Tangled Web (A Black Butler Fan Fiction)

Chapter Three

"Please, I'm begging you, just save him! I know you want to!" A voice begged through darkness and tears. "Please, if it makes a difference, I'll make a contract with you..."

I shot up from my bed, startled.  My heart was pounding and my breath was coming in smothered gasps. What was that? That couldn't have been my voice. I"ve never begged anyone to stay alive. I pressed the palm of my hand to my forehead, trying to erase that voice. I knew it hadn't been a memory. I've lived a good life.  No one would have died for me. Maybe it was just what I get when I read that demon book before I fell asleep. I tried to remember that dream. I tried to remember something before that shaking voice. Black, I looked up and saw the pale light the moon gave me. The feeling and sight of feathers. That doesn't make sense, why would anyone want to make a contract with a bird with black feathers?

I pulled back the covers and walked to the large window on the other side of the room. Under the widnow was a bench I liked to sit on when the time suited me. Maybe if I look at the moon, that dream will go away and I'll get some sleep. Maybe, I just scared myself from thinking about Sebastian so damn much.

I half collasped onto the bench and stared at the large moon. I was happy knowing the moon hadn't changed and there wasn't some black bird, or demon with black feathers, lurking just outside my window. I wondered if Ciel was looking at the moon or if he was fast asleep like the rest of England. What about Sebastian? Would someone like him sleep if he were some demon who made a contract with someone like Ciel?

I stared at the navy around the moon. It was lighter than the rest of the night and the stars combined. The color reminded me of the ring Ciel started wearing on his thumb after his parents died. It was a Phantomhive heirloom and one of Ciel's most prized possessions. He might like it more than Lizzie, his help, and me combined. He looks at it when he's thinking about something. I heard one time that Lizzie broke it. I could only imagine the reaction Ciel gave. He maybe dispassionate most of the time but he isn't afriad to show his anger or show his loyalty to the queen.

Small, dark clouds were slowly making their way to the moon. Soon, it obstructed some of the moon and made my heart sink a little. The moon was the only light I had. When I turned to the rest of my large room, my shadow was cast across the floor and the clouds were surrounding me. It would have been scary for Lizzie, but all it did was send the smallest eerie feeling down my spine. But I embraced it.

I am not like Lizzie. I am not like Lizzie. I am nothing like my twin sister. Although we share the same blood and we look alike. I am, and will never be, anything like her.

I kept thinking I was lying to myself. There was one thing, besides looks, that I was like Lizzie. I liked Ciel and I knew that wasn't going to change. I was jealous of my sister. She had mature, handsome Ciel with a  bright future ahead of him. I was newly betrothed to someone I haven't even heard of or met yet.

The next morning, I tried not to let anything come to light that I had sleep troubles. The last time that happened, they brought in a counsling doctor because my parents were afraid I was going crazy. The last time, I had a dream that some monster was trying to eat my soul. But it was only a dream and I never had the same one again. I never really dreamed after that until I met Ciel's butler.

"Lizzie, are you ever going to stop dancing around like that?" I asked as I held my head in my hands and leaned on the table in front of me.

Lizzie had been singing and dancing around the room since breakfast. Then, it wasn't as irritating. Now, after a few hours, it was becoming insufferable.

"Why would I? I had the most amazing dream last night!" She squealed like she would when she saw Ciel or the Phantomhive manor.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Let me guess, it was about you and Ciel?" I've heard these dreams enough that they were consistant with one theme: Ciel or Ciel and her.

"How'd you guess?" She turned to me and squealed a little louder. "This time, I was older and Ciel was waiting for me. I was wearing the most beautiful dress and you were there too. You were in white too and someone was waiting for you."

I stopped listening when she started talking about what I was wearing to our weddings. I've heard the wedding dream before but I was wearing a pink dress that had black ribbon on the edges and white ruffles underneath it. When she was describing it, it reminded me of this girl I saw once at one of Lord Druitt's parties. She was a pretty little thing but she ended up disappearing atfer the magic show. I haven't seen her at a party since. Funny, the tutor reminded me of Sebastian.

"Lizzie, are you sure these reoccuring dreams aren't your doing? I mean, everytime you dream, it has Ciel somewhere in it," I said after I ran my fingers through my hair.

Lizzie stopped in mid-sentence to think. She was quiet for a little bit, which was all I need to boost my sanity to keep from blowing up on her. I sat up straighter and eventually stood up when Lizzie still said nothing. I was fine wth rendering her speechless. Just as I was at the door, Lizzie ran up to me. 

"You're so right! No wonder my dreams come out good in the end no matter what happened. Ciel was always there. You're so smart, Selena!"

Well, yeah, I thought. I read all the time and you gush about Ciel all the time. I'm the one that reads, no wonder I am smarter.

"Thanks, Lizzie," I said as I was jerked around by my sister in her rage of excitement.

"You know what's coming up?" she asked when she finally stopped and looked at me.

"What?" I was going to guess a trip to the Phantomhive manor so Lizzie could tell CIel that he's face makes her dreams good.

"A ball at the Kierton estate! Maybe Ciel will be there!" The next I knew, Lizzie was going off about how extravagant the Kierton family held their balls. They made sure they spent top dollar on the entertainment and the guests were refreshed and the music was upbeat when it needed to be. It was like Lord Druitt's party but a little more lavish. It seemed like the dresses were even more voluminous than the other parties and they were much more elegant. 

Great, just another reason for my younger twin to dress me up in some monkey dress so she and I could stand out. I've been there before. The Druitt party was the last one and I was jealous of one girl. She may not be a very good dancer but she was really pretty.

I wanted to tell Lizzie that I doubted Ciel would go. Considering everything, Ciel isn't the social type. He would go just to make people think he was just fine and to keep up the Phantomhive reputation. Well, the one that all Phantomhives die young is one I hope Ciel would never come to. He has the entire company to run and he has a lot to give to the Queen and to everyone. Besides, someone has to marry my sister and Ciel is the guy that both families agreed upon.

"Come on, Selena, we need to go get our dresses picked out!" Lizzie called as she grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door. For some reason, I think I am going to have my dress picked out for me again. 

God, I hope I'm not right, and I hope that voice still searing into the back of my mind was only just a dream and not my mind messing with me for reading that book again when I tried to promise myself I knew all it's contents.

"At the Kierton ball, we should both wear the same color," Lizzie said as she thought about the ball. She was all into these kinds of things. I was more content with being in the shadows and reading some book.

"Lizzie, why don't we wear different colors and dresses? People seem to have a hard time telling us apart. Why don't you wear red or pink and I will wear blue?" I was trying to get her off the whole matching idea. Last time ended with me getting the identity of my sister and I almost danced with someone I could care less for.

Again Lizzie stopped and thought long enough for me to regain feeling back into my arm she was dragging.

"You have a good idea, Selena," she said as she thought more and more about it. "Maybe this time, we should wear everything different, including haristyle. That way everyone will know I am Lizzie and they will tell me apart from you."

I brought my hand to my face and shook my head. I think she just missed the whole point, I thought as I heard her go on and on about my idea. I wanted it to set me apart from her and to get through the ball unnoticed not so she could stand out more. Lizzie is always like this.