Chapter 5
Ring…Ring…Ring…
It's annoying, the noise is like nails on a chalkboard, high pitched and invading.
"Can you get that?" I call out, irritated.
My hand is getting cold, I've kept it in the water for too long, but the crawfish is still there. The net looks like a giant spider web, swaying gracefully in rhythm to the river flow. The creature doesn't know my hand is hovering just above it, it stands above a flat rock, unaware of what awaits it. It was a good one, large with a red shell skin and pincers matured. Those were the ones I had to get, the young ones were grey and small. They never gave much meat, so they were usually used as bait for catching fish during the summertime.
I sit still, focused on lowering the net to prevent escape from the sides. Timing was crucial, they were fast when startled. I counted in my head, ignoring the biting cold and preparing to slam the net down.
One…
Two…
Three!
Riiiiinnng
I falter, I move the net too slow, and I watch in dismay as the lobster lookalike swims away, disappearing deeper into the river. I curse under my breath, standing quickly. The net hits the bucket water and causes a splash, missing the lone crawfish shyly resting at the far side. I didn't mean to throw it so hard, if it hit the crawfish it might die. They tasted best when they were fresh.
"Lysa! Get the darn phone please!" I shout, disgruntled.
If it wasn't for that noise I would have had two crawfish in the bucket. I expected to hear her voice, groggy at this time in the morning. She never gets up early to help me with the crawfish, she's always sleeping in.
Mom never says anything, but one day father threw a fit, and she stopped sleeping in for an entire month. That's all it lasted, a month. She was back at it when mom got sick again. Dad always mellowed down when she was sick.
"Lysa!" I am fuming now, the phone is still ringing, and she isn't awake yet.
I turn my back to the riverbed, hand still feeling the unforgiving chill of fresh mountain water.
The house was not too far off from our crawfish grounds. It was a hidden spot, accessed through a makeshift path dad created just over the hill.
I had to walk through it to get back, not once questioning why the phone could be heard all the way here, loud as it was. The grass is still wet, it always is around this time of year. My shoes are getting soaked, and I could feel it in my socks now as I stalk forward.
Squish, squish, squish.
It feels gross, the water has seeped in and now each footstep is squelchy. I pick up the pace, determined to change out of my socks once I made it back to the house. Why didn't I bring the rain boots?
Squish, squish, squish.
I'm finally out of the path, shoes slightly muddy and face stinging from overgrown bush and tree branch clawing against my skin. I had to remind dad to trim around it again when he was sober enough to remember.
The house is a few more feet above the hill, and I break into a run, panting and fighting against the gust of wind that pushed me back. The phone was getting louder. I made it to the top with a small grin of victory, legs wobbling, unruly hair flying around my face like crazy.
Why is it so windy?
"Lysa!" My voice is drowned out by the moaning wind, spitting and wild.
It didn't matter, I stop dead in my tracks, eyes wide, mouth spread into a big O.
The house, it was gone. What used to be a light blue house was now a pile of ashes. Old burnt wood and broken down furniture lay in its place. The place I called home was nothing but a forgotten memory.
It is raining now, I can feel the cold droplets hit my skin, dampening my hair.
There was a fire, it destroyed everything.
A fire?
I remembered a fire, dad caused it, or was it Lysa?
Riiiiing riiiiiing riiiiiiing.
There it is again, the phone.
I can see it on a tall table, clean and untouched. It looks out of place, like it doesn't belong. Right in the middle of the debri, like some force had protected it during the fire.
I walk towards it, hair no longer carried by the wind. It lay flat on my head, too heavy to dance. It was raining so much the air could only whisper now, deep and solemn. Like it was mourning.
A cry of sorrow.
What did I lose that day?
The phone is right in front of me now, and I take it in my hand.
I know who it is, I can feel it In my bones. The phone is cold against my ear, I don't want to hear it, I don't want to remember.
"Lysa?" My voice is hollow, emotionless.
I know what's coming.
"Sela! Get home right now! Oh my god! The fire! Sela get home! Mom won't come out!"
…
I awoke with a start, eyes blinking rapidly against the dark. My heart was still racing, I could feel the pulse on my neck. That awful dream again, no matter how hard I tried not to think about it, the memory haunted me like a stain that wouldn't go away no matter how much soap was put on it. I had to forget it, it was in the past.
I blinked against the darkness, roof of the carriage barely visible over the moonlight seeping in through the window. It was nightfall now, just how long was I asleep for?
"Ouch." I winced, hand coming up to rub my neck.
It was sore from being in a weird position for too long, I had somehow fallen over on the seat in my sleep. Sprawled all over it with my neck turned sideways. All the while Sebastian sat across from me, I could only hope I wasn't a snorer. My eyes flew over to where he last sat, cross legged and lax.
I squinted through the darkness, trying to use the moonlight to guide my vision. He wasn't there now, the seat was empty.
"Sebastian?" I called out, standing to peer through the window.
The carriage wasn't moving, the familiar sound of horses hooves stomping through dirt and grass was absent. What was going on? I turned to wrap a hand around the cool handle of the door and pushed, immediately wrapping my arms around myself when a blast of cool air invaded the small space when I did so. It was dark, and the carriage was tall, so I had trouble getting down the ledge.
One step, two steps, I held my breath in and decided to just jump down.
My feet hit the floor and I staggered, standing quickly to keep my balance. It was colder than back at the Phantomhive manor and I was thankful for the scarf. Sebastian had really thought that through.
Where was he?
I looked around me, searching for the black-clad butler. For whatever reason, the carriage was stopped in the middle of a pathway with nothing but trees and bush surrounding it. The horses' sniffs and tail whipping could be heard over the sounds of singing crickets. I was just glad it wasn't summer, I'd have mosquitos to worry about.
"Sebastian?" I called out again, feet crunching leaves as I walked forward, voice echoing in the moonlit night.
There he was, standing behind the carriage, talking with the coachman. They were both looking down at the back wheel, and I knew by the way the butler held his chin, he was deeply thinking.
I sprinted towards them, breath smokey against the cold.
"Hey! What's going on?" I breathed out, approaching Sebastian with the question.
They both looked over in surprise, acknowledging my presence with a nod.
"Ah, you're awake." Sebastian mused, stating the obvious.
"Yeah…you could have woken me up if the carriage stopped." I said coolly, eyes narrowing.
If he did I wouldn't have had that nightmare.
He grinned, eyes shiny, there was a mysterious way about how he smiled. Like he knew something I didn't. Something funny.
Did I really snore?!
"What?" I snapped, biting my tongue to keep from hissing at my taller companion.
"Nothing." He said, but the smile didn't disappear.
"Why'd the carriage stop anyway?" I muttered to change the subject.
"The wheel got stuck in the mud, it must have rained not too long ago." The coachman was the one to answer.
My eyes followed towards where he was pointing. Sure enough, just as he said. The wheel was buried an inch into soft soil, showing no signs of budging any time soon. My stomach dropped. It was cold, and I had no idea where we were. Now was the worst time to get stuck in the mud.
"Oh no…what will we do?" I tried to sound calm, but I was sure they caught on to my worry.
"Weston is just a mile up ahead, I mentioned to the butler you two could go on and walk if you must, or you can wait inside if you find the cold to be too demanding." The coachman offered, voice gruff against the cool night air.
I mulled this over, unsure of what to say.
"That won't be necessary, what kind of butler would I be if I couldn't fix something as small as this?" Sebastian's voice was smooth as he bent to slide a gloved hand under the carriage.
"Ah! Be careful sir! It's mighty heavy!" The older male protested, reaching out to warn Sebastian.
I shook my head in disbelief, did he really think he could pull all that weight? Not even the horses could, what was he thinking?
The cold must have gotten to him.
I opened my mouth to protest alongside the coachman but stopped myself when I heard the carriage move.
He was lifting it, he was actually lifting it.
He was lifting it up with only one hand too, while the other hid gracefully behind his back.
"Whoa! Easy there!" Both the coachman and I backed up as the entire thing was pushed to the side, wheel caked in freshly wet soil.
"There, problem fixed." Sebastian's voice was nonchalant, as if lifting a few tons was no sweat.
"Ah, th-thank you." The coachman was dumbfounded.
So was I.
I snapped out of my own stupor when his hand shot out, offering me his hand.
"Are you alright? Do you need assistance getting back inside?" He asked warmly.
"I can do it myself thank you." I said coolly, averting my gaze and turning to head back inside.
"very well." He retreated his hand.
I didn't need Sebastian to carry me into the carriage like some sort of princess, even if I was pretending to be a noble. The actual pretending wasn't supposed to start until I was inside the school anyway.
"How did you do that anyway?" I asked, sitting in the same spot I had slept on.
It was a major relief being back inside, shielded from the outside elements. The weather was unforgiving, or maybe I was just sensitive to the cold. Sebastian always seemed unaffected.
"I beg your pardon?" Sebastian's face was puzzled, gloved hands glided against the door to push it closed.
It didn't take long for the horses to start moving again. Poor things, I wondered if they ever got cold.
I knew very little about them.
Horses were animals saved for the nobles.
"How did you lift this thing all by yourself with one hand?" I repeated, explaining a little bit better this time.
He thought about my question for a moment, eyes on the roof and brows arched, deep in thought.
"Hmm, I suppose I don't know, perhaps the carriage is lighter than it looks." He smiled with a shrug.
My eyes narrowed. The carriage was most certainly not light. Sebastian was just a lot stronger than he looked.
Looks could be painfully deceiving.
"Only one mile." I muttered, deciding to drop the subject.
I could see the trees moving from the window again, dark and haunting. Leaves rustling against the wind while chittering crickets sang.
I was slowly beginning to feel more nervous.
As soon as I stepped inside, I was expected to act like a boy, no one could know.
It was like being back at school again, knowing nobody, distrusting the teachers, fending for oneself. Except this time I had to hide a grave secret.
"You slept the entire ride." Sebastian mused.
I shot him a glance, eyes meeting his. They were shiny in the dark, like a cats, a beautiful shade of golden brown. They looked almost ethereal.
"Yeah, guess I was more tired than I thought." I mumbled.
"Were you dreaming?" His stare was intense.
I blinked, surprised at the question.
The dream came back to me then, the rain, the ringing.
Sela!
I tore my gaze away, refusing to acknowledge it. My sister's screams were still fresh in my mind, it had rattled me, and I felt raw when I remembered.
"Why? Was I sleep talking?" I asked slowly.
I hoped I didn't, it was worse than snoring.
"A little, it was incoherent." He said before leaning back into his chair, gazing out of his side of the window.
He wasn't going to press any further, and I was thankful he took the hint. I was in no mood to be talking about my past, my stomach was already tied in knots.
"I don't remember it, did you not sleep?" I was genuinely curious.
Sebastian didn't look the least bit tired, again. It must have been a bore to be up the entire ride, having nothing to do but sit and stare out the window like a punished puppy.
"No, I'm not the type of person to nap during the day." Sebastian responded with the usual fox-like smile.
"I see." I should have stayed awake too.
The rest of the ride was silent, Sebastian showed no signs of interest in further talk.
It was for the best.
I had to focus on what was going to come next. The road was starting to widen, and the further the horses walked, the less trees there were. There was more open field, grass hidden in ghostly pale fog. I knew it was only a matter of time until the school was fully visible. It shouldn't have been too hard to see in all the fog, it wasn't too heavy.
"How much more time?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"Not much, I'd say about five more minutes." The black-clad butler said, glancing at the pocket watch he took out.
That soon, I glanced at the window again, squinting over the mist that swirled and danced below the sky. He was right, I could see it now. A massive building with a mixture of Victorian and gothic architecture. It was brilliant really, and I was only seeing it when it was barely visible. I could only imagine how amazing it must have looked during the day.
"I see it! I exclaimed, heart pounding with both nervousness and excitement.
I could make out a small figure too, shrouded In the dark, a still silhouette hiding in shadow. Once the carriage got close enough, I could make out the familiar sheen of water blue hair.
It was Ciel. I should have known, the figure was about his height. How long had he been standing there for? I hoped it wasn't for long.
The sound of horses' hooves walking against ground stopped, I could hear the coachman knock against the side.
"End of the road sir." His voice was gruff.
I followed behind Sebastian as he opened the door, stepping out to see the earl standing before us.
He wore a uniform of sorts, clean and fashionable. The one blue eye gleamed as he looked from the butler to me, nodding in approval. He was half expecting my arrival, he knew there was a chance I'd refuse.
"Thank you for coming, I must say I very deeply appreciate it." His voice was confident.
"I'm glad I can help, but…I think I deserve a detailed explanation." I responded, not forgetting his promise in the letter.
"Of course ,but not here, come with me." He turned, leading the way into the open gates of the school with Sebastian in tow.
Yes definitely not here in the open. I looked back to the coachman, he was already disappearing into the fog. I still couldn't believe Sebastian had lifted the entire weight of his carriage, it was unreal.
"Coming?" Ciel's voice carried over the silent wind, impatient.
"Y-yes coming!" I stammered, whirling around to catch up to them.
"We mustn't be seen here, students aren't allowed outside after curfew." Ciel explained, footsteps echoing against hardwood floor as we entered a door leading to a dark corridor.
So there was a curfew, lovely. I suppose I could kiss any hope of late night snacking goodbye.
I'd have to hoard it in my room like a squirrel.
"Okay." I whispered, lowering my voice in slight paranoia.
Sebastian was quick to close the gate behind us, locking it from the inside as it probably was prior to being opened. Just how did Ciel manage to get it open anyway?
"Where are we going?" I added, glancing around the dark with wide, owl-like eyes.
"The record room, it's just behind the student office." Ciel sped up, I could see a glimpse of Sebastian's tailcoat just beside him.
"Why?" I was puzzled, moreover, I was on edge.
We turned a corner, I smelt the familiar scent of new books and freshly printed newspapers.
The floor was so perfectly polished I nearly slipped trying to follow close behind.
"Over here." Ciel stopped beside a door with a small rectangular window that was way too dark to see beyond it.
"Sebastian, do you have it?" The earl looked up to the butler, face hopeful and expecting.
"Of course, how could I forget?" I couldn't see Sebastian's face, but I knew he was smiling.
The rattling of something metallic rang out, keys. It may as well have been bombs going off in the deafening silence of the hallway.
"Keep it quiet." Ciel hissed.
"My apologies." Sebastian bent forward, inserting the key into the door and turning, silently.
"Did you steal those?" I couldn't help but ask.
It was odd for Sebastian to be in possession of keys meant for an office holding student records.
"We're temporarily borrowing them." Ciel muttered, nonchalant.
Sebastian snickered.
My mouth dropped. Were they both mad? It was one thing to be sneaking me in here, but now they were running around stealing things.
"What if they find out?" My tone was more than a little alarmed.
"They won't." Ciel stated matter of factly.
The door opened, Ciel stepped in first, then Sebastian.
I hesitated, swallowing the lump of saliva in my throat. This was nuts, my paranoia was over the roof. I had no idea why we even needed to get in there. Nevertheless, I followed. I was already here and committed.
"You didn't answer my previous question." I pressed, closing the door behind us and locking it myself.
Leaving it open didn't sound like the smartest idea.
I followed the earl behind the long counter that sat in the middle. There was a door behind the wall, and Sebastian unlocked it with ease, this time not bothering to be as careful about the noise.
"We need to forge your papers." Ciel's voice echoed as he melted into the dark, hand reaching into his shirt to produce a flashlight.
All this time he had a flashlight hidden under his shirt…but then again it would be stupid to use it outside. Nothing made something in the dark stand out like a light did.
"My papers?" I frowned, not quite catching on.
My own shoes clattered against the floor as I walked, looking around in awe.
There were so many folders upon folders, all nestled in large bookcases. Ciel was looking for a particular one of interest, heading raised high as he aimed the flashlight at tags that were displayed on the sides. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get in here, so much for high class security.
"This one, this is the purple house records." He stated, walking in between the shelves to flip through the folders.
I waited, half ready to start sprinting at the sound of the door opening.
"What are you doing? We should go." I was beginning to get more and more nervous the more we stuck around.
"Not yet." Ciel picked a folder, opening its contents and flipping through it.
"This one, this is perfect." He muttered.
Curious, I stepped forward, eyes scanning the papers he had flipped through. They were some sort of enrollment forms, with a description of a study.
"Demonology, history of witchcraft and magic, art appreciation, painting the self, and a sport." Ciel explained.
Just like the flashlight, he pulled a smaller folder out from underneath his shirt and took a few papers out, sliding them over to the other.
They were my papers, fake ones, with a picture of me.
"When did you take that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not real, there are plenty of lookalike pictures around, no one would bother to look too closely." Ciel finished, closing the folder and sliding it back into place on the bookshelf.
"So…I forged my way into here." Forging papers was no laughing matter.
If I was caught, that could mean time spent in prison. I could only assume someone of Ciels status raised no eyebrows, this was why he insisted I posed as his brother. It was easier, I had a higher chance of being accepted.
"Yes, I assure you, even if it was found out, it will secretly be pardoned under the order of the queen, I have sent her a letter explaining your role in my assistance." Ciels gave a small sigh, briefly shining the flashlight into my face.
"I dare say Sebastian did an excellent job, there's no need for anyone to suspect you." He said in approval.
I gently swatted the flashlight away, eyes squinting at the sudden invasion of light. The irony was that the queen was the figure of law and authority, yet here I was getting a free pass under her thumb.
"Thank you…now, about why I'm here…" my voice was hushed.
"Right, it's just as I have said in the letter, Derrick Arden has been missing and refuses to take phone calls, his family is worried, this is the school he was attending upon his disappearance." The earl explained, leaning back into the bookshelf with crossed arms.
"Maybe he just had a fight with a family member?" I remembered the time when dad struck mom so hard one day she had to go to the doctors.
Lysa and I refused to talk to him for more than a week, who knew what was going on with that missing boy?
"It's not just Derrick that's missing, it's other students too, disappeared without a word, no one is saying anything, there is a strange pattern of missing students here and it's no coincidence." Ciel added.
I paused, contemplating this. Yes, one missing student could have been anything, but a group was definitely no coincidence.
"What do you think happened?" Somehow, the thought of missing students in a big Victorian school gave me the shivers.
"I don't know, that's what we're here to find out." Ciel sighed.
"Right but, how do I fit into all this? Why do you need MY help?" I didn't mean to sound whiny, but my presence here was still totally unclear.
His blue eye was barely visible, the other looked like a dark abyss, eye swallowed by the eyepatch. I had to resist the urge to ask about it.
"This school is…special." He began, clearly struggling a bit to form the right words.
"Yes, it's a prestigious school for the noble." I nodded, he had explained that in the letter.
"Not just that, you don't understand, this school operates to recognize a skill set in any individual and utilize it to its full potential, it's a school which has its own rules and it's own laws." He added.
"So it's like a boarding school, I get it, that's why the queen can't just come marching with the yard right?" From what I knew about boarding schools, looking into students records and how they operated required a whole court investigation.
They were very different from that of public schools. A prestigious one such as this one was sure to be as such.
"Precisely." Ciel sounded almost relieved.
I was sure he didn't fancy explaining it all like he was.
"Sebastian said you needed me to go into some sort of building." I said, slowly catching on.
Ciel looked taken aback, big eye wide in the dark.
"What? I told him to keep it quiet until you arrived…that sod." He was annoyed, no doubt.
Crap, did I rat the butler out?
"Ah it's not his fault! I'm the one that kept nagging at him to tell me, ``I wouldn't be here now if he didn't." I said quickly.
A pause.
"Right…" he sighed before continuing.
"He's right, this school is broken up into four houses, each house teaches different skills based on a student's strength. " He held out four fingers that I could see with the help of the flashlight.
I nodded, it was finally starting to become clear.
"Red house, also known as Scarlett fox, they specialize in high birth and gentility.
Blue house, also known as sapphire owl, it is the house I got placed in, they excel in studying.
Green house, also known as green lion, they excel in martial arts and sports.
Lastly, Violet wolf, also known as purple house."
"That's the house you put me in." I whispered.
He nodded.
"Yes, they specialize in the arts."
"I get it now, once you get placed in a certain house you can't leave." I murmured.
Ciel was stuck in blue house, for some reason he wanted me in the purple.
"Precisely, I need to get eyes into purple house because that's the house Derrick was placed in, it's where he might be found, dead or alive, I need you to search in there for me." Ciels words bit into me like a knife.
Dead or alive…I couldn't help but shiver.
"Why couldn't you just go in there yourself as a visitor? Surely friends can visit other friends." I pressed.
It was a school not a prison.
"I've tried, the students were most unwelcome, it's…an eccentric house, but you'd fit right in, they are hostile to outsiders but they'd welcome someone like you." He stated simply.
Jeez…even a noble like Ciel couldn't run away from the bullied nerd stereotype.
"Someone like me…I read the studies, they specialize in the arts and that includes tarot reading and witchcraft history." It made perfect sense now, I could understand why I was here.
"Exactly, you are perfect for this, I dare say I am rather glad to have met you at this time." He sounded genuine, even if it was only because it benefited him.
"Okay…I'll do it." Looking around for him shouldn't be a problem.
"Thank you, your help is deeply appreciated, I want you to have this photograph if it helps." He slipped me a small paper.
With the flashlights help, I could see a boy with blond hair and fine blue eyes.
"There's a gazebo in the middle of campus, you can't miss it, it's by the grass, meet me there tomorrow during lunch break." He murmured.
I nodded. "Okay, gazebo by the grass." If I repeated it out loud, it helped me remember.
"Right, tomorrow you will go into class and attend as usual, keep an eye out for Derrick, then we meet there at break time, your classroom should be on your attendance slip, if you need materials they should be provided in your dorm, your dorm room is also on your attendance slip." He slid me another paper, thick and white in color.
I eyed it curiously, noting that the semester had started only two days before. I suppose I was a late add, it wasn't uncommon.
"Thank you."
"No, thank YOU." Ciel responded warmly.
"No record on Derrick nor the other students." Sebastian's voice startled me from behind.
I was so caught up in what the earl was saying that I had failed to notice him there. I had forgotten he was even here. We both turned to see his black silhouette hidden amongst the shelves, hands outstretched in a shrug.
"So even the records are missing, they're covering something up." Ciel bit his nail, lips curled into a frown.
"What do we do now?" I asked, still on edge about getting caught.
"For now, we both need to get to our dorms, Sebastian can help you find it if need be, and as far as anyone is concerned, your name is Noah Phantomhive, and you studied abroad for the last few years." Ciel muttered.
It was a lot to take in, but I had to try. He was clever, he thought of everything to cover my accent and background.
"Erm, my voice…" I whispered in dismay.
"Not to worry, you can try to sound more masculine but don't overdo it, sometimes not talking much at all is the best option, lay low if you can help it" He assured me.
"R-right." I had to trust his advice.
"Sebastian, help her inside her dorm, should anyone stop you use the slip." Ciel walked ahead, flashlight shining.
"Certainly young master, will you be alright?" The taller male was just barely visible.
"Yes, blue house isn't full of savages." Ciel's response was bitter.
I gulped. Was purple house that mean? I was afraid to go in there now, I had no idea what they did to the earl to make him resentful.
"As you wish." Sebastian gave a very slight bow.
I walked forward, staying close to his side. Ciel planned on taking the flashlight, I was going to have to rely on Sebastian to get around.
"Oh and Sela." Ciel stopped midway of walking towards the door, flashing the light up so I could get a clear view of his face.
His smile was bright, as innocent as any child's. It was his eye that gave away the feeling of something deeper, like he found something terribly funny.
"Don't step on the grass."
.
…
.
Thank you for reading! ^_^
~gummie