chapter three

I opened my eyes when l felt the car halt. I looked through the windshield to see a tall wide double door wooden gate. Its wood looked dark and rich, glossy with vanish reflecting the lights from the headlamps. Dark green climbers were striving to make their way up the thick gate post. Auntie Yolei dulled the lights when she noticed that l was squinting my eyes.

"Welcome home", she says cheerfully.

I turned my head side to side trying to take a look at the outside. We were on a small wooden bridge. From both sides of the gate, immaculately trimmed hedge war of roses stretched far with tiny strips of lights designed like grape vines. Water sprinklers were spraying over the leveled lawn on either side of the small bridge.

The double gates pulled open revealing a quarry stone driveway. The car drove through the entrance and the gates immediately closed behind. I was almost convinced that l was in heaven. The front yard was a paradise full of life although it was nighttime. Auntie Yolei might have been deliberately driving slowly secretly enjoying my awe struck look.

To my right different flower bushes in different shapes stood proudly on the lawn. A hot water swimming pool was covered with flat glass on my left. Randomly positioned ground lights illuminated both sides with soft white lights.

Auntie Yolei drove the car around a water fountain and then stopped the engine. I follow suit as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She led me to the tall wooden double doors of her mansion. Before she even gets a chance to knock, a maid opened the door and stands aside.

" Welcome home, Mrs Charleston", she dutifully greeted auntie with a small bow and a smile.

She turned to me and just bows unsure of how to act. Her face displayed conflicting thoughts. It was as though she was trying to be subtle on judging if l was an important guest or a family member or business partner.

Before I even fully step into the house, l hear rushed footsteps make their way down the stairs. A cute looking doll faced girl rushed and stopped at the first step. Her face was bright with excitement. She squealed and ran over to attack me with a tight hug. l almost fell backwards.

" Oh my god", she says as she pulls away to hold me at arms length. Her eyes were wide open as she looked at me from toe upwards and stopped at my face.

" You.-are-so-pretty", she says breathlessly.

The girl had an uncanny resemblance to her mother. Her wide blue eyes, tiny nose and flawless white skin were unmistakable. The hair cascading to her shoulders was a darker shade of gold compared to her mother.

I stole a look over her shoulder and saw her mother looking at us grinning.

"Keisty you didn't even notice your mother here", auntie Yolei says humorously.

Keisty turns and hugs her mother as though they were sisters. I was impressed by this unique mother and daughter relationship.

After introducing each other, auntie Yolei excused herself and ordered us to meet at the dinner table in thirty minutes. As soon as she had disappeared on the right flight of stairs, Keisty seized me by my arm and dragged me excitedly to the left side. We passed many doors along the passage until she pushed one. We stepped into an amazingly spacious bedroom. I didn't know how they figured out that blue was my favorite color. From the bedcovers and the night lamp on the side to the walls it was all soft baby blue.

"This is your room", she said still holding my hand. "Let me show you more."

She opened another door in the room revealing a sparkling white bathroom. She showed me the shower and a stylish ceramic bathtub. She also led me to my closet. It was large but had nothing on the shelves except night clothes. This consisted of new short loose flimsy shorts and matching strap crop tops on hangers, blue nightgowns and loose blue night dresses.

She led me to another door l hadn't noticed was there because it blended with the walls.

" Guess what's behind this door girl", she says holding the handle as if she was about to open a teleporting portal.

She opens the door showing another similarly large bedroom. "Guess what, our rooms are linked, you know just in case...", her eyes glinted as she stared at me. "...we get scared of sleeping alone after watching a horror movie"

She exited through the door and leaves me to myself in the room. l went into the bathroom to shower. Everything l was doing from undressing to bathing felt strangely new that l was taking forever to finish up. I was feeling so unfamiliar with my body. My limbs felt pliant and my flesh soft. My skin felt smooth, l was afraid of tearing myself if l rubbed my body vigorously.

When l walked out of the shower l wrapped a light blue flossy towel around my small frame. My body was still steaming from the shower and my hair was still damp. I walked to the dresser in my room and stood before a full length mirror.

The reflection on the mirror gave me a start with amazement. A pale white girl with big brown eyes and wet long eyelashes stared back. Her thin brown eye brows were raised in surprise.

I pushed back the wet strand of reddish-brown hair that had fallen to my face. I eyed my slim rosy pink lips opened with surprise. My teeth were almost unrealistically white.

I unwrapped the towel to fully see myself. A slender body with a flat tummy and curvey hips was exposed. Up on my chest two firm mounds with cherry like summits were emerged. I noticed that my legs were the tallest part of my body. They were paler and creamier than the rest of my body.

A gentle knock sounded from my door. I quickly rewrapped my nakedness and went and opened it. The same maid who l met at the door was standing a safe distance from the door.

" Mistress told me to inform you that dinner is ready, miss."

I nodded and when I was about to close the door l saw a hesitant look on her face. She kept rooted on the same spot so I stopped the door midway and stared at her.

She looks at me then shifted her weight to the other leg nervously. She joins her palms then speaks.

" My apologies miss for my annoying self, could l bother you by asking your name if you don't mind."

I kept staring at her face with my face neutral. She started fiddling with her fingers nervously. No word passed between us for a moment.

" If you are not comfortable with letting me know your name, it is still fine. I can continue calling you miss. My apologies again for..."

" Arielle, call me Arielle please", this time l softly interrupted.

She smiled and bowed her head. "As you wish mis... Arielle. I am Deborah. You can call me Debbie if you want."

I smiled at her then closed my door. I heard her feet retreat from my door and patter as she made her way down the passage

I quickly dress in flossy blue short shorts and it's matching crop top and stepped out of the room. I did not know where the dining room was but l easily found my way there. The mansion seemed to have familiarities with someplace l could not quite grasp in my memory.

Keisty was already seated enjoying a baked spaghetti and cheese pasta with curry chicken chops and a glass of apple juice. When she saw me she smiled and patted the seat next to hers. I complied returning the smile. I did not miss the delight that crossed her face when she saw me smiling back.

The dining table was overlaid with different kinds of foods from end to end. There were many steaming bowls of savoury stew, roasted turkey and spaghetti. There were tall glass jars with fruit juice in the middle of the table.

I was a little surprised to see Deborah sitting on the opposite side of the table. She gave me a small smile and continued on her meal. She was no longer wearing a maid's outfit and her hair was no longer tied up. She was in a simple long dress and her black hair was flowing down her back. I guessed she had been made almost part of the family.

" I can't wait to show you to my best friend, l wonder what her reaction would be like." Keisty paused thoughtfully and then shouted out almost causing me to spill out a spoonful of rice, "oh my god!, l can't even wait to see what will be the reaction of the guys at school, you're going to be popular miss sleeping beauty "

" Keisty dear, what happened to table manners", auntie Yolei says calmly taking her seat at the table. She was in an expensive black nightgown with brown spots.

She sat opposite her daughter and put her laced fingers under her chin. She kept her eyes on the space between me and Keisty before fully looking in my direction.

" Arielle dear, l talked with the principal and l am happy that he gladly reserved a place for you.....", auntie Yolei was interrupted by an excited shriek from Keisty that she paused for a moment and then continued, "so tomorrow l will be busy finishing up the remaining paperwork."

"Oh my god, mom, l think she will become the next nominee for Miss Aquila International School with her looks ", Keisty says excitedly but then pouts like a kid who have dropped her ice cream," but they won't even notice me as a potential anymore."

Auntie Yolei and Deborah laugh at her adorable childish manner. Auntie Yolei cleared her throat and then continued.

"Keisty l want you to go out with Arielle tomorrow. I want the two of you to go for clothes shopping. I will give you one of my cards."

Keisty takes my hands up in hers causing me to face her. She looks into my eyes with joy filled in hers. "Tomorrow is going to be great, l am going to make a plan for it tonight. It's going to be like a sisters great bonding time.

That night after a cool fruit salad desert l quickly brushed my teeth and went to bed. Immediately after pulling the covers over and closing my eyes, strange images started pouring in my mind.

I saw a man holding my right hand pulling me in haste through a dark place. He pulled to the side and flicked a switch on the wall which lighted many florescent bars lined up above us. I started to see that we were in a large underground tunnel with concrete walls.

I could smell the perfume of the man who was dragging me but l did not look up to his face. The smell was very familiar to my nose.

We took many different turns from tunnel to tunnel until we stopped at an enormous steel dome at the end of the tunnel. The dome looked like that of the large banks safe volts. This one had a high tech multi link security system.

The man pushed me towards a bulk of scanners and cameras. The system was projecting feedback on the wall of the tunnel.

An x-ray scanner running a green laser light along my body and a powerful camera scanning my eyes. A black screen protruded in front of me. It had a hand trace on it giving me a clue that l should place my hand on it.

The screen scanned my hand taking in my finger prints and the lines in my hand. I felt a small jab of a needle on my small finger causing me to yelp and briskly take away my hand.

The screen started displaying details of my blood type. I looked behind with a questioning look. I wanted to ask the man behind me if the pricking was not a malfunction. He was leaning against the wall with both his arms and his legs crossed. His face was shaded by the hat he was wearing that l could not see his facial features.

Suddenly a clicking sound came from behind me. The projection on the wall now displayed 'accepted'.

The dome opened revealing a pitch dark hollow behind the entrance. I looked back to the man leaning against the wall. He just beckoned me to proceed into the room. I sighed with hesitation but then took steps towards the entrance.

A knock on my door woke me up.

"Yes", l yelled with a yawn.

"Excuse me miss, breakfast is ready", Deborah said from behind the door.

" Thank you, l will be there in a minute."

I quickly washed my face. Brushed my teeth and my long hair then used a clipper on my dresser to hold fast my hair above my head. I put on a blue nightgown over my nightclothes and leave the room.