a problem?" I ask, and Teo suddenly points at his nose.

     I didn't know what he meant by that, but then I remembered that the old man actually painted on my nose earlier. I felt so embarrassed that I immediately lifted my hand up so I could wipe it, but Teo suddenly stops me and asks, "May I?"

    The question made me feel tense for some reason, but I nodded my head anyway. When I gave him the go signal, Teo takes a step towards me, but not too close to the point where I'd feel uncomfortable. He then takes a handkerchief and then uses it to finally wipe the paint off my nose.

     I don't know why, but the way he touched me felt so gentle that I couldn't help but look away from him.

     Acting playful and flirty around Claudio was easy because of his personality, but somehow, Teo didn't give me the same aura. He felt respectable and noble, like a knight. I'd feel too embarrassed to make a move on him.

     "T-Thank you," I say. "Would you like me to wash your handkerchief?" I then offered, but Teo just laughs it off before putting it back in his pocket.

    "Well, it was nice seeing you, but I have to go," I then say as I was about to take my leave.

     The inner whore in me wanted Teo to stop me so we could chat a little longer, but unexpectedly, he doesn't. Can't say if I'm disappointed because I have to leave so soon, or glad because I don't have to accidentally make a fool out of myself. But as I was walking away, the cold breeze suddenly blows against me, and then a low voice calls out, "Bishop..."

     My body freezes for a quick second, but I slowly looked over my shoulder to look back at him.

     "I'm glad you're doing well. Let's enjoy each other's company at one of the pubs here sometimes. If you'd like to, of course," he says with a smile, his eyes smiling with it.

     For some reason, my cheeks started heating up right after seeing his face. He smiled at me in a way that wasn't menacing. It felt sweet, calming, and almost friendly; there was no malice. For a couple of seconds, I thought about why it was such a big deal, but when I found the answer, I immediately looked away.

    Master Claudio never smiled at me like that.

    "I-I'll think about it..." I reply, immediately running away from him like I was some kind of thief.

     I got to the car in a hurry, and luckily, Laurence wasn't there yet to scold me. I went inside and sat on the passenger seat, panting heavily as I buckled myself up.

     "Let's enjoy each other's company at one of the pubs here sometimes. If you'd like to, of course," I remember Teo saying, making my heart beat even faster. No one has asked me if I wanted to do something before. They usually just force me to go.

     As I touch my chest, I stare at my reflection through the rearview mirror. I reached out to touch my nose where the paint was earlier. I remembered his warmth against the handkerchief, his smile, and the way he just made me feel calm in only a span of a minute.

    Such simple things gave me butterflies inside. And when I saw the ridiculous smile on my face, I immediately looked away, frowning at myself because of how gullible I was.

     This time I am never getting fooled again. This time, I'm not letting another man manipulate me into thinking that desire is all that love is for.

to be continued...