“Wow,” I remarked. “You really have done this before.”
“Darn tootin’,” he said, breaking out of character. “You should see me do this before a larger group. I absolutely shine.”
I studied the pieces he had pointed out. “I recognize some of the painters’ styles,” I said, looking at them carefully. Like all the paintings I’d seen so far, these works had a dark theme. The non-portraits were especially disturbing, for their themes were inevitably those of submission, unhealthy seduction and nightmares.
“I don’t recognize any of these paintings, though. Not a single one of them seems in the least bit familiar.”
“No one would recognize them,” Ben answered. “They would baffle even an authenticity expert. They’ve never been in any museum and they’ve never been reproduced in any print or book. To the world, they are great undiscovered works. There’s a simple reason for that. They’ve never been out of Arrosha’s possession and have never been photographed. Every piece of art in this house has remained in her private collection all of these years, all these centuries, all these eons.”
I did not say a word and yet my facial expression must have revealed everything.
Ben laughed in his intensely charming way. “Yes, Ashley, Arrosha is immortal. Believe me when I tell you she is a Goddess. Her immortality is only one more slice of proof for you to ponder. And she is also, as you can see, quite the connoisseur of all things fine. Most of these paintings were given to her as presents either from patrons or personally from the artists themselves. As a Goddess, she has received many gifts and much tribute over the eons. That Rembrandt, for example, is a very early piece of his. He gave it to her long before anyone outside of his inner circle even heard of him.” Ben smiled broadly, openly proud of both the art and the goddess he worshiped. “Being immortal has many advantages, you know.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know, and I’m glad of it. To tell the truth, Ben, life is hard enough as it is for the relatively short time that we have. Immortality always seemed so tedious to me, too hard, too much work.”
“I guess it’s a good thing Arrosha doesn’t feel that way or else we wouldn’t be so blessed by her,” he said without sarcasm.
“But sometimes life isn’t so pleasant, Ben. I mean, just look at all of the people in these paintings,” I continued as I viewed the darkly themed paintings in the gallery. “They seem to have had very miserable lives. They’re all so unhappy and filled with so much dread.”
“Oh, I know,” he empathized. “I’ve always felt so very sorry for them. I have to remind myself that they’re just paintings and not really alive. But you know, Ashley, if you are able and willing to join us, I think you’ll find out that life doesn’t have to be hard anymore. Our lives here are extraordinarily pleasant.”
“I’ll think about it, Ben. I really will.”
“Wonderful.”
We walked back to the hall and, turning right, viewed the remaining art without commentary until we reached an open archway.
“This arch marks entry into the private area of the floor,” Ben noted. “Let’s keep going down this hallway and I’ll show you where the bedrooms are because you’ll be staying in this section from now on, sharing a room with Illea. You need to see it now so you’ll be oriented tonight. You see, the essence is so incredibly cleansing that the first experience with it is very powerful. You’ll probably be so sleepy after your ‘meal’ that you’ll want to go straight to bed.”
We continued down the corridor into a portion of the home that was clearly residential. Dark wood floors covered with thick oriental runners now replaced the plush carpeting. Wood paneled walls with mahogany moldings near the ceiling and at the floor contained no paintings or art of any kind but were, instead, dotted with large mahogany doors containing elegant brass handles. This area felt much more like a mansion than a palace. We turned a corner, near which Ben opened the first door to our right and we stepped into a beautiful, spacious bedroom with two king sized beds in it. While it was far less grand than the public rooms, it was still huge but quite cozy despite its large size and felt infinitely more comfortable.
“This will be your room from now until you decide to leave us, although I’m still hoping that you’ll stay. I hope you don’t mind sharing with Illea.”
“Did Illea have another roommate before me?” I asked, looking at the second bed.
“Oh, no. Why do you ask?”
“Two beds,” I answered.
“The second one was added today, just for you. Illea has had this room all to herself for a very long time. It’s quite unusual, because most of us have roommates, except for Illea until now and of course, Geoffrey.”
“You don’t even have your own room?” I asked, finding it hard to believe.
“No. Geoffrey and I shared a bedroom together for years, ever since his first arrival here. I thought he was happy with the arrangement until about six weeks ago when he pitched a fit about it and wouldn’t let up until Arrosha gave him his own room.” I could tell by Ben’s expression that this had hurt him deeply. “I share a room with Timothy now.”
“You’re really telling me that in a mansion this size, you don’t even get your own room? I mean, you’re all adults here, right?” I still couldn’t believe it.
“Arrosha discourages it. She says that sharing promotes camaraderie. We do have many private rooms, of course, but for the most part, they’re reserved for our occasional overnight and weekend guests.”
“Won’t Illea mind losing her privacy?”
“Not at all. She’s wanted a roommate for a long time. She says she often gets lonely being in here by herself. You see, we have only four women in our little group. Three of them, our newest members, arrived together and refused to be split apart. Theirs is the room next to this one. Besides, Illea likes you. She was quite instrumental in helping me care for you during your illness and she grew quite fond of you then. She’s so thrilled that you pulled through and she’s really looking forward to being roommates with you.
“C’mon, let me show you where everything is,” Ben said, continuing his tour. “Your bed is the one by the window, nearest the bathroom, and your side of the dresser is the one nearest your bed. Your nightgowns are in there and your day clothes are in the closet.” He walked over to a door on the other side of the room and opened it, revealing a massive walk-in closet larger than the average living room.
“This is Illea’s side,” he said, pointing to the right, which was packed with clothes, “and this is your side,” he said, pointing to the virtually empty left. “There are several changes of robes and slippers for you in here. As you can see, there’s plenty of room for you to add whatever you want. If you need anything else to wear, for sports or the city, for example, please tell us and we’ll be happy to see that you get it. Now, I told you that we had your old clothes cleaned. They’re hanging right here in the very back, your socks and shoes underneath. If you’d rather wear them instead of your robes, feel free, although by now I’m sure that you’ll find them quite uncomfortable by comparison.”
“Do you mind if I check something?”
“Why no, this is your room now. Go right ahead.”
I walked over to the closet, pulled my jeans on their hanger to one side and double-checked the pockets. Sure enough, as Ben had attested, they were completely empty.
“I’m really sorry that there’s nothing there,” Ben said. “We inspected all of your clothes immediately after your arrival, looking for I.D., hoping for any clue to your identity or what may have brought you here, but there was nothing. I wish there would have been something, anything, in your pockets that could jog your memory. As it is, I guess we’ll just have to wait for it to return on its own.”
My face must have registered my disappointment because Ben came up to me, put his arm around my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Ashley, you’ll remember eventually. It’s coming back a little bit already. Everything’s going be fine. C’mon, lets get re
turn to showing you around and then we can get some nourishment in you. I’m sure that’ll make you feel better.”
I followed him back into the bedroom and through another door that led to a very large bathroom.
“It’s fabulous, isn’t it?” he said, trying to sound upbeat. “I just love the bathrooms in this mansion, they’re wonderfully retro. Arrosha tells me that she had them installed in the 1920’s. You just don’t see this kind of elegance too much anymore. The tiles, the pedestal sinks, the large footed tubs, it’s all so deco, don’t you think?”
“I’ll say. That tub is huge. Ben, I’ve never seen a footed tub that large before.”
“It was definitely a custom job. Arrosha never buys anything off the assembly line.”
“That must be nice,” I replied.
“Yes, it really is. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to get used to living like this. If Arrosha accepts you to the group, that is.
“By the way, the water from the bathroom faucets is perfectly safe to drink. All of the water you’ll find here, is, by far, the purest I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s unparalleled; nothing even comes close to it. We even bring our own water with us whenever we go into the outside world because none of us can tolerate any other liquid, except, of course, for the libations that Arrosha provides for us. Just one drink of any other water will make us ghastly ill because we’re so used to this level of extreme purity.”
As I looked around the bathroom, I was noticed an extra door.
“Where does that door lead?” I asked.
“Oh, that goes into the other bedroom, the one that the three women share.”
“Wow, I haven’t seen a shared bathroom since I was in college. It reminds me of my sophomore year dormitory. Is this for camaraderie, too?”
Ben chuckled. “No, it’s just practical because we don’t need to use the bathroom very often. The essence produces, well, no waste, for lack of a better word. And while we do drink a great deal of water, it won’t make you have to pee constantly. The body metabolizes it differently than it does regular water. It won’t have you running to the bathroom very often like the bargain brand does. In truth, our diet is so pure and the air here is so clean that over time we don’t even need to bathe any more, except when returning from one of our trips to the outside world. As a matter of fact, you’ll find our water to be instrumental in overcoming the after effects of the purge. If you drink as much as you need immediately afterward, it will heal you of any residual unpleasantness.”
“The purge?” I asked. “You mentioned that once before.”
Ben became thoughtful for a moment, then said, “Umm, yes, how best to explain it? Forgive me if I’m awkward at this, but this is not a part of my normal duties. Arrosha usually prepares our newest members herself. The purge is, well, a little embarrassing for me to relate, but you need to know about it so that you don’t get scared later.”
“Alright,” I said warily.
“How to start? Okay, let me just say that essence is the most nutritionally complete and the purest thing that anyone can ingest, purer by far than even our water. At the mansion, we live on these two things alone. However, it is its very purity that can lead to a slightly unpleasant after-effect that happens only once, after the first time of taking it, and it will never happen again if you stay here. It’s the only downside that there is.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” I told him.
“It’s nothing to be afraid of. It isn’t that bad,” he continued. “The essence will make you feel wonderful at first, then so sleepy that you’ll want to go to bed very early. However, during the night, you’ll probably get a little gastrointestinal distress. The body absorbs the essence with an efficiency that can be a little overwhelming the first time around because it forces all of the impurities out of you. It’s nothing but a cleansing reaction. It’s not fun to go through, but it’s not that bad. You’ll probably have a little vomiting and diarrhea, but it’s certainly nothing on the level of a stomach flu or food poisoning. It’s not that extreme and it’s not scary. It is, however, essential to be close to a bathroom when it happens.”
“Oh, no. Ben, I don’t even want to go there. That’s the last thing I need today. Are you sure you guys don’t have anything more, say, traditional, in the house to eat?”
“I’m sorry, Ashley, but we don’t. Essence is all we have. You might feel a little sick a few hours later and spend some of the night in the bathroom, but it will pass. And when it does, I promise you that you will feel fabulous, far better than you could even imagine. As long as you don’t go back to a steady diet of food, I can promise you that the purge is a one-time thing.”
“Still, all things considered, I’d rather stick to real food. I hope you don’t mind. Is there any way that I can order out or something?”
“I wish I could oblige you, Ashley, but we’re miles from nowhere, so there isn’t any takeout delivery to be had. We won’t have any food in the house until our next party and I don’t even know when that will be. The water and the essence are our only sustenance; we live and thrive on them alone.”
“Can I wait until I’m really hungry to make up my mind? Maybe I’ll be too desperate to care then.”
“Arrosha has told me that after today, there won’t be any more essence for a month or more.”
“That long?”
“Yes. You see, once you take it, the essence will keep you full for a very, very long time. While the water is enough to keep you alive and you would be able to live off on it alone until the next batch of essence rolls in, you’ll still become unbearably hungry without taking nourishment tonight. Trust me when I say that the purge really isn’t that terrible, certainly not to the extent of avoiding the essence. Please reconsider. The cleansing will be over before you know it and when it is, you will feel absolutely marvelous. You will, though, be very, very thirsty.
“You see that?” He pointed to a very large, low deco cabinet that ran from the sink to the tub. A bottle of soap was set out at the tub side, while toothpaste, a toothbrush and a large water glass were set out at the sink side. “All of that stuff is for you. We have plenty of towels set out, but just in case you need them, there are extra towels, washcloths and drinking glasses inside the cabinet. Don’t ever be shy in taking what you need.
“And just fill that glass with water from the sink faucet. Drink as much as you like. You’ll probably feel like bathing afterward, too, so don’t be shy in taking a bath. Since you’ll need to brush your teeth after the purge, that toothbrush and toothpaste next to the glass is yours, too. You’ll find out during your first week that you’ll need to brush less and less every day; eventually you’ll become so pure that you won’t need to brush your teeth at all anymore except after an occasional indulgence in New Orleans. I’m sure that, as with the rest of us, even that temptation will completely disappear as well.”
“It looks like I don’t have a choice,” I agreed, reluctantly.
“The benefits are enormous,” Ben continued. “You’ll see. You won’t be sorry.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll do it,” I acquiesced. “I’ll take the essence.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“So you’ll take the essence with us. Good, glad to hear it, Ashley. And now that’s out of the way, let’s move on to more pleasant subject matter. Are you ready to resume our tour?”
“Sure.”
“There’s more to this floor that I’d like to show you, but that can wait until another day. Let’s go downstairs and I’ll show you the Great Room. It’s the showcase of the entire mansion and where the really good stuff is. It’s sort of on the way to the hookah room, anyway.”
“The hookah room?” I asked.
“It’s our pet name for the dining area. You’ll see.”
We left the bedroom and returned to the hallway, retracing our steps.
“Let’s not do the stairs today, Ashley” Ben suggested. “I want to show you the elevator because you’ll probably be too
sleepy after the essence to want to deal with the stairs. Besides, it’s more fun.”
“The mansion has an elevator?”
“Yes. When Arrosha had the bathrooms updated in the 1920’s she also had an elevator installed. She was very taken with that decade; it was one of her favorites.”
Before we reached the grand staircase, Ben took my arm gently and led me right, toward an alcove into which the lift was nestled. It was an elegant yet strange example of Art Deco, adorned with stylized brass monkeys devouring Egyptian lilies.
“It’s gorgeous,” I remarked.
“It may not be as fast as newer elevators,” he explained as we stepped in. “but it’s a whole lot prettier and doesn’t have nearly as far to go.”
He closed the door behind us and pulled a lever to send us down.
“How many floors does this stop at?” I asked as we descended.
“All of them,” he answered, grinning again. “Sorry, don’t mean to be cheeky. It has three stops, the main two floors and the smaller third story, the one that houses Arrosha’s temple. It might make you a little more comfortable just to think of it as her conservatory for the time being.”
When we arrived at the first floor, Ben said as he opened the door, “This room is the showcase of the entire mansion. The view from the second floor hallway is splendid, but actually being inside the room is positively overwhelming.”
Ben was right. No sooner had we stepped out of the lift, than I halted, gaping at the encompassing splendor. As impressive as the space looked from balcony, the full impact came only from the vantage point of standing in the room itself, for, if possible, it seemed even larger and more imperial now. I felt incredibly small and unimportant, for the towering Great Room loomed over and around me, engulfing me within itself. It would have been an awe-inspiring and dizzying experience even for a public showcase such as a major museum or an opera house; that this level wealth and grandeur belonged within the hands of a single, private owner was, to me, unfathomable. My mouth hung open; I was speechless.
The Nightmare Game Page 25