Chapter Text
Carlos didn't move for at least five minutes after the man had stormed off. The violet eyes were burned into his brain. He wondered if anyone would miss him. Pulling himself to a standing position, he walks to the window and looked out, his fingers spread across the cold stone of the wall. It looked like the rain bad finally stopped. He couldn't help but wonder if the man planned to kill him. Eternal imprisonment was a bit harsh for a simple mistake but it wasn't like Carlos was going to tell him that. He leans over the window sill, judging the height when he hears the door open and he hurries away from the window, pressing into the corner. Light suddenly floods the room.
Carefully moving forward, Carlos sees that it's the candle from earlier.
“Hello there.” She says.
“You're a talking candle!” Carlos blurts.
The candle laughs. “My name is Josie. Everyone calls me Old Woman Josie. Come with me sir. I will show you to your room.”
“My room?”
“Yes of course your room! You don’t want to stay up here do you?”
“No but what about that guy? The big scary one that has no sense of personal space?” Carlos babbles a little.
“Oh don’t mind him. He’s just in one of his moods. He’s really a kind and caring man.”
Carlos snorts a laugh. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Sometimes first impressions aren’t always the best.” Josie points out,
“Pretty bad impression when a horrifying monster rips you off the ground.” Carlos mutters.
Josie gives him a disapproving look but turns back around. “Come along now.” She hops down the staircase, the movements echoing loudly against the stone.
Carlos couldn’t help but look around for the scary man with the beautiful eyes. He wondered if he was really going to be killed. The man could easily do it, obviously, so why hadn’t he? Maybe this was all a sick game. Perhaps he is being toyed with until he drives himself insane and kill himself. Or maybe he’d be held as some kind of slave- No. He refused to finish that thought.
Looking up, Carlos finds himself standing in front of a heavy oak door that was inlaid with gold and silver designs. A moon inside an eye was branded in the center of the door at eye level. He reaches up and touches it gently. The symbol was warm to the touch and Carlos drew his hand back in shock. He looks at his fingertips. There was a small burn across all four fingertips.
“What the hell?” He asked aloud.
“Are you coming?” Josie asked from the floor.
“Right. Of course.”
Carlos opens the door and steps into the room. It was spacious; with a large window on the wall opposite the door. The bed was cherrywood, and huge. The bed was dressed with a dark green blanket and a canopy. The same eye was burned into the bedposts. A large white armoire stands opposite the bed. It was tall and elegant, made of Oak and painted white. He approaches it and reaches out.
“No touching!” A shrill voice says.
Carlos jerks back in surprise. “What-”
“Now Maureen, that’s not how we greet people here.” Josie scolds.
“Maureen? Josie? What is going on here? Why does the furniture have human names? How are you even sentient?”
“He doesn’t know the story?” The armoire-Maruen as it seems- asks Josie.
“I was just getting to it.” Josie says, sounding exasperated.
“What about the master-”
“That crazy asshole keeping me here? Yeah. I met him.”
Both objects gasped loudly as if he kicked a puppy.
“He can’t talk that way about the master!” Maureen hisses.
“I can and I will. Now will someone please tell me what is going on here?” Carlos demands.
“Hush you. Sit and listen.”
Carlos didn’t see room to argue, so he drops oh-so-gracefully into a sitting position on the floor. He looks up, feeling kinda weird for talking to a dresser.
“Okay.” He prompts.
“Our master-along with everyone here- were human at one point-do not interrupt.”
Carlos sheepishly closed his mouth, his ears pinkening a little.
“Our master fell in love and for a while everything was perfect. The prince was head over heels for this lord. Until the lord broke his heart. He was a cruel man who only had one thing on his mind. But our master wouldn’t give in to the lord’s urges. The lord became angry and lashed out. He told no one but his sister Abigail.” Josie pauses. “The princess didn’t believe him. She had feelings for the lord as well. C-The master had no one to turn to and so he drew away from everyone. Because we weren’t there for him….The lord ended up marrying the princess and our master fell into a heart broken rage. He became cruel. It was terrifying. So he was cursed. As was the rest of us. He has to find love- True Love- by his twenty first year or we will all be cursed. For all time.”
Carlos is quiet for a good minute before opening his mouth.
“If he’s the monster, why are the rest of you punished? And who was this lord anyway? And why is he holding me captive instead of just killing me?”
“He is not a monster!” Both object shout in unison.
Carlos stared at them in disbelief. “You can keep saying that but I don’t know if I believe it.”
“Josie, why did you bring him here? He’s horrible-” Maureen says bluntly but was interrupted by the door opening and in strutted a clock without a face.
“So what’s this one’s name?” Carlos asks, looking at it curiously.
“Faceless Old Woman.” Josie greets.
“The master isn’t going to like this Josie.” The clock scolds. “Just wait until he finds out.”
“Or maybe he will be happy because we have a chance now!” Josie hisses.
“Does he know you brought that man to this room?”
The room gets quiet and Carlos looks around from his spot on the floor. “What’s wrong with this room?”
“You brought him here and didn’t tell him?” If the clock had a face, Carlos was sure she would be giving the candelabra a death glare.
“I’m in the process of it!” Josie exclaims.
“What. Is. Wrong. With. This. Room?”Carlos asks again, impatiently. He picked himself up off of the floor and leaned against the bedpost.
Both Josie and Faceless Old Woman-as she was called- turned towards him.
‘This was the lord’s room.” The words came out as a whisper.
“The lord? The one that caused this whole mess?” Carlos’ voice echoed in the high ceiling.
“It was the only room that wasn’t destroyed and I wasn’t going to leave you in a cell.” Josie defends herself.
“Okay...can I at least know this guy’s name?”
“His name is Lord Steve Carlsberg.” The name seemed to hang in the air.
“And the big scary guy?”
“If he wanted you to know, he would tell you.” The clock snapped.
“Oh don’t mind her. She is extremely protective of the Master. She practically raised him.” Josie whispers.
“I don’t mean to offend. But I am being held here against my will so I apologize if I am not the best company.” Carlos says, sitting on the bed and drawing his knees up. The bed was plush so Carlos sank into it a little.
The three objects look at each other silently as the human on the bed sighed heavily. He pulls his coat tighter around his shoulders and closes his eyes. Maybe he could starve to death in a few days? Statistically speaking it would take ten days to die of dehydration but that seemed like a horrible way to go. Maybe he could escape. He looked up and glances at the window. Of course there was the chance of being caught. Part of him wished that the ‘Master’ had just offed him.
There was a shrill noise and Josie and Faceless Old Woman gasped and hurried out of the room. Carlos laid back before curling up on his side. He stares blankly at the wall opposite him and bites his lip. He sighs and resists the urge to scream. It would do him no good. He was a doctor. He was a smart man. He could figure this out. Escape was possible, save for the scary evil octopus man with the pretty eyes- Carlos focus! You don’t have time to be attracted to your captor! He scolds himself. The room was slowly getting darker, meaning the sun was setting. Then his stomach growled, reminding him how hungry he was. Would the Master even let him eat? There was a loud banging on his door, making him jump and nearly fall.
“Who is it?”
“Oh that’s the Master.” Maureen supplies. “I know his knock.”
“Open the door!”
“What do you want?” Carlos demands, not opening the door.
“You will eat dinner with me.”
“I will do no such thing.”
“You will do as I order you!”
“Excuse me if I don’t want to have dinner with the monster holding me captive!” Carlos yells back.
“Fine. Then STARVE!”
“I’d rather starve to death than eat with a monster like you.” Carlos retorts, but is only answered by a loud thud and the door groaning.