Burning Up (M.YG+ P.JM)

Ch 01| Conditions and consequences

I used to love fire.

The little flames that ate through the flimsy wood of the match sticks, emanating ribbons of silent white smoke, the light flame that danced on the stove lapping at the steel of a frying pan, cooking away the colorless egg white, giving it a color and a taste, was the most fascinating thing to my simple mind, which was used to being content with whatever little amount I had.

And it was that love I had for those flames, that led me to the white mansion atop the single hill.

I had to keep the flame on my stove from going out.

The brass plated barred gate stood before me, easily towering over my scrawny self, and atop the pillars, twin gargoyles stared down at me with a very judgmental look in their solid bronze eyes. It was as if they could sense my failure as a human being. I shuddered at the thought that I may be crossing paths with these gargoyles again until I lost this job as well. They would stare at me then too, amused as they knew that another failure had been added to my list.

"But that's not today, Mr. gargoyle," I thought and rung the bell which was in the small compartment fixed into the huge ivy covered wall which extended for miles,starting from the side of the gate itself. I fixed my glasses, and patted down my impossibly stubborn black hair one last time, attempting to make myself a little bit more presentable as I heard the familiar, horrible sound of the mansion bell echo through the well maintained and prim gardens. I do not know why, but the sound always managed to remind me of a scene out of a horror movie. 

I fidgeted with my backpack as I waited for the gate to open.

And soon enough a girl in a small black dress, white apron tied over her petite waist, trotted over to the gate and let me in, through a smaller gate fixed into the big one. Even the gates were complicated here. The people here must be filthy rich.

I gaped at the endless sight trimmed sheets of grass surrounding the white marble fountain in the middle of the garden. A small mist caught my eye as the spray from the fountain glistened in rainbow colors, catching a bit of the sunlight that was falling on to the lawn.

I followed the doll like girl, who was surprisingly fast for her size, and in no time I was heading into the house, taking my shoes off at the entrance, following the actions of the girl  before me.

The girl bowed into a perfect ninety degree and vanished into the depths of the extremely large mansion, leaving me to fend for myself, but did not forget to put me on edge, even before my time here began.

"Run while you can oppa. This is a home of a monster."

She whispered in my ear, standing on the tips of her toes, and rushed off, for suddenly a voice rang through the hall, "Mr. Min, is that you? Right on time too I see, make yourself comfortable in the living room, I'll be down in a minute."

I  barely managed to navigate myself into the main seating area, and root myself in the middle of the living room which was illuminated by the soft light that came filtered by the white lacy curtains draped over the large glass doors and windows. I marveled, letting out a low whistle, fascinated by the lighting and the architecture.

 There was hardly a solid wall, and everything was open and inviting, quite the opposite of what I would imagine for a house of a monster. Instead, it looked like a slice of heaven, and I didn't feel like sitting on the nice furniture and tainting it with my presence. 

So I shifted on my feet uncomfortably instead.

That was when a tall woman came down the dark wood stairs that stood in the middle of the living room. She wore a maroon pencil skirt, black shirt neatly tucked into it. Black high heels clicked as she descended down the stairs, a small, tight smile forming on her cherry red lips. She fixed her already neatly tied chocolate colored hair once more, before extending her snowy white hand towards me.