Next-door

“I... I see.”, Helen answered, her rage all but suddenly gone. The first girl drags the near fainted **** out of the pool and slowly starts walking towards the exit. “I’ll make sure she receives her proper punishment. This will not happen again.” She smiles. “Can you handle this? Soap’s over there.” She nods towards a milky white bar. “Rose water over there. I’ll see you later. Wait by the kitchens when you’re done.” With that, she walks away, carrying an angry flat-chested girl over her shoulder, like a sack of potatoes.

Helen shakes her head and waddles through the pool, grabbing the cloth and the soap, then begins to silently wash herself, scrubbing the grime away. The bath grow silent, warm water gently splish splashing over the pool’s edge, soothing her skin, the scent soothing her mind. Everything was quiet. Not a single sound to be heard. Except, of course, for the cat fighting taking place in the adjacent room. She finishes washing herself, ignoring the noise, then walks over to the rose water, dipping her hands in it, then running them through her hair and over her body

A a deep voice suddenly bellows “Silence!” and everything stopped. Her heart skipped a beat, blood freezing in her veins. The water seemed to not move, all sound dying around. It was the longest second she’d ever lived through. Then it was over and steps tapped away down the hallway.