Lockwood and Co: Truth or Dare

Chapter 1:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story. Nor do I own L&C. All that goes to the amazing Jonathan Stroud.

Chapter 1:

"Holly, just how many times are you planning on cleaning out that cupboard?" I asked, throwing my magazine down in exasperation.

It was a rare night off and I had been trying to read the latest magazine on True Hauntings, but all I could hear was Holly arranging and rearranging the cupboard. After tolerating with it for a few hours, I grew weary of the sound and decided to ask her to stop it.

Holly brushed a stray hair from her face and swept it back into her neat ponytail. She stared grimly at the cupboard, holding her duster in one hand like a rapier.

"It's so dirty in there," she exclaimed, "When was the last time you lot cleaned it out?"

She pulled out a packet of mouldy cookies and screwed her face up in disgust.

"Whose cookies are these?" she asked, dangling them in the air.

George looked up from his complicated experiment that (naturally) involved the Skull and said cheerfully:

"That would be mine. I hid it there so Luce wouldn't eat it, but I guess I forgot about it and it turned bad. I remember looking for those cookies, fancy them being there all along."

Holly sighed and went to throw the cookies in the bin. When she came back she asked us, "Where's Lockwood?"

"Oh, he's doing some rapier practice," George said, scribbling something down in his notebook, "you know he hates days off."

Holly sighed and turned to me, "Lucy, would you mind calling Lockwood here before he slashes Joe and Esmeralda to pieces?"

"Fine." I said, getting up from the sofa. I slipped into my shoes and went to find Lockwood.

I found him in the rapier room just like George said, and I stopped at the door frame to watch him practice.

Joe was spinning round on his chain while Lockwood circled him at a short distance. He cut quick, complex patterns in the air that I would never be able to master and suddenly struck a blow to Joe's tatted stomach. I watched as Lockwood embedded the tip of his rapier right into Joe and out the other side. His pale face was calm, his hair glistened and his eyes glittered.

"Anything the matter, Luce?" he asked, not turning round.

I started; I had thought that he didn't know I was there.

"Holly told me to come get you." I explained, walking into the room. Lockwood grinned and tossed his rapier aside.

"Is she complaining about the mess in the cupboard?" he asked.

I nodded, surprised, "How did you know?"

"I heard her."

I rolled my eyes, "Of course."

Lockwood grinned at me, gave Floating Joe a fond pat, and started walking out of the room.

"Well," he said to me, "better not keep her waiting."

I rolled my eyes again and followed him out the room.