Trapped Without You

Home At Last

Her eyes opened, revealing just how red and glassy they had become, for the first time Lockwood had taken a close look at her. God, he thought, she was the thinnest thing on earth, it was hard to see where one cut started and the next began, her eyes were still slightly swollen. There was an emptiness eating away at his stomach as he watched her glance around confused, quietly he stood and left the room. He called George and told him she was awake, walking back into the room he watched Lucy as her eyes followed him.

Lockwood sat next to her and held her hand, he couldn't bear to look at her. The shame and guilt he felt haunted him, taunting him it whispered of how next time she would die. Just as all his other loved ones did.

It took almost three months until Lucy was healthy enough to return home, Lockwood and George visited Lucy every minute they could spare while she was in the hospital. There was a celebration at 35 Portland Row the day of Lucy's return, each meal was grand, they played games and talked all day long. Lockwood and George stayed by Lucy's side the whole day, they made sure her plate was always full and her glass never empty. There was no talk of ghosts, no talk of murders, killers, or criminals.

None of them dared to bring up what had happened, like Lockwood's past it was too painful to talk about. The past was the past and that was that. By nightfall, the games had ceased and the conversation dwindled, the day was winding down. The house lay silent as the three got ready to go to sleep.

"It'll be so nice to sleep in my own bed again." Lucy yawned as she, George, and Lockwood walked up to the stairs. At that moment Lockwood sprinted ahead and blocked Lucy's way to her room.

"The doctors said not to cause you stress so you probably shouldn't go in there." He explained.

"Oh great. What did you do to my room? Where am I supposed to sleep if I can't go into my room?" Lucy crossed her arms over her chest.

"You could sleep in one of our rooms," George suggested heading to his door.

"Yeah I don't think so," Lockwood replied. "Your room is a death trap and I don't have enough room in mine. Don't worry Luce, we'll fix your room tomorrow."

"I'll sleep on the sofa then, would you please grab me my blankets and pillows though." Lucy rubbed her eyes, the sleeves of her shirt slid down far enough to expose her wrists. Large scars wrapping around her wrists reminded Lockwood of the tight plastic zip ties that he himself cut off of her. Remembering the way the ties sluggishly eased out of the cuts and had made Lockwood dizzy with disgust. George was feeling the same way too, Lockwood could see it in his face.

Grabbing Lucy's things from her room Lockwood tried to shake the image out of his head, he carried Lucy's things to the sitting room where he dropped them onto the sofa.

"I'm going to take a shower in your guy's bathroom," Lucy shouted down the steps.

Walking upstairs Lockwood and George could hear the sounds of Lucy humming and the shower running, it was a comforting noise. As Lockwood listened to her innocent tune he felt his chest tightening with each murmur, the guilt that had a hold on his heart began to squeeze. Grabbing his pillow and blankets Lockwood kicked Georges door.

"What is it?" The light in George's room flipped on but the door stayed closed.

"Get some decent pajamas on, grab your pillows and blanket's, and give me a hand moving the table downstairs," Lockwood demanded, after a few minutes George helped clear a small area on the floor and they laid out their blanket's. Lockwood right next to the sofa and George right next to him.

Lockwood then, against better judgment, sat outside the bathroom door silently listening to Lucy waiting like an eager puppy for her to get out. Downstairs George sat uncomfortably on his makeshift bed, as he looked around bored, waiting to be able to go to sleep he came up with a brilliant idea that was sure to make Lucy smile.

As George worked away on his plan Lockwood frowned as the bathroom became quiet, Lucy's humming stopped abruptly, the shower continued but it no longer hit human flesh instead it drummed rhythmically against the tub below.

This went on for a few minutes until Lucy turned off the water then the door opened unexpectedly. Lucy stood there with a towel wrapped around her, still soaking wet she looked down at Lockwood.

"Um hi there Lockwood, I need clean clothes so if you'll excuse me." She tightened the towel around her and took a step forward.

"Wait, I really insist that you don't go to your room." He stood, trying desperately to ignore the small towel, or rather what was under the towel. "I can grab your clothes for you."

Lucy's face was already pink from the towel situation. The thought of Lockwood going through her more delicate clothes made her face grow pinker.

"I don't want you going through my clothes," Lucy complained pulling the towel even tighter around herself, she had begun inching to the door starting to hide behind it.

"Okay, how about this?" Lockwood disappeared into his room, Lucy could hear George grunting in effort downstairs. "Will this do? I really can't think of any other solution, unless you want to wear your dirty clothes to bed." Lockwood held up a True Hauntings T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"But that's your clothes, that's. Oh, whatever I just want to go to sleep." She grabbed the clothes from him and closed the door. Lockwood then went into his room and changed into his pajamas.

"What do you think Lockwood?" George gleamed with pride as he looked over his creation.

"I think it's brilliant." Lockwood patted George on the back. "A fort is just the type of thing to make Lucy happy, I hope." Lockwood smiled as he crawled through the entrance and sat in his spot on the ground. It was a large fort, the sheets George used were a good two feet above Lockwood at most spots.

Lockwood crawled out with a yawn, then the sight of Lucy caused him to choke. She tugged at the bottom of the shirt he gave her, it went down to almost her knees. Unfortunately for all three of them, that was all she had on. George, Lockwood, and Lucy's faces turned red simultaneously.

"Your shorts don't fit me. " Lucy explained throwing Lockwood's shorts at him. "And when did that happen?" She gestured to the fort.

"I made it, let's go in it, let's go to sleep." George muttered crawling in. Lucy turned off the lights and they all crawled in.

All was right, Lockwood thought to himself as he closed his eyes. Lucy was home now and with her came back the awkwardness of having a girl around, and with that awkwardness there was happiness. Lockwood and George had missed their Lucy and Lucy had missed her boys but they were together now.

All was right with the world as Lockwood fell asleep. Lucy was safe and sound.

There was a blood-curdling scream.