"NO!"

I sat up, my chest heaving heavily and my heart beating like crazy. I felt like I had just ran a thousand miles. Suddenly the room filled with light and a second later Hailey was sitting next to me with my face in her hands.

"Charlotte….it's okay…you're safe." She soothed, her green eyes staring back into mine.

My breaths still coming in pants I nodded and collapsed into her, my head resting on her shoulder.

"Did you have the dream again?" she asked and I nodded.

Since the night everything had happened I had been having nightmares about it. Most involved that creature I had seen myself as. Her red eyes would glare at me and her fanged mouth would tell me it was only a matter of time. Until what I wasn't sure. Until I turned into that monster again? I hoped not but thankfully I had Hailey.

Hailey had helped me pack and moved me in with her without a single question or me even having to ask. She'd even given up walking at Graduation to be with me. I couldn't ask for a better friend.

"That's every night this week." Hailey sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry I woke you up." I said shaking my head.

"Don't be stupid. I'd rather be out here with you than sleeping while you're freaking out." Hailey replied.

"Thanks Hail." I smiled.

"Are you sure you don't want to take my bed? I mean maybe you'll sleep better and won't have those dreams anymore." she said.

I shook my head, "I've told you Hailey I'm not taking your bed. Get over it."

She sighed, "Fine but if you change your mind let me know."

"I will. Now go back to bed. I'm fine." I replied.

"If you're sure." she said and when I nodded she headed back to her room.

I sighed and laid back.

It had been 3 weeks since my Mother and Bryce had died and I was staying with Hailey, crashing on her couch since I didn't have anywhere else to go. Even if I had wanted to go back to the house I'd shared with Bryce and Mom I couldn't. Bryce's sister Sharon who had always hated me had claimed ownership to it the day of the funeral. She'd given me 2 days to get everything that was mine from the house and get out which was why Hailey had moved me in with her. I was just thankful it wasn't a jail cell.

*3 Weeks Previous*

The room they had me in was cold but thankfully they had given me sweats to wear in place of my blood soaked clothes. I knew that they thought I killed my Mother and Bryce. Why else would they have me sitting in an interrogation room of the police precinct? I really couldn't blame them either. What would you suspect if someone walked out of a house where 2 people had just been murdered and was covered in blood?

"Ms. Chancely?" an officer asked as she walked in.

"I didn't kill them." I said looking at her.

She gave me a kind smile, "We never said you did. I just need your version of what happened."

I nodded and she sat down in front of me.

"Just tell me everything that happened just as you remember it." she said.

I recounted everything I'd done, leaving out the bit about turning into some hellish creature and killing Bryce along with Grell and Will. She nodded and had me write it onto paper exactly what had happened. Once I was finished I pushed it towards her.

"Is there someone you can call? Somewhere here in town where you can stay for the night? Family maybe?" the officer asked.

I shook my head, "No. My Father died when I was little and I don't have any grandparents."

"How about a friend?" she asked.

"Um…I might be able to call my friend Hailey." I said.

She nodded and had me follow her out of the interrogation room and towards the front where she showed me a phone I could use. I dialed Hailey's number and she picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?" she asked sleepily.

"Hailey it's me." I replied.

"Charlotte? Where are you calling from? I don't recognize the number." she questioned.

"I-I'm at the police station." I replied.

"What?! What on Earth are you doing there?!" she asked.

"Something happened. My Mom…and Bryce are…d-dead." I stuttered my voice choking as tears shoved their way out.

"Oh my god. I'll be right there." she said and hung up.

She arrived 10 minutes later still dressed in her pink bunny pajamas and a pair of flip flops.

"Oh my god! Charlotte!" she said and threw her arms around me pulling me into a hug.

The moment I felt the warmth of her arms around me I collapsed. Tears poured from my eyes and she just held me as I cried.

After Hailey arrived they had let me go. A week later they got the autopsy results back on Bryce and it said that he had died of a heart attack. They said it was the stress of what he'd done. I didn't try to dispute it. As much as I blamed myself the idea of a psych ward didn't appeal to me. I doubted that if I claimed that I had turned into some sort of monster and killed him that they would think I was anything but crazy.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew it was morning and I could hear Hailey shuffling around in the kitchen.

"Morning." she said stifling a yawn as she clutched a mug of coffee in between her hands.

"Good morning." I replied.

"I made tea too." she said nodding towards a stainless silver kettle with a steaming mug beside it. I wasn't a big coffee fan and preferred tea in the morning.

"Yum. Thanks." I said and picked up the cup.

Taking a sip I grimaced at the flavor.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's fine." I replied setting it down on the counter, reaching for the sugar.

"Charlotte…be honest…it's bad isn't it?" she smirked.

"Yeah. Really." I said.

She laughed and shook her head, "You're such a tea snob. British Brat."

I stuck my tongue out at her and spooned some more sugar into the liquid. She had called me British Brat ever since I told her my Great Grandmother was born in London and she blamed my love of tea on that fact as well.

"So what are you plans for the day?" I asked.

She frowned at the faded green streak that framed her face, "First I'm going to the drug store to get something to take this shit out of my hair. Then I have to return my gown and that graduation hat thingy." she said.

"Weren't you supposed to return that like last week?" I asked.

She shrugged, "My bad. Anyhow after that I'm meeting up with my sister to grab some lunch. Wanna come with?"

I shook my head, "I don't want to get in the way."

"You won't get in the way! Trisha loves you!" Hailey replied.

I shook my head again, "I really shouldn't. I need to start looking for a job."

"Why do you want to get a job? I told you I've got you for a while! The last thing you need right now is stress and that's all a job will cause you." Hailey said.

Hailey's Dad was a Corporate Lawyer who worked for several large companies in the area and made tons of money as did her Mom who was an interior designer. They had promised to support Hailey through college just as they had for her older brother and sister Trisha and Rob. Hailey swore that she could cover me on the allowance her parents gave her each month but I didn't feel right about it.

"I really need to get a job Hailey. I need to start saving for school." I replied.

I had found out the same day I had lost the house that my promised future no longer existed. Along with the house Bryce had also left all of his money to Sharon which meant that I got zero. The only money I really had was the little my Mother had left over from when my Grandmother had died before I was born. It was hardly enough to cover one semester's tuition at Community College let alone Julliard.

Hailey sighed, "Alright. Let me know if you find anything good. Maybe I'll even get a job."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh yeah…I can totally see you working somewhere waiting tables."

"Well maybe not that but maybe you'll find something at one of those cute boutiques on the other side of town! Then we could get discounts!" Hailey grinned.

"Right. Sure." I laughed and headed to get dressed.

When I was ready I grabbed my bag and headed out. It was nice day so I left my Bug parked at Hailey's and started towards the market a couple blocks away. It was small but it would be quick getting in and out.

Heading inside I grabbed a box of tea that wouldn't make me gag before picking up a newspaper. I made my purchase before heading out. However the moment I turned out of the store I bumped into someone else.

"Oh crap! I'm sorry!" I said looking up at the man.

He had dark brown hair that was tied back with a red elastic at the base of his neck in a ponytail and large round glasses.

"Don't think anything of it my dear." he said.

Suddenly I stopped moving and looked up. His voice was faintly familiar as was the English accent. However before I could place it the man had taken my arm and helped me up before shoving my bag back at me along with my newspaper before flashing me a wink and a grin and disappearing around the corner.

I stared after him for a few moments before internally shaking myself. There was no way that could've been either of those two…was there? No! There were tons of people with British accents. Besides he didn't look like either of them.

"You're losing it Charlotte. Maybe Hailey's right and you should relax for a bit." I muttered to myself before starting back towards the apartment.

When I arrived it was empty and silent save for the sound of the people upstairs. Tossing the paper onto the couch I made myself a quick pot of tea before settling down in front of the TV with a steaming mug, a highlighter and the paper.

Finding the jobs section I began to skim through the columns when something caught my eye. It was a job listing with the border highlighted with red marker. I wondered momentarily who could've done it when I remembered the man I'd bumped into outside of the market. We must have mixed up papers. It couldn't hurt to read it though so I skimmed over it.

Employer Looking For Full Time Maid
Room and Board Are Included As Well As Salary
To Inquire About Position Please Contact
Sebastian Michaelis

Under the name was an international phone number…the United Kingdom if I remembered correctly. Why on Earth would someone be looking for a maid outside their own country? I shrugged and went back to looking at the other listings.

As I read through them though I kept coming back to the one asking for a maid. I knew I could do the job well enough. I was the one that kept the house clean before Mom and Bryce had died and I had done a pretty damn good job as far as I was concerned. However it was the thought of Will and Grell that I couldn't shake.

They had acted as if I looked like someone familiar to them. In the days since I had met them I had become nearly sure that they held some clue as to that demon thing I'd become. Judging by the accents they were both from the United Kingdom as well.
Maybe that was the key to all of this.

I reached out and grabbed the land line phone Hailey had and dialed the number on the ad. It was a slim chance but it was one none the less. If it meant finding out just how I had turned into that thing then I would go to any lengths to find out.

Yay! Finally got this up! I had the worst writers block half way through. However I have at last published it! Now I can finally get to the chapters that include Ciel and Sebastian!

Anyhow time for some quick thank yous which go to:

-Light Umbreon

-irgroomer

-Paxloria

-Sebastian Stalker

You guys are awesome!

Thanks for reading!