by John Dylena
Jake pulled up slowly to the front of the mansion and marveled at the beauty of its architecture. He spotted a concrete path that circled around to the back of the house and guessed it led to a detached garage. He was so enthralled by the estate that he had forgotten all about the job interview that started in only a couple of minutes.
He stopped his car at the foot of the staircase and sat in the driver’s seat. His mind bounced back and forth between the decision to get out and go inside or just leave and head back down to the highway.
He looked back in the direction he’d come from, and a sliver of panic lodged in his throat. He could not spot the hole in the trees where he’d come out of.
Maybe it’s because it’s dark out and the visibility is poor, he thought in an effort to assuage the fear rising in his chest. Then he frowned. Wait, it’s already dark?!
Jake pulled back the cover on the sun roof and looked up at the sky.
The sun was gone and the day had turned to night. He looked at the small digital clock on his dashboard and blinked in disbelief. According to the tiny green numbers, it was almost 9pm. Jake rubbed his face with his hands as he tried to make sense of the situation. It was before noon when he pulled off the highway onto the unmarked road and now it was well into the evening.
“I’ve got to get the hell out of here,” he said, turning the key. The engine failed to start. He tried again, and again, and again. The orange light next to his fuel gauge lit up. He looked past the steering wheel and saw that the needle hovered over the “E.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! How in the hell did this happen?!” Not only had hours mysteriously passed by in the blink of an eye, but his gas tank had also mysteriously emptied.
Jake put his forehead on the steering wheel and pondered the only option left: he had to go inside the mysterious mansion.
The rain continued to pour as he hesitantly climbed out of his car. He threw his hood over his head and ran up the ivory staircase, seeking cover from the rain. He shook the chill out of his body and knocked on the door using the large iron rings hanging from them at eye level. Then he turned away and wrapped his body in his arms, desperately trying to keep warm.
Hearing the doors open behind him, he turned and opened his mouth to speak, but found that he was at a loss for words.
He was gazing at a beautiful blonde woman standing in the doorway. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and her crystal blue eyes looked up at him. She smiled and laughed at his state. It was a cute and innocent laugh, and Jake was instantly in love with her.
“I am sorry, forgive my rudeness. How may I help you, sir?”
Her voice was soft and warm, and he had a hard time keeping his eyes on her face when her breasts were right there. She was wearing a maid costume that Jake expected she’d found at an adult store. The fabric tightly hugged her body and her breasts were about ready to pop out of the low neckline.
The sleeves of the dress stopped just below her shoulders, and she wore black velvet gloves that went down to her elbow. She wore a petticoat under the black dress that made the skirt pop out in all directions. Her legs were covered in black stockings, and on her feet were five-inch, black patent pumps that shined as if just polished that morning. Around her neck was a black choker with an oval-shaped ruby on the front.
“Right, sorry,” Jake said, snapping out of the trance. “I’m lost, and my car ran out of gas. Is there a phone in here? My cell has no service.”
“What is your name, sir?”
“Jake. And your name, miss?”
“My name is Anne, Master Jake,” she answered as she curtsied. “Please follow me and I will take you to my master. He will be able to help you.”
He stepped inside, and she closed and locked the large doors behind him.
He took his eyes off of the massive vaulted ceiling and the crystal chandelier that hung from it and followed Anne out of the entryway. His attention shifted to the blonde maid as she led him through the house. Despite the height of the heels, she walked gracefully in them. The seams on the backs of her stockings were perfectly straight, and her hips swayed back and forth with each stride. Anne’s posture was impeccable, and she kept her hands clasped together in front of her as she guided him through the mansion.
Strangely, she didn’t say one word to him the entire time. The only noise that broke the silence was her heels clicking on the hardwood floors.
Jake occasionally tore his eyes off of Anne’s backside to take in the mansion. All the rooms were lavishly decorated and full of expensive-looking furniture. Large paintings hung on the walls and a variety of antiques were on display. Whoever this ‘Master’ was obviously had a lot of money, and he clearly liked spending it.
Anne finally stopped in front of a pair of wooden double doors and turned to face Jake.
“One moment. Please wait here.”
He nodded, and she opened the doors and closed them behind her, leaving Jake alone in the hallway. It didn’t last long.
A few moments after Anne entered the room, another maid walked by. She had black hair that hung loose on her head, and in her hands was a shiny silver platter with very fancy dishes and a teapot. She wore the same exact outfit as Anne, and she smiled at Jake as she walked by.
“The Master will see you,” Anne said, quietly opening the door behind him.
Jake turned. “Does he have a name?”
“He does, but we are to refer to him as ‘Master.’ He is waiting for you.”
Anne held the door open, bowed her head, and said nothing more. Jake looked down at the subservient woman and wondered if she was a human, or just a very realistic robot. Pushing the thought aside, he entered the room and Anne closed the door behind him.
It was dark. The only light came from the lit fireplace and a small lamp on a table next to a red velvet chair. Jake could barely make out the row of bookshelves positioned against the wall in the low light. He saw no one, but he assumed that the ‘Master’ sat in the high-backed chair close to the fire.
“What is your name, son?” Jake heard a voice ask him. He leaned off to the side and tried to see if anyone was sitting in the chair.
“My name is Jake,” he replied. He took a couple steps closer to the fireplace, but stopped when he saw a hand appear from behind the chair. It shifted and wiggled, and moments later, an old man appeared and stood by the fire.
The Master was a rather old gentleman. His hair was as white as copy paper and his skin was saggy and discolored. Despite his advanced age, he stood upright and rested his hands on his cane. He wore a dark red jacket with black pants and slippers.
“I was told you needed some assistance. What can I do for you?”
You can let me have some alone time with your maids.
“Well, I was on my way to a job interview when I got lost. I turned down a road, and it led me to your estate. However, when I tried to leave, I noticed that my car was out of gas, so I was wondering—”
“Are you looking for a job?” the old man interrupted. “I have a vacancy right here.”
“I, uh, appreciate the offer, but…” Jake scratched the back of his head.
“But what? How would you like to work here? I am short-staffed, and the ladies could use a helping hand cleaning the house.”
“Like I said, I appreciate the offer, but—”
“How does six figures sound?”
“I beg your pardon?!” Jake cocked his head back and looked at the old man suspiciously. Six figures to clean this place? It sounds too good to be true.
“I know what you’re thinking: that this offer is too good to be true,” the old man said as he turned his back to Jake and shifted the logs in the dying fireplace with an iron poker. He reached down and grabbed a fresh log and tossed it in.
“Oh, to be young again,” the man lamented feebly as he rubbed his back.
“You were saying?”
“Oh, yes. Sorry. The offer is genuine. As you can probably tell, I have a fair amount of weal
th. But alas, I have no heirs or family members to hand it off to. It’s just me in this home.”
You and a couple of incredibly attractive maids, Jake thought, but did not interrupt.
“My ladies are very good company, but I am just an old man. Most of my days are spent around a fire or in front of the TV, or perhaps reading one of my books. I am too old to maintain this estate, so it falls to my ladies to do the jobs that I cannot do. I’m sure they’d appreciate having a strong man such as yourself around.”
“So what, you pay me a hundred thousand dollars to help clean and maintain the estate?”
“There are many rooms to this house, and most of them are empty, so not only will I pay you, but you will get to live here free of charge.”
Jake, his mind interjected. You can’t honestly be considering this. Think about it: a big mansion like this out in the middle of nowhere; your car running out of gas; it’s suddenly night time; something’s not right.
“You do not have to decide right now,” the Master assured him. “But it is late, and it would be rude of me to send you off in a night like this. At least stay here for the night as my guest. I’ll have your car up and running in the morning, and you can be on your merry way.”
“Okay,” Jake said warily. “I do need some time to think about this. I will take you up on your offer to stay.”
“Perfect.” The old man smiled as he nodded his head and lifted up a small brass bell. He rang it three times, and a few seconds later, the doors to the room opened. Jake looked back and saw Anne standing in the doorway.
“You called for me, Master?” she asked as she curtsied.
“Anne, dear, would you please escort Jake to one of the guest rooms? He will be staying the night as our guest.”
“As you wish, Master.”
She stood in the doorway and waited for Jake. He looked at the old man one last time before leaving the room.
“Do think about my offer, Jake,” the Master said as he left the room.
Anne closed the doors behind him, and he followed her back through a maze of hallways.
“So, Anne, how long have you been working here?”
“Two years now.”
“And how many other maids are there?”
“Other than myself, there are two more.” She kept her back to him as she answered his questions, and he only saw her face again when she stopped in front of a door.
The maid had led him upstairs to the second floor and into a hallway that looked an awful like a hotel. There were several rooms all spaced out evenly on both sides of the hallway. Anne produced a small silver key and unlocked the door.
“This will be your room, Master Jake. There are clean sheets on the bed and fresh towels in the closet. You may leave your clothes outside the door in the hallway. and one of us will launder them and have them ready for you in the morning. There are some spare clothes in the dresser. I will come and get you at eight-a.m. for breakfast.”
“Thanks.”
“Goodnight,” she said as she closed the door behind him. He could hear her heels as she walked away. He stood by the door and listened to them until he heard the clicks no more.
With his clothes dirty and still wet from the rain, Jake decided to take Anne up on her offer. He stripped out of the soiled items and set them on the ground right outside the door.
The shower was hot and relaxing, and the bed was large and comfortable. It didn’t take long for sleep to take over, and he drifted off dreaming of Anne and her sexy outfit.
“Master Jake.”
A voice called out to him, and he turned over in the large bed.
“Master Jake.”
The female voice grew louder and clearer as Jake woke up from his deep sleep. He sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes. The yawn that came from his mouth sounded more like a roar.
“What?” He turned his head slowly and saw Anne sitting on the edge of his bed. She had her hand on his leg as she called out to him.
“Master Jake, breakfast will be ready in ten minutes. I will be back in five to come get you. Your clothes are folded up and placed on the chair by the dresser.”
“Oh, thank you, Anne,” he replied groggily.
The blonde maid bowed her head and stood up. Her hand remained on his leg for as long as possible. Then she curtsied and left this room and closed the door behind her.
Jake fell back onto the mattress. This bed is too comfortable. I don’t want to leave. He twisted and turned for another minute before the rumbling in his stomach overcame his desire to stay in bed all day.
He rolled out of bed and walked over toward the chair next to the dresser. His clothes were neatly folded, and when he held the shirt up to his nose, it smelled clean.
Jake stripped out of the pajamas that were given to him and he put his clean clothes back on. As he buttoned the last button on his shirt, there was a knock at the door.
“Master Jake?”
“Come in.” He kept his eyes on the door as he finished getting dressed. The knob turned an Anne stuck her head in.
“I am here to take you to breakfast,” she said. He finished with his shirt and followed the blonde down to the formal dining room.
Seated at one end of the long, wooden table was the Master. In front of him was a complete breakfast. The black-haired maid that he’d seen the day before stood silently beside the old man.
When she saw Jake walk into the room, she pulled a chair out from the table for him and he sat down next to the Master. A few moments later, Anne returned from the kitchen with a tray full of food.
“Wow, this looks delicious,” he said, eyeing the meal placed in front of him.
“It tastes even better than it looks,” the Master said. “Have you put some thought into my offer?”
Jake kept his eyes on the food as he talked. “I have, and I’ve decided to take you up on it. The job interview that I was driving to yesterday was promising, but you made a very tempting offer, Mister…?”
“Smith.”
“Mr. Smith.”
Jake paused for a moment. Why does it feel like he just made that name up?
“As I was saying, I would like to accept your offer.”
The old man smiled. “Very good, Jake. Very good. Take your time and enjoy this meal. When you are finished, Sarah will take you to the test room.”
“Test room?”
“Yes. As I mentioned before, this is a rather large house with many rooms. Some of them have been forgotten about and haven’t been cleaned in some time. I use those rooms to test potential staff. If you do a good job, then you’re hired.”
“I see.”
“Everything will be provided, but you won’t be able to leave the room until it’s clean.”
“Sure, no problem.”
The rest of the meal was quiet. Mr. Smith read the newspaper as he ate and Sarah, who Jake assumed to be the charcoal-haired maid, took away the dishes as he finished with them. It wasn’t until he was full and pushed away his tray that Anne appeared and took the rest of his dishes from him. He stood up and stretched.
“Did you enjoy your meal, Jake?”
“I did,” he answered. “It was very delicious.”
“The ladies are very good cooks.” The Master turned to his maids. “Sarah, will you take Jake to the third floor guest room?”
She curtsied and walked over to Jake.
“Follow me Master Jake.”
“Good luck,” the old man said to him as he left the dining room.
Jake followed Sarah out of the room and through the house. She walked, talked, and acted in a very similar manner to Anne, which only made the evidence that the maids were all robots stronger. The only difference between Anne and Sarah, other than their physical appearance, was instead of a ruby in the choker around her neck, there was an emerald.
“Hey, uh, Sarah?”
“Yes, Master Jake?”
“What’s with the gem chokers?”
She stopped and turned towar
d him. Her right hand reached up and played with the green gem and she smiled.
“These were given to us when we first started. They are gifts from the Master.” She rubbed her neck. Jake watched as she drifted off, as if remembering something that happened long ago. Then she lifted her head and looked at him. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
Jake could tell that something was bothering her. Her demeanor had changed from nostalgic to worrisome rather quickly. She looked like she was holding something back, but whatever it was, the moment vanished almost as quickly as it had arrived. In a matter of seconds, Sarah was back to the submissive maid she was earlier.
“This way, Master Jake.”
He decided not to press the issue and followed the maid upstairs until they stopped by a white door in a short hallway.
“This is the room the Master would like you to clean. You’ll find every tool that you need inside. Every hour, I will come by and check on you. The door will be locked and you will not be allowed to leave until either you have finished cleaning or have given up.”
“Can you tell me about the room I’m supposed to clean?”
“It is a guest room. You’ll need to clean the bedroom and the bathroom that is attached to it.”
“That sounds a bit much if you ask me, but whatever.”
“If you would like, there is a change of clothes hanging up inside the small closet alongside the tools you’ll need. You may wear the clothes should you not want to work in the nice outfit you have on.”
Jake nodded. He offered Sarah a nervous smile. “Wish me luck?”
“Good luck, Master Jake,” she said, returning his smile.
She pulled a small silver key out of the pocket in her apron and unlocked the door. She held it open for him, then and closed and locked the door behind him.