Black Halloween
Ciel's POV
Halloween is an eerie time. The streets are always filled with ghosts, monsters, zombies, spirits, and children simply dressing up as the former while trying to get candy. I learned that quite some time ago…
It all started with a pink and black blur of fluff. "CIIIEEEEEEEELLL!" rang in my ears as I was tackled by my fiancée Elizabeth. I looked at her, mouth agape. What the hell was she wearing? "Ciel, I would think it would be nice if we went trick-or-treating this year! It would be so fun, just like old times. And you really need to leave this mansion once in a while…" She looked around, exaggerating her point to me. While she was at it, I noticed that Paula had entered the room slowly, carrying many shopping bags with her.
Lizzy was wearing a dress with a raggedy torn black skirt over the obviously showing wire bell part. The skirt continued up into a dress with a large collar in which you could almost see her… Oh, how indecent of her! The sleeves also looked like that of rags and flowed to a wider hem as they graced down her arms. Above it all, she was wearing a perky pink corset with an even lighter shaded pink lace. That was just like her. She always needed pink in everything she wore. Underneath it all, she wore badly scathed brown hiking boots that laced up to her knees. They were perfect for trick-or-treating.
"I'm not going," I said in a monotone voice after my look-over of Elizabeth. "There is too much work to be done." Lizzy pouted, looking very close to tears. She crossed her arms and stamped her foot. Just as she was about to speak up, my butler, Sebastian, entered the room with tea and scones. Thank goodness, though I knew Lizzy is just bottling up her anger for later.
As my butler droned on and on about the tea's history, I took a cup and sipped lightly. Elizabeth copied my movements and made sure to take a blueberry lemon scone with her. Finally, Sebastian bowed his deep bow and offered to take some bags from Paula. "Do you mind if I look through them?" he asked. She smiled and nodded as she handed them to Sebastian and he brought them to my desk so he could look through them. While his face was stuffed in a pink glossy bag, I heard him chuckle. This could only be a bad sign.
"I was planning to dress you up as something cute for Halloween," Lizzy whined. "How could you not want to go? Don't you love sweets?" She stamped her foot again, just because she could. I waited for Sebastian to pull out whatever was in that bag. But, when he did, I wished I never waited.
The thing looked like a black fuzzy tube top that showed your stomach. It came with black shorts that were also quite hairy. I saw black leggings that attached to a piece of… lingerie. And there was black high heeled boots with a rounded tip that came halfway up to the knees. Sebastian had a split second dilemma trying to find both black full-arm gloves that were fingerless and tied around the middle finger, but it was nothing for a demon. Finally, and I could tell Sebastian was enjoying the suspense; he pulled out a pair of black cat ears. My eyes went wide.
"There is no way I'm dressing up in THAT!" I yelled as I pointed to the clothes in front of me. Lizzy whimpered. I don't care if she cries; all I wanted was to spend this Halloween productively. That did not include dressing up as a cat-crazed whore and walking around town, having caught all the pedophiles' eyes. No thank you.
"B-but ciiieeeeeeeeeeeeeel! I went through all the trouble of finding your size and putting together a great costume! Won't you at least try it on?" Elizabeth prompted. Paula had a pleading look that said "if you don't try them on, then I'll get sad because I had to walk around town carrying them all".
I was glad at times when Sebastian could read my mind when I was troubled. Just like now, I didn't have any response. My fiancée went through the trouble to find a slutty outfit, all for me. And I was turning her down. How WAS I supposed to answer to that? And so, Sebastian intervened. "I hate to get off topic here, but I brought a letter from the Queen to the Young Master and it would be best if he read it as soon as possible." He took out the letter from inside his jacket and handed it to me.
Elizabeth huffed. "Fine! But it's two days until Halloween. If you finish your business, maybe THEN we could go together." She skipped happily out of the room, making sure to leave her plate and tea cup on the trolley. I held my hand out to her, mouth open. I really did not want to go trick-or-treating this year. Can she not understand that?
"Young Master, your mouth is going to catch flies," Sebastian mused, no doubtfully pleased by witnessing such a sight. "It's very unbefitting for a noble." I clapped my teeth together and glared at my smart-mouth of a butler. I held my hand out to him.
"Just give me the letter," I demanded. He handed it over quickly and I sat back on my desk chair, flipping the paper open.
My sweet boy, (I grimaced.)
This coming Halloween is going to be a dreadful one, I fear. There has been a lot of talk around town and it seem that there were almost 40 children disappearances gradually growing this past couple years. Those poor children, nobody knows if they are alive or not. Some of the best detectives were hired, but they found nothing. I fear I have no choice but to leave this one to you. I'm sure it takes a child to find one.
Also, in the same area, there have been about the same amount of slaughters in the alleyways. All of them were adults with happy families. Why would someone do such a thing? It's truly terrible. I'm not sure if the cases are unrelated or not, but why not tackle two birds with one stone? The mysteries lie in the heart of Old Coulson. We do not have time to waste! If children in Old Coulson go out trick-or-treating, I'm afraid that some might not come back. Please, boy, this is a serious request. Find the kidnapper and murderer and put a stop to them.
Sincerely, Victoria
I frowned and put the letter away. It would take quite some time to apprehend both the kidnapper and murderer, but if the Queen wishes it, then let it be done. I stood up from my desk and started walking to my bedroom. "Young Master…?" Sebastian asked.
"Well, I'm not going to wait until tomorrow to go street-lurking in Old Coulson. We need this case to be done quickly. Come on, I need to get dressed." Sebastian bowed and followed as I turned the corner or the hallway. It was already about 7 and was already quite dark. Old Coulson was an hour drive by carriage. How was getting a case done in less than three days even possible? Thinking about it made my head hurt. Only time will reveal the culprit's whereabouts; that and a certain demon butler.
Later, we were waiting in the alleys of Old Coulson. We weren't sure if the kidnapper would come forth if we were together, so I walked alone while Sebastian kept an eye on me from the rooftops. My only hope was that he didn't find a stupid cat to play with while on the job. Like so many times before… I shuddered at the thought.
Since the alleys were so dark and dank, water almost never evaporated from rain, so it's left in moldy puddles here and there. I couldn't get through the alley without stepping in a few. Maybe the more noise I made the better chance the kidnapper would come? I stomped hard on a few puddles.
Splash, splash, drip.
Splash, splash, drip.
I continued on, louder.
Splash, splash, drip.
Splash, splash, drip.
Splash-ash, splash-ash, drip-p.
I stopped in my tracks.
Splash, splash, drip.
… Silence.
Someone was right behind me.
Sebastian's POV
Trailing behind my master in the shadowy tips of rooftops, I carefully kept close attention. His orders were, as follows, "Do not, under any circumstances, become infatuated or hypnotized by those beasts we call cats and kittens, or so help me, I will personally hunt you down and beat your bloody ass in the depths of Hell when I get there! THAT'S AN ORDER!" He seemed pretty serious.
Meow!
I stopped suddenly from my running and looked around. Where did that adorable noise come from? I looked over to my left and saw a darkened area hidden by a chimney top. I looked back at my master. Nothing was happening at the moment; certainly I could take the kittens with me. I could carry them.
Meow!
Certainly the cat couldn't wait for me any longer. I went to go get them hurriedly before my master looks up and doesn't find me in sight; or worse…. Climbing behind the chimney, there was a small litter of kittens that just seemed to be opening their eyes and getting enough strength to walk around. My eyes widened from their innocence. They reminded me of something… or someone important to me…
I scooped them all up in my arms as they cuddled into my warmth. Those round and innocent eyes that know no filth or foulness, those tails that lovingly swish as if they belong to nobility, those paws of soft shades of warm light pink! So adorable! How could the Master not love cats…? Oh, right.
Cradling the 5 kittens in my arms, I made my way back to the edge of the roof trying to find my master. It took me a nanosecond to realize that something was wrong. "Young Master?" I called out. I landed on the ground and carefully put the kittens down. It would be easier to fight the culprit if I was on land. Then I ran for the conjoining alleyway just as my seal of the contract started to glow a bright purple.
As I turned the corner, I saw my master being loomed over by a figure slightly taller than him. It seemed to be whispering words in his ear. Why wasn't he moving?
Ciel's POV
I could not move as the figure breathed down my neck. It sent shivers down my spine to know that an unidentified persona was right behind me, and I didn't know what it was after. My neck creaked against muscles as I slowly turned my head to face whatever was behind me. Why was I like this? Ciel Phantomhive does NOT get scared! Especially when a job was to be done.
There was something eerie about it all. Very nostalgic indeed. That did not stop me from looking the form right in the eye. Luckily (or unfortunately) for me, there was no eyes to be seen. Not under the mask the person wore. It was basically a paper bag with a drawing on it and slits so the wearer could see you but you couldn't see them. I took a shaky breath. What was this person after?
Before I could find an answer, the person behind the mask screeched so loudly in my ear, I thought I would have a heart attack. I turned by back quickly to face the person and saw it clutching the sides of its head. Before I knew it, the thing toppled over to its side and dies in a laying position. A knife stuck out from the back of its cranium and blood from the brain was soaked into the paper bag. I took a step back, regaining my breath. Something was off. Why didn't I hear it walking if it was pursuing me for a while? And why didn't Sebastian strike until now?
I put my hands on my hips and looked down at the dead body as my butler ran to my side. "Do you think this person is the kidnapper?" I asked. I nudged the person's stomach with the tip of my boot to make sure that he or she was certainly dead.
"Unlikely," Sebastian answered. "This person could hardly be older than fifteen years of age. What would make a child chase after another child?" He put his gloved fingers to his bottom lip in thought. I widened my eyes and stomped my foot on his toes.
"Don't call me a child!" I yelled at him. I knew for a fact that he was doing his best to keep himself from rolling his eyes at me. I turned my back to Sebastian. He wasn't important now. "… Whatever. Let's see who this is." My butler bowed and proceeded with taking off some garments, looking for identification. He then took off the mask. The face of a beautiful girl with mouse brown hair down her back was shown. She had large hazel eyes that currently had no life in them. Freckles graced her cheeks in the perfect amount. Her skin was rather pale.
"Madeline Dickinson," Sebastian remarked, looking at her face. "She has been one of the first to be kidnapped. She has been gone for one and a half years. I wonder why she turned up now just to get killed." I shrugged. Sebastian shuffled a bit more on the insides of her jacket before taking out something small. "A pin. It says, 'House of the Damned orphanage.'"
"Do you know anything on the subject, Sebastian?" I asked. He knew a lot of things, I knew so. If something needed to be researched, I simply turned to my butler, who was always willing to answer questions. His response shocked me.
"Nothing at all, my lord," he replied. Bowing his head, he continued. "I am terribly sorry. I know nothing of the subject. Even a demon's knowledge is limited." I huffed. There was only one thing to do at a time like this. And we had no time to lose.
"Come, dog," I commanded as I walked, chin held high, out of the alleyways and into the streets. It did not take us long to find the Old Coulson local library. It was a large structure that looked much like that of a church. Many books were religiously related to God. Religion was not my strong point, and I had no care for such things. My heels clip-clopped on the sidewalk when I realized that there was nobody behind me. "… Sebastian?" I called. "Sebastian, come here!" I waited for his return.
He poked his head through the alleyway, meeting my stern gaze. "My apologies, my lord. I had to attend to certain business." I glowered at him, trying to get him to cough it up. He stared back at me, putting on a poker-face.
I waited. "… Well, spit it out! What were you doing that doesn't concern me?" I pouted and crossed my arms like Elizabeth did that morning, expect I did not stomp my foot. Sebastian avoided eye contact. I growled, my patience very limited.
"I had to bring something to the mansion."
"What did you bring?"
"Well, you see master, they were just so cute, and how could I leave them alone?"
Ah, now I understand. "Sebastian, you are to throw out every last one of those kittens you took into your chambers. That's an order," I said in my monotone voice. He looked ashamed in himself as I turned and entered the library. "Let's go, you cat obsessed moron."
We made it inside the building. It had a roof about three stories high and the rest of the floors rung around the single room, connected by lifts. The book cases came halfway to the roof, and ladders with wheels graced the aisles to the side. Sebastian turned to me. "I will ask the librarian. Why don't you try to find a book about Old Coulson orphanages?" Then he walked away, leaving me alone to roam the building as I pleased.
With slumped shoulders, I made my way to the reference section. It wasn't very big, just an entire bookcase. But, I would still need to climb a ladder to reach. And I did not want to climb, but seeing as my butler was off doing something important and there was nobody else around to do my will, it would seem I needed to. Before stepping on the ladder, I skimmed my eyes over every book I could reach. I stepped back and looked higher until I saw a rather large book titled Orphanages and their Saints. It was worth a try.
I carefully put one foot in front of the other and went higher and higher until the tips of my fingers could almost reach it. One more step, but the ladder was getting really shaky. I took the risk and took a step up. A cold wind rushed through my hair just as my index finger ran over the book's spine in a failed attempt to hook it over the top and pull it out. The ladder was wheeling away!
I gripped the shelf, ultimately stopping the ladder and leaving me in a very uncomfortable pose. When I tried to slingshot back to the space, I had to grip the shelf so hard, my knuckles turned white. The ladder wouldn't budge; it was as if it was trying to resist me. I took my hands off the shelf and contemplated stepping down, because maybe the wheels were jammed.
And then the ladder started moving on its own. At first it was moving at an excruciatingly slow pace, one who was only viewing would not know what was wrong. But, its pace slowly grew. I stood on the ladder transfixed. As much as I prompted my feet to step down, I could not move an inch on the moving ladder. Soon the haunted structure was moving at a breakneck pace across the entire aisle. How could anyone not see me?
I soon found that the palms of my hands were covered in blood because I was gripping the sides of the metal ladder to keep from falling off. I could not go on like this. "SEBASTIAN!" I yelled across the library. "SEBASTIAN!"
Sebastian's POV
Soon after I left the young master's side, I was at the librarian's desk. She was quite the old woman with graying hair and wrinkly skin covering her face that once held beauty. Her glasses had a chain around them, seeing as she spent most of her time reading. She was shuffling through papers of overdue books. Near her, a black and white television set broadcasted the news, but it was hard to make out the words, even for my demon ears. What do you expect from the 19th century?
"Excuse me," I asked in a polite manner. She looked up, keeping her deep frown. "I was wondering if there were any articles or documents on 'The House of the Damned orphanage'." She narrowed her skunk eyes at me. I kept my amused grin.
"We have nothing of that," she said. "We don't keep reports on hauntings." She started returning to her work. But, I was determined.
"Can you at least tell me where I can get a reference?" I asked. Hopefully I won't push her too much.
"I told you, we don't keep anything on that here," she answered without turning to me. I sighed. I would have to resort to plan B.
"My, my, it really is cold here," I said. She looked at me, quirking her eyebrow. I leaned over to her and her narrow eyes widened. "Should I… Heat it up?" I made sure my breath hit her face. Then she sighed and turned back to her work, except she walked over to a different section of references. She handed me a card when she came back.
"Here, hot stuff," she said. I looked at the card. It had a book code on it. "Just don't tell anyone or I might get fired." I nodded and bowed in respect. I couldn't wait to get away from her. She smelled vaguely of toothpaste and pickles.
I quickly made my way to the newspaper and magazine section of the library and flipped through the authors until I found one with the headline Owner of Orphanage Killed—Children left to Fend. Reading further, I found that this article was, indeed, about the House of the Damned. I was about to read further but a voice caught my attention.
"SEBASTIAN!" I heard my master call. "SEBASTIAN!" Of course I was taken aback at the screeching voice, but since I am simply one hell of a butler, I was able to put everything past me and save my master. Running across half of the library at the speed of light, the screams of a young boy grew louder. Any normal human would have been taken aback by the ghost ladder trying to send their master to their death. Not me, no, it was quite a normal occurrence in my life.
I stood in the middle of the aisle with my hands out, waiting to catch the deathly metal structure. It clanked to a sudden stop at the edge of the bookcase, nearly sending my master flying. Thank goodness he had an iron grip, despite his otherwise poor physical strength. His head turned my way, his mouth opened in an almost-scream that couldn't be heard over the rumbling and rolling of the wheels and the clanking of the sides.
Digging my heels into the carpet, my outstretched arms met with the ladder. Instead of stopping it completely, the ladder was quite persistent, and continued, trying to push me off. "Step off, Master!" I commanded of the Young Earl. He nodded, squeaking, and slowly made his way lower toward the ground on shaky legs.
But, the predator had other plans. Dashing off in the other direction, it started to pull me with it. As much as I pulled and strained, I could not stop it. Never in my thousands of years have I experienced something like this before. It was almost supernatural. It must've known I was not a human either, because other worldly things would never show their nature to a human to whom it is not haunting at the moment.
And so, right before it clanked to a stop on the other side of the bookcase, the librarian showed up and the wheels stopped turning on their own. Had I not noticed the change beforehand, I would have been run over by the ladder. Now that everything was still, the Little Lord Brat made his way down to the ground, looking relieved. The librarian, however, was far from relieved.
"What happened here?" she yelled at us in an attempt at a hushed whisper. I bowed at her, a perfect 45 degree angle. My master stepped to my side; more like behind me, and stared at her. She was the same person that I met at the registration desk.
"My apologies, Miss. We meant no harm. We just… had a bit of a problem to take care of," I said, smiling her way. She scowled, the creases in her forehead cutting deeper into her complexion.
"You have disrupted the peace of my library!" she said in a frightening tone. "We could hear the squeaking of wheels all the way from the desk!" She looked at the Earl. "You," she pointed to him as he put on a bored and adult-like expression. "Ladders are not to play with. You could have been seriously injured! If you can't abide by the library rules, we will have to ban you both!" She turned back to me. "Keep your kid under check; otherwise it will be you who is blamed in the future." She then turned, hunched, and stormed off back to her post. Something told me it wasn't only the ladder incident that made her grouch like that.
My master tugged on my sleeve slightly, and I turned my attention to him. "Let's go now. I'm tired and I've lost a lot of blood." He opened his palms and showed me a large cut that spread from his cagina to his pinky muscle. No bones or muscles were seen, thank goodness, but he was still bleeding severely through the clots of already-dried blood.
I bowed to him. "Yes, My Lord," I said as I picked him up bridal style and jumped out the nearest window, trying my best not to be seen. Who needs doors when you've got a demon butler? Certainly not Ciel Phantomhive. My lord wrapped his arms around my neck instinctively and leaned his head on my shoulder. I chuckled in my mind. He's just like a kitten.
"I don't suppose you found anything on the case, did you?" he mumbled as I continued at a running pace toward the manor. "Not with our problem…"
"I did find one thing," I said, and he looked up at me with that big eye of his. "But, let's save it for when we wash and patch your hands, then I'll make a nice cup of Earl Grey when we get home." He nodded sleepily and laid back down, relaxing his muscles until I was certain he had fallen asleep. His hands slipped off my neck and dangled at his sides as he took long, even breaths. His long eyelashes fluttered once in a while as he murmured something like, "Get the golden fleece from that monkey, Sebastian; the one with the blue wig and purple polka-dots. And bring me some of that seaweed and caviar cake. And tie my toga on tighter. That's an order…" All of this has left me wondering, what is he reading nowadays? Such strange creatures, humans are.
Ciel's POV
Early in the morning the next day, I read the newspaper that my butler took from the library. I heard the "drip-plop-plop" of the tea being poured into a teacup. It would be my third one.
Something had made me anxious about this case. Even when Sebastian had left to do his daily routine, which involved dusting and cleaning the study, library, lounge, and everywhere else that had specks of dust, scolding the rest of the servants for not doing their jobs properly, and finally preparing all of my snacks, meals, and desserts, he had his hands tied with helping me in this case.
I could remember recently when Sebastian went to lecture the new maid, Maylene, and left my side for practically five minutes and I felt like I was being watched. In the striking silence, when wind refused to blow through my open window, I heard shaky breaths being drawn from my right. And, it definitely wasn't an echo. But, then Sebastian returned to my side, asking if I wanted another cup, and I hastily nodded. I was almost afraid to be left alone again.
"It seems that the body of their former foster mother was hacked into pieces and left in the basement to rot and be eaten," I said. "Scotland Yard has a right to think that the children did it to her. But, why?" I leaned on my palm and skimmed through the rest of it. "The orphanage resides in Old Coulson also; at the edge of Chardon. Eh?" My eyes stopped on a particular paragraph. "… Apparently, the House of the Damned orphanage is just a cover business. They found a hospital-like scene underground with shock tables and diagrams for putting needles into the brain to 'fix' various disabilities. All of the original children were disabled in some way, whether it is that they were slow, mute, or had epilepsy."
"So, it was basically an asylum when nobody was looking," Sebastian concluded. I nodded. "A terrible thing. So, the owner tortured them, and since they had no family, nobody would care anyways. And they got so mad one day that they killed her and left her to rot like the rotten woman she was while she was alive. Interesting."
"But, why are there still disappearances in that area? Why are kids, perfectly normal in the head, still being picked off one by one? And what do the adult murders have to do with this?" I stared at the paragraph more intensely before I memorized each and every word. Then, I moved on to the next.
"Maybe it is because the souls of those who were tortured abducted them so their legacy would live on in pursuit of the evil adults?" my butler guessed. It seemed likely. I got up and dropped the newspaper on my desk before staring Sebastian straight in the eyes.
"Make preparations. We are going back to Old Coulson as soon as possible, preferably much before sundown, at noon. I want to see the House of the Damned for myself. This is an order," I commanded, pausing to itch at my palms which were currently wrapped in bandages. The stupid ladder had cut so deep into my palm that when we got back, Sebastian had scrubbed my hands. Of course, it hurt a lot, since the wound was fresh, and my whimpers had definitely made my butler think he was better off giving me anesthetics and sowing my cut closed rather than going through this pain to simply bandage it without dried, grit filled blood.
Sebastian bowed slightly. "Yes, My Lord." Then he left to call a carriage to formally arrive at Old Coulson, and I immediately regretted it. The same anxious feeling I got when someone wasn't there came back. I turned to my right, but nobody was there. The shaky breathing went on as two invisible eyes stalked me like the prey that I was.
In two hours, we arrived at Old Coulson and decided to walk the rest of the way. It wasn't long before we came upon an unkempt property with a sagging brick building. We just stared at it for a while, soaking it into our minds. And, it wasn't a pretty picture either. "Well, let's go now," I said, starting to walk onto the upturned pathway leading to the ivy-covered front door. Nothing suspicious yet.
Everything was so nostalgic in a way. Even Sebastian kept his guard up. It wasn't long before we stepped onto the creaky boards of the steps that led to the door. I was just about to step on it to climb up, but Sebastian swiftly put his arm out in front of me so my weight was kept centered instead of moving forward. My heel poked the stairs slightly and it immediately fell apart. Crumpled into a heap of dead wood, the hollow spacing between the earth and the boards was revealed, and I could have sworn I could see something dark move out of the light. It looked distinctly like a grey and green hand.
"Let me help you," Sebastian proffered as he picked me up by the waist and hauled me onto the wooden porch I took a couple steps to steady myself and was soon finding myself inches away from the doorbell. Sebastian climbed up by himself and took his place beside me. I wouldn't have it any other way, I thought as I brought up my fist first to my chest as I examined the doorbell. It was a plain white and circular, not a very catching sight. It was also surrounded by mildew, but the button itself was clear as day.
I extended my hand and pushed the button with the pad of my thumb, keeping a good arm's distance away from everything. Nothing happened for a while; nothing at all except for the chilly air that raked through our hair. We waited and waited, for a sign, for a soul, for something. But, nothing happened.
I turned my back on it all, facing my butler. "Nothing is happening. Are you certain this is it?" Sebastian looked past me, over my shoulder, before answering. I put my hands on my hips, dismayed at the lack of immediate response.
"Oh, I'm certain," he said, still not making eye contact with me. "Check behind you." It was then that I heard the faintest of creaks from somewhere off my peripheral vision. I made a 180 to face the door again. It was open. I looked back at Sebastian who was staring back at me, ready for an attack. I took that as a chance to progress and made my way into the building.
I made sure to look around and soak up for usual scenery. Many pillars and supporting had toppled over during the long years, but there were cloths trying—and failing—to cover it all up. Smashed furniture, including an intricate wooden table with a glass face and several vases, were scattered all over the floor. It looked exactly like a house, if only it wasn't abandoned.
Why didn't people knock it over and build something else? I asked myself. Because they are scared of us. Who is scared of whom? The workers are such babies compared to us. We scare them so we can rest in peace. Who are you? Your friend. Where are you? At the hidden door. Under the quilt. Join us, Ciel. We'll be waiting. Don't be late for our tea party, you hear?
It was all strange. The voices inside my head did not scare me. Instead, they kind of soothed me. It made me feel less lonely inside. It is an eerie thought to think that a ghost was actually playing with my head, even on its territory. It was probably my body reacting to something. I don't know what it was, maybe the moldy scent covering every surface in splotches here?
"My lord?" Sebastian asked, regaining my attention. I looked at him, startled out of my previous thoughts. "Are you alright? We don't need to be here if you don't want." He tried to reach out a comforting hand toward me, but I slapped it away.
"I'm fine! This is for the Queen, not me, in case you've forgotten!" I snapped. I felt the urge to keep my voice low, so if someone was listening to us, they wouldn't hear as well. Who would listen? Probably no one, but either way, the house would be shaking off spider webs if the power of vibrations were to get the better of it. Then, I turned my head and said in an even quieter voice, "The quilt."
"Excuse me?" Sebastian inquired. That was when I started to walk in a direction away from Sebastian and toward the heart of the building. Dodging all the obstacles that protruded from the walls and ceiling, there lay a huge quilt of many faded colors in the side of a room near a burnt out fireplace.
On the quilt, there lay many pictures, and many were obviously drawn or sewn on by children. At the top, most of them were of God's love for man and society. Bright angels swarmed the pictures, bringing light to man. Towards the middle pictures, some of them were of man's strife for survival when they are denied extra help from their deity. They crossed long desserts without water in God's name. Jesus was being hung on the crucifix in the very center. Toward the bottom, devils and untamed, stereotypical demons were dragging people to Hell. The town in which the people lived in was in the middle of a bloody massacre. A fallen angel, yet to get her black wings, lay bleeding on the ground.
"Such a strange quilt," Sebastian concluded. I pressed my palm to the quilt, tracing my fingers over the stitching of some of the bodies. Running my adolescent phalanges over the worn out—and in some places, torn—fabric, I came across ridges from under the quilt.
"Tear the quilt down," I commanded Sebastian, taking a step back. He bowed and tore it from its iron nails with ease, taking two fistfuls of the thick blanket. Shreds of the nasty cloth were still hanging stubbornly on its hinges, but we could still see what was underneath.
A wooden door with several bolts and locks was uncovered. Just like the unbeknownst voice had said there would be. My impatience and, dare I say, curiosity was getting the better of me the longer we just stared at it. It was… quite an amusing sight, to say the least.
"Well?" I snapped at my butler. "Open it!" He dropped the quilt on the ground and reached for the barricaded door. Everything snapped open in an instant, clinking and turning for an entire second before silence, and the door swung open violently, hitting the wall behind it. A long stone staircase was revealed in an otherwise pitch black tunnel. "That's more like it," I said, starting to step down the stairs. Sebastian gave me a confused expression before turning around like something had disturbed him from behind.
It took one second, one millisecond, really, for me to disappear into the blackness of the tunnel and for the door to close shut. There was no light whatsoever and I looked around in vain for a wall or something to cling on to keep me from tumbling down the stairs. "Master!" Sebastian called hastily as he pounded on the door, but apparently, it would no longer open for anyone. I stayed in place, trying to keep the invisible hands wrapping around my waist from pulling me down the stairs. Sebastian broke through the rickety door after ramming it down, but he was too late.
I was already locked up tight with nowhere to go.
Sebastian's POV
I looked around awestruck at the empty tunnel leading downward, as if straight to Hell. My master was just here… wasn't he? I kept calling him, for maybe he just fell down the stairs and twisted his ankle. "Master…! My lord?" To put it simply, I was desperate. The aura of the entire property was off, and something unidentifiable just wasn't right. I had to get Ciel quickly and get him out of this place, lest he be killed by whatever lives in this place.
My intention was to race down the stairs, and with my night-vision, find him and take him to safety. This plan, however, had failed when I took a step down. Strong winds blew at me from the inside out. When I didn't yield, something like a wall of electricity hit me full on and sent me flying out and into the living room. I had to twist and land on my feet. The next time I looked up, the door bolted shut again after it had repaired itself. I'm not sure from what, but a growl from something carnal and deformed had come from behind it.
There was one thing for sure. There were some anti-demon seals on the door that would not let me pass. It had been a long time since I've seen seals that worked on me, probably since the feudal era. If anyone was smart, they would put anti-demon seals on every opening possible to the underground basement. But, if they were even smarter, they would realize that demons could break through concrete as easily as breaking through Styrofoam, and demons can be very determined to get things, especially when their food is stolen from them.
They are not smart at all, are these children? They certainly messed with the wrong demon. That's for sure. And so, I went outside, taking a second to think through the problem thoroughly to make a getaway preferably before the day ends—.
Meow!
Stopping in my tracks of the overgrowth in the backyard, I looked around for the little ball of fluff. Looking for the master is so stressful, and it would only take five minutes. He wouldn't be harmed by then. I crouched near the roots of a currently decaying weeping willow, looking back and forth.
Meow!
That's right! Call for me! I'll find you, I thought as I looked under the bushes near a fence. Was the cat on the move? Probably likely. I continued to keep a wary eye as I moved more inward into the property. Where are you?
Meow!
I came across a murky swamp of a section with an ivy colored cherub statue. I looked right and left again, my bangs swishing back and forth. The tips of my fingers trailed the grass as I crouched down yet again. Where was it?
Meeeeooooooooowwww!
I jumped. It sounded like something got into a trap and died. I pushed back some grass and found something poking out of the ordinary. I carefully reached for it, the scent of decay growing stronger by the second. Pulling it out, the top half of a tuxedo cat was mangled and matted as blood dripped from its waist. The other half was probably caught in a bear trap somewhere. The poor thing, it wasn't even that old.
I was too occupied by the dead ex-bundle-of-cuteness to hear the grass shift behind me. Something hard hit my head with such force, it would have killed an ordinary person. Who would dare to hit me? I turned to face the culprit.
Five children were surrounding me, each wearing paper bag masks and carrying weapons, such as the fire-poke, a mop, a pin cushion filled with pins and needles, a fire starter, and rope. The one with the fire-poke attempted to hit me again in the head, but I dodged it and easily hit them on their necks, causing them to crumble and fall. They should have sent more, but it wouldn't matter anyways.
I tossed the cat half behind me and started to walk away. I needed to start to dig my own tunnel and get inside the basement. That's when I heard a rustle behind me. I turned around, and every child who tried to attack me was standing straight up, ready to fight. I knew my trip to 21st century America would come in handy for this time, because the only way to describe my thoughts was: WTF?
Pins and needles flew at me, but they were nothing when I blocked them with a single knife (which I luckily brought). I could almost hear the person under the mask growl in anger. The one with the fire-poke swung at me again and I successfully stole the weapon and threw it at the masked figure, pinning it down to a nearby tree. Two down, three to go.
The fire bearer threatened to ignite me with a bottle of gasoline which was taken from its pocket. Cautiously stepping forward as if daring me to attack, the one with the mop decided to strike from my side, ultimately getting my attention.
Gripping the mop with both hands, I drove the child into another tree, soon to pin it down with two butter knives. The child struggled and wormed, but could not get out. I did not turn around in time.
Normally, I would have sensed an attack, but with the occasional anti-demon seal, the revolting stench of rotting decay laid across the lawn, and the nostalgic feel of everything, you could say I was a bit distracted with the bonus of the ninja-kids attacking me. Either way, I was a bit tied up.
That is, I was when the child with the rope found a way to lasso me around my neck and pulled me down. The one that lost its needles tackled me the other way, making me lose my balance. Again, normal circumstances would be when I threw them off me and finished them without a care in the world, but this is different. I could feel my demonic strength fleeting, failing me as the children with the fire-poke and mop got out of their bounds and rushed toward me. The fire bearer got ready to spray me with gasoline when one of them stopped it.
"Wait!" the one with the poke said. "We could use him. Remember? We have him now."
"That's right," the one with the fire said. "Where would we find another adult?" The rest nodded their heads.
"Bring him to the dungeon," the one with the rope proffered. The one with the poke came to me and knocked me on the head with the non-tipped surface, a blow in which I supposed was to knock me out cold. It hurt more than usual. I gasped inwardly. It was starting to happen, the transformation. Why was it happening so early? Why was I being so careless? I had put both the young master and I in terrible danger… I could only hope he would forgive me if we make it out alive.
I pretended to fall unconscious as they dragged my body down the cold stone stairs. But, the truth was I was doing everything in my power to stay awake.
Ciel's POV
I do not know when I went to sleep, but I know that I woke up in a musky bedroom with a dank, moldy smell. It was bright out, as sunlight shone through the small window with thin white curtains. I took a look at my surroundings. There wasn't much to it. There was a small box for pieces of clothing, a table and chair to be used as a desk, a twin bed, a window, and a door leading to the outside. The room was very small and painted a mucus green color. Everything else was white or cream.
My body jolted straight up when I heard the sound of a door opening. Clutching the bed sheets to my chest, I turned my head and saw a decent girl carrying a tray of food. She had brown hair down her back and grey eyes. On her face, she wore a pleased smile. And she was quite tall, maybe 17 years old. "Good morning, sunshine!" she cheered as she approached me and handed me the tray of food. I looked at what was served. Blueberry lemon scones, tea, and a side of ham. Just like Sebastian used to make. Speaking of which, where was that blasted demon? Probably playing with a cat. I hesitantly took the breakfast and examined it closely.
The girl sat on the edge of the bed next to me. For a while, she just stared into my eye that wasn't covered with the eye patch. I played with the food, looking for any traces of poison. There was no way I would eat any food given to me by a stranger.
"It's okay, we didn't poison it," the girl said sweetly. "You should eat to get your strengths back. After we took you in, you had a hard time adjusting. You kept saying, 'Sebastian! Sebastian!' and you wouldn't stop. We were worried about you, but we'd never kill you."
"Adjusting?" I asked. "Adjusting to what? Who are you? What am I doing in this place?" I looked around, putting a bend fork down. This definitely wasn't my mansion. The girl sighed, and not the relieved kind.
"Adjusting to us. We're your friends, Ciel. We're kids just like you, who want revenge. You're just a late bloomer to come across here and submit yourself to our pride. We will help you get revenge, but you need to trust us." She took my hands in her cold ones and she smiled at me.
I looked back at her. "No thanks. I'm getting my revenge in other ways. I don't need you." I took my hands away and put the tray next to me as it was starting to warm up my lap. The girl's eyes went cold as she stared at me.
"I don't think that's your choice, Ciel," the girl said gruffly. "You killed our friend, Madeline Dickinson. Now you must avenge her by taking her place in our cult. If you don't, we'll kill you. It won't take that long for another heartbroken kid to come across us. Oh," she paused, a devilish smile spreading across her lips. "You can't even use your stupid demon butler anymore."
A shock went down my spine and I stood up, looking down at her. "What did you do to Sebastian?" I demanded. It wasn't a question; it was a command for the answer. The girl stood up also and looked down at me. She was at least a foot taller than me, but I kept my guard up.
"Oh, you don't know what happens to demons during Halloween?" she giggled fiendishly. "Figures, you've only had him for, what? Half a year almost? You're only still eleven, going on twelve very soon." I growled. I hated being thought of as a child. But, how did she know that? "I'll tell you something about demons. As humans start to dress up for Halloween, spirits of the dead are attracted to the surface. The spirits of the dead have an effect on living supernatural beings, for example, demons. They suck up all the magical power they have to stay on Earth. The more demons there are, the longer they stay. When the demon loses all his or her magical power, they turn into humans. Only until the spirits of the dead are gone do they start to regain their magical power and turn into demons again. The end."
Sebastian was turning into a human? Why didn't he tell me before? He is so dead when he gets us out of here, if he can do that. So many things rushed through my numb skull that I couldn't even think! Was she even telling the truth about this? I certainly hope not.
"You should eat, otherwise you're not going to have any strength," the girl prompted. "At least drink the tea, then we can start our day." I looked over to the tray of food. The tea was no longer burning hot, or so it seemed. And the girl seemed awfully nice to me. But, could she still be trusted? That was the question.
I sniffed the tea like I see Sebastian doing every time we go out and I buy a drink. He says that he could smell the poison in drinks. I tried to do the same with my tea. The tea was a chamomile tea, good for setting stomachs and soothing throats. I rarely ever had chamomile tea since Sebastian knew that Earl Grey was my favorite. And so brought me back to my question: what does poison smell like?
"I told you, we didn't poison it," the girl said, starting to get pushy. I let out a small "tch," out of anger and raised the teacup to my lips. Before I took a sip, I looked back at the girl. She watched me with much patience. Figuring she wouldn't leave me alone, I took a small sip.
The world went fuzzy for a moment and I dropped the teacup on the floor. It shattered into a million pieces and scattered all over. I fell down onto the bed in a haze, my body much too weak to move a muscle. The girl audibly sneered at me and walked to the door.
"It's not poison, just a drug to make you 'agreeable' with us. Be down at the resting room in a couple hours. And my name is Hearth, by the way," she said as she left the room, closing the door behind her. The room went silent and I soon fell into a deep sleep, the food never eaten.
Sebastian's POV
They took me to an underground dungeon after some hard work dismantling the anti-demon seals. For a few children, they had some sort of inhuman strength if they could carry me, a demon in his seven thousands, the equivalence to a 22 year old man, down to the basement and across the labyrinth of a hallway. I should make note of this for later.
The children forced me into chains. I could've sworn I got a couple bolts out of the anchors, but it wasn't enough. This must mean that there are many spirits here if I started transforming this early, and so quickly too. I frowned. How was I going to save my master like this?
"Stay still," one of them said, pointing a sword to my head. He had been sharpening it in front of me for the past few minutes. The rest either dispersed or were laid out across the room, waiting for him to finish. "You'll only make it harder for both of us. You can't get out and we need to screw back all the damage."
I huffed. This definitely wasn't going as planned. "He's not going to listen to us, Simon," a girl said in a high pitched voice that reminded me of the young master's fiancée. "He's just a stupid adult. That's what they always do. They think they can order us around and tell us to get him out and apologize. Well, we have the upper hand here!" It sounded more like she was yelling at me than speaking to him.
"Ya got that right," another girl said with a heavy accent. "I ain't eva going back to that lyfe." She crossed her arms and I supposed she was pouting. She was bigger and a bit chubbier than the rest. I guess she doesn't get out much.
The first scoffed and continued sharpening the sword. "You're an unusual adult," the boy said to me. "Most sacrifices we bring just shout at us and demand answers. You're actually quiet. Too bad you'll be dead by dinner time."
Say what? "Excuse me," I started politely as if to not prove him wrong. "What 'sacrifice' exactly are you using me for?" I looked up at him and smiled my signature grin. He paused for a moment, checking the blade of the sword until it drew blood, and continued to sharpen it.
"… For the initiation. Your young master bailed you out. He's joining us now, as in, he doesn't need you. So, we're using you as part of the initiation. You see, we're killers. We can't be held up by stupid things called 'love' for our parents or guardians. So, we kill them, in exchange for a better life. With you, he has power. He has paparazzi following, no privacy, since he's so well known. With us, we can easily wheedle out the culprit, and he still has his soul. Much better than any demon."
Ah, so for the initiation, the young master will have to kill me. That's what the sword is for. Since I am turning human, I am very vulnerable to any sort of attack. Oh, why did it have to turn out like this? There must be a way out of this. I remained silent, trying to think of an escape.
"I'm done here," the boy said, lifting the sword over his head and looking at it glint in the dull light of a single light bulb. "Let's go, shall we?" The rest nodded at each other, got up from their spots on the ground, and left. The last one, the speaking girl, made sure to shut the light off.
The realm of darkness took me over. And I was no longer allowed to walk it's path.
Ciel's POV
I woke up later in the day. I haven't eaten anything in quite a while, so it must've been my growling stomach that worked as an alarm. I didn't know exactly where to go, but I couldn't go wrong with opening the door and looking outside. On wobbly and still quite tired feet, I made it across the creaky wooden floor to the door and opened it. It was surprisingly unlocked.
The hall was so long, it seemed to stretch a mile both ways. Sparse doors with signs on them lined it. The door I was in was in the middle of it all. I read the signs as I carried on to my left. Buzz. Madonna. Freight. Bell. Captain. Shirley. Those were all the names on the doors.
I walked back to my room and looked at the door. There was a sign, but it had nothing on it. It was entirely blank. I turned the sign around. Nothing. Was I supposed to decorate it or something?
A door opened up behind me, the fourth door I saw. It revealed a very pale looking kid, maybe 6 or 7 years of age. She had sickly blonde hair that almost touched the ground and had ruffles on the ends. She was not facing me, instead, she turned away, not noticing my presence, and walked down the hall just to turn the corner. I soon had the nerve to follow her, running as fast as I could.
Luckily, by the time I got to the end, her blonde hair was sticking out of a small staircase, disappearing as she descended. I ran as if my life depended on it and raced down the stairs after her. It was then that she heard me.
"Hello," she said in a high pitched voice. I stopped running a few yards from her. "Want to go to the resting room with me, Unknown?" Unknown? Who was she talking to? I looked around but there wasn't anyone but us. "Don't just stand there. Come with me, Unknown." At her last sentence, she turned around, looking at me with ocean blue eyes and a big smile. Then, she approached me and took my hand in her smaller one and she started to drag me in the direction we were headed.
It didn't take long before we arrived at a large mostly empty room. Several people were sitting on a red rug in the middle that stood out from the grey concrete floor. Along the sides of the square room, there was a mess of filed in one corner mixed with many newspapers. A cork board pinned up some clippings of information. On the opposite side, there was a very large mat with a steel fence around it. Stands with weapons were also to the side near the arena, but they seemed to be locked within a glass case. More people, most being close peers, worked at each station.
A girl, the same one I saw in my bedroom, waved at us and patted a space on the red rug next to her. What was her name again? Hearth? "Come here, Bell! Bring our new friend too! We're about to start a game of Nursery Circle. Join us."
"Coming!" Bell said, starting to run to her position in the circle. "Oh boy, my favorite game! I've been looking at new nursery rhymes, too. I'm ready for anything!" Hearth giggled at her cuteness and looked at me.
"Come on, now. Don't be shy, little one. We won't bite," she coaxed. I looked at her friends around the small circle and then looked back at her in the eyes.
"Answer my questions," I commanded them. "Where am I? What is this place? And what did you do with Sebastian?" I started to approach them, looking down at them with ice cold eyes. Bell hid behind Hearth's shoulder, mumbling, "Scary…" The rest glared up at me. There was seven total.
"We do not speak in that tone here, little one," Hearth said in a mother's voice. "You will say it in a nicer voice, and until then, I find no reason to answer your questions." I gritted my teeth. So she was using the "do what I say or don't get what you want" method. Fine. I won't lose to her. "Until then," she said in a less harsh tone. "Let's play a game. Sit with us, friend." She pointed to a break in the circle between a boy with rat-like grey hair and missing teeth, and an African looking girl with extremely long lashes and thick lips.
After much hesitation, my legs found out how to move, and I suddenly sat cross legged on the rug with them. The others took a few seconds of looking me over before looking every which way, waiting for the game to start. "Have you ever played this game before?" Bell asked me in a sweet voice. I could only reply.
"No, I haven't. I don't know what we're doing," I answered, looking at her with a friendly expression. Her smile was just heartwarming.
"Then we'll need to show you," Hearth interjected just as Bell was about to say something. That bitch! "To the pace of our clapping pattern, once on the legs, then together, then to the outside, then together," she clapped out the pattern, "One of us says every line we know of a nursery rhyme that fits the theme. It could range within everything, there are no boundaries. When we run out of rhymes or someone doesn't know one, the game ends. Simple. Now let's play."
"What's the theme, Hearth?" everyone except for me and Hearth herself asked. They synchronized their voices so well, it seemed as if it was one voice. It made me have a chill.
"Today, I'm saving my favorite theme, since it's such a special day, with our newcomer and all," she said with a cheeky smile toward me. "The theme… is death. Who wants to start us off?" Bell and two others raised their hands. "Why don't you start us off, Bell?"
"Sure thing!" Bell sang as she fist pumped to herself. She then took a deep breath and started to clap her hands in a pattern. Everyone else started up and I was lucky enough to start up a second after otherwise they would have hit me with their outstretched hands. Clap on the legs. Clap together. Clap each other's hand. Clap together. Bell started. "Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids lined in a row."
The other girl next to her with short dirty blonde hair and lots of freckles on her adolescent face started. "Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posy. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down." Everyone looked toward the boy next to me. After him, it would be my turn.
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the kings men could not put Humpty together again." They all looked at me. I sang the only song I knew.
"London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London bridge is falling down. My fair lady," I sang apprehensively. "Off to prison you must go, you must go, you must go. Off to prison you must go. My fair lady." The rest continued on clapping to the tune. I wondered if I just stopped at a random verse, after all, it is a long nursery rhyme. "Take a key and lock her up, lock her up, lock her up, take a key and lock her up. My fair lady. How shall we build it up, build it up, build it up? How shall we build it up? My fair lady." I stopped singing. Thinking that they would just ignore it and go on to the next rhyme, they all turned and glared at me. Even sweet Bell took up a pout. They all looked angry at me and stopped clapping their hands.
"We told you to sing all you knew," Hearth almost growled. "Otherwise, we cannot continue with the game. Do you want to lose?" Apparently, I was not the only one who took games seriously. I only stared at them, a look of shock on my face. How could they have possibly knew I knew more than that? Starting slowly, they started to clap their hands roughly in the pattern, all glaring at me, waiting for me to start up again. I soon joined them, a sweat breaking loose on my forehead.
"Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold. Build it up with silver and gold. My fair lady. Silver and gold, I have none, I have none, I have none. Silver and gold, I have none. My fair lady. Build it up with iron bars, iron bars, iron bars. Build it up with iron bars. My fair lady. Iron bars will bend and break, bend and break, bend and break. Iron bars will bend and break. My fair lady. Build it up with pins and needles, pins and needles, pins and needles. Build it up with pins and needles. My fair lady. Pins and needles will rust and bend, rust and bend, rust and bend. Pins and needles will rust and bend. My fair lady. Build it up with wood and clay, wood and clay, wood and clay. Build it up with wood and clay. My fair lady. Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away. Wood and clay will wash away. My fair lady. Build it up with stone so strong, stone so strong, stone so strong. Build it up with stone so strong. My fair lady. Stone so strong will last so long, last so long, last so long. Stone so strong will last so long. My fair lady."
I took a deep breath. London Bridge is Falling Down is probably one of the longest nursery rhymes in history. After I sung every bit of it, the others seemed to calm down and they continued on with the game that I would not lose. "This is the candle to lead you to bed. And this is the butcher that chops off your head. Chop, chop. Chop, chop. Chop, chop. Chop…" I couldn't help but feel more unnerved as time passed, I completely forgot about my growling stomach.
Sebastian's POV
There were no windows in the room, but I could tell that it was night outside. Still struggling helplessly, weakly, in the chains, for the first time in a thousand years, my stomach growled. I hate All Hallows Eve. I hate being vulnerable. I hate sounding like a human.
With my head hanging, my bangs a-dangling, the door opened and someone stepped inside. Then someone else. Then someone else. Then someone else. Four people in total came to me and unlocked my manacles. My non-existent stomach growled once more, reminding me of how weak I was. I must have lost weight too, because they dragged me with ease up the stairs. My head lolled to every which side with every jerk and tease, my eyes seeing spots as my head collided with every surface.
I needed to get up. I needed to get up for my master. But, I simply did not have the strength to move on my own.
That is when something struck my mind. I was being used as a sacrifice, well not really, as part of some ritual, and my master will try to kill me. If I can knock him out of any trance or spell he is under, we could make a getaway. The cult is just a bunch of children anyway. It was a small chance, but I'd rather take that spider thread of a chance than just give up at this point.
They continued dragging me up the stairs. I, however, tried to relax as much as possible, trying to save all my strength. I would need it. 10 minutes later, approximately, I was taken to a theatre-like room with a stage and patched up audience seats. More than 20 of them were being used. On the stage was a girl with brown hair, someone whom I've never seen before, and the boy with the sharpened sword in a sheath. Next to them was my young master. The girl was holding a book that looked like a bible in her hand and was whispering into him ear. My eye twitched upward. I did not like it when someone takes my possessions away from me.
The girl walked upstage and caught the attention of the audience. "We are gathered here today to introduce a new member, who will be taking the place of Madeline Dickinson, otherwise known as Mousey. She has been departed from us forever in the depths of heaven. I, as leader and ambassador, have a right to call upon Ciel Phantomhive for his calling. He wants revenge? He'll get it with us."
The ones in the crowd shouted "Amen!" altogether. It made me sick. The girl continued on with her speech. She spoke of every little thing Ciel would have in his curriculum seeing as he still needs schooling. How he will learn to defend himself. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Blah, blah, blah. I really couldn't care less. Throughout the time, the four kids were holding me down in the shadows, ready to bring me forth when the time came.
Soon enough, I was called upon by the leader. The boy unsheathed his sword and handed it to my young master who gladly accepted it. It really seemed like the end of the contract. Bravo for him.
The four children walked me over, but I continued to relax. The young master's eye widened as he looked at my shameful act. "What did you do to him?" Ciel demanded of the leader. More like pleading for an answer. The boy and girl had to hold him back from running to me.
"We are using him," the girl said in a voice that knew no harm. "Remember, we were talking about the fact that you would have to kill an adult, and it would be best if it was someone close to your heart? I don't think you were paying attention." The sword clattered on the floor as the master went numb, but was soon filled with vengeance. He picked up the sword and stormed toward me, obviously furious with something I did.
"Young master," I picked up my head and looked at him like a kitten who knew he did something wrong and was now facing his master about it. I knew I couldn't talk to him out of this. Not with that look in his eye. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm truly sorry." I lowered my head, waiting for the sharp blade to finish me.
It never came.
Ciel's POV
I swung the blade up over my head, prepared to strike. My only intention was to kill. To kill the one who betrayed me in my time of need. He promised me a life of fulfillment, but he knew the truth. He would eat my soul and leave me to Hell. He never cared for my wellbeing. I was nothing but food to him. Well, it's time the hunter got hunted.
But, why? Why was I incapable of swinging down my arm? It would end all my troubles. It was like a force that was trying to tell me, "Kill him! Quickly!" but I was fighting it with all my will. A pressure rose from my stomach to my chest like a dislodged tumor, and I soon found it hard to breathe. I was fighting so hard, my body was shaking. Why did I fight? Why was I unable to kill him?
After a while, I dropped the sword for the second time. It clattered next to me as I slowly lowered my tired hands. I couldn't take it anymore, and I fell to my knees in despair, hiding my shameful face from the world. "I can't do it," I said to myself. "I can't do it." Because, I simply could not lose someone, a loved one, again.
"Whaddya mean, you can't do it?" Hearth interjected harshly. "You have to, you drank the tea!"
Many others in the crowd got up and started a riot, shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!" It was pure chaos; just like in my mind. At one instant, I wanted to kill Sebastian. I needed to. But, still, I didn't want to hurt him. He was always so nice and caring in the things he did. He always took care of me in the gentlest way possible. I know it's his job as a butler, but recently, I see the way he looked at me, with a look of protection and happiness when I am at my calmest moments. I don't know if they are genuine or not, but they certainly took a toll on me.
My face, mostly my cheeks, was wet. I figured it was perspiration that gathered there, because there was no way I was crying. I couldn't be, not with my status. I would not break like this. I told myself that again and again. But, it didn't work.
There was a strong bashing sound in front of me, followed by a few screams. Someone took a few steps toward me from the side and put their hand on my shoulder. "Young master…?" I heard in an all too familiar voice. I looked up at his face.
"Sebastian!" I don't know what possessed me right then and there in front of the still shouting crowd, but I threw my arms around his neck, pulling his head to my shoulder. At first, he must've been shocked by the sudden movement, but after a small moment, he leaned onto my shoulder and wrapped his arms around my upper waist. It was a touchy moment for us, seeing as we were so close to the end.
"Stop this right now!" Hearth yelled. Automatically, my body slowly moved to get off. "That's a good boy. Now, cut off your adult's head and we can carry on. If you forgot, you killed our friend, now you must pay the consequence, like it or not." I did not like the way she was talking to me.
As I was moving, usually strong arms picked me up. Before I knew it, I was no longer on the ground. Don't get me wrong, by now I was used to Sebastian manhandling me like a toy or pet. But this time was a bit different because 1) Sebastian was struggling to carry me and 2) There was about 30 people I'd like to call younger than 18 (but for some, it was hard to believe) ready to attack us from all sides. Sebastian's footwork was less than perfect and around 4 times, he stumbled and almost dropped me. He ran toward the doors that led to a dark, unlit hallway. Crowds of the cult started a stampede riot behind us, screaming and shouting angry protests.
We ran a ways into the hallway until we came across a door that was actually unlocked. It was as if someone wanted us to go there. We didn't really think about it, and since Sebastian needed both hands to carry me, I had to twist my body to reach the doorknob. Turning it, we rushed inside, making sure to close it behind us. Sebastian put me down on the floor upright and leaned on the concrete wall to catch his breath. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, so I stopped to do the same, looking downward. The ground was made of dirt that got my heels soiled.
Moments passed with us just panting. Eventually, we dared to look up. Even though it was inside (as far as we know) fog persisted over the grounds, giving the room the aura of some haunted cemetery. Trying to ignore the people trying to get in (luckily the door locked from the inside) I started to explore the room, looking for a different escape route. Maneuvering through the fog was difficult with my human eyes, and I easily tripped over something. I landed on all fours with my rump up so my knees didn't get dirty with my shoes. Steadying myself, I turned to face the culprit.
It was a tombstone. Sebastian and I were stuck in an underground graveyard. "Sebastian, come here," I ordered him. Pushing off the wall, he was at my side as if he was still a demon. "These tombstones all have pictures instead of names."
"It was probably of all the kids who died here," Sebastian inquired. "The picture of the child, it must mean that they don't know the real name of the person. Didn't they refer to their nicknames at the ceremony?" I nodded.
"Sebastian?" I asked. "Do you think they have Madeline Dickinson's picture somewhere here?" Sebastian shrugged.
"It's possible. They seem to know everything that happens in Old Coulson. I wouldn't be surprised if they found her body lying in the alleyway and buried her. It would be the proper thing." And so we searched. There weren't many tombs here. I suppose not many died within 30 years. Those too old are let loose and are sworn to secrecy, so be their next target. So, all these tombstones must belong to children only. How sad…
I finally came across the picture of Madeline Dickinson. She was smiling and showing her dimples on a slightly tan face. Her hair was well combed and her eyes were shining brightly. And Sebastian and I took her life away. She had been so happy.
As said before, religion is not my strong point. But, I still looked up at the sky (roof) and wished her happiness wherever she was. A sinner like me didn't have the right to do that, and I was completely and utterly sorry. In the afterlife, I hoped that she would consider forgiving me.
Apparently, my prayers have been answered. I felt something behind me that wasn't the familiar feel of Sebastian to my side. Rather, it was foreign, and it was sobbing harshly out of happiness. It soon left, though, to tell the others.
The riot quieted down and supposedly moved away from the door without my noticing. I motioned for Sebastian to follow me closely and I opened the door. There was nobody patrolling it. Sneaking out, we figured the exit was on the top floor of the basement. Taking light steps, we looked for our path out, climbing all the stairs leading up that we could see in the darkness. Nothing followed us. At least, I hoped not.
When we were sure we were at the top floor, we were not yet assaulted. Maybe we could make a clean getaway. We walked to the main room. It was too late for Sebastian to cover my eyes. "Master! Don't look!" Had he been a demon, I wouldn't have had to live with the picture staining my innocence.
On the ceiling, there were at least 30 nooses with bodies attached to them. Some were bleeding. Others were twitching because they tried to snap their neck at the wrong place. All were limp though, because they committed suicide. Again, I asked myself, why? Why did they attempt to kill themselves? From that day on, I am still questioning it. Maybe it was because they realized what they were doing was wrong and were trying to atone for their sins. Or maybe it was because Madeline came back and told them adults were not the problem, it was killers like them and she made them hang themselves. I don't know. All I knew was that it was a gruesome sight.
The faces were all grey and cold, which sent chills down my spine. Swinging gently to and fro like a pendulum on an old grandfather clock signaling their time of death. I felt like screaming, but Sebastian was there to stop me. He was trying to lead me up the stairs, taking steps and pushing the back of my frozen legs with the front of his. Out of the cracks of his fingers, I saw two people in particular. Hearth, still twitching slightly but slowly dying down, and sweet, sweet Bell, still as night. Everything was ruined here. Innocence was lost completely. Everything wasn't worth it.
Trembling, Sebastian mostly carried me up the stairs and into the living room we discovered what felt like eons ago. He took his hand off of my eyes, which only led me to quiver more. He pulled me into a soft hug, enveloping me in warmth and reassurance. "Let's go home," he said. "Case closed."
Sebastian's POV
The master and I got a carriage to bring us back to the manor. As we waited the hour, I tried to strike up conversation with the little lord, but he just turned away. He was, again, scarred for life. He was scarred but beautiful nonetheless. I switched seats to sit next to him and took him into another hug. This time, it wasn't welcome.
"I don't need your fawning!" the master snapped, slapping me away. But, his heart just wasn't in it. It was my fault for losing track of time.
I took my hand away. "I'm terribly sorry, young master," I said softly. "A boy your age, even if you are broken, should never have had the chance to see that. If I remembered I would be turning human for a temporary time—"
"You never told me you would turn human at all," he mumbled, cutting me off. I could almost sense his inner rage building up.
"Pardon me?" I asked. "You knew?"
"Hearth told me," he mumbled through his hand. He was continuing to watch out the window. "That girl who was the leader. She told me that on Halloween, demons turn human because of the spirits taking away their magical energy or something like that."
"That is partially true," I mused. "We do lose our devilishness for the span of a day. But, this day only happens every thousand years. So, you can assure yourself that it will never happen again in your life time. We rely on the spirits to age, since otherwise, we will never change. It's a good thing, but we age a day per thousand years, so our lifetime is still pretty long." The master nodded slightly and said nothing more of the subject. There was a moment of silence between us before I dwindled on a thought. "Say, what made you not want to kill me?" I must've struck a nerve, because he slightly flinched.
"… Nothing of your concern, Sebastian," he said. "Without you, I wouldn't be able to seek revenge."
"But, didn't the others offer you to get revenge with them instead of me? And you would still be able to live."
"I made a contract, and a Phantomhive is a man of his word. This includes me."
I chuckled. "Ah. I see. And I actually thought you might have cared for me." I was actually hoping my thoughts were true.
"… No way. Now, I don't want to hear anything else on this subject. That's an order Sebastian."
I grinned. It seemed like so long since I heard him say that after all that has happened. "Yes, my lord."
We carried on in the carriage with a relieved silence. We were both at ease. The master soon fell asleep on my shoulder after we passed too many stars and I let his stay like that, so calm and sublime. I even considered dozing off too, but we arrived at the manor too quickly. I lightly shook his shoulders and helped him step down. We were home, and it felt so good.
The servants were soon out and greeted us. The master was in no mood for greetings and waved them off as quickly as they came. He went back to his office. As for me? I snuck into the kitchen before Bard could blow up anything edible.
Later, the master's fiancée arrived. It was 8, and the sun was completely set. "Ciel, this is your last chance!" Lizzy whined. She was in her Halloween costume yet again, and she was carrying the bags of the costume she picked out for Ciel.
He sighed drowsily. "I'm in no mood for arguments. If it will get you to stop complaining, then fine, but I'm not going out like that."
Elizabeth smirked and put on her most annoying face. "BUT CIIEEEEEEELLLL! You'll look so adorable in it!" Her voice was so loud and obnoxious, that I felt like covering my hears before they started to bleed. But, that would be very improper of a butler.
"FINE! Fine, I'll wear it! Just be quiet before my headache gets worse!" he shouted at Elizabeth. He stood abruptly from his desk and stormed over to his bedroom. I picked up the bags of clothing and stole one last glance at Lady Elizabeth. She was smiling triumphantly at Paula, for she had won the game. I left the room and followed my master, my master I wouldn't trade for anything in the world, to his bedroom and got him dressed.