Lucy's POV

My days are getting stranger and I'm unsure why... I'm thinking the bite has something to do with it.

One minute i could be sat on the couch talking to one of my co-workers, next I've blacked out and once I return blood is all over my arm.

Usually, I'm not squeamish with blood. When it's my own, it's another story.

'Can you hear anything, Luce?' I heard, that struck me back into reality.

Oh, that's right... We're trying to tackle a Wraith...

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand- not the one I was holding my shiny, iron rapier with. That would be stupid.

The weird thing is, I had to hold my rapier with my gloves. It hurts my skin otherwise.

'S-sorry, Lockwood. What did you say?' I asked, George scoffed as he looked at the thermometer.

'Temperature dropping fast guys.' George mumbled. I could hear my heart racing as I heard the very slow ticking of the grandfather clock at the end of the hallway.

'I asked if you heard anything...' Lockwood said. I could hear a bit of worry in his voice.

George fumbled with his iron chains and complained his rapier was jabbing his leg. This is the first time I've seen these guys in action since I came back. They were still as stupid as ever. George- despite his now, less chubby figure- still struggled to get his rapier out of it's little holder in our belts. Lockwood was- and still is- as calm and perfect as ever, not really a care in the world.

The skull, was unnaturally quiet. I swear I heard little whimpers, kind of like a dog would do once its been told off.

Even without trying, I could hear Other-Worldly noises. Even with all the cars driving past.

'I can hear cries, possibly off a guy. With the words, 'Please, don't hurt me' and 'I'll do anything.' Almost like a last minuet beg.' I said, while this is true, there was a lot more words being said. More pleads, begs, cries and shouts.

'Any references, George? Why he could be crying?' Lockwood asked putting on the kettle and lighting Ghost-Lanterns of different kinds everywhere.

George took his glasses and, for the first time in ages, wiped them on his black, ripped up shirt then pushed them up his nose.

'None to be honest, though it was a few years ago. Most people don't really care for details anymore. According to this, young Mike Richard died from suicide. However, it was only because he wanted to be with his dead wife. So really, no reason to beg...'

Then why is he?

Lockwood's POV

I don't know how long I have with Lucy. I know for sure, I can't give the guts to lock her up. Nor does George.

I could slowly feel my life with Lucy slipping away from me. I could see George unsure what to do, with both the case and Lucy.

'Hey, Lockwood?' I looked up at George who was glancing between me and Lucy, 'Could i talk to you for a sec? Alone.'

Lucy looked at us confused, but she had the creepiest grin on her face. As big as it could get, almost like it was permanent. Her eyes weren't her normal, beautiful hazel, it was more of a menacing grey.

I followed George to the next room where the Andersons'- the owners- living room is.

It was a cosy, small room. A window looked over the forest in the distance, a nice TV hung up on the wall with a small, wood fireplace underneath it. A L-shaped couch was in the corner of the room with a coffee table in front. The walls were a plain white and the floor was wooden. I found it nice anyway.

George switched his torch on to it's dimmest so we could just about see each other better. His face looked scared as hell. Like when he faced his first Visitor working for me. It was only a Shade as well.

'There is defiantly something wrong with Lucy!' George whispered, but it was like he was shouting at the same time. 'She is weird!'

I nodded as i looked down. We've been through a lot with Lucy: huge cases, her leaving, her troubles. Everything.

'I know, George.' I said sighing. I couldn't even begin how much i wanted her back normal. It's only been a few days since she came back to us. I couldn't bare saying goodbye to her for good...

I stood there silent and looking around making sure anything doesn't come and kill us. 'Hey, George?' The blonde looked up at me with his green eyes shining from the moonlight. I could see the concern in his eyes. 'Is it possible that the Visitor is scared of her?' I asked.

George stood there thinking, I could see the Visitor shaking down the corridor. It was defiantly strange. Wraiths are one of the hardest Visitors to deal with, nine out of ten times they attack the living and their Sources are usually the most difficult to find. So seeing one crying and shaking not even getting closer isn't right.

'It is a possibility. If the Skull is scared and he's a Type Three. You didn't have her facing you, one second she has her nice, beautiful face, then out of nowhere it kept turning to that face before. One time, I swear blood was filling her eyes.' George mumbled.

I was going to speak, when we heard a scream. Not just any scream. Lucy's.

Lucy's POV

I kept spacing out while George and Lockwood were sipping their tea.

Every time I came around, George stared at me like he saw a Raw-Bones. Though I don't think spacing out is the right words to fit it. It was more of dreaming. It was like i was there say in the seat, but also in a completely different place.

One time, I saw a beautiful house with flowers everywhere, the house was fresh in the past. The sounds I heard ruined the sight.

Screams. Blood curdling screams. It was like a typical horror film- well the ones I've seen which were rubbish compared to what I face (even if both guys were scared death)- where the cream curtains were closed with a light switched on.

I couldn't move to see what exactly was going on, but I could tell I was looking through someone's eyes since I saw the blinking.

Two shadows came into that window, I heard a voice in my head that said, 'It's nearly time.' The shadow near a wall hand their hands up in surrender and plead while the other got closer.

The one backing away looked like a girl while the other was a guy, the guy held up a bat (I think it was) and hit the girl's head with much force as he could, staining the curtains red.

'All done.' A voice said, which was coming from my mouth. It felt so familiar, like when I heard the skull for the second time.

When I came back to my senses, George and Lockwood were gone. I shrugged it off as them hunting for the source or doing more tests, either way I stood up and started to walk to the corridor door.

When I pulled down the handle I had the worst chill down my spine. I felt breathing down my neck and my eyes widened. My heart became slower and my breathing went slower from the cold.

I didn't want to turn around, but I knew I had to. I put my hand in the handle of my rapier ready to slash.

When I turned around I didn't dare do it. I saw Lockwood stood behind me with one of his hands on my shoulder, he was colder than I remembered.

He whispered something like, 'It will all be over soon.' I wasn't sure though.

'What did you say?' I asked, you can tell I didn't say it nicely. Then Lockwood stepped back but his arm still stuck me to the door. He smiled at me. Not his 100 Gigawatt smile, not his wolf smile. It was a smile that made your heart stop, teeth stained red and sharp, like the girl who bit me. His eyes were bleeding as if they were tears, bones started showing from the falling hair and flesh.

His bone hand grasped my neck tightly making me get very little air in my lungs.

'It will all be over soon.' He repeated, I screamed loudly before I collapsed to the floor.

Darkness.

I should be used to it by now. Just the weight on my body, unable to open my eyes, the feel that I'm not breathing.

But I wasn't.

My heart beats twice quick after seeing a blinding light. Another double beat and a scream filled my ears.

Every double beat, which had a few seconds in between each other, something different happened.

After the scream came a cry for mercy, a disgusting squelch sound. Pictures flashed. Some of murder scenes, others of suicide.

The last thing was a face of a girl: late teens or young 20's, short, white hair. One eye was bright green with tears flowing down her cheeks. The other, was missing. blood was the other side of tears.

Then my vision went black.

A voice. Faint but I still could make it out, my heart didn't beat. The voice only said a few words, short but to the point:

'I'm coming for you all...'

George's POV

We rushed to check on Lucy once we heard her scream.

Everything was in order, our- sorry, my- files were on the table, our empty cups of tea. I glanced where Lucy was sat.

The white pained, wooden chair had fallen onto its back, I took a look to the door leading to the grand corridor.

Then I saw her. Flat on the floor, her chest not moving, dark eyes wide open as if she had no eyelids at all. One of the bony hands was clutching her chest while the other was gently on her neck.

Lockwood was the first one to run to her, I ran after her after he reached. He sat to her left side, holding her hand that was on her neck.

'Don't tell me I have to do CPR on her again...' I said sighing. To be honest, I wasn't complaining. Her lips, despite her being cold, were so sweet and smooth, you wouldn't believe they came from a ghost-Fighting, homeless girl.

'When did that happen?' Lockwood asked, I could tell he was jealous. I didn't see his face since he wouldn't take his eyes from her.

'Before I brought her home.' I said, Lockwood held her hand to his chest. I looked at her other arm and gasped, Lockwood looked at me confused and I knelt to her other side, gently taking her hand away from her chest, I pulled down her sleeve.

Remember when the Skull said the bite would turn black?

Well it wasn't her bite that was black. It was her whole arm!

Around the bite was the worst with her skin being midnight-black. I rolled her sleeve up so it was as high as i could get it. From her wrist to her shoulder, her veins weren't blue anymore, they were black.

I bet we had till she turned pure black.

I heard coughing, very weak coughing. Lucy was awake. She looked at me then slowly looked at Lockwood. Her expression was strange.

She screamed and sat up moving back, slowly drawing her rapier, she didn't seem to notice her arm which was strange. It was right in front of her face.

'G-get away from me! You. You, monster!' She shouted at Lockwood. I don't know who was more shocked then, me or Lockwood. Lucy's rapier was drawn fast then, the tip inches from Lockwood's face.

I could see Lockwood's arms shaking, I knew he was trying to keep his cool, but there was no way Lockwood would, ever, hurt Lucy.

'Did I miss something?' I asked, I heard a very faint whisper. It was male, or it was a woman with a really deep voice, it sounded like it was just caught seeing a murder.

She's not herself... I warned you. There was only one voice that would make my inner ear vibrate. The Skull. I'm not a skilled Listener, unlike Lucy, but I still could pick up traces of all 3 main Talents.

I heard a little louder crying and pleads, just like Lucy said. Since it wasn't a type 3, which is harder to hear, I could easily pick it up.

Stay back! Please! I'm sorry for all harm I may have caused! I felt sorry for the ghost, naturally, but this proved what Lucy used to say between cases: that all Visitors can communicate!

Why don't they? Instead of trying to kill us or be a nuisance, why can't they tell us where their Source is? Why don't they talk to their relatives?

'You men are such a pain!' A voice shouted, it kept flicking between both ears. A large tug was on my green jumper sleeve.

The most evil laugh I ever heard filled the room, that's when I saw Lucy.

Her eyes were pure black, almost like they weren't there, blood was poring down them in a straight line down her face. A teeth-full smile spread across her once beautiful face. I'm not sure, but I didn't think those teeth were exactly hers- hear the sarcasm? They were sharper than blades, cut in a wolf like shake, triangle. Or just what a little kid would draw a monster's teeth like.

I agree with it being a monster. Half of the teeth on the top layer and the front teeth on the bottom were stained red, probably from blood.

'Wh-what?' Lockwood stammered, Lucy stood up but almost fell. She used her rapier as a walking stick.

'You men never care for us girls! You make us slave, suffer, die! Girls aren't great either. Lie, irresponsible, dangerous, lazy. The world would be so much better without you!' She held her rapier up high.

The next thing she said, made my heart stop: 'I can't wait to see what you look like dead!'

Snap out of it, Lucy! I heard the skull shout. I gulped when she walked to our 'friend' in the jar, picked him up and looked dead into his plasm eyes. A wave of apologies fled from his mouth.

I fight ghosts, pretty much every day of my life now. Watching a Visitor kill another, is another thing.

Lucy- or what was controlling her- smashed the silver jar on the floor, forcing the spirit out. When the skull came out, he looked human.

He looked so young, quite small with short silky-looking black hair, about stomach height on Lockwood, bright green eyes. He looked almost alive with how coloured and how nontransparent he was.

That skull, the one that wanted us dead and had such a foul mouth, was a kid?

Looking close at him, I saw cut marks all on his arms and legs, with a huge slit in his throat.

I'll admit, I didn't want him gone. When Lucy picked him up, twisted his head so it was behind him (it made such a horrid noise I might add). The poor boys body fell to the ground and faded into nothing. All that was left was his skull, we thought it was an adult, but he was chubby...

Lucy's POV

Everywhere was black, empty. Like a void. I could move. At first I shouted, then I walked around breaking out to a run.

Nothing.

I didn't know what was going on, after the visions, I couldn't move. Just sent to this place.

It felt like eternity. I finally found something, a glow. A bright white glow.

'Hello? Who's there?' I asked as I walked to it. As I got closer, I heard sobs.

It was a kid, he was so small and quite chubby if I'm honest, he was wearing a torn up blue shirt and pants, cuts were all over his body with a huge gash to his throat.

'What's the matter? Where am I?' I asked, when he looked at me, his bright green eyes were flowing with tears, but he looked serious.

'Oh, your actually kind now?!' He shouted. That voice... I know that voice. 'Confused hu? Fat-boy 2000 was.'

Th-the skull... He was a kid? How was his voice so deep?

'They damaged my vocal chords...' He said, like he was reading my mind.

'So... I'm dead?' I said, touchy subject to the unexpected kid.

'No. You're in the waiting room,' He must have saw my confused face, he wipes his eyes and sniffled before continuing, 'some Visitors are calm, they've done everything they wish and they're happy. But others have something unfinished. Like what you guys think.'

'Skull, what's happening to me?' I asked, I had such worry in my voice, I couldn't die! I had a whole life ahead of me!

'Call me Reece.' He said running his finger on the cut on his neck.

'OK, Reece. What's happening to me?' I repeated. He's called Reece? He gets weirder and weirder.

'She escaped. We don't know how. All she wants is to kill humanity... Since she was abused all her life, that's all she wanted. The Great Rules In Mind, or GRIM took a vote to keep her locked up. We like expanding our place but not in under a decade.'

'Great Rules To Mind?' I wondered, sounded like DEPARC made it up.

'We call it the Society of the dead. They decide our fate depending who we are.' He frantically looked around him,' I have to go!' Then he faded. I was back alone...