"Who is she?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her around here before."

"Do you think she's a vampire? They do have an extensive family, she could be a distant cousin of there's."

"It's a possibility."

"But she'd still have to live in Halloween, right?"

"She could be from Sleepy Hollow."

"The human realm?"

"Yes, but that town has been known for it's paranormal activity and inhuman residence."

"Ah, yes uncle Christiaan-"

"What? Headless Horseman uncle Christiaan? Don't tell me we're going to get into a conversation about him again."

"And what is so bad about speaking well of your uncle?"

"How did we get onto this subject again?"

"We were talking about Sleepy Hollow."

"No we were talking about-Oh goodness me. She's awake!"

My rather noisy hosts take notice of my open eyes and wandering gaze. I'm in a black room with black floors, black walls, and black furniture. The only things that are not black are the bed and the room's current occupants. For a moment I ponder as to how I got here and then I remember the girl and the skeleton man which by the way are two of the four people standing beside my bed. Well it's not really my bed, but since I've never been here before and do not know whom's home I am in I cannot tell whose room I have claimed.

Before I can even open my mouth to ask as to where I am there is a whirring of gears and clanking of machinery sounding from the hallway followed by the spinning of wheels. A little bald man with oversized lips appears in the doorway and the small crowd of creatures part to let him through. I realize that his wheelchair was the machinery I had heard and I wince at the poor build. I shall have to tinker with his chair later.

"So you're awake." He snaps one of his medical gloves against his wrist. "How do you feel?"

I raise my left brow in suspicion. All I did was faint, well; then again it would worry most people if someone just suddenly fell over. "Normal."

"Then my new medicine is working as it should!" He coughs in his fist once. "Forgive my horrible manners, my name is Doctor Finklestien."

"Esme." They seem friendly enough, the doctor does at least, though the long haired rag doll standing of to the side is glaring into the back of his head.

Said rag doll speaks up then. "Oh yes, how rude of us we have yet to introduce ourselves." Her tone is sweet and reminds me of my mother. "My name is Sally, and this, " She motions with her hands to the skeleton man. "Is my husband, Jack." The younger rag doll clears her throat. "And my two lovely children Carmen and Wesley."

The boy, who I now know to be Wesley gives a slight wave as his sister grins. The grin makes her nose scrunch up and I'm willing to bet anything and everything I own -- meaning the clothes on my back and the sparse amount of money in my pocket -- that her face-splitting grin is what earned her the stitches that run from the corners of her mouth to her ears.

I force a small smile and a wave of my own as I speak. "I'm so sorry to have bothered you and I thank you for your help."

"You haven't bothered us at all sweetheart." A middle-aged woman -- who looks very much like Dr. F-- stands in the doorway.

"Ah, Jewel I was wondering where you'd gone." The doctor guides his noisy chair over to the door and stops when he reaches the woman's side.

"This is my wife Jewel. She's been taking care of you, with the assistance of my 'daughter' Sally of course."

Sally smiles a crooked smile and once again I'm reminded of my mother.

"How long have I been here?"

Jack steps forward and offers me an answer to my question. "Not long at all, ten hours at the most." I open my mouth, but Jack continues before I can say anything else. "As for where you are you are in Carmen's room." His daughter curtsies. "Welcome to Skelington Manor, you're welcome to stay for as long as you like."

-

I'm planning on adding a new chapter every other day for those of you who were wondering, though the updates may be even sooner then that.

R&R

Zue