A/N: Well this has been a long time coming. I had started this last year during spring break because my friend had heard my idea and pushed me to write it. I recently have gone through my stories and plot ideas and found this in the corner gathering dust, and decided to finish it as a prologue to a much larger fic. I can promise that I will update on Fridays, or Saturdays depending on how big the chapter is. Well, without a further ado, enjoy the beginning to Her Name Was Alice.
Ciel turned to the brand new demon butler, and eyed him warily. "Sebastian, I have an order of business that you must attend to urgently."
"What is it my lord?" The copper eyed man asked, a slight smirk on his lips. Ciel sighed, and spoke in a quick tone, "I had a sister, I highly doubt she survived the fire, but in the off chance, I wish for you to find her."
"Yes my lord." The demon said with a bow, about to turn and run off on this new task.
"Sebastian, wait. Her name was Alice."
Alice sighed heavily as she guided the horse through the woods, following after her mother, Frances Midford and her younger sister, Elizabeth Midford. "Mother, why aren't we turning back yet? Cook will be done with dinner soon, and he was not pleased last time we returned late." Frances clucked her tongue at her oldest child, and turned to the 16 year old girl. "We will not return until you shoot a deer, without hesitation. I want you to be able to protect yourself, and if you are not skilled with sword work, I will train you with the bow, and throwing knives."
The blonde haired girl shook her head at her overzealous mother, and moved her shoulder to readjust the sheath that rested on it. It was then her mother rose a finger, signalling she had found tracks. Knowing what this meant, Alice slid off the chestnut mare she was riding, and lead it by the reins to her younger sister. After they were taken from her hand, she waited for her mother to slide off the horse she was riding. Notching an arrow into her bow, the two Midfords set after the tracks. Stepping lightly, to not make noise, also to not get her boots stuck in the mud, Alice stopped, a 10 point buck in her line of eyesight. Raising the bow to the right positioning, and correcting her stance, Alice reminded herself that she couldn't hesitate. Frances was ruthless when it came to hunting skills, or fighting skills, and if Alice could not look good in the eyes of her mother then she was as good as an adopted child.
Pulling back the string, she let her mind go free, and let her muscles do the work for her. The arrow flew with a gust of silent wind, and hit dead into the chest of the buck. It looked up, and tried to run, but soon fell from the arrow piercing it's chest. Frances smiled, and turned to congratulate Alice, but the girl was gone. Alice had ran from the scene, she took the life of an animal, of an innocent thing. How could her mother ever find joy in that? Rushing into her sister's eyesight, she grabbed the reins, and hopped quickly onto the horse. Thanking god that she had been wearing men's hunting clothing today, she rushed through the mud and leaves back to the manor house. Bow banging harshly on her back, bound to leave bruises, the blonde haired girl pushed her mare into a faster canter, probably too fast but she needed to get away from the fact that she took that deer's life.
Arriving at the manor, she leapt from the horse's back and dashed inside as quickly as she could. Crashing into her brother, Edward, she finally calmed. "You killed one finally? I was the same way when I first did it." Alice nodded, her stomach finally trying not to remove its contents. "It is okay Alice, Mother will not be mad. She will understand." He said, hugging her tightly. Alice nodded again, and removed herself from the hug. Moving to climb the stairs, Edward called after her. "Alice, do change into a nice dress. There is a man in the drawing room for you."
Groaning, she made her way up the flight, already deciding on what dress she should wear. Opening her bedroom door, she called for Paula, Elizabeth's and her maid. After dictating what she need to do, the blonde removed her hunting clothes. Soon after, she had a balm rubbed on her back to soothe the soon to be bruises, and a navy blue corset laced over it. A matching colored dress pulled across her body after her hair got unwound from her braid. Paula quickly grabbed a brush to pull any tangles from it as Alice laced small ankle boots onto her feet. Rising from the vanity chair, she smiled at Paula. "This man may ask your hand in marriage, Alice! He is strikingly handsome, and very proper. However he did not tell us which house he comes from, which is most rude."
Alice nodded at the woman's rant about the stranger, and decided she had to meet the man herself. Returning to where she met her brother earlier, she took a deep breath before going into the west wing drawing room. As soon as she closed the door, she wanted to open it and leave. The man that had been waiting unnerved her badly. It wasn't just the fact he was tall, raven haired, or silent. No it was his copper red eyes that looked at her hungrily.
"You wished to speak with me?" She questioned, trying to keep her voice steady as the man came closer. "Ah, yes. You must be Alice Phantomhive, are you not?" The blonde blinked confused, as she had heard the Phantomhive's died in a fire. "You must be confused sir. I am Alice Midford, daughter of Marquis and Marquise Midford, Lady by birth." The man laughed, and shook his head. "You are very confused, Alice Victoria Emilin Phantomhive. You must of blocked your memories from the fire, may I return them to you?"
The girl was about to open her mouth to question his sanity, when he forcefully grabbed her temples and she was plunged into darkness. Fighting the suffocating darkness, she had the feeling she was no longer in control of her body. So when she started to feel satin sheets surrounding her body, she was confused. Finding she could open her eyes, they were met with a cream colored room that boasted the four poster queen sized bed she laid upon. Throwing the coverings off of her body, and standing she found the view outside did not match the one from her room, nor the drawing room. Also the clothing the window reflected back was not what she was last wearing, instead it was a nightgown. She also appeared to be shorter, as if she had de-aged.
Confused, Alice wanted to just shut her eyes and tell herself it was a dream. However, she instead turned against her will, catching the smell of smoke in the air. Her body continued to the door opposite the room, only to open it to be greeted by flames engulfing the bottom floor. Screaming, she ran out of the room to another room down the hall. Throwing the door open, she yelled the name Ciel only to find the room empty. Yelling for Ciel and her parents, Alice hurried to exit the house. Nearing a door that hadn't been engulfed or blocked by debris, she yelled one last time. This proved to be a fatal flaw as a support beam for the house fell and blocked the door. Realizing her escape was futile now, and the the fire would consume her before she could get to another door, the blonde grabbed the locket that rested against her chest.
Clutching it and letting tears fall, she apologized to her family that she was to die now. Slowly she felt flames lick against her bare feet, but she didn't try to run as it would prolong her death. Soon the fire reached her thighs and waist and she let out a loud whimper as it consumed her body. Still clutching the locket, the girl felt strong hands pull her away from the fire, and out of the house. In immense pain, all the girl remembered was copper red eyes. Gasping as she fought away from the memory, she was brought back to the present. Tossing the man away from her, she calmed her heart before she died from cardiac arrest. "You're not human." Was all she could say, as she now knew this man was telling the truth. Also that he had saved her.
"Neither are you, Alice. You were supposed to die that night, but the fire did not consume you completely, as if it knew better. I want to know why."
A/N: I hope you liked this, and want to see more because I really like where I have this idea going. Yes, there are plot twists, cliffhangers, and possibly romance if it shipped hard enough. However, do please review, favorite or follow!
