"Are you all right?" asked a voice, as Annalise felt a cold surface brush against her head. "How are you feeling?"

When she opened her eyes, it took her a little longer to focus on the things around her. In front of her was the girl who kept watch during her lunch, soaking a handkerchief in cold water.

"How are you feeling?" she repeated.

Annalise remained silent, while she observed the place she was in: It was a slightly smaller room than hers, although it was decorated more simply. The walls were painted pale blue, while the windows overlooked a beautiful lake; at the edge of the bed was a wooden chair, and in the corner of the room was a small desk, which had been decorated with several photographs and portraits.

"Where I am? asked Annalise, incredulously "What happened?"

The girl nodded, paying no attention to Annalise's questions. After a few seconds she put the handkerchief back on her head, dampening much of her face.

"Are you feeling better, Miss?" asked the maid, analyzing Annalise's countenance. "It's been a long day for you."

"What... What happened?"said Annalise, trying to make an effort to remember.

And after a few minutes, she remembered how she had devised a plan to see Miriam again, even though Madame Rocette had flatly refused, causing them to confront each other. She had the faint feeling that she had hurt herself, and with a quick movement she confirmed her suspicions: her hands were now full of marks and scars, while the threads pressed her fingers tightly together. After a few minutes she realized that those threads were the same ones she had used on the dress.

"You were  unconscious for at least two weeks. When I thought you were going to get better, you started raving and babbling nonsense, probably because of the fever you had gotten. And, when you did decide to wake up, you refused to talk to anyone, just eating in silence."

Seeing that Annalise did not answer, she continued:

"When you fainted, I offered my room for you to stay long enough, while I verified that you were well." 

"Thank you."

Annalise wondered why she had never been interested enough in that girl: she didn't know what her function in the house was, and she didn't even know her name. She kept looking at her carefully, trying to find a clue that would tell her about her. The maid seemed to guess what he was doing, so she answered.

"Amelia. My name is Amelia."

"Thank you... Amelia." And, pausing, she asked, "Why have you been so kind to me? I thought that..."

Amelia paused in bewilderment, as she pulled out a small glass vial. Inside it was a strange purple liquid. 

"Did you think everyone would hate you?" she asked, as she put the ointment on her hands. Annalise felt her wounds burn, "This will help you heal; and no, you shouldn't think about what people will say, you'll end up getting sicker."

And, as she put the bottle back into the desk, she noticed that Annalise was not completely satisfied with her answer, so she added:

"I am a nurse. My job is to look after people; because of that, I volunteered to take care of you."

"How long have you ou been working here?"

"I started when Madame Rocette found me." she answered, calmly, and seeing that Annalise was about to reply, she continued "When I was young, my family and I moved to a different country, in search of better opportunities and a change of environment because of my mother's health," and she got up to hand Annalise one of the portraits in her room.

 It showed the image of two women and a child in front of a boat, surrounded by suitcases and people.

"But, weeks before we left, my younger sister died. I used her death as an impetus to study something that involved caring for people...I couldn't help her. I didn't even know how to save her! So I vowed to prepare myself, telling myself that I would save a hundred more people in her place."

"I am so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you miss." she thanked, as she picked up the portrait, "Sometimes I try to remember what she was like; what her voice or her laugh sounded like. I guess it's been a long time now."

Annalise nodded, allowing herself to think about her parents. Could she remember what they were like physically? Could she remember the last thing her mother had said to her before she became ill? And what would she have done if she had been offered more time with them? Would she have been sent to boarding school anyway?

"But  I've always thought that death is simply a reminder that we don't have as much time as we imagine," Amelia said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand."

A few seconds later, she continued:

"We made the trip, where we expected everything to get better instantly, but, within a few months my mother started to get worse; I could do nothing but watch her deteriorate; so I decided to take care of my little brother by myself. I worked in everything I could, in order to take care of him and myself: one day I was a cook in the mansion of one of the most important families of the city; the next day I took care of a gang of children; and the other day I helped in some factory; all that without forgetting what I really wanted to do. And, six years after our arrival, my brother showed a great improvement in his health, giving me hope that his condition had left that malignant weakness and fragility that haunted him almost all his life, so I could devote myself completely to my studies. I painstakingly studied books on anatomy and physiognomy, becoming fascinated with how capable and fragile human beings can be at the same time; while I tried my hand at my own chemical experiments. And, after two years I was able to finish my studies completely, applying immediately to the nearest hospital," reported Amelia, as she seemed to be watching the events of her life unfold in the window. Luckily for me, they were looking for staff, so I soon found myself attending to patients and healing their wounds. Everything was normal, until one day, a strange woman came into the hospital asking for help."

"Madame Rocette?" Annalise interrupted, while Amelia nodded.

"That's right," she said "it was Madame "It looked like she was injured, but it was really nothing serious, just something superficial. After attending to her, and verifying that she was well, she informed me that she was looking for staff, including a nursing professional, to work in her home. At first I found this disturbing, but, I simply assured her that I would let her know of anyone who was interested; as I watched her leave, I realized that I didn't even know her name or where she lived. From her accent, I knew this wasn't her hometown, but from her appearance I couldn't draw many conclusions: I just knew that she wasn't human..."

And, as she said this, she pressed a loose board in the middle of the floor, which guarded a box with various snacks and fruits. Taking it out carefully, Amelia held out to Annalise several pastries on a china plate, assuring her that she had brought them from the kitchens that morning, slipping away from Madame Rocette, as they began to eat them greedily.

"What happened next? Did you agree?" asked Annalise "taking another pastry."

"I continued to work as normal, rarely stopping to think about who that woman might be. But my brother began to relapse again, suffering from severe pain and discomfort, so I abandoned my work to devote myself to him. It was not easy to help him, since I did not know what was the cause of his condition, so I limited myself to using less strong medicines. Then he started to get worse, so I had to ask for more help: A doctor from the hospital where I worked arrived, who assured us that the discomfort was caused by bacteria; although she informed us that there was a good chance that he would be cured. I followed all the indications and administered the medications for several more months, but my brother refused to get better. It became increasingly difficult to get him to agree to take the medications or to rest, until he finally died of a complication."

»Seeing myself completely alone, without any friend or relative who could help me, or any stable job that could allow me to stay in that city, I decided to accept Madame Rocette's offer, although I still did not know how to contact her: after that day I did not see her again. I wandered all over the city, applying for any kind of job, despite my specialty, and trying to find out if anyone had seen someone with those characteristics; although I always had the same refusal, making me lose hope.

 »And, when I saw that my food and money had run out, I just survived on whatever I could find, until an owl came into my room, leaving me a letter. I assumed it had been sent by that mysterious woman, as she informed me how she had not yet found the right person for the job; leaving the proposition before me; if I decided to keep the job I would have to see her at a specific place and on a specific date, as she would be leaving the country in ten days. Being a prey to emotion, I answered the letter immediately without even asking about the conditions, thanking all my ancestors for the opportunity that was presented to me. I did not bother to leave that city that had welcomed me for ten years already, since nothing tied me to it: my family had been buried there, yes, but their memory would go with me.

 »When the day came for me to meet Madame, I gathered my few belongings, ready to leave immediately. When I arrived, she introduced herself, calling herself "Madame Rocette," assuring me that I would have to call her by that name from now on. She explained everything I needed to know and what my job would consist of: I would not have to do much, just watch over people's health and take care of an employee if he/she got sick; therefore, I could help the maids if I wished to do so. In addition, she assured me that we would have to move constantly, so I should not be attached to any particular place. So, I agreed to go with her.

 »She guided me to a house two streets ahead of where my interview took place, telling me that this was not the place where I would work, but that we would have to wait to make the trip. During that time, I could see what Madame's personality was like: I could see that she was a determined and arrogant woman, although she did not fail to treat the other people around her with respect and courtesy. For my part, I tried not to ask her questions or find out anything more than what she told me; for some reason I was intimidated to be in her presence.

 »When the day finally came for us to set out on our journey, she took me to a port, where we took the first boat, before dawn. And as we traveled he explained to me what the house was like: that each window inside would project a different place, which would be the place where the person who saw it most wanted to be; that the house had its own roots, so it could move wherever it wanted; and, above all, that each room would hold a secret, some more visible than others. When I arrived, I could see that I had not lied: the house was as fantastic as I had imagined.

 »The rest of the days passed like this: Hexiciah spent most of her time in her laboratory, doing who knows what, while Madame Rocette hovered around the house, like a shadow... Since I arrived I have been doing the same thing I did twenty years ago: my work."

Annalise listened patiently to the story, analyzing what she had just heard.Until she finally asked:

"Has it lways been like this?"

"The house? As far as I know, yes, it has always been like this. Although... I told you, it was built to hide a specific secret." replied Amelia.

"And madame?"

Amelia looked at her suspiciously, as she hesitated to answer. Annalise immediately understood that her question had been unwise, and before she could add anything else, Amelia answered, 

"No. It hasn't always been like this..." she replied.

"No. It hasn't always been like this." she replied, "It started when her employees began to pry into the secrets of the house, which clearly bothered her. That's why she began to lose her temper, resulting in what you've seen."

And, with a quick movement, Annalise hid her hands with the bed sheets, trying to hide her hands from his sight, feeling her face burning. Amelia pretended she hadn't seen anything.

"I can't believe they are like that," exclaimed Annalise, "so merciless to the people around them..."

"Hexiciah has a way to be, and so does Madame. But you must keep in mind that, to them, we are just puppets on a big stage. They pull the strings, deciding for us; we just obey."

"Oh, Amelia! Have you never had the desire to leave? To run away and start over?"

Amelia had an indecipherable look on her face as she searched for the right words to answer.

"Where would I go, miss? I'm all alone in the world, what's the use of running away if I have no place to go? Unlike you, I have nothing to motivate me to leave here. I'm fine here."

Annalise looked at her sadly, as she felt the pressure of the threads in her fingers. How far could her desires for freedom go?

"You'll have to be more careful, miss, if you don't want Madame to be more angry with you," Amelia advised in a tired voice, heading for the door.

"Careful, Amelia?  I couldn't do more than she asked, why should I be careful?"

"Your pain makes sense, miss. Just as Madame's pain does too."

Annalise looked at her blankly, could Madame Rocette feel anything but hatred or resentment towards anyone around her? Maybe Amelia had a different concept of her, but after the incident, Annalise decided that there was no more ruthless person than that.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"Miss, this room holds one secret that may lead you to another. But, I don't recommend you to do anything else but focus on your work." Amelia said "I don't want you to have any more problems."

And, the only thing Annalise heard was the echo of her footsteps going up the stairs.

A few hours later, Amelia returned only to check on Annalise, refusing to answer any more questions than necessary. And, by the next morning she had recovered enough to resume her work. When she returned to her room, she saw that it was much the same, except that the window no longer showed mountains, but appeared to be in front of a door. Annalise was about to find out where she had seen it when someone exclaimed:

"I see you've recovered already, Annalise."

Hexiciah was leaning against the door frame, holding a letter.

"Great!  It was unexpected for us, your ill." he exclaimed, patiently "Anyway, Madame sent you this; I suppose it's the dress instructions," he exclaimed, holding out the letter.

Annalise took it with docility, until she asked:

"How is my daughter?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Annalise repeated the question. 

"I regret  to inform you that I do not know which of my students you are referring to; although you may assume that she is in the best of condition," he exclaimed, as he smiled. "Now, I urge you to get on with your work while I get on with mine. Time is more important than you think."

And once he left, she began to work on the dress. At first she had a hard time handling the needle with the threads falling from her fingers: sometimes they got tangled between the seams, cutting her skin when she pulled them by mistake; and because her fingers were so swollen, the needle ended up slipping and falling to the floor. Full of frustration, she looked towards the window, analyzing that door again: it was supposed to be the place where she longed to be, but what would a door she had not seen before hide? She tried to imagine the doors of her house, trying to change the image of the window, but the vision insisted on remaining.

It was a bright purple door, decorated with small silver and gold swirls. The doorknob had a small wooden mask carved into it. Annalise continued to stare at it for another quarter of an hour, trying to analyze even the smallest detail in order to understand the reason for the vision, though she could not come to a clear conclusion. With her eyes full of fatigue, she decided that she would continue the next day.

Then,  in the middle of the night, she woke up, startled: she had discovered it. The door was inside the house, so she would have to look for it.

...

The next morning, Annalise remained working on the dress, moving much slower than before, but giving herself an idea of how it would look finished. With each stitch, she devised a way to get to the door. The window was focused on haunting her with the same vision over and over again.

And, at dinnertime, she sat as close as she could to Amelia, trying to tell her what she had seen and the plan she had in mind to look for it, speaking as quietly as she could, preventing anyone else from overhearing them.

"It's simple: after dinner, I'll act as if I'm going to my room by hiding in a different room, until midmidnight. Then, I can start looking for the door and see what's inside." Annalise whispered, as they waited for Hexiciah and Madame Rocette.

"You're crazy."

"You have to help me, please! I think what's in that room will help me get out of here."

Amelia istened to her in silence, looking from one side to the other, checking that everyone was distracted by other conversations.

"Annalise, look what happened to you after you tried something like that. What do you think will happen to you if Madame finds out?"

Annalise shook her head, making sure she would be cautious.

"No. I don't want to be an accomplice to anything worse than that." Amelia exclaimed impatiently, pointing to the threads, ending the conversation.

A few minutes later Hexiciah entered with Madame Rocette, assuring them that they could begin dinner. Annalise noticed how Madame Rocette was analyzing the threads on her fingers with growing interest. She felt something burn in her stomach.

"Oh, I forgot!" Madame Rocette exclaimed with joy "Today, we have Annalise with us again. As you know, she had a nervous breakdown two weeks ago, but she is now fully recovered."

And, she began to applaud while smiling, as if it was one of the best pieces of news they had received all day. The rest of the servants followed her, while whispering among themselves. Annalise felt Madame Rocette's gaze on her, waiting for her to challenge her again. 

Once they finished eating, and the rest of the servants left, Annalise slipped away with a group of servants, hiding in the gloom of the hallway. As the hours passed, she could hear Madame Rocette's boots hit the floor loudly. "Go away, please. Go away." thought Annalise, as she tried to remain hidden; Madame Rocette seemed to verify that no one was hanging around the house. And, suddenly, she stopped. Would she have noticed that Annalise was out of her room? Would she suspect something?

After a  few minutes, which seemed like hours to Annalise, she hurried upstairs, where she had probably heard something. She felt her heart beating much faster than usual, until finally the clock announced midnight: the house was deserted.

Cautiously, she began to walk around the house, analyzing the rest of the doors, wondering what they would hide inside: some had been painted with extravagant and garish colors, while others maintained a sober and modern style; some had been decorated with paintings or ornaments. She kept walking for at least forty minutes more, until she found it: just as the window projected, it had been decorated with multiple spirals; and to her surprise it was open. Verifying that the hallway was deserted and that no one was inside the room, she entered.

The interior of the room had been painted a pastel pink, while white linen curtains fell to the floor. The windows, each decorated with golden bows, had a small sofa in front of them filled with stuffed animals and cushions, and at the back of the room was a piece of furniture that took up the entire wall, filled with puppets and porcelain dolls. It appeared to be a playroom, although Annalise had never seen any children in the house.

She continued to cautiously scan the rest of the room: on the other wall were multiple photographs, and, upon closer inspection Annalise saw how they were all of the same girl. She had green eyes, and brown hair, which fell to her waist. In one of the photographs she was playing with one of the dolls, while in another she appeared to be at a tea party. And, in the corner of the room, there was another door, although it had been sealed with the wallpaper.

Then, she looked for something that could break the tapestry, until behind a puppet, she found a maintenance box. Its contents were not as different as she expected: it had some ropes and wood; scissors and oil for its limbs; and at the bottom of it was a silver key. 

And excitedly, she headed for the door, hoping to find her way out once and for all. Opening it, she found herself in a room full of mirrors, which projected nothing but her frightened face. "Mirrors? Really?" she thought, "How is this supposed to help me?" until a dot appeared in the middle of one of the mirrors; as the seconds passed, the dot grew, taking over the rest of the space, projecting the image of hills in the distance, and a field full of flowers. The image grew throughout the rest of the room, until it completely invaded it: Annalise was inside the reflection.

She looked around: the sky was completely clear, while the breeze hit her face, messing up her hair. In the distance she could see someone frolicking among the flowers near the top of the hill, humming a song, and as she got closer, she could see that it was the same girl in the photograph.

"Who re you?" asked the frightened girl, noticing Annalise's presence.

"I am Annalise...  I am a dressmaker."

The girl looked at her with mistrust, but it dissipated when she saw her dress.

"How beautiful! Did you make it?" asked the girl, with interest.

Annalise nodded, while watching the girl curiously. How could she be having a conversation with her? Was she real?

"Do you think you can make me one?"

"Of course  I can! But you should give me your size, I don't want it to be too big for you."

The girl started laughing, while blushing.

"It's not for me! It's for my dolls... I love dolls and wooden figures." reported the girl, sitting down in front of Annalise with a prudent distance.

"I see..." exclaimed Annalise, feeling the sun's rays burning her face "But how are you here? I mean, how can I see you and talk to you?"

The girl stopped laughing, making a thorough scrutiny; probably trying to find out what Annalise's intentions would be. After a few minutes, she smiled again, ending her examination.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she asked mischievously, putting a finger to her mouth as a sign of silence.

Annalise nodded patiently.

"I am a memory. This is my memory. Don't you like it?"

"A memory, you say? How is that possible?"

The girl began to laugh out loud, wiping the invisible tears that fell from her face with the back of her hand. Her eyes sparkled with emotion.

"The mirrors," whispered the girl, moving closer to Annalise so she could hear her better "the mirrors guard my memory. As long as the mirrors don't break, I will live here for a long time."

Annalise stood dumbfounded, listening to every word. The girl seemed to like the attention she gave her, so she continued to give her details of the memory: how she had been taken to that place to play with the flowers, and how she had enjoyed playing with her dolls in that place.

"And how did you do it? How could you get into the mirror?"

The girl tilted her head to one side, thinking about how to answer.

"But I am the mirror! Mirrors project a reflection, don't they? And I am a reflection! What you see now, is what I was, or what I am... I don't remember it well..."

"A reflection? You mean, you are the owner of the room?"

"The room?"

"Yes, the room I came in..." and seeing that the girl didn't understand, she added "The room full of puppets and beautiful porcelain dolls. Is it yours?"

"Probably yes... But I don't remember it well..." the girl hesitated, making an effort to remember. "It's been so long..."

Annalise was about to ask something else when she heard how some voices began to call the girl, telling her that it was time for lunch. The girl jumped up and began to run to the top of the hill.

"Wait! Don't go!"

"I live behind those hills. Come and visit me." cried the girl, as she ran away.

"Wait, please! I don't even know who you are."

"I'm Jane! Will you remember me? Jane D' Lacey! she exclaimed, as she reached the top of the hill, waving goodbye "You'll have to come visit me sometime."

"Goodbye."  Annalise whispered, as she watched the surroundings gradually fade away, until she found herself sitting in front of her reflection.

Still urprised, she left the room, trying to figure out who that girl could be. She looked fondly at the dolls, longing to be able to tell Amelia everything she had found out; she would tell her more about the girl.

Until she saw how an owl had been watching the inside of the room. When she noticed that Annalise had discovered it, it took flight, getting lost in the darkness of the night, but, Annalise had seen that owl before. It was Madame Rocette's pet. 

Would it tell her what she had seen, would she be angrier? Annalise thought, as she ran through the house, trying to get to her room before the owl.