Haunted

Haunted (Chapter 7) Almost, but not Quite

Ciel retired to his hotel room after dinner, hoping to find some peace and quiet. He picked up that morning's newspaper and began listlessly flicking through it, but found he couldn't concentrate. After a few restless minutes, he sighed, got up and went through to Alois' room. He found the boy sitting staring boredly out of his window and counting the falling snowflakes. "Cold out there, isn't it?" he remarked, taking a seat beside him.

"Mm." Alois nodded in response, leaning forward and resting his chin on the dusty windowsill. The silence seemed as though it might go on forever, until Alois suddenly spoke. "Hey, remember that time we danced in the library?" he asked, sitting up abruptly, and instantly looking more energetic. Ciel jumped, having been rudely awoken from his daydream.

"Eh? What?"

Alois laughed. "Come on!" he replied, pulling him to his feet.

"What are you..." Ciel said uncertainly, trying to work out what was going on, and then hurriedly placing his hand on the older boy's shoulder. "I notice I'm playing the girl's part again," he muttered. Alois grinned. "Midget. Now, one, two, three...one, two, three..."

Ciel glared at him in mock irritation. "If I hear you call me a midget, pipsqueak, shorty or any other term implying that I am of diminuitive stature this evening, I shall have to stand on your toe." Alois just grinned back infuriatingly. "One, two, three... one two three... ouch, you didn't have to carry out your threat, you know! And turn." With that, he twirled Ciel round in a circle. Ciel, caught off guard, stumbled slightly and trod on Alois' boot lace. Alois, realizing this a split-second too late, tried to move his foot, and before either of them knew it they were tumbling backwards onto the bed.

"Umph..." Ciel raised his head, grimacing, and found himself staring straight into Alois' startling blue eyes, alight with amusement. It was then that he suddenly realized of what kind of position they had landed in, and a blush slowly spread across his pale cheeks. Alois read his thoughts, and looked even more amused. "Oh my," he said, smirking. "Isn't this convenient?" He reached up, brushing his fingers across Ciel's cheek, then put his arms round the back of his head, pulling him down into a kiss. Ciel stiffened momentarily, but then relaxed, kissing him back. They continued for a few more minutes until Alois broke off, gasping for air. "Is this all right?" Ciel asked worriedly, as the other boy rolled over deftly so he was looking down at him instead of up. "I mean, it's not as if we locked the door or anything... and can you imagine what would happen to us if someone were to see... our families' names would be tarnished for generations-" He was cut off as Alois gently pressed a finger to his lips, smiling. "Stop worrying," he said. "It'll be fine, I promise. Besides, who's going to walk in on us here?" He kissed the end of Ciel's nose, and giggled. Ciel smiled wryly. "I suppose," he replied. "This is the advantage of being in a small village in the middle of nowhere. You don't get nearly so many unexpected visitors." Alois grinned in agreement, reaching down and unlacing his boots. "Now," he said, smirking and unbottoning Ciel's collar, "Where were we?"

--

Ciel was quiet again on the now-familiar walk up to the church the next morning, which suggested he was worrying about something. Honestly, Alois thought, he could probably get to the place with his eyes closed, the amount of times he'd been there the past few days. He vaguely wondered what he was going to do with himself when he got home, and realized with a start that he'd already gotten used to living in the hotel with Ciel and the two butlers. In fact, now he came to think of it, he might actually be having fun for once in his life!

He scowled. "Boring!" he declared.

"What?" Ciel asked tiredly, snapping out of his reverie.

"I mean, when all this is over and done with," Alois said, swivelling round and walking backwards. "I shan't be able to think of a thing to do."

Ciel fixed his gaze on the dusty cobblestones below them. "Well, we might not be here for much longer," he replied. Alois swung around to look at him. "Do you think you've solved the mystery yet?" he asked. Ciel paused.

"I think I have, most of it." he said, continuing to stare hard at the ground as though it might somehow give him the answers he was looking for. "But I'm still missing that last piece. I don't know who did it, it's so frustrating."

"Is that why you're so tired this morning?" Alois asked, and smirked. "Or perhaps there was another reason for that?

Ciel coloured immediately. "Shut up!" he hissed, sneaking a backwards glance at their butlers, who thankfully appeared not to have heard anything. The young Earl was just heaving a silent sigh of relief and turning back around, when Sebastian asked innocently; "Is something the matter, my Lord?"

Ciel jumped a mile. "No, nothing at all," he replied hastily. Alois stifled a giggle, and they continued their walk.

--

They found Sarah sitting about inside the church, languidly picking the petals off a flower.

"Hm? Where's Timmy?" asked Alois in surprise, pushing past Claude and Sebastian, and squinting slightly as his eyes adjusted to the dimnesss inside the cool stone building.

"Outside," replied Sarah, not looking up from her rather monotonous excuse for a pastime. "Why he insists on going out whenever it's remotely sunny, I don't know. Perhaps it reminds him of when he was alive, or the like. Still, I suppose it can't do him any harm, since he can't feel the cold any more..." She finally cast her obsidian eyes almost reluctantly away from the flower in her hands, now completely stripped of its petals, and narrowed them suspiciously at the group. "Did you want something with him?"

"I just wanted to talk to you both," Ciel said with forced patience, having learnt that losing his cool would get him nowhere with the two stubborn spectres, "If that's all right with you."

Alois grinned. "I'll go and get him!" he announced, sprinting off cheerfully. The sound of his heels rebounding off the stone floor faded rapidly as he ran into the graveyard in search of Timothy.

An uncomfortable silence descended upon the cold sanctuary. Nobody spoke or even moved, until Sarah got slowly up. "It's rather dark in here, isn't it?" she said, not meeting Ciel's eyes. She snapped her fingers, and the dusty candlesticks on the altar burst into flame, sending wierd, deformed shadows dancing across the walls. It didn't do much to improve the atmosphere. Finally, Sarah turned to face them.

"Is it about our murder?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes filled with fear and hope and an immeasurable amount of sadness, as though she'd been dissappointed too many times before. "Have you- have you found out who did it?"

Ciel grimaced as Alois returned, Timmy in tow. The blonde Earl was looking as though he were going to say something, but halted as he took in the heavy atmosphere.

"It's your choice as to whether you believe me or not," Ciel said grimly, his expression suggesting that he'd rather not be having this conversation, "But I think you may have been killed by a demon."