Lockwood & Co 5th book fanfic.

Lucy: Chapter 6

After several hours slashing at a pillow-stuffed dummy with a razor-sharp killing tool I felt much better. Wouldn't you? I was having a tad of tea when the doorbell rang.

Oftentimes the doorbell was not a good omen. If you approached an agency, (and yes, number 35 was an agency), then you had a problem. And oftentimes your problems become ours if you're willing to pay enough. We had also had a number of grisly encounters on our doorstep (or hall. Murder is so messy, it took George weeks to get all that blood out of the carpet.) I slid the rapier back into my belt and tromped up the stairs, wondering who it could be at this time of day. It obviously wasn't Lockwood or George. They had keys. (agents are practically nocturnal, ghosts come out at night as do the people troubled by them.) The doorbell rang again and was quickly followed by a loud knock. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright! I'm bloody coming, already," (Disclaimer: Generally I would never say that, but under the circumstances I thought they'd understand & they probably couldn't hear me anyway...)

The door opened.

"Hi..." I stared down at a small, mousy-haired girl standing on the mat. She refused to meet my eyes and instead stared down at her small, scuffed rain-boots. "Can I help you?"

"No,"

"Pardon?"

"No, you cannot help me." she said with a fierce stomp of her boot.

"Well, uh... Why don't you come in?" I stepped outside and crouched down, in a fruitless effort to get a glimpse of her face.

"I'm long gone. They could have helped me, but they didn't. You cannot help me, but you can still help them,"

"What? Are you okay? Why don't you come in and have some tea. We can find your mom... Where are your parents?" I glanced around. This girl made me nervous and suspicious. If she had parents -alive at least- they were nowhere to be found.

"Why don't we go find the police and they help you..." I said trying to coax her inside the house. Who knew how long she had been out in the cold. All of the sudden the girl's head shot up and she glared at me. I stepped back in surprise, windmilling my arms in an effort to prevent a nasty fall off the stoop into the bushes. Her face was pale and hollow, with all of her bones especially pronounced.

"No! You don't understand! You can still save them. They aren't telling you things. They think you are too weak. Save them, and then save yourself,"

My eyes bugged out and I made a grab for her arm, but she snatched it away and jumped off the steps.

"Wait! What are you talking about? Who am I supposed to save?"

Before I could follow she sprinted into the street and disappeared.