Author's Note:
I would like to thank my Beta for beta-ing the prologue and I have asked my Beta to look over this one-shot part as well. I also have inspiration to do a few new works for 2015 and will have put them on my profile, and I am now taking requests for story ideas, OCs' and new books to read that I could do fan-fiction on. Please don't forget to review!
Disclaimer:
I only own my OCs' and this Idea, everything else is owned by the creator.
X|X|X|X- Character Information-X|X|X|X
Name: Rozy (Rosie) Lynn Torch
Gender: Male (appears as a Female though)
Hair Color: Black
Hair length: Wispy; falls around shoulders, bangs are pulled behind his ears.
Height: 5'7
Age: 13
Paranormal Abilities: Touch—main, some sight, and some listening.
Description: Anyone who doesn't know him may think he is female due to his parents having only girls in the family, so his clothes are passed down from his sisters. So technically he is forced to cross-dress by his family. Prefers to be called Lynn or Zero.
|X|X|X|-Author then begins the story-|X|X|X|
As Rozy crawled down the attic stairs, his already black hair was covered with soot and ash carried down from the dusty attic. It seemed no one had been in there in a long time and Rozy had just decided to take a midnight trip into the attic and explore, with only a flashlight and a dusting wand in hand. The silver bell on his necklace jingled as he had searched for just something that would hint to his family's spirit hunting past. Rozy laughed at the thought, it surely was a disgrace as to why his family had the sense of Touch for many generations though his family had carried around Sight and the Listening ability as well, every though the touch was the strongest, but he, Rozy Lynn Torch, seemed to carry all three.
He had been searching in the attic for just one thing in particular, his mother's necklace in which she had worn on the day of her murder. When he found what he was looking for he left the attic and shut the door and then washed off his hair in the sink so the soot and ash that had caught in his hair would get cleaned out of his hair. He knew he would head to Lockwood & Co. the next day as soon as he got breakfast and packed a small amount of boy-like and girly clothing, but would dress in girly clothing for the trip to Lockwood and Co. Rozy knew that his gut told him different from his heart, but in all honesty he knew his mind was right, in all matter of finding his mother's killer. He put the necklace in silver-glass and went to sleep.
|X|X|X|-Skips ahead a little in the story-|X|X|X|
As Rozy entered the metal gate of Lockwood & Co. he took a deep breath and entered the house.
"May I help you?" George asked, perched behind his big black book of paranormal cases.
"Sort of…" Rozy replied, fumbling with his hand on the necklace held in the small iron bag.
"What do you mean 'Sort of'?" George asked looking at the girl (really a boy) strangely.
As soon as George had spoken, Lockwood entered parlor room.
"Who is this?" Lockwood asked
"Hasn't said their name yet." George whispered back.
"Roxy Lynn Torch, please just call me Lynn. As most people make fun of me at the fact that I am a boy and not girl as most of them think I appear to be." Rozy—Lynn replied.
"Oh… okay then Rozy—Lynn, why are you here?" Lockwood asked after assessing Lynn.
"This," Lynn then pulled out the necklace held in an iron chain-link bag. "My mother's necklace, she wore at the point of her murder as we never figured out her killer even though I've seen her ghost in the attic before."
After Lynn spoke the room became dead silent except for George's pen taking notes.
"Well…" Lockwood was at loss of words.
"She was killed at the point at which I was just two years old, she was out getting food from the garden, but I heard the gunshot… I just didn't see the murderer." Rozy-Lynn continued talking.
Once again the only noise in the room was the pen scribbling upon the page in the book.
"And also I…" Lynn stopped—he then fainted and the necklace fell to the ground, in which Lockwood caught and he handed to George. Lockwood then helped the unconscious boy up and onto the couch.
When Rozy—Lynn awoke it was almost dark. "Where… no, I do know where I am." Lynn muttered.
"Okay good, you're awake," Lockwood said while sipping tea. "What were you about to say when you fainted?"
"If I could," Lynn thought for a moment, was it really such a good idea to tell them about his abilities?
"If you could what?"
"I… I have the ability to sense ghosts mainly touch, but a little of sight and the ability to listen at what the ghosts are saying."
"Do you mind if we test you to see if your lying or not?" Lockwood replied.
"Sure, but the over reading on my mother's necklace was the impact of being shot in the lower left shoulder and in the abdomen. It was blunt, but the murderer did touch the necklace, after she was shot in the abdomen. The necklace itself has been in the Van Spitz family for over five generations before the murder occurred, and now the necklace had been stored in the attic till yesterday, after her death took place."
"That… that was a better reading than what Lucy could produce out of reading the necklace." Lockwood replied and handed a tray of cookies to Lynn and he took one. "Do you have any other things from around her death that might carry her spirit?"
"Sadly, no. The Scottish Yard has them and they have been gone for over twelve years." As a single tear escaped Rozy—Lynn's emerald green eyes.
"Would you like a tissue or some tea?" Lockwood asked.
"Both would be fine, a lemon in the tea if you have one," Lynn smiled lightly. "My father doesn't care where I am or if I'm dead."
"Well that won't matter now, you're hired." Lockwood replied, putting out his hand for Lynn to shake.
"Thank you." Lynn then shook Lockwood's hand, he then started crying a little more cheerfully.
"Come, I'll show you your room," Lockwood helped Lynn up out of the parlor couch. "Your mother's necklace is safe behind silver glass and some more iron."
"Thank you, so much." Lynn started to climb the stairs, behind Lockwood.
When Lockwood arrived at Rozy—Lynn's room, the door itself was already marked with: Rozy Lynn Torch. Which was written in ink on paper that was tacked to the door.
"We label the doors so that we don't get confused on who's who at night," Lockwood opened the door. "And if you need one of us just holler."
"Thanks so much," Lynn said while entering the room. "Before you go, when is dinner?"
"Dinner is in a half hour." Lockwood replied. "Just don't be late, George complains if the food gets cold."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." Lynn said. "And thank you Lockwood."
"You're welcome Lynn." Lockwood replied. "I'll see you at dinner then." Lockwood then slowly shut Rozy—Lynn's door.
Rozy—Lynn laughed once Lockwood had left his room. He then remembered the first time he had worn one of his sister's dresses. It had been Sylvia Kendra Torch's Violetta dress that he had worn, the dress had accented him very well. Lynn smiled and placed his bag of clothes down and headed out of his room towards the downstairs. He could hear Lucy, the other new employee that had struck gold, when she had helped solve the Screaming Staircase and the Red room weirdness.
He thought back to the point when his mother Clarice, had gotten killed by the two gunshots though the funny thing was he had found a photo of his mom at the age of fifteen and his aunt Rozy Torch the first at the age of the seventeen smiling at the camera and as he walked into the kitchen holding the photo and sat down, along with article that had been next to the photo.
Rozy Bellona Torch, dead at the age of seventeen, recently found in the London Cemetery know as Angel's Breath, Rozy had been found dead, bruises and burn marks had found on Rozy's body and…
The article continued onto the next page. George stared at the article and the photo.
"Did you know that your mom and aunt were friends, before tonight?" George curiously inquired.
"No, not until I found these two together, near my mother's locket in the attic." Lynn replied and began eating the lasagna that had been placed before him.
"Either way I found your mother's obituary in the paper which didn't help much, but…"
"That's fine."
Clarice Anya (von Spitz) Torch was shot dead in her garden by an unknown killer. Her living relatives: Richard Jackson Torch, her widower husband. Her children: Clara Lily Torch, Amber Rosalie Torch, Vyolia Maren Torch, Sylvia Torch and Rozy Lynn Torch. Her death stuns the police as to who would have killed her.
"Rozy Bellona did, she was killed two days after she met Clarice, or maybe they had more of a history together, but…" Lynn muttered deeply in thought.
"That would make your mom's ghost a type two at least, and for your aunt's ghost type two in this case after all besides her killing was twenty-five years before…" Lockwood was still stumped at this point.
George lifted up Rozy Bellona's Death article and a letter fell out of it.
"Rozy, If you ever get this… oh wait your already are dead and probably going to hunt me down for having you killed, but your older brother Phillip didn't die in the fire, just Sasha, and I am sorry , truly—" and a blot was in the way of Rozy—Lynn's reading, but he knew it was a tear. "Sorry, I know you'll haunt me, but Phillip is alive, and he is still in London. Yours truly, Clarice von Spitz (or now Torch)" Rozy finished reading.
"Your Aunt's older brother didn't die in the fire with the dog?" Lucy asked.
"English Bulldog puppy," Rozy Lynn corrected. "I shall go get ready for bed." Lynn began to walk up the stairs. "I do enjoy cross-dressing, just so you know."
Lockwood followed shortly behind up to bed, but stopped in Rozy—Lynn's door. It felt weird, but opened Lynn's door and entered the room slowly closing the door behind him. Rozy—Lynn's sleeping form was very cute, as Lynn breathed in and out you could see his chest move up and down swiftly. Lockwood chuckled, just as Rozy—Lynn's hand reached out and grasped Lockwood's hand firmly grasping so he wouldn't be able to leave Rozy's room. Lockwood instead of waking Rozy up, he just crawled into Rozy's bed and called it a night.
…
Rozy awoke before Lockwood would be able to get a chance to explain what had happened last night. Rozy—Lynn ha awoken in his room with his head on Lockwood's chest. Once Lockwood ha awoken Rozy fired up with questions.
"Why the bloody heck are you in my bed—or my room for that matter?" he asked.
"Um… well you see I… I—I just wanted to see what you looked like when you sleep and well your hand," Lockwood pointed at the hand that was still holding Lockwood's wrist in a death grip. Lynn then released the hand and then Lockwood rubbed his bruised hand. "I didn't want to wake you so; I just crawled into your bed quietly so I wouldn't wake you."
"I'm sorry for putting your hand in a death grip." Lynn apologized.
"It's okay really, I'm fine and I slept better than I have in days, just don't bother bringing this up at breakfast, okay?" Lockwood then stood up. "Oh and today we have a client, so please wear some male clothing."
"Sweet timing." Rozy began to get dressed once Lockwood had left the room. 'Ah my heart's beating so fast… I bet I had a flushed look when I was speaking to Lockwood.'
Rozy-Lynn then headed down to breakfast and Lucy almost broke her tea cup.
"That's not good manners." Lockwood said as George started at the tea cup as if it would fall any time now.
"I'm sorry I look so different without wearing my feminine clothing on Lucy." Rozy had also pinned back his hair so that is was behind his ears. "I could go put on a new outfit."
"No, it's not needed." Lockwood cut Rozy off. "We can call you Zero during the case."
"Okay." Rozy replied and began eating the eggs set in front of him. He knew they would need to hunt down his uncle Phillip, before they went after his family, and all that fun stuff, oh well…
"So why did you two come out of the same room this morning?" Lucy inquired.
"I had to ask him a question, before you awoke." Lockwood replied coming up with a quick excuse before Rozy could.
"Well shall we go after Phillip and get some more information on the Torch family history and any other reason for the type two ghosts." George spoke up after Lockwood had answered Lucy's question.
"Well how do we even know that my uncle is still alive and living if he supposedly died when Rozy this first was only six at the time?" Lynn questioned George's theory.
"More research, I even found his phone number in a book and have called him here so we can ask him about the Torch family history," George replied. "He should be here soon…"
The door bell rung.
"He's here. Rozy, be ready to listen to your uncle." Lockwood said after George had spoken.
Once Phillip had walked into Lockwood & Co. he was greeted with tea and biscuits, Rozy sat across from his uncle who looked a lot like him, since he was only fifty or so by now. George was sitting with his book ready to take notes.
"So, Phillip. Why did your sister killed when she was seventeen?" Lockwood asked.
"She knew too much," Phillip replied. "She knew too much about Clarice, her master and so Clarice put her out, like snuffing out a candle flame. She never got to see me again after the fire, as I had gotten amnesia from the fire, causing me not to remember and it was too late to save, once I had finally gotten the memories back after a year."
"Did you know your parents had another baby boy three years after your supposed death?"
"No, I did not."
"Or that Clarice married that boy and had four girls and one guy with him?"
"No, I never got any news of that."
"Well Clarice's only son is sitting next to me now."
Phillip then looked at Rozy Lynn Torch.
"Rozy?" Phillip was in utter shock. "He looks like Rozy."
"I am Rozy, but not the Rozy you knew. I am Rozy Lynn Torch," Rozy Lynn replied. "My mother Clarice was killed when I was two, by a shot to her left shoulder blade and a shot to her lower abdomen."
"Ah, I did not know, but I still should not visit your father…"
"Richard Jackson Torch."
"Richard, because like Rozy, he probably does believe that I am dead."
…
Once the conversation of questions ended Rozy pulled the letter Clarice had written to Rozy the first and handed it to Phillip. Phillip then read thought the letter.
"It's correct, but Clarice shouldn't have a ghost around, just Rozy, unless Rozy possessed Richard and then had him shoot Clarice while she was in the garden."
"He didn't, he was standing next to me when Clarice had gotten shot at, and didn't stop the killer." Rozy put in. "Besides the murderer touched the necklace she was wearing before she died."
"One of Clarice's jealous ex's then?" Lucy suggested.
"Possibly… but it could have been one of Clarice sisters, jealous that she married Richard, who was younger than Rozy by nine years and that would make Clarice marring a boy who was seven years younger than her at that point." Lockwood added.
"Ah I must be going. Lynx, my cat will want to be fed soon." Phillip interrupted.
"I shall show you the door then," Lockwood then did just that, when he came back. "George did you collect any good data over the two families really."
"No, but I did tabulate some dates for me to check for." George replied.
"I guess I could show Rozy how to use the rapier then," Lockwood replied pulling Rozy across the room and then down the stairs. "Did you learn anything new at that conversation?"
"A little, but…"
"But, what exactly?"
"The way my uncle left Lockwood & Co. was a little to rushed, don't you think?"
"Now that I do think about it, it was really was rather rushed exit." Lockwood pulled out the rapiers. "Since you never got your certifications at another agency before, I'll have to teach you how to protect yourself from the ghost."
…
Rozy headed to bed once more another time of work had just came to bed and he was enjoying the time with Lockwood. Rozy blushed, and his door was knocked on.
"Who is it?" Rozy asked.
"George, just wanted to tell you that the water heater is broke and if you are going to take a shower you may have a cold shower."
"Okay, thanks for the information." Rozy laughed and got into his pajamas. It has to be sleep for him.
Lockwood walked into Rozy's room once Rozy fell asleep, Rozy was mumbling on about a "Knife" and "Vyolia… don't kill…" and the loudest "Lockwood!" Then Rozy's eyes flew open and stared at Lockwood.
"I heard your scream and came to check on you. Is everything okay?" Lockwood asked once Rozy had begun to regain his senses.
"Oh." Rozy replied. "I hope I wasn't too loud."
"I don't think you woke the others," Lockwood talked calmly to Rozy. "Art least I don't think that you did wake them."
"That's a relief then." Rozy fell back asleep after the conversation and Lockwood got back into Rozy's bed again.
As Lynn dreamed he dreamed the same nightmare over and over again it was just on deep repeat and would start all over again when he was about to die. Lockwood was worried that Rozy would scream and wake up George and Lucy at some point, but he had to trust that Rozy had it under control by now… Rozy thrashed about and had pushed into Lockwood's body, but then suddenly stopped moving as if he had sensed that he had made contact with Lockwood's body. Lockwood's heart screamed that he should kiss Rozy in his sleep, but he felt bad if he did so.
Rozy's voice was quite sweet and melodic when he spoke and Lockwood had never noticed that until now, but to him all that mattered was the safety of his friends as they were family to him. Lockwood smiled and then Rozy moved his head against Lockwood's chest. He blushed and lightly giggled. He had no clue what was going on inside Rozy's head at the moment, and it was a pretty good thing he didn't, as he might have gotten highly freaked out.
"Dearie, pain's a dreadful thing, isn't it?" Vyolia asked as the knife moved towards her brother's throat, Lockwood, Lucy, and George were all in shock as the knife was only inches from his neck.
"This isn't you," Rozy quivered as the knife was very close to his neck and his sister was possessed by his Aunt Rozy."
"Rozy—Lynn…" Lockwood's voice cracked…
And Rozy awoke to it only being a nightmare, but he was in Lockwood's bed and he was staring at him.
"Bad dream?" Lockwood asked.
"Yes, I almost died, you were there, along with Lucy, George and my sister, Vyolia who tried to kill me." Rozy's replied.
Lockwood wrapped his arms around Rozy's waist as Lynn's eyes began to tear up.
"It hurts…" Rozy whispered.
"Rozy? What's wrong?" Lockwood looked at Rozy's face thought the pain was mental.
"My head… it really hurts…" Rozy hand was on his left part of his forehead.
"It'll be fine, trust me Rozy. Just come downstairs."
"Flaming ghosts…"
That was the last straw for Lockwood and he kissed Rozy, and Rozy was highly shocked.
"Lockwood?" Rozy asked once the kiss broke. 'What the…"
Lockwood kissed Rozy once again, but Lucy opened Rozy's door and Lockwood fell out of Rozy's bed before Lucy had time to notice he was in Rozy's bed and Rozy's face was as red as a tomato.
"What just happened in here?" Lucy exclaimed highly at both boys.
"My head…" Rozy moaned "Flaming ghosts…"
"The hell Rozy, are you talking about?" Lucy asked.
"Flaming torches…"
"That makes a little more sense…"
And then Rozy passed out.
…
"So what shall we do with him?" George asked. "He hasn't awoken yet and it's getting on my nerves."
"We just need to sit and wait, and have you found out more information on the Torch-von Spitz dilemma?" Lockwood replied.
"In fact I have, Clarice's only Sister Kari, was younger than Clarice by five years and she liked Richard Torch as well which would have given her a great reason to kill her sister after she had she had her first son." George ran though his findings.
"Well that supports Lockwood's Theory, how about any of Clarice's old boyfriends show up?" Lucy inquired.
"None. She only dated Richard."
"I know of the killer…" Rozy groggily muttered.
"Who?"
"My sister Clara was only twelve when mother died, more of the reason to possess a human, by a ghost's standard and for my aunt. So my aunt must have possessed Clara to kill Clarice, beside Clara was the closest to mom, besides Richard."
"That would make sense, I mean, who else had been out in the county at that time, or near your house besides your family." Lockwood replied.
Time passed by quickly as George collected data over many events that surrounded the case. Lockwood had not kissed Rozy for over a week and today was the day of the investigation and Rozy began to freak out over it.
"We… w-we ca—can't…" he stuttered.
"Why can't we?" Lucy questioned.
"Family issues..." Rozy muttered his reply back.
"So?" Lockwood asked pulling out the heavy duffel bags and pulling Rozy away from the rest of the group to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Trust me Rozy. It will be fine."
"I hope so…"
Since this murder took place outside, they had to wait until sundown to begin their work. Lockwood set up the chains and kept on the lookout for death glows which could be lightly be seen where Rozy Lynn's mother Clarice, had been killed by the gun shots. As time passed by it just kept on getting colder, and according to George's readings it said that the area around them was much colder than it was around the house was and they saw flickers of Clarice shifting in and out of view for all of them, a Type two George had called Clarice's ghost.
Just as Lockwood was about to call it a night, Rozy Bellona suddenly appeared and Lynn began to shiver quite violently. None of them quite understood why Rozy the first had appeared or why it had caused Lynn to react. Rozy B. then began to approach Clarice in the manner of a friend. You could quite hear the ghost-like conversation that was going on between the two ghosts, but Lucy and Lockwood had already dispelled the iron chains and brought out the iron-link net as they tried not to get noticed by the two ghosts. They placed the net over the two ghosts and then first Rozy and Clarice both let out an blood curling, ear bleeding howl of immense pain and then they just disappeared.
Rozy Lynn was shocked after that and Lockwood, Lucy and George put down Iron powder banishing the two ghosts and Rozy snapped out of his trance.
"I-I know who… k-k-kill-killed Cla-Clarice…" Rozy's teeth chattered as he spoke.
"Who?" Lockwood asked once they had arrived back inside Rozy's home and began to make tea.
"A-Aunt L-lyri-more." Rozy replied
"Who?"
Aunt Lyrimore." Rozy repeated.
"Why that is quite the strangest name I've ever heard." Lockwood spoke up after sipping his tea.
Rozy began to walk up the stairs George and Lucy followed behind him; he opened the attic and headed up the stairs. George and Lucy began to walk up the stairs after Rozy who promptly picked up and older photo album.
"Why you could get lost up here for hours, couldn't you?" Lucy asked
"No," Rozy replied as he walked back down the stairs and shut the attic door once George and Lucy had gotten back down to the main floor. They walked back into the kitchen and Rozy sat down and opened the photo album to a page with Aunt Lyrimore on it. "Blonde hair, emerald green eyes, 5'7; age, oh let's see about 5 years younger than Clarice, really had a good crush on my dad as a young child."
"Which would make sense why she killed her sister, but still, why would Clarice be a type two as well?" Lockwood asked.
"…" Rozy thought for a moment as they headed out to the bus stop. "I…"
"Think on it Rozy." Lucy replied.
*The next morning*
Rozy awoke in Lockwood's bed, he must have fallen asleep on the bus, so they must have carried him inside after the long night of work. He straightened out his shirt and headed downstairs for breakfast only to find that no one was awake yet. He sighed, maybe I should just go back to sleep now. And so he did.
~Fin