Light From Uncommon Stars(23)

Violin!

She panicked before she felt the case next to her. She opened it carefully. The strings were still loose. A peg was still missing; the bridge was still glued to the face. Her heart sank. That part had not been a dream.

Still, here she was, and her violin was with her. But where was here?

There was a knock on her bedroom door.

“Y-yes?”

“Miss Katrina? I heard you stir. Are you awake?” said a proper, yet caring voice. Somehow, the voice made her feel safe.

She cracked the door open.

“Hello?”

“Good morning. I am Astrid, Miss Satomi’s housekeeper. Did you sleep well?”

Katrina nodded.

“Last night, you were exhausted, so we let you sleep. But you’ll feel better after you take a bath. Come?”

Katrina followed Astrid down the hall. Astrid handed her a towel and a washcloth.

“Miss Katrina, please use the shower first. Then soak in the bath; it’s already filled.”

Astrid bowed slightly before closing the door. Katrina started to undress.

Suddenly, the door reopened.

“Yes?”

“Leave the nightshirt here to be washed. Your clothes are almost dry. I’ll leave them on your bed.”

“Oh, um … okay.”

The bath was not the bathtub she had at home. It was rectangular, and came about waist high, and a gentle steam floated from the surface. A sturdy wooden step stool allowed her to ease herself inside. She closed her eyes, and stepped in.

And almost screamed.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Katrina quickly withdrew her foot, which was now was flushed and red.

Holy fuck, the bathtub from Hell! Seriously, who took a bath in water this hot? She added cold water until the temperature was bearable. Finally, she eased herself in.

Katrina couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a full bath. Katrina usually rushed her showers; being naked, even with herself, made her uncomfortable.

But here, submerged to her neck in the still-steaming water, Katrina felt almost weightless. When was the last time she felt that?

She thought she heard something in the hallway. She tried to get up, but slipped back. Immediately, she cringed, expecting something in her body to hurt.

But there was nothing. Nothing outside, and nothing within. No pain. Just calm. Quiet.

Katrina had thought she’d rush her bath, like she always did. But maybe she could stay in just a little while longer.

She didn’t know how long she had been in the bath, but eventually, the water cooled enough that she shivered. She stepped out of the tub, dried herself with a big fluffy towel, and looked for her …

Clothes? Where?

Astrid said they would be on her bed.

Katrina hastily wrapped herself in her towel. Wait, she had woken in a nightshirt. That meant that last night either she or Shizuka must have undressed her. They must have seen … but Astrid had made no mention of this.

Thank goodness for small miracles.

Katrina tried not to laugh at her own joke. But now she was naked. And, even if she covered her body, with wet hair and no makeup, there was nothing to keep her face from looking like a boy’s.

She had to be careful.

Katrina wrapped the towel around her and stepped outside quietly. Yet as the door closed behind her, she realized she had no idea of the way back to her room.

“Are you lost, Miss Katrina?” came a voice from behind her.

Crap! There was no way that Astrid could see her like this and not know. Katrina turned around slowly, then braced herself for the worst. Please don’t scream. Please don’t call the police.

“Oh! I should have brought you a robe. I’m so sorry,” Astrid said.

“W-what?”

“Your room is the other way, at the end of the hall. Come down for breakfast in a half hour?”

Katrina nodded numbly.

“You have a big day today. Miss Satomi says she’s taking you to repair your violin.”

Half in a daze, Katrina walked into the bedroom. It smelled of old wood, incense, and camphor, like it had been still for a very long time.

Stillness was good. Stillness meant no sudden movements, no one rushing to kick in her door.

And there, on her bed, were her clothes. All of them. Not just the clothes she had been wearing, but the clothes in her bag. Everything had been washed and neatly folded.

Everything.

She tried not to think about a stranger handling her work outfits and dirty underwear. Instead, she tried to focus on where she was. Beside the bed, there was a dresser, a closet, a vanity, a full-length mirror.

Quietly, she dried herself, then put on a newish pair of cotton pants and a top that reasonably matched. She retrieved her makeup and hairbrush from her bag, and sat at the vanity.

She looked into the mirror and touched her face. Her black eye was gone.

And wait—it wasn’t just warmth of the bath. Her rib was fine?

This seemed like a dream. But her forehead was still too heavy, her jaw still too wide. And she had the same ugly, oversized hands.

Well, whether she was dreaming or not, reality was reality.

Katrina smoothed moisturizer on her face, then found her razor. She pulled her skin taut, and shaved her facial hair as closely as she could.

Once her makeup was done, she checked herself one last time in the full-length mirror.

Then Katrina took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked downstairs.