I looked at my clock, and practically jumped out of bed. It was the first day of the summer holidays. No school, no sun (it is Britain) and just me and my laptop, in my room, writing fanfiction and god knows what other fandom related subjects.
After the general 'actually getting up' (teeth, clothes, shower etc) I sat down at my desk, laptop at the ready. I had just typed my password in when the doorbell rang. My fsther was out and my brother was at his girlfriends, so I relunctantly got up and answered the door. I was not expected it to be who it was.
"Hello, I'm skulduggery pleasant. Nice to meet you. Are your parents in by any chance?"
I was a little startled by the man, but at last comment did not sit well with me.
"Parent. Actually. Singular. My Mother is dead."
"Oh...Well I'm sorry about your loss. Is your father in?"
"No. Tell me the subject of what you want him to know, and I'll tell him."
The thin man pondered a second. He was dressed in an impeccable suit, with scarf and sunglasses covering his face. He also had a hat, matched to the black suit.
"Are you Katie Chapman?"
I looked at him suspiciously, before coming to my senses. He knows my dad, he has probably heard of me. Probably.
"I am."
"Well why did you say so? That's even better!"
I mentally shook myself, and remembered my manners.
"Would you like to come in?"
"If I could, yes."
I showed Mr Pleasant to the lounge.
"Did you say your name was Mr Pleasant?"
"Call me Skulduggery."
"Okay then. What did you want to say to me?"
"What so you know about magic, Katie?"
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but answered anyway.
"Magic isn't real. Science is. I want magic to be real, not like Harry Potter magic though, more like..."I thought a moment. "Derek Landy magic."
"You are very close. Would you like to know a secret?"
I gave him my 'are you fucking serious I am 13 not 5' look.
"Magic is real." He said blankly. I replied accordingly.
"And I guess you're going to tell me that you're a Skeleton and you're a detective and your friend is a tailor who boxes and you know someone who you can fall in love with at first sight."
He tilted his head. "Well actually....yes. How did you know all that?"
"Its not true. As a bedtime story, my mum would tell me about a skeleton detective who wore exquisite suits and hats and his friend was a tailor and this is all sounding very familar to you, isn't it?"
"It is indeed, Katie. My friend is Ghastly Bespoke, and the woman who you supposedly fall in love with is China Sorrows. Your mum really has been saying things she shouldn't have."
Skulduggery finally took off his scarf and sunglasses, revealing the white bone underneath.
"You're a bloody skeleton."
"If you don't mind me asking, when did your mother die?"
"Five years ago, when I was eight."
"This might come as a big hit but...you're mother isn't actually dead."
I just looked at him.
"That's...brilliant."
There was a moment of awkward silence.
"Not exactly."
"Skulduggery, my mum is alive. Please tell me the bad part about that."
"The fact that she is a psychopatgh who has currently killed thirty-two people within a week."
"Oh."
"She has also killed a young woman known to many simply as Anthea."
"well...." I was starting to get the feeling I was going to be deeply involved in this predicament.
"So where are we going and who are we meeting?"
Skulduggery looked as startled as a skeleton could. "Are you sure you're...alright? You have just been told that or mother is both alive and a psychopath. And you've just met a skeleton and found out that your childhood stories are true."
I looked him straight in the eye socket. "Skulduggery, as you have just said, a number of possibly traumatic things have just happened to me. But, currently, this sounds like it might be fun, so where and who. Before I realise what the hell I am doing."
[Insert Bentley paragraph.]
We arrived outside a door in Baker Street, London, which had brass plating of the characters 221b.
Skulduggery retrieved a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He paused.
"Are you irritated easily?"
'Yes."
"Then try not to punch the tall one."
We entered the house and walked upstairs, but didn't go into the flat yet.
"Who is going to be joining us?"
A posh voice came from inside the flat, followed by an arrogant voice.
"By the sound of the feet, female and only a young teen. Going by our current investigation, I presume that it will be Katie Chapman joining us."
As we walked into the flat, I was only surprised. "That's amazing."
''And also extremely annoying." The small man in the corner stood up. "John Watson."
I nodded and shook his and politely.
"Please don't say we all have to introduce ourselves."
The tall man spoke, I think the one who deduced who I was.
"Sherlock." John said sternly, as if he was a child to be scolded.
Sherlock's voice went singsong. "I'm Sherlock, he's Mycroft, he's Lestrade-"
"My name is Greg. I have a name."
"And downstairs is Mrs Hudson. "
Coughcough
It was at that point I noticed the girl in the corner, who was about 18. ish.
"And Valkyrie."
I stood there awkwardly for a second, till i finally found the right question to ask.
"Why am I here?"
Sherlock tilted his head at Skulduggery. "Didn't you tell her?"
"I did, although it seems she may have forgotten."
"I get that my mothers a murderer and that magic exists and that he's a skeleton and half the people here are probably psychopathic
"Sociopathic!" Sherlock shouted from the other end of he room
"But I font get why you need me.
