Belle Adams' Butler

Belle had woken up from her sleep after hearing a snap near her that reminded her of the time when the reaper had tried to get to her in the cemetery. The candle was still burning in the room and she turned her head towards the window where she was able to see the raindrops tracing down the window pane from outside. 

Taking the small candle stand in her hand, she stepped out of the room and walked in the deserted corridor to hear the thunder strike again. Nights like these felt somewhat the same with the rain always pouring and the light spilling in the corridors and hallways until the candles allowed itself to be burnt. Passing by her parent's room, she pushed the knob of the door to look inside where everything was left untouched. 

The day after their death, Belle had made sure that no one would enter this room nor would the things inside be shifted or removed. Closing the door after taking a peek, Belle started to walk when she heard whispering on the other side of the corridor. 

Frowning, she placed her feet on the ground as quiet as she could until she noticed her butler coming from the other side. It was when she noticed Mr. Fluffs standing next to Lucas with no support did her frown deepen even further. 

The rabbit suddenly fell down on the ground, losing itself to gravity. 

"Having a hard time sleeping, Miss Belle?" came the pleasant voice of Lucas and her eyes moved from the rabbit to the man who stood there with his hair that looked disheveled as if he had run his hand through it as everyone had gone to rest in their respective rooms. 

Lucas' combed hair gave him a stoic look along with the strict demeanor he usually carried himself with but with his hair down which looked like a mess, there was something very dangerous and alluring about it. 

"You are doing a good job distracting her," Barron whispered for Lucas to hear, "Distract her more and I will run away from here. Why do I have to play dead when I am dead?"

"I thought of walking a bit to tire myself before getting back to bed," answered Belle carefully, "Are you not going to sleep?" she inquired. 

"I was going to go in some time. Do you want me to accompany you in the walk?" Lucas offered her and Belle gave him a smile. 

"I would like that," she replied back to him and then said, "What is Mr. Fluffs doing with you?"

So much for hiding, thought Barron to himself.

Lucas looked at the ground and then picked up the stuffed toy, patting it on its face as if he were dusting the rabbit but in truth, he was only smacking the rabbit's face. 

"I found him lying on the other end of the corridor," Lucas answered the vampiress as if he himself had no clue what Mr. Fluffs was doing this on this side of the mansion.

"Hmm," Belle saw looking at the rabbit, "I still remember the day I received him. It was one of the best days and I loved him but I guess he's grown very old. I should probably throw him or burn him as a goodbye. I feel bad every time I stitch his neck or arm back. His eye fell last month."

Barron looked at Belle with horror in his eyes. What happened to saving Mr. Fluffs? The same rabbit who she was ready to take from the cemetery this evening when the death reaper was going to attack it. 

"I am sure your mother would be very pleased if she was here today," on Lucas' reply Barron stared at the reaper. Was he being serious? If his soul did come out of this toy, as much as he wanted to get out of it before right now he had no interest to part ways with this stuffed toy because there were reapers and hell hounds who wanted to bite and drag him back to the land of the dead. 

Lucas' grip on the rabbit turned firmer which made it impossible for it to move in any direction. 

Belle smiled, "You can keep him there. I will have Cassie pick it up," she said and she walked along with Lucas leaving Barron behind who was ready to bolt away from there. Her smile only widened as they walked towards the other end of the corridor and Lucas took hold of the candle she had been carrying in her hand. 

Lucas who noticed the pull of her lips that held mischief in it, "You appear to be in a better mood," he noted. 

"I forgot to tell you something, Lucas," she said, holding both her hands in front of her. The ends of her dress swept the floor and she let it as the floors were cleaner. Lucas turned to her to show that he was listening to her and she said, "When I was in the cemetery today, I heard the death reaper speak to me."

The butler didn't change his expression but he realized what she was smiling for now. The language of the dead was different compared to what people here spoke. Even when a person died, they spoke the language of the dead.

"You are able to hear other things speak…" Lucas trailed without asking her specific things.

"I think it was after going to the cemetery in the evening but I have been able to hear the rabbit speak," Lucas didn't react to it and only gave her an ear to listen to, "At first it wasn't clear and I thought it was probably me imagining the voice but I could hear very clearly."

If it was someone else in Belle's position they would have freaked out first and would have probably exorcised the rabbit which was what any normal folk would do. The girl had grown up dreaming and imagining things from the land of the dead that she saw things like these to be normal. 

"Who is that?" she asked him.