𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 • anthony lockwood

29. graveyard fights and silent chapels

chapter twenty-nine,
graveyard fights and silent chapels.

SOPHIE PACED AROUND THE LIVING ROOM, fidgeting with the chain of her necklace. Her eyes followed Lucy as she stormed over to the coffee table, slamming the ghost jar roughly on top of it. Sophie could see the plasm inside swirl around the jar twice before shifting into a disgruntled face.

"What do you know?" Lucy demanded as she leaned on the table, glaring at the jar. "What have you seen? Where's he taken it?"

Silence followed, but Sophie could feel a rapid pulse through the air after the question. Sophie quickly turned around to the boy standing behind her, refusing to look him in the eyes. "I knew something was wrong..." she whispered, shaking her head. "And I knew George had been acting strange. I should of-"

"No Soph," he immediately cut her off. "You can't blame yourself over this."

She silently nodded although her chest seemed to tighten the more she thought about it. She knew George seemed off yet she didn't do anything about it. She was too wrapped up in herself. She should've paid more attention. She should've talked to him. She should've-

"Another friend?" Lucy muttered, glancing back at the two.

Lockwood's eyes narrowed in thought. "What other friend? George doesn't have any other friends-"

Sophie's gasp interrupted him. "Joplin!" she almost yelled. It all made sense now. It's why the woman was so interested in the case, why she continuously showed up everywhere and why she 'befriended' George. "She was with George when he was examining the mirror."

"It's got Joplin too," Lockwood concluded, glancing between the two girls. "Everyone who goes near that thing loses their mind."

Lucy paused before slamming her hands on the table, shaking the jar. "Where are they?"

Another pulse.

"Bickerstaff," Lucy whispered.

"The cemetery," Sophie concluded, already making her way out of the room and over to the landline.

"Sophie, call a cab," Lockwood ordered. "We'll go and grab whatever equipment we have left over."

Sophie didn't register anything that was said over the phone, other than the fact the cab would take about ten minutes to get there. And by god was it a long ten minutes. Sophie ran down the stairs, to the basement, nearly missing a few steps at the speed she was going, only to come to an immediate halt in front of the incredibly scarce box of equipment in front of her.

The tall girl glanced between the agents before her, her stomach dropping. "That's all that's left?" She asked quietly, already knowing the answer. "Surely not."

Lucy nodded solemnly, beginning to take her batch of salt bombs. "We're dead."

"Maybe," Lockwood agreed handing Sophie a can of Greek fire, not even attempting fake optimistic. "But if anyone is worth dying for."

The three of them hurried up to the main hallway, throwing on their jackets in silence before it was finally broken. "We all need to be at our best tonight. Have each other's backs," Lockwood spoke up, grabbing his rapier. "We're gonna do this. All of us. For George."

The two girls muttered in agreement, too anxious to speak as they grabbed their weapons. With a nod, Lockwood reached out for the door but immediately stopped at the sound of Sophie's voice.