After The Creeping Shadow

The trip

     ~Edited~

"Alright, run that past me one more time, You two are what?" Holly said after I explained Lockwood and my plan. I turned to Lockwood, who was zipping his trunk "I thought you had told them last night while you were all at Brompton?" I asked him. He just shrugged, "I may have forgotten?" I rolled my eyes, then snapped"I tell you two days ago Lockwood, you volunteer to come, but you forget to tell Holly and George when I couldn't and I asked you to." He passed a wounded look to me "I'm sorry, Lucy. At least they know now."

      I saw that he was sorry, but, honestly, he knew that I was taking that case on Cavendish so I wouldn't be awake to tell either George or Holly without getting too crotchety. I specifically asked him to tell them when he and the two were out on a case. Considering he did find three Wraiths, a Shining Boy, and a Cold Maiden, maybe snapping at him was wrong. But at the moment I didn't really care, only my stress drove me.

    Not long after, George came in with a tray of cinnamon buns and two slices of chocolate cake. "I sense the tension, Luce, Lockwood," he said. "Tension isn't really good for visitors, you know." I scoffed "Makes me up right jolly, George." He put his tray down. "Damn, sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to-" "I know. It's fine." the chubby boy just shook his head, "Will you two be alright on your own? I mean, Holly and I could come if-" "No. My Mam doesn't even know Lockwood's coming. And she can be, uh, barmy when she's arsed." I say, cutting him off.

   Holly sighed "Okay." she came and gave me a hug. I've gotten used to these kinds of things from Holly since we've become better friends. "I'm sorry about Mary, Lucy," she whispered before letting go. I smiled "Thanks, Hol." 

    Our taxi was waiting when we started outside and all I heard was Don't leave me with fatty and Ms. Perfect! Take me with you! Coming from my upstairs. "I really thought I flipped the tab on that godforsaken jar," I mumbled under my breath. By the way I heard Lockwood laugh, I think he heard me.

    The ride to Namers Station was quiet. But when we got there, I realized "Lockwood, I have only one ticket. One my Mam sent with the letter." but being the Anthony Lockwood he is, he gave me a small smile, then went and greeted a giddy kipper of a man. Their conversation was long off and before I knew it Lockwood was walking back towards me. With a ticket in hand. I shook my head, "I swear it, Lockwood, I will never get used to you and  your tricks." He puts his ticket in his coat pocket and trades hands with his luggage and took my hand "It was just a long forgotten favor, no tricks." Once we got on our train (which was thirty minutes late) we put our luggage under our seats and soon felt the rumbling of the train begin.   

     Like the car ride, the ride started quietly. I was a little awkward it was just Lockwood and me in the car at nine o'clock in the morning. The other train cars were crowded, so we didn't bother trying to find seats in those. I just looked out the window, at the rolling meadows of grass passing by us ever so quickly. "Lucy," I looked over to Lockwood in front of me. "I'm really sorry about forgetting to tell George and Holly about this. I was just occupied at the moment and-" I shushed him. "It's alright. I was wrong of me to snap at you like that. I know you had a busy night-" "You did too with that Poltergeist."He interjected. "I'm just really stressed with the funeral and seeing my Mam." he narrowed his eyes at me. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the problem with your mum? I mean, I don't mean to speak badly of her-" "Wouldn't really care if you did." "- but she sounds, er, really rude." 

     It's not like I talk about my family often, If I did, I'm pretty sure Lockwood never would've volunteered.  But now since he's actually going to be in the same house as them, I have to tell him why my Mam hates me so much. "My Mam and I haven't really had a good history," I tell him. "You don't have to-" "Yes I do if you were to understand why it's hard for me to look her in the eye like I would anyone." I took a breath."When I was three, my dad, Jason Carlyle, wasn't like he was before he died: Drunk, irresponsible, and untrustworthy. He was kind and playful just like any kind of dad is supposed to be when they have children." I paused and chose my words wisely. "Then one night Agent Jacobbs, my old boss, called want to talk with him. Back then my dad's sister, Cheryl, was on Jacobbs team for a while. Cheryl died fighting a type three visitor with first-degree ghost touch." I paused again. Then I kept on going " Jacobbs asked me if I wanted to work for him. I told him yes of course, but I never knew my dad hated him until he hated me and started drinking." Then the end of the truth. " I never understood why he hated Jacobbs until the accident at the mill and he didn't care about my closest friends dying, the same thing happened to my dad with his sister." another breath, " My mum blamed it on me that he died, because I 'upset' him all those years ago." 

  He just looked at me. Not in a weird way, but an understanding way. I smiled. "There were a few people that I would talk to," I said. "After the mill." Lockwood looked, confused? "Everyone thought it was my fault, that I should've done something-" Lockwood cut me off and grabbed my hand "Lucy, I told you this before. And I'll tell you again. 'It wasn't your fault.' It was your supervisor who didn't listen. It was a foolish decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life, I'm sure." he told me. "Don't blame yourself, when you know other people's decisions affect your actions." I looked him in the eye. I held his hand while he held mine. "Thank you, Lockwood." was all I said.

   Lockwood looked at my hand in his and held it between his own. He said nothing, just held it. The the rest of the way we were quiet, with only the words of my story hanging in the air.

Revised! And Beautiful! how is it? what do you think? and if you spot grammar errors, then tell me so I can report to Grammarly about it.  Yeah, I have Grammarly. why do you think my sentences are error-free? (Most of the time) well, my revising will be going on for a little bit and this Story will be grand! 

Comment. Vote pleeeaaasse.