Born To Serve?

chapter 1

I had been a good servant. I always obeyed the rules and regulations in the Winterson household, the establishment were I worked my pale, thin fingers to the bone to satisfy the demands of the imperious family I was obliged to serve night and day. Tidying the many rooms, making sure all the fireplaces were lit, sweeping and polishing the floors until they sparkled (this often took a considerable amount of time) and countless other tasks. Anything the family requested I would do. Much like a reliable dog whom, when thrown a stick would catch it and return it to it's owner immediately.

Although it was ghastly and tiring work I felt relieved but rather guilty when I witnessed the children brought into the household. Armed with wire brushes towering above them, soot smeared over their sickly, pale faces and embedded in their lungs. My eyes well up with salty tears when I see these children. The oldest must have only been about ten.

But what made my tears fall was the fact that Mr John Winterson treated them as if they were filthy vermin that was unworthy of even breathing the same air as him.

"Come on you lazy, bone idle children. The chimneys' are not going to clean themselves!" he declared spitefully, his eyes like stone, much like his heart.

I was unable to comprehend how a person could be so cruel and insensitive to people, particulary  young, vunerable children who have caused no harm.

The younger child climbed up first. His limbs looked much too weak and malnurished to be capable of getting himself up the chimney let alone cleaning the contents of the inside. When the struggle of holding himself up the chimney proved too much for hime he tried to come down but was greeted with a small metal pin that pierced his flesh. He quickly jumped upwards in shock, pain rushing through his body.

My mouth was  wide open with astonishment and revolt. I had never watched an act so malicious in all my life. I was speechless. Mr Winterson noticed my reaction to what he had done.

"Charlotte I have other duties for you to be getting on with in the dining room, attend to them immediately."

I slowly pace backwards and after one last glance and attempt to comfort these children using my eyes instead of my voice to do so i depart from the chamber.

Mr Winterson knocked on my door when the sky had turned to burnt autumn leaves and the wind whistled around the trees. Although the clouds linguered above in the sky,streaks of sunlight burst through and lit up the would around me. How I longed to go outside. To feel the cool,crisp wind in my hair and the glorious,golden sun on my cheeks. I am a bird trapped in an metal cage. The barricading walls slowly corroding and crumbling around me. I feel the same.

'Charlotte open this door immediately!'

I wiped my eyes so that they were free of tears. I composed myself and advanced towards the door to open it. He paced into my diminuative room, his eyes transfixed to mine. They were filled with hate and arrogance.

'I am in need of your assistance, for these foolish,horrid children have made a complete farce and travisty of the state of the chimney,'

'It is to be expected, the children are rather young and are bound to make mistakes,'

I immediately regretted saying this when I saw Mr Winterson's face change colour from ivory white to scarlet red and the lines on his forehead became more visable.

'How dare you contradict me!' He bellowed as his hands grip my frail wrists, imprinting them with marks and soon-to be bruises. I try to slip away from his cruel grasp but it was hopeless. Seeing me struggle so Mr Winterson pinned me against the wall in an attempt to somehow prove that he was superior. He whispered into my ear quitely, chills ran down my spine. I was petrified!

'Now my dear, I strongly suggest that you listen to and comprehend everything I am saying.            You must consider yourself very fortunate that I don't intend on dismissing you from your position after you behaved so improperly.' he exclaimed, spitting out every word as if they contained vemon he wanted to inject me with. 'I took you in Charlotte because you had nothing and I believed you would be of use to me and my family. I highly doubt that you would want to jeopardise your occupation and your whole life because of your actions,'

I nod timidly, my mouth glued shut, too afraid to even breathe or blink.

'You are to do whatever I ask of you in the forseeable future. This is your last chance Charlotte, if you dare defy me again then you will be sorry, very sorry indeed!'

He stormed out of the room, each footstep he takes feels like daggers stabbing my chest. Once he had vanished I allowed myself to slowly sink onto the grey,grimy floor and let the tears flow down my porclain face, one after the other, never ceasing. My throat is swollen and raw by the time I have banished my sorrows or ,as I am more accustomed to do, brush them underneath the carpet.

I returned to work,avoided eye contact with everyone and tried to blend into the background. To transform into a faded silhouette long enough so that I could sleep and pretend that it was all just a bad dream that would dematerialize when I awoke from my slumber.

Little did I know, this was just the begining!