Knocking on the door was one of the hardest things Kelda had ever had to do. Until that day she’d spent her life living outside the city, somewhere safe, because she had an ability that was coveted by the majority of people. Now she was of an age she could decide who she could trust and keep herself safe from those people she couldn’t. That didn’t stop her from being terrified. Leaving behind everything she’d known was something she knew would have to happen eventually, but she wasn’t ready for it to happen. She probably never would be, so she had to get used to what had happened quickly, and get a job.
By the time the door opened Kelda had convinced herself she was strong enough to do what was expected of her. Her eyes met those of a woman, which wasn’t a surprise, but the coldness within them was. Swallowing, all she could do was stare. The returning fear had pushed away her prepared speech. From somewhere she managed to find a reserve of courage and summoned a weak smile for the woman on the doorstep.
“Good morning,” Kelda said, trying to keep the waver out of her voice. “I saw that you had a vacancy for a maid and I…”
“Do you have any experience?” the woman asked.
“Apart from cleaning my home I don’t,” Kelda replied, knowing that she had no chance of getting a job in such a huge house without any job references, but she’d had to try.
“What makes you think you’re the right person for us?”
That was a question Kelda had prepared an answer for, after researching the family. “I think the most important thing is that I’m discrete. Nothing that I learn, whether on purpose or by accident, will ever be passed onto anyone else.” Suddenly she felt more sure of herself. “I’m also a good cleaner, even though I have no references, I’ve always found it easy to get on with people, and…” She bit her lip. “Honestly, I need this job.”
“Other people who have knocked on my door needed the job too.” The woman looked her up and down, before, it appeared, she made a decision. “What do you know of this house and the family within it?”
“Four maids have been fired and three maids have left within the space of seven moons. It appears that those who were fired didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut while the three who left… if what the fired maids have said is in any way true then it’s possible that they left because they couldn’t cope with the master of the house.” Kelda shrugged. “I’m not going to say I believe them, because I have no way to know if they were lying or not, but I’m not scared if it is.”
“You were scared though.”
“Yes, I was.”
“Why?”
“It’s my first day in the city, my first job interview, and both of those things are terrifying.”
“This house was your first choice?” The woman’s voice was full of disbelief. “After reading the reports I would have thought any sane person would have decided on any place but this one.”
“Like I said those reports could easily be full of lies.”
“They aren’t.”
Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.
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