The letter you received yesterday had been intriguing, written in flowing yet precise cursive, the ink a vibrant blue with deep shading tones, although that wasn't something you consciously had noticed. It was an invitation. At first, you had hesitated because, honestly, a young woman like yourself receiving an invitation for some non-descript purpose like this was nothing but suspicious, but you couldn't help but feel curious about it, so you looked up the address on Google Maps. It was a large, and clearly fancy mansion in the best part of the city. That didn't exactly make it less suspicious, but it roused your curiosity even further, so shoving aside any thoughts of cats you had decided to at least come and take a look.
And here you are, standing in front of the imposing wrought iron gate and pressing the doorbell. You are a bit early, but you barely have time to wonder how long you will have to wait when the professional voice of a young woman, probably about your age, rings out from the speaker.
"Miss Emily Read, yes?"
You nod your head and after a moment sheepishly confirm with a "yes."
Instantly the gate begins to open in front of you.
"Please come in. Just follow the path straight ahead to the main entrance."
Hesitating for a moment, you take a deep breath. You could still turn away—but of course you don't. This is just getting curiouser and curiouser. The path leads you through the gardens, or perhaps it is more of a park, verdant and lush with greenery and colorful beds of flowers. Before all too long you get close enough to the mansion to make out more details. It is massive, really, very fancy, and very old as well, but also clearly modernized, thinking back to the gate. A woman is standing at the entrance, clearly waiting for you. You quicken your steps, closing the distance. Is that an old-fashioned maid uniform she is wearing?
"Welcome Miss Read, my apologies for not meeting you at the gate, you are here a bit early."
"Oh no, it's fine, I don't mind. Please don't worry about it."
You are a bit early after all. By about half an hour. You're not quite sure why. Most likely, your curiosity got the better of you and you just left home early. Well, whatever.
The maid nods, gives you a professional smile, and opens the heavy wooden doors of the mansion with the press of a button on a wall panel.
"Please follow me."
Inside the place looks even fancier than outside. Wood paneling all over, golden chandeliers, oil paintings. You find yourself too busy gawking at everything to make small talk with the maid, which seems to suit her just right. Other than the two of you, nobody else seems to be around. After taking this and that turn, you reach a door. The maid opens it and leads you into the small chamber.
"Since it is still quite early and you must be a little tired, please rest here for a while." She points at a large four-poster bed filling most of the room. "Please rest assured that I will fetch you in time."
***
[ Maid Chamber ]
With that, she leaves the room, closing the door behind her and leaving you alone. Huh.
Having nothing better to do, you shrug and sit down on the edge of the bed. There wasn't really much inside this room. Just the bed and a wardrobe. Isn't having a bed in a waiting room kind of weird? And this most certainly is a bed. Just sitting on it, you can feel how soft and inviting it is, the unreasonably white fabric soft underneath your hands. You kick off your shoes and decide to try lying down.
So soft! It's heavenly. It would be even nicer if you weren't wearing your day clothes of course, but even like this—you can't remember ever having laid down on a bed as nice as this. Perhaps you should take a nap. Closing your eyes, you begin to drift off, when suddenly you hear a voice. It sounds like it comes from everywhere at once inside the room, but it is not unpleasant at all.