While Alice fixed up a reflection Skulduggery got a phone call from Ghastly. It sounded pretty urgent apparently. So they drove quickly and when they pulled up at Ghastly's shop they were still calm. That was, until they heard the crashes from inside. They burst through the front door of the shop and looked around. It was suddenly silent and they couldn't see ghastly anywhere. They spread out, skulduggery and Alice went to the bedroom while Valkyrie and Abby entered the kitchen. They began their silent search. Abby stepped around the corner and paled.
"oh my god…" Valkyrie looked up immediately. She came over and gasped. Abby noticed her go quite pale too.
"sk- sku- skull-" Abby began to stutter. Her breathing increased when Valkyrie knelt down beside the body on the floor. Oh my god Abby thought. The blood… so much blood. Her heart pounded in her ears as Valkyrie turned the man on the floor. Ghastly Abbi heard screaming and Valkyrie looked at her. She looked like she was about to stand but stopped when she saw the blood she had got on her hands. She realised she was screaming and the sound cut off, followed by a surprising sob. Skulduggery burst in and got to the counter in a matter of seconds. Abby was backing away from the counter when Alice walked in. Her eyes darted first to Abby and then to Valkyrie. Her eyes widened at the blood on Valkyries hands as she stood.
"Alice, here, now." Skulduggery ordered. She walked over to him and he gave his phone to her.
"Call Kenspeckle" she nodded and searched through the contacts quickly. She found the number and dialled. Abby could only faintly hear the other side of the call as the phone was picked up.
"What now?" grouse answered, not bothering to say hi. He thought skulduggery was calling.
"Quick." Alice started. "We came to Ghastly's shop and he's on the floor…." Her lips moved but her voice cut out. She stopped trying after a moment and a sob escaped her.
"Alice? What happened?" Alice started making a bizarre squeaking sound. "Alice calm down. Now tell me, what happened?"
"Blood." Was all she said. "So much blood… I don't know where it's coming from. Please, Quick. Can you get to Ghastly's shop?"
"I'll be there as fast as I can" the phone cut out and the dial tone rung around the kitchen. It took Alice a moment to turn it off. Abbi realised she had reached the wall and had sat against it. She was curled into a fetal position and had her hands on her head. The blood. It's not like you've never seen blood before. If Abbi hadn't been frozen in place she would have frowned. Where did that come from? She had only heard it in her head, so no one said it. But she didn't think that. It was as if she wasn't alone in her head, and that other person was speaking for the first time. Cruel laughter ringed out in her head and she grimaced. A sudden headache pounded and then, voices.
"Abbi?" someone called. "Abbi, are you okay?" she slowly lifted her head out of her hands. A girl was sitting in front of her. Her hair was an obviously unnatural shade of blue and she was frowning at her. Clarabelle.
"Your nose is bleeding" she told her. Abbi frowned and looked at her hands. She had blood on them.
"oh…" she muttered unintelligently. Valkyrie kneeled down beside Clarabelle and handed her a tissue.
"Are you okay?" Abbi frowned as she took the tissue and pressed it against her nose.
"um…" was all she said. She noticed her hands were shaking.
"Abbi?" Valkyrie asked as if she had just said something. "what's wrong with you?" A black figure was standing behind Valkyrie.
"what's… that." Her words were slow and it sounded like she was drunk. Clarabelle turned while Valkyrie frowned. She turned as well before turning back to her.
"There's nothing there" she told Abbi. Abbi frowned, then blinked and the figure was gone. She felt light headed and then her vision went black.
