Trapped Without You

An Ocean of Relief

"Would you help me! I've searched everywhere and I can't find the bloody thing!" Lockwood screamed. He stood surrounded by the clothes and papers scattered around the room, he had successfully trashed the place. The sun was starting to rise, though Lockwood and George had not been to sleep that night and both had dark rings under their tired eyes they continued to search with no luck. Lockwood was losing hope, he felt his knees buckle under him and he fell to his butt on the floor, he then laid on his back staring up at the roof.

"Don't give up, it's here somewhere. You gotta hand it to her, she's good at hiding things." George replied as he searched through the things on the ground. Lockwood studied the ceiling.

"What do you think they're going to do to her?" Lockwood choked on a lump in his throat. "Why would they even take her?"

"We'll find out as soon as you grab that." George pointed up to one of the beams holding up the ceiling, resting on the edge of it was a small leather book, Lockwood felt a rush of happiness, waves of relief flooded over him as he sprang to his feet and hopped up on Lucy's bed, reached up and grabbed it.

"Keen eye George, good job. We'll get sweets to celebrate as soon as we get back our Lucy." Lockwood hesitated a moment before opening the journal, he flipped open to the first page, at the top in small neat handwriting it said a date, the date Lucy first joined Lockwood & Co. Lockwood would maybe read that some other time, he flipped past it until he came to a more recent date, exactly a week before that day.
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We got a strange case today, a young man by the name of Mr. Wright asked us to come to his home in a week and investigate his basement, he gave us very few details about the apparition he felt when going near a part of the basement that he just recently discovered. Something's not right with this man, but we are short on money and cases, I guess I should just suck it up and deal with it.

On another note, George has gone and done it again! He left that stupid skull on the stairs and I nearly tripped over it, I swear my clumsiness will be the death of me. In regards of Lockwood, well I just haven't the courage to tell him yet, I'll have to wait for a day when we're not up to our noses in problems to talk to him about it, I dread what will be his reaction.
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End of that entry. Lockwood scratched the area around his new cut, it had been bandaged but was bothering him.

"Anything helpful?" George asked leaning over Lockwood's shoulder as best he could.

"Not yet but this is interesting, I wish to sit down and read it. Why don't we go make something to eat and read it in the kitchen." Lockwood and George went to the kitchen and George made quick sandwiches.

The room felt different to Lockwood, emptier and less alive. The sun was shining bright and beautiful through the window, everything in the room glowed and shimmered taunting Lockwood and George, reminding them of the darkness that masked the man who took Lucy away. Lockwood read aloud once they had finished their early breakfast.
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I just got a call back from a client, they canceled our services. Said that the Rotwell agency was giving their services for free for the month, I swear Rotwell is out to get us, if this keeps up we might need to cut down on our expenses. Goodbye donuts, goodbye ginger ale, no more treats for us.

I went out for a walk earlier today, there was someone working in the gardens of the house next door that I have never seen before, I didn't get a good look at his face but he's a young boy, can't be the neighbors son because the girl who lives there is single and far too young to have a boy his age, wonder if she hired him. Maybe I can hire him to take care of our garden, it's starting to overgrow.

I had another chance to tell him today but of course I didn't, tomorrow maybe, it's been too much for me to handle lately and it's affecting my work, I need to get it off my chest soon, and if it ends badly, it might be the end of Lockwood & Co. for me.
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"What do you suppose that last bit about me meant?" Lockwood asked once he finished reading.

"I have no idea."

Lockwood yawned then chuckled dryly to himself. Ruefully he stood from his chair. "You know I'm so tired I was just about to ask Lucy if she would finish reading this so I could go to sleep. We have to find her."

"We need to sleep first."

"Are you saying that sleeping is more important to you than finding Lucy!"

"Lockwood calm down, nothing is more important to me than finding Lucy but we aren't any help to her in this state, we need to rest up so we can look at the rest of her journal with fresh eyes. Then maybe a clue will jump out at us." George had a good point for Lockwood's words had begun to slur as he read the last two parts of that entry. Lockwood sighed to himself.

"Fine. Fine, you're right. Though I hate the idea that we are selfishly going to sleep while only God knows what is happening to Lucy." Lockwood shuttered at what his mind pictured. "Don't think I'll get much rest."

"Just try Lockwood, we'll get right back to work when we wake." Then George and Lockwood made their way to bed, both fell into a restless sleep.