Chapter 1
"I am really sorry to inform you that your.. family died in a car crash."
What?
I stared at the phone incredulously. "Um,.. please repeat that." I hoped with all my might that I just misheard what I thought I heard. It wasn't possible.
"Your family died in a car crash. We're really sorry-"The rest of the nurse's words did not reach my ears. I dropped the phone, my hand trembling.
No. This couldn't be real.
I dialed my father's phone number with my own phone. No one picked up. I tried at least three times. Then I tried calling my mom. She didn't pick up too.
I swallowed slowly. My palms were sweaty. My parents and little brother had gone grocery shopping two hours earlier. I impatiently brushed my fringe away.
After another three hours, I collapsed and cried, fear and shock gripping my heart. I cried like it was the end of the world. I didn't scream out loud; I never cried that way. Bucketfuls of tears just streamed down endlessly. Whenever I wiped them away, new ones would emerge immediately.
I lost my family.
I lost my family.
By now, I was crying to the point that I was hiccupping badly. As I went to get a box of tissues from the living room, I nearly tripped due to my body which felt heavy and my reluctant legs. I spotted a leather bound book deep in the cupboard which contained many tissues and wrapping papers. I flipped through the book once. It was my mom's schedule planner which she'd used around twenty years ago.
Suddenly, a photograph fell out of one of the pages. It was a picture of my parents, before they were married. My tears were starting to fall again.
I tried to compose myself, and failed miserably. It was then that I noticed something. From my father's back, two, large, pure-white feathery wings protruded. I stared and stared. I rubbed my eyes. It looked extremely, nerve-rackingly real. I doubted that photoshop existed twenty years ago. I sighed. I didn't get anything. I put the picture away, tears still flooding my vision.
I stood up. I decided that I needed some fresh air to tidy up my thoughts. I put on a coat and locked the house door with the spare key that was always at home. I closed the gate and clicked the elevator button. I lived in a condominium which consisted of eight floors each. I exited the condominium area, and started walking towards the shopping complex downtown, which was nearby. A close breeze brushed me on my face. Maybe I should have worn a slightly thicker coat.
As I started walking in an alleyway, I heard catcalls and whistling coming from not far from where I was. I felt myself stiffening. I fastened my walking pace and avoided eye contact with any of those lowly men.
I came out of the alleyway, breathing out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I slapped it away instinctively, and turned to face the owner of the hand.
It was actually a tall boy who looked around a year or two older than me, to my surprise. He looked equally surprised at my reaction. I'd slapped his hand. "Could you please tell me where the coffee shop Starbucks is?" he asked. He had silver hair, and curious blue eyes. Just like the deep, blue sea. Actually- when I looked properly, I saw that his hair was actually golden; it looked like platinum blond on closer inspection.
"Oh.. sorry.. It's that way. You just have to keep on walking north. It's not far from here." I pointed at the direction. Although I was relieved, I was still on my guard and cautious of this person.
"Thank you". He started to walk away. Suddenly, he abruptly stopped. He turned to look at me. "You… you're not human,"he slowly said. His blue eyes seemed to stare right though me.
You... you're not human.
The words hung in the air, echoing in my mind. My long, wavy hair swayed in the cold, winter air. I blinked.
He had disappeared into the crowd of people in front of me. I turned to look for him. I was near a couple of malls near the alleyway from before. He was gone.
I decided to go home.
I desperately hoped that they would be there. My mom, who I fought with often, but had fun times with too. My father, who was always there for me, and understood me the best. My brother, who I always teased and found annoying, but nevertheless, loved him.
If I had known that this was going to happen, I would have been a lot nicer. I would have been a nicer daughter. A better sister. I was starting to cry again. Deep inside, I knew that they wouldn't be here anymore, but I still wanted to hope.
Hope…
The house was empty and vacant as I entered it. I swallowed slowly, a lump forming in my throat.
That night, I cried myself to sleep. I fell into a dark abyss as I felt my mind slipping away.
When I woke up in the morning, I felt numb and dazed. I got up, cleaned, and put on a white skirt with big pleats and a sky blue shirt with a ribbon. I walked into my parent's bedroom. Empty. I opened the door to my brother's room. … Empty too. My eyes were starting to tingle again. I swallowed, forcing them not to come out.
I locked the door and closed the gate. It was around nine in the morning, and the sunlight was soft, although the weather wasn't warm. I clicked the down button, waiting for the elevator.
I didn't know where I was headed. I just walked on the pavement of the apartment area. This condominium area had a total of five apartments and a pool. I kept walking, until I realized that I had come to a small clearing that was full of flowers which weren't blooming yet, due to the cold January weather.
…This wasn't fair at all. Did I deserve this kind of thing?
..Does.. god really exist?
I wish I'd treated my mom better; there were times when I'd been rude.. I would also never get to hear my father joking and laughing along with my brother.
I suddenly remembered my father in the picture.
Wings. Big, feathery, white ones.
'You.. you're not human.."
…No. It couldn't be. Those kinds of things didn't exist. Must have been an edited photo. No way it could be.. real.., right?
"Who am I? No, what am I? Someone tell me!" I cried to no one in particular, venting out my stress, fear, frustration and sadness.
"Should I help you find out?"
Rustle. An indication that someone else was here. Behind me.
I blinked. What?
I dried my tears and covered my red nose with my muffler. I turned. "What?"
There.. was the most stunningly, good-looking man I ever saw. Right in front of me. I took a sharp intake of breath. Could such a beautiful thing even exist? He had raven black hair, and luscious wine-red eyes. He was really tall.
"Do you want to make a contract with me?" he smirked in a way similar to a cat.
"Contract? Wait.. Are you.. um.. human?" I asked. I knew it was really silly, but I had this queer urge to ask. He, the person whom I was facing, was extremely good-looking to the point where is was hard to believe such a person even existed. He looked quite young too.
"Would you believe me if I said that I was a demon?" he chuckled.
"..Haha. I'm not so sure." I stared at him. He smirked right back at me. "What contract were you talking about?"
"Ah, yes. I will be absolutely under your command, and will protect and serve you until you reach your 'goal', whatever that may be. There is a condition though", he said. " All this, in exchange for your sou-" he stopped suddenly, and looked as if pondering on something. Then he continued.
"All this, in exchange that I get to do whatever I want with you after you arrive at your 'destination point.'" He smirked. Well. He certainly did look satisfied.
I thought in silence.
"I advise you to decide upon this offer wisely. Are you sure you want to abandon light?"
Abandon light? Huh. More like the other way round. Was there even light in the first place? What do I actually even have left to lose?
I swallowed. "You.. You're not lying, right? You won't go back on your words, right..?" I quietly asked. There must have been something wrong with me, agreeing to some weird contract with a stranger. But I didn't have anything left. It was either I trust him, or I fall down into the deepest hole of despair, without anyone to depend on. I decided not to choose the latter.
"Absolutely. I am a man of his' words," he smirked.
"Okay. Hey.. Can you revive someone from the dead?" I asked. "You're a demon, right?" I was starting to feel light-headed and dizzy.
"Unfortunately, I cannot, as the dead is the dead," he said, with a slightly apologetic smile.
"Then.. stay by my side, and help me to.. find out what I am," I slowly said.
"Certainly," he replied, bowing.
If there were such things as demons, then there must be such things as angels too. That would explain my father's.. Wait. What does that make me then? What about my mom?
My mind was whirling, trying to find the piece of logic that would somehow link this whole mess together.
"Then, shall we make the contract now?" he asked, looking at me. I nodded emotionlessly. "Where do you want it to be?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, clearly puzzled.
"I will put a mark on you, as proof of our deal. The more on a visible place the mark is, the stronger it will be. Also, it is so that we cannot run away from each other," he smirked. I felt a chill out of nowhere. Right.
I thought for awhile. Then, I lifted my left hand towards him. "On the back of my left hand." I still had no idea what he was going to do. He held my hand with his left hand, and touched the back of it with his right hand. He was wearing white gloves.
Like a butler.
As his hand came into contact with mine, I felt this sudden, hot, searing pain on my hand. I nearly wrenched my hand back by instinct. I'd been standing, but now I collapsed to the ground on my knees. Then suddenly, it shined with white light so bright I had to close my eyes and look away. "Ow, ow." I said. I bit my lips, and held onto his hand tighter.
Then, as both the pain and light began to fade, I tried to blink away the dark spots and saw proof of our contract: A purple, circular mark with a big star on the middle. It was right at the back of my left hand.
"I am yours to command," he said, bowing like a gentleman the old-fashioned way. He got on his knees, bowing. "I will act as your bodyguard and butler. What is your order?"
I stayed silent, trying to process all that was happening. Contract? Demon? What?
"Young miss?"
Young miss? I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "Sorry, what did you say?"
"I asked you to give me an order," he cat-smiled.
"Oh.. then.. Why don't we get to know each other first? What's your name?" I asked.
He looked quite surprised at this. "Of course, my lady."
"I'll start. I'm Louise Morgenstern." I smiled at him.
He held out a hand to me. Oh. It was then that I realized that I was still on the ground. My tears were long dried now. I gratefully accepted it, and stood up. I took a few unsteady steps, and nearly tripped. The person whose name I still didn't know caught me right before I fell.
"Thank you," I said, brushing myself.
"It was nothing," he cat-smiled. I wonder if this person ever got angry. Hmm..
"What would you like to call me?" he asked.
I looked at him. "I have to.. give you a name?" I asked, very surprised.
"Well, yes," he replied.
"Um.. uh.. What were you called before? I mean you must have been called something, right?" I twisted a few strands of my long, wavy hair around my index finger.
"Hmm.., Well, I used to be called Sebastian Michaelis."
"Oh, really? That name suits you somehow. I wonder why? I'll call you that, then. Do I just call you Sebastian? Are you.. fine with it?" I asked him.
He bowed, and replied, "Of course, young lady. Just call me Sebastian."
I was definitely going to have to get used to the 'young miss' and 'young lady' thing. For the first time since I heard the drastic news of my family, I felt better a bit. A teensy little bit. Well, I was the type of girl to easily smile at just about anything.
"Hey.. How did you find me? I mean, was it just a coincidence that you were nearby?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I was attracted to your soul's distress and depression," he simply said. Then he cat-smiled.
"Oh.. I.. see." ..Right. I didn't whether to feel insulted or complimented. I looked at him incredulously. He smiled radiantly back at me.
"Okay then. Let's go up now," I said.
"Of course, young miss."
"Hey.. Sebastian?"
"Yes?"
"What do you like? Like for example, any food or animal or some other thing."
"Ah. I find cats very likeable and attractive." His eyes were shining; he certainly seemed like he loved them.
"Oh? Really? That's pretty.. unexpected? Buuut I like cats too. They really are cute," I laughed. Mostly, I was laughing at Sebastian's love for cats. It seemed funny. "Do you like dogs?"
"Dogs? I can't say that I like them," he said. He didn't look too pleased.
"Why not?"
"They aren't as pleasant as cats," he thoughtfully said.
"Hnn-. I see."
Helloooooo. Nice to meet you! My name is Little Miss Haine, and I'm a huge fan of both Ciel and Sebastian! I don't like yaoi, though. I think that Ciel and Elizabeth is cute together. But oh well, people all have different opinions. Now. Louis really must be depressed She's actually a really cute, hyper, energetic person! She has blue eyes, by the way. Just a fact to remember. See you at the next chapter~ Thanks for reading this. The story will get more intense as it goes on. Please look forward to it!
