Hanging

The two men prepared the table for us to eat, Ciel brought with him a mountain of food, when all was set Ciel assisted me to get to the table. He was so careful and attentive all that was missing was for him to spoon feed me. Uncle Ian raised an eyebrow with Ciel and sat down right beside me. He was acting like an overprotective father keeping an eye on a ravenous vulture. Ciel snickered, with how they acted you might mix up who was the demonic vessel and who was the angel of death. With my arms slightly healed it was easier to tend to myself, I was able to raise my arms to eat.

With the amount of food on the table you would think that Ciel bought all the items in Jollibee's menu, and he even managed to get french fries from McDonalds and sundae. I had little to no appetite making me think what will happen with all the food because I was quite sure that won't be able to finish it all. Then Uncle Ian started eating, my eyes wide with amazement, he ate with so much vigor, downing one food item after another.

"Vessels who used their gifts are faced with the sudden depletion of energy and they feel such hunger that they can devour a whole animal, cooked or raw it doesn't really matter,'' explained Ciel.

I ate in silence though with difficulty, Uncle Ian continued to demolish the food on the table and Ciel nibbled on some fries. We finished eating at around eight o' clock in the evening, soon after Uncle Ian has recuperated some of his 'energy' he bade us farewell but not without a warning.

"Beth, those things that you saw, that is not what a hellhound looks like when they are on the hunt. They change their appearance to best suit the order that was given to them and when they have their orders they do not stop. Be careful, he glared at Ciel, "and don't trust this guy. He is as dangerous as any man in this planet". I hugged him and thanked him.

When he was gone Ciel assisted me back to the bedroom and helped me get to bed, I told him that I badly wanted to bathe but he said that I can't since I was unable to even walk on my own and hat he doesn't have any plans on trying to help with that messy business. Soon as I was in bed he started the clean up of the unit, he was saying what things needed to be replaced and what needs to be fixed. I smiled a little, he was such a nice guy to even stay and watch me until I can handle myself. When everything was clean he went inside the room and took a bag, inside was a comforter and a pillow. "I'll be sleeping in the sofa outside, if you need anything just shout for me and I'll be up okay?" he declared and walked out of the room.

I laid down the bed and pulled the covers until they reached my chin, I stared at the dark ceiling, the thoughts of the previous evening haunted me. In the silence I can hear their growls and the feeling of those things breathing down my neck, it was inescapable. I bolted up, I shook vigorously, I feel tears running down my face, I sobbed helplessly in the middle of that dark room.

I don't remember how I fell asleep, but somehow I did, the next thing I recalled was a misty orb suspended in midair, the sweet smell of roses, and a clicking sound, the orb moved, instinctively I followed the glowing ball then it vanished into thin air, I found myself in the middle of the darkness, barefoot on the cold ground. The constant sound of the clicking pursued, I find that sound irritating, I told myself, where could it be coming from? Click, Click, click, like a metronome, with a constant rhythm. I cocked my head left, I cocked my head right, where is it coming from? I walked on following the direction which I think the sound came from, stopping for a moment changing directions following the sound and the smell. I walked and walked until I hit what feels like a wall, I rubbed my nose, click, click click , the sound went on.

Click, Click, Click...

It's coming from the other side, I need to make it stop, I felt the wall for a switch or anything, it was smooth, no carvings, then I felt a seam, the smell of roses wafted from that seam and the sound grew louder when I pressed my ear on it, this wasn't a wall, I soon thought to myself, this must be a door. It felt like wood, it was of a different material than the one on the other side of the seam. I searched for any handle or a knob but there wasn't one. Click, click, click.... It continued, I was beginning to lose my mind with that sound I got to find it and stop it. I felt a chill run down my spine, there was a cold breeze that passed my shoulder, I looked back, nothing but darkness.

"Beth", said an eerie voice, again looked back to the other direction, nothing, I return my gaze forward, just the smooth slab of what assume is wooden door, and beside it what I think is wall. I swallowed hard, this isn't good, I thought, I began to frantically feel for a knob or a latch I needed to get out of here. "Beth", again the eerie voice called, the hairs on my back stood on it's ends, I looked behind, just the darkness.

"Who's there?" I croaked mustering whatever courage I can, my voice is still hoarse from all the screaming, silence, just an unnerving silence. I walked forward to see better maybe something was there, but in this darkness, it was a bigger trouble if something was there, I started to panic.

Click, click, click, click, click, click, click.... The sound grew louder, faster....

Fear and panic was beginning to set in, along with the realizations that I was alone. Ciel and Uncle Ian told me to never be alone, click, click, click, click... the sound was getting louder and faster than before. Click, click, click, click... I felt my body grow stiff, and beads of cold sweat began to form on my brows, I was catching my breath, trying to make sense with things. I backed up to the door, but to my surprise I fell, the door was gone! I was falling, flailing, "HEEEEEELLLLP!!!!!!!" I screamed, then I felt a hand grab me.

"Bethany!" a clear shout of my name made me open my eyes

I looked up and Ciel was above me holding my hand tightly, at first I was dazed, what's happening, I felt the cold wind beneath my feet, I was about to look down, "NO! DON'T LOOK DOWN!" Ciel shouted, his face red, but I still did, there was nothing beneath me, I was hanging by his arm. I started to panic, to cry, I begged Ciel to pull me up. I was flailing.

"Shut up!" Ciel shouted, "don't panic!" I was silenced, I reduced my cries to stifled sobs but my grip on Ciel's arm was tighter than ever before. I have no idea how I got here, and it was by some fluke that Ciel was here to save me once again. He was pulling. He was pulling hard so that I would be able to get close to the ledge, "quickly grab the ledge!" I grabbed hold of the ledge with all my strength and began to pull myself, with Ciel pulling me to safety as well. Huffing and puffing, trying to catch my breath by the time I was safely away from the edge, I fell on the concrete on my back with a mixture of relief and fear taking over, tears ran down my face but I no longer have the energy wail, I covered my face with my filthy hands and let the tears ran.Many thoughts ran through my mind at that moment but one of the most pressing one was how in the world did I get myself in the rooftop of the building, I was as confused as ever. Above me I heard the cacophony of all the construction works and the sound of the traffic down below, I don't know anymore

I cried for as long as I can, then I smelled cigarette smoke, removing my hands from my face I saw Ciel smoking. "Can I have a stick", I asked in between sniffles. He raised an eyebrow at me, put the cigarette in his mouth before helping me sit up.

"I didn't know you smoke,'' he puffed out some smoke then handed the stick

"I don't,'' I responded then taking the cigarette and taking in the smoke, I felt it enter my system and the sensation as the smoke left me ah such bliss, "for three years now, I haven't had one stick of cigarette, until today.''

Looking back I had to quit smoking because it gave me asthma and I was going through half a pack a day, and my doctor told me to quit. I even locked my emergency stash of cigarettes in puzzle box so that I will be too bored to even deal with getting my cigarettes. After the last awful asthma incident that I had I decided to quit, but today.... I just can't.

"You do know this is bad for you, right?" Ciel retorted lighting his own cigarette

"Yeah," I answered and took another huff, "but if these demons are going to kill me, might as well die on my own terms", I blew out smoke, he remained silent and we smoked what I assumed was a whole pack of cigarettes then after that, black out.

The next morning I woke up in my bed, my body ached, my hands and my knees had grazes from clinging on to the ledge to pull myself up. My arm had a hand-shaped bruise from where Ciel had pulled on me. I forced myself out of bed and limped out towards the living room, I found Ciel sleeping on the couch, I made breakfast with the leftovers of the previous evening, I tried to make as minimal noise as possible, careful not to wake Ciel. I saw his arms, they were filled with scrapes and bruises, his face had a small cut just below his nose bridge, I have no clue where he got it, but for sure I caused it one way or another, he had a hand-shaped bruise on his arm where I latched on. I can't help but feel guilty about it, I slapped myself and returned to cooking; when all was cooked and I finished breakfast I found myself staring at the window. I almost fell to my death last night, if not for Ciel I would have been dead. I forced my brain to recall what happened but alas I came up empty. I heaved a sigh, my life is being put to hold because of this mess. I heard Ciel yawn and he slowly opened his eyes, he stared right at me with his sleepy eyes and yawned a good morning. I watched him eat, dress his scrapes and grazes, and finally I found the courage to ask.

"What... How... Last night...." I mumbled, "thank you."

"Your welcome," he yawned again, he looked as exhausted as I was, "last night was one of the worst... Ever!"

"How did it happen?" my voice shook as I asked.

"I..." Ciel ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "it's... How do I put it..." he let out a sigh, "I think they entered your dream. They baited you from there, I heard you opening the door and followed you calling your name but you were in such a trance that you can't even hear me. I even tried to stop you, I pulled you back many times but you just kept walking, you even somehow managed to get in the elevator, then you walked until you got to the rooftop. I held you back lots of times, but you break free, you punched me on the nose the last time, it knocked me down for a few minutes." I stared at the cut on his face, I was the one that wounded him I felt more guilty than I already was, "When I opened my eyes, you were on top of the ledge, then you just fell backwards. I had to run to you and only managed to get hold of you." Ciel let out an exasperated sigh, he leaned back, I might end up killing this man before I killed myself, then again he is an angel.

"You didn't use your wings," I murmured

"Yeah, I can't exactly just use my wings or my scythe to save people all the time. It's a bit more complicated than that, there are rules in the use of our gifts and last night was within the limitations, we can't use it in this world unless we perform our tasks or a demon or demonic entity is present." He declared scratching his head, I was as confused and frustrated as he was, but I still can't accept that this is reality.

"Thank you," I repeated, I have been saying thank you so many times these past few days that it can be my catch-phrase, Ciel merely nodded.

"Well that's just how it is, I can't always be here all the time to protect you Beth, I am still a reaper and I backed up with my job, those up there are sending me one herald after another," he responded I shrugged.

"If I can't hide, or outrun them then I just need to face it. Difficult as it may be, my I can't hide in this Condo forever, it's not like it's safe here. Might as well just deal with it one way or another." I sighed,leaned back on the wall, this is going to kill me, I thought to myself. After all you will never know when there's a demon by the door.