Who's Alice? (A Black Butler/Ciel Love Story)

Chapter 4

We didn't talk much. I would try to start conversations, but he gave me very short answers that told me he was relatively quiet. It wasn't awkward, but it bored me. I wanted to ask about his life and where he came from, but Ciel was extremely guarded. Whether it was because he had a secret or didn't trust me, I wasn't sure. I didn't know which option I would have been happier with, either.

I finally said as I pushed back the branches of the dense forest, "You ask a lot of questions, but you don't talk much. Why is that?"

"I have nothing to say, but many queries," Ciel answered.

"You don't have to have anything important to say in order to speak. Sometimes it's nice to just hear the sound of your own voice," I told him. I stepped over a tree root.

"I can tell you speak from experience," he uttered. I glared at him. He was so ungrateful. Louder, he said, "We've been walking for hours. How far are we?"

"Well, luckily, the paths have twisted in our favor. We're close to our destination. Don't get used to it, though. It's more often that it will pull us farther from where we need to go," I cautioned.

"Why would it do that?"

I began walking backwards so I could look at him, "Wonderland has a mind of its own. It knows everything about its inhabitants. It wants you to discover things. Say you want to go to a party, but nearby, the Green Flamingos are swimming around in the lake, unnoticed. It'll take you there instead because it wants someone to see its wonders. It wants you to stay longer. To never be bored."

He doubted, "Are you really trying to tell me it's a show-off?"

I taunted, "Yeah. I'm sure you could relate." I saw his lip twitch and laughed a little before turning back. A shiver crawled up my back, and I immediately knew what was happening. "Oh, and look at that."

"What do you-" he began but was interrupted by a loud rumbling. I stepped off the path quickly. The cobble began to squirm like a snake. Ciel fell and tried to hold on. There wasn't much to work with, though.

When it finally stilled, I mused, "Curious...." I crouched down next to Ciel and checked, "Alright there, mate?"

He hissed through his teeth, "Perfect."

I slapped him on the back and ignored the sarcasm, "That's what I like to hear!" I stood and looked forward. I heard Ciel mutter complaints under his breath as he slowly picked himself up.

"How far has it pulled us away?" he wondered.

"Not father. Closer. That's the strange thing. We'll be there in half an hour suspecting it won't twist again," I reported. I placed my hands on my hips.

"But you just told me that it pulls us farther away," he argued in an accusing tone.

"That was simply an example. This means that there's something up ahead it doesn't want us to miss," I smiled as I grabbed his hand. He looked shocked by the contact. "Let's go! I want to see this!" I started running down the path, dragging him along.

He struggled, "But you told me this place has dangerous things! What if this is one of them?"

I laughed, "Who cares? If we're going to run into a little danger, then what better way is there than to rush it when Wonderland is showing us the way? Let's have an adventure!"

Ciel continued to protest, but I ignored him. I wanted to know what awaited us! I didn't like when I didn't know things, if you couldn't tell. It was incredibly irritating and made me act rather impulsively. I really doubted it would bring us to our deaths, though. If I hadn't been sure, I would have found another way to the Duchess.