Reflections (Alex)
Placing the little box on the dresser, Alex walked over to one of the windows. She hadn’t been standing there long when she spotted the plump form of Nelly walking down the street with several parcels in her arms. Obviously, the woman had been out shopping. Alex wasn’t quite sure what she thought of the lady yet, she seemed nice enough and very talkative, ‘but can I trust her?’, only time could tell.
Feeling rested from her nap, Alex decided to take a closer look at her lodgings. Being sure to lock the door, she slipped down the hall in the direction of the water closet. She had heard of people with indoor plumbing but had never been privileged enough to have use of such a niceties. Walking down the white paneled hallway, she counted a total of ten rooms, hers was number 3. If there were any other guests staying here she hadn’t seen or heard them, which suited her just fine.
Reaching the bathroom, Alex slipped inside the pink tiled room and shut the door. Immediately she was thrown into darkness, panic seized her, no doubt a condition formed from her time in the mountain. Groping around on the wall for the little switch that she had discovered produced light; Alex struggled to keep her breathing under control. Finally, her hand found its mark and blinding light filled every corner of the room. Alex stared at the white ceramic tub at the far end of the room. There were three clear knobs on the wall just above the tub and a large silver faucet that hung from above near the ceiling, she looked at the contraption with curiosity. ‘How in the heck do you use this thing?’ She fiddled with the various knobs until a burst of water from above came drizzling out on her head like rain. Shrieking from the surprise, Alex quickly turned the knobs some more causing the water to go from ice cold to scalding hot. Finally, she managed to turn everything off but the damage had already been done. Her hair and shirt were dripping wet, and water was splattered across the floor.
“Great, now what am I supposed to do?” Looking through the cabinets by the sink, Alex found several towels. Taking one, she began drying off her hair and attempted to do the same with her shirt. Having dried enough to quit dripping on the floor, Alex set about drying up the rest of the room. “I’m gonna get kicked out of here before I ever get a chance to eat,” she mumbled under her breath as she returned the wet towel to the edge of the tub.
Not ready to give up her examination of the water closet, Alex now focused her attention on the white porcelain seat positioned next to the tub. “Odd place for a chair” she thought, sitting gingerly down onto the soft burgundy cloth that covered the seat. Looking around she saw that the seat covering matched the now damp floor rug and the curtain that hung at one end of the bathtub. The sink was also white but in the shape of a seashell, Alex thought this looked rather silly but then again, they had put a chair in the bathroom. Tiny pink and purple soaps sat in a dish on the sinks edge. Above the sink was a small rectangular shaped mirror. Standing up, Alex peered into the mirror at the reflection of a stranger. Reaching up with a tentative hand she gently touched the dark circles below her eyes. Her cheeks were slightly sunken in and her face was an ash gray color, except for her left side which was an ugly yellow color and sported several fine scratches. Her long auburn hair hung in a tangled mass about her shoulders and down her back. “I’m surprised Nelly didn’t have me locked away,” she spoke to the reflection, “you look like a crazed mountain hermit.” Not able to look at herself a minute longer Alex opened the door and turned off the light leaving the mysterious room.
Suddenly feeling very self-conscious about her appearance, Alex ducked back into her room, leaving the downstairs to be explored another day. Turning on the light she stood in front of the large mirror that adorned her room. Tears sprang to eyes at the sight of the creature before her. Her shirt although wet, hung loosely off of her shoulders, her pants that had once fit perfectly kept sliding down off of her slender hips. Her still swollen feet emerged from the bottom of her trousers, discolored from bruises and swollen from various lacerations. On one ankle was a thick red mark left from the ankle shackle. Stripping off her shirt she surveyed a long slash mark that ran diagonally from her right hip up to her left shoulder. She traced the fine line with her index finger remembering her stand against the large ape creature that eventually led to her freedom. Her arms were bruised and slashed from her trials in the caves. She wore a dark red ‘bracelet’ on both wrists, a gift from Mondew. Turning around she craned her head so that she could take stock of her back. Her knees grew weak at the sight. A collage of slashes in various stages of healing filled her entire back. Reaching around with her hand she felt the whelps and ridges where once beautiful young skin used to be. The tears finally flooded down her face and she fell onto the bed surrendering herself to a rare moment of self pity and cried herself to sleep.
Feeling rested from her nap, Alex decided to take a closer look at her lodgings. Being sure to lock the door, she slipped down the hall in the direction of the water closet. She had heard of people with indoor plumbing but had never been privileged enough to have use of such a niceties. Walking down the white paneled hallway, she counted a total of ten rooms, hers was number 3. If there were any other guests staying here she hadn’t seen or heard them, which suited her just fine.
Reaching the bathroom, Alex slipped inside the pink tiled room and shut the door. Immediately she was thrown into darkness, panic seized her, no doubt a condition formed from her time in the mountain. Groping around on the wall for the little switch that she had discovered produced light; Alex struggled to keep her breathing under control. Finally, her hand found its mark and blinding light filled every corner of the room. Alex stared at the white ceramic tub at the far end of the room. There were three clear knobs on the wall just above the tub and a large silver faucet that hung from above near the ceiling, she looked at the contraption with curiosity. ‘How in the heck do you use this thing?’ She fiddled with the various knobs until a burst of water from above came drizzling out on her head like rain. Shrieking from the surprise, Alex quickly turned the knobs some more causing the water to go from ice cold to scalding hot. Finally, she managed to turn everything off but the damage had already been done. Her hair and shirt were dripping wet, and water was splattered across the floor.
“Great, now what am I supposed to do?” Looking through the cabinets by the sink, Alex found several towels. Taking one, she began drying off her hair and attempted to do the same with her shirt. Having dried enough to quit dripping on the floor, Alex set about drying up the rest of the room. “I’m gonna get kicked out of here before I ever get a chance to eat,” she mumbled under her breath as she returned the wet towel to the edge of the tub.
Not ready to give up her examination of the water closet, Alex now focused her attention on the white porcelain seat positioned next to the tub. “Odd place for a chair” she thought, sitting gingerly down onto the soft burgundy cloth that covered the seat. Looking around she saw that the seat covering matched the now damp floor rug and the curtain that hung at one end of the bathtub. The sink was also white but in the shape of a seashell, Alex thought this looked rather silly but then again, they had put a chair in the bathroom. Tiny pink and purple soaps sat in a dish on the sinks edge. Above the sink was a small rectangular shaped mirror. Standing up, Alex peered into the mirror at the reflection of a stranger. Reaching up with a tentative hand she gently touched the dark circles below her eyes. Her cheeks were slightly sunken in and her face was an ash gray color, except for her left side which was an ugly yellow color and sported several fine scratches. Her long auburn hair hung in a tangled mass about her shoulders and down her back. “I’m surprised Nelly didn’t have me locked away,” she spoke to the reflection, “you look like a crazed mountain hermit.” Not able to look at herself a minute longer Alex opened the door and turned off the light leaving the mysterious room.
Suddenly feeling very self-conscious about her appearance, Alex ducked back into her room, leaving the downstairs to be explored another day. Turning on the light she stood in front of the large mirror that adorned her room. Tears sprang to eyes at the sight of the creature before her. Her shirt although wet, hung loosely off of her shoulders, her pants that had once fit perfectly kept sliding down off of her slender hips. Her still swollen feet emerged from the bottom of her trousers, discolored from bruises and swollen from various lacerations. On one ankle was a thick red mark left from the ankle shackle. Stripping off her shirt she surveyed a long slash mark that ran diagonally from her right hip up to her left shoulder. She traced the fine line with her index finger remembering her stand against the large ape creature that eventually led to her freedom. Her arms were bruised and slashed from her trials in the caves. She wore a dark red ‘bracelet’ on both wrists, a gift from Mondew. Turning around she craned her head so that she could take stock of her back. Her knees grew weak at the sight. A collage of slashes in various stages of healing filled her entire back. Reaching around with her hand she felt the whelps and ridges where once beautiful young skin used to be. The tears finally flooded down her face and she fell onto the bed surrendering herself to a rare moment of self pity and cried herself to sleep.
posted by duster | 17:22
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