Skulduggery hated Sanguine. More than usual. He was driving to Tanith's apartment from Haggard. Poor Edgleys. Not only had they lost their older daughter to Sanguine, but the fucking bastard was sending them the tapes. They had appeared in the Edgley's letterbox with a note addressed to him. Of course, when the Edgleys saw Valkyrie's given name on the tapes, they had played them straight away. Skulduggery hadn't seen them, but he was almost scared to after seeing the Edgley's tear-streaked faces and despairing manner. He'd called Tanith immediately, as she lived closest and had a video player. Tanith had said she would call Fletcher and Ghastly. Skulduggery didn't really mind. He quickly parked the Bentley in front of Tanith's apartment block and flew up to her floor, too impatient to bother with stairs and doors. He knocked sharply at her window. Tanith came in and let him in.
"Can I see the note?" she asked. Skulduggery didn't bother replying and just gave it to her before moving towards the VCR player. Fletcher and Ghastly were standing in the living room and crowded around Tanith as she silently read the note. Skulduggery had no interest in the note. Reading it again would only increase his anger he could practicly remember it word for word. It read:
Dear Skulduggery, I don't know your address, so I just left these where I knew you'd find them. I hope her parents saw them. Shame I couldn't be there to see their faces. I'd love to see you watch it, even if you don't have a face. Anyway, here I am rambling on like an old man, while you could be watching some perfectly good horror. Don't worry, I only included clips I knew you wouldn't be able to track her down with. Really hating the lot of you,Sanguine
PS: Don't bother staking out the Edgley's lawn. If I find anything else I think you'd like, I'll put it somewhere where you'll find it.
Skulduggery put the tape in and pressed play. And instantly regretted it. She appeared. She was fighting an unusually good looking man, and seemed to be doing alright, when suddenly the man jumped at her. Mid-leap, the man turned into a huge wolf. He landed on a very surprised Valkyrie, who was still fighting when the wolf bent down and ripped his claw from her collar bone to her stomach in one swift movement. A man in a lab coat came in and dragged the girl out. There were more scenes of the same kind. There were a lot of films of Valkyrie running through a maze and getting shocked whenever she stopped. In each clip she seemed thinner and in a worse condition. Finally, at the end of the tape, a scientist injected something into her arm. Valkyrie was tied to the table, and began convulsing almost immediately. Her back arched, her limbs jerked in all directions. She screamed, retched, dry heaved, and chocked at the same time. The heart monitor was going insane, going at a speed that would usually be deemed impossible. Finally, it all stopped. Even the monitor. Scientists rushed to her side, injecting other substances into her body, until, finally, a single beep was herd. Then another. And another. Her heartbeat steadied, although faster than a normal person. The tape ended abruptly. The four friends just stood there, shocked beyond words.
