Wow, that was a really long break! I'm sorry for leaving you guys for that long. I got caught up in school work and had to do that first. Of course this would have been up earlier today but I found this story and I…I just… I can't even…/boner/ asdfghjkl I'm sorry, but that story had me fangasming all day. There are 97 chapters so far and I managed to read them all in less than a day. It was great. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter~

…

Something was off about the way Ciel was acting. The young boy had taken to the window, pulling out board after board, doing his best to pull out loose nails and hammer them into another board with another piece of wood. He was mumbling to himself soft words of praise and encouragement. It had turned into something of a mantra that kept going and repeating itself. With each word that fell out of Ciel's mouth Alois found himself becoming more and more nervous. Every once in a while he would catch the soft whisper of Sebastian's name. Each time the blonde's eyes were graced with the ghostly presence of a wicked smile that spread its way across the blunette's face.

That smile was a crazy smile. He knew from experience. There had been a time when he himself had worn it. He was scared, frightened at what he saw, but at the same time he felt reassured. That smile masked his true feelings, gave him something to use to his advantage. It kept the kids at school away and hid him from the prying eyes of adults who suddenly wanted nothing to do with him. It was great at first. People left him alone. They didn't ask questions or stare at him with knowing eyes. No, instead they let him be; free to roam around in whatever world he felt like.

It didn't last forever, nothing ever did. He soon became sad, even more so than he had been before. People ignored him all together. The world was turning its back on him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. So he did the only thing he could think of. He lashed out at people, still wearing that crazy look. He made them pay attention to them. No one would be allowed to leave him alone ever again. He wouldn't let them. He craved, no, he needed their attention. As much as he hated them, he couldn't bear the thought of being left all alone. He would rather be crazy and noticed than crazy and alone.

Another smack brought him out of his head and into the continually growing tension filled room. Ciel had successfully pulled every piece of wood from the window and was working on completing his weapon of choice. Alois could see the dried smudges of blood along the boy's hands and the pile of scraps in front of him. He had slivers in his fingers that were angry and red around the wound. Some of them were deep, others just sticks of wood that had been lodged just below the surface. He crawled over to the younger boy and grabbed his wrists, making him stop to look him in the eye.

"What?" Ciel's voice was raspy and broke at the end. He did his best to clear his throat. "Something wrong?"

"No, not really." Alois lied, "It's just your hands. They're full of splinters."

"So." He pulled his hand away from the other's grasp. "It's fine. I'll get them later."

"No. You have to get them out now; they'll get infected if you don't." Ciel seemed to ponder this as he stopped and let the other examine his hands.

"Yes, alright." The smile had returned to his face replacing the frown that had come to be only moments before. He shivered as he worked on pulling out the small slivers. He could see the darkness that lurked beneath the surface, the mischief that glinted in his eyes. The Ciel he knew had been smothered. Drowned by some invisible force they called insanity.

Ciel hissed in annoyance and pain as Alois tugged another splinter from his abused hands. The blonde looked deep in thought. He didn't know why. There was nothing to think about. All they had to worry about was getting their weapon together and getting out of here. It was their only chance of surviving. It wasn't like in the movies where you would do your best to survive by giving in to their evil plans. They wouldn't spare you if you broke. There was no mercy here. If you were damaged, you were thrown away. If you were healthy, you were used, destined to be destroyed.

Frustrated by his own thoughts, Ciel growled low in his throat and jerked his hands from the blondes. His memories had brought on another wave of determination and he was quickly back to the task at hand.

Alois watched with saddened eyes as the boy he had come to love worked his fingers to the bone. His impatience had gotten the better of him and he returned to the prickly mess. His thoughts briefly wandered back to Claude, the man whom he had trusted and given his love to, the man that was responsible for everything that had happened.

"It's finished!" The blonde looked up from the floor and to the piece of wood that Ciel held in his hands. "Isn't it brilliant?" he laughed and gave it a good swing, the air whooshing as he did.

"Ciel, be car—"

"Shut up!" Alois gaped as the other boy stood over him with a dark look in his eyes. "I know what I'm doing. So shut up and get your ass over here." Alois did as he was told and scrambled to his feet rushing to hide behind Ciel. His eyes widened as the faint sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.

"Step back."

"But Ciel!" it wouldn't have mattered what he had said next. As soon as the door had opened Ciel had pulled back and swung with every bit of strength he had.

Crimson red showered the room, a pool forming on the floor at their feet. Gages body lay before them, still twitching as the last essence of life left him. Too shocked to scream, Alois looked up to the doorway where the twins, dirty and beaten, stood shocked at the sight before them. Ciel could only laugh as he pulled his makeshift weapon from the dead man's throat.

"C-Ciel….how….how…?" Ciel's eyes drooped with annoyance as everybody stared at him.

"What? Spit it out!"

"You killed him." The two boys stated bluntly.

"So? He was a monster! Look at you! Look at us! This is what he did! Don't tell me you feel sorry for him."

"No. But Ciel you could have hurt them! What if it had been them that had walked through that door first?"

"Then I would have gone after Gage second."

"Ciel!"

"Look here blondey! This isn't a game. I didn't hurt them and even if they had been first, I swung too high to even hit them. Now let's go, we're wasting time." Ciel didn't wait for a response as he walked past him and past the twins. Both boys clung to each other and shivered as he did, following none the less. If this was their chance to escape, then they were going to take it. Alois was left with no choice but to do the same. He just hoped it was the right choice.

…

Right, so Ciel's gone a little crazy there ne? Just think of what a mess there'd be if he hit the twins instead! oAo

Review to keep them safe!