A new house (Avalon, Tori)

She stopped and smiled at her father,"Hello Dad. Who's this?" He man smiled kindly, approaching her. "Your new Avox her name is.... well I forgot it's not that important anyway. She's your new maid so do what you like with her." Farin Mako. My name wasn't hard to remember, it was an odd one you couldn't forget.

The girl scowled at her father as he walked away. She turned and faced me. "Follow me." she snapped, and turned on her heels to walk up the stairs. I sighed. This house would be like all the others. I followed her up the stairs, staying a safe distance away. She held the door to a room open and I walked in. She shut the door behind us saying, "Sorry I had to pretend to be mean. It goes with the act. I'm Kylene by the way. What's your name if you don't mind me asking?"

What? I was confused, and frankly, suspicious. Kylene started to sort through some of the things on a table of hers. She resurfaced with a pencil and piece of paper. She handed them to me,"You can write it down if you want or if you know sign language you can spell it for me."

I took them, reluctantly and she disappeared into a room attached to hers. I looked down at the piece of paper, confused. What is with this girl? Kylene re-entered with some of the necessities I had lacked to pack. "Here's some stuff for you. I can get some more latter but for now this is all the extras I have."

No one had ever been this nice to me before, except for my mother. She was the last one I remembered being so nice. I set the paper and pencil down, along with my bags, and took the things from her hands. I shoved them into a pocket in the suitcase, and picked up the pencil. With it I wrote:

My name is Farin Mako.
Thank you for my things.
Where will I be staying?
Is there anything you need I may get you?

I put the pencil on her desk, and handed the slip of paper to Kylene. I smiled politely and picked up my bags again.

“I do have two feet you know. I can get stuff for myself.” she said, “Make yourself at home.” I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. I hadn't been treated like an equal in a long time. Since she seemed to certain that I should make myself at home, I set my bags back on the ground. I looked around, I didn't see and extra bed. Did she say I was sleeping in here or...?

I knew I should ask, so I found the piece of paper I just used along with the pencil. Next to it were some rough sketches of all kinds of things. I picked up and pencil and paper and before writing anything, I took time to notice the room for the first time.

Brushes and paints were lying around all over the place. There were canvases hanging on her walls, and lying around in the most peculiar places. Kylene herself, was sitting down, beginning to resume a painting she was working on. I walked around her room examining what she had made.

“If you want to eat anytime soon I can run down and get us some food.” she smiled at me as I turned around, and brushed away the paint that had gotten on her face. “Just tell me if you need anything.”

I nodded to her and placed the piece of paper in my hand to write on. I smiled to myself, she seemed sweet. This house may be different after all. However, she was still in charge o me, so I tried to be as formal and polite as possible:

Your paintings are quite beautiful, you have a wonderful talent.
I failed to find out where I would be sleeping for the remainder of my stay.
Also, if it's not too much to ask, might I have a tour of the house?
It seems pretty big and I don't wish to get lost.

I smiled and handed her the slip of paper. She had a little red paint on her nose now, and I giggled. When she looked up at me I pointed to my nose.

"Well, I would have liked to get you a bed in here.... but my mom... well." I wondered what could have possibly happened to bring about the incredibly sad look a saw on her face. I thought it would be inpolite to ask however. She smiled suddenly, "I know the perfect place."

After a moment she must have realized she hadn't finished reading the paper because she looked back down. "A tour of the house might not be the best idea but I can try." She frowned and continued, "My parents don't exactly have the same view point as me. So I'm sorry if I have to be snappy with you some times in public. But trust me the punishment for you if we don't act like that is much worse." It wasn't new. I was used to being screamed. And her announcement of punishments didn't scare me either. I've had my fair share, I thought, subconsicously toughing my back."Most of the Avoxes treat it as a joke then we laugh about it later."

We? Did that mean I might get a friend? "I think I might have a solution." Kylene said and walked into her closet. I was a little conused, but I grabbed my bags, and followed her in. She was knocking again the wall in different places as if she expected to find something. I raised my eyebrows doubtfully, and started to wonder if she was fully sane. When Kylene pushed her hands against the wall and pushed, revealing a hidden staircase, my mouth dropped open.

Out of all the houses I'd worked at, this was by far the most interesting one so far. Kylene started up the stairs and after a moment, I followed after her. When she got to the top, she pushed open a door at the top and it opened to reveal a bedroom. Walked in, closely behind her. The walls were cream coloured and there was a bed and a dresser. But on top of everything, there seemed to be a canvas of something Kylene had apparently painted.

"Behold the magical mystical Attic where dreams come to life." she smiled and added, "Well in paintings at least." Then she jestered around the room. Without hesitation, I put my bags on the floor, and charged right in. The paintings were fantastic. There were amazing ones that seem magical and mysterious, along with ones that chilled me to the bone. I wondered where she got all of her ideas from. They were so uncommon.

I turned to her, and sort of jestered around the room and then pointed to myself. Hopeully she knew I was asking if I would be staying here. It felt nice up here. I didn't feel like a servant for once, and I rather liked the idea of staying out of sight and having a secret. The lastsecret I had, had been with my now deceased mother two years ago. I smiled to her. I wondered i I'd be busy all the time, or if she might beable to show me how to paint like her, or at least allow me to watch. It seemed to me that I was happier than I had been in a long time.

"Yes these are you're rooms. We might have to put an extra cot in my closet though. So if any one comes by that's whee they'll think you sleep." Kylene seemed to have to do a lot of things for me. I didn't like it. I had been doing everything or myself or the last two years and having someone suddenly offer to help wasn't something I was used to.

"Oh by the way Farin. If there are any paintings you like we can hang them up for you and all." She looked at a painting of a monster and added,"We can also move some of the freakier ones out." I smiled, and looked around the room. Some paintings grabbed my attention and I wandered over to them. There was one of woods. It reminded me to much of my past, I had to grab it. Once it was in my hands it felt more real. And I could replay what happened in my mind.

I set it on the bed in an empty spot and looked around some more. Kylene sneezed and excused herself. I smiled and noticed that there was an awful lot of dust. That'd be the first thing I'd have to work on. A found a picture of a woman, and she had long flowing blonde hair. It reminded me of mother and so I added that one to the pile on the bed as well.

There was a thunk and I turned to face the other side of the room. Kylene was kneeing in front of an open chest quietly. I walked over quietly and looked over her shoulders. Inside were the most gruesome things I'd ever laid my eyes on. All of them, or at least all I could see from where I was standing, was paintings of horrible things.

I knelt down next to Kylene, and placed my hands on the egde of the open chest, and looked inside. Did she paint these? What are they of? I looked to my right at her, but her head was turned away. I knew something was wrong. I wasn't sure what to do, so I pushed her hair behind her ear and placed my arm on her shoulder. When she looked at me I tried to give her a look of reasurrance, though I didn't know why she would need one.

I shook my head when she said she hoped I didn't think she was deranged. I didn't. There was obviously a lot more to Kylene then she let on. Tears wear streaming down her ace but she wiped them with her sleeze. She shut the chest and locked it, covering it with a thing of fabric, and walked over to a shelf. I stayed where I was sitting by the chest and watched her intently.

Kylene pulled a box down, and pulled out something.It was only when she tied it around her neck that I realized it was a necklace. After a moment she turned back to me, “So which ones did you like? I could draw some for you if there’s anything you want drawn.”

I looked back at the chest. Kylene had just hit my biggest weakness. Curiousity. She placed the box back on the shelf, and I knew I would have to figure what this was all about. Standing up, I looked around for the pictures I had set out earlier. Finding them, I walked over to the bed and pointed at the picture o the woods in answer to her question. Then I just stood there or a moment staring into it, pretending I was there.

OOC: Sorry it's short... I suddenly can't think so I'm ending it there.

Kylene told me she might have more paintings of forests, though they might be of different seasons. I didn't mind. Just the fact she was going to let me hang them up in my room was something I was grateful for. I heard the tinkling of a bell, and Kylene gasped. She grabbed my hand and quickly pulled me through the door, and back down the steps. We had barely made it, when her mother came into the room shouting her name, and telling her to bring "the avox".

Kylene made fun of her mother saying that they had guests, and I laughed. ((Avoxes can laugh, right?)) "Well, we should probably go." she said. I nodded, and followed her out of the room. It took longer to get to the stairs than before. But that may only be because I was wondering what they make me do. I was worried I might do somethng wrong, and they get rid of me like the others families had. I didn't want to leave, I might have a friend here.

When we reached the stairs, I could see they had more than a 'few' guests. Kylene's father waved us over, and we walked towards him. He spoke to Kylene first, and the turned to me.