A Demon's Contract CH.2

A low growl escapes my throat as I stand up quickly.

"SEBASTIAN!" I yell out. I look around frantically but all I see is stone. Damn it! Why did he leave me? Why-?

"Make it as painful as possible."

My own words rang through my ear. Was he-Was he making me suffer by making me wait? What was his plan? I ordered him to take my soul!

"You coward! How dare you betray me!"

Those words echoed through the emptiness as the feeling of loneliness and sadness washed over me. All around me is empty...so empty. What am I suppose to do now? I kick a pebble as hard as I can which ricochets off a boulder and disappears into the darkness. No use of just standing here looking like a sulking idiot.

I started walking back through the forest trying to remember which direction we came from. Damn; if I'd known that he was just going to leave me there then I would have memorized how to get back to...wherever. My ears twitched as I hear the sound of water. That has to be it. As soon as I realized this, the trees seemed to make inhuman noises and they almost seemed like...they were moving even though there was no wind.

My breathe became irregular and hard to control. My heart hit the walls in my chest so hard that I though that it was going to explode. My eyes were wide as I started making a run for the calming sound of hope that was the water. I shouldn't panic like this. Then I trip feeling something rough get caught around my ankle. I tremble as I look down at my foot. Part of a root was wrapped around it...or it looked like that but it could have been me going insane. N-No! I have to keep running!

I somehow get myself up off the cold ground and continue running. The sound of clashing waves were getting louder but the colorless forest was getting denser and darker as if it had a will of its own and didn't want me to leave. My heart paces at a dangerous speed as I see a dark circle start to form around my vision. Crap! Just keep following the light. Just-

I fall down to the ground hard; face planting into cold sand. I breathe hard trying to regain my composure. I get up on my hands and knees, grimacing as I feel the salts of the sand make their way into my scraped knees. I crawl forward with my eyes still close. I'm just happy that I wasn't killed.

I had told him to make it painful. I just never anticipated my butler to act this way. What am I suppose to do now? Where am I suppose to go? I do not even know where I am.

A splash interrupted my thoughts. I look down to see that my foot had stepped into some water. The water receded from my shoe and quickly flowed back around my feet. I continued to look down unbeknownst to the cold water flooding my shoes. When had I stood up?

Back there...I felt something touch my lips. Soft and smooth. I- wait, it couldn't be- My head snaps back with wide eyes. Then I noticed that I was at the water's edge. Somehow I had made it through and was at the entrance of the cave. I notice that the boat we've arrived in was still here. Why would he leave it?

A smirk played on my face. Did he want me to go back? Or does he think me incapable of escaping this place and left this boat to taunt me. I felt my face drop. What will be of me if I do make it back? I am accused of killing the obsessive Queen and I am alone. My chess pieces have been scattered and are useless to me. My servants...their condition is unknown to me.

I fall down to my knees as I start to breathe heavily. London has been destroyed. My mansion also no longer exists. Then it hit me. I have to rebuild. I clenched my fists. Rebuild and conquer so I can find Sebastian. He is going to regret leaving me here. Alone.

I shuffle through the water,my knees numb because of the pain, and onto the boat. I position myself on the back where Sebastian had stood. His last words to me replayed themselves in my head. I grab the rowing stick awkwardly and started to move it. As it hit the bottom, it took all my strength to push the wooden boat the way I wanted it to. This was way too much work for me.

I finally get the rhythm and slowly start at a constant pace. If I keep this up maybe I'll end up somewhere that nature won't kill me. As I look ahead with the island slowly disappearing behind me, fog started to engulf my surroundings. This mist was thick and suffocating. All I knew was the direction we came from. I panted but I still pushed the boat forward. Don't freak out...not like in the forest.

There was nothing to look at until something white had caught my eye in the water. I let go of the pole and kneel over the side of the boat. All I saw was a blank square of film. What did it mean? I touch my finger to the water causing a slight disturbance in the still water. Then the square began glowing a brighter white and more squares of film appeared in the water. I shielded my eyes form the blinding light and sat back violently making the boat rock.

I expected the gondola to stop rocking, according to the laws of physics, but instead the motion became more violent. Of course, who am I kidding? I really doubt this place follows any kind of law for that matter. The boat swayed side to side. What was going on? I could not open my eyes because of the light. The boat swung to it's side for the last time before plummeting myself into the water.

For a moment, I saw myself. My eye patch was gone revealing the insignia of the contract. It covered the whole iris. Why was it still there? My demon was gone so then... It was dull and lifeless. I realized that I still had a piece of Sebastian, yet the sign did not glow making my heart uneasy.

Then, everything went black. I was surrounded by the darkness which threatened to devour me whole. But I knew that it would not touch me because I do not belong to it. I belong to the demon butler who has abandoned me.

When I came to, I felt exhausted. I could not move or could I even speak. My head felt light and indifferent that I almost couldn't grasp what had just happened. Was it a dream? I laid there in the mud looking up at a gray mokey sky. Where was I now? The sky seemed different than the place Sebastian took me to. Will I rot here? No. I will not allow that. I will not let the mud eat me away. It is only Sebastian who will take my life and soul.

I tried to move my hand but I felt like I was being pinned down. The mud was sucking me in. Damn it!

Then I heard it; a voice. I missed what it had said. This time a woman's voice came through.

"Young master."

I slowly moved my head to look at the owner of the voice. Maylene was at my side in a second, the mud sucked her legs to her calves as she struggled to pull me out.

"Bard! Finny! Come help it's the young master!" She screeched in a panic. Bard and Finny came running up a moment later. Luckily Maylene and Bard dug me out. I couldn't imagine if Finny tried.

"My lord, where have you been?" Maylene asked loudly. I stared at her and then the other two in a slight daze. I think that Maylene lost one of her shoes...

"What happened to Sebastian?" Finny asked this time. The mention of that demon stabbed at my heart. I lowered my mud caked head; my dirty hair plastering itself all over my face.

"He's gone." I muttered. All three pairs of eyes widened but not a word was said. The truth definitely hurt. All I had left for protection was these three morons. I looked back up at the three only to be the shocked one this time.

Each one had tears in their eyes. Bard was the one to make the first move.

"Young master." He sniffed and wiped away his tears with his dirty arm making his face dirtier.

"We're so glad you made it back to us." Maylene muttered as she quickly leaned in to hug me. This hug made me a bit uncomfortable but at the same time comforting. It's not like I was use to it or anything. How the hell am I suppose to react in this kind of situation?

"T-The London house is still standing, young master. The top floor n-needs repairs b-but the b-bottom floor s-still can be used. " Finny explained through his dripping nose and tears. His eyes were clouded and gave away how really emotional he was.

"Take me home." I say quietly sounding more tired than the desired effect of "cold".

"Yes, my lord!" The three chirped in unison. Bard picks me up easily as Maylene adjusts me on his back. I sigh in relief at being out of the cold mud and being somewhere a little warmer.

"My lord, you dropped this!" Finny pipes in holding up the small ring that's "very becoming of me." His voice repeats the words through my head as my eye narrows at the sight of it.

"Get rid of it!" I snap turning my head away from him. Maylene looks concernedly at me but I ignore her. I just want to go home...whatever one is left.

On the way towards the London house, I spot a black cat as we make our way up the hill. It looks over at me and then darts into an alleyway near by. To tired to stay awake any longer, I fall asleep on Bard's back. It feels like years before we make it home.