A Maid in the Making

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[[include component:preview
text=Where your soul walks, big sis, mine will follow.]]
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[[=image https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Starr-110812-8193-Eucalyptus_sp-with_moon_and_clouds-Olinda-Maui_%2824476489343%29.jpg]]

[[span style="color:#ffffff"]]Charlotte had long outstayed her hour of sleep. Thoughts raced in her mind, stirring her beneath the blankets like a restless spirit. For many weeks now, her older sister had been reluctant to play. She drifted through her days as if under a spell, gaze fixed on nothing as she sighed lovingly. Each night, under the hush of darkness with her chores barely cooled, she would slip silently from their home.

A dreadful curiosity had sprouted within Charlotte. What had gotten into Audrey? Where was she going?

Beyond her window, the night dangled answers like bait upon a silver line, and the stars giggled with knowing silence. Charlotte gave in. Who could resist such temptation?

She slipped through her window, landing into the night's damp grass. Overhead, the full moon greeted her with a soft blue hue, its light spilling like liquid silver upon her face. This world cloaked in shadow and wonder seemed like a dream painted just for her. She began to skip along the path as the moon smiled down bearing silent witness.

She could see the village where she and Audrey went to market, its houses huddled around the church where they sung every Sunday. Across this canvas of blues and blacks, a flicker caught her eye. A blonde specter drifted against the darkness, distant yet distinct. Audrey! Charlotte's eyes followed the brushstroke her sister was on, but as her gaze traveled, her smile dimmed.[[/span]]

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[[span style="color:#fff8cf"]] The moon’s gentle night was suddenly fractured by the strike of an unnatural glow. A fierce orange light bled through the tall, arched windows that loomed ahead.

There stood Château Di Pale, casting a monstrous silhouette across the stars. This was the domain of the Nobile, a tall, skinny man, whom the village women spoke of in affectionate tones. He greeted all with courteous bows, offering tea to both friend and stranger alike. Yet under the cloak of darkness, his dwelling exhaled unease. Its spires clawing skyward like burnt fingers defying the heavens.

The pale form of her sister disappeared within the château and Charlotte halted in confusion. Their mother had often warned them of him: No man who offers kindness without cause does so without reason. Charlotte didn’t really understand what this meant. But, if Audrey had accepted him, then surely he meant no ill.

And so, she resumed her mission.[[/span]]

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[[span style="color:#fff2a7"]]As Charlotte crept closer, the black roof began to cut across the moon like a blade. She reached out a small hand against great oak doors, and with all the strength her little body could muster, she heaved the iron knobs. The hinges yielded, crying out like wounded animals, and the doors slowly opened.

She slipped through the crack into a cavernous hall, the largest chamber she had ever seen. Its vaulted ceiling lost itself in gloom, too high for even the flames to reach. The hearth crackled at its far end, beckoning her to come nearer. She stood transfixed, the purpose of her intrusion lost to the weight of space.

The furniture was luxurious, the walls adorned with countless relics and paintings. But, one item drew Charlotte’s attention. The mounted head of a great stag, high above the fireplace. Her mind drifted to the bedtime stories Audrey would tell. She could see the creature galloping through lush woods, leaping toward enchanted glades, unseen by men. And she wondered. Who would bring it here, so far away from that freedom?

As she stood up on her toes inspecting the once majestic beast, a sound shattered the silence. A thunderous bang echoed through the hall like a gunshot. The doors had slammed shut behind her, driven by a gust. The fire whimpered and retreated beneath its logs, taking its light with it. The paintings on the walls now seemed to follow her every step. She felt so small.

She wanted Audrey. Where was Audrey?[[/span]]

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[[span style="color:#ffec7d"]]Charlotte wandered the interminable corridors, her footsteps muffled by endless carpet. The château sprawled in all directions. Labyrinthine halls and rooms folded upon each other like half-remembered dreams. Darkness clung to their ends, ever retreating just beyond her vision.

Charlotte didn't like this place anymore. The silence, once a whisper, now spoke in loud tones. Where was Audrey? Why wasn’t anyone here? Big places were supposed to have people, not this big, scary nothing.

In the hushed darkness of the grand library, her legs gave in. She fell to the floor, curling herself inward as the chill of her thoughts coiled around her. Warm tears ran down her cheeks and disappeared into the carpet below. She lay there crying. Someone would come. Someone always had. But here, even the echoes of her sobs abandoned her for the infinite dark.[[/span]]

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[[span style="color:#ffe653"]]She lay there, folded and dry, like a wilted bloom. When, suddenly, a sensation.

She turned, eyes wide, to face the library's towering window. The moon had circled the edifice to find her. Its silver gaze poured through the panes, like freshwater lending its blue hue as comfort. Its light fell upon the library's countless old tomes, stirring their dust into faint shimmers. That's when Charlotte noticed something was amiss.

One stood out. Its surface was clean and untouched by time’s long hand. Drawn by the small ember of curiosity which still flickered within her, Charlotte rose and stepped towards it. Her fingers reached out and with a slight tug, it gave way. The low cackle of ancient mechanics came from behind the shelves. They shuddered and parted to reveal a passage. Cold air swept out and over her, like winter winds over frozen fields. It carried with it the faintest of notes.

Could it be Audrey?

She stepped into the narrow passage, and the gap behind her began to seal. The moon offered one last smile before vanishing entirely, leaving Charlotte swallowed by the hidden veins of the château.[[/span]]

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[[span style="color:#ffe130"]]As Charlotte crept deeper into the narrow, winding passage, her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. The air grew damp and stale. Along the stone walls, wooden structures shaped like crudely fashioned coffins came into view. Within each stood an unmoving body, upright as if merely sleeping on their feet.

They were all feminine, and curiously, faceless. Like still mannequins, they were clad in various garments: aprons, cook's coats, maid uniforms. They eerily resembled the living and were each coupled with a numbered piece of parchment.

Number 12 bore a familiarity; slightly overweight and with dark red hair. Charlotte tilted her head, it looked almost exactly like the baker woman who used to gift her and Audrey biscuits each time they passed through the village square. The memory awakened in her mind, she could almost taste their sweetness. But as her eyes returned to the motionless figure, her smile faded. The baker woman had left the village many months ago. She said she was leaving on a voyage with someone, to a far-off place.

Charlotte missed her. Just like she missed Audrey. Where was Audrey?

She continued forwards, when suddenly a flickering orange light began to stain the corridor walls.[[/span]]

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[[span style="color:#ffda00"]]Around the corner, she saw a large chamber lined with torches and doorways. In its center stood the Nobile, his silhouette bent over a table atop which something lay. His withered hands moved with rhythmic precision, sewing to an inaudible symphony. His entire frame seemed less man than marionette, animated by the unseen maestro.

Littered around the room lay tools of unholy artistry: shovels still slick with earth, saws with jagged teeth grinning in anticipation, vials filled of glistening crimson fluids and buckets cradling what looked like arms.

As Charlotte's eyes finished examining the room, the Nobile ceased his work. He stepped back with unnatural grace, the hint of a grin curling across his face. From the table, the figure he had labored over began to rise. Slowly. Gittering slightly in its articulations.

It wore a white linen dress and had long golden locks.

Its back was turned, but Charlotte’s heart leapt. Audrey! She cast aside all her caution. For who needed it when you had your big sister. With a cry, she rushed across the room, tears brimming in her eyes. Her arms wrapped around her sister, squeezing her with all her might.[[/span]]

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[[span style="color:#ffc800"]]But her joy warped into horror.

The figure who looked down at her wasn't Audrey. It looked like her in all aspects. [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7822 But her face? Where was her face! A blank slate of skin outlined with the red of fresh sutures stared at her.]

Charlotte staggered backward, falling to the floor. She tried to cry, but her sobs stayed caught in her throat like broken glass.

She sat there tearing up. This wasn't funny anymore. She wanted Audrey! Her Audrey! Now!

Through the water covering her eyes she could see the shadowed legs of the Nobile, still unmoving pillars of obsidian. Her blurry gaze climbed slowly up the gaunt figure, until it met a single index finger. Long and skeletal, it trembled ever so slightly, pointing directly at her. They stared at each other, frozen in time.

When finally, the finger's owner spoke, in a soft, comforting voice:[[/span]]

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= [[span style="color:#ffa200"]]“Kill her… ”[[/span]]
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[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box]]
> **Filename:** Starr-110812-8193-Eucalyptus_sp-with_moon_and_clouds-Olinda-Maui_(24476489343).jpg
> **Author:** Forest and Kim Starr
> **License:** CC BY 3.0 US
> **Source Link:** https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr-110812-8193-Eucalyptus_sp-with_moon_and_clouds-Olinda-Maui_(24476489343).jpg
[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box-end]]

A Maid in the Making

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