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Chapter 33: The Servants' Quarters
The cable car hovered above the treetops, suspended from a thick steel cable that extended from the dock to the mansion. The view of the sea was stunning and tiny islands dotted the seascape that gradually changed color from turquoise to deep blue. The mild breeze gently rocked the cable car as Nadi continued to point excitedly at the sea and the dock that slowly reduced in size as they ascended.
Flora found Nadi’s excitement contagious and she tried to enjoy the ride with her. However, upon seeing the yacht from above along with its protruding ram, Flora could not help but imagine the plight of the fishermen who might have fallen victim to the speeding yacht.
“You’re quiet. Aren’t you enjoying the scenery?” Eva asked Flora. “I only wish I had my phone with me so that I could capture this. Perhaps a selfie with that stunning view as my backdrop. My FB friends would die with envy,&
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Vampire of the New World Chapter 34: Flora's Room
They came down the gravel path and soon reached the entrance to the servants’ quarters. Maya went straight for the open door as Flora and Eva looked at the façade of their new home. There were huge columns of red concrete that held the roof, meant to mimic the red shingles that protect the house from the elements. The walls were of poured concrete but given accents of brown paint and mahogany to compliment the columns and the roof.Flora felt Nadi pull her hand to move forward and she yielded, climbing the few steps that led to the porch and the main door of the house. Maya stood inside, putting her weight on one leg and a hand on her waist as she waited for them to enter.“No need to linger on the porch. You will be seeing that porch everyday for the duration of your stay in this house,” Maya said.Eva was last to enter the house and followed Flora as she came to Maya’s side.“Follow me,” said Maya and she walked around a wall decorated with opaque colored glass to a narrow space that
Vampire of the New World Chapter 35: On a Soft and Comfortable Bed
Flora set down her bags beside her feet and lay down on the soft bed. She felt very comfortable and lay still as she felt all her worries wash away. She would have liked to contact Perlita to tell her not to worry about her anymore, but without her phone it was not possible to do so. In other circumstances, Flora would have cried over the loss of her phone to the yacht crew. It was an old phone, something she bought for herself several years ago during a Christmas sale, but it still cost her money. However, it was also through that phone that Flora was able to confirm her husband’s infidelity. She would not believe what Perlita told her about her husband being seen in Malen with another woman. So, Perlita shared with her the photos that she found on Facebook.Feeling a bit of the stress returning, Flora tried to think of different thoughts. She returned to the time that she bought the phone. It was rare that she would buy something she considered luxurious for herself, but she felt th
Vampire of the New World Chapter 36: The Kitchen
“Is he still looking at me?” Flora asked Eva as they ascended the few steps leading up to the main house.Flora looked back and saw that the gardener was still gazing at them. He stood motionless as a statue as he stood near the hedge with a pair of pruning shears in his hands. He glanced at the hedges that he was pruning and saw some branches that protruded above the otherwise uniform surface of green leaves. Then, the gardener returned his gaze at the women as he snapped his shears and cut the protruding branches with the sharp sound of sliding metal blades. The offending branches fell to the ground soundlessly as the gardener looked on. The result was an almost smooth and immaculate surface of greenery that bordered the gravel path towards the mansion.“So, is he?” asked Eva who pulled Flora’s arm excitedly as Flora turned and looked back at where she was stepping.“He is. Like a puppy,” said Flora who chuckled. “Or a naughty cat getting ready to pounce on a little bird.”“Oh, is he
Vampire of the New World Chapter 37: Rules of the House
Flora held her daughter in front of her while Nadi clung to her. Nadi, not quite understanding what was going on, got the sense that she did something wrong and the strange man was somehow angry at what she had done. Flora caressed Nadi shoulder and bowed low to talk calmly to her daughter.“You should behave yourself, Nadi. You’ll get us both into trouble if you don’t behave yourself. Do you understand me?” said FloraNadi nodded and twisted her leg as she placed her tongue on her cheek. She avoided Pablo’s gaze and continued to cling to her mother’s arm.Flora stood up straight and apologized again to Pablo. “I’m terribly sorry, Sir. She’s just new to the place and doesn’t know what to do yet. She’s really a well-behaved child. I’ll talk to her again later.”“You should have held her tighter, Flora,” said Eva. “You know she has a tendency to run to just about anything that catches her fancy. If she were my daughter, I would make sure she’d obey me.““Just hold on to her while I tell
Vampire of the New World Chapter 38: First Chores
The women got to work at once and cleared the table under the watchful gaze of Pablo who looked at them with hawklike intensity. Flora observed how fine the porcelain was. The plates and cups were quite thin and flawlessly white. They were light and would issue clear clinking sounds like little bells when they hit each other. They were translucent under the light of the chandelier unlike the thick cups and plates that Flora was used to. At her house in Cardena, she had broken what little porcelain cups that they had when she was little and were content with eating using metal cups which later became dented and rusted that they were replaced with plastic cups. Her plates were of cheaper melamine that she bought from the market and were already discolored with plenty of scratches from use.Flora picked up the spoons, forks and knives and placed them on a metal tray that Eva carried next to her. The metal utensils were polished and reflected the light from the chandelier. Flora observed t
Vampire of the New World Chapter 39: The Hidden Staircase
The woman entered the kitchen and closed the door gently behind her. Then, she surveyed the room and its three occupants, her eyes lingering on the little girl who seemed to be following her mother as she mopped the floor.“Now which one of you is Eva?” the woman asked.“That would be me, Ma’am,” answered Eva politely.“I’m Rosa, the cook. You will be working here with me,” said Rosa, her voice soft yet commanding. “And who would you be?” she asked Flora as she continued to eye Nadi.“My name’s Flora, Ma’am and this is my daughter Nadi,” answered Flora who had stopped mopping momentarily.“You may go. I shall call for you when I need you,” said Rosa nonchalantly as she turned to walk towards Eva.Flora did not know what to do but stood still with the mop still in her hand. After a while, Rosa turned her head and noticed Flora still standing motionless with the mop.“I said you may go. You don’t belong in my kitchen,” repeated Rosa with some edge in her tone. “Why Pablo would leave you
Vampire of the New World Chapter 40: The Laundry Room
Then, Maya spoke, “I couldn’t care less where you bring your daughter.”Flora lowered her head and looked at the food she was eating. Then, Nadi reached out a hand and asked her mother to cut a piece of meat for her. Flora did so and remained silent as she thought about what she had been told. Flora remembered that Maya tried to take Nadi earlier to the nursery and only refused when Nadi hid behind her. Flora was beginning to doubt if there really was a nursery where she could leave Nadi. Is there really a nursery? Flora asked herself. Who will watch over Nadi if there is?After Flora had finished eating, she rose with Maya who had given her general instructions on what she would need to do inside the house. Flora would be cleaning all the hallways and the common areas. As for the rooms, access would be given by Maya who would unlock the rooms that would need to be cleaned. Flora would do the laundry at least once a week and could start that very day
Vampire of the New World Chapter 41: The Bloodied Shirt
Flora stood motionless for a few seconds as she tried to process what she was seeing in her hand. She pulled out the white sleeve from under the pile of colored clothes but did not expect to see a man’s white shirt with the whole front part covered in dried blood. She tried hard to explain to herself what she saw. Perhaps the man had cut himself, but to have that much blood could mean that the man could have died. Perhaps the man had helped someone else who got heavily injured and knowing that they were on an island, the poor victim could have bled to death. But that would still mean that someone had died. Why was it that each explanation she thought of seemed to point to someone dying, Flora asked herself.Flora realized that her hand was shaking as she held out the shirt in front of her. She tried to control herself as she thought of what to do with the thing that she held. “Told you it was red!” said Nadi, pointing at the bloodied shirt that her mother was holding.“Oh, Nadi!” said
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