For a few seconds, all anyone was capable of doing was staring and in some cases, gaping like a fish. Skulduggery leaned patiently against the doorframe, seemingly to allow them to process his return. After all, their Skulduggery had been missing for 150 years. Valkyrie stood to the side. This situation was Skulduggery's problem. She just hoped he had a good explanation to why 'he' was missing for so long. China, of course, was the first to recover, but instead of confronting Skulduggery like she expected, China's gaze fixed on her. Both women frowned. Whereas Valkyrie's was in confusion, China's was in disappointment and frustration. It was quite the mental quandary for Valkyrie to figure out.
China looked up from where she was reading the notes of the meeting when she heard a familiar voice. It wasn't the voice though, that made her look up, it was the fact that everyone else also fixated their attention to the direction the voice came from. She thought that the bittersweet vocals was another hallucination, but no. Someone was actually there. When she saw the girl standing there, to the side of her hallucination, everything made sense. They all looked up because they heard someone enter. She mentally scolded herself for not being on guard. She couldn't just ignore every noise just because it could be a fabrication of her mind. She was going to get herself killed oneday. China ignored the tantalising mirage and forced herself to focus on the teenager in black, who held herself with the same warm arrogance as him. China frowned in disappointment, disappointment that her hallucination couldn't be real and disappointment in the rebellion, that nobody had yet taken action against this girl. It was undetermined whether or not she was a threat. China cleared her throat, trying not to take notice of how her delusion looked slighted.
"Who are you?" The words left her lips before she had time to think them through. Though, now that she thought about it, she didn't know who this girl was. China had certainly never seen her around before, but she didn't go out much nowadays anyway. Her vision tilted his head to the side curiously. That small action sent a whole onslaught of emotions and memories unto her that she really didn't need at the moment. She had never had a hallucination this perfect and realistic before. To be frank, it felt like she had been punched in the stomach. China nearly shook her head to focus herself. She needed to get a grip on things. Her realities were blurring and that simple fact was utterly terrifying. The teenager's brow furrowed in confusion. The teen gestured to the side of her in utter bafflement.
"You don't recognise him?" China's eyes darted to where she was pointing and only saw the fabricated skeleton. Great, just great. She was having a complete mental breakdown. China analysed the faces of those surrounding her and saw that their eyes were focused in on the skeleton too. He wasn't a hallucination. China narrowed her eyes, he could just as well be an imposter. She needed to come up with a quick excuse. She chose the first one that popped into her brain. Sure it wasn't the best and sure it didn't make much sense but it would have to do.
"One skeleton looks the same as another," she said. "Of course, I've only known one to actually walk..." She needed him to talk, to hear his voice filled with warm arrogance, to confirm it was really him.
"Hello, everyone." China took a sharp breath in that she barely managed to mask and hoped wasn't accentuated by the lighting. She stood up from her seat at the table, the world around her dimming, not taking notice of the way tears were running down Ghastly's scars or the way Saracen's face screwed up in confusion.
"It is you," she said. "Where were you? Where have you been? Everyone... everyone thought you were dead."
Skulduggery took his hat off looked at China. She could feel those deep, mysterious eye sockets bore into her very soul. "Do I look dead?"
China blinked in surprise. He sees her for the first time in 150 years and one of the first things he says is that. He's... doing witty banter. When did that happen? He's usually so serious? That was a ridiculous comment. Is he OK? Has he gone insane? China took a deep breath to calm herself, because she realised she was hyperventilating. "I refuse to answer ridiculous questions."
Ghastly stood up and rubbed his tear-stained face in disbelief. "Skulduggery..." he breathed. "Are you OK?" Skulduggery froze upon seeing Ghastly but it was so momentary that it was barely noticeable. A sudden change came over Skulduggery's posture and mannerism, as if he remembered something and slipped into character. He looked down at his feet and put his hat back on.
"Yes," he spat out, bitterly and monotone. "I'm fine." China exhaled in relief. This sounded more like the Skulduggery she knew, not the confident, humourous man that was standing before her but a mere second ago. Now she knew that it really was him and that he was fine, there were a few more questions she had to attend to.
"Where have you been this whole time?"
"That doesn't really matter."
"It matters to me. We are now witnessing the return of the living skeleton after, what, one hundred and fifty years? And he has a teenage girl, who I have never heard of-"
"Valkyrie Cain," Valkyrie inserted, earning a glare from China.
"-Who I definitely have never heard of, as a travelling companion. And you're friends no less. So I have questions. Where have you been, what are you doing back, and who are you?" Through her curious anger, she was actually relieved yet suspicious.
"You know who am," Skulduggery spat out, nearly amicably sneering in tone.
"I know who you were were," retorted China. "A time-span that long is more than enough for someone to change.
"Does it look like I've changed? Even if I have, how do you expect me to explain how? Why don't you tell me how you've changed. You've gone from being a spoilt little disciple of the Faceless Ones to the leader of the Resistance." At that remark Dexter grew a huge smirk which he buried in his hand.
"Stop trying to deviate the topic. Where were you!?" China grilled, losing her cool.
"I don't know!" Skulduggery's temper seemed to have also frayed. This was not too unusual but Valkyrie seemed quite surprised and concerned at how Skulduggery was behaving. He must have been getting a better grip on his temper. The sudden meaning of his words suddenly hit her. He didn't know. How? How didn't he know?
Saracen also looked quite confused and concerned which was very uncharacteristic for him. "What do you mean you, 'don't know'?" Saracen questioned, baffled.
"I-I don't remember... One moment, I think I was somewhere then the next I was in some sort of field and I met some people who have the same goals as me."
"That makes no sense. Skulduggery, are you sure you're fine?" Ravel gently asked.
"Yes," he all but growled.
China squinted at Skulduggery in suspicion. "And what are your goals? Are you here as a mole for Mevolent?" If Skulduggery still had eyes, in that moment, they surely would have widened. He took a step back in surprise.
"What? No! Of course not!" His voice hinted at worry yet suddenly held character and emotion again. It was as if he broke character. That outburst was nothing like the deadpan Skulduggery she knew. Nothing like the Skulduggery that was just in front of her.
Anton spoke up for the first time. "What are your goals then?"
Skulduggery saw Anton and tilted his head, with what intent, China couldn't tell. "I want to assassinate Mevolent, of course." China was taken aback, that was quite blunt and the opposite of what she suggested. She looked around and saw that the others seemed to trust him.
"Come on China, let him stay." Ghastly pleaded.
"I am not a dog. You don't plead to keep me," Skulduggery huffed indignantly.
Ghastly waved his hand in the general direction of Skulduggery. "Yes, sure sure. Whatever you say. Please China? Let us keep the skeleton." Ghastly continued to plead, regardless. Skulduggery seemed offended before that same change in behaviour came over him again.
China let out an exasperated sigh. She wasn't going to win this. She would just have to permit his entry, trust his judgement on Valkyrie's character and keep a close eye on him. Something about him was... off. "Sure. Come on Skulduggery. I'm sure we could use your input on our situation." The Dead Men beamed and the sound of scraping chairs filled the room as they jumped out of their chairs mobbing him. Many hugs, pats on the back and and 'welcome back's were exchanged. They were too cathartic to think much of the fact that he was tense throughout all of the greetings. Once they returned to their seats China declared, "OK, let's recommence the meeting." She narrowed her eyes at Skulduggery. There was definitely something off about him.
Valkyrie thought that the reintroduction to the group hadn't gone too badly all in all but some of that acting Skulduggery did unnerved her. And it wasn't just the acting that did that, there was just this eerie air of deceit surrounding him. There was something off. Something wasn't right.
Ahhhhhh well. That was terrible. Sorry. But at least I did something? You all probably find this boring but I love a good build up of suspense and drama. Besides, this scene had to happen sometime.
Who is suspicious of Skulduggery?
unkind Regards,
-Your (now on school holidays for 8 weeks) author