Fate of Mist

(7) Room

   A part of me actually wanted to follow them to see what they're doing. They say to fill my bathtub, but is my bathtub downstairs or something? Or else why would they go downstairs for?

   Since there is a possibility that this is just all a dream, I am very tempted to ignore their warning and leave my room, but I'm a nice person. Just in case this is not a dream, I really don't want to produce any problems for them. Their life must be hard enough working at a prostituting place.

   Ugh, just thinking about that word makes goosebumps run up my arms. I closed the door slightly to block out the noise out there and just started checking the room out. There was a large window facing the door on the opposite side with two little tables place on either side of the window. Sunlight was streaming in, producing a natural light. On the right is a bed with curtain-like things hanging around it. The head and foot of the bed has a frame-like thing. Oh, so like a bed frame. It's really not that much different from beds nowadays.

   I guess.

   Beside the head of the bed is a mini lamp post? There's an opening at the top, so I walked over and looked inside. My nose accidentally touched the lamp thing and almost knocked it over. I quickly caught it.

   That thing scared me. I had no idea that was movable. They should've put a sign saying "Careful, this lamp is very easy to move. DO NOT TIP IT OVER." If there was a sign like that, then I would've been more careful.

   When I was about to put it back, I noticed that there's a candle on the top of the post. Oh, so it's like a candle lamp? Ok, cool...

   I layed the lamp part----it's actually very light----back on the post.

   The door creaked open. The two maids walked in, each carrying a wooden bucket. They carried the bucket to the back of a screen I hadn't noticed before. The screen was really pretty with vivid flowers drawn on it. I followed them to the back of the screen, where there was a wooden bathtub. They each poured the water into the bathtub, but it only filled a fourth of it. They moved swiftly out of the room again. I guess to get more water? At least I hoped so. I reached into the tub to feel the water.

   "Ahh!" I covered my mouth. The water was boiling hot! I shake my hand. I am not stepping into this bathtub before it cools off.  Making me bathe in water this hot is not called bathing. They're trying to cook me in this boiling water!

   The two girls came back in and poured another two buckets of water into the tub. Now it's halfway full.

   While they're working so hard----carrying buckets of water up and down the stairs----I just stood there, like a bump on a log, as my old history teacher would've called it.

   When they were carrying the last buckets up, one of them also balance a basket while also carrying the bucket. I saw that she had some trouble, so I stepped up and helped her carry the wicker basket. At first, she seemed surprised that I would ask to help, but quickly lowered her head and said, "Thank you, Miss Tang."

   I smiled politely and replied, "You're welcome." Now I feel really bad for them. They were only about a year older than me, and they have to work at a place like this.