See No Evil (Anthony Lockwood)

chapter 1

Portland row 35. The lovely long-standing home to A.J. Lockwood & Co investigators Anthony Lockwood and George Karim. A recent startup agency with a bit of a reputation in small circles of the psychical investigation community. Mostly for the owner being a reckless prick and his companion being a socially inept know-it-all. And it was about to be home to yet another soul. One that will change their lives forever.

A young girl stalked up to the front door, using one hand to slide her sunglasses to sit atop her head to reveal bright blue eyes and a constellation of freckles over her nose and cheeks. Her hair was a bright copper, chopped bluntly just above her shoulders.

Violet Summers rang the doorbell lightly with her long fingernail covered in chipped black nail polish. And then she waited quite impatiently, one hand gripping the strap of her backpack tightly while the other tapped against her bare thigh.

The door opened moments later to reveal a boy with dark curly hair and glasses. He was oddly adorable in a way. He kind of reminded Violet of a friend she had in her old group home. A bit of a puppy dog look in the innocent way, but he probably had plenty of bite as well. Violet could feel a sense of awkwardness surrounding him.

Violet's expression, which seemed to be stuck in a state of perpetual boredom, lit up just the smallest bit as she gave him a lopsided grin, "Hey. I'm here about the-"

A girl screeched from just inside, bumping into Violet harshly as she scrambled out the door. Violet scowled when her sunglasses were knocked right off her head and onto the floor.

Violet picked them up, inspecting them for a moment before shoving them back on her head when she noticed they were still intact, "Anyways, I'm here to apply for the open position."

The boy blinked, taking in Violet's flashy attire. She wore a baggy white shirt that was tied shorter in the back and had some sort of heavily faded print on the front, a pair of red denim shorts, and raggedy black converse. Not to mention she had a pair of gaudy citrus shaped earrings that dangled down to her neck along with several gold bangles on both wrists and a choker around her neck. He thought he caught the faint sight of some scarring over her bare skin as well, not that it bothered him.

She was a stark contrast of bright colors compared to the usually dull streets of London. But the expression on her face didn't seem to quite catch up to the bubbliness of her attire.

Violet shifted her legs slightly when he just stared blankly at her, her red brow raising, "I mean...I can come back later if you want."

The boy opened the door all the way and stepped to the side, "That door there."

Violet noticed his head jerk to the direction of a door just on the left. She strode right into the room with an air of half-confidence, half-apprehension.

Honestly, when she had seen the advert in the paper that Lockwood & Co was looking for an individual experienced with touch, she didn't know how she felt. She had never heard of the agency before, but she didn't exactly have any other options opening up around her. She had been in another agency, but was dismissed for 'insubordination.' In reality, one of her older associates had been reckless and nearly got half of them killed so she punched him in the face. Apparently that was against the rules or something. Violet never had been one for obedience.

Violet saw a tall boy around her age upon entering the room. He had on professional attire and neat hair but he still had a boyish grin on his face that she assumed was meant to pass as polite and inviting, but it looked more like he was inviting her to get killed. Oh well. Violet was here now. She would see it through. She had never regarded herself as a coward, and she wasn't about to be one now.