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

Chapter 7

I was taking my turn sleeping when I thought I heard something. I slowly opened my eyes and stretched. "Alice!" Ciel shouted.

I shot straight up and looked around, confused, "I'm awake! I'm up!"

My eyes focused on the scene going on the shore. Ciel was clawing at the soil beneath him. He was right next to the lake. Something was dragging him in! My mind raced with all the possibilities. I was trying to gauge how much time he had before it killed him. Of course, that depended on the creature. I came up with about nineteen total possibilities considering the time of day, the location, and its method of trapping prey. None of them were too good, I must say.

"Alice! Help me!" he yelled. Maybe I was right to say he wouldn't survive without a guide earlier.... I snapped out of my thoughts and stood up, immediately running off. "Alice! Come back here!"

I was a bit annoyed that he thought I was just leaving him. Honestly, after everything that had happened, he thought I was going to leave him to get eaten? If I had wanted him dead, I would have left him with the Mock Turtle! He really had some nerve thinking that.

I didn't travel far. It wasn't long until I came to the Cupa bush. In the moonlight, I could see the dark liquid filling the cups. Considering I didn't know which of the nineteen possibilities I was dealing with, I couldn't go with any of the friendlier methods of saving Ciel. Using the Cupa bush was my only way of stopping all or any of those terrible, little monsters that caused so much trouble. I plucked it with slight hesitation and bolted back to the lake. I lost some of the liquid, but there was still enough left. "I can't get it off!" Ciel continued to panic.

I made my way to the shore and dumped the liquid into the water where I saw the shadow of the thing that captured Ciel, registering what its terrorizing species was. I heard its muffled shriek under the water, and I found myself screaming, as well. Immediately, its small, webbed hand went limp. Ciel scrambled away from the shore. I stumbled a few feet back, clutching my heart. It still echoed with the searing pain it just felt. A tear slipped out of the corner of my eye, but I quickly wiped it away. "Wha-What was that?" Ciel asked.

I shook my head to help myself focus again and sat next to him, "A grindylow. They're nocturnal animals that lure others to the waters that they live in. It pulls them in and drowns them. Then, they eat their prey. You were supposed to be the lucky catch of the day. I imagine it doesn't get too many treats."

"Because not many visit the lake?"

I insulted, "No, because no one is stupid enough to allow themselves to get taken."

I could tell he wanted to argue with me, but instead, he shook it off. He stared at the lake with wide eyes, "What did you do to it?"

"All you really need to do is cut off the arm that is attached to you, but there weren't any sharp objects, and I don't like carrying around knives. I could easily hurt myself, mind you. Even if I did, I hadn't the slightest clue of what was attacking you. Not all methods work on everything. Instead, I dumped the poison from a Cupa flower into the water. It's a shame, though. I just polluted that whole lake," I sighed. That was why I screamed. I felt all their deaths at once. Every plant and creature living a happy life down there, gone. I felt the pain Wonderland felt.

"Are the other creatures that are in there alright?" he wondered.

"No. They're all dead. Anyone who drinks from that lake will die, too," I shook my head. He looked down at the ground beside him. He was avoiding my eyes. "Why did you go near it? I warned you very clearly."

"I saw Sebastian standing there. Over at the edge. He told me to come with him. That he would explain everything. When I got close, though, he started running across the water. Then, I was attacked," he explained. I was a little shocked.