Mission Improbable And The Kiss That Never Happened
"This is our mission?" Lucy looked up from the park's brochure to peer at Lockwood with an unconvinced expression. He returned her glare with a nonchalant grin, "Come on, Luce. It's an adventure." Lucy was just about to retort when George came up and nudged at her side, "Take note, we never did say–strictly speaking–that it was a case."
Lucy again peeked at the cartoon drawing of the brown, white and black spotted beagle. He had a deerstalker on and a magnifying glass in his paw. Behind him was a rather plump Scottish terrier who trotted to keep up with Arthur and the trail of paw prints they followed. Lucy would've laughed. It was strikingly similar to the Sherlock Holmes novels Lockwood owned and reminded her of Lockwood and George.
It seemed that the new Arthur Park really grabbed the public's attention. Tourists, families, groups of friends lined up to get through the iron bars. It was the first theme park that opened since the Problem arose.
Everyone looked excited, even the usually stone-faced adults. And in the daylight, the threat of a Ghost attack seemed unlikely. You could feel the relaxed, protected aura like a coat draped on as you entered.
The whole park was fenced with silver and iron. Every patch of earth was filled with the sweet smell of lavender. And the Agents at Fittes' had volunteered to play security guards for the opening day. But Lucy wasn't so convinced of its safety.
How did they even get tickets to the amusement park? This place looked high-end. She looked at the automated gates that scanned your tickets and spat out your special map and magnifying glass for personal use. All Lucy wanted to do was get on with this case and move on. And what kind of ghost could conjure in broad daylight, anyway?
The realization dawned upon her that she had been tricked and began to curl her hands into a fist until she found that she had lost Lockwood and George.
"Hey! Wait–" she was stopped at the entrance by a lady wearing the park's 'Ranger' uniform. "I'm sorry, miss. But you'll have to leave your toy sword by the entrance." Lucy looked shocked, then insulted, then clung to her rapier protectively.
"First thing's first, lady. This is not a toy." The lady stepped closer but Lucy held it back instinctively. "And I am not going anywhere without it."
"Ma'am, you could seriously hurt someone with that." The lady sighed.
"I'm an Agent and trained to use these things. What if a Ghost suddenly appeared at the roller coaster and no one had any iron to seal it! You know what you would have? A pile of dead Ghost-touched bodies." Lucy argued not noticing Lockwood and George who materialized by her side. George plucked the rapier from her grip and Lockwood smiled at the lady.
"We'll take it from here, miss. Thank you for your cooperation." And they locked their arms with Lucy's and dragged her to where the lockers were located. Leaving the lady dumbfounded and blushing from Lockwood's smile.
It took them quite a while before Lucy was convinced to leave her rapier behind. Though 'forced' should've been a more accurate term. She left grumbling about how they can't expect her to 'enjoy herself' when there was a possibility of a Ghost coming to attack them.
"Lucy, you've been too paranoid lately. The sun is shining! The children are screaming." They looked up as a fast shadow of the roller coasters swished by. A track full of children screamed and cheered. "How can you think that a Ghost can come attacking the Park? And with this many people." Lockwood gestured to the crowd. George snorted with approval.
Lucy turned to face him, "So I suppose you didn't bring my duffel filled with the Hunting gear."
George only grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "You can't prove anything."
Lockwood hid a snicker behind his hand. He recalled how Lucy came tumbling down the steps a heavy duffel bag packed with hunting gear at hand. George walked by her as she checked her supplies and said she could go ahead to the cab while he carried her bag. Lucy did suspect that there was some malice involved in the gesture but handed it over, nonetheless.
Lucy's face turned bright red and let out a yell that caused Lockwood and George to burst out laughing. They ran as Lucy chased them closer to the center of the park and farther from the stress and trouble behind the iron bars.
"Sir Arthur Doyle is the greatest canine detective in all of Great Britain. Join him and I, his partner, Dr. Dawson as we solve mysteries and stop crimes of the heinous Professor Em before he wreaks havoc upon the citizens of Lon-bone." Lucy paused reading the introduction and shakes her head.
"Lockwood," She began, but Lockwood put a finger to her lips, smiled and motioned for her to continue reading.
Lucy could feel her face going a crimson red but managed to look slightly irritated at the same time, "Your mission,"
"Oh, Luce! Do the voice." Lockwood said with eyes shining like an excited kid's. Lucy couldn't deny that face. She coughed and continued in a voice very much like Dawson's Scottish accent, "Your mission, if you choose to accept it: find the red stamps hidden in the park and solve the mystery at the end of every case point." Lucy finished, looked at Lockwood, at the map and back at Lockwood.
"Shouldn't you be the one to read this, Dr. Dawson. And was the hat really necessary?" Lucy tugged on the oversized beagle ear. It was the very first thing Lockwood bought. Lucy got Arthur, wearing Sherlock Holmes' trademark deerstalker and his big brown beagle ears flapping beside her.
Lockwood got Dawson. His was black furry hood. One ear stood up while the other fell slightly to the side, which made Lucy want to give him a treat and pet him like a real dog. They reminded Lockwood of the pictures he's seen of people with silly hats from that park. What was its name? Lindsey Land? Walter Land?
"You're one who's good at impressions?" Lucy looked at him accusingly. Lockwood coughed, stood up straight and said in Arthur's very British accent, "Apologies, Sir Arthur. It's just that you do me so very well." Lucy couldn't keep a straight face and soon the two burst out laughing. It felt good to be laughing at something other than ghosts and near death experiences. The other people lining up with them stared at the odd couple.
Another good minute passed before Lucy wiped a tear from her eye. She collected her breath for another minute. Lockwood was still smiling as he asked, "Hey, where is George? We're about to go on soon." Lucy snorted before pointing out that he was probably hiding.
"Why would I be hiding?" George ducked under the metal railings that prevented people from cutting in line. Upon the sight of George, Lockwood and Lucy's fit of laughter began all over again and the duo doubled over.
"I suppose Lockwood and Lucy wouldn't want any cotton candy then. Then poor old George has to finish this all by himself." George faked a sigh and began chewing the gigantic fluff of sugar cotton. Lucy grinned and swiped a piece, "Sorry, George. We just couldn't help it."
George decided beforehand that he would get Professor Em and as it turns out, Professor Em was a cunning female feline who likes wearing pretty pink bows while grooming her perfectly white fur. And it was really more of a headband with white cat ears and a pink bow situated between. They made a deal to wear their hats for the whole day and the person who removes it first has to be on cleaning duty for a week. Lockwood tried biting back a smile seeing George's depressed face.
It seemed like forever until they finally got on board the ride with Lucy between Lockwood and George. They swerved and turned and dropped until their stomachs churned. Screams, cheers and tears echoed in the Dogs of Baskerville Roller Coaster. Finally the ride came to a screeching halt and Lucy was the first one out, followed by Lockwood and a very sickly looking George.
With their hairs whipped and messed, they exited the ride with silly grins on their faces. Another park Ranger stopped them and Lucy tensed, ready to fight again but all he wanted to do was give them stamps for their maps. The first hundred to complete the eight stamps will be given a special prize, they were told.
The sight of the single stamp fueled Lucy with excitement. "We never had this sort of thing where I came from." She could barely contain her grin as they walked together to the next attraction with ice creams in their hands. "Hmmm," Lockwood looked at her, too busy eating his ice cream to give a proper response. Lucy nodded back and sighed dreamily. She took off hunting for the stamp booths faster than the boys could keep up with. Soon enough they caught her and dragged her by the arms once more.
The trio stood at the end of a long line. "You never did tell me how you got three free passes." Lucy nudged Lockwood. George nodded and replied, "Our previous client–you remember Mr. Bronggs: red nose, thinning hair, big beer belly? – well he's a partner of the Arthur Doyle franchise and since our services for cleaning the Type Two were a bit over his budget, he gave us tickets instead."
"Well it was his dog's fault for burying my chains. I had to use fillings, and you know how much I hate fillings." Lucy shrugged and they crept on slowly following the line of people.
The air in this attraction was spookier than all the other kiddie rides. Dim lights and strung up cobwebs hung from the ceiling. And there were more kids of their age.
Teenagers who sensed Ghosts and weren't the least bit frightened by the fake skeletons and witch cackles. Lucy could feel their excitement and fun. Their easy sort of terror you get from amusement park rides. For the first time in a very long time, Lucy got shivers racing down her spine for an entirely different kind of ghost.
The trio talked and laughed like normal teenagers for a change. And normal teenagers they were. Lucy knew she should've suspected something when Lockwood and George went out casually. They wore clothes Lucy hasn't seen them in in a very long time. Lockwood looked immaculate with his bright smile that made every girl they passed turn with flirty looks in their eyes.
He wore a grey hoodie Lucy has never seen before (and actual jeans). George had a big red jacket and a loose un-tucked shirt that made him look plumper than normal. While Lucy, on the other hand, wore her normal Agent gear. She looked like the odd one out standing beside the two. Several kids looked at her with wide and curious eyes. Her belt still filled with cans of Greek Fire and Salt Bombs. How could the park Rangers fail to notice that?
The line to get in the ride seemed to pass in an instant. And soon Lucy was clutching Arthur's ears trying to block the eerie noise out.
Lockwood leaned over and whispered, "These plastic statues aren't half bad."
He turned to look back at the green and gory skeleton. And laughed at the hologram projection of a ghost sweeping above them, grazing their heads. The ride was on a boat, seating about sixteen people with four per row. The park Rangers warned each passenger not to jump, kick or stand on the boat. But as soon as he felt a warm and clammy hand grip his, he jumped, kicked and stood on the dark musty boat.
"Lockwood." Lucy hissed, she looked back to see the other people on the attraction jeer at him. He quickly regained composure and sat back down, Lucy's hand still holding his for support. Lockwood grinned, his white teeth making a half-moon in the dark.
George on Lockwood's other side leaned in and whispered to Lucy. "You know for an Agent who battles Ghosts and Visitors on a daily basis, you sure are a sucker for cheap Hollywood Horror rides." Lucy would've turned to glare at him if not for the sweeping chill in the air that raised the hairs on Lucy's arms.
She stood up quickly, the boat rocking from side to side. Lucy scanned the area for the source of the Malaise she felt. She saw a silvery light from the corner of the house where an illustration of Arthur and Dawson stood.
"There's a Ghost over there." Lucy would've fired the canister of Magnessium if not for her slippery hand. Lucy instead picked a salt-bomb and hurled it to the light, which was quickly disappearing from the rear.
The salt-bomb went off and a chorus of groans and sniffles were heard from the crowd behind.
Once they stepped out into the light, the group on the boat shot them irate glares as salt streamed from their hair. Lucy sneezed with the salt raining down from her hat. Lockwood was gasping for breath and laughing until tears rimmed his eyes. George was grumbling and scratching his head.
Four stamps down, four more to go. Lucy and Co. geared up for the next booth, which– I must say, was Lucy's favorite at this point– was the paintball booth.
The rustle and squeak of Lucy's plastic poncho made George turn to her with a finger on his lips. "Shh."
Lockwood crouched behind a green and black spotted box and motioned for them to follow suit. Lucy gripped her red-loaded gun with anticipation and silently made her way to the empty clearing; the battlefield.
The objective of this Arthur Doyle themed booth was to get your enemy's target covered with as much paint as possible. The team with the messiest base and teammates looses. This was based on the episode wherein Arthur and Dawson teamed up against a group of gang members (or so Lucy was told).
All was clear and quiet. And they made their way opposite to their base. There was no need to worry about their base seeing as they strung their target high in the overexposed wall. They'd tested it earlier and from whatever angle you fired from the ground, gravity would do its work and the paint would backfire.
They found their enemy team. "Quill!" George bellowed. The poor man only had time to turn and get a round of pellets on his poncho. The red stood out and ran down like real blood. The scrawny boy's face turned a similar shade of red and cursed back. "Cubbins!" But he never got to finish as another round of bullets fell upon his comrades and himself.
"That is what I call bad planning, eh George?" Lockwood grinned. The trio shot past as Quill and his two lackeys recovered from the surprise attack. Their laughter rang out in the field as Quill's curses drowned with the popping sounds of the paintball guns.
"Just another 60 seconds and they'll be kissing our feet." Lucy could feel her smile stretch from ear to ear.
Lucy and Co. had quite a bit of trouble finding the opposition's target. When they did, it was heavily concealed behind several boxes. Lucy and George gleefully took charge making sure every inch of the target was covered. They even joked about soaking it in red paint. Their pleasure resulted with them taking several unpleasant shots. But, as Lucy put it, was worth it.
The two teams exchanged rounds with hits here and curses there. The Rangers had to give a red card for foul language– twice. And both times were George's fault.
In the end, Lockwood's team had won by only an inch of paint. And Quill had left with a face burning redder than the paint that stained the back of his head. Lockwood snickered and congratulated George on the well-placed shot.
Lucy sighed contentedly as she stared at her almost completed map book. Lockwood and George were heaving and sweat glistening on their foreheads. "How are you not sweating?" Lockwood asked, taking breaths in between each word. Lucy only shrugged, "I think you two pansies are getting old."
They've finished the house of mirrors and finally gotten the seventh stamp. They've been running in the maze of mirrors trying to find the mouse that had the ket to the exit. All the things they've seen and it was only four in the afternoon.
Lucy folded the map and gently tucked it in her coat pocket. "Come on! Where are we going next?" She shook George who was sipping from a rather large cup of juice. "You lead the way, Luce." Lockwood leaned back against the park bench, his hand shielding his eyes.
"Well there's this ride I've always wanted to try ever since I was a little girl…" Lucy trailed off, her head turned to the brightly lit ride with a cheery music playing from its speakers.
George saw what the ride was, and let out an exasperated groan.
Lucy joined the rush of the overexcited kids as they raced to climb on to the colored teacup they liked the most. The toddlers pushed and pulled hair to get on before the other did. Tears were shed and cries were heard. It was all very Hunger Games.
Lucy grinned as they walked into a cream colored teapot that none of the other kids seemed to notice. Lockwood and George tried to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible. But their bodies stuck out of the cups like a sore thumb. Lockwood and George had to sit on the edge of the cup, just so they could all fit.
George looked utterly embarrassed sitting in the cup with his kitty headband and pink bow. Lockwood had a similar uncomfortable look on his face. But he looked childlike, almost cute. Lucy banished the image from her mind. Even as she dispelled the thought, she couldn't help but notice how much he looked like a dog. Lucy took in the odd sight and burst out laughing the next minute.
"Lucy," Lockwood muttered, trying not to make eye contact with the various people watching from the metal barriers. "Don't laugh. It's rude to laugh." But Lucy only laughed harder. The theme song for the Arthur Doyle show played, as the world blurred around them.
Several more rides came and went. And George had lost count with the number of times Lucy had gone on. He'd given up after the first and gone off to do some business in the loo. The janitor had to mop the place quite a few times with several bottles of air spray.
When he returned, Lucy and Lockwood were still on the ride. Lockwood was beginning to feel more and more comfortable; the crowd thinned as parents claimed their squabbling children. Lucy was radiating pure happiness. You could see it on her face, plain as day. Lockwood smiled as Lucy spun the teacup on the other direction.
Upon the fifth time (Was it fifth? George couldn't tell), the Ranger had let them skip the line, seeing as they were one of three other people who got on the ride. George decided to go to the café across the road and enjoy a quiet cuppa before Lucy comes and drags him once more.
Back on the ride, Lockwood braced himself for the next round of headaches and dizziness that made Lucy's smile grow wide. But the violent spinning never came.
Did he dare open his eyes?
Lockwood peeked and saw Lucy with her eyes closed and a serene smile on her face. The sky was turning a warm shade of orange and the lights of the park lit up. Lockwood was mesmerized studying Lucy's face and features.
She opened her eyes only to find Lockwood staring at her. This made her heart rate grow faster but she tried keeping herself calm. At first, neither of the two could say anything. Just letting the motion of the cup drown their attempts at conversation. But Lucy couldn't stand the silence and said, "Lockwood,"
Which he replied, almost too quickly, "Yes?". Lucy blushed at the eagerness in his voice. She tried not to let her light-headedness mess with her speech. "Thank you for taking George and I to the park."
Lockwood seemed to relax at her words and Lucy let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "The pleasure was all mine, Miss Carlyle."
The whole situation was too surreal that Lucy was beginning to think that the whole day had been a dream. She thought it was odd that George was almost nice. And the three free tickets? It just didn't add up with the crappy luck she's been having the past week. Add the lights and sounds that blended together creating another sort of world. It seemed that Lockwood and Lucy were the only two people in the park.
So pardon Lucy if she didn't know what to do when Lockwood casually leaned in letting his lips brush hers for a fraction of a second.
Lucy's cheeks flared and so did Lockwood's. Then the ride shut down. The music stopped, the lights looking ten times dimmer. The music that was muffled and distant a few minutes ago, came back to life louder than before.
George was leaning on the railings with his back turned to the two of them, tapping his feet to the rhythm of a song he was humming to. Lockwood was out first, almost tripping out of the cup. The Ranger smiled and bid them good-bye with Lucy as the last to leave.
George took note of Lockwood and Lucy's awkward expressions and flushed faces. He must've assumed they were dizzy from the ride. If he thought otherwise, he didn't say.
"So.. I'm guessing we all had fun today?" He mused, as they made their way home on the bus.
Lucy snapped out of her daze. Her face lit up as she recalled the day's events and the rides she's been on. The week had been disastrous with one case falling after the other.
Lockwood had been patient even though Lucy has screwed up an awful lot of times. George had offered helpful (-ish) tips on how to survive the monthly cycle. Lucy had no idea how that helped but she knew it was his way of showing his concern (She doubted that it did her any good, though).
George and Lockwood were seated on the row in front of her with their silly hats still on. The two looked tired but their eyes still alert and shinning with joy.
Lucy nodded but remembered that they couldn't see her. The two turned behind to look at Lucy. Suddenly all the boy's efforts made sense and she grabbed them and pulled them in a bone-crushing hug.
"Thank you!"
Author's Note
So I know I should be writing The Agent, The Ghost And The Wardrobe... But I couldn't help this. I am sorry :(( on second thought, no Im not so sorry. But I still am (just a tiny bit).
I've been itching to type this. Don't worry! I'll have it up soooooon... I'm just having a bit of a writer's block. Ugh. I hate having those blank moments of not knowing what to do next. Whether you should do this or make your scenario like that. It's quite hard.
Anyway, I'll be sleeping now and hopefully, a great idea in a form of a dream will arrive.
So sleeeep tight! Don't let the Ghosts Touch you :)