Living With Phantoms | Black Butler

Chapter 17: Demon? Probably. Bastard? TOTALLY.

CHAPTER 17:

As I trudged down the bare road, dark mutters escaped my mouth as I continued to feel my heart drumming on my ribcage. I suddenly skidded to a stop, staring down at the damp ground.

Right after, Marcus' mischievous smile popped up in my head as he gave a V sign.

Remembering his little trick, I literally felt my face go hotter than an oven as I felt my head deflate.

"Really, what is with that guy?" I muttered, wobbling to the Phantomhive mansion, feeling slightly lightheaded as the manor started to grow bigger and grander to my eyes. Soon, I was standing before a trail of tall rose bushes lining the lot's space.

Days away from this place...I feel so tired. Yawning, I turned my head to the right with a slight smile and froze.

I was just about to smile at my little sister....

The seconds ticked by and after a while, I found myself laughing. And soon, the laughing grew louder, crazy even to my own ears.

"That's so ridiculous!" I chortled, the images of my family and sister flashing in my head in a too high speed as I kept laughing harder and harder until my stomach hurt. Before I knew it, I was already on the ground, clutching my stomach as my laughter shrunk into small giggles and finally, a sigh.

"What's gone is gone." My consciousness whispered as I stared blankly at the road ahead of me. At the edge of the wide path, my eyes caught a tall and large tree. It was withered, gray and lifeless as its bare branches seemed to pierce the now blue sky.

My eyes softened, but in my chest I could feel the blood pumping through my heart and veins, making my body go hot with the feeling of sudden anger and hate.

"Is God teasing me? Is that what I am now? A fucking dead tree?" my head hissed as the dead tree crackled against the cold wind's caress.

Right then, a pure white cloth suddenly got snagged by the highest tree branch. I blinked and found myself staring at it.

Turning into a demon did have its perks. From down here, I could see it was actually a handkerchief flapping at the wind's slight force. A handkerchief with a beautiful but complicated design woven at its edges. And at the lower right hand corner, three letters were sown elegantly across the cloth.

"Where'd you come from?" I muttered and decided to get on my way.

But as I turned my heel, the wind carefully pushed my hair to the sides of my face and in the air, I smelled something in the air. The scent of a honey-like perfume...

Right then, I felt the air prickle just behind my head. It was like the instinct had been drilled in me.

Someone was watching. And they're not here to have a nice chat with me.

My eyes widened as my pulse quickened. Quickly, I whipped my head back to see where the killing intent was coming from.

No one.

As my eyes scanned the thickening fog, I could see a tall silhouette. Despite me saying my eye sight had gotten better, I squinted, trying my best to see who it was standing calmly in the thick white mist.

Carefully, I bent into a crouching position. Both ready to lunge and run away.

A few seconds later, the killing intent grew stronger. So strong that if it were possible, I would be able to see tendrils of black piercing the air all around me and threatening to stab into my body.

I shuddered, feeling my hair stand on end as the fog seemed to be wrapping around me and making my breathing louder.

"What the hell?" I thought in a panicked tone.