Seeing Double

Chapter Two

As I prepared to scream again, one of the attacker's fingers slid into my mouth  and I snapped my teeth down on it. "Owww!" I spun around as soon as I was released, cupping my hands over my mouth as my eyes met a familiar pair of hazel ones. "Darcy!"

"Damn it, Alice!" I glanced down at her finger, clasping my hands in front of me. "Let me see. Human bites can be bad news." She puffed out her cheeks, "I'm fine; it's not even bleeding." Darcy let go of her index finger.

"What are you doing out here?" I demanded. "Coming to get you. You loose track of time too easily and you missed supper again because of it. Fortunately for you, I'm a generous person and saved some for you."
We began walking down the street. "Sorry. For biting you and for being an airhead." Darcy waved her hand, "If it wasn't for me, you'd wither away, you know that? Someone has to look out for you because you're terrible at it." I rolled my eyes, making her laugh. We had met a year and a half ago, during the infamous Jack the Ripper case, while I was still on a 'trial basis' with the Undertaker. In fact, it was that case that sealed the deal between Undertaker and I.
The mutilated bodies of the prostitues provided the opportunity to show Undertaker my steady stomach and nerves of steel, as well as my eyes for detail.
"You never did tell me why you were in the alley the night we met." I pointed out. Darcy jerked, sending a withering glare in my direction before looking ahead. "Does it matter? If I hadn't been THERE, you wouldn't be HERE."

The Earl of Phantomhive had sent me out that night as a decoy and look out, just in case the information we had put together had been wrong.I rubbed my left shoulder where the knife had struck me. "True enough; you kept me from bleeding out, then helped me back to the funeral parlor."  'All I remember is seeing Madam Red raising her knife, then running to stop her from hurting Ciel.'

Undertaker had gleefully stitched the four inch wide, almost to the bone, gash. 'I'm lucky she didn't stab me straight on, otherwise I would be dead, Darcy or no Darcy.'

We turned down a few more streets, heading deeper into the interior of London. The streets became narrower, darker, dirtier and more dangerous. CRASH! Something fell behind us. i whirled around, bringing my hands up in a block on instinct. A metal trash container rolled on the ground. 'What made it fall over?'
A dog ran across the street from behind the can,  tucking it's tail as it darted down an alley way. Darcy placed her hand on my shoulder. "Alice? You're jumpy tonight. This isn't like you."

I shrugged off her hand, lowering my arms. "It's nothing. I just have a lot on my mind. Let's go before real trouble comes." We started home again.

'I can't shake this feeling.' In the sickly light offered by the street lamps I caught glimpses of the goosebumps on my arms. Little tingles of apprehension ran through my limbs and I turned around again.

Darcy huffed, "Would you quit, there's noth--" She stopped in mid sentence. She had noticed the same thing I had.

The trash can was no longer prone.

It was back in its proper place against the brick wall.

Our breaths came out in short puffs as we waited. 'Someone's there,taunting us. Who is the intended target? Darcy? Myself? Both?' Minuet's passed and we waited in silence for any noise or movement.

Five minutes later and Darcy relaxed, glancing around one more time before facing me. "Alice." Her voice seemed to be coming from a distance. "Alice! Don't make me slap you. If this is because you and Undertaker like scaring each other--"

"No, it isn't because of that." I straightened. "It's unwise to stay here any longer." I added, briskly walking past her. I was angry at myself. 'I can't let my emotions and wild imagination get the best of me. I hate being on edge for no reason. For all we know, one of the homeless could have righted it. There are plenty living in these alleys.' I forced my mind to clear. Darcy's hand captured mine, "You're cold to the touch. Let's get you home to a hot bath."
I could only nod, tired, and resigned myself to a late night.
.....
Everything in the kitchen had been set up for my use. 'bless her.' We lived in a tiny apartment with one bedroom, and the kitchen, which sat off the entry way, doubled as our bathing area. We didn't have a living room or dining area proper, the middle of the kitchen and entry way served that purpose.