The job of a maid

Twelve years later.....

Waking up to the chirping of birds, Anna stood up on her feet before opening the curtains that covered the window. There was a mouse sitting at the window side waiting for Anna to wake up.

She stretched her hand out and the mouse stepped on it. With a small chuckle, she patted the head of the mouse before dipping her hand into her coat which was hung on the wall to fetch a small bread. She offered the bread to the mouse who quickly dived into it.

Lady Gaga who was a hunter had taken Anna into her house. Since her daughter passed away, she took care of Anna like her own daughter. Even though she was a poor hunter who catches rabbit everyday from the bush and sell in the market to survive, Lady Gaga was contented with what she had.

She knew about Anna's identity and she had always been there for her. Anna who cuts her wings every week had now come to a stage were the wings was not growing so fast as when she was a child.

She put the mouse on the table and entered the bathroom.

Washing her face and body, Anna came out to wear her stuffed coat which Lady Gaga had patched with so many threads and the coat had looked so worn. She stared into the mirror and put her contact lens into her eyes, making it appear brown in colour. She brushed her long black shiny hair which even the women of the upper society didn't had. Her white pale skin was well toned making her look more beautiful and younger than her age. She and Lady Gaga frequents the black market during the weekends to buy a forbidden soap which her mother uses to bath her to make her skin shine and avoid blue skin coat.

Her big brown eyes often attract the attention of men who would do anything to lay their filthy hands on her.

Even after many years, Anna hadn't been able to recover from the pain of losing her mother. She missed her mother so much and when she had dreams of her childhood with her mother, Anna would cry herself to sleep.

Lady Gaga was a poor woman whose husband had died while hunting a wild animal in the forest. The animal had attacked him and killed him. Since then, Lady Gaga had taken the job of hunting.

She looked down at the mouse who had finished eating the bread. She picked the mouse up and put it into her front pocket of her coat. Opening the door, she walked out of the room and locked the door from behind.

Anna hummed a song that her mother often sings to her when she was a child on her way to the market. Lady Gaga had taught Anna during these years to hunt for petty animals in the forest.

"Anna!" Lady Gaga waved at her to draw her attention. Anna smiled before walking towards the woman and stood next to her.

"The market is good today." Anna smiled, looking at the table which had just one rabbit left.

On hearing her, the woman's expression changed. She shook her head with a saddened look.

"Peter came with the magistrate today and he took all the rabbits to pay off the debts I owed him." The woman shook her head.

"Everything will be fine once I get a job that pays." Anna assured her.

"The position of maids had been opened in the Windsor Mansion again. If only I can work there for a while to pay off the debts." Anna muttered.

"No." The woman glared at her. She did not want her daughter to work there since there have been rumours of the Windsor family.

"Mother it is only a few months I would be working there to pay off the debts. Once I pay off everything I will come back home and we will be free of our debts." Anna assured her mother.

The woman hesitantly nodded before looking away.

Seeing that no one had come to ask for the price of the last rabbit since the magistrate took the others, she turned to Anna

"We should take this one home to make rabbit soup." Lady Gaga put the rabbit into a black polythene bag and the both of them went home.

Early the next day, Anna had already finished preparing herself to go try herself for the position of a maid in the Windsor Mansion. The family living there were wealthy people whom the others think are hiding a dark secret because of the massive reports of deaths happening in the Mansion.

There was a graveyard at the backyard of the Mansion where the family buries the deceased servants. Even after the people had reported the mysterious deaths of servants happening there to the magistrate, he paid deaf ear to it as he had been bribed secretly not to show any interest.

Anna was a little afraid of working there but she had no other options since her mother needed the money urgently.

"Just a few months from now and everything will be over." Anna told herself as she put on her contact lens.

Since the Windsor Mansion are massively in need of maidens every time, the job opening do not require a person with experience. One just have to speak a few words with the butler and you are good to go. Even with the higher amount they pay, the people dreaded to work there.

Putting the mouse in her front pocket, Anna left the house.

Since she had no coins with her, she had to walk to the Mansion which was very far from their house.

After an hour of walking, Anna finally reached the Mansion. She stood in front of it and peeked into her front pocket to see the mouse bring it's head out.

Drawing the bell that was hung near the wall of the Mansion, the butler stepped outside. He saw a young woman which from his guess, is not more than sixteen years.

He eyed her from head to toe before wearing a serious expression.

"Who are you?" The butler asked.

Anna smiled. "I am here to work as a maid."

The butler nodded his head in acknowledge and quickly moved for Anna to come inside.

"Welcome to the Windsor Mansion." He said with a warm smile. He was the one in charge of interviewing the people to fill for the position of maids.

"Please sit." He gestured for the sofa and Belle sat down elegantly.

"I am Butler Sam." He smiled. "You are?"

"Anna" She replied.

"How old are you?" He questioned.

"Twenty." She replied.

"Twenty." The butler nodded his head, surprised at her age. He had assumed her to be sixteen or fifteen years old.

Anna knew the Butler was surprised at her age. Being a fairy with smooth pale skin, she ages slowly making her look younger than her age.

Getting up on his feet, he spoke calmly. "Miss Anna you can come here from tomorrow to work as a maid here. You should know that you will be spending your days and nights here."

Anna nodded. "I know."

"You may leave." The butler escorted her to the door and opened it for her leave.

Meanwhile the cloak figure standing behind the pillow, never seize to tear his gaze from the door.

"Anna she is." He nodded his head.

His mother who was passing through the corridor with her little daughter turned to look at him.

"You are going to scare your sister if you continue wearing that cloak." The woman commented.

"For a girl who acts more than her age, I doubt if it scares her." He said before walking upstairs to his room.