A Mere Child {Sebaciel} ON PAUSE

Chapter 8

Okay, so I know I had promised a chapter or so every day or two, but there has been a few issues. I will continue to write that's for sure. Sorry for the delay. Leave any comments or question about what has happened in the story so far. Now, here's chapter 8.

- Daliro Nesmadire (Your Prince of Darkness)

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His eyes struggled to open. He tried to open them, but they would only close shut again. His body ached. He felt totally and completely immobilized.

When he finally managed to force his eyes open, three faces came into focus. The three figures all fell upon him. They whined and talked over one another in a jumble of worry, "Ciel!- We were so worried!- Are you okay? - Cieeeel!"

Ciel struggled under the bunch. He flinched at the pain that hit his body. Ciel gasped out, "All... of you... get off...Finnian...your freakish strength... It hurts."

All of them got off Baldroy smiled stupidly, Mey-Rin blushed, and Finnian wiped at his eyes. Ciel looked at them all confused, "What happened?"

Baldroy shrugged, "It was that one that found you."

Finnian jumped, "Oh..! Yeah! I found you at the edge of the trees, when I was heading out to work on the garden."

Ciel frowned, "Edge of the..."

Ciel swung his feet out of bed. He tried standing but only collapsed forward. Baldroy caught him, but Ciel shook him off. He walked a few steps and collapsed again. Tanaka picked him up and set him in bed. Everyone was shocked at the strength the passive old man hid.

Tanaka shook his head, "You must stay in bed. Rest."

Ciel sat up, "But-"

Tanaka just shook his head once more, "Rest. You will be able to do nothing in the state you're in."

Ciel reluctantly laid back down in bed. He sighed, "But I have to... Sebastian..."

Finnian scratched at his cheek shyly, "What were you doing out there Master Ciel?"

Ciel turned his back to them and pulled the blanket close to his face, "I was looking for Sebastian..."

The room went silent, and slowly the staff left one by one. They had left Ciel to sleep in bed, but he didn't sleep. He couldn't sleep with the reapers' threat going through his mind. His mind wouldn't let him rest as long as he had no idea of where the damn brat was.

Unable to sleep, Ciel looked out the window. He stood up and walked to hit on shaky legs. As he stood in front of the window, he sneezed. Ciel rubbed at his nose but sneezed once more. Then, he saw it. A lean black cat strutted across the edge of the window. Its black fur glistened in the sun. It looked at Ciel through the glass in disinterested amusement.

The cat sat and watched Ciel for a moment. Then, Ciel sneezed again. When Ciel looked up from his sneeze, the cat was gone. He threw the window open and looked outside for the cat. It was gone.

Ciel huffed and shook his head roughly. He pulled a coat on and marched out of the manor. He was going to find Sebastian. He wasn't going to let anyone get to Sebastian before he did.

He wavered through the streets and often had to pause to lean against his cane or against a wall. He did not turn back though; he walked down street after street but found nothing. Ciel looked down the dark allies and bad streets and cursed himself for not being brave enough to go down them alone.

He was about to pass one of the worst allies, when he spotted Arthur Randall. Ciel walked over to him with his chin raised. He looked down at Randall, "What is going on here?"

Randall glared at him, "Where's your odd little butler?"

Ciel looked past Randall at the crime scene, "Away. What is going on?"

Randall grinned, "I would have expected you to know something and have an order from the Queen."

Ciel shrugged, "It is likely I do. Phantomhive Manor has been a bit all over lately."

Randall huffed, "I will only let you in because more and more people keep dying, and we have no clue as to who it may be. Fred! Catch Phantomhive up, will you?"

Fred smiled at Ciel and began explaining, "There has been numerous murders. We lack to find any connections. Some of the victims have been of high class and some from the lower. The murders have been covering a large area. From what we can gather, there are no connections. Whoever is doing the murders though, is tormenting the victim."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed, "Oh?"

Fred continued, "There are trails of blood often leading to the actual spot of the murder. Multiple cuts are on the victims, many aren't fatal."

Fred turned back to talk to Randall, and Ciel looked over at the victim. It was a woman. From what Ciel could tell from her clothes, she was of high class. Her throat had been brutally torn but there was smaller cuts on her arms and stomach.

Before Ciel could notice anything else, a laugh floated him on the breeze over the voices of the detectives and officers. Ciel turned to the direction of the laugh and saw a shadow slip into an ally between two buildings, a few feet off. He followed it. It had been a child's laugh. One of mischief. One Ciel knew al too well.

Ciel walked into the ally, but saw nothing. He walked deeper in. Finally, a figure came into view. The figure was leaning forward on something. When Ciel got closer, he realized it was Ronald Knox leaning on his lawnmower Death Scythe.

Ronald whined, "I had just spotted the little brat! Greeell, how is it I just got here, yet I got closer to catching him than you! Hurry up! I don't want William to get mad, and I really don't want to work overtime!"

Ronald turned at Ciel's footsteps. "Oh," Ronald blinked at Ciel. "That's probably why the brat's here. You mind sticking around? He may show up if you're here, and that would make this a lot faster."

Ciel turned to leave, but Undertaker landed in his way. He laughed, "Heh hee hee hee, is he troubling you even now that he is gone? You know, you shouldn't protect him as much as you do. He is a demon, Ciel. He is no good."

Ciel shoved past him, "You are the ones fighting four against one. Who are the ones that are no good?"

Undertaker laughed again, "Humans are really so extremely tragic, so extremely funny, and so extremely interesting."