Living With Phantoms | Black Butler

Chapter 14: Shouts, Blood, Death, Confusion.

CHAPTER 14:

For a few minutes, I stayed in the basement, staring at the darkness in front of me, thinking.

Who was he? What was he doing here? And how did he know my sister?

Shuddering with a sour look on my face, I growled. He must be related to Sebastian in some way. He must be a burglar. Well, there was no other explanation right now. And...I really hope he didn't come near my sister, the thought of him merely talking to her was making me a little annoyed. He seems like a bad person.

Adding to that, while he was around, there was this weird and heavy air around him. As if there was a horrible storm brewing close to us.

At the moment I was thinking of a way to get to Sophie, I froze to hear a muffled laughter from above. I blinked, wondering what Joker was possibly doing.

I suddenly saw Sophie being bartered to the other person joker was talking to. My eyes widened and my heart beat loudly in my ears. I then jumped to my feet, running up the creaking stairs and feeling for the doorknob.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Locked.

Turning on my heel, I hurried down and ran back to the window, quickly pulling myself up and wiggling out of the small space.

Seeing as no one was still around, I looked up to the mansion. At the second floor in the middle of the entire building, I saw the biggest room was brightly lit up. And even from here, I could hear and old man's laughter filled with delight as claps followed as if he were watching some kind of show.

Without a second thought I ran up to the mansion's front door and stopped right in front of the double doors. Slowly, I pushed one door open.

Looking around, the coast was clear. But as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I froze, feeling my skin crawl as I looked up at the ceiling. Slowly pushing inside, my eyes widened to see naked dolls hanging by long strings all over the ceiling. On the walls were mannequin limbs encased in portraits as if they were works of art.

But to me, this entire place was entirely frightening.

Gulping and gritting my teeth, I over looked the eerie dolls with their blank eyes and smiles seemingly following me.

Looking ahead, I walked up the long and wide stair case. Once I got to the top, at the far left side, double doors were open and a bright light gleamed outwards.

Right then,

"Joker! Stop the earl from pointing that dangerous thing at me!" a low and very greasy voice shouted from the room.

Earl?...Ciel?

I hurried to the doors and once I got there, I froze to see four people in the wide room. Standing behind the very long and nicely decorated dining table was a fat man sitting on a wheeled chair wearing a shabby, brown suit.

Looking at his square face, I only saw a wide mouth and a single eye, for his other features were covered by bandages as I watched the man glancing between Joker and Ciel in panic as the earl pointed a pistol at his head.

I blinked at them, finally believing everything I, Ciel and Sebastian have been thinking during our time in the circus.

At the moment, it was a flurry of weapons. Ciel with a pistol to the fat man's temple, Joker with a sword to Ciel's throat, and Sebastian with a sharp dagger on Joker's own neck.

But that wasn't the most surprising thing.

Before them, a stage was filled with small people, children wearing masks and standing as they blankly stared at nothing.