Chloe Mallory - Chapter 4

Mother began to push the man away, telling him to retreat to his workplace within the building. She looked down at me, enjoying the pastry that my father had gifted to me. My hair and clothes were still drenched from my time in the water. She looked at me with discerning eyes. “What am I to do with you, my little Chloe?” Her voice softened as steps were heard on the floor above; it was Luisa. She’d walked to the banister and called out.

“Come on, Chloe, it’s time for your bath. You need to get the seawater out of your hair and clothes!” Her voice was sweet and caring. I could tell by her tone that she’d been thankful from the assistance I handed her when dealing with Mothers questioning. If a bath and some favors were something to gain from such a matter, I’d take up for the girl with no issues. I mean, it’s better to use my newfound cuteness to my advantage, hm, hm!

I finished the treat quickly before turning to the stairs, where Luisa waited for me at the top. I glanced back at my mother, who waved me off with a smile before picking up the basket and retreating into another room. Thoughts of the layout of the building filled my mind as I walked up the many stairs. Each seemingly big and tall for my size, I nearly had to climb them, it felt. Once I reached the top, the sound of water dripping from a room was heard. I wonder what bathrooms are like in this world? Who knows? All I care about is soaking in some hot water for once, though I’d be lying if I didn’t say being submerged so much in one day was enough for me.

—

The steamy air of the tub filled the room as it sat in the center. It looked as if it was custom built, from wooden planks and what seemed to be iron securing the planks together. Water dripped from the tub, seeing that it wasn’t the most patched up creation. Though with a rugged floor, textured like stone, it felt natural. Maybe Father had this custom-built? Or what if he built it himself? My interest wavered as Luisa shut the door behind us. The room was lit by a few candles surrounding the tub. Different bottles lay on a table near, with labels I could barely make out.

“Alright, little lady,” Luisa started as she pulled a stool beside the bathtub. “Time to get you all cleaned up for tonight.” Her smile stayed the same as usual. Was it normal to be bathed by an older sibling? I’d have no idea since this was very much new to me. I’d offer to do it myself, but I don’t know the first thing about what the soap of this world is like, nor how to draw water in this body. My eyes peered over to see the small faucet in the corner. That would explain the water, but how did she get the water to such a high temperature effortlessly? Was it fire?

Before I could think of another possibility, my wet blouse was quickly swiped off my body, and Luisa swiftly set the clothes aside as she undressed me. Embarrassment filled my thoughts as the red of my face matched the lighting of the room. I was a child now, after all, I’m still not used to this body…it’s not mine. As I stepped out of my clothes with the help of Luisa, she placed something in her hand into the water. It was grey and round, shaped like a stone. I watched as the item dropped into the water, and bubbles slowly began to form within the wooden tub.

“What was that?” I asked, seeing the reaction to the item sitting in the tub. Luisa placed my hand into the water, feeling its warmth come to a close to perfect temperature. “It’s a warming stone; they’re pretty hard to get a hold of, but thankfully, with Dad’s work, we get to use these.” She winked at me, as wonder filled my head. So, there are different types of things like that in this world? The excitement on new information being filled into my mind only stopped once her hands grabbed me suddenly, lifting me and sitting me in the water. The sudden temperature change caused me to squirm around within the hot water. Though my body adjusted soon after.

Luisa grabbed two of the bottles from the table next to the bath, opening the top of one of them, she poured what seemed to be a clear liquid into her hand. Rubbing them together created a bubbly lather. The sight fascinated me as the smell of lavender filled the warm atmosphere. My long, damp blonde hair had been filled to the brim with the smell of the sea; hopefully, this lather would fix that issue quickly, as I’d had enough of smelling like a sea urchin today. She weaved her fingers through the strands of hair, effortlessly taking out anything that appeared stuck. The smell of lavender continued to fill my nostrils, though it’s a bit embarrassing to be cleaned up like this after so long, it was nice to feel someone take care of me. Even if it was just a bath.

After taking care of my hair, she moved on and cleaned every inch of my body. I quietly obeyed her commands, moving whenever she asked me to. She was thorough, and the warm water and soap felt as if I’d been born again. Well, I have, but you get what I’m saying. The cleaning continued to the sound of my sister's hums. Her voice was soft and elegant, and I’d almost been lulled to sleep by her small tune. But then I realized that this would be the best time to talk with Luisa alone. I didn’t know much about her since I was saved, maybe I could take the time to learn some things…and potentially figure out what favors I want. Smart move, Chloe!

The water continued to drip as the hums continued. Luisa poured the smaller bucket of water over my head, washing out the lather from before. She’d taken good care to wash me, and I felt clean as a whistle. “There you go, kiddo, all nice and clean,” she wiped her hands with a sense of accomplishment, reaching for a towel hanging close by. I sat in the water with hair covering my eyes, and I noticed she’d been someone who’d taken the time to make sure that I was okay, even through the bath. She was caring; that was the quality I took away from her actions.

“Alright, stand up. Time to dry you off and—”

“Hey, could I ask you something?”

I interrupted her words, and she placed the towel on her lap as she gave me her attention. “What is it?” she asked, tilting her head slightly at the sudden question. Her skin had seemingly softened due to the steam coming from the room, showing off her lush appearance. She was a very pretty girl, to say the least. I readjusted as I figured out what I wanted to ask.

“About earlier, you and Gil seem pretty close, sis.”

“Oh, yeah…you could say that.”

Her skin slowly began to match the color of the lighting within the room. I had my suspicions about the two since seeing their interactions, so why not find out some more?

“He’s a strong man, it was really cool how he lifted me out of the water…without him, I don’t know what I’d have done.”

Luisa’s smile returned, though it seemed more bashful than ever.

“Well, he’s a fisherman. It was pretty lucky to have someone like him to get you. I can’t really swim, so he was definitely a life-saver.”

“Did you call him to help you come get me?” I asked. Peering deeper into the potential answers, I wanted to get through some big sister-little sister talk. Luisa felt to me as if she’d been at least sixteen years of age or so. Maybe these sorts of relationships were natural for people as pretty as her.

“Ah, yes! I’d returned from helping down at the school in town, but when I returned home to check on you, you weren’t in your bed. I thought maybe Gil would know where you were since you’d always talk to him when he came by with some of the fish he’d caught.”

Her words were sound, and the story I made up to save her wound up being partially true in reality. This was beneficial in our talk, fully grasping that with my word, she’d be acquitted for Chloe’s actions. I’d thought about the body I’m in now, wondering just who this person was. What was she like before I took over? What did she like? What did she think? I felt bad, thinking that I took someone else’s spot in this world. I wonder why the fish decided that for me, instead of having me born anew into a family. It was easy to feel like an imposter the more I thought about it. But there’s a reason why this all happened, so I have to go along with it for now, and bear the guilt later. It’d be better to return to the conversation at hand.

“You seem to smile when he’s around…do you like him?”

My words cut through like a swift blade, as she quickly jumped at the notion. Her face flushed red at the thought, confusing me. Maybe the heat was getting to her, or my question had a visceral effect. Either way, she reacted weirdly to the question. Luisa placed her hands on my shoulders like before, firmly grasping them. Her eyes were intense as a bead of sweat dropped from her forehead. Her toned brown and gold hair began to unsettle as her ponytail drooped over her shoulder.

“Don’t tell me, you’re already thinking about boys!” she exclaimed, pulling me in the process. It wasn’t me who’d been thinking about them; how could she misconstrue my question like that? The bewilderment filled me from her words, and I tried my best to respond. “What? No! I’m talking about you!” I rebutted, though my mind replayed my interaction with said interest when I first arrived.

“I saw how you nestled up to him, you’re not slick missy!” she teased, poking and prodding me during my moment of weakness. What can I say? He’s an attractive guy! I don’t think someone’s looked at me like that in years. Could you blame me if it felt like I was a princess being saved by a white knight in armor? I pleaded with her to stop as she laughed and looked at me once again, a smile wide on her face. Her eyes looked away slightly, as if she’d thought of something. “He’s someone who looks after the village with an open heart. He gives out fish to the locals whenever he catches extra from his job. He also helps take care of the rambunctious kids on his days off. He’s an honest worker, someone you end up wanting to root for, you know?” She placed her hand on her cheek, seemingly reminiscing about the person that Gil is.

Hearing these words caused a smile to find its way to my face. She looked at him in such an endearing way, though it seemed she smiled more when it came to talking about her family, and the kind boy I could only assume she grew up with. I wish the best for these two; If it’s allowed, maybe I can play matchmaker in my free time. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret between us,” I whispered, as she began to grab at my face, pinching my cheeks in the process. I begged for forgiveness as she then scooped me out of the water and covered me up with the towel. She took another cloth and began to take care of my hair, drying it and brushing through my hair once more. It was a revitalizing experience being so thoroughly taken care of.