12 Why was he locked there?

Ada was called as well as Mr. Grahams at Lilith’s command to confront them about Stewt’s condition in this house, even though Stewt begged Lilith not to summon them for his aid. He hid behind Lilith, fearing the reaction of his parents once the master of the house has known his existence.

Lilith was furious at them as they arrived “What are you two doing with this child? Locked in a small room. And your own child!”

“Madam forgive us. We know you would not want to get a sight of an unwanted guest in the house, he is not a worker, yet he lives here, we promise you will not see him” her tone surprisingly sounded gloomy.

Upon her statement, Lilith contemplated, the mansion is quite big for only three persons to be living in, so Lilith concluded to a wonderful idea that will benefit her and the family.

“So, he must work in the mansion to freely live here. Then, work here Stewt.” She offered to him. Their faces were visibly shocked at Lilith's offer, but Stewt happily agreed to do so.

“Although I am like this now, I will do everything you ask me to do, madam! In all gratitude and respect” He tried to bow, but his clutch forbid his knee to do so, making him look pitiable.

Ada and Grahams are plastered with perplexity on their faces but are visibly relief of welcoming the child to living in the mansion as long as he can work. In that condition, they were regretful of all the punishments they gave to their son in order to hide him. Ada and Grahams have made him handicapped, making his job in the house difficult when it couldn’t have been. At the realization of her action, it sent flooding tears on her eyes down to her chin as she continuously apologized to Stewt.

Lilith was glad of her decision, but she was not satisfied. There were unanswered questions in her head that needs to be answered. What happened to his hands, why was he handicapped and locked in that room, why was there strange scratches on the door and suddenly disappeared? These questions filled and pestered her mind.

She could not live with these questions living in her mind as if their discipline to their child is something normal to do, so then she confronted although she was afraid of what twisted answer she might have as an answer. Perhaps this too was the discipline they had when they were younger and only applies to their children as they thought was right. But whatever the case is, Lilith felt the obligation that she must correct them on their parental discipline to their child.

Lilith confronted Ada. “How many days has he been hiding in that small room?”

“Years, madam”

“Ada,” Lilith approached before turning her face sour “why did you lock him up there? And what happened to his finger and knee?”

“Madam, he once stole a bread in the feasting table of the masters, way before you came. Grahams and I must discipline such acts in this house, it is our responsibility to discipline him as our son and so we had to do it.”

“Stole a bread?” Lilith sighed in disbelief, “ But it is nothing of an issue for Stewt’s finger to be amputated! It was just a bread!”

“But madam, it was the master’s bread. We are not to touch the food on their feasting table for ourselves. It is a rule of the masters to us”

“Masters? Who are these people?”

“They are the Arlott’s Family we have served for years. Unfortunately, the last pure Arlott have died” Ada looked dismal.

“If that is the case, then I as the wife of Gerald, would like to remove and change some of the rules in this house. Would you be a lamb to make a list and send it to me by tomorrow?”

“Yes, madam” Ada proceeded to amend her cleaning throughout the house. Stewt grabbed his crouch and tailed his mother. Grahams then followed, leaving Lilith in her room at peace.

As the thumping footsteps slowly faded out, she sat in her silent room, wondering o many things that has happened so far since she arrived in Louisiana. She placed her thumb underneath her chin and her index finger, wrapping her lips. What more secret do they hide in this house from me? She began to dwell in this thought and remembered her unfinished tour in the mansion.

She only knew the whereabouts of her room, the kitchen, and the Main door of the mansion. Adding the mentioned garden at the back of the mansion that she was unaware of, she jests, “Sounds about the mansion has a labyrinth too” she laughed. Unaware of the labyrinth beneath the elevated Mansion. Lilith pondered about the rest of the thirty or, perhaps, fifty unopened rooms in this mansion that needs to be discovered. Something tells her, an urge, to open each room there is, in this house. She gazed at the view from the massive window at her back.

As the faint wind blows in the room, a flooding question filled her mind with not only the mysteries of the house but its outside.

She wondered, too, of the door that she had visited last, last night. It brought curiosity to her because of the door suddenly shutting when she was caught wandering at night by Ada. And now that she has thought about it, why was Ada still awake at such an hour that night? Her poisoning curious deepened even more. There are so many wonders that are left unanswered. She could list them and still keep going, but she shrugs it off for now.

A nice little tour could stray her confusions away. She was rather nonchalant of the choice between Graham's touring Lilith on the mansion or wandering by herself. But as she remembers the terrible things that happened to her when she wandered by herself, she discarded that option and went to call for Grahams for another tour.

But not tonight, perhaps it could wait until tomorrow morning. The sunlight will provide her natural light of the things in the house as they tour, she believed.

She was too weary of the running she had sprint down to the staircase and the mystery of the thumping sounds beside the kitchen room. She rested on the squeaky mattress and delved herself into a slumber.

The misty morning arrived but the sunlight was clouded by the gray clouds and it was raining cats and dogs. It seems her plans always has an impediment for continuing her mansion exploration. But she is determined to open the doors of the mansion.

It was then she had told Grahams with all eager in her eyes that she wants to have a tour once again. Lilith also planned to lay out some of her questions to Graham's, hoping he could answer some of her wonders. She got up from her bed and put on a dress appropriate for today’s weather. After her preparation she had called for Grahams for a tour.

Grahams came halted before Lilith’s door on her command. Grahams knocked and entered.

“Madam, would you like to continue?”