Not long after, a young girl, perhaps around ten years old, made her appearance. She wore an antique white dress with short puff sleeves extending below her knees. Her bony legs were visible beneath the dress, and despite her footwear, Nobody couldn’t help but notice that the young girl’s laced ankle socks bore signs of dirt, likely from the grime and filth that lingered in the house.
However, the girl's most intriguing aspect was her full-head mask. It was realistic white and light gray fur with large gray-blue eyes. Nobody felt no fear or unease toward the mysterious girl with the rabbit mask. Instead, a sense of comfort washed over her as she warmly inquired, “Are there any parents or guardians around who might be able to help me figure out where I am or find a way out of here?”
She also conveyed her puzzlement regarding her presence in the house and eagerness to depart, noting the jammed front door.
The little girl gestured as if laughing, but no sound came from behind the mask. She found it peculiar but didn’t dwell on it and hoped to find a way out soon, not wanting to overstay her welcome. “Are your guardians home? Parents maybe? I need to speak with them as soon as possible, if this is not a problem, of course!” she exclaimed to the little girl while waving her hands in front of her vehemently.
The young girl gestured with her finger, leaned her head forward, and pointed at her as if she was about to give a lecture. “Oh, me? Do you want to know who I am? Let me think… I can’t seem to recall, honestly. I know that I’m a girl, but beyond that, I can’t remember where I came from or even my own name; I cannot even recall what a favorite color of mine might be, although based on the shade of your dress I can say I quite like the color blue!” she said.
The girl sensed that the child sympathized with her situation. “No worries, though! I must have gotten a bump on the head; I’m sure it’ll all return to me soon enough! So, until then, I suppose you can call me Nobody since I have nothing to identify myself as a somebody, nor do I have a name to go by,” she said, trying to remain optimistic despite the unsettling circumstances. “Not knowing anything about one’s self would technically render me a nobody, right?” The child shook her head no and trotted down the stairs, tapping her forehead a few times in a nonverbal gesture as a way to tell her it was all in your head.
“Not to pry and be nosey, but out of honest curiosity, I promise, might I ask if you can speak? Not that there is anything wrong if you do not or cannot! When you laughed a while ago, I noticed you made not a peep!” Nobody wanted to satiate her curiosity, but also, it would be nice to know since she was the only one talking, and the truth was it was more of a quirky ramble due to her being visibly nervous.
The bunny-masked child smiled warmly at Nobody, gesturing that it was okay and that she understood. Nobody felt relieved the child was not upset with her and continued to follow her through the manor, feeling more at ease now.
Nobody asked, “Do I know you by chance?” The girl nodded in agreement. “Are there any other people here besides you?” The girl nodded eagerly and gestured with her arms before spinning around once. “So, there are friends or family here!” Nobody wondered as the girl pointed at her quite a bit. “Friends or family of mine, you say? Is this what you mean?” The child was nodding vivaciously at this. “Well, this will be an awkward first meeting with them.” She scratched her head with a quirky smile and began to consider how she should introduce herself. “Hi, I’m Nobody! You might be wondering why I go by that name…” she rambled to herself, trying to make a good first impression on the next person. “You see, I woke up at the door, and while I mean no disrespect, the bathroom above was causing quite the leak through the wall, and…” The child interrupted her by tapping her heel hard on the marble floor to grab her attention. The little girl put her hand to her face and continued tapping her foot on the floor repeatedly to show her patience was waning.
Nobody shifted the conversation to the child, saying, “Perhaps, I can discover that I’m not just a nobody, but someone with a purpose, a somebody! It’s a wonderful thought. Let’s continue on our way and see what we find. I apologize for my earlier rambling, but if the people here already know me, then there’s no need for me to worry so much.” The young girl couldn’t help but smile as she observed Nobody’s excitement, her own eyes gleaming with a hint of sadness that she attempted to convey through subtle gestures. Nobody, however, appeared to remain completely unfazed by the child’s unspoken message. “Might I ask, if it is not too rude, but might I know your name?” Nobody inquired; having a name to put to the face was always nice. “Or the mask?” she asked humbly. The young child nodded her head and pointed at her wrist as if there were a watch on it. “Are you saying I must wait?” Nobody asked. The little girl then nodded at this.
“Ah, bide my time, and I shall find out in due course. I understand. Patience is a virtue, of course!” Nobody said gleefully.
The young girl seized Nobody’s arm and pointed toward the dismal side hallway that Nobody had initially chosen to avoid. She then motioned toward the stairway and indicated that it would be best to leave it for later, offering to guide Nobody through the manor. Taking hold of Nobody’s wrist, they proceeded down the stairs back into the foyer and down the gloomy corridor on the right side of the stairs, which had dripping patches on the ceiling, much like the foyer. As they walked further into the hallway, it gradually became dimly lit and flickering. Looking around, Nobody noticed that all of the paintings hanging on the walls were black, without any other colors, much like the painting she saw on the stairway.
“This is quite an intriguing home you reside in, isn’t it? I don’t mean to pry, but there are a few things that could use some fixing up. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, aside from the dripping ceiling and dust, among other things. But if that’s the character you were going for, then that’s just fine!” Although she meant well, her rambling only made things worse. Suddenly, the child stopped and scolded Nobody with her finger in the air close to Nobody’s face, refusing to take another step until she behaved herself.
“Oh, please don’t be upset. I promise I’ll behave and help you out. I don’t mean to judge, but it’s not very healthy, you know?” Nobody thought that the house had a strange nostalgia to it, although she couldn’t recall why. “It’s odd, isn’t it? Who reminisces on such things? I do!” The child then turned her head to the side, curious about what Nobody was talking about. “Oh, never mind that,” Nobody quickly replied. “I was just speaking out loud. I tend to do that a lot, I feel. But hey, at least I learned something new about myself, right? It’s better than nothing!” She laughed, trying to make light of the situation.
Nobody bowed their head and apologized. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I really didn’t mean to, I hope you know that.” She offered a grin and a chuckle, a quirky and awkward one at that! The girl let out a sigh and used her free hand to scold Nobody with an index finger, waving aggressively in an as a matter of fact or you should know better motion. Why did Nobody feel like this wasn’t the first time shead been scolded?
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
As they walked down the seemingly never-ending hallway, Nobody couldn’t help but feel as if they had been walking for quite some time. The length of the hallway seemed odd and unlikely for most homes. Despite this, she remained engaged in conversation with the young girl, her attention focused on her gestures and expressions. As they approached the open doorway, which had now come into view, Nobody quickened her pace, eager to see what lay beyond.
Glancing down the hallway, they noticed a set of double doors that appeared to lead to a restaurant kitchen. Tall, and silver and white, they looked as if they had been unused for some time. Despite her curiosity, the eerie shadows and lack of light made Nobody hesitant to venture down that way. I’m glad we’re not going in that direction, Nobody thought, shuddering at the unsettling scenery. This looks like the perfect setting for a scary story, and quite a good one at that.
The hallway they traversed felt really long; how long had they been walking now? Certainly not that long? Long enough was the truth. It was peculiar, to say the least. Onward, they kept their pace down the lengthy hallway, hastening to the open doorway. Further down the hall, it appeared that there was a double set of doors, which looked like those of a restaurant. Must be the kitchen, Nobody thought, but the shadows and lack of light made it look awfully eerie. Glad we aren’t going that way. This is the scenery for a scary story all right!
The dining hall was vast, its length stretching beyond imagination. Despite the current dim lighting, which was flickering and on the verge of giving out, the room was still quite stunning.
The chandelier was so dusty that it looked like it had been left untouched for centuries, as if it had been collecting dust since the beginning of time itself. Yet, one could still catch glimpses of its multifaceted shine when the light managed to pierce through the few holes untouched by the dust. The chandelier had a unique shape, with exposed cogs resembling a machine. It had teacups hanging on hooks above the gorgeous crystals to the left, a cream pitcher to the right, and a spoon below the creamer. The centerpiece was a large, beautiful blue teapot with a tube coming out of the bottom facing the center of the table. If it moved clockwise, it could prepare the whole cup itself! It sounded wilder than one’s imagination could run.
“Did it pour in a clockwise direction, thus making the cup ready for the guests?” Nobody asked. The child faced her, nodding in the affirmation that, yes, it was quite grand. “Are the ones who live here now the masterminds behind such a remarkable contraption? What an extraordinary invention! I wish I had something similar. It would undoubtedly be the center of attention regardless of the crowd. I am unsure of the type of crowd I have or had, but I am confident that it wouldn’t make much difference with such an incredible creation! Everyone would be in awe at its marvel!” She chuckled, and as she reached out to touch the tube, a thick layer of dust rose up so high that it almost seemed like a sandstorm had been unleashed in the room. “Oof!” she grunted as she began to cough vigorously.
Nobody inquired about their reason for being in the dining hall. “Might we clean up and have a little snack or even some tea? A cup of Earl Grey would be delightful at the moment. Oh, and a few sugar cubes. The mere thought of it teases me! Hard not to crave tea with all the teacups.”
The young girl let out a sigh and shook her head. After an uncomfortable silence, she gestured toward the table, nodding to convey that they could have a snack. However, why settle for a snack when we could indulge in a magnificent banquet? thought Nobody.
“A banquet, you say. A grand feast? How extensive are we talking about? Will there be enough people to fill the seats? Also, what of the food, and who shall prepare such a thing? I am no cook myself I dare say; I believe I poached an egg once, but I can’t recall if it was edible or not.” Nobody rambled on but was genuinely intrigued by the idea.
The young child was eager and full of energy expressing the hope for this feast to Nobody. However, Nobody’s attention was drawn to the dust on their fingertips, which resembled a thick layer of grey paint, and she was more concerned about how they could pull off such an event. “I know I mentioned the current state of the house earlier… How can we possibly throw a party in this condition? The chandelier is barely lighting up the room, and there are numerous chairs to fill, and we still need to consider the food,” she stated. The little girl shook her head and gestured that everything would be fine if they woke up the house and invited everyone to get involved.
It was as if she knew the child; well, she did mention they were friends. Perhaps this was her memory slowly trickling back? Fortunately, this familiarity made it easier to understand the mute child’s communication, even without words. “I think it’s a splendid idea. Besides, it may help jog my memory and uncover why I can’t remember anything at all. Something may trigger my memory! Well, no time better than the present to start!” As Nobody reached for a cloth from her skirt pocket to clean the table, the young girl intervened and signaled her to follow outside the dining room and back into the hallway. Nobody trailed behind, intrigued by what they were to do next.
The young girl pointed toward the wall, and Nobody noticed a small bell attached to it, which she had missed earlier. It looked similar to the ones you would find at a hotel reception. Nobody stood there, observing the child. “Do we need to ring the bell? Will anyone hear it?” she wondered, tilting her head curiously. The house seemed to be barren and empty; the state of the home sure didn’t allude to there being others there. The child motioned as if she had chuckled and pressed the bell, which surprisingly emitted a loud, resounding ring much like it belonged on a clock tower, and which echoed throughout the hall, causing Nobody to cover her ears in discomfort. “Goodness me, who would have thought such a tiny bell could make so much noise!” she exclaimed, holding her hands to her ears. Though her head was throbbing, she was in awe and hardly bothered by it. She did find it curious. I suppose I must be used to such loud sounds as it didn’t seem to scare me in the slightest! Yet another small piece of knowledge to add to my list of small things I have learned about myself today! Proud of this small piece of knowledge, she nodded her head with pride. The child, not paying attention at that moment, motioned to the foyer to tell her they should go there.
“Shouldn’t we wait for those to arrive? I mean you did ring the bell, so wouldn’t it be rude to just leave?” She looked toward the kitchen and back into the dining room. The child clutched Nobody’s wrist, shaking her head vigorously, and then mimed a cleaning motion with her hands, gesturing toward the mess around them. “Ah, you called for those to clean the space! Wonderful! Shouldn’t we help them though?” The child posed herself as a butler as if to stand at attention with her arm bent across her body as if she were holding something over it, like a long napkin. “Ah! Maids and butlers? You have hired help? Wonderful! No worries then! Lead the way. We shall see them later and let them be, but there is quite the mess, so why would they allow it to look like this to begin with?”
The child motioned that they were all asleep, that everyone was asleep, and to not waste time now and go to invite the housemates. While she did her best to explain, a butler dressed in traditional attire for his role suddenly emerged, hurrying toward them. His head resembled that of a broom, with a face perched on a thick handle, creating an unusual head-like appearance. Instead of expressing amazement or questioning the impossibility of such an existence, Nobody simply stood there in stunned silence. She found herself unable to utter a word, her gaze fixed on the peculiar butler. The young girl stepped in and began to convey their needs to the butler, who responded courteously, “Yes, ma’am. I shall see to it immediately. I will also inform the chef to prepare the feast.”
“How—” As Nobody began to speak, the child grabbed Nobody’s hand and took off down the hall and into the foyer, leaving the butler to his work. Sparing no time to let her ask any more questions, they dashed toward the stairs, stopping at the mid-way portion that split into the left and right wing. I suppose it is not so odd that they would be able to understand her if she lived here. Nobody thought to herself.