An Unexpected Visitor:
Disclaimer: I no own this.
A/N: Alright! Alright! I'll do some Glo to satisfy the needs of my readers. Hm... How can I sip that into my fanfiction...? Anyway, while I ponder on that, I am here to announce that I am finally updating, as you know, if you are reading this... Ah, not quite as big a surprise as I had wished... Ignore that. Okay, I'll better start. Now. Okay. () ( ) (::) OH, OH! Big thank you to Celestialite and ligersrcool for reviewing! Anyway, again-I'll better start.
After the awkward incident that happened only a few days ago, George and I were slightly frosty around each other, and Lockwood would keep on forcing polite conversation on us. My temper wasn't of the best lately either, especially with George and all, but he would just keep on pushing it, and pushing it, and pushing it, and I didn't know how I would survive any longer in the same house as him, until I found something that I could tease him about.
Flo Bones. It was so simply immature and George-like, that I cringed at the thought first, but then I picked up subtle hints that Lockwood was doing it, such as,
"Met anyone outside the library today, George?" and other small comments to get him back, so I thought,
"If Lockwood can tease George and get away with it, so can I!" This was possibly the most stupid idea I have ever had in all of my time. So, when Lockwood does his brilliant comment about the library, I slip in my comment, asking if he'd seen a certain Flo Bones. Surprisingly, George didn't take this very well.
"Will you just shut up, Lucy? I've had it up to here," he made a vast hand gesture, "with you, and your stupid comments about Flo Bones! So what if I saw her? Does it matter? No! You're acting like an immature child! And you-" he pointed, rudely, to Lockwood, "You are just as bad! You and your flirting with Lucy! You and your: I'm so brilliant! Everyone loves me! You started it! You are just so... infuriating! I cannot work. I cannot think. Okay?! IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I KISSED FLO!" Shocked silence.
"You-what?" I ask, slightly cautiously.
"Saw. I meant saw." I nod, still slightly shocked, and George went red, and silent. It had become increasingly awkward, "So... I'm going to go head up stairs and... Um... Do some... reading?" I say, trying desperately to break the awkwardness of the moment.
Lockwood consulted his watch, "I, err, don't think you should, because Miss Calour is due, right..." Lockwood checked his watch again. "Now." I sat down on the sofa and tried to ignore George glaring at the back of head, when I turned away. George stood up and started brushing a few non-existent crumbs underneath the sofa.
As George brushed the last few non-existent crumbs under the sofa, there was a knock on the door. It's a shame George hadn't bought out the china mug and cups of tea, because our client was posh. She sort of walked in, and the first thing she did was look at me, my clothes, and George, George's clothes, and give us a look of utter distain, then she started talking, loudly, and in a very posh voice, to Lockwood. So, while she was busy flirting with Lockwood and giving out many, many, many looks of distain and hatred towards me, which I had with most female clients lately, I zoned out. Completely. And it was only when George nudged me violently in the ribs, that I finally zoned back in again.
"Wh-yes?" I jerked my head up a little, "What did I miss?" George snorted,
"Only the whole meeting. It's really unfortunate that I didn't think about taking notes, I would have, but I didn't think you'd have just sat there, being unhelpful, acting ridiculous and staring into space, so I didn't take notes. Sorry." Lockwood sighed again and filled me in on this 'Miss Calour,' person.
She was a wealthy person, with a lot of money, and was 20, as she had loudly told Lockwood, very 'young, and beautiful for her age' (not), and she was deeply regretting the loss of her boyfriend (not) and would really enjoy some 'friendly company' occasionally (just friendly, sure.). That's what I got from George's small comments and snippets of speech and remarks, but Lockwood just told me everything I already knew, tapping, kid, little nephew, small child glow thing, etc., etc. It was, apparently, a very dreary meeting, which is easy to imagine.
George did say that it perked up when Lockwood had to violently and rudely ('it was gentle! And polite!' Lockwood argued) shove her from his lap. That made me laugh.
It was then, that the snide voice of the ghost in the jar snuck into my head and remarked,
"Having fun are we? Not for long... Death awaits heavy in the future..."
Rather than tell Lockwood and George that I was hearing the ghost again, and having to remark exactly what was said, and being told not to trust the ghost, and how dangerous the connection was, and not to worry, and all that, I just made a mental note about what the ghost said, told Lockwood that I wasn't hungry yet, and that I'll have a piece of toast later, and departed for some 'rapier practise,' while they had lunch. In truth, I was just going to ask the ghost why he chose that moment to strike, but I knew that Lockwood knew that I was lying about something. He was impossible at times.
"Lucy... You need to eat; besides, it's not safe for you to go near that jar alone, either." I wanted to tell Lockwood that he was right, and that the ghost had talked to me, and that I was, in fact, really, really, really hungry, but I didn't. Stupid, stupid me.
"Lockwood: I won't go near the jar! You know me! Why would I deliberately go and talk to an evil ghost in a jar, when I can talk to human life, with real purpose?" Lockwood sighed,
"That's the thing, Luce, I don't know you. You're unpredictable, and 'why would [you] deliberately go and talk to an evil ghost in a jar?' Well, I don't know! Why would somebody go and steal Annie Ward's necklace? Why would somebody then release this ghost into the house?" My turn to sigh.
"Okay, I agree, I am unpredictable at times," George snorted, "But, I did not steal Annie's necklace and I swear I won't do anything stupid or reckless in the next hour." Lockwood raised an eyebrow,
"What about after that, Lucy? Hm? You are the most unpredictable, and prone to danger, human being I have ever met, and I have met a lot of reckless and prone to danger people." He smiles at me, lighting up the room, and I realise that there really is no convincing him, so I give in, and follow him to the kitchen, where George busied himself with making sandwiches, and Lockwood sits down on a chair, flicking through his trashy magazines.
I sit in the chair opposite and try to listen to the skull, without attracting attention from Lockwood and George, opening all my inner senses, I listened. I could sense the skull's presence in my head, even though I couldn't hear it. Kind of creepy, so I did something I had never thought I would find myself doing: I talked to the skull first.
"You there?" I asked it.
"Maybe, maybe not." I took that as a yes.
"Look, who's going to die? Me, Lockwood, George, someone else? I'd like a straight forward answer, please." I didn't know whether I wanted to know, or not, but I knew that I'd be better off prepared than unprepared.
"Can't say, besides, why are you asking now? But I can tell you that a pleasant visitor is to be expected very soon." The skull showed me an image, something it had never done before. It showed me an image of my mother and sisters.
"Why? Why are they coming now, after all these years? Why?!" I demand, curious, and yet also afraid. I hadn't seen my mother since the day I ran away. Why, why now? That was my greatest question.
"Curiosity kills all the cats. Be patient."
"Yes," I say impatiently, "But satisfaction brings them all back." This was no time to be polite; I could hear George saying something, so someone must've noticed me going off to la-la land with the creepy ghosts.
"Well, that's not nice. I should think I'm not creepy at all. I should think you'd have gotten used to ghosts invading your mind."
"Ghosts invading my mind aren't something that's easy to get used to," I think back, before the ghost cut the connection.
.oO0Oo.
"Lucy! Why? Why?" Lockwood demanded, "After you gave your word that you wouldn't do anything stupid, or reckless, once again, you go and do it. Why? Why, Lucy?" I was getting slightly annoyed, Lockwood had been going on for only a few minutes, but it was George's smug face that set me off. Fortunately, I was saved by the doorbell being rung.
"I'll get it," George said, rather hastily, obviously not wanting to stop Lockwood losing his thread, but Lockwood stopped him,
"We don't have a client though... George-did you order the shopping early?" George shook his head.
"Lucy...?" I look him in the eye as best as I could,
"No idea." He knew I was lying. I could tell. He looked at me, asking me to tell him what the ghost said through his eyes.
"Nothing! The ghost said nothing!" The doorbell rang again, "George, whoever it is isn't going to stay forever, so you'd better go get it." George nodded and scampered off to get the door. I could hear George's accusing and questioning tones being used to full their fullest extent.
"What did the ghost say?" He looked at me with curiosity and a hint of annoyance at my reluctance.
"He said stuff about my... Family." I said, heavily. Lockwood frowned.
"But, you said that you had run away, how would they know where to come?" He asked.
"Well, I did communicate with the dead and all, it doesn't go unnoticed, even where I'm from." I said, noticing the voices getting louder, and certainly more than one. George came in, frowning,
"Lucy, next time could you please tell us when your family is due to visit." I sighed slightly and got up; I opened the door to the porch and was crushed by my sisters and mother, all hugging me in an instance.
A/N: I am so SSOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYY! I'm not even going to try to excuse not writing for so long... Cookies to all reviews () ( ) (::), and yes, I did fit in Glo. Or Florge. Or Feorge, or Glorge.