The truck finally screeched to a halt, the forced stop causing Eleonora to tumble over in the back of the truck. Her head slammed against the cold, aluminum floor, forcing a wince out of her. She struggled to get up, the chains that were binding her legs and hands not allowing for a lot of movement.
She heard the door the truck slam shut and her heart sunk. It only meant that she had to face the mean man again. Not only was he rough, he manhandled her and treated her like a piece of rag instead of a human being. She heard his heavy footsteps, which finally stopped and was followed by the loud cranky noise of the trunk opening.
Eleonora started to shake from fear as the doors finally creaked open, revealing the huge, bald man. Not once had she seen any expression on his face, his big, flat nose was always scrunched up and he always had a toothpick sticking out the corner of his lips.
He stared at her, letting out a low grunt. The stench of his white tank top which had almost become brown reached her nose and she tried not to gag.
"Come're you!" He took hold of the chain, wrapping it around his wrist and then pulling it harshly. Eleonora let out a squeal as she rolled over to him, she had already started to cry when he dragged her by the hair, pulling her down from the truck. The strong impact of her legs and the floor caused her ankle to tweak, and she yelped in pain.
"Shut up!" He growled at her again and started to pull her along. She followed as quickly as she could, enduring the pain she was feeling all over her body.
Eleonora managed to catch a glimpse of where she was. She almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the magnificent building she had been brought to. The compound was huge and covered hectares of land, three buildings lined up, with two facing each other. The one in the middle towered above the others, standing at a staggering 80 feet. Surrounded by flower gardens, plaited with gold and a fountain in front of it, Eleonora could not take her eyes off it. She had never seen anything like it.
As they made their way closer to the mansion, Eleonora saw a sign, gold plaited as well with a name written on it, "DeLuna." They must be the wealthy owners of this beautiful property. For a moment, a smile appeared on her dirty face, living in a place, must not be too bad after all.
They stopped walking all of a sudden and Eleonora felt relieved because her ankle was hurting badly. The bald man did not spare her a look but continued to chew on his toothpick while firmly holding her chain. She was busy admiring all the luxurious cars in the compound, about twenty of them, when a gentle looking woman approached them.
She was draped in an all white apparel, her already turned grey hair slicked back in a tight bun. She was already aging, but her smile was youthful.
"Madam Gigi." Eleonora looked surprised because that was the first time the bald man spoke so calmly.
"Thank you Hector, I'll take it from here." Madam Gigi nodded at him and Hector handed the chain to her before turning around and going back the same way he came.
Eleonora stared at the old woman, feeling some sort of comfort. Madam Gigi smiled warmly at her, her face radiating peace and comfort.
"Come on dear, follow me." She led the way, taking a turn and going towards one of the smaller mansions instead of the main one. Eleonora was disappointed, she really wanted to see what the inside of that mansion looked like.
Nevertheless, she followed madam Gigi until they got to the large front door. Another bald man was standing by the door, holding a gun which frightened Eleonora. He opened the door for them and they stepped in.
Eleonora was almost blinded by the lights that hit her eyes the moment she entered, it was even more beautiful than she could have imagined. Several ladies were running from one end to the other, causing her to go unnoticed. She admired their uniform, which was a red plaid skirt and a white button up shirt.
"Welcome to the maid's quarters Eleonora." Madam Gigi started, Eleonora wondered how she knew her name.
"Everyone here has a duty assigned to them. But yours- yours is a little different." Madam Gigi stopped walking and turned to face her.
"You must be diligent at all times. Do you understand?"
Eleonora nodded her head, still trying to figure out what she meant by hers would be different.