18.

The horses jeer at me as I make my way to the tap with a container full of soap and a scrubbing brush. They're as stupid as monkeys sometimes. I wash my boots, then squat beside the tap and bend my head so water splashes on my hair.

I wonder what I should call this place. 'The stronghold', 'The house of the expensive scents', 'The middle-aged man's house', 'The city in another city'...that makes so much sense. The city in another city.

'Hey, you there', someone barks and my head whips up. Ouch. It collides with the bottom of the tap, and though the pain isn't excruciating, it really hurts.

The laughter I hear from two people; a man and girl at the far end makes me realize I was being used as a joke. I frown and continue washing my hair, though this time I touch my scalp gingerly.

When I'm done I'm given a clean set of clothes and directed to the same stall I used to change into my overall. I change into a flowery dress and fluffy slippers. I'm going to take this place by storm. Who says a servant or prisoner can't be the best dressed in a place?

And to add some shock to my dressing, I let my hair down. Just this once. Or maybe not.

I walk out of the stall with my purse in hand and make my way to the villa. There's no one there. So Chico says I should stay and wait for the couple to come. No problem.

They make their way towards the villa moments later. Now I've seen the man before, so I'm not shocked when I see him in a three-piece suit. But I definitely am surprised when I see the gorgeous-looking woman beside him, holding his hand tightly and laughing gaily.

She does not look a day over thirty, honestly. Her black hair is let loose bouncing, and her outfit goes in and out at the right corners. She looks amazing.

But I don't allow her figure to distract me. I advance towards them as fast as I can. They stop when they see me, then the man's gaze darkens when he recognizes me.

'What are you doing here?'

The woman scans me for a while then looks at her husband. 'Zeke, who is she?' 'A prisoner. She's the one who killed Lucas'.

Her hand flies to her mouth as she looks at me again. Yup. I have no chance here anymore.

'You're so young! How on earth can you have the mind to kill someone?' she shrieks. Huh. I just might have a chance. I fall on my knees. 'I was wrong, I admit it. Really I do. I just don't want to go back there. Please I don't. I couldn't sleep last night. It was so dark and the hay was all around and-'

'You are a prisoner', the man says firmly, but his wife's gaze says otherwise. 'But Zeke- don't you think...'

'Lana'. 'Please. She's so young'. 'And dangerous'.

Goodness, I yell inside my head at him, Be kind for once!

The good thing about a balanced marriage is that the woman usually has a lot of power over the man. And that's why I'm in a queen-sized room with an air conditioner.

Turns out there was no space in the servants' quarters for one more person, so they have to build another. In the meantime, I'm in the main building; the house. 'Thanks', I say to a girl as she drops a bag of clothes for me. But her response is anything but kind. Who cares?

* * *

Lana- the gorgeous middle-aged woman- calls me to her room.

I've been serving as a slave, but Lana has taken to me personally.

'Here', she says and stretches a book to me. I read the title. How To Become A Better Person In Life.

'I think I already know that', I reply as I collect it. She laughs freely and shakes her head. 'I'm afraid not Pearl. You see, we keep learning every day. Some things we learn are shoved away with the thought that they're already learnt, but as time goes on we find that they're not. And there are some things which we feel should not be learnt because they'll just make us paralyzed and vulnerable. But they don't. Rather they make us stronger'.

'I have a feeling you read that from here', I joke and lift the book up. She laughs again. 'Yes, I did. Any problem with that?'

'Not at all Miss. I'm perfectly fine with that'. 'That'll be all for now Pearl. I would have sent someone but I really needed to see your face. And- oh, thank goodness I remembered. My children would be returning very soon, so please, be on your best behavior around them. Especially Eva'.

Eva is her only daughter. From what Lana has told me, Eva does not take nonsense. And neither do I, so, we're at par. Except that two tigers cannot live on the same mountain. Her son, Landon, is as cruel as his sister, from what I've heard. But he is rarely around, so there's really no difference if he's there or not. I mean, since his sister's already cruel.

'Yes ma'am. Anything else you want me to do?'

'I've been meaning to ask you, who are your parents? Where do they come from? Why did you relocate to Cuba when there are better opportunities in the U.S?'

Each time she does this, there's an easy way out.

'I don't really like to talk about it, Miss', I whisper as pityingly as I can. 'It's all so painful'.

She nods. 'Alright. When you're ready I'll be here to listen'.

I leave her room happy until I bump into someone I most definitely do not want to bump into.

Meet Javier Esqueleto, one of the freakiest men you'd ever want to meet. He's been trailing me for some time now, and sincerely I really just want to ice him and be done with it, but Lana's taught me so much good manners I cannot just throw them away.

'How are you today, you precious gem?' he says in a way that keeps me on my toes. 'Very fine sir. Uh...do you need anything?'

'Yes. As a matter of fact I do. My apartment is very untidy. Go clean it up'. He smiles strangely and walks away. I take the things I need and go to his apartment. It's an entire building.

I take the keys and open the door, then look around. Zeke must have infused these guys with something. The entire place is clean. But still I take a broom and start to sweep.

He comes in moments later, goes to the kitchen and returns with a cup of coffee and some toast. He goes upstairs, possibly to his room.

When I'm through I make for the door but I'm stopped by him.

'Would you really leave like that, chica?' he drawls. I know what that tone means, but I walk even faster to the door. Just as my hand touches the doorknob I'm pulled towards him. 'Leave me alone', is what I say, but it's drowned in his hands going over the place.

I find the thing nearest to me and use it to hit him. He groans and moves back. I regain my anger manners and so I punch him thrice on the face. Next is a kick to the stomach.

When I'm through I puff air to my hair and it floats up then comes back down. 'Try what you did again, and I swear I'll skin you alive'.

As I turn to leave I feel a very familiar cold metal on my neck.