Chapter 12

I sat on the couch, across from everyone else. Lockwood sat on his couch, Lucy sitting on the arm rest of the chair. She was staring at me. George was going over the conversation I had wrote with Lucy. I stared at the coffee table. We had put the skull in the middle of the table. If it had eyeballs, I bet it was staring at me too. Holly walked in with some mugs of tea. And some chocolate chip cookies. She put it on the coffee table, shoving the skull a little. I picked it up. It was a little chilly. I found it odd. I put it back down on the coffee table, adjusting its position.

"Well?" Lucy asked George. George sighed.

"I have never heard of this happening before." He spoke, confused. "But I think Dottie's Talent needed time in the field for it to develop. That might be why it never worked."

It made no sense to me. I was wondering why I could hear a Type Three and can nearly see ghost. But his point was clear. I just sat there.

"And you both heard the skull?" Lockwood asked, looking at Lucy and me. We both nodded. Lockwood just sighed.

"This is all uncalled for." He mumbled. Lucy looked at me and smiled.

"At least I'm not the only one who can hear him." She grinned. I didn't smile back. It was unnerving, knowing I could hear ghosts, especially the skull.

"Lucy..."

Both Lucy and I perked up. Lucy was looking at the skull. I looked around, hoping to catch the ghost out of the corner of my eye. Nothing.

"The other one.." he weakly snickered. I scowled. Everyone looked at me. Lucy was the only one snickering.

"I'm back." He replied, followed by a cough. Lucy looked at the skull, surprised.

"I didn't think ghosts could cough." She questioned. The group looked at me and Lucy.

"Is the skull talking?" Lockwood asked. I nodded. He let out a small 'unbelievable' laugh.

"Dottie," he said weakly. "Touch the skull."

I hesitated, eyeing Lucy. I didn't fully trust this skull. Lucy gave me a nod.

"Come on, I don't bite."

I scowled again and touched the skull, closing my eyes.

The spiky haired youth stood in front of me. He was whispy looking, weak. It was dark, only his ghostly green glow to light where ever we were.

"See, was that so hard?" He said with a smile. I didn't smile back.

"What do you see?" Lucy asked. The youth smiled at me.

"The same as I do, nothing." He said, his voice low. He threw a fit of a cough. I glanced around the vast darkness, hoping it would give me a clue. Suddenly, a flash of green then disappeared. I looked back at the youth. He was wandering around. I mentally reached for his arm. I grasped it. It felt cold. I moved him a little to the left. He just stared at me.

"What are you doing?"

I ignored him and looked up at where I saw the shiny thing. I turned green. It was reflecting off of his glow. I let go of him and went toward it. It was iron. Next to it was some silver. I knew what this was. It was stuff from a canister. Iron, silver, and soot. I looked back at the youth, smiling. He just stared at me.

I opened my eyes.

"What were you doing?" Lucy asked. I picked up the skull, inspecting it top to bottom. There, at the bottom of the skull, was some Greek Fire soot full of iron and silver. I left the room and grabbed a wet rag. I sat back down and started to scrub the moldy skull.

"Ho Ho, that tickles." He chuckled in my head. I just scrubbed until I got all the soot off. I put the skull down on the table. Everyone looked at me. I picked up my notebook.

"How do you feel?" I wrote. Before I could turn it toward Lucy, the skull answered.

"To be honest, a lot better."

Lockwood and Lucy were looking above me. Lucy was grinning.

"Good to see you again." She said, happily. I glance above me. I could see a, blurry, yet clear version of the spiky haired youth. He was grinning wide.

Holly and George looked above me as well. Holly nearly spilled her mug of tea on her skirt. George went into his notebook, writing something down. Lockwood put on his sunglasses. I never understood why. Must be something about ghosts. I glanced back at the ghost. He was too close for comfort. I unsheathed my rapier as a warning. The ghost backed off a little, holding his hands up, playfully. He still held a grin.

"I know how you are." He chuckled. "By the way, you have company." He eyed me. Everyone, but Lucy and I, jumped when the doorbell rang. I stood and walked out of the living area. I opened the door.

"He Dottie. Glad to see you better." Kipps said, his bug-eye goggles bouncing on his head. I opened the door wide and invited him in. He smiled and walked by. I nearly shut the door when I saw who else was at the door.

"Hey Zach." I signed. He grinned at me. He side hugged me. I winced when he touched my back.

"Sorry." He signed, backing up. I waved him off. He gave me a peck on my head. I flushed, inviting him inside.

"Kipps, what brings you here?" Holly asked.

"Zachary." He laughed at his own joke. "Just came to see if everything was alright after last night." He eyed at Lucy and me.

"We're good, thanks." Lucy replied with a smile. I glanced at the skull's ghost. He was right up in Kipps face and making the weirdest facial expressions. I chuckled softly. Kipps looked at me, confused. The skull grinned. Zachary stared at the ghost then at me.

"You know.." he stared to sigh, then pointed at the skull. I nodded at him. Kipps just looked at us.

"Is there something on my face?" He asked, confused. I chuckled again. Zachary just stared at the ghost. Lucy, Lockwood, George, and Holly were snickering as well.

"Put on your goggles." Holly suggested. Kipps shrugged then pulled his goggles over his eyes. He jumped at the sight of the ghost.

"Hahaha!" The skull laughed, hysterically. Lucy and Lockwood both burst out laughing. I grinned. Zachary chuckled. Holly rolled her eyes but smiles. George hid himself behind his book but he was shaking so much, I knew he was laughing.

"How long had he been there?" Kipps gasped. George peeked his head up.

"'Bout the whole time you were here." He snickered. Kipps gave him a disapproving glare. I just chuckled. Even though I despised the skull, Lucy was right. He was good company.

"I'm surprised he didn't ghost-touched you." Holly smiled, followed by a small giggle. Kipps smiled back. This has been the most fun I had since joining Lockwood and Co.

"Now we have the whole company together." Lockwood grinned. He raised a mug of tea. "A toast!"

We all reached for a mug of tea. We raised them high.

"To Lockwood and Co!"


For those who were wondering, no this isn't the end.

In fact, It may be the beginning...