Hello everyone !

I'm back with another Lockwood and Co. fanfic !

Actually, I was rereading my first fic 'Anthony' when suddenly this idea popped out in my head.

I hope this oneshot won't dissappoint you !

Cheers :D

Disclaimer : Jonathan Stroud is blessed for bringing Lockwood and Co. into my life


When did the last time I celebrated my birthday properly?

Years ago, I believe. Ever since I became an agent, my birthday had never been normal. The first time I celebrated my birthday after I had officially become an agent, a visitor popped out of nowhere and I had to fight it off.

And my rapier slashes through my cake during the fight. It was practically chaotic and I had never celebrated my birthday anymore.

So much for being young.

"Lucy, I would suggest you to stop grumbling and help me with this iron chain."

I huffed and sighed. I turned my body to face the source of the voice who had just spoken to me.

"What, Lockwood?"

"This," Lockwood huffed. "I think the chain is stuck. I can't—ugh—pull it. Damn it!"

I rolled my eyes. "Let me help." And I walked to him.

"Great. Hold that end and I will hold this one. On three—according to my cue, Lucy—let's pull it together." Lockwood said.

"Okay."

"Alright, here we go. One, two three!"

I pulled as hard as I could along with Lockwood, but the chain kept being stuck. Lockwood counted and we pulled again, but the chain wouldn't budge.

Oh hello everyone! How rude of me not introducing myself. My name's Lucy Carlyle, and I am an agent at Lockwood and Co., a small ghost dealing company which is lead by yours truly, Anthony Lockwood. Including Lockwood and me, there are only three agents working in this company. The other one is George Cubbins, whom at this moment is nowhere to be found.

A few days ago, we had a client came into our company, asking for help. Apparently, one of his summer house was being haunted by a ghost, and he wanted to be living in peace. This ghost was bothering him everytime he lived in the house, and he started to feel freaked out. He couldn't see the ghost clearly—not that he wanted to anyway—but he could feel its somewhat eerie and dangerous presence.

I wouldn't bother asking him why he didn't ask the help from other major companies, I knew we need the money. And thank goodness, our client was willing to pay big.

And so, after doing some research, George decided that today was the best time to seal the visitor. Right on my birthday.

Some lovely gift I got.

"This chain is stuck." I said after giving another pull.

"Well," Lockwood huffed in annoyance. "I told you that earlier."

"Something is blocking it." I said.

"It's stuck to the gap between the wooden floor, Luce." Lockwood huffed. "And we need this iron chain to secure the source."

Source was a term used by us, agents, to refer the main cause of the visitors' appearances. Something was binding the visitors to this world, making them unable to pass on, and that something was 'source'.

"Are you sure the source is inside of the main bedroom?" I asked.

"Absolutely." Lockwood answered.

I took a minute in silence to think. "Well, if this iron chain is stuck, why don't we try using the iron fillings? Besides, the visitor is Type One."

"Which is apparently very strong." Lockwood sighed. "The death glow is so strong, Lucy. Do you hear anything?"

"Nothing since we entered this house." I said. "I can hear some muffling actually, but it's nothing."

Both me and Lockwood possessed something special called as Talent. Lockwood was gifted with the talent of Sight. Which meant he could see death glows clearly, a glow which showed the spot where someone had died. I was gifted with the talent of Hearing and Touch. I could hear the voices of the visitors, and in some special moments, I could feel their emotions in the past if I touch something that once belonged to them.

"Where's George anyway?" Lockwood grumbled.

"Right here." George popped into the living room. "How's the source?"

I rolled my eyes. "The chain is pretty much still in here, George."

George widened his eyes. "I went down to make some tea, checked temperature in every corners, put down our biscuits on plates, and that chain is still here?!"

"It's stuck!" Lockwood growled.

"Stuck?" George repeated. "Just what did you do Lockwood?"

"Nothing!" Lockwood replied. "I was dragging the chain across this room to get to the main bedroom when this thing got stuck!"

"Have you tried to pull it out?" George walked towards us.

Lockwood rolled his eyes. "Duh."

"That's weird," George raised his eyebrows. "let me try."

"I've tried." Lockwood cut. "And just now, Lucy helped me too. It own't budge."

"But iron chains are not supposed to be stuck." George asked in confusion.

"I know," Lockwood sighed. "don't ask me why it's stuck and why it won't budge."

George took the chain and gave it a soft tug. The chains didn't budge so he gave another harder tug.

"George, I've tried pulling it out." Lockwood said.

George didn't say anything and kept giving the chain tugs. When he grew impatient, he pulled it in one sharp pull, but the chain stayed the same.

"This is weird." George said.

Lockwood took a moment to think. "Wait, I think there might be something holding the chain."

"What?" I asked.

Instead of answering my question, Lockwood gave us orders. "Luce, take some iron fillings and bring it here. George, take out your rapier and get ready."

"Mind to tell me what's running in your brain, Sir Sherlock Lockwood?" I asked.

"Just get those iron fillings, Luce." Lockwood said. "And turn off your flashlight, George. How's the temperature?"

I huffed but I went to get some iron fillings like Lockwood asked.

"Still normal." George said.

"Here." I handed out the iron fillings.

"Hold it, Luce. I'm going to rip this part." Lockwood said.

"What?" I asked.

Lockwood didn't bother to answer my questions and put his hands around the chain. "On three, be ready." he said and give the wooden floor a hard pull.

Lockwood didn't stop pulling hard until the floor cracked and finally ripped off. I widened my eyes and my brain instantly thought how mad our client would be knowing a part of his floor had been ripped off.

"Lucy, watch out!" George yelled and that brought me back into my senses.

Oh, nothing much happened. Just a visitor appeared right in front of me.

I gasped and out of instincts, I drew my rapier and slash it to the visitor. It hissed and flew back.

I got a better look at the visitor. Right at the moment, a chill wind blew and I could feel a pretty bad malice.

"Dropping." George informed.

Lockwood took the iron fillings from my hand and jumped down. Out on the corner of my eyes, I could see an underground passage under that ripped off part.

Our visitor snapped its head to Lockwood and started to chase him. I swung my rapier to block it and it hissed at me.

"Keep distracting the visitor for me!" Lockwood said before he was gone in the underground passage.

Leave me alone.

Oh, I recognize that chilly and eerie voice. Every Type Two visitors got that kind of voice.

"I'm sorry." I said. "But if we leave you alone, you're just gonna bother our client."

"Is he speaking?" George asked and I nodded.

Our visitor was a tall man. With a huge hollow sockets and toothless mouth. He was quite old too, seeing his skin was so wrinkled. His clothes was tattered and he had no feet.

"Type Two and pretty scary if you ask me." George muttered.

Leave me alone.

I stood on my ground. The air had gotten more cold and the malice had gotten stronger. Our visitor surged forward and I quickly swung my rapier. He hissed but he tried to ghost-touch me one more time. I made a zig-zag slash on him and he wailed in pain.

Right at that moment, I could hear Lockwood's faint voice from somewhere in the underground. "Could someone come down and help me? I need some help!"

"George, get in there and help him!" I said.

"What? Me?" George asked.

"Yeah, you! Just leave the visitor to me. Go!" I said.

George hurriedly came down and our visitor hissed again. He tried to catch him but I swung my rapier again to drove him away. Right now, my job was to guard this passage.

It seemed our visitor realized that he wouldn't be able to catch Lockwood and George through the passage, so he tried to enter the underground directly.

I cursed under my breath and tore a pack of salt inside of my pocket. I quickly sprinkled the salt all over the visitor and it screamed in pain. He floated in the air while covering his face and wailed in pain.

I always hated when visitors wailed in pain. Their screams and wails were heart breaking.

Leave me alone!

This time, the visitor's voice turned angry and he surged forward. I swung my rapier but he wouldn't stop to try attacking me. He hissed but he didn't flew back.

The air was getting more cold and it started to fell hurt on my skin. The malice was getting stronger and I was starting to get nausea. My limbs were getting numb and my eyes were starting to get droppy. My movements were getting slower and the visitor was getting more aggressive.

For god's sake, could Lockwood and George be hurry up with whatever they were doing down there?!

As if they read my mind, I heard Lockwood faint voice again. "There!"

Not a second later, the visitor was gone and everything was back to normal. The temperature was back to normal, no malice, and I was practically back alive and well.

I sighed and waited for Lockwood and George to pop out again. When they were back to the surface, their clothes were covered in dust and cobwebs. And they smelled terrible.

"What happened?" I asked while covering my nose.

"Found a fresh corpse down there." Lockwood said. "That is our real source."

"Was it an old man?" I asked.

George nodded. "It was rotting, so sorry if the smell stuck on us."

"Why did Lockwood ask for your help?' I asked.

"He ran out of iron fillings." George answered. "And he somewhat dislike the fresh corpse."

"So what about the death glow you saw at the main bedroom?" I asked.

"This underground lead to the bedroom, Luce. I think the old man died while he was inside this passage. Probably a heart attack." Lockwood answered.

"Why would he be in the underground?" I raised an eyebrow.

"My guess, he's a burglar. I think he was robbing this house and tried to escape using this underground passage. I found a bag full of jewelries beside his corpse." Lockwood answered. "Which reminds me," Lockwood fished something out from his pocket. "for you."

I stared at a small black box on top of Lockwood's palm. I took it and opened it.

I gasped upon seeing a beautiful silver bracelet inside it. It even had my name carved on it!

I looked at Lockwood and he grinned at me.

"Happy birthday, Luce."


"Just a friendly note, doughnuts will be sufficient for my birthday." George blurted.


Done !

It came out too short, huh ? ._.

What do you think about this fic ?

Waiting for your reviews and flames :D