Belle Adams' Butler

The sky in the land of the Bonelake turned darker as it moved from the time of the morning to noon and slowly approached evening where the rain that had begun at noon had finally slowed down to pitter-patter on the ground and the surface of the objects that had either grown or been built on top of the land. 

Belle who was used to the sounds of the thunder and rain slept through the entire time to wake up only when the rain started to halt itself. Far away from the mansion, one could hear the sound of a collection of crows cawing on the trees that woke her up from her sleep. Feeling the blanket on her, she wondered if it was her mother who had put it on her until she came to remember what happened. She didn't get up right away but continued to lay down on the bed with her eyes open. What happened before she felt asleep felt like a distant memory which she hoped would be a dream. 

A single drop of tear slid down her eyes to be absorbed on the white covered pillow. She pulled the blanket closer to her before the smell of blood reached her nose. Her eyes moved from where she was to find the cup of blood placed on the nightstand. 

"Good evening, Miss Belle," it was Lucas who came forward to stand in her vision. "It would be good for you to have the cup of blood to regain some strength as you haven't eaten anything since last night."

Belle replied, "I don't feel hungry."

"You will later. I don't think you would want to attack others in the mansion because of your thirst of blood," Lucas' composure stayed the same. She was glad he had taken her to the church, to talk to the white witch who appeared to be more human than him as his emotions never changed. 

"I want to be left alone for some more time," she whispered, moving her eyes away from him.

"That's right, princess Belle!" Barron spoke in happiness, "You are not needed. I dismiss you from here, you lowly reaper," if Barron was in his reaper form, one could see him waving his boney hands with his long sleeved reaper robes. 

Lucas didn't pay attention to the joker in the room, "I will leave once I see you have finished your glass." 

Belle truly wanted to spend her time alone therefore she pushed herself up from the bed and the glass of blood was given to her in her hand. The loneliness was eating her up with the fact that she would never be able to speak or see her parents again. 

Finishing the glass of blood, she handed it back to Lucas, "Do you need something?" he asked her to have her shake her head.

And just when he reached the door to step out, Belle's soft voice asked, "When will the council members return again?"

"It shouldn't take a day or a two, Miss Belle. I have let some of the families know what happened here through letters, families who were close to your parents," he added to have her nod, "Please rest well," and he gave her the space to mourn alone. 

While Belle had fallen asleep, apart from hanging around in the room, he had brought up parchments and written letters to some of the families before it was handed out to the servant boy so that he would deliver it. 

Belle continued to lay in the bed again until the time ticked to twelve in the midnight that had the clock ding loudly in the mansion. After some time, she finally stepped out of the room. The corridors looked darker than usual with some candles being lit in the stands. The silence in the mansion was deafening. 

She made her way down the stairs, her hand holding the rails without letting it go as she took one step after another. She looked at the portraits on the side of the wall that had her parents and her in them. Continuing to move down, she was going to the kitchen when her feet stopped right next to the drawing-room. 

Belle didn't look at it at first but she finally turned her head and her feet took her to the room where her parents had died. The room was empty with no lights and was cold because of the lack of fire that had not been lit in the fireplace.

Her eyes moved slowly at the place where she had found her parents first, somewhere she didn't know why it felt unreal. Her gaze shifted around the room. Looking at the couch she had last shared with her mother, she took a few steps forward before turning around to leave the room when she felt her body freeze finding her parents standing not too far away from her. 

Both her father and mother were in the same state as she had last seen them. Her father without a heart and her mother...her mother without her head on her body but in both her hands that was only half of it. 

"Belle," her father called her in the voice she was used to. 

Belle tried to be strong but this thing, whatever she was seeing was messing up with her mind, "P-papa," she blurted the words. Her eyes turning watery, "I am sorry."

"Forgive us, Belle," her father apologized but Belle shook her head.

"No, you didn't do anything," she whispered in the dark. 

Her father's corruption appeared to change again, his features turning darker than what she had seen. Suddenly her mother dropped the head she was carrying and she saw her father killing using his hands to run it through her mother's chest to pull out her heart and witness the actions all over again.

"STOP IT! STOP IT PLEASE!" Belle stepped away screaming in pain. She didn't want to relive it, she covered her ears and closed her eyes, "STOP!"

"Miss Belle!" Lucas appeared in front of her, a small frown in his face, and Belle looked over his shoulders to see whatever she had been seeing gone. 

The tears spilled down her eyes and Lucas said, "Come here," he took her in arms knowing she needed someone to comfort her as she appeared to be broken. Though Lucas was a reaper, he had learned things while working here as a butler. Belle's body ran down with tremors as she broke down, "It will get better," he said, running his gloved hand over the back of her head.