The knocking sounded like Loki at first. Positive that he was chewing another shoe I rolled over to go back to sleep. As I turned to face the window it got louder and more urgent but as I concentrated more and started to wake up I realised that it wasn't loud enough for anyone else in the house to hear. Slightly worried, I pulled the curtain to the right and one of my biggest fears became reality when I saw a face outside. The teenage girl outside my window was pale, had dark eyes and long dark hair and looked to be wearing all black. Fear turned to shock as I realised who she was and the darkness beside her shifted and became a skeleton in a suit.

"No way…" I breathed.

Valkyrie Cain gestured to the window and I quickly undid it. As soon as it was open enough she shoved clothes through into my lap.

"Get changed. We need to leave. Now."

"But wh-" I started.

"Please do as she says," said Skulduggery. "She's not in the best mood and she's also right. We need to go basically now."

As Valkyrie glared at him I let the curtain fall back and turned the torch on my phone on. The clothes were Valkyrie's from Dark Days and the end of The Faceless Ones, black trousers, a black tunic, black boots and a black coat that came to mid thigh with a red so dark on the sleeves it looked like blood. Without thinking I changed into the clothes, silently thankful that they fit. As I reopened the curtain, Loki jumped up onto my bed.

"What about my dog?" I asked. "And I can't just leave, my family will flip out. I don't leave the house during the day let alone three in the morning."

"She has a point." said Valkyrie. "Can we do a reflection?"

"We don't really have time," said Skulduggery. "And I'm almost positive that the only full length mirror she has is in her parent's room."

"How do you- never mind," Valkyrie looked at me. "You need to come up with something."

"Uh, I dunno," I stammered. "I could tie Loki up outside and we could do a reflection later. I'll bring clothes, and we can send it home early with instructions and stuff."

"Thank God, she can think on her feet," she said. "Go, I'll grab some clothes, we'll meet you at the end of the driveway."

I grabbed Loki, pausing at the door to check my parents were still asleep. When I was sure I took him outside and tied him up.

"I'll be back," I whispered. "I hope."

I went back the way I came, using all the same doors in case someone could hear me. I re-entered my room, shut the door and as quietly as possible, climbed out the window. When the window was completely closed I pulled off Valkyrie's boots and crept past my sister's window and then my parent's. With the boots in hand I sprinted to the end of the driveway where Skulduggery's gleaming black Bentley was parked.

I got in and Skulduggery pulled out slowly, keeping the car quiet. He waited until we were a good two kilometres away before he gunned the engine. I pulled the boots back on and to my left were the clothes Valkyrie must have grabbed.

"Now that I've just snuck out for the first time do either of you want to explain, well, everything?" I asked.

Valkyrie turned in the passenger seat and her eyes widened. "Oh my God. That's actually kind of creepy. You'd think I'd be used to it but- Skulduggery look at her."

"In case you haven't noticed I'm driving a car at what would be considered an alarming speed," he replied. "Unless you want to be wrapped around a tree then I don't think that would be wise. She looks like you though doesn't she?"

"Well yeah, I mean like I said you'd think I'd be used to it but I know where my reflection is. And she's not identical it's just…really, really similar."

"Anyway," I cut in. "What is going on? How are you…here?"

"Well we've always existed really if that's what you mean." said Skulduggery.

"Yeah in books though, I mean how are you non fiction for want of a better word."

"We're not really sure." said Valkyrie. "Skulduggery found out about the books and decided not to do anything. He figured that the best way to keep everything quiet was if everyone thought that it was just a book."

"What about everything in the books?" I asked. "Did that still happen to you?"

"It did," she said. "Word for word, punch for punch, we just don't know why or how. We haven't even met Derek."

I sank down in my seat and rested my forehead on the heels of my palms. "This is too weird. What about me, why am I here?"

"You're probably not going to like this," answered Skuduggery, "But one of your close friends is currently missing. We also have reason to believe that wherever she is, she is not at all safe."

My head snapped up to stare at the back of his seat. "Who?"

Valkyrie looked at me sympathetically. "Before we tell you, you need to know that we have leads. I promise you we are not bringing you into this blind and we will try to tell you everything we know. I need you not to Hulk out."

"You need to tell me. Now." I could feel myself starting to tremble and I habitually balled my hands into fists.

"It's Amelia."

I wasn't sure what to think, I had nothing to say but I didn't think twice about believing her. The living skeleton and his partner from my favourite book series had just picked me up in his Bentley, I wasn't about to question their honesty now.

"Where?" I didn't trust my voice to stay even. "Just her?"

"As far as we know," replied Skulduggery. "As for her whereabouts we're still in the dark. That's why we need you. But first you need a reflection."

I hadn't noticed the car stop but we were sitting on the side of the road. Skulduggery got out of the car and walked to the dirt beside it and knelt to dig a small hole.

"I'll let you get changed." said Valkyrie and she went to join Skulduggery.

Mechanically I changed from Valkyrie's clothes into my own. Black jeans, a red Paramore shirt and a hoodie. I left the shoes in the car and went to the new puddle courtesy of Skulduggery.

As I got closer Skulduggery cocked his head. "No shoes?"

I shook my head. "Like I said, I don't leave the house," I replied. "Once we send it home it probably won't need them."

"You know you better than we do," he said. "All you have to do now is touch it. Then you can give the instructions."

"Just like Playing With Fire." I murmured. I touched the surface of the puddle with my toe and watched my own hand emerge from the surface. As we helped pull out the reflection I forgot everything and just stood in amazement.

"You're right," I told Valkyrie, "This is weird."

"You should see you in those clothes." she replied.

"Tell it what to do," said Skulduggery. "We still have a fair way to go and we don't know how much time we have."

"Yeah…right, no, ok." I looked at the reflection. "You need to get home as fast as you can. Do not injure that body, I don't care if you can't feel pain. My parents especially can not know that you're not me. If I'm not back tonight sometime fall asleep on the couch when it starts getting late and then go to bed in the clothes you're wearing and then wear them again the next day." I turned to Skulduggery. "You don't know when I'll be back do you?"

"No. I can't promise anything."

"Then we'll have to work that out when we have to."

"Basically. Anything else?"

I turned back to the reflection. "Please look after Loki. Anything happens to him and I will have no problem hurting you. Just be a good me. I think that's it."

"Alright then," said Skulduggery. "What time will people start getting up in your house?"

"It depends. It should probably be there well before seven though."

He looked at my reflection. "You have just over three hours to make a 6 kilometre trip. You must not be seen. You do not feel pain so you should be able to move fairly quickly. Get moving."

The reflection simply nodded, turned around and jogged to the closest bend in the road. It paused to look around and then disappeared in the direction of the home I'd left.

"We need to leave too," said Skulduggery. "We need to talk to some people, maybe hit some people but I'd like this over fairly quickly all the same for everybody's sake."

He walked to the car and Valkyrie turned to face me. "I grabbed your phone when I got the clothes," she said. "I wasn't sure if you'd remember or if you even wanted it but…" She handed it over and I pocketed it.

"Thanks. Maybe I'll need to pretend I'm still being normal for people other than my family. This'll help, Facebook and stuff."

"True. Listen I know how weird this must be and I'm sorry. And Amelia will be fine. I promise."

"I know. I've read the books we'll find her."

Valkyrie laughed. "Who knows maybe you'll be in the next one."

She went back to the car and as I followed I pulled out my phone. I hit the home button and the time flashed up: 3:17. It had taken all of 17 minutes for me to drop everything and leave.