College Vamp

Routine [Part 3] (EDITED)

5:58 pm

Miles away at the southeast end of Edwin County, Joseph trudged down a long, winding dirt path. Towering trees swayed overhead, making up the expansive woods around him. Every so often a drop of water fell on him from some branch or leaf far above his head. Yet, he paid them all little mind. He looked over his shoulders, finding nothing except his own tracks.

It wasn't long till he came to the end of the woods, stepping out from the tree-line. A large hill sat ahead which the path climbed up to the jewel adorned on the very top. A lavish two floor country home.

It sat in the center, stopping shortly before the terrain dropped off towards the valley. A large chimney protruded at the right end. The exterior had multi pane windows with gray panels beneath the brown shingled roof. Below an old Victorian light, a set of dark lavender doors with brass handles sat in front. Before them stood two men dressed in black turtlenecks along with tan overcoats. Their shirts had a brown and maroon diamond pattern stitched into the chests.

They looked out at the horizon, their chins held high and posture erect. Their gazes drew to Joseph as he ascended the hill. Even with a stoic posture, he couldn't stop the self-fulfilling prophecy coming on.

"Gentlemen."

"Joseph," the left one replied as if on cue. "Good to see you here."

"Just in time, the maids have just started setting up for tonight's dinner," the right one mentioned. He and his comrade stepped aside allowing access to the doors.

"It seems so." Joseph muttered, marching forward.

He entered a lobby straight out of an old mansion. The floor and walls were made of polished wood, including the supports that decorated the ceiling above. The interior design was gothic borrowing elements from Victorian. The trim was just as bold, serving as a border between the upper and main floor and dividing the walls. The spaces between adorned either by a portrait of omnipresent figures or a lamp emitting a soft yellow room light. A wide staircase sat in the lobby's center.

Joseph marched forward, dress shoes clicking against the floor. He passed to the left of the stairs through an open doorway. He came to a short hallway with a fair-sized dining room to his left. The décor from the lobby stretched through the house, featuring the same soft fill lights. The floor turned into a rather dull looking roll of gray carpet. It had a diamond pattern, however, the browns, reds, and purples that once stood vibrantly were worn away from years of shuffling. The same shuffling that greeted Joseph as he entered the dining room. Scuttling around the wooden dinner table was a pack of maids. They adjusted the chairs, brought out dishes and set platters of food down, seemingly with no order.

"Joseph, you're just in time,"

Joseph looked to the older lady standing in the kitchen door at the end of the room. She stood decked from head to toe in a white apron and a chef's hat. A metal ladle clenched in her right hand. Behind her, sounds of clattering dishes, cutting board thuds, and scraping metal spoons poured out. However, the maids in the room stopped, noticing Joseph's presence.

"We were just starting to wonder where you were," the chef said. She snapped her fingers at the maids. "Keep it moving, people."

"Mariah. As always, I see laissez-faire is still the aesthetic of platter placement," Joseph commented, walking along the table. He ran two fingers across the surface and brought them up. A thin crescent of dust smudged on his fingertips.

"And I see you're still on about it, Mr. Stickler," Mariah retorted, waving her ladle at him. "You sure you ain't got OCD or something?"

Joseph's face dropped, staring back at Mariah as he rubbed the dust off his fingers.