Broken Memories (Sequel to Return to Belli Castle)

Chapter Three: The Maid

There was a long silence before Matilda looked up from the desk and faced Catherine. She didn't know wether or not to believe the girl, a girl who had been pulled into the 'hospital' for murder and being mentally unstable. Matilda had witnessed it herself; worker forced to pull Catherine away from strangling another worker. But it was always the same worker- Harry Gordan, the newest of workers.

Many times Matilda had asked herself for too long why Catherine dispiced somebody she'd never met before and why the girl associated Harry with her uncle, Riccardo Belli. Maybe he just resembled the man's appearance in some way or she could just be trying to seek more attention, something she had been getting a lot of around the mental institution.

"This is why you can't stand your own name?" asked Matilda, picking up a blunt pencil.

Catherine watched Matilda sharpen the pencil in the pencil sharpener, almost distracted for a moment. "Yes," she answered in a quiet voice, "Riccardo hated that name. He always told me when I said my name it was a sign that I wasn't greatful for him saving me. At that time I really thought he'd saved me. But that was before I descovered he'd killed my family." Catherine hadn't told her about clockwork yet. Otherwise Matilda probably wouldn't believe any more words she said. Though it wasn't looking so good now.

As Matilda's pencil scraped against the paper, Catherine felt uneasy. "What are you writing!" she asked.

"Just a few things about our conversation... that's all," admitted Matilda, her glasses at the tip of her nose.

"You can't show that to anybody else!" sputtered Catherine, standing out of her chair. She pressed a hand down on the sheet, waiting for Matilda to stop writing.

Matilda looked at her, concerned. "You know I have to, Catherine," she said. 

"Then we're not continuing."

Catherine stood up and walked over to the door as Matilda thought to herself. As she knocked upon the door, demanding to be released from the office, Matilda put the pencil back in her pen holder and tore the sheet of paper up.

"Happy now?" she asked, throwing the few peices into the bin. "This stays between us."

Catherine shook her head, trying to open the door as she looked over her shoulder at Matilda. "I've had people lie to me before. How stupid do you think I am to tell you anything else? I'm done with this!" She hit the door with the side of her hand once more.

"I won't tell," said Matilda, "I promise."

It took a while for Catherine to determine wether or not she should sit back down. But she finally did, uncomfortable to be in the office anymore. "What do you want to know?" she asked bitterly.

"Was there anybody else there?" asked Matilda.

There was always somebody about in Belli Castle. It had been Catherine's second day when she met the maid, a woman of much beauty and Catherine remembered that when the maid spoke, she spoke in a hoarse voice, pain within every word.

"I want this floor scrubbed clean," hissed Riccardo, slamming the kitchen door shut as he walked out.

Catherine had a rusty bucket beside her on the concrete floor and a battered brush. She was down on her knees, scrubbing away the stains on the floor. Some were from animal meat... Catherine hoped anyway.

The man, Riccardo, who said he was her uncle, was a man who seemed to get what he asked for. Riccardo was sinister, like the cruel creatures in books she'd read about.

One thing she was ought to remember was to not approach anybody else within Belli Castle, or speak to anybody.

As Catherine thought over the rules, she heard footsteps. But they came from another door, leading to the large room where they stored the food and had a table and chairs. She didn't look up at the person, but in the corner of her eyes, she saw a woman.

The woman had purple hair in curls and she had extremely pale skin, paler than Catherine's. The woman also wore an old maid's outfit, a mixture between blue and green. Around her waist she had a white apron, like Catherine's, but her's was poorly looked after.

Catherine kept scrubbing the floor (though there wasn't much improvement) as the maid stepped over to the stove where a pot was heating. She quickly looked up at the woman and stared back down.

The silence was unbearable, having somebody there she couldn't even speak to.

Suddenly, the maid dropped a knife onto the floor. Catherine decided to pick it up and held it up to the maid as she woked. The maid took it from Catherine's hand, not even looking at Catherine as she arose from the floor.

"What's your name?" asked the maid. The maid spoke slowly, like she felt unbearable pain but showed no emotions. She placed the knife beside her and stirred the soup heating on the stove.

"Cata... Catherine Belli. What's your's?"

The maid turned her head to look at Catherine. At first she gave a bitter expression to Catherine's name. But then she gave an awkward smile. "Daniella," she said, slowly. "I work for the owner... of Belli Castle, Lorenzo."