Ellie slowly opened her eyes, a small oil lamp burned bright on the coffee table in front of her. She was lying on a classic green velvet couch, she let out a small groan as she sat herself up. What had happened? What was that dark place she had gone to? Was it a dream? Had she passed out? Ellie’s head was filled with questions, which was quite normal for her. 

Her eyes shifted around the room, it was small with a couple of couches and an armchair. The wallpaper was worn and faded, much like the floor beneath her feet. She suddenly realized that Skully was not there, frantically she searched for him. 

“Skully? Where are you?” She asked as she peeked under the couch. 

“You are awake, miss,” the butler abruptly exclaimed from an adjacent room. 

Ellie swiftly got up on her feet, ready to run away as fast as she could, “I- I’m awake… D- Did you bite me?” Ellie stuttered. 

The butler appeared at the doorway between the two rooms with the most apologetic look on his face, “I must apologize. I was not behaving like myself at all. I did not bite you, miss, you have nothing to worry about.” 

Ellie kept her eyes on him, noticing Skully in his hands, “T- that’s my skull. Please, give it back.”

The butler glanced down at Skully for a moment, “Ah, of course, miss. I was merely intrigued by this very life-like skull.” 

Ellie swallowed hard as the butler came closer, his long slender fingers were wrapped around Skully. He handed the skull over to her, and gently placed Skully into her hands. She felt a sense of relief, Skully was always with her. She could not bear to lose him. 

“T-thanks,” Ellie stuttered softly. 

“I must apologize again. Please have a seat, I shall bring some tea,” the butler smiled, he seemed a different person from just now.

“I guess I could have some tea.” Ellie sat back down on the couch as the butler left the room again. 

“Skully? Do you know what happened?” She asked, her hands holding the skull tightly. 

“What? Huh?” Skully said, his voice was full of confusion. 

“I woke up on the couch? I must have passed out, how long was I even out?” Ellie wondered as her eyes shifted around the room again. 

Skully didn’t know what to tell her, should he tell her how he had seemed to possess her body? How he was just as confused? He had been in the dark until this very moment. What could he even tell her? 

“I don’t fudging know,” Skully grumbled, “We should get out of here.” 

“We can’t go now. The butler might know something about you, he’s a vampire. You do realize he’s the first vampire we’ve encountered, and you said the house seems familiar,” Ellie exclaimed confidently, she felt less fear now. 

“He might try to eat you again. We should get the fudge out before he actually succeeds. I can’t bail you out of this,” Skully grunted, annoyed by her reckless behavior, and some part of him didn’t want to find his past. 

Ellie was about to speak when the butler entered the room again, he carried a small tray of tea and biscuits which he neatly pleased down on the mahogany coffee table. He picked up one cup and swiftly poured the tea into it before he handed it to Ellie. 

“Where are my manners, I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Bernard Fitz, the butler of this household,” he smiled as he let himself fall into the armchair. 

“I’m Ellie, and I have a lot of questions. If you don’t mind?” Ellie remained hopeful that she might find something about Skully here. 

“Of course, ask away. I- I’m alone here. It gets lonely sometimes,” he admitted as he poured himself a cup of tea as well. 

“You’re a vampire, right? I- I found this vampire skull in the woods, and… the skull can talk. He is looking for his memories, which is why we entered this mansion,” Ellie told Mr. Fitz. 

“Aren’t you telling this fudging guy a bit too much now?” Skully hissed. 

“The skull can talk, you say? How peculiar… I have lived a long time, and seen a lot of people come and go. I don’t think I know this person,” Mr. Fitz remarked as he stared at Skully. 

“He is a skull now, but I don’t think he was always a skull. Um- I think he had black hair, and green eyes,” Ellie exclaimed at the edge of her seat. 

“It- it does not ring a bell, miss. There are a lot of echoes of the past in this mansion, I’m afraid I’ve let it fall to shambles lately. I am getting old and life is not what it used to be. I’ve lived through The Cataclysm, and wars before that. I was once the most excellent butler there was, now look at me. I am in shambles as well,” Mr. Fitz lamented for a moment, a sad expression in his eyes. 

“Fudge. Listen to this guy… He’s avoiding answering your questions, I know I’ve seen him before,” Skully grunted.

“It’s not that bad. I mean you could fix this place up, right?” Ellie tried to console Mr. Fitz, but then it dawned on her what he had said, completely ignoring Skully, “Wait, you were alive to see The Cataclysm?” Her voice was full of excitement, “Do you know how it happened? What happened?” 

“I do not know anything. Let’s get back to your talking skull, perhaps my masters would know something.” Mr. Fitz took a sip of his tea and glanced into Ellie’s eyes, “But they would never give anything for free.”