Belle Adams' Butler

Belle saw her mother take a seat to take a sip from the teacup, enjoying every drop that made Belle question if the woman who she had been calling as her mother was truly her mother. 

When they both heard some sound come from the ground floor, Belle's body froze and she looked at the surface of the table before saying, "Would you like to have something with blood tea? Cassie made these amazing butter cookies that were baked yesterday," she tried her best to behave normal and shift her mother's attention back to her. 

God only knew if it was Barron who was crashing things again or if it was Councilman Joshua who was trying to make his way out of the study room. 

"Did you hear that sound?" asked her mother. 

"Sound?" asked Belle with an oblivious look on her face, "What sound, mama?" 

"It felt like something fell," said her mother who had her head turned, looking at the door of the kitchen which led outside to the other parts of the mansion. 

"There's a cat that comes and goes. Must be that," Belle answered and finally her mother turned to look at her with a look of disapproval on her face. 

Her mother pursed her lips before saying, "What did I tell about keeping pets, Belle? You are going to lose them one day, they are going to die and you will be left heartbroken," said her mother. These words felt like it was her mother speaking and not someone else that made Belle confused. She was still in the process of figuring out who this person was who sat with her in the kitchen table. 

"Yes, mama. I didn't keep it for myself. It's just that it comes and goes whenever it pleases," Belle made up the lie. 

"I see," her mother responded back. 

While Barron was handling the councilman by keeping him locked and Belle was keeping her mother in the kitchen, in the family cemetery of the Adams, Lucas had dug out the graves of her parents where they had been placed in the coffin box. Using the shovel, he opened up the lid of the coffin to see the bodies present inside both the coffins. Both the bodies were decomposing and they were dry. Turning to a greenish-brown in colour. Lucas didn't mind the smell as the land of the dead wafted with a similar smell. 

He then closed the lid and placed the coffin and the headstone back the way it was previously placed. 

"What are you doing with the graves?" came a voice behind him and Lucas turned around to see an old man with a hat on his head standing with a pitchfork in his hand. It was the caretaker of the cemetery, "It is you, Lucas!" the old man exclaimed. 

"Mr. Bernard," Lucas bowed his head in greeting.

"Is everything alright?" asked the old man, as the bodies that were placed to rest were never reopened unless they were to be shifted to another place.

"Miss Adams wanted to leave the watch that belonged to her father in his casket. She felt she needed to give it to him," answered Lucas with the utmost polite smile that could fool anyone and the old man fell for it. 

Mr. Bernard nodded his head understandingly, "It was a death none of us saw approaching. How is Miss Adams doing? She must be feeling alone with her parents gone," the caretaker was a human who sympathized with Belle's loss. 

"It was an unfortunate loss and day. She's trying to stay strong," answered Lucas. 

"Well, it's good that she has you to rely on. These days the workers and others leave right away once the owners die. Be good to her, young man," the man conveyed his emotions and Lucas bowed his head. 

"I will."

Mr. Bernard went on his way, leaving Lucas to position the headstone back and when the old man had disappeared in sight, Lucas snapped his fingers to get back to the mansion. When the door of the mansion was knocked, Belle turned to look in the direction. 

"Let me go see who is there," said Belle, quickly slipping out of her chair and leaving the kitchen. 

Belle turned around to make sure everything was alright. She quickly went to the study room where Barron stood. "Did you lock him up?!" asked Belle. 

"I did," grinned Barron, "I didn't know what else to do but lock him. Send your mother up back to the room so that we can send this one from the house." 

"I don't think she's my mother," said Belle to have Barron make a sharp turn to look at her. 

"She's not?" 

"I am not one hundred per cent sure but I don't think so," whispered Belle before talking to the councilman who was trying to get out, "Councilman Joshua, I think the door got jammed again, let me try opening it from my end."

"I thought something happened," answered Councilman Joshua who was trying to open the door from his side. Belle then spoke to Barron, "Lucas must be at the door, stay here," and she went to get the door. 

Belle walked as quick as she could and before she had the chance to open, Lucas had appeared right in front of her without the need of her opening the door. Her eyes looked up at him anxiously, wanting him to confirm what she found out. 

"Did you find something?" she asked Lucas. 

"Their bodies are still there in the casket. Decomposing as it was left during the time of burial," he informed her and Belle gave him a nod, "I believe the people who claimed to be your parents are your parents but the same time they aren't."

"What do you mean by that?" her brows furrowed in question. 

Lucas stared back at her with his black eyes, "They are possibly spirits who fed on your parent's soul and have come to the land of the living. Acquiring their memories, thoughts and words."