‘Probably not.’
‘So tell me about you, how are you finding working here?’ said Carmen, sipping her coffee, her golden-brown eyes peeping at Khaos over the rim of the cup.
‘Well its fine so far…’
‘Bit crazy though, eh?’
‘Oh, yes…’
‘My sister loves nothing better than a power trip.’
‘I’m beginning to notice that.’
‘So what does your boyfriend think of you working here?’
‘I don’t…’
‘Oh, sorry. You don’t have time for a relationship, do you? No one does here. I think that’s why everyone is so uptight.’
‘Probably.’ Khaos wondered if Carmen knew half of the stuff that went on here, the fighting, and killings, for example. Unlikely, she thought to herself.
‘So listen, I’m so sorry about being sick on your clothes. Why don’t I treat you to some new ones?’
‘You really don’t have to, it’s fine…’
‘Oh please. I love to shop! Any excuse for a bit of shopping! Let me call my personal shopper, Frankie. he’s fabulous! He can bring you round a few things to try later.’
‘Are you sure? You don’t have to do that.’
‘I want to. You looked after me last night. You could have just left me to drown in my own vomit, or bleed to death, but you didn’t. I wasn’t so drunk that I didn’t remember.’ She reached out and touched Khaos’ arm, another breach of boundaries which Khaos was not expecting. ‘You deserve it. Come on, it will be fun!’
‘ Oh, okay then,’ agreed Khaos, staring at Carmen’s hand.
‘Besides, I need something to cheer me up.’ Carmen gazed sadly at her phone, which continued to remain silent.
One of the enormous reception rooms was had been transformed into a fashion showroom. Four large clothes rails filled most of it, items ranging from smart two-piece suits to casual denim, summer beach wear to ball-gowns. Khaos did not dare look at the prices, but they everything looked incredibly expensive. Carmen’s personal shopper was a well groomed slender man in tight jeans and a white t-shirt. He was still unloading and setting up clothes, hurriedly strutting to and fro, occasionally shooting Khaos and Carmen big, friendly smiles. An equally well groomed man, olive skinned with the most beautiful, thick black hair - perfectly styled - was tweaking and cutting Khaos’s hair. Carmen had insisted that she have a haircut, to go with her new outfit.
‘You really don’t have to do all this,’ said Khaos from the chair.
Are you kidding? I love a makeover!’ said Carmen, clicking through the rails of clothing busily. ‘Besides, I’ve run out of things to do to myself. I love a project!’
Project? Was Khaos’ appearance that bad, that she was a ‘project’ that needed work? But then again, she had not had time for personal maintenance since she had woken up. She probably looked terrible. Khaos looked down at her awful polyester suit, and shuddered. Perhaps she didn’t mind being Carmen’s project. And it was actually quite nice to have people fussing over her for once. She was starting to remember what it was like to be a normal human girl again.
Carmen shouted something in Spanish to the man cutting Khaos’ hair, who replied in the same language. ‘Fabio said your split ends are very bad. We got to you just in time.’
‘Thank you.’
‘You don’t have to keep thanking me. I’m Carmen Portabello, remember? I hire my personal shopper and stylist at the drop of a hat! Literally!’ she smiled. ‘What have you got for me, Frankie?’
The well dressed man sorting the clothes turned to address her. ‘Well hun, Chanel have these fab dresses in this season, they haven’t hit the stores yet, I know how you like to get first dibs! And let me see, Prada threw in a few lovely things, Versace are doing suits in an amazing dark charcoal…’ he energetically reeled off a thousand different labels and styles, most of it going completely over Khaos’ head.
She relaxed in the chair, leaving the choosing to Carmen; it was surprising how comfortable it was to be around her. Khaos had been worried that there would be a lot of nervous silence; they had only met yesterday evening. But it was not as awkward as Khaos had thought it would be; Carmen seemed to be in a constant state of enthusiasm, filling the silences with chatter, jokes, and smiles, making Khaos feel quite relaxed around her. She was so easy going, and naturally charming, completely different to Marla. Khaos watched Carmen chatting animatedly to her stylist, noticing that she was almost always smiling gently with her eyes.
‘Let’s steer clear of drab colours, you don’t want to end up looking like Loka, do you? The queen of drab!’ Carmen laughed, discarding a few plain looking items.
‘She dresses really smart.’
‘Smart? Severe more like!’ Carmen laughed. ‘It’s to conceal the stick, you know, the one that’s up her arse?’
Khaos could not help but laugh, still unused to this feeling of mirth. ‘You don’t like her then?’
‘Do you?’
‘Not really. She’s not exactly made me feel very welcome.’
‘Not exactly? She’s the most unwelcoming person ever! And she has nothing interesting to say. I don’t’ know why my sister has her around, I really don’t.’
‘Has she been here long?’
‘No, only a few weeks. But she struts around like she owns the place, doesn’t she? She’s such a buzz-kill. No personality. I swear she’s rubbing off on Marla as well, she hasn’t had a sense of humour at all since Loka started here. And she’s getting even more reclusive.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘My sister… she’s very insecure, you know? She needs someone with her all the time to build up her confidence, keep her grounded, you know what I mean? But since that Loka arrived… Well, she barely goes out, and when she does, Loka is by her side. She doesn’t answer my calls. Shuts herself away in her room for hours… Once, she even pretended not to be in when I came round, I saw her hiding in her stupid bookcase room! And now she’s changed the locks, I’m sure she did that to try and keep me out!’ Carmen was laughing, but there was real concern in her eyes.
‘Why do you think she’s acting like this?’ Khaos probed, but already knowing the answer.
‘She’s always been a bit, you know, strange. She’s always had problems socialising, even when we were children. I used to let her play with me and my friends, because she didn’t have any of her own. When we were a bit older, in our teens, she used to get really aggressive. She tried to strangle me once you know!’ again, Carmen laughed, but there was a nervous edge to it. ‘She had to have anger management therapy then, Mummy and Daddy flew her over to America especially. Nowadays, that side of her isn’t so bad, but she spirals into a depression instead.’
‘Do you feel the angst is usually directed at you?’
‘Yes.’ Carmen smiled wanly. ‘She’s always been jealous of me, Cam. It’s the truth. My looks, my success. I mean, I don’t know why, she’s pretty too, she gets plenty of attention, and she could have had a career in the media. But she’s never gone for it, she’s too caught up envying me to see that.’ She looked off into thin air for a moment, for the first time looking unhappy. Then she shuddered, as if shaking off the bad thoughts. ‘She doesn’t like me talking openly about it, but I think it helps to talk. She’s stuck in a rut, always doing the same thing, making the same mistakes.’ She said something in Spanish to the hairdresser again. He shouted something back. ‘He says you are done! What do you think?’
The Spanish hairdresser held a hand mirror up for inspection. Khaos looked at her hair, which was now cut and styled to within an inch of its life, falling round her face as light as air. Khaos smiled, surprised at how nice it felt.
‘My colour?’sSaid the hairdresser uncertainly.
‘What?’
‘He’s wondering if you’re Spanish, because of your skin.’ She addressed the hairdresser. ‘No Español. You’re Caribbean I bet. Or at least half.’
‘Uh… Yeah.’ For the fi
rst time it occurred to Khaos that she had no idea of her physical origins.
‘All the prettiest people are,’ complimented Carmen, smiling at her warmly with her big, copper-coloured eyes. Khaos felt a strange warmth in her own face - was she ill, perhaps?
‘Come on, choose some clothes to try,’ Carmen invited, loading Khaos’ arms up with possible outfits, amid a range of emotions, from squeals of excitement to pursed lips of deliberation. Khaos waited bemusedly, unused to shopping in any form, let alone at such a fast pace, with such enthusiasm.
After much consideration, Carmen propelled Khaos to a makeshift changing room area, constructed of freestanding canvas panels with a curtain across. Khaos arms were loaded with so many clothes that Carmen had to take a large pile of them away while Khaos tried the others on. Khaos pulled the curtain across the changing booth and gladly took off the suit, and the top part of her hidden armour, glad to be free of it for a moment. She pulled on a loose fitting flimsy top first of all, and checked herself in the mirror. She looked at her own face for the first time since the pool in that ancient cave, and noticed the difference that nice clothes, hair and makeup had made. She gazed at herself, taking in her large eyes with grey irises (were they always that colour?) her full brown lips and brown skin, white teeth, in two neat rows, small nose. Was she pretty? Like Carmen had said?
‘Cam? You ready? Let me see!’ said Carmen from the other side of the curtain, interrupting her thoughts. She opened the curtain and Carmen immediately pulled a face. ‘No. Too frumpy! What else have you got?’
Another quick change revealed a dark navy hoodie with a stylised skull and crossbones motif on the front.
‘Cute, but it does nothing for your figure.’
‘It covers me up and it’s warm?’ Khaos suggested.
‘Ok, grandma,’ she joked warmly. ‘You can keep that one, if you really like it,’ Carmen conceded. ‘What else is there?’
Khaos held up two other tops, one an orange vest, the other another floaty top with a paisley pattern on it.
‘Hmm, the paisley?’ suggested Carmen.
Khaos willingly changed, and opened the curtain again for inspection. Carmen twisted her mouth up in thought, and then stood behind Khaos in front of the small mirror in the changing room. ‘Hmm, it’s probably nice, but you can’t tell in this mirror. The light is really bad in this room.’
‘I think it’s ok…’
‘Hmm. Let’s look at it in a different light… I know! Marla has an excellent mirror in her study! Come on!’ She grabbed Khaos by the arm and dragged her energetically out of the room and along the corridor. Carmen led her straight to the secret room, and began to fumble with the books, searching for the mechanism that opened it. Khaos reached for Snow White, remembering it from the first night. The door clicked open.
‘Wow! Good guess!’ said Carmen, impressed.
She stepped into the small room, which was panelled, floor to ceiling, in mirror glass. But Carmen reached for the cloth covered thing in the middle of the room, and revealed a free standing, ornate oval mirror underneath. The frame was a dark, purplish-black, painted or stained wood by the look of it. Carmen took Khaos by the shoulders and stood her in front of the mirror. Khaos had a strange feeling, something about the room was oppressive, as if they had disturbed something.
‘No,’ carried on Carmen, oblivious. ‘It’s shapeless. What about something more feminine, how about this one?’ she rummaged in the armload of clothes she was still holding and produced a backless skimpy black dress.
‘Where am I going to wear that?!’ Khaos laughed nervously.
‘You never know! I might invite you to an award ceremony, or a ball!’ Carmen joked. ‘Go on, try it. Humour me. Please?’ she pouted.
‘Oh, okay.’ Khaos agreed reluctantly. Carmen closed the door, leaving Khaos alone in the oppressive room.
‘Khaos! The demon! Its presence is very strong here!’ piped up the voice urgently.
‘I knew there was something strange about this room. And I saw Marla coming out of here yesterday, first thing in the morning,’ whispered Khaos. ‘Where is it?’ But she already guessed, it was the mirror. Even as she looked at it, she felt a strange presence. The tiny hairs on the backs of her arms rose up, and her skin crawled. ‘Has it manifested?’
‘No, but it is very strong. It will manifest, very soon. Look into it.’ Khaos approached the mirror cautiously. There seemed to be a sound, like a whispering, that got louder as she got closer. She couldn’t make out words, but there was something wheedling, sly, and serpentine about the sound. When she saw her reflection, she realised to her horror, that her eyes were different, completely grey… as if she were blind…
‘Cam? Have you put the dress on yet?’ said Carmen knocking, from outside.
‘Not yet!’ shouted Khaos. She turned back to the mirror, but it was normal again, and the whispering had stopped. For the moment, the spell was broken…
Hurriedly, she shrugged out of the paisley top and slipped the dress on, the material clinging to her like a second skin. It was actually very comfortable to wear and it was nice to feel feminine for once. She opened the door to let Carmen see.
‘Cam, you look lovely! I knew it would suit you, you have the figure for it.’ Carmen seemed not to notice anything strange about the small room, or the mirror. ‘Give us a twirl then!’ Carmen’s face suddenly changed into one of concern when Khaos turned back to the mirror.
‘What’s wrong?’ Khaos gulped. Could Carmen sense the presence of evil as well?
‘What are those marks on your skin?’ said Carmen, her eyes fixed on Khaos’s back. She reached out to touch her shoulder.
‘It’s nothing,’ snapped Khaos, instinctively flinching from her hand. She had forgotten her shoulder scars would be on show.
‘I have done first aid training, Cam. I’m practically a nurse.’
‘You know first aid?’
‘Yes! I did a week at a Red Cross station in Haiti last year, I’ll have you know. I’ve even got a few ointments in my room that you might be able to use, please let me look.’
Reluctantly Khaos turned back around. She froze as she felt Carmen’s fingertips brush over the scars, her touch was like an electric shock. Khaos felt an enormous knot tighten in her stomach and realised she was holding her breath.
‘Is this a scar? Did something happen to you?’ asked Carmen. If she noticed Khaos’ awkwardness at her touch, she didn’t show it. ‘It could be a bite. If it’s a scar, then it looks like it had healed, but the skin has broken again recently. Does it hurt?’
‘A little, ’ Khaos managed. ‘It just itches, mostly.’
‘Well, I will see if I have anything for it when I go back to my room later.’ Their eyes met in the mirror for a little too long.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?!’ shouted an angry voice from the bookcase room outside. They both turned to see Marla, face red and twisted up with rage, glaring at them.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Khaos was actually slightly relieved to see Marla, glad that the awkward moment with Carmen was over.
‘I’ve told you, Carmen, a hundred times; don’t go into my private rooms! Especially this one!’ Marla shouted furiously, glaring from one to the other.
‘Sorry, Marla, we just wanted to use your mirror,’ apologised Carmen. ‘This room is the only room in the house where you can get a three sixty degree view of yourself.’
‘I don’t care what you were using it for! Get out!’ Marla angrily slammed the secret door behind them. ‘Why are you two hanging around together anyway?’ she eyed them suspiciously.
‘I ruined Cam’s clothes last night, you know, when I puked on her? So I was just replacing them,’ explained Carmen calmly.
‘With what…’ Marla demanded, snatching the paisley top from the armload Carmen was still carrying. ‘Gucci? You’re buying her Gucci??!’ She balked at the label.
‘No, that one’s too frumpy.’
‘A ball
gown then?’ Marla glared at the dress Khaos was still wearing. ‘What use is that going to be to her?’
‘It looks good on her. Sometimes it’s nice to feel pretty. Isn’t it Cam?’ Carmen looked to Khaos imploringly.
‘I don’t employ her to be pretty!’
‘Look, Marla, I was just trying to be nice…’
‘Well it’s inappropriate! These clothes are unsuitable for her work. And she certainly did not need a makeover as well!’
‘We didn’t…’
‘Don’t try to lie to me! I saw your camp hairdresser Fabio leaving just a minute ago! And I can see Cam has completely different hair! I’m not stupid!’
‘I just wanted to be nice…’
‘I know what you are like! You don’t do things by halves, do you?’
‘Like I said, I owed her one.’
‘But you took it too far, as usual. You always have to impress people don’t you? Always spending all the family money on pointless extravagance!’
‘Oh God, Marla, Lighten up! It’s called “Fun” you should try it sometime!’ Carmen said with annoyance at her sister, and plonked the armload of clothes down. ‘We get these clothes free anyway!’ she snapped, her final words on the argument, as she stalked out of the room.
Marla glared after her, and then turned back to Khaos.
‘I’m disappointed in you, Cam. You have much better things to do than hang around with my ridiculous sister.’
‘I’m sorry, Marla. I didn’t realise you would mind,’ Khaos tried to explain.
‘I don’t mind. I mean, if she asks you for something, you can serve her. But it’s not appropriate for you to have extravagant makeover sessions with her.’
Khaos Page 11
