Mumbling Nightmares

Chapter 16

Hello all! I need to become more frequent with my updates... Like seriously. I've been watching a lot of anime lately, but I've finally got my writer's groove back. I haven't worked on this story in so long that it may be a bit different than the other chapters, but I'll try my best.

Disclaimer: I do not own Lockwood & Co.

Mixed emotions threaded my thoughts with rapid procession, and I clutched the diary to my chest as I walked. I didn't know whether to feel sad, or even happy about the fact that I knew more about Elizabeth's fate. I had seen very little of her this time, which was unusual. I hesitated as I reached the infamous landing, where I had seen her ghost several times before. I used my free hand to grip my rapier, making sure not to let my guard down. I could feel the psychic pressure building in my ears, and I pushed it away. Now where did Lockwood say he was going to be? George was in the basement, which meant that Lockwood would be in the living room. Which was downstairs. I gave the staircase a black look.

"Smashing." I sighed, shoving the diary into one of the inner pockets of my coat. Grip tight on my rapier, I began the procession down the stairs.

Nothing good can come out of psychic pressure. Why the hell did I ignore it? Because I'm an idiot. I tipped my head back so it was closer to my backpack. In a low whisper, I hissed the skull's name to get it's malicious attention. It replied in a few seconds, it's jeering voice filling my inner ear.

"What now?"

"Do you sense anything on the staircase?"

"Set me free and I may sense more." It said, it's voice venomous. I rolled my eyes.

"No," I said through gritted teeth, "You know I can't"

"Worth a shot."

"No it wasn't," I deadpanned.

"So how are things with Lockwood?" The Skull asked with disinterest.

I paused, furrowing my brow. "This is so not the time to be discussing my love life."

"It's always time to talk about your previously non-existent love life. How about you take me out and we have a little heart to heart chat."

"I can't take you out of the jar, Skull. We've been over this."

I could hear the spectral sigh, though the Skull has no need to breathe. "Out of the bag, you nimrod. I don't ask twice in one night for freedom."

"You have before." I snarled.

"Oh, I suppose I have. But let's girl talk. Just you and me."

"Skull, you aren't a girl." I said flatly.

"How do you know? I could have been a girl." It said airily.

"Skull, your voice is very male."

It gave a dark chuckle. "Lucy, I'd be less worried about my gender and more about the Spector creeping up behind you."

I gave a string of not-so-nice words and swung around, coming face to face with the aforementioned ghost. Her long fingers were stretched out towards me, and I cut a warding knot around her transparent form. She shot backwards with a howl, and I flung a salt bomb in her direction, and her form fizzed as she disappeared.

I glared at the backpack as best I could over my shoulder. "You could have warned me about that, I reckon."

The skull chuckled darkly again, "Oh, that would be no fun at all."