Episode 2 Continued - Murder on Elle Street
"Sebastian, this is a stake-out, not a petting zoo!" I whisper-yelled.
He just continued staring down at what he was doing, gently playing with the paws of a little stray kitten. "Awww... look at you. So soft and silky. And so pretty. Aren't you pretty? Do you need a home?"
"Sebastian, I am not taking in a cat," I snapped.
"Aw," he gazed up, looking a little sad, "but she's so pretty."
"Put the cat down," I growled, "we are on a mission."
It made a small mew and Sebastian chuckled, making the vein on my neck bulge.
"So cute. Where are you from, little kitten? Are there more of you?"
"SEBASIAN," I snapped. "Are you listening to anything I'm saying?"
He just sighed and dropped the kitten, and she wandered away when he gazed up at me. "My apologies, I just love cats so much." He cleared his throat and stood. "I got distracted, my lord. Do continue."
I just pinched the bridge of my nose. "God, one of these days the person who tries to kill me will be a cat. And then what do I do? You choosing between me and a cat? No doubt that you'd choose the cat."
He was silent, but I could feel him smiling. "As you were saying?"
"Whatever," I waved his response away. "Shut up. I'm busy."
"Ah, master? Did I pinch a nerve? I did not mean to."
"Yes, you pinched a nerve!" I snapped, making him draw back. "We are on a mission! And no, not a mission to adopt a cat, understand?"
He just smiled and covered his mouth with a fist. "Yes, my lord."
"What is it?" I snapped. "Why are you laughing?"
"Well," he gazed up, still smiling, "you just look so cute when your angry."
I clenched my teeth, the vein on my neck pounding. "I swear, I'm going to kill you."
"Aw, master. Don't say such things." He pulled his hand away. "You know you cannot kill me. I'm a demon, after all."
I just rolled my eyes and gazed further into the alleyway. "I haven't seen movement for over twenty minutes. What do you think is happening?"
"Maybe he's not home?" Sebastian suggested.
I shot him a look. "Seriously? Is this how helpful you're going to be?"
He just closed his eyes and smiled. "Alright, master. Wait here for a second, alright?"
And he suddenly vanished.
I gazed toward the entrance to the house, brows drawing together when I waited for Sebastian to bust it out or something.
But I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.
I nearly screamed, but a hand clamped over my mouth, and I froze.
"My, my," Sebastian said then, making me settle immediately, "you should keep more of a lookout, master. Who knows what creepy kidnappers lurk about?"
I turned toward him as he smiled, uncovering my mouth.
"Well?" I said.
"I was right," Sebastian answered, closing his eyes with his smug smirk. "He's not home."
I stared. "Huh?"
"It was an accurate answer when you asked me the first time," Sebastian said to me. "There's no souls in this area other than you, my lord."
My brows drew together immediately, and I looked around at all the brick-walled houses surrounding the neighborhood. "No souls? But that's preposterous!"
"I meant what I said," Sebastian answered, opening his eyes as they glowed a dark red.
"For how far?" I demanded.
"A mile, at least," he said.
"A mile?" I echoed. "But... there's houses all over here! And some have lights on and some don't! How can everyone not be here at once?"
"Well, master, do you see anyone?" Sebastian suggested.
I blinked hazily and looked around, brows drawing together when I found the front yards empty, and all cars deserted.
A sudden chill sliced through me.
Something's wrong about this place.
"Isn't that odd?" Sebastian said, gazing up. "It's only eight o'clock. Why would everyone be inside at eight o'clock?"
"Why is everyone in the neighborhood gone at the same time at eight o'clock?" I corrected. "From a mile?"
We both gazed up, and my brows pushed together.
I immediately stood and rushed to the front door of one of the brick houses.
"Master, no! Wait!" Sebastian called.
I kicked the door open, sending it flying from the hinges.
I froze immediately.
There was blood everywhere... on the floors... on the walls...
Everything red like it was recently painted, splashed almost.
And the smell... rotting flesh and decaying bones.
My eyes finally set on the dismembered body on the floor, and I suddenly felt cold.
Sebastian immediately covered my eyes, making me gasp helplessly as he guided me to walk backwards.
"Don't look any further," he said quietly.
I choked as nausea swelled up my throat, and I tried to swallow it down, but it pried its way up.
I hurled, unable to move from Sebastian's hold, so I just felt it splatter to the floor.
I gasped helplessly, trying to catch my breath.
He then lifted me swiftly with one arm, keeping the other over my eyes, and he jumped backwards, landing back on the street.
"It was her..." I said, breathing shakily. "It was...."
"It wasn't," Sebastian answered quietly. "It wasn't her. That body wasn't Eileen."
I tried to breathe as the panic settled in. "Then who was it...?"
"It was the woman we were looking for," Sebastian answered darkly. "The main suspect that we thought took Eileen. It was her that was murdered."
"Eileen isn't here?" I said, recuperating myself.
"Oh, she's here alright," Sebastian answered.
I opened my eyes to find his hand still covering them. "But I thought you said there were no souls for miles."
"There aren't."
"Then is she dead?"
"No."
"How is that possible?" I questioned. "Where is she?"
"Right in front of us, my lord."
I removed his hand from my eyes immediately, gazing around quickly before my eyes locked on the side of the house, where the porch dipped into the ground.
My breath shortened.
There was a girl there... but no... it wasn't a girl.
But it was Eileen. The one we were looking for. I could recognize those moles on her cheeks from anywhere, and her blonde hair, and her eyes...
Oh... her eyes.
The pupils looked as if they vanished, the iris dull and reflecting no light. She looked dead, but she wasn't.
Her elbows were replaced with spheres, attaching her forearms and her upper arms together, and her knees were the same... two... spheres.
She looked like a doll.
There were tubes coming out of her head, looking as if they were supposed to attach to something.
But she just stood at the porch, slumped over and staring at the ground emotionlessly.
"A doll?" I questioned. "That's not her."
"It is her," Sebastian answered, making my bones chill. "She was remodified."
My entire being froze.
"Are you Eileen Christopher?" Sebastian called then, still standing behind me. "We've been investigating your disappearance, my lady. This is my master, Yumi Phantomhive, and I am her butler, Sebastian."
I half-expected the doll to not respond, but... I was wrong.
She gazed up slowly, her hair falling over her shoulder. "Did you say..." her voice was soft, soulless, "Phantomhive...?"
I swallowed something hard. "Why... yes, Eileen. You father sent me to come get you."
"I know someone who's been looking for you," her head dropped to the side, making my breath catch, "but he's not here right now."
I ignored her comment, heart pounding hard against my chest. "Do you mind if I ask? Where the others in the neighborhood are?"
"So you noticed, too?" she said, sitting up straight, but her head toppled to the other side, and her arms dangled motionlessly.
"Noticed what?" I wondered.
"The souls..." she whispered, "they're gone."
A shiver ran through me.
"How do you know the souls are gone?" Sebastian piped in then.
Her emotionless eyes flickered up to his. "Father talks about them. Father always talks about them."
"Father?" I said then, trying to breathe. "You mean your father, Jack?"
"No, Jack is no longer my father," Eileen said, toppling to the side a little. "My father has no name. My father created me."
"Your father has to work on a lot more modifications..." Sebastian muttered quietly.
I pushed forward, though. "Who is your father?"
"My father is my father," she said quietly. "He is... my father. My father is my father. He is... my father."
I stopped her before she could go on an endless record. "And the neighborhood? Where did everyone go?"
"They're still in their houses," she answered, head falling to the side again. "Asleep forever. Don't go in them. It is messy. And Father does not like it when you go in them."
Sebastian was quiet for a moment. "She's right, master. When I looked around, I went into the houses. All of the homeowners and their families are deceased and dismembered from what looks like a chainsaw." He sighed. "The mothers, fathers, grandfathers... and children."
I felt another chill slice through me. "They were murdered?"
"As it seems, my lord. And judging by the decay and the smell... they've been there for weeks."
I gazed back up at Eileen who was looking around mindlessly, leaning forward and touching the grass with her motionless arms.
"Eileen," I said, stepping toward her.
Sebastian caught my arm, making me stop.
I glanced back at him.
His eyes glowed in warning. "Don't. She's dangerous."
I gazed back up at her, watching her curiously as she gazed back up at us, and then reached back down to touch the dirt.
"I know her coordination," Sebastian explained to me, "she's harmless right now, but if you get close to her, then she will switch and try to kill you. It's a defense mechanism built into her."
I took a step back and Sebastian let go of my arm.
I then looked up at him, feeling the numbness settle in. "Let's go back to the manor." I then moved past him. "We will coordinate a plan and find who's responsible for this. Something tells me this isn't ending today."
He followed behind me, to the limo parked on the side of the road. "But, master, what will we tell her family?"
"The truth," I stopped by the door, lashes lowering.
"Eileen Christopher is dead."
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