VAIN | Inside the Universe

Chapter Twenty • The Defective Antichrist

"She looks so peaceful. Do we have to wake her?"

"It's nearly noon. She has to eat!"

"And then she can dress--"

"Oh, she can try on the satin gown!"

"Does she have a schedule?
Do we have time to go over each piece?"

"I think it's our job to know that."

The voices were silvery, almost singsongy. They held a great effort in trying to be soft spoken which was greatly appreciated, failed attempt aside. I kept my eyes closed as I woke in the midst of their conversation—an assassin's habits die hard—but for a nice change in routine, their concerns didn't necessarily seem to involve killing me in my sleep.

Yet when I opened one eye, two dainty, fair skinned women hovered over me like they were ready for an ambush.

"You're awake!" The woman's face lit up with such delight that you would think I had just woke from a two year coma.

I open the other eye and prop myself up on my elbows as the two rush from my bedside in a fit of joyful squealing I thought only reserved for caffeinated ten year olds. The dullness in my justifiably unsure, "Yeah, I'm awake," was barely heard over the rustling in the closet and the instinctive giggling between the two, but their attention was not strayed for long.

I pull the sheets up to cover more of my body as they settle at the end of my bed, faces wide with flashing, youthful smiles.

"Well Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty! We have your breakfast set at the end of the bed for whenever you are ready to rise--"

The other woman cuts in as if she the words had been squeezing her every nerve. "Which is hopefully soon because we spent all night putting together your wardrobe and we want to see how the pieces fit!"

"Kari! Do not rush her!"

"My apologies..."

The room was silent for a moment, waiting for her to finish the sentence she clearly wanted to continue. Her lips draw a thin line and she held her breath, but every other part of her was jittering with charged enthusiasm.

"..but I could bring them to you now if you'd like! You don't even have to leave the bed!" She finally spit out.

"Kari!"

"Thank you both," I interject, raising my voice above the two, quickly softening the unintentional roar with a light smile. "For the breakfast and the clothes. I think I'm going to take a shower before I start the day though--"

Kari's face lights up again after just a moment of disappointment. "Would you like me to draw you a bath? We have this wonderful lavender scent--"

Perhaps the realization hit me a little delayed, but my eyes grew wide nonetheless. These women are some sort of lady's maids. My lady's maids. The whole dynamic makes me feel disgusting.

I guess I can argue that Earth still has their everyday, modernized servants in some capacity, but the normalcy of that here is something that will take me quite a long time to adjust to. Degrading notions aside, there is only one thing I hate more than asking for help myself, and that is being tended to or to have my things tended to in my absence.

I do my best to force anything to my face that could resemble appreciation, but I probably looked sickly. For the first time in awhile, I start to feel helplessly overwhelmed. And I do not do good with helpless.

"Please, don't bother. You have done more than enough."

Both of the women widen their smiles in a desperate attempt to cover any seeping sorrow. At this point, we all looked ill and perhaps on the verge of a breakdown.